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Monday, February 20, 2012

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Late Nite Posts 2-20 #soschat #ReclaimingReform


Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Early Evening Posts 2-20 #SOSchat #p2 #edreform

Assemblymember Dickinson Introduces Public Employee’s Bill of Rights - Assemblymember Roger Dickinson Representing the 9th California Assembly District - AD09Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-2 minutes agoAssemblymember Dickinson Introduces Public Employee’s Bill of Rights - Assemblymember Roger Dickinson Representing the 9th California Assembly District - AD09:Assemblymember Dickinson Introduces Public Employee’s Bill of RightsSacramento – Today, Assemblymember Roger Dickinson (D-Sacramento) introduced Assembly Bill 1655. The bill would enact the Public Employee’s Bill o... more »

How ideas like the Parent Trigger fall in and out of favor « Parents Across America

How ideas like the Parent Trigger fall in and out of favor « Parents Across America:How ideas like the Parent Trigger fall in and out of favorby CarolineSFBy Caroline Grannan, San FranciscoParents Across America Founding MemberThere are times when we see public opinion or the tone of media coverage shifting noticeably. I blogged about such a shift earlier today, when I posted about a Los Angeles Times article that focused on how a Parent Trigger campaign is ripping a disadvantage ... more »

New Supreme Court Religion Decision: Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School - ParentAdvocates.org

Parent Advocates - ParentAdvocates.org:New Supreme Court Religion Decision: Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and SchoolIt is rare for the Justices of the Supreme Court to hand down a unanimous decision in a Religion Clauses case. But it happened on January 11, 2012, in Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Church and School v. EEOC, 132 S. Ct. — (2012). This case involved the so-called “ministerial exception” to otherwise generally applicable federal law. From Betsy Combier: should America's court system place both religious institutions and their ... more »

Support PURE! » Illinois ESEA waiver request: More testing, please!!!

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Illinois ESEA waiver request: More testing, please!!!:Illinois ESEA waiver request: More testing, please!!!by adminAs if there wasn’t enough going on, tomorrow the Illinois State Board of Education will vote on an ESEA flexibility waiver application which will do little but add more tests to an already ridiculous state assessment system.Here are the comments I submitted to ISBE last week:“Stop teaching to the test”President Barack Obama, 2012 State of the Union AddressIn ... more »

Jersey Jazzman: The Reformy Dr. Steve Perry Show - Part I

Jersey Jazzman: The Reformy Dr. Steve Perry Show - Part I:The Reformy Dr. Steve Perry Show - Part Iby DukeDr. Steve Perry is a CNN contributor, an author, a speaker, and a magnet school principal. He is also a dedicated teachers union basher. So we're going to take a good, hard look at him; hope he's ready.Here's some prime, red, reformy meat Dr. Perry recently served up via Twitter:@DrStevePerry Agree. Imma teacher 2. Find creative ways 2 supp income. It ... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Updates From Publicola

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Updates From Publicola:Updates From Publicolaby Melissa WestbrookOver at Publicola, they report that WEA president, Mary Lindquist, wrote an open letter based on what Nick Hanauer had to say about public education in the state of Washington.You can read the whole thing there but she says several things I find I can agree with her on:And yet, in a single email, he has managed to align himself with a politician who is antithetical to all of those ... more »

Stories of Transformation: Mission (Upon a) Hill

Stories of Transformation: Mission (Upon a) Hill:Stories of Transformation: Mission (Upon a) Hillby SamMission Hill School, nestled amidst the labyrinthine side streets of Boston and alongside the usual din of sounds that fill a school’s hallways, an unusual revolution is taking place.It’s happening in the 2nd and 3rd grade, where lead teacher Jenerra Williams doesn’t formally call her class to “order,” opting instead to spend the first 30 minutes of the day greeting children as they arrive, trusting them to ... more »

Save the date? Il Sen Ed Committee hearing set for Friday

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Save the date? Il Sen Ed Committee hearing set for Friday:Save the date? Il Sen Ed Committee hearing set for Fridayby adminWhile no plans are ever completely solid in Springfield, a State Senate Education Committee hearing has been called for Fri, 02/24, at 9:30 AM in Springfield, with Sen. Martinez’ school closing and turnaround moratorium bill (SB 3239) on the agenda.Here’s the link to the hearing notice, which you can check ... more »

Schools Matter: Corporate Charter Lobbyists Go After Florida School Construction Money

Schools Matter: Corporate Charter Lobbyists Go After Florida School Construction Money:Corporate Charter Lobbyists Go After Florida School Construction Moneyby Jim HornWith hundreds of millions already in the bank, the vulture philanthropists and their hopped-up hedge funders are looking for more cash for their corporate welfare charter schools.Will the Florida State Legislature destroy the bond ratings of state public schools to win the next election?From Miami Herald:By Kathleen McGrory and Scott Hiaasenshiaasen@miamiherald.com A legislative plan to give charter schools a cut ... more »

Assemblymember Dickinson Introduces Public Employee’s Bill of Rights - Assemblymember Roger Dickinson Representing the 9th California Assembly District - AD09

Assemblymember Dickinson Introduces Public Employee’s Bill of Rights - Assemblymember Roger Dickinson Representing the 9th California Assembly District - AD09:Assemblymember Dickinson Introduces Public Employee’s Bill of RightsSacramento – Today, Assemblymember Roger Dickinson (D-Sacramento) introduced Assembly Bill 1655. The bill would enact the Public Employee’s Bill of Rights Act to provide various rights and protections to non-excluded state civil service employees. The bill will be heard by the legislature in the coming months.“Statutorily defining an employee’s rights will hel... more »

The in box: “Support our schools, don’t close them” rally today. « Fred Klonsky

The in box: “Support our schools, don’t close them” rally today. « Fred Klonsky:The in box: “Support our schools, don’t close them” rally today.by Fred KlonskyFrom Adam Heenan.Please take a few moments to pass this on!Monday, February 20th at 4 p.m.: Join Parents, Students, School Staff and Education Allies to tell Mayor Emanuel: SUPPORT OUR SCHOOLS. DON’T SHUT THEM DOWN! Rally at Lake View High School, 4015 N. Ashland Ave. Please Repost!*Buses will leave at 2:45 p.m. from the Marquette ... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Great Moments In Total Cluelessness

Jersey Jazzman: Great Moments In Total Cluelessness:Great Moments In Total Cluelessnessby DukeIs it possible to be more obtuse?Backers of the new approaches say that change takes time. “You have to start the process somewhere,” said Daniel Weisberg, executive vice president and general counsel at The New Teacher Project, a nonprofit agency founded in 1997. “If you don’t solve the problem of teacher quality, you will continue to have an achievement gap.” [emphasis mine]Uh...But, according to the New Teacher Project, the ...more »

Seattle Area Teachers' Blog: File a complaint

Seattle Area Teachers' Blog: File a complaint:File a complainthttp://www.hum.wa.gov/CQ/CQv14.pdfA fairly simple way to register a complaint if to use this form from the State Human Right Commission.If you believe that actions against you or others is discriminatory filing this form will launch an investigation.Again, it is a numbers game. The greater number of complaints filed the higher the chance that actions against senior teachers will be taken seriously.Posted by Salander at 7:39 AM

Gov. Bobby Jindal's voucher plan gets an 'F' from Louisiana Budget Project | NOLA.com

Gov. Bobby Jindal's voucher plan gets an 'F' from Louisiana Budget Project | NOLA.com:Gov. Bobby Jindal's voucher plan gets an 'F' from Louisiana Budget ProjectPublished: Saturday, February 18, 2012, 8:00 PM By Times-Picayune Staff A liberal think-tank blasted Gov. Bobby Jindal's voucher plan last week, noting that private schools that accept students on scholarship will not be required to undergo the same testing and grading regime now in place for public schools, an issue expected to be a key point ... more »

venture philanthropists, hedge funders, edupreneurs, real estate outfits, corporate foundations, and various other corporate welfare vamSchools Matter

Schools Matter:In 2001, the PR firms that the Business Roundtable hired to sell their plan to blow up public schools and to rebuild them in the corporate image for corporate benefit could not have settled on a more cynical and appealing mantra: we must close the achievement gap, and NCLB is the way to do it. Now over ten years later, the gaps are still gaping and growing wider as the achievement disparities map click by click onto to the ... more »

Schools Matter: Rushing Toward the Cliff While “Tweaking” the “Quirks”

Schools Matter: Rushing Toward the Cliff While “Tweaking” the “Quirks”:Rushing Toward the Cliff While “Tweaking” the “Quirks”by Jim HornIn 2001, the PR firms that the Business Roundtable hired to sell their plan to blow up public schools and to rebuild themin the corporate image for corporate benefit could not have settled on a more cynical and appealingmantra: we must close the achievement gap, and NCLB is the way to do it. Now over ten years later, the gaps are still ... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Cerf Charter Report Hostage Crisis: Day 350

Jersey Jazzman: Cerf Charter Report Hostage Crisis: Day 350:Cerf Charter Report Hostage Crisis: Day 350by DukeWe're only a little more than two weeks away from the one-year anniversary of ACTING Commissioner Chris Cerf's big promise (from March of 2011 - emphasis mine):Vowing to create "more transparency," acting Education Commissioner Christopher Cerf today said the state will ask an outside agency to analyze why some charter schools out-perform traditional public schools.Speaking at a meeting of the state Board of Education, Cerf ... more »

'Parent trigger' campaign divides families at Adelanto elementary school - latimes.com

'Parent trigger' campaign divides families at Adelanto elementary school - latimes.com:'Parent trigger' campaign divides families at troubled Adelanto elementary schoolSome angry parents want to remove their names from petitions seeking charter status before the school board votes.Comments1Share6David Mobley, principal of Desert Trails Elementary School, receives signed petitions from parents. He said the conflict among parents has filtered to the students, who have begun fighting as well.(Irfan Khan, Los Angeles Times / January 12, 2012)ALSOAdelanto school is targeted in second tes... more »

School Tech Connect: Our Classy Mayor

School Tech Connect: Our Classy Mayor:Our Classy Mayorby noreply@blogger.com (Tim)So much to catch up on here..This is the week where the appointed school board votes on the school closures. Out of this whole season, I think this video little clip from the Crane community hearing is my favorite: paid protestors who don't realize they're on camera. The clip captures the level of integrity that the mayor's political operation has brought to the table.PopoutI hope the mayor is proud of himself ... more »

Santorum Defends Remarks on Obama and Public Schools - NYTimes.com

Santorum Defends Remarks on Obama and Public Schools - NYTimes.com:Santorum Defends Remarks on Obama and Government’s Role in EducationBy TRIP GABRIELPublished: February 19, 2012RECOMMENDTWITTERLINKEDINE-MAILPRINTREPRINTSSHARECUMMING, Ga. — As Rick Santorum has addressed huge, supportive crowds in recent days — with hundreds whooping at his jokes and cheering his blistering criticism of the Obama administration — he seems to be displaying a newfound swagger and letting loose with free-swinging remarks.Enlarge This ImageErik S. Lesser/European Pressphoto AgencySigns of support for Ri... more »

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Late Nite Posts 2-19 #soschat #ReclaimingReform

Parents in Chicago Occupy their School and win a Stakeholder Meeting | The Classroom Sooth #ows #soschatBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-1 hour agoParents in Chicago Occupy their School and win a Stakeholder Meeting | The Classroom Sooth:Parents in Chicago Occupy their School and win a Stakeholder Meetingby classroomsoothCongratulations to the parents of students at Brian Piccolo Elementary School in the West Humboldt Park neighborhood of Chicago. I have a feeling we will see more #OccupyOurSchools in our city ... more »

NYC Public School Parents: The battle for the soul of a community: #soschat

NYC Public School Parents: The battle for the soul of a community: Thursday night's contentious charter school hearing in S. Williamsburg -- and the memory of another controversial co-location 25 years ago:The battle for the soul of a community: Thursday night's contentious charter school hearing in S. Williamsburg -- and reference to 1986 boycott because of another "co-location"by Leonie HaimsonPlease check out the videos of Thursday night’s contentious hearing on the proposed co-location of yet another branch of the Success ... more »

Parents in Chicago Occupy their School and win a stakeholder meeting. | The Classroom Sooth

Parents in Chicago Occupy their School and win a stakeholder meeting. | The Classroom Sooth:Parents in Chicago Occupy their School and win a stakeholder meeting.by classroomsoothCongratulations to the parents of students at Brian Piccolo Public School in the West Humboldt Park neighborhood of Chicago. I have a feeling we will see more #OccupyOurSchools in our city and across the nation as the fight to reclaim our public schools grows.While you plan your occupation, please join Parents Across America in national ... more »

Peg with Pen: Looking the Other Way

Peg with Pen: Looking the Other Way:Looking the Other Wayby PeggyThis weekend I attended the Colorado People’s Assembly, agathering of activists from across the state who are working hard to wake upColorado. They have brilliant ideas and strategies – they weren’t crunching numbers to determine howthe end result will create profit for a few.I went to the Colorado People’s Assembly to help create communityand to do a teach-in on the effects of corporate education reform. It can be hard for ... more »

Daily Kos: A couple of personal and professional observations

Daily Kos: A couple of personal and professional observations:A couple of personal and professional observationsby rss@dailykos.com (teacherken)1) I am active enough in enough circles to have a very good sense of what teachers think on a lot of topics.2) In general, teachers have tended not to be outspoken, but so many are so upset with this administration that they have been saying and doing things that in the past would have been inconceivable.3) My diary earlier today, Dear Mr. President, ... more »

Schools Matter: Charles Murray, KIPP, and the Second Coming of Eugenics

Schools Matter: Charles Murray, KIPP, and the Second Coming of Eugenics:Charles Murray, KIPP, and the Second Coming of Eugenicsby Jim Horn A similar version of this commentary was published by Substance News earlier today:The old-school eugenics of the previous century was aimed to eradicate all sorts of unfit and anti-social behavior, from theft to laziness to wandering to sexual deviance. The source of these problems was thought to be a biological defect in the genes, or germ plasm, as that ... more »

Chicago: Tell Rahm. “Support our schools. Don’t shut them down.” « Fred Klonsky

Chicago: Tell Rahm. “Support our schools. Don’t shut them down.” « Fred Klonsky:Chicago: Tell Rahm. “Support our schools. Don’t shut them down.”by Fred Klonsky

CHARTER SCHOOLS - THE THRILL IS GONE #SOSCHAT #EREFORM

Not All Charter Schools Suck but Closure Rate Tops 15 PercentCharter Schools Closure Rate Tops 15 Percent:• Of the approximately 6,700 charter schools that have ever opened across the United States, 1,036 have closed since 1992. There are 500 additional charter schools that have been consolidated back into the district or received a charter but were unable to open.• There are five primary reasons for charter closures – financial (41.7 percent), mismanagement (24 percent), academic (18.6 percent), district obstacles (6.3 ... more »