Monday, February 13, 2012

by skrashen

Response to The growing education gap between the rich and poor"
Gerald Coles

Appeared on the listserv of the Rochester Coalition for Justice in Education. Posted with permission, OK to share with others.

A few comments on the recent NY Times article, "Education Gap Grows Between Rich & Poor, Studies Say."

While it was good to see the Times provide a summary of recent research on the growing education gap between

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Early Afternoon Posts 2-13 #edchat #edreform

Schools Matter: Simple Math

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 56 minutes ago

Schools Matter: Simple Math:Simple Mathby P. L. ThomasCommon Core Standards adopted+Silence from teachers, professional organizations, parents+New tests, more tests, pre-tests, post-tests+Silence from

In Case You Missed It: Loud Protests, Lots of Closures, Less Support for Bloomberg « EdVox

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 56 minutes ago

In Case You Missed It: Loud Protests, Lots of Closures, Less Support for Bloomberg « EdVox:In Case You Missed It: Loud Protests, Lots of Closures, Less Support for Bloombergby edvoxnyHere on EdVox we’re excited to bring you the latest news about education issues and policies affecting our communities. It can be hard to keep up with all of the events and happenings, so – in case you missed it… Here is a recap of the latest stories in NYC education ... more »

Louisiana Educator: NCLB Waiver Request Continues Failure Trap

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Louisiana Educator: NCLB Waiver Request Continues Failure Trap:NCLB Waiver Request Continues Failure Trapby Michael DeshotelsSuperintendent White's request for a waiver of the US Dept. of Education mandates of the No Child Left Behind law has serious basic flaws. Even so, such flaws will probably have no affect on its approval by Arne Duncan. Since Duncan campaigned for White to be appointed, he will obviously approve anything White submits. The proposal amounts to a guaranteed failure trap for Louisiana public schools. ... more »

Classroom-Based Assessment Should Replace 'No Child', Experts Say - High School Notes (usnews.com)

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Classroom-Based Assessment Should Replace 'No Child', Experts Say - High School Notes (usnews.com):Classroom-Based Assessment Should Replace 'No Child', Experts SayBy LAURA MCMULLENFebruary 13, 2012 RSS Feed PrintPresident Barack Obama announced last week that 10 states will be exempt from the requirements of the highly-criticized No Child Left Behind legislation. In exchange, those states will have to agree to a series of reforms. But some experts say the law should be scrapped completely for models that don't rely on standardized tests."It ... more »

Disapproving parents agree: Go back and fix your budget, governor | Thoughts on Public Education

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 56 minutes ago

Disapproving parents agree: Go back and fix your budget, governor | Thoughts on Public Education:Disapproving parents agree: Go back and fix your budget, governor - by Crystal Brownby Crystal BrownParents from around the state have reviewed the governor’s proposed 2012-13 budget, and we would like to say, loud and clear, we are disappointed. We were hopeful that the Legislature and Gov. Brown would put together a budget that would ensure that schools, at the very minimum, would have funding stable ... more »

Ravitch: Why states should say ‘no thanks’ to charter schools - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

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Ravitch: Why states should say ‘no thanks’ to charter schools - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post:Ravitch: Why states should say ‘no thanks’ to charter schoolsby Valerie StraussThis was written by education historian Diane Ravitch, a research professor at New York University and author of the bestselling “The Death and Life of the Great American School System,” a critique of the flaws in the modern school reform movement. Ravitch was an assistant secretary of education in the administration of ... more »

Legislative Action Alert: Let’s Not Allow Stand for Children to Take Over Our Democratc Process | Seattle Education

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Legislative Action Alert: Let’s Not Allow Stand for Children to Take Over Our Democratc Process | Seattle Education:Legislative Action Alert: Let’s Not Allow Stand for Children to Take Over Our Democratc Processby seattleducation2011Heads up, everyone — Stand for Children, Incorporated, the out of state political lobbying operation bankrolled by Gates and others, is boasting that it charged down to Olympia this past week and forced our legislators to breathe life back into the poorly written, politically volatile charter school bill ... more »

NYC Educator: Are Our Kids Guinea Pigs? Or Lemmings?

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NYC Educator: Are Our Kids Guinea Pigs? Or Lemmings?:Are Our Kids Guinea Pigs? Or Lemmings?by NYC EducatorWhen you decide to arbitrarily take control from educators, and re-assign it to self-professed experts, you run into problems. Take, for example, these shining stars in Philadelphia. They observed a classroom, saw a reading corner, labeled it "clutter," and had it removed. Sure, that's blatant idiocy. Yet who's to say those who most influence faux-Democrat Barack Obama are not equally deluded?Now that there's a ... more »

Report: AP Courses Not Available for Black Students

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Report: AP Courses Not Available for Black Students:Report: AP Courses Not Available for Black StudentsLatest articles - 36 minutes agoThe vast majority of 2011 Black high school graduates who could have excelled in an AP course never enrolled in one because they were either “left out” or went to a school that didn’t offer the college prep courses, the College... in NewsCommentary: On Roland Martin – Twitter is Not Your FriendLatest articles - 36 minutes agoBy now, everyone has heard ... more »

Schools Matter: Charter Schools and Students with Disabilities by Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA)

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Schools Matter: Charter Schools and Students with Disabilities by Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA):Charter Schools and Students with Disabilities by Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA)by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene"It is not legally or morally acceptable that these so-called “schools of choice” that are concentrated in urban communities and supported with public funds, should be permitted to operate as segregated learning environments where students are more isolated by race, socioeconomic class, disability, and language than the ... more »

H.R.3915: To consolidate programs at the Department of Justice and enact the CAMPUS Safety Act of 2011. - U.S.... OpenCongress

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H.R.3915: To consolidate programs at the Department of Justice and enact the CAMPUS Safety Act of 2011. - U.S.... OpenCongress:Bill Introduced: H.R.3915 To consolidate programs at the Department of Justice and enact the CAMPUS Safety Act of 2011.To consolidate programs at the Department of Justice and enact the CAMPUS Safety Act of 2011.

School Tech Connect: Why Is Your Name Not On This?

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School Tech Connect: Why Is Your Name Not On This?:Why Is Your Name Not On This?by noreply@blogger.com (Tim)I'm on top at DumpDuncan.Actually, I'm # 2,155. Go sign on! My only regret is that I did not sign up in time to be # 2, 132, right after Savanna Bumpus and Clemency Wings.

Jack Hassard Reports: Cobb County, Georgia, Rejects Teach For America - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

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Jack Hassard Reports: Cobb County, Georgia, Rejects Teach For America - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher:Jack Hassard Reports: Cobb County, Georgia, Rejects Teach For Americaby Anthony CodyGuest post by Jack Hassard.Cobb County, Georgia's second largest school district, decided not to consider the superintendent's request to hire 50 Teach for America (TFA) uncertified college graduates to work in under-performing schools in South Cobb. According to an editorial in the Marietta Daily Journal, Dr. Michael Hinojosa, the county's new superintendent ... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Hey, Businessman: Stay Out of My School!

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Jersey Jazzman: Hey, Businessman: Stay Out of My School!:Hey, Businessman: Stay Out of My School!by DukeIt's Sunday evening, I can't shake this cough, I'm tired and cranky... so I'm really not up to dissecting this ridiculous interview with the very wealthy and very reformy South Jersey Democratic boss, George Norcross. But I can't let the evening go without commenting on this:Norcross has sat on Cooper’s board since 1990, taking over the top seat in 2006. It is from that pulpit ... more »

NYC Public School Parents: The state's proposed NCLB waiver responds to none of our concerns

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NYC Public School Parents: The state's proposed NCLB waiver responds to none of our concerns:The state's proposed NCLB waiver responds to none of our concernsby Leonie HaimsonA summary of the public comment and the response by NYSED for their waiver application from NCLB is now posted online; presumably the application will be voted on by the Regents Monday or Tuesday.NYSED says it received “over 50 submissions from “persons associated with Class Size Matters” and over twenty submissions from individuals associated ... more »

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Early Evening Posts 2-12 #edchat #p2 #edreform

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 10 hours ago

Two Important Internet Links - Occupy DOE and Charter Schools Resources #edchat #edreformBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-10 minutes agoTwo Important Internet Links - Occupy DOE and Charter Schools Resources: Two Important Internet Links – Occupy DOE and Charter Schools Resourcesby rbhattIf you are battling ineffective education reform in your state, you might be interested in the two links below.Occupy DOE is on the horizon. Click on this link for more information:http://unitedoptout.com/occupy-the-doe-in-dc-schedule-march-30th-to-april-2nd-2012/Also, if you are in a st... more »

Why I’m No Longer Tweeting « Outside the Cave

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Why I’m No Longer Tweeting « Outside the Cave:Why I’m No Longer Tweetingby Stephen LazarIt’s been a month and a half now since I’ve looked at the never ending stream of updates from the people I follow on Twitter or Facebook. And while I am thankful for the network of excellent educators I’ve connected with through Twitter, I came the conclusion that it wasn’t something I wanted to keep in my life anymore. What follows is an explanation of why ... more »

African American Women's Health Legacy

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Toni Colley Perry describes the condition of women with chronic health conditions. Diabetes is a chronic health condition impacting 4.9 million African Americans. Almost 19% have diagnosed or undiagnosed diabetes.. In Sacramento County, 15% of African American women have the disease. Get on line and take the survey we are fighting to preserve "Our Legacy of Hope" at www.diabeteshealthsurvery.com or you can contact Sharon Chandler at 916-736-3431

How is any part of Walker’s economic strategy working with job losses for 6 months straight and tax revenues plummeting? « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 15 hours ago

How is any part of Walker’s economic strategy working with job losses for 6 months straight and tax revenues plummeting? « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!:How is any part of Walker’s economic strategy working with job losses for 6 months straight and tax revenues plummeting?by millerlfProjected Wisconsin budget deficit generates criticismThe Business Journal Date: Thursday, February 9, 2012A Wisconsin report predicting a $143.2 million deficit when the state’s two-year budget expires is generating a stir of statements from Democrats ... more »

Evers upset with Walker over education bill | Herald Times Reporter | htrnews.com

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Evers upset with Walker over education bill | Herald Times Reporter | htrnews.com:Evers upset with Walker over education billVoucher, charter schools not under accountability system11:00 PM, Feb. 10, 2012 | CommentsAAWritten byThe Associated PressFILED UNDERLocal NewsMADISON — Wisconsin state Superintendent Tony Evers is upset with Gov. Scott Walker over an education reform bill they worked on together but that doesn't place charter and private voucher schools under a new accountability system.Evers said the bill misses an opportunity to deliver on ... more »

On Alan Borsuk’s Commentary on New MPS Budget « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!

On Alan Borsuk’s Commentary on New MPS Budget « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!:

On Alan Borsuk’s Commentary on New MPS Budget

by millerlf

By Larry Miller

When does speculation – what MPS parents might do – become suggestions – what MPS parents ought to do?

In a February 12 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel commentary, Alan Borsuk appeared to be on a slippery slope about the woes facing parents of students at top-performing MPS schools.

First, Borsuk claimed our schools are suffering because the district failed to use the “tools” given them by Gov. Scott Walker. He compares MPS to other school districts across the state, asserting that many of them are in the black because of those “tools” – read, stinging cuts to teachers’ benefits.

The truth is that many districts were saved by use of funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

Schools Matter: Guest Post: Why Reformers Misunderstand Their Own Research

Schools Matter: Guest Post: Why Reformers Misunderstand Their Own Research:

Guest Post: Why Reformers Misunderstand Their Own Research

by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene

Dr. John Thompson was an award-winning historian, lobbyist, and guerilla-gardener who became an award-winning inner city teacher after crack and gangs hit his neighborhood.

By John Thompson

According to the latest Gates Foundation study, "Gathering Feedback for Teaching," student surveys are more reliable than outside observers in evaluating teachers. I agree with the researchers that such a finding should be no surprise. Even though I trust my students' judgments more than those of principals, or even trained outside evaluators, however, I would think twice about incorporating those surveys into high-stakes evaluations. Do we want to institutionalize a conflict of interest on educators, tempting some to lower their standards in the hope that their students would reciprocate when evaluating them? Do we want to take the risk that popularity issues will undercut collaboration among teachers?

The New Teacher Project (TNTP) makes a big issue of the Gates finding that value-added results are the better predictor of future value-added results. Well duh! Since they are mostly

Democurmudgeon: Charter Schools fail to block public, ordered to reveal how they spent taxpayer money!

Democurmudgeon: Charter Schools fail to block public, ordered to reveal how they spent taxpayer money!:

Charter Schools fail to block public, ordered to reveal how they spent taxpayer money!

by Democurmudgeon

Charter schools are trying break free from the chains ofpublic accountability, by claiming taxpayer money is theirs once paid, and thereforewhat they do is no longer public.

And conservatives complain about how our public schools andteachers aren’t accountable? Again, this is another warning, and only the startof our journey down the road to the for profit takeover.

EducationWeek: An Ohio judge has ordered afor-profit charter school company to turn over a wide range of financialdocuments to a group of schools it operates, ruling that "public moneymust be accounted for."

A collection of schools in the Cleveland and Akron area havebeen seeking to have the company, WhiteHat Management, turn over records pertaining to the management of

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Press release: Parents, students protest Noble Network’s predatory discipline policy

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Press release: Parents, students protest Noble Network’s predatory discipline policy:

Press release: Parents, students protest Noble Network’s predatory discipline policy

by admin

Student "chefs" protest Noble's "secret sauce"

Parents, Students: Noble Street Profiting

from Predatory Discipline Code

Practices spread as Mayor Emanuel promotes a hidden education tax on Chicago’s Black and Latino families

FEBRUARY 13—With Mayor Emanuel expanding the Noble Street Charter Network as a model for public education throughout Chicago, community groups today released original data on the profits that the growing charter network is making from disciplinary fines imposed on low-income families.

Hundreds of students, parents and supporters from Voices of Youth in Chicago Education (VOYCE), Parents United for Responsible Education (PURE), and Advancement Project marched from Chicago Public Schools to City Hall to demand an end to these and other appalling discipline policies at Chicago’s neighborhood and charter schools, calling Noble a

Confused About No Child Left Behind? A History of K-12 Education Regulation - Yahoo! News

Confused About No Child Left Behind? A History of K-12 Education Regulation - Yahoo! News:

Confused About No Child Left Behind? A History of K-12 Education Regulation

By Calvin Wolf | Yahoo! Contributor Network – 2 hrs 54 mins ago

According to Time, President Barack Obama has exempted 10 states from the strictest requirements of No Child Left Behind, which many critics claim are impossible for schools to meet and place undue burdens on educators. NCLB became law in 2002 under President George W. Bush and has since become a thicket of controversy. Under NCLB, school districts are required to meet certainperformance standards. Proponents claim these performance standards help children by forcing districts to focus on teaching and curricula quality, while critics claim that the standards are too difficult to meet and harm educators' reputations and job security while creating a "kill-and-drill," "teach-to-the-test" mentality.

While NCLB has always been controversial, what is the background of education regulation in public schools? Here's a history provided by PBS.

1892: The National Education Association appoints a committee of 10 people to study school curriculum.

Early 1900s: Indiana, Massachusetts and Louisiana begin to track the progress of high school students.

1912: IQ tests are created, allowing objective measurements of student intelligence. Some 250,000 students will take the tests over the next 20 years.

1917: The federal government passes the Smith-Hughes Act, which provides funding for agriculture, trade, industrial and home economics education. It creates a foundation for vocational educational.

1918: The NEA publishes the "Cardinal Principles of Secondary Education," which argues schools