Arne Duncan on school reforms: 'What will your next excuse be if you have enough money?' | MLive.com
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Arne Duncan on school reforms: 'What will your next excuse be if you have enough money?' | MLive.com: Arne Duncan on school reforms: 'What will your next excuse be if you have enough money?'Published: Monday, April 02, 2012, 8:30 AMByDave Murray | dmurray@mlive.comFollow14ShareEmailPrintAP Photo/Ed AndrieskiU.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan speaks during a town hall meeting on reform in Denver in February. Duncan served as Chicago Public Schools superintendent before being tapped by President Obama.RELATED:Experts: Performance, politics keep districts from using ... more »
Next step in education reform could be schools grading parents - Providence special education | Examiner.com
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Next step in education reform could be schools grading parents - Providence special education | Examiner.com: Next step in education reform could be schools grading parentsAdd a commentMaria BucchinoVideo:Florida teachers to grade parentsEducation reform has focused on grading teachers and schools based on students' performance. It seems that schools are fed up with taking all the blame and have been stating that parents should be graded. The goal seems to be parent involvement, but this may not be the best ...more »
ED Celebrates National Financial Literacy Month | ED.gov Blog
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ED Celebrates National Financial Literacy Month | ED.gov Blog: ED Celebrates National Financial Literacy MonthPosted onApril 2, 2012byGuest BloggerFinancial literacy plays an important role in promoting the financial health and stability of individuals, families, and our national economy. The economic crisis has highlighted how essential it is to have information, education, and tools to help people make informed financial decisions.In honor of National Financial Literacy Month, experts from federal and state agencies and nonprofit, educational, and private sector organizations will... more »
How Do New Teacher Evaluation and Pay Models Affect Students? - Dana Goldstein
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How Do New Teacher Evaluation and Pay Models Affect Students? - Dana Goldstein: How Do New Teacher Evaluation and Pay Models Affect Students?byDana GoldsteinThe Fordham Institute is a Washington education policy think tank that supports market-driven reforms. It has publisheda paperlauding the teacher pay system in Harrison District 2, which is one of the most unusual in the country: The Colorado Springs district has abolished seniority and education-based raises entirely, and now pays teachers exclusively according to how much they ... more »
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Diane Speaks
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Seattle Schools Community Forum: Diane Speaks: Diane SpeaksbyMelissa WestbrookI just wanted to put forth some of what Diane Ravitch talked about in her recent appearance here in Seattle at the elementary/middle school principals convention.She opened by pointing to the Chehalis Caribbean band who had been entertaining the crowd beautifully as people filtered into the room. To big applause she asked, "Where does that show up on a test?"She pointed out thatnonation whose K-12 students are performing well are usinganyof the ... more »
Shanker Blog » Still In Residence: Arts Education In U.S. Public Schools
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Shanker Blog » Still In Residence: Arts Education In U.S. Public Schools: Still In Residence: Arts Education In U.S. Public SchoolsbyMatthew Di CarloThere is a somewhat common argument in education circles that the focus on math and reading tests in No Child Left Behind has had the unintended consequence of generating a concurrent deemphasis on other subjects. This includes science and history, of course, but among the most frequently-mentioned presumed victims of this trend are art and music.A newreportby the ... more »
Diane Ravitch: Mississippi Charter schools a bad idea » Archive » Meridian Star
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Mississippi Charter schools a bad idea » Archive » Meridian Star: Mississippi Charter schools a bad ideaDiane RavitchSpecial to the StarJACKSON — Mississippi is on the brink of passing legislation to permit privately-managed charter schools to open. This is a bad idea. Charter schools have been in existence for twenty years, and grand claims are made for them, but don’t believe the hype.I live in New York City, where our mayor has opened over 100 charter schools. As they expand, ... more »
Jersey Jazzman: War On Teachers=War On Women, Jersey Style
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Jersey Jazzman: War On Teachers=War On Women, Jersey Style: War On Teachers=War On Women, Jersey StylebyDukeJosh Hennepoints out how Governor Christie seems to have a problem with women:March is Women’s History Month. Unfortunately, it’s worth noting that Gov. Chris Christie’s own public history with women — through both word and deed — is pockmarked with marginalization, mockery and even malice.It’s been this way right from the start. In 2010, with the stroke of a pen, Gov. Christie eliminated a $7.4 ... more »
Divisive Right Wing Rhee Attacks Minnesota Teachers
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MN Progressive Project:: StudentsFirst Attacks Minnesota Teachers: StudentsFirst Attacks Minnesota Teachersby:dan.burnsMon Apr 02, 2012 at 09:36:41 AM CDTLast week I got two items in the mail from something called "StudentsFirst." Here's one side of one of them:Don't those young'ns look thrilled, to be learning (and, presumably, crushing standardized tests) the StudentsFirst way!More below the fold.dan.burns::StudentsFirst Attacks Minnesota TeachersThe purpose of the mailings, was to try to get me to encourage Governor Dayton to signH.F. 1870,which would allegedly "reform" teacher t... more »
Seattle Schools Community Forum: World Autism Awareness Day
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Seattle Schools Community Forum: World Autism Awareness Day: World Autism Awareness DaybyMelissa WestbrookToday is the fifth annual World Autism Awareness Day. The theme this year, from Autism Speaks, isLight It Up Bluewith landmarks like the Empire State Building going blue tonight. This starts a month of awareness events to shine a light on the issues around autism. World autism Awareness Day was started in 2007 by the United Nations General Assembly.It is estimated that 1 in every 88 children in ... more »
High-stakes testing cheats children out of a quality education | Get Schooled
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High-stakes testing cheats children out of a quality education | Get Schooled: High-stakes testing cheats children out of a quality education3:47 amApril 2, 2012,byMaureen DowneyThe folks at FairTesthave been raising the alarm about excessive testing and its impact on education long before most people.Here is a response tothe AJC investigation into nationwide disparities in test resultsfrom Robert Schaeffer, public education director of FairTest: the National Center for Fair Open TestingBy Robert SchaefferAcross the U.S., the politically mandated misuse of standardized ... more »
Mishandled finances not uncommon in charter schools | The Columbus Dispatch
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Mishandled finances not uncommon in charter schools | The Columbus Dispatch: Mishandled finances not uncommon in charter schoolsByJennifer Smith RichardsThe Columbus DispatchMonday April 2, 2012 6:56 AMComments: 1ShareThisSpend first, ask permission later, and don’t bother with receipts.The loose financial systems at some of Ohio’s charter schools have led to questionable spending in recent years. Some schools hired treasurers with spotty track records; others hired qualified treasurers but disregarded their advice when they insisted on better checks and balances.The recent case ... more »
U.S. in and out of step with top ed systems | Thoughts on Public Education
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U.S. in and out of step with top ed systems | Thoughts on Public Education: U.S. in and out of step with top ed systems - by Kathryn BaronbyKathryn BaronAndreas Schleicher looks the part of a diplomat. Tall and slim, with thick gray hair, and impeccable English spoken with a European accent. He is also the consummate diplomat when it comes to assessing the United State’s standing in education. In most countries, low results on the Programme for International Student ... more »
School officials stand by test scores despite paper's findings | Seattle Times Newspaper
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Local News | School officials stand by test scores despite paper's findings | Seattle Times Newspaper: School officials stand by test scores despite paper's findingsSchool officials stand by test scores despite paper's findingsAn investigation by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has identified about 200 school districts, including four in Washington state, that recently reported test-score gains the article describes as extremely improbable.ByBrian M. RosenthalSeattle Times education reporterRELATEDThe Atlanta-Journal Constitution investigationWashington state scoresThe Atlanta Jour... more »
Austin Independent School District Battles On for Charter IDEA In-District against the Will of Parents and the Community « Parents Across America
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Austin Independent School District Battles On for Charter IDEA In-District against the Will of Parents and the Community « Parents Across America: Austin Independent School District Battles On for Charter IDEA In-District against the Will of Parents and the CommunitybyLorie BarzanoBy Lorie BarzanoCo-Chair of CoalitionSAUS (Strengthen Austin Urban Schools)A parent led group representing inner-city public schools working to ensure accessible, quality Public Education for all children and healthy, thriving Public Schools in Austin’s urban coreIn a special meeting on December ... more »
Rockford teachers end strike and overwhelmingly approve settlement. « Fred Klonsky
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Rockford teachers end strike and overwhelmingly approve settlement. « Fred Klonsky: Rockford teachers end strike and overwhelmingly approve settlement.byFred KlonskyWhile I was visiting back east with my family in Brooklyn there camethe newsof a settlement in nearby Rockford.“Teachers were thrilled to be going back to the classroom, but I’ll tell you, they
Bloomberg and Tweed: “Our Standards Mean Nothing” | Edwize
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Bloomberg and Tweed: “Our Standards Mean Nothing” | Edwize: Bloomberg and Tweed: “Our Standards Mean Nothing”byLeo CaseyLast Wednesday, the New York City Department of Education (DoE) began holding public meetings for the 33 Transformation and Restart Schools that Mayor Bloomberg announced he would close in his State of the City speech. At the start of each meeting, a Deputy Chancellor reads out a prepared script which purportedly makes the case for closure. For 19 of those 33 schools, nearly 3 ... more »
Report: New schools outperform redesigns | EdNewsColorado
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Report: New schools outperform redesigns | EdNewsColorado: Report: New schools outperform redesignsbyNancy MitchellDenver Public Schools has opened 36 new schools in the past five years in the quest to improve student achievement, but a new report says not all types of new schools are performing equally well.Students from Gilpin Elementary, a redesigned school, pose in this EdNews file photo.In “Great Expectations, Mixed Results,” released today by the Donnell-Kay Foundation, report author Alex Ooms focused on student academic growth to compare ... more »
SOUTH BRONX SCHOOL: BREAKING NEWS!!! PREVIEW OF 2012 NYS MATH AND ELA TESTS!!!
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SOUTH BRONX SCHOOL: BREAKING NEWS!!! PREVIEW OF 2012 NYS MATH AND ELA TESTS!!!: BREAKING NEWS!!! PREVIEW OF 2012 NYS MATH AND ELA TESTS!!!bynoreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher)Yes, today being the first day of April that can only mean that testing season is just around the corner. The crack team has been hard at work through intermediaries to get a preview of the upcoming standardized tests for grades 3-8 and just several hours ago all Math and ELA tests have fallen in the ... more »
The Gulen Movement’s connection to the largest US charter network « Parents Across America
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The Gulen Movement’s connection to the largest US charter network « Parents Across America: The Gulen Movement’s connection to the largest US charter networkbyleoniehaimsonBy Sharon Higgins, founding member ofParents Across AmericaNote: This is an expanded version of aguest postpublished in The Washington Post under Valerie Strauss’s column, The Answer Sheet, on March 27, 2012.The largest charter school network in the United States is operated by people in and associated with the Gulen Movement (GM), a secretive and controversial Turkish religious ... more »
Coping with asthma leaves schools gasping | EdNewsColorado
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Coping with asthma leaves schools gasping | EdNewsColorado: Coping with asthma leaves schools gaspingbyRebecca JonesCastle Rock mom Heather Clark was so concerned that her 13-year-old daughter, Sami, would have an asthma attack at school and that no one would know what to do, she took to sneaking an inhaler into her daughter’s backpack, just in case. She calls it her “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.She didn’t realize that there was no need to treat the inhaler as if it were ... more »
Education’s Hungry Hearts - NYTimes.com
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Education’s Hungry Hearts - NYTimes.com: Education’s Hungry HeartsBy MARK EDMUNDSONPublished: March 31, 2012RECOMMENDTWITTERLINKEDINCOMMENTS(67)SIGN IN TO E-MAILPRINTREPRINTSSHAREBatesville, Va.Readers’ CommentsShare your thoughts.Post a Comment »Read All Comments (67) »“EVERYBODY’S got a hungry heart,” Bruce Springsteen sings. Really? Is that so? At the risk of offending the Boss, I want to register some doubts.Granted my human sample is not large — but it’s not so small either. I’ve been teaching now for 35 years and in that time have had about 4,000 students ... more »
TRS’s Dick Ingram scares the shit out of people. « Fred Klonsky
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TRS’s Dick Ingram scares the shit out of people. « Fred Klonsky: TRS’s Dick Ingram scares the shit out of people.byFred KlonskyA leaked memo by TRS Executive Director Richard Ingram has caused a flood of concerned emails into my inbox this weekend.Ingram is predicting insolvency for the teacher pension by 2009.And what is scaring retirees ishis threatthat reduced benefits to retirees was a likely solution.First of all, Ingram seems to view things a little too much as a benefit problem ... more »
A Dictator Unwilling to Step Down « Cooperative Catalyst
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A Dictator Unwilling to Step Down « Cooperative Catalyst: A Dictator Unwilling to Step DownbylinedalileI speak about education from an unflattering point of view, maybe because it is destroying our fascinating, curious minds.I don’t claim to be an expert in education, I am still a student and I speak for myself. I believe that students should have a voice in the education system today, because mainly they are the ones who are being educated. The control of education should be ...more »
Sen. Sanders' open letter: Charter Schools - WSFA.com: News Weather and Sports for Montgomery, AL.
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Sen. Sanders' open letter: Charter Schools - WSFA.com: News Weather and Sports for Montgomery, AL.: Sen. Sanders' open letter: Charter SchoolsPosted:Mar 30, 2012 5:21 PM PDTUpdated:Mar 31, 2012 10:14 AM PDTFile Photo: Senator Hank SandersDECISION 2012MOREKeith Olbermann ousted by Current TVEtch A Sketch launches ad campaignRomney gets Bush backing, but no sign of George W.Obama outspends Republican campaigns by millionsGeorge H.W. Bush to formally back RomneyAlabama State Senator Hank Sanders (D-Selma) penned the following open letter to Alabama Governor Robert ... more »