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
Chicago Teacher Union fighting for Dignity in Public Education | The Classroom Sooth
Chicago Teacher Union fighting for Dignity in Public Education | The Classroom Sooth: Chicago Teacher Union fighting for Dignity in Public Education by classroomsooth *This should have been posted three weeks ago when I wrote it, and my readers are due for an update, and I promise to write more soon. However, my priorities lie with my members on the picket line until we see this through.* *Adam * Friends and Family across the United States- As most of you know Chicago Teachers Union has been in a fight to win a contract that requests not only fair compensation, but also great ... more »
The Nation's Report Card - National Assessment of Educational Progress - NAEP
The Nation's Report Card - National Assessment of Educational Progress - NAEP: *The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)*is the largest nationally representative and continuing assessment of what America's students know and can do in various subject areas. Learn more... [image: The Nation's Report Card: Writing 2011 has been released. See the results and learn more about the study.] In the Spotlight *Get NAEP Results!* Now available for download on mobile devices through Apple App Store and Google Play, the NAEP Results app delivers current results, comparative statis... more »
Chicago Teachers Strike: Wealthy Donors Changed Education Policy Landscape In Illinois
Chicago Teachers Strike: Wealthy Donors Changed Education Policy Landscape In Illinois: Chicago Teachers Strike: Wealthy Donors Changed Education Policy Landscape In Illinois by Joy Resmovits WASHINGTON -- As the Chicago teachers strike edges toward its close, both sides of the education reform debate are trumpeting arguments for or against the strike and the policies put forward by Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Beneath the rhetoric lies a stream of fundraising aimed at influencing lawmakers and the public on education policy that has, in recent years, shifted away from the teache... more »
Schools Matter: It's Not the Teachers Stupid
Schools Matter: It's Not the Teachers Stupid: It's Not the Teachers Stupid by Judy Rabin Buried underneath the rubble of abysmally pathetic television news coverage of the Chicago teachers strike was a story our nation's political leaders would like to shove back under the rug but it needs to be shouted out loud from the rooftop of every public school across America. It's the finding of a report by the World Economic Forum and it shines the spotlight right where it belongs. The reason the U.S. has slipped again in the rankings for economic competitiveness has nothing to do with ... more »
Diane in the Evening 9-14-12 Diane Ravitch's blog
Diane Ravitch's blog: Why Big Business Intervened in Chicago with an Ad by dianerav I received an email from a parent who is also an educator in Chicago. She wondered about the identity of a group called Education Reform Now, which placed ads in the local media undermining the teachers’ strike. ERN is part of a group called Democrats for Education Reform. DFER is funded by Wall Street hedge fund managers who support charter schools, privatization, and using test scores to evaluate teachers. It is interesting that the charter schools they promote are often (depending on state law) ex... more »
Did Public Schools Fail David Brooks? | MyFDL
Did Public Schools Fail David Brooks? | MyFDL: Did Public Schools Fail David Brooks? by Dean Baker [image: David Brooks lectures at a podium]Brooks knows education? Not so much. (photo: Miller Center / flickr) Readers of his column on the Chicago public school strike will no doubt be asking this question as they wade through this morass of error of fact and logic. Brooks starts the piece by telling readers: Modern nations have two economies, which exist side by side. Economy I is the tradable sector. This includes companies that make goods like planes, steel and pharmaceuticals. Th... more »
How to Identify, Prevent, and Respond to Cyberbullying — Whole Child Education
How to Identify, Prevent, and Respond to Cyberbullying — Whole Child Education: [image: Klea Scharberg]How to Identify, Prevent, and Respond to Cyberbullying September 14, 2012 by Klea Scharberg In this video, cyberbullying expert Justin Patchin defines cyberbullying and provides tips for schools on appropriate prevention and response practices. Use this video to start a discussion with your staff about what cyberbullying is and which policies and strategies are most effective for disarming it. The latest free, digital issue of *Policy Priorities* defines the factors at play in th... more »
Ed Roundup for 9-14-12 - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education)
Ed Roundup for 9-14-12 - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education): Education Roundup for the Week Ending September 14, 2012 SACRAMENTO—The California Department of Education (CDE) today issued this week's Education Roundup of education-related announcements of public interest. Antioch School Student and Teacher Both Selected for Coveted National Healthcare Honors The CDE congratulates a student and a teacher from Dozier-Libbey Medical High School in the Antioch Unified School District in Antioch for receiving prestigious honors related to their work in healthcare education. A recent grad... more »
RheeFirst! » Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee uses false quotation to demonize teachers
RheeFirst! » Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee uses false quotation to demonize teachers: Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee uses false quotation to demonize teachers by admin Originally posted by Aaron Krager on his blog. Read the entire post here. “‘I will advocate for the kids when they have the money to bankroll my luxurious traveling and speaking schedule,’ said Michelle Rhee at a recent meeting with her wealthy Wall Street investors. Okay, admittedly that quote is made up and Rhee has never made that kind of statement (as far as I can tell). Unfortunately, she does not admi... more »
The table is (almost) set: MMSD handbook process (and a few other things) | AMPS
The table is (almost) set: MMSD handbook process (and a few other things) | AMPS: The table is (almost) set: MMSD handbook process (and a few other things) by Thomas J. Mertz Thomas Nast, “Uncle Sam’s Thanksgiving Dinner,” *Harper’s Weekly*, November 20, 1869. Wilbert Harrison, “Lets-Work-Together, Part1″ (click to listen or download). It has been a busy week, so this is a late and short update on the Madison Metropolitan School District Employee Handbook process. The news is good. One of the things keeping me busy has been joining others in support of the fundamental rights to free ... more »
ENCOURAGING SIGNS « Teachers Fight Back
ENCOURAGING SIGNS « Teachers Fight Back: ENCOURAGING SIGNS leave a comment » More teacher strikes are going on in the Chicago suburban areas. The teachers in several other suburban districts have also threatened to strike. I have seen teachers everywhere speaking out in support of striking teachers, criticizing so called “reforms”, speaking out against student test scores as a teacher evaluation tool, and talking about rejecting merit pay proposals. Perhaps teachers have finally had enough with all this teacher bashing, the ridiculous reform measures, the meddling of corporations ... more »
What’s the difference between old-style patronage and principal discretion in hiring? « Fred Klonsky
What’s the difference between old-style patronage and principal discretion in hiring? « Fred Klonsky: What’s the difference between old-style patronage and principal discretion in hiring? by Fred Klonsky A second grader named Aaron once told me a joke. *“Hey Mr. Klonsky. What’s the difference between boogers and Brussel sprouts?”* *“I don’t know, Aaron. What’s the difference between boogers and Brussel sprouts?”* *“Kids will eat boogers.”* I thought of that joke this morning as I read Mark Brown’s column in the Sun-Times. Fifth day. Logan Square. “Venceremos.” by Fred Klonsky On t... more »
Why Evaluating Teachers is Complicated, No Matter What You Think of the Chicago Strike - Dana Goldstein
Why Evaluating Teachers is Complicated, No Matter What You Think of the Chicago Strike - Dana Goldstein: Why Evaluating Teachers is Complicated, No Matter What You Think of the Chicago Strike by Dana Goldstein [image: My Photo] The Chicago teachers' strike has prompted a lot of commentary along the lines of -- "Duh, judging teachers by how much students learn is a great idea! *I* get evaluated at *my* job!" -- and while I agree that more stringent, detailed teacher evaluations are important, measuring how much students learn over time, and how much of their knowledge can be attrib...more »
Gates Foundation to Oakland Teacher: "We have different realities." | Crooks and Liars
Gates Foundation to Oakland Teacher: "We have different realities." | Crooks and Liars: Gates Foundation to Oakland Teacher: "We have different realities." 14 comments By karoli For the past several weeks, former Oakland public school teacher Anthony Cody has been engaged with the Gates Foundation on issues surrounding education reform, poverty's impact on learning ability, charter schools and other issues. This week was the final exchange, and it was a doozy. Moreover, it parted an opaque curtain on how nonprofits view teachers and their contribution to the dialogue. The discussi...more »
A Teacher in Dialogue with the Gates Foundation: Five Exchanges over Core Issues in Education - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher
A Teacher in Dialogue with the Gates Foundation: Five Exchanges over Core Issues in Education - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: A Teacher in Dialogue with the Gates Foundation: Five Exchanges over Core Issues in Education by Anthony Cody Follow me on Twitter at @AnthonyCody I have been in conversations with the Gates Foundation for the past two months. In my early exchanges with representatives of the Gates Foundation it felt as if we were barely scratching the surface of the many issues that I thought should be explored. I thought that this dialogue might serve to d... more »
AFT President Randi Weingarten Slams Rahm Emanuel Over Chicago Teacher’s Strike | FDL Action
AFT President Randi Weingarten Slams Rahm Emanuel Over Chicago Teacher’s Strike | FDL Action: AFT President Randi Weingarten Slams Rahm Emanuel Over Chicago Teacher’s Strike by Jane Hamsher Tell Boys & Girls Club of Chicago: Dump Rahm Emanuel *Update II: Dave Dayen reports that Rahm is blinking, under pressure from the Obama campaign to settle the strike so it doesn’t interfere with the election.*** *Update: Rahm thanks both Obama and Romney for supporting him against the Chicago Teachers.* Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers, smacked Rahm Emanuel aro... more »
YouTube Launches ‘American Idol’ Search For The Best Teachers | TechCrunch
YouTube Launches ‘American Idol’ Search For The Best Teachers | TechCrunch: YouTube Launches ‘American Idol’ Search For The Best Teachers GREGORY FERENSTEIN posted yesterday 8 Comments [image: 18-YouTube-for-Schools] YouTube is looking to give some much-needed celebrity status to the most engaging teachers in the world. They’re conducting an Internet-wide competition of the best video lessons, which will be judged by an all-star panel of online educators, such as Sal Khan of Khan Academy. “The rise of online educational videos is giving learners access to the world’s greatest thinke... more »
Meet the Founders: Caroline Grannan | Parents Across America
Meet the Founders: Caroline Grannan | Parents Across America: Meet the Founders: Caroline Grannan by pagrundy *Third in a series of profiles of PAA’s founding members.* Caroline Grannan, PAA’s Parent Trigger expert, got her start in education reform research more than a decade ago, in the dark days when Google searches hadn’t yet been developed and building a website required a programming expert. Her first focus was Edison Schools, Inc., a for-profit, NASDAQ-traded charter management company that claimed to bring “the efficiencies of the private sector” to public education. “It w... more »
FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Friday, September 14, 2012
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: Education Headlines *Friday, September 14, 2012* Summerville teachers won’t back Nov. 6 bondSummerville High School teachers expressed doubt Wednesday about a bond measure being placed on the Nov. 6 ballot to help fund renovations for the school’s facilities. Galt high school district board approves employee contractsClassified and certificated employees of the Galt Joint Union High School District will work two fewer days this school year under separate contracts unanimously approved Tuesday by the school board. New report to an... more »
Schools Matter: A Letter from an Art Teacher You Won't Forget
Schools Matter: A Letter from an Art Teacher You Won't Forget: A Letter from an Art Teacher You Won't Forget by Jim Horn by art teacher, Brandi Martin from 2011: Truth in Advertising, originally uploaded by elephantsgerald. Dear twitter users boiling with anger about forced subsidization of unionized teachers: I've taught art for seventeen years. I've complained about certain things at work, but I've never regretted my profession. We all knew what we were signing up for when we chose our jobs; I knew I wouldn't get rich, but I knew I'd have summers off, and a steady paycheck. So ... more »
Title III Accountability Leadership Institute - Resources (CA Dept of Education)
Title III Accountability Leadership Institute - Resources (CA Dept of Education): Title III Accountability Leadership Institute ------------------------------ Moving Forward: English Language Development Standards, Assessments, and the Common Core The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended, Title III Part A, requires state educational agencies to provide technical assistance to eligible entities that are receiving subgrants. This institute contributes to satisfying this requirement by assisting local educational agencies in designing, implementing, and evaluati... more »
Christian Science Monitor story on CTU’s Karen Lewis quotes PAA’s Julie Woestehoff | Parents Across America
Christian Science Monitor story on CTU’s Karen Lewis quotes PAA’s Julie Woestehoff | Parents Across America: Christian Science Monitor story on CTU’s Karen Lewis quotes PAA’s Julie Woestehoff by pureparents “She comes from a place of understanding what it really takes to educate children, especially in Chicago.” Full story here. Julie Woestehoff has been with the Chicago non-profit organization Parents United for Responsible Education (PURE) for 20 years, and has been its executive director since 1995. She is the parent of two Chicago Public School graduates, a veteran elected l... more »
Democrats for Education Reform? Why Policy Fault Lines Are Shifting - The Daily Beast
Democrats for Education Reform? Why Policy Fault Lines Are Shifting - The Daily Beast: *Democrats for Education Reform? Why Policy Fault Lines Are Shifting* The Chicago teachers’ strike continues, and schools there are failing. But policy fault lines are finally beginning to shift. Why education reform is getting a new consensus. [image: DFER Fake Democrats for Education Privatization (click on Picture)] IT IS A RULE: YOU CAN'T BE AGAINST PEOPLE AND FOR CORPORATIONS AND CALL YOURSELF A DEMOCRAT...EVER! “On this issue and this day we stand with Mayor Rahm Emanuel.” So said Paul Rya... more »
Character Education, Teacher Strikes and "Reform" - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher
Character Education, Teacher Strikes and "Reform" - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher: Character Education, Teacher Strikes and "Reform" by Nancy Flanagan Back when it was a Hot New Thing, my school wanted to institute some kind of character education program. We didn't have the cash to purchase one of the glossy whole-school "value of the month" programs (complete with hip posters, prepackaged lesson plans and even daily P.A. announcements) that were popping up--we were the do-it-yourself, discount model of character educators. We read books, formed a committee wi... more »
» Teachers Union, Public School Officials Can’t Reach Deal in Late Night Chicago Talks
» Teachers Union, Public School Officials Can’t Reach Deal in Late Night Chicago Talks: Teachers Union, Public School Officials Can’t Reach Deal in Late Night Chicago Talks by Steve Cooper Yesterday, it began to look as though the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) strike may be coming to an end, but negotiations last night broke down when the two sides couldn’t agree on several key points: *The latest news comes after parties on both sides said they were inching closer to a resolution. In fact, a source said, the two parties had mostly cleared up the thorny issue of teacher evaluatio... more »
Hi, my name is Bob and I’m a Test Writer - Wait, What?
Hi, my name is Bob and I’m a Test Writer - Wait, What?: Hi, my name is Bob and I’m a Test Writer by jonpelto Of course, in this age of “education reform,” where teaching is passé and testing is the key to success, a new profession would arise…Test Writers. Among today’s employment advertisements is a job opening for a “Test Writer,” which is part of the Department of Data and Accountability (D&A), at the Charter Management Company, known as Academy Charter Schools. No really, I’m serious. The position is listed as being part of the Department of Data and Accountability (D&A). Acade... more »
Daily Kos: Why you should care about what happens to the poor
Daily Kos: Why you should care about what happens to the poor: Why you should care about what happens to the poor by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) is because increasingly Americans are slipping down the economic scale, headed in that direction. There were several segments on Morning Joe that addressed this - remarks by Mike Barnicle, the segment with Cornel West and Tavis Smiley. As Smiley put it, "the former middle class who are now the new educated poor." Yesterday I went to a book event at the AFL-CIO headquarters here in DC. The author was Hedrick Smith, who was a Pulitzer Pri... more »
Celena Rodriguez: A Student's Perspective on the Chicago Strike - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher
Celena Rodriguez: A Student's Perspective on the Chicago Strike - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Celena Rodriguez: A Student's Perspective on the Chicago Strike by Anthony Cody *Guest post by Celena Rodriguez.* As a student in CPS, I would like to share the student perspective on the ongoing Chicago strike. Some may say I don't fully understand why CPS teachers are on strike but actually, I do. [image: celena.jpg]I may not understand everything to its fullest extent but I do know that our teachers are fighting for a good cause. They want us to succeed, but how can we d... more »
Missouri Education Watchdog: Fraud: It's Another Avenue to Make Money Via Education "Reform"
Missouri Education Watchdog: Fraud: It's Another Avenue to Make Money Via Education "Reform": Fraud: It's Another Avenue to Make Money Via Education "Reform" by stlgretchen Catching fraudsters. Is the answer to give up your freedom to privacy via international databases? Fraudsters have jumped in the education reform money making machine on the international level. FromInsideHigherEd and *Catch Them If You Can:* *DUBLIN, Ireland -- Fraud in international higher education is a $1.5 billion to $2.5 billion business, an expert said Thursday here at the European Association for In... more »
Rethinking Principal Evaluation | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights
Rethinking Principal Evaluation | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights: Rethinking Principal Evaluation by obriena Leadership matters. Principals set the tone of a school and can inspire students and teachers alike to reach new heights. They are second only to teachers among the in-school influences on student success. Yet we don’t hear much about how to measure a principal’s performance. And the little research that exists on principal evaluation suggests that current systems do not accurately judge performance, do not provide information that is useful for professi... more »
Chicago Teachers Strike a Critical Moment in the Future of Public Education | FDL News Desk
Chicago Teachers Strike a Critical Moment in the Future of Public Education | FDL News Desk: Chicago Teachers Strike a Critical Moment in the Future of Public Education by David Dayen (photo: Kevin Gosztola) The Chicago teachers strike could end by Monday, CTU President Karen Lewis now projects. It’s hard to get a handle on where the concessions have been made. We know that raises would be restructured as per union policy and health insurance rates would remain the same, pending union participation in wellness programs. In addition, the city would be unable to rescind raises in a t... more »
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Day 5
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Day 5: Day 5 by Mike Klonsky "Stand up, sit down. Chicago is a union town!"Chicago teachers continue to hang tough despite a negative media barrage orchestrated by the mayor and his big-money outside supporters. Hopefully, an agreement will be announced today with the union's House of Delegates scheduled to meet at 2 p.m. Minus some last-minute shenanigans by Vitale, Byrd-Bennett and the rest of Rahm's crew, students could be back in class on Monday. Yesterday's rally by thousands of strikers at the Hyatt made all the necessary connections between Ra... more »
Afternoon UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 9-14-12 Diane Ravitch's blog
Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] A Seminal Round-up on VAM–and Why It Doesn’t Work by dianerav Two years ago, the Economic Policy Institute drafted a joint statement by a group of prominent scholars of education and assessment. Well before the current crisis over value-added assessment, this ad hoc group warned that there were many reasons to doubt the value of test-based evaluation. Since that report was published there have been many more demonstrations of the invalidity of student tests as a measure of teaching quality. In time, it will... more »
Teachers For Social Justice: Statement of Solidarity from the Graduate Employees Organization at UIC: CTU’s fight is our fight!
Teachers For Social Justice: Statement of Solidarity from the Graduate Employees Organization at UIC: CTU’s fight is our fight!: Statement of Solidarity from the Graduate Employees Organization at UIC: CTU’s fight is our fight! by sarah atlas I am writing to you as a Co-president of GEO and a family member of a Chicago Public School teacher. My spouse, John, is a member of CTU and an elementary music teacher at Dominguez Elementary in Little Village. John has been a teacher in the public schools for 12 years. He has worked inmany different classrooms with kindergartners who never ... more »
Chicago Teachers Strike: Union, City Fail To Reach Contract Deal
Chicago Teachers Strike: Union, City Fail To Reach Contract Deal: Chicago Teachers Strike: Union, City Fail To Reach Contract Deal by Joy Resmovits After a marathon session in Chicago's Hilton hotel, rank and file members of the Chicago Teachers Union spilled into the street at midnight central time with no contract agreement -- only the promise of a continued strike. "No deal," a source close to the negotiations told The Huffington Post seven minutes before midnight. "We came in very optimistic and we left very disappointed," the source later said. Chicago Public Schools (CPS) s... more »
On Setting Expectations In Your Classroom [For The Student You Once Were] | The Jose Vilson
On Setting Expectations In Your Classroom [For The Student You Once Were] | The Jose Vilson: On Setting Expectations In Your Classroom [For The Student You Once Were] by Jose “You’re not old now. You’re old when you start teaching your former students’ *kids*. THAT’S when you know!” We laughed. Mr. Herrera is the type of teacher who had a way of reminding people that we should laugh at the process of aging as teachers, especially those of us who love our jobs. This year, I have the privilege of teaching three students whose siblings I’ve taught. While I absolutely knew two of them ... more »
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Education Leadership Team meets tomorrow
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Education Leadership Team meets tomorrow: Education Leadership Team meets tomorrow by Charlie Mas We saw some emails or meeting notes about an Education Leadership Team formed by the mayor. It looked like some kind of dark cabal. I wrote to Jerry DeGrieck about it and asked him what the deal was. Jerry is a great guy who has been working for the city on early education for at least ten years and probably longer. I see him from time to time at education events and I know that he's a straight shooter. He wrote back to me answering all of my questions... more »
NYC Educator: People Forget
NYC Educator: People Forget: People Forget by NYC Educator It's easy to condemn the Chicago teachers for walking out. All the papers are doing it. If they cared about the kids, they'd go to work. They'd settle. They'd be happy they had jobs. It's certainly true that plenty of people do not. Not only that, but teachers are role models. What sort of example do they set when they don't go to work? But no one seems to ask--why did Rahm Emanuel unilaterally renege on a collectively bargained 4% pay increase? Does anyone think there would be a strike if he hadn't done that? And why di... more »
NJ Spotlight | Fine Print: Proposed Teacher Professional Development Rules
NJ Spotlight | Fine Print: Proposed Teacher Professional Development Rules: Fine Print: Proposed Teacher Professional Development Rules No more 100-hours requirement, more flexibility for districts and teachers print | email | share By John Mooney, September 14, 2012 in Education |Post a Comment * * * * *What it is:* The Christie administration last week presented its Education Transformation Task Force report, with more than 400 recommendations for streamlining and eliminating requirements on school districts. Among the changes is a rewriting of the state’s rule that every teacher h... more »
Chicago Teachers’ Strike, Performance Evaluation, and School Reform (Jack Schneider and Ethan Hutt) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice
Chicago Teachers’ Strike, Performance Evaluation, and School Reform (Jack Schneider and Ethan Hutt) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: Chicago Teachers’ Strike, Performance Evaluation, and School Reform (Jack Schneider and Ethan Hutt) by larrycuban For the fifth consecutive day in Chicago, nearly 30,000 teachers are out on strike. At issue are many of the contractual details that typically complicate collective bargaining—pay, benefits, and the length of the work day. But the heart of the dispute roiling the Windy City is something relatively new in contract t... more »
Jersey Jazzman: Everyone's An "Expert" On Education
Jersey Jazzman: Everyone's An "Expert" On Education: Everyone's An "Expert" On Education by Duke A consequence of the Chicago teachers strike is that we're finally seeing how truly clueless our political and media elites are about education. Digby gives us a spectacular example: Wagner: It's worth noting what the chicago is proposing, *student performance on standardized tests count toward 25% of teacher assessment would go to 40% in five years*. It's hard to say look, we don't want to be evaluated. You just need to keep paying us what you're paying us. John Heileman: *A shockingl... more »
Rahm Emanuel’s Privatize Chicago Plan | Dailycensored.com
Rahm Emanuel’s Privatize Chicago Plan | Dailycensored.com: Rahm Emanuel’s Privatize Chicago Plan by stephenl [image: Rahm Emanuel spoke last week at the Democratic National Convention. | AP Photo] Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel spent years waging war on progressive politics. He’s a corporate predator turned politician. As White House strategist and senior advisor, he represented the worst of the Clinton years. His abrasive style earned him the nickname “Rahmbo.” From 1999 – 2002, he earned a reported $18 million as managing director for Chicago investment bank firm Kleinwort, Wassers... more »
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Kozol's letter of support
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Kozol's letter of support: Kozol's letter of support by Mike Klonsky Kozol will sign copies of "Fire in the Ashes"Author *Jonathan Kozol *has sent a message of support to Karen Lewis and the Chicago Teachers Union. *In the current climate, where teachers are being blamed for the dire state of our inner-city schools, and where large chunks of our school system are being privatized, it is refreshing to see teachers find their voices. I support the Chicago teachers because they are standing up for quality public education, with more art, music, critical ... more »
DISPLACED, "RIFed" or SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS - LAUSD PLAYS BY ITS OWN RULES - Perdaily.com
DISPLACED, "RIFed" or SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS - LAUSD PLAYS BY ITS OWN RULES - Perdaily.com: DISPLACED, "RIFed" or SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS - LAUSD PLAYS BY ITS OWN RULES by Leonard Isenberg [image: Teacher's Pet.jpg] *PRINCIPAL'S PET???* *(Mensaje se repite en Español) (For a national view of public education reform see the end of this blog post)** * *As thousands lose their teaching positions, the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) is supposed to make teacher cuts while abiding by its Collective Bargaining Agreement with United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA). These decisions are sup...more »
Time For "Testing As Child Abuse Suits" to Fill the Nation's Courts | California Progress Report
Time For "Testing As Child Abuse Suits" to Fill the Nation's Courts | California Progress Report: Time For "Testing As Child Abuse Suits" to Fill the Nation's Courts by callen *By Mark Naison* A tragedy is quietly taking place in America's public schools that represent an important opportunity for America's lawyers to advance the cause of equity and justice. All over the nation, with the support of both major parties, schools systems are now requiring that teachers and administrators be evaluated on the basis of student test scores, with their jobs placed in jeopardy if the scores... more »
An Urban Teacher's Education: Renton School Board Unanimously Approves TFA
An Urban Teacher's Education: Renton School Board Unanimously Approves TFA: Renton School Board Unanimously Approves TFA by James Boutin After hearing nearly an hour of public testimony, the Renton School Board voted on an agreement to bring Teach for America to the Renton School District (oddly, *after* one had already been hired). The board room was packed with educators wearing red. Every commenter (teachers, community members, and business leaders) spoke about TFA. And every commenter spoke against it. Amy Hepburn asked the board a simple question: "Who are the students and p... more »
After AB5: Trust, Consensus, Mutual Responsibility « InterACT
After AB5: Trust, Consensus, Mutual Responsibility « InterACT: After AB5: Trust, Consensus, Mutual Responsibility by David B. Cohen *The blog post below is, in a slightly extended version, cross-posted from a piece I wrote for EdSource Today. I’m grateful for the chance to reach some different readers, and now want to bring the discussion over to InterACT. With the upheaval in Chicago as a backdrop, I’m hopeful that California stakeholders and policy makers are in the mood to look for common ground with teachers. One good starting point would be to study the recommendations in t... more »
Gates foundation solicits remedial MOOCs | Inside Higher Ed
Gates foundation solicits remedial MOOCs | Inside Higher Ed: Gates, MOOCs and Remediation September 14, 2012 - 3:00am By Paul Fain Early returns show that massive open online courses (MOOCs) work best for motivated and academically prepared students. But could high-quality MOOCs benefit a broader range of learners, like those who get tripped up by remedial classes? That’s the question the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation wants to answer with a newly announced round of 10 grants for the creation of MOOCs for remedial coursework. “We’re trying to seed the conversation and seed the e... more »
Chicago Teachers Union | As Chicago teachers strike enters fourth day, a new poll proves majority of parents and taxpayers approve of fair contract fight
Chicago Teachers Union | As Chicago teachers strike enters fourth day, a new poll proves majority of parents and taxpayers approve of fair contract fight: As Chicago teachers strike enters fourth day, a new poll proves majority of parents and taxpayers approve of fair contract fight 09/13/2012 *CHICAGO –*As contract talks continue to two steps forward and one step backward, the city’s 29,000 public school educators enter their fourth day of a labor protest that has shut down schools across the city. An independent new poll indicates the majority of the public and parents support ... more »
Students Last: Uber Teachers Are Uber Powerful: New Study Finds
Students Last: Uber Teachers Are Uber Powerful: New Study Finds: Uber Teachers Are Uber Powerful: New Study Finds by Students Last Good news for the poor. There is no need to improve the lives of people who live in poverty because a good education will fix all their problems - eventually.... at some unspecified time in the future. According to a research project funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation a great teacher, "[c]an make a dramatic difference in the lives of low-income students." Gates spokesperson Stacey Scott elaborated on the project's findings, "We are pleas... more »
Today’s Update On The Chicago Teachers’ Strike | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…
Today’s Update On The Chicago Teachers’ Strike | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…: Today’s Update On The Chicago Teachers’ Strike September 13, 2012 by Larry Ferlazzo | 0 comments 2 Here are today’s additions to The Best Resources On The Chicago Teachers’ Strike: Fresh Hopes for End to Chicago Teacher Strike by Weekend is from The New York Times. What’s At Stake For U.S. Teachers is from NPR. Teacher Evaluation Dispute Echoes Beyond Chicago is from NPR. Teacher Evaluations At Center Of Chicago Strike is from The Huffington Post.
Day four we went to Penny Pritzker’s hotel. « Fred Klonsky
Day four we went to Penny Pritzker’s hotel. « Fred Klonsky: Day four we went to Penny Pritzker’s hotel. by Fred Klonsky Penny Pritzker, former fund raiser for the Obama campaign and member of the Hyatt Hotel Pritzkers, is one of Rahm’s friends who sits on the Chicago Board of Education. Hyatt has been the subject of a nearly three-year old labor dispute with Unite Here. In Illinois, Penny Pritzker pays the same percentage of income tax as the women who make the beds in her
Big Ed Ape Nite Cap SPECIAL STRIKE EDITION DAY #4 9-13-12 #faircontractnow #CTUSTRIKE #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2
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* * *
Chicago Teachers Strike Nearing Resolution, Sources Say
Chicago Teachers Strike Nearing Resolution, Sources Say: Chicago Teachers Strike Nearing Resolution, Sources Say by Joy Resmovits The standoff between Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and the city's teachers' union appears to be nearing resolution, several sources close to the situation tell The Huffington Post. Neither side, as of Thursday evening, was willing to declare victory, both because negotiations remained unsettled and because any triumphalism had the potential to alienate the opposition. But a source in the room in Chicago said that the thorny issue of teacher evaluations w... more »
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