James Baldwin said it best:
"For these are all our children, and we will profit by or pay for whatever they become."
A Big Education Ape Nite Cap
Parent to Pearson: Let My Child Learn
I received the following comment from a parent. There are all too few opportunities for parent voices to be heard.
One such space is the website www.parentvoicesny.org
I am glad to provide the opportunity for this parent to express frustration at the way that standardized testing and data-driven instruction have overtaken teaching and learning.
“As both a parent and an educator, I am keenly attuned to the issue of standardized testing and am absolutely appalled at how it seems to have become the epicenter of instructional decision making. Last week, I learned that a Pearson field test for ELA would be given in my son’s third grade classroom so I contacted the principal to inquire about the protocol for boycotting this test. I was advised to keep my son home from school as the directive from the state was that if the child was present, it was required that he be given the test. The principal advised me that the test would be given first thing in the morning on Wednesday, June 6 and that I could safely assume that it would be done by 10:30 AM at which time I could bring him to school. As per these suggestions,
One such space is the website www.parentvoicesny.org
I am glad to provide the opportunity for this parent to express frustration at the way that standardized testing and data-driven instruction have overtaken teaching and learning.
“As both a parent and an educator, I am keenly attuned to the issue of standardized testing and am absolutely appalled at how it seems to have become the epicenter of instructional decision making. Last week, I learned that a Pearson field test for ELA would be given in my son’s third grade classroom so I contacted the principal to inquire about the protocol for boycotting this test. I was advised to keep my son home from school as the directive from the state was that if the child was present, it was required that he be given the test. The principal advised me that the test would be given first thing in the morning on Wednesday, June 6 and that I could safely assume that it would be done by 10:30 AM at which time I could bring him to school. As per these suggestions,
Parents Across America in the News
This is from the Parents Across America Newsletter that is issued every week. If you would like to receive this, e-mail PAAnews-subscribe@yahoogroups.com and request a subscription.
Issue # 12
June 7, 2012
Information and action for parents coming together to strengthen our public schools.
More at www.parentsacrossamerica.org.PAA Action Alert
Help save class size reduction funds!
The US Senate may vote as early as Tuesday next week on the Obama administration’s proposal to cut more than $600M in Title II funds now used for class size reduction, and to re-allocated this money to competitive grants for “teacher quality” that could be given to organizations like Teach for America, which puts inexperienced
Pearson and Social Media: Tell Them What You Think
It is our job to disrupt the discourse, change the narrative and tell the world what is really happening to public education and the teaching profession. We don’t negotiate. Please join our campaign and boycott those who profit off the … MORE
“Did You Ever Grow Anything In The Garden Of Your Mind?” — Great PBS Remix Of Mister Rogers
PBS just released this wonderful remix of Mister Rogers:
Ed Week Publishes Major Report On Latino Students
Education Week has just published a “must-read” series of articles on Latinos’ School Success: A Work in Progress.
Here’s how Lesli A. Maxwell at the Learning The Language blog describes it:
There’s a piece that takes a close look at how the immigration law in Alabama has affected the Mexican immigrant community in and around the small community of Foley, especially the students and the educators at
Here’s how Lesli A. Maxwell at the Learning The Language blog describes it:
There’s a piece that takes a close look at how the immigration law in Alabama has affected the Mexican immigrant community in and around the small community of Foley, especially the students and the educators at
Geaux Teacher!: MORE LEGAL PROBLEMS FOR LDOE
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Parents from PAA-CT testify vs. high-stakes testing « Parents Across America
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Calif. Schools Try Out A Gentler Form Of Discipline : NPR
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Geaux Teacher!: Superintendent White DEFAMES TEACHERS!
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Brandishing pineapples, parents and students target Pearson | GothamSchools
Brandishing pineapples, parents and students target Pearson | GothamSchools: Brandishing pineapples, parents and students target Pearsonby Rose D'souza, at 4:48 pm Parents and children rally against the field testing. Weeks of awareness-raising by groups alarmed by an extra round of state tests this year culminated in a mass protest against the test-maker’s Midtown headquarters today. The parents and children who attended the rally came from some of the 61 elementary and middle schools where anti-testing activists said families were boycotting “field tests” from Pearson, which beg... more »
Last brat. « Fred Klonsky
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http://www.southbronxschool.com
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Steve Monaghan Sues Bobby Jindal, Draws Fire From School Reform Folks
Steve Monaghan Sues Bobby Jindal, Draws Fire From School Reform Folks: Steve Monaghan Sues Bobby Jindal, Draws Fire From School Reform FolksPosted by: MacAoidh on Thursday, June 7, 2012, 14:30[image: courage under fire flame graphic] Tagged with: Bobby Jindal Education Legal system Unions It was a surprise neither that the Louisiana Federation of Teachers would sue the state over the educational reform package passed in the recently-completed legislative session nor that the suit would come within days of that session’s end. So when the LFT launched their latest attack on ... more »
Grassroots or astroturf? Parents, be aware! « Parents Across America
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Livestream is ON! ALEC’s Influence on State Legislatures and What We Can Do About It - Lily's Blackboard | Lily's Blackboard
Livestream is ON! ALEC’s Influence on State Legislatures and What We Can Do About It - Lily's Blackboard | Lily's Blackboard: [image: Lily's Blackboard Rotating Header Image] Livestream is ON! ALEC’s Influence on State Legislatures and What We Can Do About It Jun 7th, 2012 by Lily. Whose Law Is It Anyway? ALEC’s Influence on State Legislatures and What We Can Do About It The American Legislative Exchange Council has been behind virtually every major right-wing state law in the past two years, including union-busting, teacher-bashing, voter suppression, attacks on immigrants, privati... more »
The Quinn and Madigan plan will drive teachers into poverty. « Fred Klonsky
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Deconstructing JindalCo’s voucher defense - The Independent Weekly
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Billionaires buy Wisconsin recall election for Scott Walker - latimes.com
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Teacher Performance Assessment and Pearson: Just Opt Out | United Opt Out National
Teacher Performance Assessment and Pearson: Just Opt Out | United Opt Out National: Teacher Performance Assessment and Pearson: Just Opt Out by admin This week United Opt Out National stands in solidarity with the UMass teacher educators and the sixty-seven student teachers at UMass Amherst School of Education who together chose to boycott the Teacher Performance Assessment field test via Pearson. Barbara Madeloni, lecturer at UMass and one of the teacher educators who joined the boycott, has recently been told that her contract will not be renewed. Today we share an interview wit... more »
JP School Board votes to drop teacher union contracts - New Orleans Local News, Weather, Sports, Investigations
JP School Board votes to drop teacher union contracts - New Orleans Local News, Weather, Sports, Investigations: JP School Board votes to drop teacher union contracts *Updated: Jun 06, 2012 8:31 PM PDT* Written by: Natasha Robin - email [image: Angry teachers at the JP School Board meeting]Angry teachers at the JP School Board meeting Jefferson Parish, La. - Teachers who showed up to the Jefferson Parish School Board meeting ended their night in tears. As soon as the vote came down, there was an outburst in the courtyard. Teachers chanted "shame on you" to the school board m... more »
Try parent visits, not parent takeovers of schools - Class Struggle - The Washington Post
Try parent visits, not parent takeovers of schools - Class Struggle - The Washington Post: Try parent visits, not parent takeovers of schools By Jay Mathews A modest program in Missouri — similar to one in the District — has found a way to help parents improve their children’s education. But nobody is paying much attention. Instead, something called the parent trigger, the hottest parent program going, has gotten laws passed in four states even though it has had zero effect on achievement. The Missouri program, the Teacher Home Visit Program or HOME WORKS!, trains and organizes t... more »
FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Thursday, June 7, 2012
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: [image: FCMAT] Education Headlines *Thursday, June 7, 2012* Norris, Taft school bond measures remain close callsRepresentatives behind Kern's two school bond measures are watching closely the results of the roughly 20,000 provisional ballots left to be counted from Tuesday's election. That's because one percentage point -- just a few hundred votes -- means the difference between Norris and Taft City school districts' measures failing or passing. Lucky lottery ticket led outgoing Camarillo superintendent to educationWere it not fo... more »
There Has Never Been a Female Zuckerberg, Jobs, or Gates - Dana Goldstein
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No Teach for America in Renton | Seattle Education
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WHY PUBLIC OPINION HAS TURNED AGAINST TEACHERS « Teachers Fight Back
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Missouri Education Watchdog: Technology in Education
Missouri Education Watchdog: Technology in Education: Technology in Education by Anngie Among the many education reform measures is the call for increased technology in the classroom. To most people this means things like more computers and Smart boards. In extreme cases it means iPads for all the kindergarteners. Of course hardware is only one aspect of technology. Software is the driving force for the actual education and there is no shortage of companies vying for that business. In some sense it is the wild west of education, unsettled and barely regulated. It is a field ripe fo... more »
Shanker Blog » The Landmark Case Of Us V. Them
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Lily in the “Ring of Fire” @ Netroots - Lily's Blackboard | Lily's Blackboard
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We Cannot Be Deterred « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!
We Cannot Be Deterred « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!: We Cannot Be Deterred by millerlf *Big Money had a victory and democracy was set back on November 5th. **But how we respond will define our character and our children’s future. This cannot immobilize us or deter us. New battles are looming.* * We Are Not Going Away* Walker’s Republican campaign outspent Barrett’s Democratic campaign by $30.5 million to $4 million — that’s a 7.5 to 1 advantage. Another way of saying this is that of the $34.5 million spent on their campaigns, Walker spent 88% of the money. Walker be... more »
Jeb Bush Praises Obama, Duncan on Education Policy | Scathing Purple Musings
Jeb Bush Praises Obama, Duncan on Education Policy | Scathing Purple Musings: Jeb Bush Praises Obama, Duncan on Education Policy by Bob Sikes From *CBS News*: Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush sure looks like a politician who is not running for office. In a wide-ranging interview with Charlie Rose for “CBS This Morning,” Bush offered some light praise for President Obama and said he thinks Republicans should be willing to raise revenue to get the deficit down. The brother of the Mr. Obama’s predecessor noted that Mr. Obama had chosen the head of the Chicago public school system, Arne ...more »
Presidential Memorandum--Improving Repayment Options for Federal Student Loan Borrowers | The White House
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Who Will Take the Blame? « Diane Ravitch's blog
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*Parents in 59 Schools Boycott Field Tests for High-Stakes Exams:* *Fed Up With Over-Testing, Parents Protest at Pearson Headquarters for Child Abuse- Parents say less testing moer teaching | Dailycensored.com
*Parents in 59 Schools Boycott Field Tests for High-Stakes Exams:* *Fed Up With Over-Testing, Parents Protest at Pearson Headquarters for Child Abuse- Parents say less testing moer teaching | Dailycensored.com: *Parents in 59 Schools Boycott Field Tests for High-Stakes Exams:* *Fed Up With Over-Testing, Parents Protest at Pearson Headquarters for Child Abuse- Parents say less testing moer teaching by Danny Weil The British corporate child abusers, Pearson Inc., are intent on turning schools into laboratories and labyrynths for testing kids. Stealing childhood is nothing to these... more »
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Rahm: Don't vote. STFU and do what you're told.
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Rahm: Don't vote. STFU and do what you're told.: Rahm: Don't vote. STFU and do what you're told. by Mike Klonsky *"What do the mayor and Brizard expect the teachers to do? Shut up and do what they’re told to do? You got it."* -- Walter Jacobson, CBS News Chicago They say, opinions are like rear ends. Everybody's got one. Here lately, it's all about whether or not teachers should take a strike authorization vote, which of course, they are already doing. CTU members are voting before the summer break, not to strike, but to give their union the author... more »
Gulen (Or Not) Charter Schools in the News « Diane Ravitch's blog
Gulen (Or Not) Charter Schools in the News « Diane Ravitch's blog: Gulen (Or Not) Charter Schools in the News by dianerav Three charter schools in Georgia affiliated with followers of Turkish cleric Fetullah Gulen defaulted on bonds and were subject to public audit. The audit revealed, according to the New York Times, that “the schools improperly granted hundreds of thousands of dollars in contracts to businesses and groups, many of them with ties to the Gulen movement.” The schools used public funds to purchase a variety of goods and services from organizations with ties to scho... more »
The Facts: Poverty Does Matter | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights
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This Week In Education: Thompson: The Gates Foundation's Belated Evolution
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Paul Vallas Has Been, And Is Going To Be, Very Busy - Jonathan Kantrowitz - Connecticut News
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Schools Matter: Lawbreaking and Open Corruption Sewer at NJ DOE
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Overview Schedule for Netroots Nation 2012.| Netroots Nation
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Schools Matter: Will UN Be Able to Close MA Torture School Known as the Judge Rotenberg Educational Center?
Schools Matter: Will UN Be Able to Close MA Torture School Known as the Judge Rotenberg Educational Center?: Will UN Be Able to Close MA Torture School Known as the Judge Rotenberg Educational Center? by Jim Horn This story has to be the greatest of all local shames to any Massachusetts citizen who is not accepting some of the millions in hush money from the torture center known as the Judge Rotenberg Educational Center. At left is a photo of a child wearing the torture device. Here are some of the details of this horrendous procedure of manually shocking students who misbehave: ... more »
California primaries show Democratic divide on education | Reuters
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When Policymakers Are Clueless « Diane Ravitch's blog
When Policymakers Are Clueless « Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] When Policymakers Are Clueless by dianerav Over the past decade of mayor control in New York City, the newly established Department of Education has had a free hand to do whatever it wanted with the city’s 1.1 million students, free of any concern about the reaction of parents, teachers, principals, or the public. One reform after another has rolled out of City Hall, after Mayor Bloomberg or Chancellor Klein or someone else got a new idea or had a conversation at a dinner p... more »
The Florida Flip-Flop Undermines Test Credibility - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher
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Travels in Education - Bridging Differences - Education Week
Travels in Education - Bridging Differences - Education Week: Travels in Education by Deborah Meier Dear Diane, When you read this, I'll be in South Africa; maybe already at the university in Bloemfontein. That wonderful evening in your honor will be over. Did you enjoy it? I have done very little research about education in South Africa. Mostly I prepare for trips by reading novels and recalling stories from history—including myths—that I read over the years. Naturally, that led me to traveling mostly in England and Western Europe. Then South America. But in the last decade I've... more »
The Innovative Educator: Parents & Teachers Tell Pearson What They Think About Their Attempt to Demystify Testing
The Innovative Educator: Parents & Teachers Tell Pearson What They Think About Their Attempt to Demystify Testing: Parents & Teachers Tell Pearson What They Think About Their Attempt to Demystify Testing by noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen) Upset by what they claimed was misinformation and misperceptions permeated by media coverage, Pearson made a botched attempt to launch a social media campaign (see the *internal memo) to “demystify testing for parents.” * *Pearson employees spent the day censoring comments but as the 9 - 5ers left the office, parents and teachers came on duty t... more »
The ‘Wild Wild West’ of D.C. schools: A charter school parent’s view - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post
The ‘Wild Wild West’ of D.C. schools: A charter school parent’s view - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: [image: Answer Sheet] The ‘Wild Wild West’ of D.C. schools: A charter school parent’s view by Valerie Strauss This *was written by Allison Brown, a former trial attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice in the Civil Rights Division’s Educational Opportunities Section, and a parent. She founded an education consulting firm that works with school districts and schools to focus on federal compliance through equity and collaboration with students, parents, and communities. H... more »
Netroots Nation 2012: Lily, Livestreaming and so much more! - Lily's Blackboard | Lily's Blackboard
Netroots Nation 2012: Lily, Livestreaming and so much more! - Lily's Blackboard | Lily's Blackboard: [image: Lily's Blackboard Rotating Header Image] Netroots Nation 2012: Lily, Livestreaming and so much more! Jun 6th, 2012 by LilysBlackboard. We are back at Netroots Nation! And this year we have more great coverage that you can follow on the blog, conversations you can join and topics where we need your voice to be heard. You can also follow live and join the discussion atEducation Votes. Lily will be part of the opening keynote. [image: lily.eskelsen]Netroots Nation will kick off ... more »
Three Ways of Integrating Technology in Schools | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice
Three Ways of Integrating Technology in Schools | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: Three Ways of Integrating Technology in Schools by larrycuban “There won’t be schools in the future …. I think the computer will blow up the school. That is, the school defined as something where there are classes, teachers running exams, people structured in groups by age, following a curriculum—all of that…. But this will happen only in communities of children who have access to computers on a sufficient scale.” That’s Seymour Papert, cognitive scientist and designer of softwar... more »
Jersey Jazzman: Here Come the Flunkies
Jersey Jazzman: Here Come the Flunkies: Here Come the Flunkies by Duke Well, old Eli did it: for less than half-a-mil, he bought the New Jersey school system. Now all he has to do is fill it with his flunkies: With little discussion in public session, the state Board of Education today accepted donations totalling more than $600,000 from two private foundations. After the Newark-based Education Law Center wrote a letter to the board requesting that they defer accepting the funds, citing the "need for transparency, accountability and public confidence," the board asked the state ... more »
LAUSD'S HUMAN RESOURCES HEAD VIVIAN EKCHIAN IN MY MEMORY - Perdaily.com
LAUSD'S HUMAN RESOURCES HEAD VIVIAN EKCHIAN IN MY MEMORY - Perdaily.com: LAUSD'S HUMAN RESOURCES HEAD VIVIAN EKCHIAN IN MY MEMORY by Leonard Isenberg [image: Vivian Ekchian.jpg] *(Mensaje se repite en Español) (For a national view of public education reform see the end of this blog post)* *Since the regrettable Miramonte child molestation scandal, the numbers of teachers that the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) is targeting, harassing, and summarily removing on bogus charges has exploded as Superintendent John Deasy and others in charge at LAUSD try to use this adminis... more »
School Tech Connect: The Final Analysis
School Tech Connect: The Final Analysis: The Final Analysis by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) I know you're all waiting for my weigh-in on Wisconsin, so here it is: 1. Rahm's endorsement means nothing to anyone; in fact, it may be a net negative. Rahm is perceived as powerful, and he is powerful, but he does not have the stuff that coattails are made of. His election here in Chicago was achieved with 23% of the registered voters. When people start to see the actual costs of NATO, the actual costs of the new building going up downtown, financed by TIF money and poaching tenant... more »
The Washington Teacher: The Cardozo Experiment: DC Public School Gets Race To The Top Funds
The Washington Teacher: The Cardozo Experiment: DC Public School Gets Race To The Top Funds: The Cardozo Experiment: DC Public School Gets Race To The Top Funds by Candi Peterson Written by Candi Peterson So it seems that DC Public Schools will be using Race to The Top (RTTT) Dollars to create more school administrators and educrats which according to the *Urban Dictionary* is an officer, administrator or other bureaucrats in a school district. Similar stories are taking shape around the country as districts race to the top for funds under President Obama's signature 2009 reform ... more »
