Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Ravitch in Chicago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Ravitch in Chicago

There was a good turnout for Diane Ravitch's whirlwind book tour in Chicago. Friday, she spoke at DePaul (left) and UIC. On Saturday, she spoke to Catalyst (right) members. Her talks were hosted co-hosted by the Small Schools Workshop.

UCSC Fines Activists $944 Each � Student Activism

UCSC Fines Activists $944 Each � Student Activism

UCSC Fines Activists $944 Each

by Angus Johnston

Yesterday I posted about SFSU’s move to charge eleven student activists more than $700 each for costs relating to a building occupation on campus. As I reported, this week also saw a PR blitz from the UC Berkeley administration, which claimed that this year’s protests there have cost them more than two hundred thousand dollars so far.
Today, the blog Occupy CA is reporting that UC Santa Cruz is demanding that an unspecified number of students who participated in November’s Kerr Hall occupation pay the university $944 each in restitution.
Much more detail over at Occupy CA, including the following claims:

• Those facing fines include three of five student negotiators, who were “uninvolved in the actual

Sacramento Press / Business Community steps up to raise funds for WEAVE

Sacramento Press / Business Community steps up to raise funds for WEAVE

Business Community steps up to raise funds for WEAVE 

by Tia Gemmell

On April 8th members of the business community and leaders from the California State Government joined together to raise awareness and funds for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault in Sacramento County. Presenting sponsor, Accenture, and 22 other corporate supporters hosted “Break the Cycle. Build a Connection” at the California Museum. Dignitaries in attendance included Senate President proTem and Sacramento County Supervisor Susan Peters. Event chair Gail Gregori created the event as a response to WEAVE’s struggle to ensure that life-saving and changing services remain available to families in need during these challenging economic times.
Photos on web site, www.phototia.com

Gail Gregori, Event Chair, Darrell Steinberg, Senate President proTem and Beth Hassett, Executive Director of WEAVE

Mark Whitney, Attorney and Ashley West, Weave Board President and Attorney

DAC meeting is Tuesday, April 13, 2010 sacdac.org

Education News & Comment

The next DAC meeting is Tuesday, April 13, 2010

at the Serna Center, Community Room, from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm.

Free dinner and daycare is provided for your convenience.

Agenda and draft minutes are attached.

Hello DAC members & Community Partners: Dear DAC Membership and Interested Parties: The next DAC meeting is Tuesday, April 13, 2010 at the Serna Center, Community Rooms from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm. Agenda is attached. Last month’s minutes are also attached. District Advisory Board (DAC) Board got some major breaking new! First, the Title I cutoff for 2010-11 has moved up to 50% free and reduced lunch student population from last year 36%. Second, the school district when through an audited last year. The Feds found SCUSD inappropriately distributed the Economic Impact Aid (EIA) funds. EIA funds are divided between State Compensatory Education funds (SCE) 60% & Limited English Proficiency (LEP) 40%. The principals received training this week. I have provided you the information that was shared at the DAC board meeting (see attachments). All monies are to serve the socioeconomically disadvantaged or English Learners students directly, not supplant staff that serves the whole school population. I recommend all School Site Council members attend this meeting, not just DAC representatives. Look at the data provided. Schools’ estimated 2010-11 categorical allocations are listed. Graciela Albiar, Director of State & Federal Programs will be explaining in detail how these changes are calculated and how the new ruling applies to EIA allocations to your school’s Single Plan of Student Achievement. Manuel Guillot, Director of Office of Parent & Community Engagement will discuss research-based best practices to increase parent involvement—to help build the school’s capacity. I want to stress that anyone can attend DAC meetings—any community member and parents not necessarily involved in school site council. These meeting are open to the public. See you there! Wanda Yañez Chairperson District Advisory Committee (DAC) Sacramento City Unified School District Work: (916) 654-7729 Website: http://sacdac.org/Dacupdate.aspx

The Perimeter Primate: Sunday reading: Privatization in your face (Two short articles extra credit)

The Perimeter Primate: Sunday reading: Privatization in your face (Two short articles extra credit)

Sunday reading: Privatization in your face (Two short articles + extra credit)

from The Perimeter Primate by The Perimeter Primate

1. Schwarzenegger leads the way with selling off California’s assets and removes those who question him from his path. This is neoliberalism in its true form: the transfer of wealth belonging to the masses (the State) into the hands of a small number of private individuals. Read this article carefully to absorb what is happening here. A local version of this would be if OUSD (Oakland Unified School District) sold its properties off, then turned around to rent back its schools from its new landlords in perpetuity.
2. Schwarzenegger professes his love and admiration for Milton Friedman: economic adviser to Ronald Reagan, Mr. Free-Market, and the neoliberal creator of all this mess. The movement to privatize public education started

YouTube - Denver's MSLA: Everyone a Learner, Teacher, Leader

YouTube - Denver's MSLA: Everyone a Learner, Teacher, Leader:

"NEAABS — April 09, 2010 — The Math and Science Leadership Academy is a union-designed, teacher-led public school within the Denver Public School System. The schools teachers use collaborative planning time to meet with their peers, analyze data and design instruction that meets student needs. We designed it, we put this together, and were running it, says Lori Nazareno, one of two head teachers at MSLA Everybody gets that its our responsibility. The school is designed to attract and retain the most accomplished teachers in the field, and so far its working. The school fielded around 30 applications for each position."

NEAABS — April 09, 2010 — The Math and Science Leadership Academy is a union-designed, teacher-led public school within the Denver Public School System. The schools teachers use collaborative planning time to meet with their peers, analyze data and design instruction that meets student needs. We designed it, we put this together, and were running it, says Lori Nazareno, one of two head teachers at MSLA Everybody gets that its our responsibility. The school is designed to attract and retain the most accomplished teachers in the field, and so far its working. The school fielded around 30 applications for each position.

Education - Everything you need to know about the world of education.

Education - Everything you need to know about the world of education.

Cash for grades gets some results in D.C.

Some groups of middle schoolers raise performance in Harvard study

MORE ON EDUCATION

• Schmoke helped ink union deal
• Are Metro's school lines in peril?
• Cash program showing some gains
• Helping immigrants succeed in school
• Klein: Why teachers matter
• Recalling Obama's schools days
• Program brings artists back to classes
• Stalled reopening irks P.G. parents
• Loudoun officials cut school funding

D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee (Benjamin J. Myers).

Sorry Geoffrey Canada, but failure IS an option, a reality, and even a boon

My guest is Diana Senechal, who taught for four years in the New York City public schools and is writing a book about the loss of solitude in schools and culture.

By Diana Senechal
Calling for more school choice, Geoffrey Canada, president and CEO of the Harlem Children’s Zone, began his March 27 New York Daily News op-ed with the following:

"Visitors to my public charter school often ask how the students feel about the signs on the walls that say: ’Failure is not an option.’ They are surprised to hear that the signs are really for the staff." 

There are two ethical problems with declaring that failure is not an option. First of all, failure exists everywhere, chosen or not, and to deny it is to deny reality. Second, without the option of failure, we would have no freedom of will; we would have to succeed at everything, and the success would lose meaning. 

Continue reading this post »

JAY MATHEWS

Class Struggle

What's Right and Wrong With Our Schools

Posted at 5:30 AM ET, 04/ 9/2010

Principal keeps student in AP class she rejected

I can hear some of you mumbling: What is Mathews doing? His nutty campaign for AP and International Baccalaureate and his love of anything to which the word rigor can be attached is the reason why educators push this stuff too hard. Is he finally confessing his sins of overdoing challenging courses?

Continue reading this post »

Ed Buzz: The Nation

• Schools tackle teacher-on-teacher bullying (USA Today)
• English-language learners making gains (Education Week)
• Researchers argue over Head Start study (Education Week)
• States skeptical about Race to Top contest (New York Times)
• School law clinics face backlash (New York Times)
• L.A. allows students to stay in other districts (Los Angeles Times)

Ed Buzz: The Region

• Loudoun looking to slash positions, up fees (WTOP)
• Kids at Md. school get tainted milk (Fox 5)
• McDonnell signs college lab school legislation (Richmond Times Dispatch)
• Schools reduce police presence (The Examiner)
• Montgomery College, schools brace for cuts (The Gazette)
• P.G. County PTA reinstated (The Gazette)
• Md. GOP: Don't raise dropout age (The Gazette)
• Birth-control center finds home at T.C. Williams (Alexandria Gazette Packet)
• Fairfax teacher quits over embezzlement charges (Examiner)
• MoCo teachers say they are overwhelmed (Gazette)
• Alex. considers new school boundaries(Examiner)
• PG parents fear impact of school cuts(WJLA)
• Md. lawmakers favor ed cuts (Baltimore Sun)

a

EducationNews.org - EducationNewsToday

EducationNews.org - EducationNewsToday

EducationNewsToday

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Jay Mathews: Principal keeps student in AP class she rejected

I can hear some of you mumbling: What is Mathews doing? His nutty campaign for AP and International Baccalaureate and his love of anything to which the word rigor can be attached is the reason why educators push this stuff too hard. Is he finally confessing his sins of overdoing challenging courses? ...

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