BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK AM POSTS
Modern School: Big Surprise: Schools Hiring Fewer Nurses, Librarians
Modern School: Big Surprise: Schools Hiring Fewer Nurses, Librarians: Big Surprise: Schools Hiring Fewer Nurses, Librarians by Michael Dunn According to recent findings released last week by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC), California is issuing fewer credentials for K-12 service positions like librarians, school nurses and administrators, and schools are hiring fewer service staff. Between the 2006-07 and 2010-11 school years, CTC issued 11% fewer service credentials, while the number of people working in service positions dropped by 9%. The biggest declin... more »
A Significant Error That Policymakers Commit | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice
A Significant Error That Policymakers Commit | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: A Significant Error That Policymakers Commit by larrycuban As a result of inhabiting a different world than teachers, policymakers make a consequential error. They and a cadre of influentials confuse teach* er* quality with teach*ing* quality, that is, the personal traits of teachers—dedicated, caring, gregarious, intellectually curious—produce student learning rather than the classroom and school settings. Both are important, of course, but policymakers and their influential camp f... more »
Corporate Reformers Love Lofty Goals « Diane Ravitch's blog
Corporate Reformers Love Lofty Goals « Diane Ravitch's blog: Corporate Reformers Love Lofty Goals by dianerav One of the favorite tactics of corporate reformers is to set lofty goals. We have learned over the past twenty years that you can’t have reform without goals. I remember back when No Child Left Behind was passed, and it included the goal (mandate, actually) that all students in grades 3-8 would be proficient by the year 2014. (By the way, if anyone wonders, I was not an architect of NCLB. I wasn’t involved at any point in writing it. That distinction goes to Sandy Kress, Ma... more »
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES: WEEKEND QUOTABLES by Mike Klonsky Rita SolnetRita Solnet, Parents Across America *“It’s kind of like a tsunami at this point — a movement underway. Primarily, we’re saying we know you wanted accountability, but the pendulum has swung too far. It’s gotten ridiculous where one test on one day determines everything for that one child. We are saying use the FCAT as a diagnostic tool — for what it’s meant to be used.”* -- Miami Herald Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/05/14/2799459/parents-sign-petition-against.html#stor...more »
Charter Schools Vs. Catholic Schools « Diane Ravitch's blog
Charter Schools Vs. Catholic Schools « Diane Ravitch's blog: Charter Schools Vs. Catholic Schools by dianerav Charter schools contribute directly to the collapse of Catholic schools in the inner city, according to new research by Abraham Lackman, a scholar in residence at the Albany Law School in New York. I have a pdf file for his findings, but don’t know how to turn it into an URL, so the best I can offer here is a summary of his findings in the New York Daily News: http://articles.nydailynews.com/2012-02-22/news/31088718_1_charter-schools-catholic-schools-new-charter Lackman was... more »
Priorities. « Fred Klonsky
Priorities. « Fred Klonsky: Priorities. by Fred Klonsky I posted a picture of Illinois State Police on Facebook yesterday. It provoked some passionate comments. One was from a cop, my friend and former neighbor, Abraham. Abraham did what you would expect most cops to do. He defended his buddies and his job. What my friend Abraham doesn’t say is whether he was on duty yesterday at the NATO protest. Or if he has traveled around the city these last few days like I have. I was in Grant Park yesterday. There were thousands of people who looked pretty much like people I have been with at... more »
The League of Student Workers launches its foray into politics and union organizing for students at Santa Monica College (SMC) | Dailycensored.com
The League of Student Workers launches its foray into politics and union organizing for students at Santa Monica College (SMC) | Dailycensored.com: The League of Student Workers launches its foray into politics and union organizing for students at Santa Monica College (SMC) by Danny Weil Thursday *May 24, 2012 at 11:15 AM* there will be a *General Assembly* for the *League of Student Workers at Santa Monica College. *I’ve been told the meeting is going to be pretty informal; the group is meeting to create a contact point for the *Student Workers*, introduce the committee members ... more »
Straight Up Conversation: New NSNO CEO Neerav Kingsland :: Frederick M. Hess
Straight Up Conversation: New NSNO CEO Neerav Kingsland :: Frederick M. Hess: Straight Up Conversation: New NSNO CEO Neerav Kingsland *by Frederick M. Hess • May 21, 2012 at 8:13 am Cross-posted from Education Week* I recently had a chance to chat with Neerav Kingsland, recently named CEO of New Schools for New Orleans (NSNO). NSNO has been a pivotal player in New Orleans' post-Katrina reform landscape. A Tulane and Yale Law School alum, Neerav previously served as the chief strategy officer for NSNO. You may also recall him as a former guest star at RHSU. Neerav is taking the re... more »
LAO: No need to cut schools $5.5 billion | Thoughts on Public Education
LAO: No need to cut schools $5.5 billion | Thoughts on Public Education: LAO: No need to cut schools $5.5 billion - by John Fensterwald - Educated Guess by John Fensterwald - Educated Guess The Legislative Analyst’s Office is suggesting an alternative to the massive cut to K-12 schools and community colleges that Gov. Jerry Brown is proposing if his tax initiative fails in November. Instead of a real spending cut of $2.8 billion or $415 per K-12 student, districts and community colleges would be cut $1 billion or only $162 per K-12 student, under the LAO plan. The LAO detailed its... more »
A nation grows more diverse as many of its schools grow less | Get Schooled
A nation grows more diverse as many of its schools grow less | Get Schooled: A nation grows more diverse as many of its schools grow less by Maureen Downey [image: downeyart (Medium)] I have written a lot about the resurgence of segregated schools in the South, not by court order, but by housing choices. Despite the hopes of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, court-ordered school desegregation never led to full community integration. “Our nation, I fear, will be ill served by the court’s refusal to remedy separate and unequal education, for unless our children begin to lea... more »
Saving Poor Kids from Failing Schools? « Diane Ravitch's blog
Saving Poor Kids from Failing Schools? « Diane Ravitch's blog: Saving Poor Kids from Failing Schools? by dianerav Several people sent me a video of Glen Ford of the Black Agenda Report skewering Corey Booker, the mayor of Newark, and Howard Fuller of Black Alliance for Educational Options as sell-outs for a rightwing agenda. See it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdPACwRgw04 I must say there was nothing in the video that surprised me. Back in the late 1990s, when I was involved in three different conservative organizations, there was a concerted effort to find and promote bl... more »
“Tutoring Doesn’t Work” (According to U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan) - Wait, What?
“Tutoring Doesn’t Work” (According to U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan) - Wait, What?: “Tutoring Doesn’t Work” (According to U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan) by jonpelto No really, that’s what Secretary of Education said and while he doesn’t have any real education or teaching experience, he did go to Harvard (for sociology) so he must know these things. As a result of this news, I spent Sunday afternoon writing a letter of concern to the Mansfield Board of Education. You see, the Mansfield Middle School Parent’s Association Newsletter just arrived. It leads with a pict... more »
The Innovative Educator: It's wrong to group kids by date of manufacture
The Innovative Educator: It's wrong to group kids by date of manufacture: It's wrong to group kids by date of manufacture by noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen) *Guest post by Teresa McCloskey* * * * * While at the park today with the kids, I saw a classmate of Mason's, coincidentally also named Mason and also in as much trouble with authorities as my own Mason. Mason & Mason F. started kindergarten at the same time. Their date of manufacture is obviously comparable. They are both currently in 7th grade. But Mason F. now stands nearly 2 feet taller than my Mason. He's filling o... more »
Why college-for-everybody is a sham: Ravitch - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post
Why college-for-everybody is a sham: Ravitch - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: [image: Answer Sheet] Why college-for-everybody is a sham: Ravitch by Valerie Strauss This *was written by education historian Diane Ravitch . She is a research professor at New York University and author of numerous books, including the best-selling “The Death and Life of the Great American School System,” a critique of the flaws in the modern school reform movement. This piece appeared on her blog.* Read full article >> Test scores plummet — so Florida drops passing grade by Valerie Strauss... more »
Schools Matter: NYC Parents Infuriated Over "Valueless" Test
Schools Matter: NYC Parents Infuriated Over "Valueless" Test: NYC Parents Infuriated Over "Valueless" Test by Judy Rabin There's a lot of talk of VAM (value added measures) these days as the new tool and solution to closing the achievement gap. VAM is popular with corporate ed deformers because it's now obvious the ones being used over the past decade under NCLB used to declare students, teachers and schools failures, have actually been a huge failure. Unfortunately for the architects of this brilliant education policy, the economic crisis is causing the entire testing craziness... more »
Two More Florida Districts Poised to Join National Resolution on High Stakes Testing | Scathing Purple Musings
Two More Florida Districts Poised to Join National Resolution on High Stakes Testing | Scathing Purple Musings: Two More Florida Districts Poised to Join National Resolution on High Stakes Testing by Bob Sikes From *TCPalm*: More Florida and Treasure Coast school boards could join a growing nationwide campaign against an “over-reliance” on high-stakes standardized tests like the FCAT. Almost a week before state officials warned more rigorous grading on the writing portion of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test triggered a steep decline in scores, the St. Lucie County Scho... more »
Missouri Education Watchdog: Having the Bully Pulpit Doesn't Mean You Get to be a Bully.
Missouri Education Watchdog: Having the Bully Pulpit Doesn't Mean You Get to be a Bully.: Having the Bully Pulpit Doesn't Mean You Get to be a Bully. by stlgretchen Shouldn't bullying constitute teacher termination? "It’s illegal to disrespect the president, a North Carolina high school teacher told a student in an audiotape that turned up on YouTube". This story about a teacher bullying a student is going viral. You can find write ups on this story here andhere and here and here and here. This social studies teacher should be fired...not only for her bullying tactics, but al... more »
Jersey Jazzman: Some Kids (and Teachers) MUST Fail
Jersey Jazzman: Some Kids (and Teachers) MUST Fail: Some Kids (and Teachers) MUST Fail by Duke Those of us fighting back against reforminess have made a tactical mistake: we don't talk about the grading of standardized tests nearly enough. And Todd Farley has a ton of material for us; here he is on the latest debacle in Florida: he writing portion of this year's FCAT plummeted so precipitously that the abilities of Florida's student writers aren't even being called into question. The validity of the scoring statistics are. While I don't want to say "I told you so" regarding the ... more »
For-profit standardized testing industry can't be trusted - Tampa Bay Times
For-profit standardized testing industry can't be trusted - Tampa Bay Times: For-profit standardized testing industry can't be trusted By Todd Farley, Special to the Times In Print: Sunday, May 20, 2012 Facebook 547 Email Share 611 Story ToolsPrint this storyPurchase reprintsContact the editorEmail Newsletters ------------------------------ The scores for the writing portion of this year's FCAT plummeted so precipitously that the abilities of Florida's student writers aren't even being called into question. The validity of the scoring statistics are. While I don't want to say "I to... more »
NYC Educator: File Letter
NYC Educator: File Letter: File Letter by NYC Educator Dear Ms. Walker: On May 15th, we met in my office with you and your representative, UFT chapter leader Mr. Rosenboom. We discussed the fact that, despite Common Core standards, you persist in teaching literature in your English class. As we discussed, Common Core standards mandate that no more than 25% fiction be taught in the classroom. As we discussed, you taught several novels, including*The Grapes of Wrath, The Kite Runner* and *The Joy Luck Club*. You also taught several Shakespeare plays, though these were not included... more »
Drip to the Top: Arne Duncan authorizes new ways to increase test scores | Dailycensored.com
Drip to the Top: Arne Duncan authorizes new ways to increase test scores | Dailycensored.com: Drip to the Top: Arne Duncan authorizes new ways to increase test scores Posted by: Danny Weil Posted date: *May 21, 2012* In: *Daily Journal (Opinion), Education* | comment : 0 Comments *Published on May 15, 2012 by * iamcompucomp In order to stay competitive with the Chinese, who are now using I.V. drips of amino acids to raise test scores, Arnie Duncan has launched the “Drip to the Top” for junior I.V. Leaguers. It’s a wild ride in America on “goof balls” but with the population under ... more »
Schools Matter: Why Corporate Media is Ignoring Public School Closings
Schools Matter: Why Corporate Media is Ignoring Public School Closings: Why Corporate Media is Ignoring Public School Closings by Judy Rabin [image: Corporate Media = Corporate Lies] *Where will those children find an education? Where will the teachers find work? Almost certainly in an explosion of private sector “charter schools,” where the quality of education -- from the curriculum to books to the food served at lunch -- will be sacrificed to the lowest bidder, and teachers’ salaries and benefits will be sacrificed to the profits of the new private owners, who will also eat up m... more »
Lifting the Cap and Political Activity « DFER Watch
Lifting the Cap and Political Activity « DFER Watch: LIFTING THE CAP AND POLITICAL ACTIVITY Posted by ken libby on May 21, 2012 · Leave a Comment Earlier this year, ERN submitted a Form 990 from the year 2010 noting “political expenditures.” The updated Form 990 noted ERN would file a Form 4720, but that form was not included. However, a more recent Form 990 including the Form 4720 is now available here. Quickly, here is what the IRS website says about 501c3 organizations and political activity : Under the Internal Revenue Code, all section 501(c)(3) organizations are absolutely ... more »
WE NEED TO BE RESISTERS, NOT COLLABORATORS « Teachers Fight Back
WE NEED TO BE RESISTERS, NOT COLLABORATORS « Teachers Fight Back: WE NEED TO BE RESISTERS, NOT COLLABORATORS by alkleen Every public school teacher needs to ask themselves the following question: Have I done enough to help fight the pension injustice and the teacher bashing and scapegoating that has been going on over the last several years? What have you done? When the topic comes up among you and your neighbors do you speak out and defend teachers? Have you made your anger known to your legislators? Have you made others aware of the injustices? Have you written in to the news...more »
The growing fascism in America and the pushback | Seattle Education
The growing fascism in America and the pushback | Seattle Education: The growing fascism in America and the pushback by seattleducation2011 Even though this blog is about education it is also about the right that I have to share my views and opinions as well as information that might not be too comfortable for some people to have acknowledged publicly, but nonetheless I am able to write freely without concern of censorship or someone breaking down my door and arresting me. This is America. Right? When I read the following article, I felt it was time to post what I have seen as an ... more »
Diane Ravitch: Do Our Public Schools Threaten National Security? by Diane Ravitch | The New York Review of Books
Do Our Public Schools Threaten National Security? by Diane Ravitch | The New York Review of Books: Do Our Public Schools Threaten National Security? Diane Ravitch *US Education Reform and National Security* ** by Joel I. Klein Condoleezza Rice, and others. Council on Foreign Relations, 103 pp., available at www.cfr.org [image: ravitch_1-060712.jpg] Simpson Kalisher Syracuse, New York, 1971; detail of a photograph by Simpson Kalisher from his recent book *The Alienated Photographer*. It is published by Two Penny Press, with an intro... more »
