School Tech Connect: The Road We're Walking Down

School Tech Connect: The Road We're Walking Down

The Road We're Walking Down

by effacethefacade@yahoo.com (Tim)

Back to this. I've asked Julie Woestehoff and ISBE for an explanation of how Illinois calculates graduation rates. I have no idea. If it's anything like Texas, it's subject to all kinds of local massaging.

There's just no way to follow up on a story like this without sounding like the guy who's attacking the students and staff at a charter school. I'm not. These teachers are working hard; these kids are working hard against huge odds. But if this is accurate:

THE PERIMETER PRIMATE: New study: charter schools have more chronically inexperienced teachers

THE PERIMETER PRIMATE: New study: charter schools have more chronically inexperienced teachers

New study: charter schools have more chronically inexperienced teachers

by The Perimeter Primate

RESEARCH BRIEF: Teacher Turnover in Charter Schools by authors David Stuit and Thomas M. Smith, National Center on School Choice, June 2010 (red emphasis is mine)

KEY FINDINGS:

• The rate that teachers leave the profession and move between schools is significantly higher in charter schools than in traditional public schools.
• Charter schools that are started from the ground up experience significantly more attrition and mobility than those converted from traditional public schools.
• Differences in teacher characteristics explain a large portion of the turnover gap among charter and traditional public school teachers.
• Dissatisfaction with working conditions is an important reason why charter school teachers are significantly more likely to switch schools or leave the profession.
• Involuntary attrition is significantly higher in charter schools.

The rapid growth in charter schools during the past two decades has occurred despite

NYC Public School Parents: Takng the stage today at the AFT convention in Seattle...

NYC Public School Parents

Independent voices of New York City public school parents

NYC Public School Parents: Takng the stage today at the AFT convention in Seattle...

Takng the stage today at the AFT convention in Seattle...

The most dangerous man in America.

Check it out at the Huffington Post!

The further adventures of mayoral control: Daley’s pick for CPS CEO. � Fred Klonsky's blog

The further adventures of mayoral control: Daley’s pick for CPS CEO. � Fred Klonsky's blog

The further adventures of mayoral control: Daley’s pick for CPS CEO.

by preaprez

The Sun-Times is reporting that the Mayor and CPS boss Ron Huberman are fighting over who will be the new CEO of the CPS.
Excuse me if I’m skeptical of Huberman taking a stand against The Mayor about anything, including the color of his socks.
According to Sun-Times City Hall reporter, Fran Spielman, and CPS reporter, Rosalind Rossi, Daley wants to

AFL-CIO NOW BLOG | AFT Members Help Children Before Getting Down to Convention Business

AFL-CIO NOW BLOG | AFT Members Help Children Before Getting Down to Convention Business

AFT Members Help Children Before Getting Down to Convention Business by James Parks, Jul 5, 2010

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Before delegates to AFT’s national convention get down to business July 8 in Seattle, they will do what teachers do best and give of themselves, their time and energy to help children. One day before the convention opens, the teachers will help AFT members in Seattle who work with young children by joining together for a day of community service. They also are collecting supplies to help homeless students.

Before each convention, AFT members take time to give back to the community where they are meeting, says AFT spokesperson Cynthia Garza.

More than 50 delegates have volunteered to help move the Tiny Tots Development Center in Seattle, where members of AFT’s Washington Educators in Early Learning work with young children. They’ll take on several projects, including moving the center to a new location, setting up classrooms, landscaping, making building and roofing repairs, helping teachers as they work with the children and leading arts and crafts time.

At the end of the day, teachers, delegates and union leaders will come together to dedicate a plaque to Felecia Hollinguest, a 17-year teacher at the center who died unexpectedly in

Education Notes Online: Edweek Gets Schooled at the AFT

Education Notes Online: Edweek Gets Schooled at the AFT

Edweek Gets Schooled at the AFT

Reporter Steven Sawchuk has an interesting report on the caucuses at the AFT. It's pretty good but he is a little off base on some of it. We had a short chat before I had to leave and I tried to leave a comment on his blog but had some problems. So I'll touch on some of what I know here.

First, there's this from Sawchuk:

"Like any other union, the AFT is a democratic, political organization." I don't blame any reporter for making this mistake because they don't know the infighting that goes on. But the AFT is no a democratic organization. Name an organization that has not had a contested election in 36 years? I mean Iran is more democratic. Kim il Jung uses the AFT manual for political control. And never forget – AlShanker had the bomb before either of them.

Now those of us who have been at Delegate Assemblies for years know the drill. But the Chicago people at their first convention are getting a rude awakening. First at the committee meetings yesterday and then on the floor today where the massive numbers of NYC delegates from Unity Caucus had a total plan for eliminating any resos or amendments they didn't like. Or rather Ms. Micromanagement Randi didn't like (there's no democracy in Unityville either).

They have specific people assigned to each area - even the designated "I call the question on all matters before the body" to stifle debate. There was one guy yesterday named Steven Kaplan I believe who was so thrilled at how he carried out his assignment he leaped in the air (I have to find that video). I mean it is not every day that you get to call the question in front a national audience.

Labor Beat: Peace and Justice Caucus at the AFT Convention

Labor Beat: Peace and Justice Caucus at the AFT Convention

Labor Beat: Peace and Justice Caucus at the AFT Convention

In July, 2008 the American Federation of Teachers held its convention in Chicago. Present there was the national a rank-and-file teachers group, the Peace and Justice Caucus . Their work at the Convention was to promote resolutions on peace, immigrants rights, support of Puerto Rican teachers, and other issues. This video explores aspects of their work, as well as issues raised by Chicago rank-and-file teachers concerned with the actions of Chicago Teachers Union President Marilyn Stewart, co-chair of the convention and AFT Vice President. Stewart had invited Chicago Public Schools CEO Arne Duncan, who had eliminated many teachers' jobs and closed schools, to speak at the convention, while she was trying to fire her CTU Vice President, who was elected to that position by the membership. The P&J Caucus also protested that the convention was opened by military student color guard with guns. Scenes and interviews. 28 minutes. Produced by Labor Beat, the Chicago-based labor tv series. Labor Beat is a CAN TV Community Partner. Labor Beat is affiliated with IBEW 1220. Views expressed are those of the producer, not necessarily of IBEW. For info: mail@laborbeat.org, www.laborbeat.org. 312-226-3330.

The Adjunct Voice: Join the United Adjunct Faculty Association at EWU Picket July 13th!

The Adjunct Voice: Join the United Adjunct Faculty Association at EWU Picket July 13th!

Join the United Adjunct Faculty Association at EWU Picket July 13th!

The adjunct faculty of East-West University in Chicago received notice on May 25, 2010 that they should "no longer consider themselves employed," one day after they had filed a petition for NEA/IEA union representation. This illegal firing must not be allowed to stand, as it threatens the right of all adjuncts to exercise their legal rights to organize in unions and collectively bargain.

The illegally-fired adjunct faculty of East-West University in Chicago need our support on Tuesday, July 13th, as they picket a

Proposed Cleveland teachers contract limits pay cuts, preserves seniority | cleveland.com

Proposed Cleveland teachers contract limits pay cuts, preserves seniority | cleveland.com

Proposed Cleveland teachers contract limits pay cuts, preserves seniority

Published: Saturday, July 10, 2010, 4:00 AM Updated: Saturday, July 10, 2010, 10:46 AM

Thomas Ott, The Plain Dealer
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Lisa DeJong / The Plain DealerCleveland Teachers Union President David Quolke, shown in a file photo, is urging members to ratify a tentative agreement with the school district.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cleveland teachers would give up an estimated $17 million in concessions under a tentative contract, but would limit pay cuts and protect seniority rights that were targeted by Chief Executive Officer Eugene Sanders.

The three-year agreement, a copy of which was obtained Friday by The Plain Dealer, also would return to the payroll many of the more than 660 union members who were laid off last month. The exact number has not been determined.

The district's nearly 3,900 teacherswould give up three paid training days, or 1.5 percent of their salaries, below the 4.6 percent Sanders had demanded. They also would forgo reimbursement for voluntary training, delay step increases until the last quarter of the school year and pay higher health-care premiums.

Jobbing school reform: House Dems put union jobs over improving education

Jobbing school reform: House Dems put union jobs over improving education

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

RELATED NEWS

• City charter schools are big winners in veto by Gov
• Editorial: Magic eight ball

House Democrats are looking to pull the rug out from under President Obama's education agenda - a rousing success so far - by stealing $800 million from programs that push reform and investing that money in the status quo. They must be stopped.

This wrongheaded effort, led by Appropriations Committee Chairman Rep. David Obey of Wisconsin, would yank $500 million from Race to the Top - the federal competition that's driven states, New Yorkincluded, to overhaul teacher evaluation, lift charter school caps, improve data systems for tracking student progress and more - plus $300 million from other funds, including one intended to encourage development of charter schools.

That $500 million is only about 15% of the $3.4 billion left for the second round of Race to the Top, but it's the same amount as the largest award in the first round, won byDelaware. Tennessee, the only other first-round winner, got $100 million. And 36 states are competing for the remaining funds.

Yet Obey would rather drop that money into a $10 billion pot available to states to stave off teacher layoffs. With no guidelines as to which instructors should be spared.

That's not just a thumb in the eye of Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan, whose reform agenda rankles many in the party, but to children throughout United Stateswho are receiving subpar educations in perpetually failing schools.

Texas education round up: tests and charters | FRISCO Blog | dallasnews.com

Texas education round up: tests and charters | FRISCO Blog | dallasnews.com

Texas education round up: tests and charters 1:35 PM Fri, Jul 09, 2010 | Permalink Jessica Meyers/Reporter Bio | E-mail | News tips

( Life Charter School of Oak Cliff)

A few points of education interest for post-vacationers looking to catch up.

State Education Commissioner Robert Scott told administrators he might cut a provision that permitted schools to boost performance ratings last year by factoring in student's future performance on tests. Critics have questioned the accuracy of the policy, called the Texas Projection Measure. Read more from DMN's Terrence Stutz here.

Charter schools: Why the explosion? When do they work, why do they work and what's produced the controversy over them? DMN's Holly Hacker

Daley gets heat on pick for CPS education post :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Education

Daley gets heat on pick for CPS education post :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Education

Daley gets heat on pick for CPS education post

Touts top aide, daughter's former principal, for job

Comments

July 10, 2010

BY FRAN SPIELMAN AND ROSALIND ROSSI Staff Reporters

Mayor Daley is encountering some resistance in his effort to make the founder and former principal of his daughter's Catholic elementary school the new chief education officer for the Chicago Public Schools, City Hall sources say.
If Mary Ellen Caron is tapped as chief education officer, she would be the first white and non-CPS educator to assume that post since Daley won control of the city's public schools in 1995.

» Click to enlarge image

Mary Ellen Caron during a press conference with Mayor Daley in 2009.
(Richard A. Chapman/Sun-Times)

Over the last 15 years, the top CPS education post has been held by three successive African-American women, all former CPS principals in a system that is 45 percent black, 41 percent Latino and 9 percent white.
Caron is the $147,060-a-year commissioner of the city's new mega-Department of Family and Support Services. Although she worked briefly in CPS as special assistant to then-schools CEO Arne Duncan, one CPS source said "the ideal candidate'' for chief ed officer under schools CEO Ron Huberman would be "a highly respected minority educator from within.''
To resolve the situation, sources said, one scenario is that the chief ed

Texas may eliminate provision that raises school accountability ratings EducationNews.org

EducationNews.org

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Wurman-Evers Cascading Plan for a Common Core Pathway to Algebra in 8th Grade

7.10.10 - Ze'ev Wurman & Bill Evers - The California Academic Content Standards Commission is

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Texas may eliminate provision that raises school accountability ratings

7.10.10 - There goes the neighborhood! Soon Texas schools may not be able to use a provision that lets them earn higher accountability ratings than they would on student...

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Daley gets heat on pick for CPS education post

7.10.10 - Mayor Daley is encountering some resistance in his effort to make the founder and former principal of his daughter's Catholic elementary school the new chief education...

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The Medium Is the Medium

7.10.10 - Then the researchers, led by Richard Allington of the University of Tennessee, looked at those students’ test scores. They found that the students who

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