Big Education Ape 2nd Banana Recap of Last Week's Best Post
Please join us for the Save Our Schools chat on Twitter this Tue, 5/29 with AFT President Randi Weingarten #SOSChat
Please join us for the *Save Our Schools* chat on Twitter this Tue, 5/29 with AFT - American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten. We will discuss the AFT Resolution Against Testing Fixation in our Public Schools. Jump right in at 9pm on the east coast; 6pm on the west coast. #SOSChat Save Our Schools Webinars *Save Our Schools Webinar* *Early Childhood Educators Say “No!” to Standards and Tests* June 1, 2012 9 PM Eastern Daylight Time [EDT} Please Join Us! Deborah Meier and Nancy Carlsson-Paige will discuss the myriad ways that young children learn through pla... more »
Modern School: Michelle Rhee’s $1 Billion Union-Busting Superpac
Modern School: Michelle Rhee’s $1 Billion Union-Busting Superpac: Michelle Rhee’s $1 Billion Union-Busting Superpac by Michael Dunn According to the Ed Deform movement, teachers unions are the main impediment to student success. All they care about is protecting incompetent or perverted teachers, keeping working hours short and salaries high and blocking real and meaningful reforms like private charter schools, abolition of due process rights, increased high stakes tests, and dumbed down Common Core Standards. Education reformers should thus be excited to hear that Students First,... more »
Discussing Educational Inequality With Chris Hayes - Dana Goldstein
Discussing Educational Inequality With Chris Hayes - Dana Goldstein: Discussing Educational Inequality With Chris Hayes Chris Hayes is getting a lot of flack -- totally unfairly -- for his Memorial Day episode, in which he grappled seriously with issues of war, peace, death, and memory. I'm going to outsource commentary on this to Conor Friedersdorf, but really, Chris should be lauded for hosting a show that deals with issues like education policy with more nuance than any other show on television. I was lucky enough to be part of Chris' panel on Saturday, and we discussed racial a... more »
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Hawthorne Community Does the Hard Work
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Hawthorne Community Does the Hard Work: Hawthorne Community Does the Hard Work by Melissa Westbrook I visited Hawthorne earlier this year when they opened their Family Support room. The Times has a story about the energy surging through this school from both parents and staff. This is how a community retakes and rebuilds its neighborhood school. The story I was told was that a couple of neighborhood parents, when their kids were preschools, thought, "why wouldn't I go to my neighborhood school?" when neighbors tried to warn them off. Undeterred... more »
The Washington Teacher: Arne Duncan's Close Ties to Victor Reinoso, Former DC Deputy Mayor of Education
The Washington Teacher: Arne Duncan's Close Ties to Victor Reinoso, Former DC Deputy Mayor of Education: Arne Duncan's Close Ties to Victor Reinoso, Former DC Deputy Mayor of Education by Candi Peterson Victor Reinoso (right)*Written by Candi Peterson* Word has it that Victor Reinoso, former DC Deputy Mayor of Education from 2007-10 under the Fenty administration is now a high-powered consultant to the United States Department of Education (DOE), working for Arne Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Education. Confirmation that Reinoso is a local friend of Arne Duncan's was evidenced on R... more »
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Decline To Sign - New Facebook Group
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Decline To Sign - New Facebook Group: Decline To Sign - New Facebook Group by Melissa Westbrook Join my new Facebook group - *Decline to Sign - Charter-Free Washington. * * * It's pretty simple - when (if) this charter initiative gets out to petitions, just *Decline to Sign*. Getting it on the ballot is NOT an invitation to discussion (despite what the Times' says/thinks). If they want a discussion, the time is *NOW*, not after it's on the ballot. Tell your friends, neighbors, family members, co-workers and fellow PTA members, *Decline to Sign.*... more »
Petitions | The White House - Replace Sec. Ed. Arne Duncan with Prof. Diane Ravitch
Petitions | The White House: WE PETITION THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION TO: Replace Sec. Ed. Arne Duncan with Prof. Diane Ravitch, as Duncan's ed advice to Obama hurts more students than it helps If President Obama truly desires to provide all students with access to the best public education possible, and concurrently to energize teachers as an important voting bloc in his re-election campaign, he should replace Sec. of Ed. Arne Duncan with Prof. Diane Ravitch, or someone else not beholden to corporate interests, such as Prof. Linda Darling-Hammond, Prof. Yong Zhao, or similar. Duncan'... more »
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Latest In State/Local Charter Misinformation
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Latest In State/Local Charter Misinformation: Latest In State/Local Charter Misinformation by Melissa Westbrook [image: Corporate Media = Corporate Lies] Looking at what editorial boards from around the state are saying about charters, it would seem most of them are fairly uninformed. The Spokesman-Review: *In Washington, charter schools are like most late library books: overdue without a good excuse.* They seem to forget that voters did address this issue already three times. *Forty schools won’t upset the state’s vast public school system, nor ... more »
Schools Matter: Who Owns Stock in Pearson?
Schools Matter: Who Owns Stock in Pearson?: Who Owns Stock in Pearson? by Judy Rabin Sometimes the comments are more profound than the story: Comment on CommonDreams to Valerie Strauss story on High Stakes Standardized Tests The question, reported by the New York Daily News, referred to a story similar to the famous Aesop fable about the tortoise and the hare, but in this version, a talking pineapple challenges a hare to race. The rabbit wins, not surprisingly, as the fruit can’t actually move, and other animals, who have wagered on the winner, eat the pineapple, according to the p... more »
Scott Walker Aide Wanted Union Foe Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee to Counter Teacher Protests, Email Shows | Mother Jones
Scott Walker Aide Wanted Union Foe Michelle Rhee to Counter Teacher Protests, Email Shows | Mother Jones: Scott Walker Aide Wanted Union Foe Michelle Rhee to Counter Teacher Protests, Email Shows —By Andy Kroll | Fri Jun. 1, 2012 3:32 AM PDT 5 - - [image: Michelle Rhee]Former DC schools chancellor Michelle Rhee.The National Academy of Sciences/Flickr Days after Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker"dropped the bomb" on his state's public employees last year by proposing to cut most of their collective bargaining rights, a top Walker aide suggested bringing controversial school r... more »
Modern School: Anti-Teacher Bill Passes California State Senate
Modern School: Anti-Teacher Bill Passes California State Senate: Anti-Teacher Bill Passes California State Senate by Michael Dunn SB 1530 was passed in the California State Senate this week. The bill eliminates timelines for notifying teachers of impending disciplinary action and allows districts to send out dismissal notices during the summer, when many teachers are on vacation and not even in town to receive and act upon the notice. The bill would also allow districts to use old and unrelated information from a teacher’s past to prosecute current misconduct cases, which is like ... more »
Seattle Schools Community Forum: SPS Family Survey to Start June 5th
Seattle Schools Community Forum: SPS Family Survey to Start June 5th: SPS Family Survey to Start June 5th by Melissa Westbrook From SPS Communications: Hearing from our families, staff, and students is critical to our efforts to improve education for every student.*School climate surveys* are given each spring to *all students, school staff, and families in the district*. We are gathering information about learning environments at our elementary, middle and high schools, including student engagement, academic rigor, discipline and safety, and family involvement. Results of these sur... more »
Parents flunk Michelle Rhee’s StudentsFirst « Parents Across America
Parents flunk Michelle Rhee’s StudentsFirst « Parents Across America: Parents flunk Michelle Rhee’s StudentsFirst Thursday, May 31, 2012 For more information contact: Leonie Haimson: 917-435-9329; leonieh@parentsacrossamerica.org Julie Woestehoff: 773-538-1135; juliew@parentsacrossamerica.org Parents flunk Michelle Rhee’s StudentsFirst *Report card exposes flaws in corporate agenda and failures to push through legislation in many states this year* Parents Across America (PAA) unveiled a report card today that gave Michelle Rhee’s education lobbying organization, StudentsFirst, failing... more »
NON UNION TEACHERS LEARN A TOUGH LESSON « Teachers Fight Back
NON UNION TEACHERS LEARN A TOUGH LESSON « Teachers Fight Back: NON UNION TEACHERS LEARN A TOUGH LESSON by alkleen Teachers, administrators and staff at four Chicago charter schools are being laid off because test scores didn’t “measure up”, and the New York based company that manages the schools is being replaced. Supporters of the publicly funded, privately run charter schools say the overhaul shows the flexibility of charters, which can hire and fire staff quickly when scores don’t measure up because teachers aren’t members of a union. I’m sure at least some of the fired teach... more »
The List Grows: Broward County School Board Passes Resoluton Against High Stakes Testing | Scathing Purple Musings
The List Grows: Broward County School Board Passes Resoluton Against High Stakes Testing | Scathing Purple Musings: The List Grows: Broward County School Board Passes Resoluton Against High Stakes Testing by Bob Sikes From Scott Travis in the *Sun-Sentinel*: Broward County school leaders are speaking out against what they see as a nasty four-letter word:FCAT The School Board unanimously passed a resolution Wednesday opposing standardized testing as the primary means for evaluating schools, students and teachers. They say there is so much focus on students doing well on the Florida... more »
The Disturbing Connection between David Coleman and Michelle Rhee « Diane Ravitch's blog
The Disturbing Connection between David Coleman and Michelle Rhee « Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] When a School Dies by dianerav This is what it looks like when a school dies.Read here. The Austin school board–at the urging of the district superintendent Meria Carstarphen–decided to hand over Allan elementary school to a charter chain called IDEA. She said that IDEA had the formula to raise the academic achievement of the children in that school. The new charter is supposed to enroll 600 students. Only 77 of the children who previously a... more »
Engaging Parents In School… » This Week’s Parent Teacher Chat On Twitter #PTchat
Engaging Parents In School… » This Week’s Parent Teacher Chat On Twitter: This Week’s Parent Teacher Chat On Twitter by Larry Ferlazzo [image: PARENTS CAN! (click on picture)] Guest Post by Joe Mazza *Upcoming #PTchat:* Parents & Teachers Discuss Ways to Combat Summer Learning Loss *Wed., 5/30 9PM EDT* As another school year comes to a close, we begin another summer. This week’s Parent-Teacher Chat (#PTchat) on Twitter takes a look at all the way we can keep the learning going through the summer. Last year, The Rand Corporation released “Making Summer Count,” a comprehensive look ... more »
Governor picks former NYC schools chief Rudy Crew to become Oregon's first 'chief education officer' | OregonLive.com
Commentary: The choice before the SRC on May 31 | Philadelphia Public School Notebook
Commentary: The choice before the SRC on May 31 | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: Commentary: The choice before the SRC on May 31 by Ron Whitehorne In one after another of community hearings and meetings, the School Reform Commission has been told in no uncertain terms that its privatization plan and austerity budget are not acceptable to parents, students, educators, and community members. In response, the SRC decided to defer a vote on its plan to farm out school management, the so-called "achievement networks," till next year. By law, the SRC must adopt a budget by May 31... more »
Seattle Schools Community Forum: More Diversity Sought in Media Advocacy
Seattle Schools Community Forum: More Diversity Sought in Media Advocacy: More Diversity Sought in Media Advocacy by Melissa Westbrook Associated with but not directly to, education, I wanted to put out this information about a media institute for journalists of varying backgrounds. If you know a journalist or are one yourself, consider applying. We need more voices, of all kinds, in our media. GLAAD announces 2nd Annual National People of Color Media Institute *GLAAD, the nation’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) media advocacy and anti-defamation organization, tod... more »
CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS: Gulen charter schools in South Carolina
CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS: Gulen charter schools in South Carolina: Gulen charter schools in South Carolina by The Perimeter Primate *STATE* *# ACTIVE* *# PENDING* *# INACTIVE** *TOTAL ATTEMPTS* FL 0 0 2 *2* * Denied, withdrawn, closed, or unknown status =============================================================== *SCHOOLS* =============================================================== *GREENVILLE** SCIENCE CHARTER SCHOOL*** *(originally called GREENVILLE PALMETTO SCIENCE ACADEMY)* *Status* *DENIED: *continuous attempt from 2006 to 2009 *Charter Holder* Greenville Science (originall... more »
Seattle Schools Community Forum: What Do We Want?
Seattle Schools Community Forum: What Do We Want?: What Do We Want? by Melissa Westbrook After Reuven Carlyle's pro-charter blog post over at his blog, Charlie posted to it, asking why Reuven wasn't engaging since it was he who opened the conversation and from his thread, a lively conversation ensued. Here was his answer: *Charlie: I’ve been reflecting on the issues and ideas. I’d like to ask you and everyone for genuine and sincere suggestions: What legislation would you like to see introduced and supported in Olympia? Seriously, if you could introduce a real piece of legislati... more »
Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee says education reform is being polarized by me - The Gavin Newsom Show // Current TV
Michelle Rhee says education reform is being polarized into extremes - The Gavin Newsom Show // Current TV: Michelle Rhee says education reform is being polarized into extremes May 24, 2012 9Comments Play more videos after this? NOYES FROM THE SHOW—Former D.C. public schools chancellor and StudentsFirst founder Michelle Rhee explores the main issues she sees in education reform, and where teachers unions do and don’t agree with her. The Gavin Newsom Show airs Fridays at 11p ET / 8p PT. Join the conversation on Facebook or Google+ and share feedback with “The Gavin Newsom Show” at@Gav... more »
WHY LAUSD REALLY FIRED PATRICIA MCALLISTER (VIDEO) - Perdaily.com
LAUSD, John Deasy, Ramon Cortines, Monica Garcia, Richard Vladovic - Perdaily.com: WHY LAUSD REALLY FIRED PATRICIA MCALLISTER (VIDEO) by Leonard Isenberg [image: Patricia McAllister.jpg] *(Mensaje se repite en Español) (For a national view of public education reform see the end of this blog post) *Probably one of the clearest examples of managing the news to discredit somebody was seen several months ago in the case of Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) substitute teacher Patricia McAllister. While I found her message of how zionist Jews, who supposedly run the Federal Re... more »
Let’s Agree on This: Bring The Troops Home | The Jose Vilson
Let’s Agree on This: Bring The Troops Home | The Jose Vilson: Let’s Agree on This: Bring The Troops Home by Jose This post won’t serve as an anti-war post. I haven’t changed my pro-peace stance on any level, and firmly believe that our presence in so many foreign countries has less to do with actually promoting peace and more to do with increasing wealth for a handful of powerful individuals. My radicalism doesn’t mean I somehow hate America or want to jump to Cuba; it just means I conscientiously object to sending more and more of our young men and women to countries under ambiguo... more »
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Devious Subversive Plan A
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Devious Subversive Plan A: Devious Subversive Plan A by Charlie Mas Okay, let's suppose - for the moment - that the money behind the charter school initiative is successful at both getting it on the ballot and getting it passed. So now Washington State has a charter school law as outlined inthis document. I really encourage folks to read this document and learn what the new rules may soon be. You'd be surprised what strategies present themselves once you know the rules. If you know how to look for them, you'll see some holes in this proposal that c... more »
Billionaire Boys Club Hook up Sacramento (Mayor) King 1% Kevin Johnson @ fundraiser - Sacramento City News - The Sacramento Bee
Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson expected in L.A. for fundraiser - Sacramento City News - The Sacramento Bee: Sacramento Mayor King 1% Johnson expected in L.A. for fundraiser Share By Ryan Lillis rlillis@sacbee.com Published: Tuesday, May. 22, 2012 - 12:00 am | Page 2B Last Modified: Tuesday, May. 22, 2012 - 8:29 am [image: Corporate Media = Corporate Lies] *Mayor **King 1% Johnson* was scheduled to be in Los Angeles on Monday night for a fundraiser hosted by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa that could have an impact on Sacramento's ongoing – although faded – arena effort. Tim Leiweke, the... more »
Sacramento Press / 70 adults and children protest adult ESL budget cuts
Sacramento Press / 70 adults and children protest adult ESL budget cuts: 70 adults and children protest adult ESL budget cutsby Kristin Thebaud, published on *May 27, 2012* at *7:58 PM* * * * Adult ESL learners and their children came out in droves to rally for Sacramento City Unified School District to reinstate funding for the ESL program at Fremont Adult School in Sacramento. Seventy people waved signs and cheered outside the school district office on 47th Avenue on Thursday. Countless cars honked and showed their support. Student Juan Navarrete said in a letter to the school boa... more »
School Tech Connect: Notes From The Red Line Tap
School Tech Connect: Notes From The Red Line Tap: Notes From The Red Line Tap by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) Came home early from Fred Klonsky's retirement celebration over at the Red Line Tap in Rogers Park. I know better than to stay late at the Red Line. The last time I closed that place, which is right at the Morse CTA stop, I woke up in Hammond, which in case you forgot is in another state. Long story. Anyway, what a tribute. The place was packed, and it was a virtual *who's who* of the people who elected Obama and were to one extent or another left behind by that part... more »
Seattle Schools Community Forum: RTTT - District-Style
Seattle Schools Community Forum: RTTT - District-Style: RTTT - District-Style by Melissa Westbrook Secretary Arne Duncan and the Department of Education recently announced RTTT grants that allow districts, not just states, to apply for funds. From the Ed Week article: *The department anticipates giving out about 15 to 20 four-year grants, of up to $25 million each. Districts will be able to apply for the funds individually, or as part of consortia with other districts, even those in other states. And charter schools—as well as other organizations that are defined as a "local e... more »
WOW. Michelle Rhee was recently on CurrentTV... | Sabrina's Joy
WOW. Michelle Rhee was recently on CurrentTV... | Sabrina's Joy: [image: WOW. Michelle Rhee was recently on CurrentTV (Seriously? Isn’t Current supposed to be a progressive news outlet?) talking about corporate education policy. The whole segment is pretty infuriating, particularly when she tries to act as though a relentless focus on high-stakes testing isn’t at the core of her brand of “reform”. (Apparently, she’d like us to believe that all those DCPS firings, and that cheating scandal, just appeared out of nowhere.) Even more offensive, however, was her lamentation of the fact... more »
For Memorial Day: Great poems about soldiers, war - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post
For Memorial Day: Great poems about soldiers, war - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: For Memorial Day: Great poems about soldiers, war By Valerie Strauss Memorial Day commemorations ordinarily involve parades, concerts, barbecues, sporting events and a lot of flag-waving. Here's a more introspective way to commemorate the national holiday: Read some poetry about war. World War II veteran Jesse R. Turner embraces Helen Marie Misel at a display of over more than 1,700 United States flags in Shawnee, Kan. (Orlin Wagner/AP)Memorial Day is a federal holiday to honor all American... more »
Please join us for the Save Our Schools chat on Twitter this Tue, 5/29 with AFT President Randi Weingarten #SOSChat
Please join us for the *Save Our Schools* chat on Twitter this Tue, 5/29 with AFT - American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten. We will discuss the AFT Resolution Against Testing Fixation in our Public Schools. Jump right in at 9pm on the east coast; 6pm on the west coast. #SOSChat Save Our Schools Webinars *Save Our Schools Webinar* *Early Childhood Educators Say “No!” to Standards and Tests* June 1, 2012 9 PM Eastern Daylight Time [EDT} Please Join Us! Deborah Meier and Nancy Carlsson-Paige will discuss the myriad ways that young children learn through pla... more »
Modern School: Michelle Rhee’s $1 Billion Union-Busting Superpac
Modern School: Michelle Rhee’s $1 Billion Union-Busting Superpac: Michelle Rhee’s $1 Billion Union-Busting Superpac by Michael Dunn According to the Ed Deform movement, teachers unions are the main impediment to student success. All they care about is protecting incompetent or perverted teachers, keeping working hours short and salaries high and blocking real and meaningful reforms like private charter schools, abolition of due process rights, increased high stakes tests, and dumbed down Common Core Standards. Education reformers should thus be excited to hear that Students First,... more »
Discussing Educational Inequality With Chris Hayes - Dana Goldstein
Discussing Educational Inequality With Chris Hayes - Dana Goldstein: Discussing Educational Inequality With Chris Hayes Chris Hayes is getting a lot of flack -- totally unfairly -- for his Memorial Day episode, in which he grappled seriously with issues of war, peace, death, and memory. I'm going to outsource commentary on this to Conor Friedersdorf, but really, Chris should be lauded for hosting a show that deals with issues like education policy with more nuance than any other show on television. I was lucky enough to be part of Chris' panel on Saturday, and we discussed racial a... more »
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Hawthorne Community Does the Hard Work
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Hawthorne Community Does the Hard Work: Hawthorne Community Does the Hard Work by Melissa Westbrook I visited Hawthorne earlier this year when they opened their Family Support room. The Times has a story about the energy surging through this school from both parents and staff. This is how a community retakes and rebuilds its neighborhood school. The story I was told was that a couple of neighborhood parents, when their kids were preschools, thought, "why wouldn't I go to my neighborhood school?" when neighbors tried to warn them off. Undeterred... more »
The Washington Teacher: Arne Duncan's Close Ties to Victor Reinoso, Former DC Deputy Mayor of Education
The Washington Teacher: Arne Duncan's Close Ties to Victor Reinoso, Former DC Deputy Mayor of Education: Arne Duncan's Close Ties to Victor Reinoso, Former DC Deputy Mayor of Education by Candi Peterson Victor Reinoso (right)*Written by Candi Peterson* Word has it that Victor Reinoso, former DC Deputy Mayor of Education from 2007-10 under the Fenty administration is now a high-powered consultant to the United States Department of Education (DOE), working for Arne Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Education. Confirmation that Reinoso is a local friend of Arne Duncan's was evidenced on R... more »
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Decline To Sign - New Facebook Group
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Decline To Sign - New Facebook Group: Decline To Sign - New Facebook Group by Melissa Westbrook Join my new Facebook group - *Decline to Sign - Charter-Free Washington. * * * It's pretty simple - when (if) this charter initiative gets out to petitions, just *Decline to Sign*. Getting it on the ballot is NOT an invitation to discussion (despite what the Times' says/thinks). If they want a discussion, the time is *NOW*, not after it's on the ballot. Tell your friends, neighbors, family members, co-workers and fellow PTA members, *Decline to Sign.*... more »
Petitions | The White House - Replace Sec. Ed. Arne Duncan with Prof. Diane Ravitch
Petitions | The White House: WE PETITION THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION TO: Replace Sec. Ed. Arne Duncan with Prof. Diane Ravitch, as Duncan's ed advice to Obama hurts more students than it helps If President Obama truly desires to provide all students with access to the best public education possible, and concurrently to energize teachers as an important voting bloc in his re-election campaign, he should replace Sec. of Ed. Arne Duncan with Prof. Diane Ravitch, or someone else not beholden to corporate interests, such as Prof. Linda Darling-Hammond, Prof. Yong Zhao, or similar. Duncan'... more »
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Latest In State/Local Charter Misinformation
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Latest In State/Local Charter Misinformation: Latest In State/Local Charter Misinformation by Melissa Westbrook [image: Corporate Media = Corporate Lies] Looking at what editorial boards from around the state are saying about charters, it would seem most of them are fairly uninformed. The Spokesman-Review: *In Washington, charter schools are like most late library books: overdue without a good excuse.* They seem to forget that voters did address this issue already three times. *Forty schools won’t upset the state’s vast public school system, nor ... more »
Schools Matter: Who Owns Stock in Pearson?
Schools Matter: Who Owns Stock in Pearson?: Who Owns Stock in Pearson? by Judy Rabin Sometimes the comments are more profound than the story: Comment on CommonDreams to Valerie Strauss story on High Stakes Standardized Tests The question, reported by the New York Daily News, referred to a story similar to the famous Aesop fable about the tortoise and the hare, but in this version, a talking pineapple challenges a hare to race. The rabbit wins, not surprisingly, as the fruit can’t actually move, and other animals, who have wagered on the winner, eat the pineapple, according to the p... more »
Scott Walker Aide Wanted Union Foe Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee to Counter Teacher Protests, Email Shows | Mother Jones
Scott Walker Aide Wanted Union Foe Michelle Rhee to Counter Teacher Protests, Email Shows | Mother Jones: Scott Walker Aide Wanted Union Foe Michelle Rhee to Counter Teacher Protests, Email Shows —By Andy Kroll | Fri Jun. 1, 2012 3:32 AM PDT 5 - - [image: Michelle Rhee]Former DC schools chancellor Michelle Rhee.The National Academy of Sciences/Flickr Days after Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker"dropped the bomb" on his state's public employees last year by proposing to cut most of their collective bargaining rights, a top Walker aide suggested bringing controversial school r... more »
Modern School: Anti-Teacher Bill Passes California State Senate
Modern School: Anti-Teacher Bill Passes California State Senate: Anti-Teacher Bill Passes California State Senate by Michael Dunn SB 1530 was passed in the California State Senate this week. The bill eliminates timelines for notifying teachers of impending disciplinary action and allows districts to send out dismissal notices during the summer, when many teachers are on vacation and not even in town to receive and act upon the notice. The bill would also allow districts to use old and unrelated information from a teacher’s past to prosecute current misconduct cases, which is like ... more »
Seattle Schools Community Forum: SPS Family Survey to Start June 5th
Seattle Schools Community Forum: SPS Family Survey to Start June 5th: SPS Family Survey to Start June 5th by Melissa Westbrook From SPS Communications: Hearing from our families, staff, and students is critical to our efforts to improve education for every student.*School climate surveys* are given each spring to *all students, school staff, and families in the district*. We are gathering information about learning environments at our elementary, middle and high schools, including student engagement, academic rigor, discipline and safety, and family involvement. Results of these sur... more »
Parents flunk Michelle Rhee’s StudentsFirst « Parents Across America
Parents flunk Michelle Rhee’s StudentsFirst « Parents Across America: Parents flunk Michelle Rhee’s StudentsFirst Thursday, May 31, 2012 For more information contact: Leonie Haimson: 917-435-9329; leonieh@parentsacrossamerica.org Julie Woestehoff: 773-538-1135; juliew@parentsacrossamerica.org Parents flunk Michelle Rhee’s StudentsFirst *Report card exposes flaws in corporate agenda and failures to push through legislation in many states this year* Parents Across America (PAA) unveiled a report card today that gave Michelle Rhee’s education lobbying organization, StudentsFirst, failing... more »
NON UNION TEACHERS LEARN A TOUGH LESSON « Teachers Fight Back
NON UNION TEACHERS LEARN A TOUGH LESSON « Teachers Fight Back: NON UNION TEACHERS LEARN A TOUGH LESSON by alkleen Teachers, administrators and staff at four Chicago charter schools are being laid off because test scores didn’t “measure up”, and the New York based company that manages the schools is being replaced. Supporters of the publicly funded, privately run charter schools say the overhaul shows the flexibility of charters, which can hire and fire staff quickly when scores don’t measure up because teachers aren’t members of a union. I’m sure at least some of the fired teach... more »
The List Grows: Broward County School Board Passes Resoluton Against High Stakes Testing | Scathing Purple Musings
The List Grows: Broward County School Board Passes Resoluton Against High Stakes Testing | Scathing Purple Musings: The List Grows: Broward County School Board Passes Resoluton Against High Stakes Testing by Bob Sikes From Scott Travis in the *Sun-Sentinel*: Broward County school leaders are speaking out against what they see as a nasty four-letter word:FCAT The School Board unanimously passed a resolution Wednesday opposing standardized testing as the primary means for evaluating schools, students and teachers. They say there is so much focus on students doing well on the Florida... more »
The Disturbing Connection between David Coleman and Michelle Rhee « Diane Ravitch's blog
The Disturbing Connection between David Coleman and Michelle Rhee « Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] When a School Dies by dianerav This is what it looks like when a school dies.Read here. The Austin school board–at the urging of the district superintendent Meria Carstarphen–decided to hand over Allan elementary school to a charter chain called IDEA. She said that IDEA had the formula to raise the academic achievement of the children in that school. The new charter is supposed to enroll 600 students. Only 77 of the children who previously a... more »
Engaging Parents In School… » This Week’s Parent Teacher Chat On Twitter #PTchat
Engaging Parents In School… » This Week’s Parent Teacher Chat On Twitter: This Week’s Parent Teacher Chat On Twitter by Larry Ferlazzo [image: PARENTS CAN! (click on picture)] Guest Post by Joe Mazza *Upcoming #PTchat:* Parents & Teachers Discuss Ways to Combat Summer Learning Loss *Wed., 5/30 9PM EDT* As another school year comes to a close, we begin another summer. This week’s Parent-Teacher Chat (#PTchat) on Twitter takes a look at all the way we can keep the learning going through the summer. Last year, The Rand Corporation released “Making Summer Count,” a comprehensive look ... more »
Governor picks former NYC schools chief Rudy Crew to become Oregon's first 'chief education officer' | OregonLive.com
Commentary: The choice before the SRC on May 31 | Philadelphia Public School Notebook
Commentary: The choice before the SRC on May 31 | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: Commentary: The choice before the SRC on May 31 by Ron Whitehorne In one after another of community hearings and meetings, the School Reform Commission has been told in no uncertain terms that its privatization plan and austerity budget are not acceptable to parents, students, educators, and community members. In response, the SRC decided to defer a vote on its plan to farm out school management, the so-called "achievement networks," till next year. By law, the SRC must adopt a budget by May 31... more »
Seattle Schools Community Forum: More Diversity Sought in Media Advocacy
Seattle Schools Community Forum: More Diversity Sought in Media Advocacy: More Diversity Sought in Media Advocacy by Melissa Westbrook Associated with but not directly to, education, I wanted to put out this information about a media institute for journalists of varying backgrounds. If you know a journalist or are one yourself, consider applying. We need more voices, of all kinds, in our media. GLAAD announces 2nd Annual National People of Color Media Institute *GLAAD, the nation’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) media advocacy and anti-defamation organization, tod... more »
CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS: Gulen charter schools in South Carolina
CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS: Gulen charter schools in South Carolina: Gulen charter schools in South Carolina by The Perimeter Primate *STATE* *# ACTIVE* *# PENDING* *# INACTIVE** *TOTAL ATTEMPTS* FL 0 0 2 *2* * Denied, withdrawn, closed, or unknown status =============================================================== *SCHOOLS* =============================================================== *GREENVILLE** SCIENCE CHARTER SCHOOL*** *(originally called GREENVILLE PALMETTO SCIENCE ACADEMY)* *Status* *DENIED: *continuous attempt from 2006 to 2009 *Charter Holder* Greenville Science (originall... more »
Seattle Schools Community Forum: What Do We Want?
Seattle Schools Community Forum: What Do We Want?: What Do We Want? by Melissa Westbrook After Reuven Carlyle's pro-charter blog post over at his blog, Charlie posted to it, asking why Reuven wasn't engaging since it was he who opened the conversation and from his thread, a lively conversation ensued. Here was his answer: *Charlie: I’ve been reflecting on the issues and ideas. I’d like to ask you and everyone for genuine and sincere suggestions: What legislation would you like to see introduced and supported in Olympia? Seriously, if you could introduce a real piece of legislati... more »
Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee says education reform is being polarized by me - The Gavin Newsom Show // Current TV
Michelle Rhee says education reform is being polarized into extremes - The Gavin Newsom Show // Current TV: Michelle Rhee says education reform is being polarized into extremes May 24, 2012 9Comments Play more videos after this? NOYES FROM THE SHOW—Former D.C. public schools chancellor and StudentsFirst founder Michelle Rhee explores the main issues she sees in education reform, and where teachers unions do and don’t agree with her. The Gavin Newsom Show airs Fridays at 11p ET / 8p PT. Join the conversation on Facebook or Google+ and share feedback with “The Gavin Newsom Show” at@Gav... more »
WHY LAUSD REALLY FIRED PATRICIA MCALLISTER (VIDEO) - Perdaily.com
LAUSD, John Deasy, Ramon Cortines, Monica Garcia, Richard Vladovic - Perdaily.com: WHY LAUSD REALLY FIRED PATRICIA MCALLISTER (VIDEO) by Leonard Isenberg [image: Patricia McAllister.jpg] *(Mensaje se repite en Español) (For a national view of public education reform see the end of this blog post) *Probably one of the clearest examples of managing the news to discredit somebody was seen several months ago in the case of Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) substitute teacher Patricia McAllister. While I found her message of how zionist Jews, who supposedly run the Federal Re... more »
Let’s Agree on This: Bring The Troops Home | The Jose Vilson
Let’s Agree on This: Bring The Troops Home | The Jose Vilson: Let’s Agree on This: Bring The Troops Home by Jose This post won’t serve as an anti-war post. I haven’t changed my pro-peace stance on any level, and firmly believe that our presence in so many foreign countries has less to do with actually promoting peace and more to do with increasing wealth for a handful of powerful individuals. My radicalism doesn’t mean I somehow hate America or want to jump to Cuba; it just means I conscientiously object to sending more and more of our young men and women to countries under ambiguo... more »
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Devious Subversive Plan A
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Devious Subversive Plan A: Devious Subversive Plan A by Charlie Mas Okay, let's suppose - for the moment - that the money behind the charter school initiative is successful at both getting it on the ballot and getting it passed. So now Washington State has a charter school law as outlined inthis document. I really encourage folks to read this document and learn what the new rules may soon be. You'd be surprised what strategies present themselves once you know the rules. If you know how to look for them, you'll see some holes in this proposal that c... more »
Billionaire Boys Club Hook up Sacramento (Mayor) King 1% Kevin Johnson @ fundraiser - Sacramento City News - The Sacramento Bee
Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson expected in L.A. for fundraiser - Sacramento City News - The Sacramento Bee: Sacramento Mayor King 1% Johnson expected in L.A. for fundraiser Share By Ryan Lillis rlillis@sacbee.com Published: Tuesday, May. 22, 2012 - 12:00 am | Page 2B Last Modified: Tuesday, May. 22, 2012 - 8:29 am [image: Corporate Media = Corporate Lies] *Mayor **King 1% Johnson* was scheduled to be in Los Angeles on Monday night for a fundraiser hosted by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa that could have an impact on Sacramento's ongoing – although faded – arena effort. Tim Leiweke, the... more »
Sacramento Press / 70 adults and children protest adult ESL budget cuts
Sacramento Press / 70 adults and children protest adult ESL budget cuts: 70 adults and children protest adult ESL budget cutsby Kristin Thebaud, published on *May 27, 2012* at *7:58 PM* * * * Adult ESL learners and their children came out in droves to rally for Sacramento City Unified School District to reinstate funding for the ESL program at Fremont Adult School in Sacramento. Seventy people waved signs and cheered outside the school district office on 47th Avenue on Thursday. Countless cars honked and showed their support. Student Juan Navarrete said in a letter to the school boa... more »
School Tech Connect: Notes From The Red Line Tap
School Tech Connect: Notes From The Red Line Tap: Notes From The Red Line Tap by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) Came home early from Fred Klonsky's retirement celebration over at the Red Line Tap in Rogers Park. I know better than to stay late at the Red Line. The last time I closed that place, which is right at the Morse CTA stop, I woke up in Hammond, which in case you forgot is in another state. Long story. Anyway, what a tribute. The place was packed, and it was a virtual *who's who* of the people who elected Obama and were to one extent or another left behind by that part... more »
Seattle Schools Community Forum: RTTT - District-Style
Seattle Schools Community Forum: RTTT - District-Style: RTTT - District-Style by Melissa Westbrook Secretary Arne Duncan and the Department of Education recently announced RTTT grants that allow districts, not just states, to apply for funds. From the Ed Week article: *The department anticipates giving out about 15 to 20 four-year grants, of up to $25 million each. Districts will be able to apply for the funds individually, or as part of consortia with other districts, even those in other states. And charter schools—as well as other organizations that are defined as a "local e... more »
WOW. Michelle Rhee was recently on CurrentTV... | Sabrina's Joy
WOW. Michelle Rhee was recently on CurrentTV... | Sabrina's Joy: [image: WOW. Michelle Rhee was recently on CurrentTV (Seriously? Isn’t Current supposed to be a progressive news outlet?) talking about corporate education policy. The whole segment is pretty infuriating, particularly when she tries to act as though a relentless focus on high-stakes testing isn’t at the core of her brand of “reform”. (Apparently, she’d like us to believe that all those DCPS firings, and that cheating scandal, just appeared out of nowhere.) Even more offensive, however, was her lamentation of the fact... more »
For Memorial Day: Great poems about soldiers, war - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post
For Memorial Day: Great poems about soldiers, war - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: For Memorial Day: Great poems about soldiers, war By Valerie Strauss Memorial Day commemorations ordinarily involve parades, concerts, barbecues, sporting events and a lot of flag-waving. Here's a more introspective way to commemorate the national holiday: Read some poetry about war. World War II veteran Jesse R. Turner embraces Helen Marie Misel at a display of over more than 1,700 United States flags in Shawnee, Kan. (Orlin Wagner/AP)Memorial Day is a federal holiday to honor all American... more »
Mt. Diablo school board trustee warns that ignoring school problems constitutes 'educational malpractice' - ContraCostaTimes.com
Mt. Diablo school board trustee warns that ignoring school problems constitutes 'educational malpractice' - ContraCostaTimes.com: Mt. Diablo school board trustee warns that ignoring school problems constitutes 'educational malpractice' By Theresa Harrington Contra Costa Times Posted: 05/26/2012 02:45:51 PM PDT Updated: 05/26/2012 06:03:25 PM PDT This is an excerpt of On Assignment, education writer Theresa Harrington's blog on Contra Costa County schools. Read more and post comments at IBABuzz.com/onassignment. Follow her atTwitter.com/tunedtotheresa. May 22 For the past three ye... more »
School Tech Connect: Everything's Connected, and it Ain't Lookin' Good
School Tech Connect: Everything's Connected, and it Ain't Lookin' Good: Everything's Connected, and it Ain't Lookin' Good by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) Let's not forget the reason Scantron is so interested in catapulting the propaganda around charter schools. Scantron exists to make money for the shareholders of M & F Worldwide, including its celebrity magnate-principal, Ron Perelman, who was so famously cheap to Ellen Barkin, if you recall. But that's a sidebar. Scantron's interest is in selling as many bubble sheets possible, along with the attendant bubble sheet scanners... more »
Judge sends honor student to jail for missing school | The Raw Story
Judge sends honor student to jail for missing school | The Raw Story: Judge sends honor student to jail for missing school By David Ferguson Saturday, May 26, 2012 11:30 EDT [image: Print] Share on facebookShare on redditShare on diggShare on twitterShare on farkShare on stumbleupon56 [image: Diane Tran via KHOU video] Topics: Diane Tran ♦ Judge Lanny Moriarty ♦ Willis High School A Houston-area teenager has been jailed and fined for missing school by a judge who hopes to make an example of her. 17-year-old Diane Tran is working two jobs while taking advanced placement and dual cr... more »
Reynolds board member posts OEA salaries | OregonLive.com
Reynolds board member posts OEA salaries | OregonLive.com: [image: mccain.jpg] Reynolds board member posts OEA salaries Reynolds school board member Bruce McCain took a swing at striking teachers today, publishing this post on conservative radio host Victoria Taft’s website. In it, McCain, a lawyer and retired Multnomah County sheriff’s captain, lists the total compensation for Oregon Education Association leaders, including $279,597 in salary and benefits for Executive Director Jerry Carruthers, as reported to the IRS. “OEA reported $22.6 million in total revenue in 2010, ... more »
This Week's Education Research Report 5-26-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2
Education Research Report: This Week's Education Research Report IB Primary- and Middle-Years Students Perform Better on International Assessments Than Their Peers at Non-IB Schools Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 day ago A research study completed by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), on behalf of the International Baccalaureate (IB), examined student performance among IB and non-IB students on the International Schools’ Assessment (ISA) and determined that IB Primary Years Program (PYP) and IB Middle Years Program (MYP) students, in mo... more »
Another scandal – charter propaganda on the test « Parents Across America
Another scandal – charter propaganda on the test « Parents Across America: Another scandal – charter propaganda on the test by pureparents Today, with some help from me, Chicago Sun-Times education reporter Rosalind Rossiexposes yet another standardized testing scandal, this one on a Scantron test that was used several times in the Chicago Public Schools as part of an interim, or benchmark, reading assessment. Scantron is a national standardized test that CPS has been using for a couple of years as a computerized replacement for the quarterly Learning First and Benchmark Assessment... more »
