Wednesday, March 28, 2012

by Jose

Ladies and gents, I’ve arrived at my 900th post.
I should dedicate this one to the fact that George Zimmerman, Trayvon Miller’s murderer, was caught unbloodied and unbruised on video during his trip to the Sanford Police Department with police, dispelling his account almost assuredly. I could also dedicated to the lesser known Shaima Al-Awadi, a mother of four was who brutally murdered for her Muslim faith I presume. I could talk about my sincerest trepidation over the latest iteration of the New York State math test coming in seven school days (not including ELA test days), but I might do that much better in another blog.
I should remind you as my readers that racism, sexism, ageism, and other social biases haven’t really waned in effect, just changed shape, and that privilege plays a large role in even my most progressive colleagues. Yet,

Police Video of Trayvon Martin's Killer Shows No Visible -- Much Less Severe -- Injuries | MyFDL

Police Video of Trayvon Martin's Killer Shows No Visible -- Much Less Severe -- Injuries | MyFDL:

Police Video of Trayvon Martin’s Killer Shows No Visible — Much Less Severe — Injuries

by Phoenix Woman

Popout

One of the tropes most often used by the right-wing and often blatantly racist defenders of George Zimmerman, the man who shot an unarmed Trayvon Martin to death in a Florida gated community last month, was that Zimmerman was allegedly beaten to a bloody pulp by the 17-year-old boy he killed: Punched in the nose hard enough for it to break, knocked down, head slammed into the ground, dripping blood from his various wounds.
The tale of Zimmerman’s many serious wounds was already in question: For one thing, he refused medical attention when it was offered to him. And now, thanks to the release of this police surveillance video, we can now see that the tale of the bloodily-beaten Zimmerman is just so much nonsense:

A police surveillance video taken the night that Trayvon Martin was shot dead shows no blood or bruises on George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watch captain who says he shot Martin after he

Every man a King

Huey Long was a Progressive Senator during the Great Depression who believed in wealth redistribution. He organized upwards of seven million Americans to see this dream of wealth redistribution come true. He wanted the wealthy in America to "give back" to the country, or else. He not only called for an even playing field, but he called for an even result. The following is a speech he made on December 11, 1934:

"According to the tables which we have assembled, it is our estimate that 4 percent of the American people own 85 percent of the wealth of America, and that over 70 percent of the people of America don't own enough to pay for the debts that they owe.

Any man with a thimble-full of sense ought to know that if you take 85 percent off of that table and give it to one man that you are bound to have 2/3 the people starving because they haven't got enough to eat.

How many men ever went to a barbecue and would let one man take off the table what's intended for 9/10th of the people to eat? The only way to be able to feed the balance of the people is to make that man come back and bring back some of that grub that he ain't got no business with! [Laughter and applause]

Now we got a barbecue. We have been praying to the Almighty to send us to a feast. We have knelt on our knees morning and nighttime. The Lord has answered the prayer. He has called the barbecue. "Come to my feast," He said to 125 million American people. But Morgan and Rockefeller and Mellon and Baruch have walked up and took 85 percent of the victuals off the table!

Now, how are you going to feed the balance of the people? What's Morgan and Baruch and Rockefeller and Mellon going to do with all that grub? They can't eat it, they can't wear the clothes, they can't live in the houses.
Giv'em a yacht! Giv'em a Palace! Send 'em to Reno and give them a new wife when they want it, if that's what they want. [Laughter] But when they've got everything on God's loving earth that they can eat and they can wear and they can live in, and all that their children can live in and wear and eat, and all of their children's children can use, then we've got to call Mr. Morgan and Mr. Mellon an Mr. Rockefeller back and say, come back here, put that stuff back on this table here that you took away from here that you don't need. Leave something else for the American people to consume. And that's the program. [Applause]

We will call in Mr. Rockefeller, Mr. Morgan, Mr. Mellon....Dear Mr. Mellon, We're not going to destroy the capitalistic system, but we're going to put in a limit, you can have up to 4- to 5-million dollars and that's all. We're not going to destroy the Gulf Refining Company; we're not going to destroy the Standard Oil Company, but we're going to say that the limit of any one man's stock ownership in the Standard Oil company is from 3- to 5-million dollars for that individual and the balance to the people of America who own the balance of what the Standard Oil company is worth! [applause]

Then, we start from the bottom. That the 25 or more million American families shall have a homestead. Up to $5,000....a home and the comforts of a home, including an automobile and a radio, the things it takes in that house to live on...

We say to America, 125 million, none shall be too big, none shall be too poor, none shall work too much, none shall be idle. No luxurious mansions empty, none walking the streets, none impoverished, none in pestilence, none in want, but in the land blessed by the smile of the Creator with everything to be consumed, to be eaten, to be worn, that America will become a land, sharing the fruits of the land, not for the favored few, not to satisfy greed, but that all may live in the land in which the Lord has provided an abundance sufficient for the luxury and convenience of the people in general! I thank you.
-Senator Huey Long

Plug pulled on parent trigger bill | EdNewsColorado #soschat

Plug pulled on parent trigger bill | EdNewsColorado:

Plug pulled on parent trigger bill

by Todd Engdahl

The three Democrats on the Senate State Affairs Committee outvoted their two GOP colleagues Wednesday afternoon and killed House Bill 12-1149, this year’s mild version of a parent trigger proposal.
The vote didn’t come as a major surprise, given that State Affairs is known as the “kill committee” where leadership sends bills it doesn’t like.

Bruce Caughey, Sen. Mike Johnston, Jane Urschel

Sen. Mike Johnston (center) was smiling even when flanked by two opponents, Bruce Caughey of CASE (left) and Jane Urschel of CASB.

The bill originated in the House with Republican Rep. Don Beezley of Broomfield, and in the Senate it was carried by Sen. Mike Johnston, D-Denver and a leading figure on education reform legislation.
Given all the changes to the measure in the House, Johnston said, “This bill is not, for better or worse, a parent

What Is The NEA Hoping To Do With Its "New Action Agenda"? - Classroom Q&A With Larry Ferlazzo - Education Week Teacher

What Is The NEA Hoping To Do With Its "New Action Agenda"? - Classroom Q&A With Larry Ferlazzo - Education Week Teacher:

Larry Ferlazzo

An award-winning English and Social Studies teacher at Luther Burbank High School in Sacramento, Calif., Larry Ferlazzo is the author of Helping Students Motivate Themselves: Practical Answers To Classroom Challenges, English Language Learners: Teaching Strategies That Work, and Building Parent Engagement In Schools.He also maintains the popular Websites of the Day blog. In this EdWeek blog, an experiment in knowledge-gathering, he will address readers' questions on classroom management, ELL instruction, lesson planning, and other issues facing teachers. Send your questions to lferlazzo@epe.org. And offer your own thoughts and responses in the comments section.

« Response: The Difference Between Parent "Involvement" & Parent "Engagement" | Main

What Is The NEA Hoping To Do With Its "New Action Agenda"?

By Larry Ferlazzo on March 28, 2012 10:35 PM

Though I'm receiving plenty of reader questions (but could always use more!), I periodically instead decide to respond to a "Question That's Been On My Mind."

This is another one of those times (I'll be returning to reader questions next week)....

My question relates to the major report and "new action agenda" announced by the National Education Association in December. The report, developed by a NEA-initiated group of teachers called the Commission on Effective Teachers and Teaching, made a number of recommendations.

My question is:

What were the most important aspects of the Commission report, and what might be its practical effects?

I've invited several guests will be responding to this question, including Commission member Renee Moore and NEA President Dennis Van Roekel.

I hope readers will share their responses, too.

Please share your thoughts in the comments, or, if you prefer, feel free to email them to me.

Support PURE! » Major CTU longer day salary victory Parents United for Responsible Education

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Major CTU longer day salary victory:

Major CTU longer day salary victory

by admin

From the CTU:
The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) and the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) have settled a long-running dispute over CPS’s unlawful implementation of a longer school day at 13 neighborhood schools without properly compensating the teachers for the extra hours of work. The agreement was signed by both parties following today’s Board of Education meeting.
CPS unilaterally implemented the Longer School Day Pioneer Program beginning on September 26, 2011, with the last implementation date in January 2012, at a total of 13 schools. To induce teacher cooperation, CPS paid teachers up to $750 stipends and up to $150,000 to each school that participated in the program. The CTU filed Labor Board charges, alleging that the Longer School Day violated its bargaining rights, and the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board unanimously voted on October 20, 2011 to seek injunctive relief blocking CPS from implementing the program at any of other 600+ public schools whose staff is represented by the CTU, and referring the initial 13 schools to a hearing before an Administrative Law judge. Rather than face a court

Big Education Ape: 3-28-12 PM Big money behind pro-voucher attack on State Rep. Roebuck? EDition

Big Education Ape: PARENTS CAN!:
Big Education Ape: PARENTS CAN!

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Big money behind pro-voucher attack on State Rep. Roebuck? | Philadelphia City Paper

citypaper.net - A flyer attacking State Rep. James Roebuck for opposing school vouchers is hitting mailboxes throughout his West Philadelphia district. “James Roebuck blocked kids from attending the schools of the...

DianeRavitch

Not Common. Not Core, Either. - Teacher in a Strange Land

blogs.edweek.org - My friend Claudia Swisher, an exceptional veteran teacher from Oklahoma, recently posted an update in Goodreads, a kind of virtual book club where we hang out together. We have challenged each othe...

mikeklonsky

Secrets of ‘miraculous’ charter management organizations - The Answer Sheet

washingtonpost.com - This was written by Lance Hill, executive director of the Southern Institute for Education and Research in New Orleans and a member of the New Orleans Education Equity Roundtable . In this post Hi...

mikeklonsky

UK Study: Parents, Not Teachers, Key to Education

educationnews.org - A study by the Royal Economic Society, to be presented this week, finds that parental effect on test results is five times that of teachers’ influence. This comes in the wake of warnings by Sir Mic...

DianeRavitch

Different Results, Same Flawed Methods

shankerblog.org - Without question, designing school and district rating systems is a difficult task, and Ohio was somewhat ahead of the curve in attempting to do so (and they’re also great about releasing a ton of ...

DianeRavitch

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OUR CHILDREN FOR SALE « Jean Jacques Crawb's Blog

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DianeRavitch

CT News Junkie | OP-ED

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DianeRavitch

Spinning the Numbers on Turnarounds: School Improvement Grant Controversy Brews - Living in Dialogue

blogs.edweek.org - Follow me on Twitter at @AnthonyCodyIt has been said that "numbers tell the tale." But at the Education Writers Association forum on School Improvement Grants in Chicago yesterday, I saw the same n...

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A Civil Right to Unionize

nytimes.com - FROM the 1940s to the 1970s, organized labor helped build a middle-class democracy in the United States. The postwar period was as successful as it was because of unions, which helped enact progres...

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Dan Malloy and The National Forces Pushing for Education Reform

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Adrienne Rich. RIP. « Fred Klonsky

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LAUSD TEACHER WITCH HUNT GOES INTO HIGH GEAR - Perdaily.com

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Chicago Congressman violates House decorum. House what? « Fred Klonsky

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J Street, Pro-Israel but Opposed to Attacking Iran, Takes Its Message to Washington

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tasanet.org - The following is a list of school districts that have adopted the Resolution Concerning High Stakes, Standardized Testing of Texas Public School Students. As of March 27, 2012, 192 districts have n...

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Trayvon Martin Case: Department of Justice to investigate entire Sanford Police Department

democraticunderground.com - Source: Palm Beach NewsSANFORD — The Trayvon Martin case is bringing more scrutiny on the Sanford Police Department. The Department of Justice will now investigate all cases handled by the police d...

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Dallas ISD teacher placed on leave after filing complaint with Texas Education Agency | Dallas ISD Blog

dallasisdblog.dallasnews.com - A Dallas ISD elementary school teacher has been placed on paid leave after he filed a complaint with the Texas Education Agency this month over concerns at his school.Elliot Monteverde-Torres, a th...

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Clock is clicking in Rockford. Teachers will hit the bricks tomorrow morning. « Fred Klonsky

preaprez.wordpress.com - Rockford Education Association members picket board of ed meeting yesterday. It would be the first teacher strike in Rockford in 30 years. Over 95% of the members of the Rockford Education Associat...

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Western Pennsylvania man stole Microsoft co-founder's ID, FBI says

democraticunderground.com - Source: Pittsburgh Tribune-Review An Army deserter from East Liberty needed just two phone calls to gain access to a Citibank account belonging to one of the world's richest men, federal investigat...

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