How One CATO Economist Shows Why Testing’s Primary Triumvirate are Wrong | Scathing Purple Musings
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How One CATO Economist Shows Why Testing’s Primary Triumvirate are Wrong | Scathing Purple Musings:How One CATO Economist Shows Why Testing’s Primary Triumvirate are Wrongby Bob SikesFrom StateImpact, comes this link to an opinion piece by Cato Institute economist Arnold Kling who believes “test scores are not the right metric for evaluating teachers.” Writes Kling:Pay-for-performance supporters in K-12 education argue that good teachers should receive higher pay than mediocre teachers, while poor teachers should be dismissed.Opponents of pay-for-performance argue that ... more »
New Orleans Liberation Academy: We Are the 99%
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New Orleans Liberation Academy: We Are the 99%:4:06 PM (21 minutes ago)We Are the 99%from New Orleans Liberation Academy by New Orleans Liberation AcademyYesterday we participated in the first day of Occupy New Orleans, a solidarity protest and march with Occupy Wall Street. Check out New Orleans Liberation Academy student Anthony Johnson during the march:Day 1 of Occupy New Orleans. Solidarity protest and march with Occupy Wall Street.Here is also a great video that captures some of
#OccupyChicago. Monday, 4PM. « Fred Klonsky's blog
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#OccupyChicago. Monday, 4PM. « Fred Klonsky's blog:3:25 PM (24 minutes ago)#OccupyChicago. Monday, 4PM.by Fred Klonsky#occupywallstreet comes to the Heartland.Hundreds have set up camp opposite the Chicago Board of Trade for several weeks. On Columbus Day, Monday, October 10th they will be joined by thousands more.Since this is a school holiday, expect thousands of teachers to head for LaSalle and Jackson at 4PMThe Chicago Teachers Union is leading the call, joined by SEIU and other unions.Meet at the Board of Trade ... more »
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Let's Occupy Chicago Monday
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Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Let's Occupy Chicago Monday:Let's Occupy Chicago MondayMeet at the Board of Trade (LaSalle and Jackson) at 4 P.M.The Occupy Wall Street protests are coming full-blast to Chicago where Mayor Emanuel and the Civic Committee continue where Mayor Daley left off, with the city as their personal cash cow. On Monday the teachers union and education activists will play a key role in the flowering Occupy Chicago Movement. The CTU is mobilizing teachers, who have a day ... more »
What Happened to My Grade Book?: The Audacity of Learning Theory: A New #Edreform Model
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What Happened to My Grade Book?: The Audacity of Learning Theory: A New #Edreform Model:The Audacity of Learning Theory: A New #Edreform Modelby DellaSometimes it helps just to talk with another person on a topic of interest to synthesize it better. Today, while at the gym, I was visiting with a friend (who is also an educator and stay-at-home mother) about standards-based reform effort. We were talking about how reform efforts are leading our country down the wrong roads. I ... more »
Missouri Education Watchdog: What Does the $30B in the American Jobs Act For Teachers Mean?
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Missouri Education Watchdog: What Does the $30B in the American Jobs Act For Teachers Mean?:What Does the $30B in the American Jobs Act For Teachers Mean?by AnngieThe White House just released a report Teachers Jobs at Risk. The report is used to justify the $30 billion included in the American Jobs Act, that we "must pass", to retain or rehire teachers.Neal McClusky at the Cato Institute said it well in his blog:But perhaps we are on the verge of education ... more »
Eduwonk » Blog Archive » When Bad Charters Stay Open, Parents Deserve a Warning
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Eduwonk » Blog Archive » When Bad Charters Stay Open, Parents Deserve a Warning:When Bad Charters Stay Open, Parents Deserve a Warningby rbrownBy James MerrimanThe charter movement has created some truly terrific schools, but also some schools that chronically fail their students. The failures are supposed to be shut down by their authorizers, but after two decades we know the ugly truth: far, far too often low-quality charter schools are allowed to remain open.Sometimes authorizers lack the capacity and standards ... more »
Youth speak out in week of action on school 'pushouts' | Philadelphia Public School Notebook
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Youth speak out in week of action on school 'pushouts' | Philadelphia Public School Notebook:Youth speak out in week of action on school 'pushouts'by thenotebook on Oct 07 2011COMMENTS (0)PRINTEMAILTags:activism dropouts student activism high schoolsviolenceBy Will TreeceAbout 50 youths gathered at the United Way Building Thursday to bring attention to the ongoing problem of school pushouts in an event called "Youth Speak Out Against Push Out." The meeting, sponsored by the Campaign for Non-Violent Schools and Education Not Incarceration-Delaware Valley, ... more »
Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Action Alert on Senate ESEA proposal
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Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Action Alert on Senate ESEA proposal:Action Alert on Senate ESEA proposalby adminA summary proposal for the Senate version of a new ESEA is likely to be released this Tuesday, October 11. There will be a week for public comment and a 3-day “mark-up” session for amendments.This holiday weekend would be a good time to call. e-mail or fax your Senators at their home offices. You can use the support/oppose points suggested ... more »
U.S. Gov\'t Goes to Federal Court to Block Alabama Immigration Law - Hispanically Speaking News
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U.S. Gov\'t Goes to Federal Court to Block Alabama Immigration Law - Hispanically Speaking News:JUST IN: U.S. Gov’t Goes to Federal Court to Block Alabama Immigration Law from Going into EffectToday, the U.S. Justice Department has asked the Federal Appeals Court to block Alabama from enforcing its immigration law. The H.B. 56 law is considered the toughest and most invasive immigration law of its kind in the nation. The new law now requires public schools to inquire as to the ... more »
WEAVE Needs Your Help to Save SART
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WEAVE Needs Your Help to Save SART:Please demonstrate your commitment to the safety of victims of domestic violence and sexual assault by making a donation.One year ago, WEAVE faced an unfathomable situation when Sacramento County eliminated all of its funding for the Sexual Assault Response Team program. Without that critical support we feared that victims of sexual assault would not receive the support and advocacy they need in the harrowing hours after reporting a sexual assault. We reached out to ... more »
One Urban District with a Bad Habit - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher
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One Urban District with a Bad Habit - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher:One Urban District with a Bad HabitBy Anthony Cody on February 16, 2009 11:03 AM | 3 Comments | No RecommendationsOakland is addicted to low-cost beginning teachers.Ten years ago, the Oakland schools had a big problem. Every summer 400 teaching positions would open up, but only one hundred teachers would be found who were willing to accept jobs in Oakland at the salary offered. When fall ... more »
Teachers’ union bankrolls NAACP bash - NYPOST.com
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Teachers’ union bankrolls NAACP bash - NYPOST.com:NAACP taking heat as UFT chips in 25GBy CARL CAMPANILELast Updated: 12:27 AM, October 7, 2011Posted: 12:27 AM, October 7, 2011More PrintIt’s the teacher’s pet.The city teachers union is helping bankroll the costs of the New York NAACP’s 75th-anniversary conference beginning today.The United Federation of Teachers is listed as one of the top three financial sponsors for the three-day Diamond Jubilee celebration at the Westin Times Square Hotel and Conference Center.The UFT contributed $25,000, ... more »
Students to protest charter school in Providence - Boston.com
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Students to protest charter school in Providence - Boston.com:Students to protest charter school in ProvidenceOctober 7, 2011E-mail|Print|Comments (0)Text size – +PROVIDENCE, R.I.—Students opposed to an Achievement First charter school in Providence are set to hold a rally at the state Department of Education.Tweet Be the first to Tweet this!ShareThisHigh school students who are part of a group called Providence Student Labor Action Project will gather outside the department's headquarters Friday afternoon to protest the opening of a charter run by ... more »
PROTEST CHANCELLOR WALCOTT DURING HIS SPEECH Coalition for Public Education/Coaliciรณn por la Educaciรณn Pรบblica
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Coalition for Public Education/Coaliciรณn por la Educaciรณn Pรบblica:THE PRESIDENT OF LOCAL 372 UNION MEMBERS PROTEST CHANCELLOR WALCOTT DURING HIS SPEECHThis morning, to protest DOE's decision to layoff 701 school support workers, Local 372 President, Santos Crespo, Jr. and union members stood up and turned their backs to Chancellor Dennis Walcott during his speech, to demonstrate their solidarity with those who will be laid off tomorrow. Chancellor Walcott spoke at an event that honored DOE workers with over 20 years of ... more »
Save Seattle Schools Community Blog: Seattle Times Op-Ed on "Teacher Quality"
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Save Seattle Schools Community Blog: Seattle Times Op-Ed on "Teacher Quality":Seattle Times Op-Ed on "Teacher Quality"by Charlie MasOnce again the Seattle Times ventures an opinion on public education, Refocusing the Teacher-Quality Debate. Once again the Times acts as the mouthpiece for Education Reform in the least thoughtful way.The Times writes in support of changes in teacher education to replace much of the current regulation of those programs with, you guessed it, improvements in student test scores.The Department of Education proposes ... more »
Debt collectors with government contracts paid penalties - NorthJersey.com
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Debt collectors with government contracts paid penalties - NorthJersey.com:Debt collectors with government contracts paid penaltiesFRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2011BY DAVID ESPOASSOCIATED PRESSASSOCIATED PRESSPRINT | E-MAILWASHINGTON — Two private debt collection companies that work for the Education Department paid more than $4 million combined in civil penalties in the past year after another federal agency accused them of using abusive language with consumers, making illegal threats and committing other violations of the law.One of the firms, West Asset Management Inc., agreed in ...more »
Denying the Facts: Investing in Computers and Higher Test Scores | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice
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Denying the Facts: Investing in Computers and Higher Test Scores | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice:Denying the Facts: Investing in Computers and Higher Test Scoresby larrycubanFive years ago, with little evidence that teacher and student use of computers in classroom lessons would raise test scores, Kyrene (AZ) school district voters authorized $33 million in technology expenditures. Since then Kyrene administrators and teachers have offered enthusiastic endorsements, teachers and students have used the technology, and, here is the ... more »
Should Sac City schools be doing business with Rupert Murdoch's News Corp? - SNOG - October 6, 2011 - Blogs - Sacramento News & Review
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Should Sac City schools be doing business with Rupert Murdoch's News Corp? - SNOG - October 6, 2011 - Blogs - Sacramento News ReviewShould Sac City schools be doing business with Rupert Murdoch's News Corp?Remember how people got bummed about the half million dollars in consultant contracts having to do with a new Kings Arena? What about a half million bucks in Sacramento taxpayer money to company owned by Rupert Murdoch?The Sacramento City Unified School Districtboard in August approved a ... more »
Color Coded High School ID Cards Sort Students by Test Performance - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher
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Color Coded High School ID Cards Sort Students by Test Performance - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher:Color Coded High School ID Cards Sort Students by Test Performanceby Anthony CodyA high school in La Palma, California, is coming under fire for a system that publicly identifies and treats students differently according to their scores on the state standardized tests. Students who perform at the highest levels in all subjects receive a black or platinum ID card, while those who ... more »
Five Ways You Can #OccupyTheClassroom [It's About Time] | The Jose Vilson
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Five Ways You Can #OccupyTheClassroom [It's About Time] | The Jose Vilson:Five Ways You Can #OccupyTheClassroom [It's About Time]by JoseOccupyEverythingFor World’ Teachers’ Day, all the big edu-wigs broke out in song about saluting great teachers, trying to stretch their arms out their offices far enough to find a teacher they’d consider effective and Kumbaya them to death. The billows of hollow praise doesn’t whittle away the troubling issues with education.On that day, teachers all across this nation were given the ... more »
Underage employee at iPhone sweatshop fired for 10-second pause honoring Steve Jobs
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Underage employee at iPhone sweatshop fired for 10-second pause honoring Steve Jobs:Underage employee at iPhone sweatshop fired for 10-second pause honoring Steve Jobsby SHANE FINNERAN on OCTOBER 6, 2011 · 0 COMMENTSin "ARE YOU KIDDING?", CULTURE, ECONOMY, LABOR, MEDIAXiang Jo, a 14-year-old laborer on an iPhone assembly line in Suzhou, China, just wanted to pay homage to someone whose vision transformed the world.Jo had no idea the homage would cost him his job.Steve Jobs, 1955-2011The trouble started Thursday morning, when ... more »
Modern School: Zero-Tolerance Policies Increasing Suspension and Drop-Out Rates
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Modern School: Zero-Tolerance Policies Increasing Suspension and Drop-Out Rates:Zero-Tolerance Policies Increasing Suspension and Drop-Out Ratesby Michael DunnThe National Education Policy Center has found that suspension rates across the country are increasing due to “zero tolerance” policies, particularly among poor and minority students. The researchers say this is increasing the dropout rate. According to the Los Angeles Times, much of this increase is due nonviolent offenses like dress code and cellphone violations. Nationally, nearly one-third of all black male middle school ... more »
Hike it! Bike it! I like it! Walk to School 2011 | ED.gov Blog
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Hike it! Bike it! I like it! Walk to School 2011 | ED.gov Blog:Hike it! Bike it! I like it! Walk to School 2011Posted on October 6, 2011 by Guest BloggerIt’s a special day when communities and schools, parents, kids, and teachers make that extra effort to find an alternate safe way to get to school other than riding on a bus or in a car. Meg McFarland, Walking School Bus Committee Chair, at Briarcliff Elementary in the North Kansas ... more »
Linked K-12, Postsecondary, and Workforce Data—A Bipartisan Holy Grail?
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Linked K-12, Postsecondary, and Workforce Data—A Bipartisan Holy Grail?:Linked K-12, Postsecondary, and Workforce Data—A Bipartisan Holy Grail?by Amy LaitinenIt’s rare to see Republicans and Democrats agree on anything these days, so it was particularly heartening at yesterday’s Data Quality Campaign meeting on Strengthening the Feedback Loop: Using Data to Support the College-and-Career-Ready Agenda, to see high-ranking conservative Republicans and liberal Democrats sound the call for better data to understand how secondary and postsecondary schools prepare students for further edu... more »
Idealism that Blinds: Facing Social and Educational Inequity | Dailycensored.com
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Idealism that Blinds: Facing Social and Educational Inequity | Dailycensored.com:Idealism that Blinds: Facing Social and Educational InequityWritten by Paul ThomasEducationOct 6, 20110diggShareOne aspect of the education reform debate that persistently gives me pause is the claim that the top students are being short-changed in U.S. public education—specifically due to disproportionate time and money being spent on struggling students. I have attempted to address this argument bothseriously and satirically, but each approach has brought primarily defense of those neglected top stude... more »
Study looks at 20 years of Chicago school reforms | Philadelphia Public School Notebook
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Study looks at 20 years of Chicago school reforms | Philadelphia Public School Notebook:Study looks at 20 years of Chicago school reformsby thenotebook on Oct 06 2011 Posted in Latest newsCOMMENTS (0)PRINTEMAILTags:data Education Weekstandardized testing racial equityThe Notebook recently began sharing content with Education Week, where this piece originally appeared.As we continue to search for reliable measures to evaluate a school district’s progress and debate the true meaning of test score gains, this sobering story broke in Chicago. A complex ... more »
Ty Fahner and the Civic Committee are a laughing stock with their anti-teacher pension ad. « Fred Klonsky's blog
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Ty Fahner and the Civic Committee are a laughing stock with their anti-teacher pension ad. « Fred Klonsky's blog:Ty Fahner and the Civic Committee are a laughing stock with their anti-teacher pension ad.by Fred KlonskySince Ty “Big Fat Liar” Fahner and his front group, Illinois is Broke, came out with their ad with an actress portraying a handwringing teacher, the response has been underwhelming.The ad shows a teacher in a classroom setting only Hollywood would recognize. She’s a school marm ... more »
Genocide Education Survey - Letters (CA Dept of Education)
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Genocide Education Survey - Letters (CA Dept of Education):October 5, 2011Dear County and District Superintendents, Charter School Administrators, and High School Principals:GENOCIDE EDUCATION SURVEYThe California Department of Education (CDE), with the assistance of The Genocide Education Project, has prepared a brief online survey regarding the teaching of the Armenian Genocide.Please ask the history-social science teachers in your district/school to take the survey. Your help completing this survey will allow us to have a better understanding about how this subject is ... more »
5 Lessons from the Save Our Schools & AERO Conferences | IDEA
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5 Lessons from the Save Our Schools AERO Conferences | IDEA:5 Lessons from the Save Our Schools AERO Conferencesby Melia Dicker in The LandscapeIt is summer conference season. Oh yes, it is summer conference season.As you may have noticed from our social media updates, the IDEA team has been traveling all over creation for the past couple of months. Last month Dana Bennis flew to Devon, England, for the 19th annual International Democratic Education Conference, while Scott Nine went to ... more »
solidaridad: CAMS October Actions: Stop Military Recruiters from having easy access to our children!!!
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solidaridad: CAMS October Actions: Stop Military Recruiters from having easy access to our children!!!:CAMS October Actions: Stop Military Recruiters from having easy access to our children!!!by Robert D. Skeels * rdsatheneInform students about their right to "opt out" of their school giving their private information to MILITARY RECRUITERS! Join Palisadians for Peace and CAMS as they distribute Student Privacy (Opt Out) forms to high school juniors and seniors.October Student Privacy (Opt Out) Actions:Thursday, October 6, 7amBelmont High School1575 W 2nd ... more »
Missouri Education Watchdog: It's Confirmed! Totalitarian Democracy Alive and Well in Education.
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Missouri Education Watchdog: It's Confirmed! Totalitarian Democracy Alive and Well in Education.:It's Confirmed! Totalitarian Democracy Alive and Well in Education.by stlgretchenWe change the quote at the top of the MEW page from time to time and our current heading reads:Is this Arne's Duncan plan for public education?"Totalitarian democracy is a term made famous by Israeli historian J. L. Talmon to refer to a system of government in which lawfully elected representatives maintain the integrity of a nation state whose citizens, ... more »
Student IDs that reveal test scores deemed illegal | students, school, cards - News - The Orange County Register
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Student IDs that reveal test scores deemed illegal | students, school, cards - News - The Orange County Register:Student IDs that reveal test scores deemed illegalKennedy High School in La Palma is requiring students to carry school ID cards in one of three colors based on their performance on state standardized tests.By SCOTT MARTINDALE / THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTERFor the latest, click here: Principal defends color-coded IDs; expert 'horrified'LA PALMA – State education officials say an Orange County high school ... more »
Zero-tolerance policies pushing up school suspensions, report says - latimes.com
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Zero-tolerance policies pushing up school suspensions, report says - latimes.com:Zero-tolerance policies pushing up school suspensions, report saysThe National Education Policy Center finds that districts, including L.A. Unified, have increasingly suspended minority students, mostly for nonviolent offenses, over the last decade.Share11Comments4By Rick Rojas, Los Angeles TimesOctober 6, 2011In the decade since school districts instituted "zero tolerance" discipline policies, administrators have increasingly suspended minority students, predominantly for nonviolent offenses, according... more »
Randy Turner: The End Is Near for American Education
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Randy Turner: The End Is Near for American Education:Randy TurnerEnglish teacher in Joplin, MissouriGET UPDATES FROM RANDY TURNERLike228The End Is Near for American EducationLast Friday, as I brushed my teeth, shaved, showered, and dressed, I listened to the panel on MSNBC's Morning Joe program tell me how worthless I am.We are approaching the end of the second year of NBC's Education Nation reports and last week I listened to the virtues of charter schools being extolled, the faults of traditional ... more »
Diary of a Social Art-tivist Mommy: Why we do what we do.....(and what great teachers and hamsters have in common)
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Diary of a Social Art-tivist Mommy: Why we do what we do.....(and what great teachers and hamsters have in common):Why we do what we do.....(and what great teachers and hamsters have in common)by ART-tivist MommyI am lucky enough to have a wonderful student-teacher helping me in the art room for the next couple of months. Her residency in my art room is her last stop before she becomes a formal, certified art teacher. Having her here with me daily has ... more »
SACRAMENTO PROGRESSIVE ALLIANCE: Michael Moore at Occupy Wall Street Protest, 10/5/11
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SACRAMENTO PROGRESSIVE ALLIANCE: Michael Moore at Occupy Wall Street Protest, 10/5/11:Michael Moore at Occupy Wall Street Protest, 10/5/11by Paul BPopoutVan Jones Discusses Occupy Wall Street on Real Time with Bill MaherVan Jones Other Highlights of the Take Back the American Dream ConferenceWho Are the 99 Percent? Published on Tuesday, October 4, 2011 by The Washington Post by Ezra Klein *“I did everything I was supposed to and I have nothing to show for it.”* It’s not the arrests that convinced ... more »
Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… - Teaching Money Skills
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Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… - Teaching Money Skills:Teaching Money Skills I’ve just revised and updated The Best Sites For Learning Economics Practical Money Skills. Additional suggestions are welcome….Department Of Ed Revamps Research Site The Department of Education just unveiled a revamped “What Works” websitehighlighting the results of their varied research. It seems to have a number of accessible tools. You can read more about it at Education Week. They seem to have surprisingly ...“Step Station” Step Station is ... more »
Sacramento Press / Students rally to confront harsh school discipline
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Sacramento Press / Students rally to confront harsh school discipline:Students rally to confront harsh school disciplineby Melissa CorkerStudents and advisers from five Sacramento area high schools joined in a virtual rally Wednesday – with kids from Los Angeles, Fresno and Oakland schools – as part of the National Week of Action to raise awareness about the overuse of extreme school discipline.The rally connected more than 100 students, parents and community activists via live video feed to discuss recent trends in ... more »
Disparate discipline in public schools | Thoughts on Public Education
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Disparate discipline in public schools | Thoughts on Public Education:Disparate discipline in public schoolsShareBlack and Hispanic students more likely to get kicked outPosted on 10/06/11 • Categorized as UncategorizedBy Kathryn BaronIf Congress ever reauthorizes No Child Left Behind, civil rights groups want indicators of school success to include how they mete out punishment. School suspensions have soared over the years, and so has the disparity by race, ethnicity, and disability, according to a new report.The study, Discipline policies, successful schools, ... more »
School Tech Connect: Dick Ingram's TRS Presentation In Crystal Lake
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School Tech Connect: Dick Ingram's TRS Presentation In Crystal Lake:Dick Ingram's TRS Presentation In Crystal Lakeby noreply@blogger.com (Tim)Had a very nice time out in Crystal Lake, which has a downtown straight out of Central Casting. I was ravenous after the train ride, so I stopped in at Cafe Olympic for the finest BLT and fries in the known universe. If I lived in Crystal Lake, I'd eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner there.Dick Ingram, Executive Director of the Illinois Teacher Retirement ... more »
Good lord. Randi Weingarten! « Fred Klonsky's blog
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Good lord. Randi Weingarten! « Fred Klonsky's blog:Good lord. Randi Weingarten!by Fred KlonskyIt was pretty bad when the President of the American Federation of Teachers invited Bill Gates to speak to her union’s last convention.And it was pretty repulsive when she cruelly mocked her own members who, out of principle, walked out of the hall as he was introduced.So I can’t be surprised that Randi Weingarten would be partying with teacher union-basher Stephen Brill, whose latest book Class Warfare, wages ... more »
NYC Public School Parents: Video: NYC parent activists get a moment to challenge the corporate reform movement on Education Nation
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NYC Public School Parents: Video: NYC parent activists get a moment to challenge the corporate reform movement on Education Nation:Video: NYC parent activists get a moment to challenge the corporate reform movement on Education Nationby Leonie HaimsonLast week, NBC ran three days of programming called Education Nation, filmed at Rockefeller Plaza, which was primarily dominated by representatives from the corporate reform movement, who define accountability as more high-stakes testing and promote privatization through charter school expansion, both trends that in ... more »
PSAT for 1-4-11: Tell Mark Kirk “no” on federal funds for charters
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Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » PSAT for 1-4-11: Tell Mark Kirk “no” on federal funds for charters:PSAT for 1-4-11: Tell Mark Kirk “no” on federal funds for chartersI have not been able to respond to this survey(which was forwarded to me by a friend) but I hope that’s due to my incompatibility with all things Bill Gates, not a rejection of my views by my senator….In the post, Mark Kirk declares that he “strongly supports charter ... more »
So Much for Fair and Balanced With the Washington State PTA | Seattle Education
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So Much for Fair and Balanced With the Washington State PTA | Seattle Education:So Much for Fair and Balanced With the Washington State PTAby seattleducation2011As noted in an earlier post titled Whoa! Where did that come from Washington State PTA?! Charter schools?!, the state PTA has proposed a plank in this year’s platform that would be used to convince our state legislators in the next session that all parents want charter schools in our state. That’s what happened last year ... more »
School Tech Connect: Democracy...
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School Tech Connect: Democracy...:Democracy...by noreply@blogger.com (Tim)...not something to be thrown away just because you've got a charter jones.Hear, hear! Nancy has hit the nail on the head. I do not trust anyone whose ideas are so toxic that they require the suspension of democratic representation. We have that here in Illinois now, with the new state charting authority, supported by all of my Democratic friends.One hates to quote from the Trib, but here they are:God forbid local people make up ... more »
Breitbart attacks FairTest, God and the NAACP over standards. « Fred Klonsky's blog
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Breitbart attacks FairTest, God and the NAACP over standards. « Fred Klonsky's blog:Breitbart attacks FairTest, God and the NAACP over standards.by Fred KlonskyAndrew Breitbart, goof-ball of the loony right, hosts an attack on FairTest, the United Church of Christ, Bill Ayers, Barack Obama and the NAACP.What do they all have in common according to Big Government poster Seton Motley (Do they all have to have these upper crust names?)?What they all have in common is a critique of the SAT.Who ... more »
Arne on Dumbing Down Standards and the Next Generation of Assessments | ED.gov Blog
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Arne on Dumbing Down Standards and the Next Generation of Assessments | ED.gov Blog:Arne on Dumbing Down Standards and the Next Generation of AssessmentsPosted on October 4, 2011 by Cameron BrenchleySecretary Duncan sits down several times a month to answer questions he receives via his Facebook page. This past week, Arne answered questions that had been received on Facebook’s Facebook in Education page.In the video, Arne responds to a question asking why we as a country allowed standards in schools ... more »
Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Mid Day Posts
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Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Mid Day PostsMore to do on Pension Call Tuesday. « Fred Klonsky's blogBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-1 hour agoMore to do on Pension Call Tuesday. « Fred Klonsky's blog:More to do on Pension Call Tuesday.by Fred KlonskyAt the suggestion of a reader, I have been posting the names of some legislators, mostly members of the House Pension Committee, to call or email on Pension Call Tuesday. The response has been terrific, ... more »
White House Report: American Jobs Act Supports Nearly 400,000 Education Jobs | The White House
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White House Report: American Jobs Act Supports Nearly 400,000 Education Jobs | The White House:White House Report: American Jobs Act Supports Nearly 400,000 Education Jobsby The White HouseRelease Time: For Immediate ReleaseWhite House Releases Report Outlining the Current Challenges to our Education System and the Impact of the American Jobs ActToday, the White House released a report, Teacher Jobs at Risk, outlining how the Administration’s efforts – including the American Jobs Act - will keep teachers in the classroom, strengthen ... more »
Ravitch: Do parents ‘own’ public schools? - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post
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Ravitch: Do parents ‘own’ public schools? - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post:Ravitch: Do parents ‘own’ public schools?by Valerie StraussThis was written by education historian Diane Ravitch for her Bridging Differences blog, which she co-authors with Deborah Meier on the Education Week website. Ravitch and Meier exchange letters about what matters most in education. Ravitch, a research professor at New York University, is the author of the bestselling “The Death and Life of the Great American School System,” an ... more »
VINEGAR BALLS AND SPECIAL ED. TEACHERS « Teachers Fight Back
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VINEGAR BALLS AND SPECIAL ED. TEACHERS « Teachers Fight Back:VINEGAR BALLS AND SPECIAL ED. TEACHERSby alkleenAnother teacher in the news! You probably saw the news about the special education teacher who made her autistic kids put vinegar soaked cotton balls in their mouth as a form of discipline. Could we please stop putting these ridiculous reports on the network news ? It gives teacher-bashers more ammunition in their arsenal.I will also make this plea to the universities that are preparing ... more »
School Tech Connect: Stunning Turnover
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School Tech Connect: Stunning Turnover:Stunning Turnoverby noreply@blogger.com (Tim)By the end of my fifth year of teaching, I hadn't yet begun to understand that I was popular but not particularly effective. I was awesome at teaching Wanda Phillips' Easy Grammar, I could do organized crowd control, I could demonstrate the most formulaic kinds of writing, and I had a fantastic opinion of my own abilities, but I didn't really have any lasting impact until about ten years of service.It's something you ... more »
Save Seattle Schools Community Blog: Enforcing Policy: Governance or Management?
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Save Seattle Schools Community Blog: Enforcing Policy: Governance or Management?:Enforcing Policy: Governance or Management?by Charlie MasLet's set aside, for the moment, the question of whether Seattle Public Schools should enforce policy or not. While it is clear to me that there is no point to having policies if they aren't going to be followed, and that there is no reason to believe that they will be followed if they are not enforced, I want to just take this question as ... more »
Schools Matter: Does Arne Duncan think that harder is better?
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Schools Matter: Does Arne Duncan think that harder is better?:Does Arne Duncan think that harder is better?by skrashenDoes Arne Duncan think that harder is better?Council Chronicle 3Susan Ohanian and Stephen KrashenPosted on NCTE Connected Community: OK to shareIn "A conversation with US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan," (Council Chronicle, September, 2011), an NCTE interviewer asked Secretary Duncan for advice for students struggling with difficult texts, eg "texts from another time with different structures, references, and allusions that they may be ... more »
Funding Results: FCMAT: Financially Distressed School Districts (CA Dept of Education)
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Funding Results: FCMAT: Financially Distressed School Districts (CA Dept of Education):Funding ResultsFCMAT: Financially Distressed School DistrictsNote: Recipients and funding amounts are subject to budget and administrative adjustments.Funds are used by the Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team (FCMAT) to address the increased workload resulting from a greater number of school districts experiencing financial hardship for fiscal year 2011-12.Program Questions: Kathy Mathews, e-mail: kmathews@cde.ca.gov, tel. 916-322-1647Fiscal Questions: Kathy Mathews, e-mail: kmathews@cde.... more »
Sad to be in the Pink - Lily's Blackboard – Lily's Blackboard
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Sad to be in the Pink - Lily's Blackboard – Lily's Blackboard:Sad to be in the PinkOct 4th, 2011 by Lily.Pink can be an ugly color. If it’s a pink slip.I had to explain to a friend of mine from another country what the term “pink slip” meant. I had to explain that even though they weren’t actually pink these days, it meant that a perfectly hard-working, dedicated, competent person was losing his or her job because the employer didn’t ... more »
More to do on Pension Call Tuesday. « Fred Klonsky's blog
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More to do on Pension Call Tuesday. « Fred Klonsky's blog:More to do on Pension Call Tuesday.by Fred KlonskyAt the suggestion of a reader, I have been posting the names of some legislators, mostly members of the House Pension Committee, to call or email on Pension Call Tuesday. The response has been terrific, based on page views and clicks to the email sites.But it is most important to call your own member of the General Assembly. Retiree and pension activist ... more »
Subterranean Homesick Blues #occupywallstreet
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Subterranean Homesick BluesJohnny’s in the basementMixing up the medicineI’m on the pavementThinking about the governmentThe man in the trench coatBadge out, laid offSays he’s got a bad coughWants to get it paid offLook out kidIt’s somethin’ you didGod knows whenBut you’re doin’ it againYou better duck down the alley wayLookin’ for a new friendThe man in the coon-skin capBy the big penWants eleven dollar billsYou only got tenMaggie comes fleet footFace full of black sootTalkin’ that the heat putPlants in ... more »
Schools Matter: Teach for America's Domestic Corporate Colonialism Becomes a Model for Duncan
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Schools Matter: Teach for America's Domestic Corporate Colonialism Becomes a Model for Duncan:Teach for America's Domestic Corporate Colonialism Becomes a Model for Duncanby Jim HornTeach for America recruits seniors from high-flying colleges and universities to put in a two-year stint learning to teach on other people's children (only 1 in 20 has any field experience under a professional teacher). Competition is stiff to get in, even as TFA spends more on recruiting than it does on training, which consists principally ... more »
Missouri Education Watchdog: What Makes a Republican a Republican when talking about Education?
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Missouri Education Watchdog: What Makes a Republican a Republican when talking about Education?:What Makes a Republican a Republican when talking about Education?Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookThis is one of the most coherent articles explaining why supporting centralized education (as many of our state legislators support) as proposed by the present (and past) administration is NOT a conservative viewpoint.Emmett McGroarty raises the crucial questions in this debate:Both candidates believe that public education should be accountable. The real question is accoun... more »
Misinformed charter punditry doesn’t help anyone (especially charters!) « School Finance 101
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Misinformed charter punditry doesn’t help anyone (especially charters!) « School Finance 101:Misinformed charter punditry doesn’t help anyone (especially charters!)by schoolfinance101Misinformed charter punditry doesn’t help anyone. It doesn’t help the public to make more informed decisions either about choices for their own children or about policy preferences more generally. It also doesn’t help charter operators get their jobs done and it doesn’t help those working in traditional public schools focus on things that really matter. This post is in direct response ... more »
ACLU looking at rest of state's charter schools - TwinCities.com
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ACLU looking at rest of state's charter schools - TwinCities.com:ACLU looking at rest of state's charter schoolsBy John Brewerjbrewer@pioneerpress.comPosted: 10/03/2011 12:01:00 AM CDTSince the American Civil Liberties Union sued Tarek ibn Ziyand Academy in early 2009, the ACLU has examined all of the approximately 140 charter schools in the state, executive director Chuck Samuelson said.The group has identified 12 to 15 other charter schools that "we are looking at with the eye toward possible violation of the First Amendment," Samuelson ... more »
The Trouble With the Parent Trigger - Bridging Differences - Education Week
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The Trouble With the Parent Trigger - Bridging Differences - Education Week:The Trouble With the Parent Triggerby Diane RavitchDear Deborah,There is a move under way to promote something called the "Parent Trigger" as a way to reform schools. It is another one of those deceptive schemes that comes packaged with an alluring name, but whose true purpose is to undermine public education.In early 2010, when Arnold Schwarzenegger was governor of California, the state legislature passed the "Parent Empowerment Act." This ... more »
Shanker Blog » Character Education
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Shanker Blog » Character Education:Character Educationby Matthew Di CarloI’m always uncomfortable with personal accusations in our education debate, and they come from both “sides.” For instance, I don’t like hearing accusations that market-based reformers are “profiteers.” The implication is that these people seek to dismantle or otherwise alter the public education system for their own economic advantage.It’s true that a significant proportion of market-based reformers support various forms of privatization, such as vouchers, and that this support is in part ... more »
Questions regarding Teach for America, Inc. that the Seattle School Board has yet to answer. | Seattle Education
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Questions regarding Teach for America, Inc. that the Seattle School Board has yet to answer. | Seattle Education:Questions regarding Teach for America, Inc. that the Seattle School Board has yet to answer.by seattleducation2011The Seattle School Board recently voted 5-1 to hire three more TFA, Inc. recruits. Four of these board membersare incumbents in an upcoming school board race. These four board members also received funding from supporters of TFA, Inc. who poured money into the coffers of the Seattle Foundation ... more »
Why We Can't Accept De Facto School Segregation - Education - GOOD
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Why We Can't Accept De Facto School Segregation - Education - GOOD:Why We Can't Accept De Facto School Segregationby Bill KurtzAfter the historic election of America's first black president, Barack Obama, one would think racial segregation would be on the decline. But the reality is that segregation is alive and well in America: The Brookings Institute reports the average white family lives in an area that is 79 percent white, while the average black family lives in a neighborhood that ... more »
Save Seattle Schools Community Blog: Mayor Rolls Out Attendance Initiative
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Save Seattle Schools Community Blog: Mayor Rolls Out Attendance Initiative:Mayor Rolls Out Attendance Initiativeby Melissa WestbrookTomorrow Mayor McGinn will be rolling out the city's new attendance initiative,Be Here, Get There. Every day in school matters. The Mayor will be having a press conference on Monday, Oct. 3rd at Denny Middle School at 11:30 am to announce this new initiative. This is an effort to, obviously, get more kids to be in school every day. The goal is 80% attendance throughout ...more »
More on Occupy Wall Street — You Don’t Win By Making Demands « Student Activism
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More on Occupy Wall Street — You Don’t Win By Making Demands « Student Activism:More on Occupy Wall Street — You Don’t Win By Making Demandsby Angus JohnstonSo I’ve been tweeting up a storm today on the question of whether #OccupyWallStreet needs to compile a formal list of demands. (Spoiler alert: Nope.) I’m not going to rehash my whole argument here right now, but someone tweeted something at me a little while ago that gives me an opportunity to explore ... more »
Achievement gaps start before school starts | | The Bulletin
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Achievement gaps start before school starts | | The Bulletin:Achievement gaps start before school startsBy Diane Ravitch / The Saturday Evening PostPublished: October 02. 2011 4:00AM PSTIf you read news magazines or watch TV, you might think that American education is in a crisis of historic proportions. The media claim that our future is in peril because our students have low test scores caused by incompetent, lazy teachers.Don’t believe it. It’s not true.Yes, our students’ scores on international tests are ... more »
Education Activist Diane Ravitch to Speak Monday | Duke Today
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Education Activist Diane Ravitch to Speak Monday | Duke Today:Education Activist Diane Ravitch to Speak MondayDuke's Program in Education and Durham Public Schools join to bring speaker to campus, Durham schoolsTOPICS FOR THIS STORY: HUMANITIES SOCIAL SCIENCES, CAMPUS NEWS, DURHAM THE REGION, EDUCATION CLASSROOM LEARNINGOctober 2, 2011 | David Jarmulprint | ARTICLEDiane Ravitch's criticism of standardized testing has changed the national debate on education.DURHAM, NC - Diane Ravitch, one of the country's leading authors and activists on education issues, will ... more »
Occupy Wall Street: First Official Statement | Dailycensored.com
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Occupy Wall Street: First Official Statement | Dailycensored.com:Occupy Wall Street: First Official StatementWritten by HurricaneDeanDaily Journal (Opinion), Media, PoliticsOct 2, 20110digg3Share Occupy Wall Street This weekend, the Occupy Wall Street movement entered its third week of non-violent public assembly and peaceful protest. However, once again, the New York Police Department has proven peaceful protests against the “Masters of Universe” must be met with violence.Unlike the astro-turf Tea Party, the Occupy Wall Street movement is truly a grassroots movement. Before the ... more »
Herman Cain’s Naive Education Platform of Flawed Assumptions | Scathing Purple Musings
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Herman Cain’s Naive Education Platform of Flawed Assumptions | Scathing Purple Musings:Herman Cain’s Naive Education Platform of Flawed Assumptionsby Bob SikesHerman Cain’s ascendency to the top-tier of Republican presidential candidates occurred last week with hissurprising victory in Florida’s straw poll. It’s understandable that Americans might find an impressive man of accomplishment like Cain a desirable alternative to professional politicians. The idea that Washington needs someone versed in sound business and economic principles has appeal to voters of all political leanings.... more »
THE PERIMETER PRIMATE: Why more and more people will #OccupyWallStreet
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THE PERIMETER PRIMATE: Why more and more people will #OccupyWallStreet:Why more and more people will #OccupyWallStreetby The Perimeter PrimateThese are recent Tweets from Bernie Sanders @ http://twitter.com/#!/senatorsanders @SenatorSanders. Senator Bernie Sanders is the longest serving independent in congressional history. Tweets are from the senator's staff. http://sanders.senate.govOctober 2, 2011In 2009 Exxon Mobile made $19 billion in profits, paid no federal income taxes and took a $156 million rebate from the IRS.Ford's federal income tax rate was just 2.3 percent in 2009 ... more »
NYC 'SlutWalk' Protests Raise Rape Awareness - Forbes
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NYC 'SlutWalk' Protests Raise Rape Awareness - Forbes:NYC ‘SlutWalk’ Protests Raise Rape Awarenessby E.D. KainNew York City has been inundated with protests recently. Occupy Wall Street protests are gaining strength.Union pilots showed up on Wall Street to protest a hasty merger between United and Continental airlines. And yesterday over a thousand feminists held a scantily-clad rally, which they called SlutWalk, to protest blaming the victims of sexual assault after NYPD police warned women not to wear clothes that might make ... more »
I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide #edreform
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This sturdy American blues-rock trio from Texas consists of Billy Gibbons (guitar), Dusty Hill (bass), and Frank Beard (drums). They were formed in 1970 in and around Houston from rival bands the Moving Sidewalks (Gibbons) and American Blues (Hill and Beard). Their first two albums reflected the strong blues roots and Texas humor of the band. Their third album (Tres Hombres) gained them national attention with the hit "La Grange," a signature riff tune to this day, based on John ... more »
A Change Is Gonna Come #edrefom
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I was born by the river in a little tentOh and just like the river I've been running ever sinceIt's been a long, a long time comingBut I know a change gonna come, oh yes it willIt's been too hard living but I'm afraid to dieCause I don't know what's up there beyond the skyIt's been a long, a long time comingBut I know a change gonna come, oh yes it willI go to the movie and I go downtown ...more »
Blue Jersey:: The End Justifies the Means
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Blue Jersey:: The End Justifies the Means:The End Justifies the Meansby: deciminyanSat Oct 01, 2011 at 07:40:26 PM EDTAt least that was the position taken by one pro-voucher supporter at a debate today in Trenton sponsored by the Delaware Valley chapter of Americans United (AU) for Separation of Church and State.Keith Benson of "Save Our Children" argued that if state-funded Catholic schools perform better than public schools, the constitutional implications don't matter.Three advocates from the pro-voucher community were invited, although ... more »
Schools Matter: When Capricious Young says no experience required, she requires no experience
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Schools Matter: When Capricious Young says no experience required, she requires no experience:When Capricious Young says no experience required, she requires no experienceby Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene"We are told that this 'reform' alliance of everyone from Rupert Murdoch to the Walton family to leading hedge funders spends huge amounts of money pushing for radical changes to public schools because they suddenly decided that they care about destitute children, and now want to see all kids get a great education." ... more »
The United Federation of Teachers Supports #Occupy Wall Street | Seattle Education
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The United Federation of Teachers Supports #Occupy Wall Street | Seattle Education:The United Federation of Teachers Supports #Occupy Wall Streetby seattleducation2011Watching the live stream of young people getting arrested on the Brooklyn Bridge today protesting the crimes that have happened between Wall Street, the White House and the banks, all I can think is that those protestors are not the ones who should be arrested, it’s a whole lot of folks who represent “Wall Street” who should have been arrested ... more »
Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » Classroom Reflections on Week 4
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Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » Classroom Reflections on Week 4:Classroom Reflections on Week 4by alicemercerMy classroom is still a work in work in progress, but many of my practices have started to “gel” and routines are taking shape. I also have some tech stuff to share, but much of the progress will not be visible as it happened offline. This week saw the addition of a lab to science, art in social science, and more structured writing.Social Science ...more »
In Michigan the union mobilizes. In Illinois, they tell members to sit quietly. « Fred Klonsky's blog
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In Michigan the union mobilizes. In Illinois, they tell members to sit quietly. « Fred Klonsky's blog:In Michigan the union mobilizes. In Illinois, they tell members to sit quietly.by Fred KlonskyIn Illinois, the IEA leadership tells its members not to mobilize against the pension killing bill.At the last state convention IEA delegates voted a huge amount of money tarted for a public relations campaign.
Peg with Pen: America's Got Talent? Not Under the Corporate Education Reform Model
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Peg with Pen: America's Got Talent? Not Under the Corporate Education Reform Model:America's Got Talent? Not Under the Corporate Education Reform Modelby PeggyThis past week I watched Education Nation. I continued to support action through our work at United Opt OutNational. I read articles about the supposed benefits of NCLB waivers. I received notices about legislation being written which dictates what public universities do and forces education schools to drink the corp. ed. Kool-Aid. In the midst of all of ... more »
Senators - VOTE NO on H.R. 2218 - Empowering Parents through Quality Charter Schools Act
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SignOn.org Beta:Sign this petition'Senators - VOTE NO on H.R. 2218 - Empowering Parents through Quality Charter Schools ActBy Susan DuFresne (Contact)To be delivered to: The United States SenateDear Senators: The recent passage of H.R. 2218, the Empowering Parents Through the Quality Charter Schools Act by the House of Representatives is equally troubling. The nation’s teachers are not alone in their condemnation of this potential federal mandate to implement Charter Schools in every state. The Association of School Administrators has also ... more »
Jersey Jazzman: All the Education Opinion That's Fit To Fail
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Jersey Jazzman: All the Education Opinion That's Fit To Fail:All the Education Opinion That's Fit To Failby DukeThe NY Times attempts education opining. Yeesh:To qualify for waivers, states will have to install new tests — and teacher evaluation systems that take those test results into account — by the 2014-15 school year. The 12 states that received federal grants in the Race to the Top program last year have a head start. They agreed to put in data-driven teacher evaluation ... more »
Retribalized by My Life’s Soundtrack: “Downtown” | Lefty Parent
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Retribalized by My Life’s Soundtrack: “Downtown” | Lefty Parent:Retribalized by My Life’s Soundtrack: “Downtown”by Cooper ZaleAs I have said before, my life has been lived to a soundtrack. Growing up in an age of ubiquitous car radios, restaurant juke boxes, record players and later stereos, it seems like the popular songs of the day were always playing in the background, over and over. Marshall McLuhan talks about the “retribalization” that is the “water we swim in” in an age of ... more »
NYC Public School Parents: Time to change the stakes with testing? Join us for an evening with Yong Zhao!
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NYC Public School Parents: Time to change the stakes with testing? Join us for an evening with Yong Zhao!:Time to change the stakes with testing? Join us for an evening with Yong Zhao!by Leonie HaimsonAmerican education is at a crossroads. Two paths lie in front of us: one in which we destroy our strengths in order to catch up with others on test scores and one in which we build on our strengths so we can keep the lead in ... more »
Why Teachers in High-Minority Schools Are Paid Less - Education - GOOD
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Why Teachers in High-Minority Schools Are Paid Less - Education - GOOD:Why Teachers in High-Minority Schools Are Paid Lessby Liz DwyerPlenty of headlines popped up this week about a new analysis of the U.S. Department of Education's 2009-2010Civil Rights Data Collection, which revealed that the average teacher working in a school serving Latino and black populations is being paid nearly $2,500 less per year than the average teacher working at a school in a whiter neighborhood. That’s a disturbing piece ... more »