Saturday, May 22, 2010

The Washington Teacher: DC Principal Shuffle

DC Principal Shuffle

by The Wash. Teacher

Starring: Michelle Rhee

DC Public Schools Chancellor

Hey folks, it's that time of year again when DC schools approaches its final days as the school year comes to an end. Some principals have already faced Chancellor Rhee's 'meat axe approach' to principal terminations or if you prefer a nice way of saying their contract was not-renewed.

As you may recall, last year some targeted DC principals on Rhee's hit list left many parents, staff and community activists baffled and questioning her guidelines for termination of local school principals. Even in cases when principals had performed well, Rhee's unconventional actions to get rid of these principals without as much as an explanation left many wondering how could this be happening ? Feel free to send me your list of departing principals c/o saveourcounselors@gmail.com

So far here's the short list of departing DC principals and their affiliated schools:

Chicago Teachers Union election headed for a June 11 runoff. � Fred Klonsky's blog

Chicago Teachers Union election headed for a June 11 runoff.

by preaprez

Catalyst’s Twitter site is reporting that Karen Lewis, candidate of the rank-and-file insurgent CORE caucus has forced current CTU prez Marilyn Stewart into a runoff.
Catalyst’s post:

California, other states prepare to honor Milk - Boston.com

California, other states prepare to honor Milk

By Lisa Leff

Associated Press Writer / May 21, 2010

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SAN FRANCISCO—Presidential Medal of Freedom? Got that. A place in the California Hall of Fame and Sean Penn playing you on-screen? Those, too.

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Now, Harvey Milk has a holiday of sorts to call his own. California will observe its first day of "special significance" Saturday honoring the slain gay rights leader on what would have been his 80th birthday.

It took two legislative tries and the 2008 movie "Milk" to help persuade Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to sign a bill last fall establishing May 22 as Harvey Milk Day. Memorial events are planned in 20 other states.

The California measure does not close state offices as an official holiday would but does encourages public schools to conduct activities commemorating the first openly gay man elected to public office in a major U.S. city.

Milk was a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1978 when he and Mayor George Moscone were assassinated at City Hall by former supervisor Dan White.

Milk preached a message of pride that made him an inspiration to generations of gay rights activists, and he is credited with helping defeat a ballot initiative that

Texas schools dilute history curriculum

by Associated Press

The Texas State Board of Education adopted a social studies and history curriculum yesterday that amends or waters down the teaching of the civil rights movement, slavery, America’s relationship with the UN, and hundreds of other items.

Mich. schools not expected to see cuts in 2010-11

by Kathy Barks Hoffman, Associated Press Writer

Michigan school districts are safe from further cuts this school year and likely will escape budget cuts next year as well, state economists said Friday

Schools Matter: Republican History: The Great Texas Whiteout of 2010

Republican History: The Great Texas Whiteout of 2010

by Jim Horn

The Texas textbook Tea Party just wound down, and history will never be the same, or for ten years at least. All the more reason to save an incredible amount of money by discontinuing the purchase of these super-sized tomes of snooze-worthy pablum that corporations have foisted on school children for 150 years at least. Until states get smart by hiring teachers to create custom texts using the myriad sources available free on the Web or for a minimal charge for educational use, we will have these social antiquarians shaping the future.

Here is the best summary I have found, and, of course, it is not from an American paper, but from the Independent:

By Guy Adams in Los Angeles

The slave trade was in fact the "Atlantic triangular trade". Capitalism, with all its negative

Colorado gets $17.4 million grant for data system to track student progress Education - The Denver Post

Education - The Denver Post

Colorado gets $17.4 million grant for data system to track student progress 305/22/2010Colorado's ability to win big-stakes education grants got a boost Friday when the federal government announced the state had been awarded $17.4 million to build a statewide education data system.

Chancellor of CU's Denver, Aurora campuses resigns05/22/2010 - Dr. M. Roy Wilson, the chancellor of the University of Colorado campuses in Denver and Aurora, will resign from both positions effective June 30, university spokesman Ken McConnellogue said Friday.

DPS, teachers agree on contract 905/21/2010 - Denver's teachers agreed to a delayed pay increase next school year and a pay freeze in 2011-12, according to the contract agreement reached between the district and union that was announced Thursday.

State gets millions for education data system 705/21/2010 - Colorado won a $17.4 million federal grant to build a statewide data system that will link information about public school students from the time they enter preschool to when they graduate college.

At Denver school, four square is quadruply hip05/21/2010 - Students streamed out of east Denver's Florida Pitt Waller K-8 school Thursday and flanked the playground, shouting to friends and warming up for a school first: a four-square tournament. It's a playground staple these kids elevate to a whole new level.

Saturday coffee. � Fred Klonsky's blog

Saturday coffee.

by preaprez

Connecticut Abolitionist Roger Baldwin.

I’m at the Starbucks in Hartford, Connecticut this Saturday. We’re here for the graduation of our youngest nephew from Trinity College.
We’re staying at the Downtown Marriott, a large hotel attached to the Hartford Convention Center. The Connecticut Republicans are holding their state convention here this weekend. The hotel is full of them. Connecticut Republicans. They just sort of moved the Greenwich Country Club membership an hour to the north. It is the largest assembly of blue blazers, pressed Dockers and penny loafers in the universe.
This is not in the tradition of progressive Connecticut. The state was the home of Roger Baldwin, one of the

Old school.

MAY 22, 2010

tags: Staple Singers

by preaprez

Staple Singers.

Is Dora the Explorer an illegal immigrant?

In this composite image provided May 20, 2010 courtesy of Debbie Groben and FreakingNews.com, is an image of Nickelodeon cartoon Dora the Explorer created late last year by Debbie Groben of Sarasota, Fla., for a contest for the fake news site FreakingNews.com. The image, and others like it that question or make fun of the Latina cartoon character's immigration status and country of origin, have been in wide circulation since Arizona passed a controversial immigration law. Groben, who is against the immigration law, said she just created it out of good fun and didn't know it would enter the immigration debate. (AP Photo/Courtesy of Debbie Broben and FreakingNews.com) (AP)

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By SOPHIA TAREEN

The Associated Press
Friday, May 21, 2010; 2:07 PM

CHICAGO -- In her police mug shot, the doe-eyed cartoon heroine with the bowl haircut has a black eye, battered lip and bloody nose.

Dora the Explorer's alleged crime? "Illegal Border Crossing Resisting Arrest."

The doctored picture, one of several circulating widely in the aftermath of Arizona's controversial new immigration law, may seem harmless, ridiculous or even tasteless.

But experts say the pictures and the rhetoric surrounding them online, in newspapers and at public rallies, reveal some Americans' attitudes about race, immigrants and where some of immigration reform debate may be headed.

"Dora is kind of like a blank screen onto which people can project their thoughts and feelings about Latinos," said Erynn Masi de Casanova, a sociology professor at the University of Cincinnati. "They feel like they can say negative things because she's only a cartoon character."

The depictions, whether through irony or protest, are being used by those who oppose and support Arizona's law. On one hand she's a likable symbol who many can relate to, and at the same time, perceived as an outsider who doesn't belong anywhere.

It's not the first time a children's character has been dragged into a serious debate.

In the late 1990s, Tinky Winky the Teletubby, a purple children's TV character with a triangle antenna - was called out by Christian leaders for being gay. Sesame Street roommates Bert and Ernie are often involved in statements on same-sex marriage.

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

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

Forcibly tattooing a boy isn't bullying. It's assault

Tattooing someone against their will is not bullying. It is assault. The difference matters.

This is relevant in the case of a 14-year-old boy who was allegedly tattooed against his will by four or five young men who have been charged with assault, endangering the welfare of a minor, tattooing without a license and other offenses, according to the Smoking Gun.

An arrest warrant affidavit issued by the Concord Police Department in New Hampshire says that assailants told the ninth grade victim, who has learning disabilities and attends Concord High School, that “he was going to get the tattoo whether he liked it or not.” If he tried to run away, they told him, he would be caught and beaten up.

The warrant also said the victim was told he would no longer be bullied if he allowed himself to be tattooed and then agreed.

The victim had an obscenity and a drawing of a penis tattooed on his backside on May 10 after being enticed to a Concord home, the warrant said. Some of the boys attend the same school but are legal adults.

Some of the media accounts of the incident are calling the young men who were arrested “bullies.” If they are found guilty, they certainly will be shown to be bullies, but also criminals who assaulted a student.

Bullying is pernicious and dangerous behavior with these three components, as defined by Dan Olweus, creator of the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program:

1. Aggressive behavior that involves unwanted, negative actions.
2. A pattern of behavior repeated over time.
3. An imbalance of power or strength.

Improving schools by paying teachers to leave

Economist Eric Hanushek summarizes his plan for turning school budget cuts and more federal bailout funds into an opportunity to improve the teaching ranks: "The first-best solution, based on several decades of consistent research findings, is to lay off ineffective teachers selectively while letting class sizes drift up a bit," he writes. "When the bailout ends, schools would be in a stronger financial position because the permanent teacher workforce would be reduced by the slightly larger class sizes, and this workforce would be of higher quality."

Continue reading this post »

District limbers up for stronger Race to Top

D.C. officials are pushing hard to meet the June 1 application deadline for their second shot at the Obama administration's Race to the Top(RTTT) grant competition. A team led by Eric Lerum, chief of staff to deputy mayor for education Victor Reinoso, has been working to shore up the weaknesses that landed the District's round one application in last place among 16 finalists, with 402.6 out of a possible 500 points. Only Delaware and Tennessee made the first cut.

A maximum of $75 million is available in this round, and D.C.'s prospects are fairly bright, principally because Education Secretary Arne Duncan has said that the next group of winners will be much larger, as many as