BIG EDUCATION APE 2ND BANANA
RECAP OF LAST WEEK'S BEST POST
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools Week of December 10-15
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools Week of December 10-15: Seattle Schools Week of December 10-15 by Melissa Westbrook Very busy week. *Monday, December 10th* Curriculum & Instruction Policy Committee Meeting from 4-6 p.m. Agenda Some interesting issues but there is not enough detail to know what they are specifically going to cover. Work Session on Weighted Staffing Standards from 6-7:30 p.m. Agenda *Tuesday, December 11th * Work Session on Creative Approach Schools from 5-6:30 p.m. Agenda Special Ed Advocacy & Advisory Council Meeting from 6:30-9:00 p.m., R...more »
193 Chicago elementary schools not safe from closing - Chicago Sun-Times
193 Chicago elementary schools not safe from closing - Chicago Sun-Times: 193 Chicago elementary schools not safe from closing By Lauren FitzPatrick and Art Golab Staff Reporters January 19, 2013 2:30AM 0 0 Share 35 [image: Schools CEO BarbarByrd-Bennett speaks City Club Chicago lunch Maggiano's Banquets. File photo. | Rich Hein~Sun-Times] Schools CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett speaks at the City Club of Chicago lunch at Maggiano's Banquets. File photo. | Rich Hein~Sun-Times INTERACTIVE MAP: Potential School Closings RELATED STORIES - CPS won’t close high schools, top performers, By... more »
High school senior publicly tells 300+ students he is an LGBT teen
At the presentation of senior class awards (Class Clown, Most Likely to Succeed, etc.), an LGBT teen publicly announces during his acceptance speech for Class Actor award that he is an LGBT teen and is tired of acting as someone he's not on a daily basis. His classmates clearly approve.
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Youth Voices Against Violence Contest
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Youth Voices Against Violence Contest: Youth Voices Against Violence Contest by Melissa Westbrook From Puget Sound-Off: *CALL FOR AUDIO ENTRIES!*** *Calling all journalists, poets, rappers, writers, actors and activists!* Our audio contest is in full swing, but we still need to hear from YOU! So, we are extending our deadline and accepting submissions through the *end of the year*. Take advantage of holiday breaks and lend your voice to our campaign for youth violence prevention. *Silence is not the answer*. Puget SoundOff and Tabu are inviting ... more »
Teachers’ test boycott draws growing support | Education | The Seattle Times
Teachers’ test boycott draws growing support | Education | The Seattle Times: Teachers’ test boycott draws growing support Support is growing for Garfield High teachers in their boycott of a district-required test. Seattle Public Schools officials, while saying the test has value, also are acknowledging that some of the teachers’ concerns have merit. By Linda Shaw Seattle Times education reporter [image: Rachel Eells is among Garfield High School teachers who are refusing to administer the school district-required MAP test to their students. Eells, who teaches language arts, says t... more »
Got Choice? Ubetcha! - Celebrating National School Choice Week
*National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) Group: 1 in 5 charter schools not doing well enough to stay open* A group that oversees more than half of the nation's 5,600 charter schools said as many as one in five U.S. charter schools should be shut down because of poor academic performance. *http://seattletimes.com/html/nationworld/2019784379_charterschools29.html* *CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS WEBSITE* CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS A compilation of news articles about charter schools which have been charged with, or are highly suspected of, tampering with admissions, grad... more
Teaching Reading Comprehension Through Content Areas — Whole Child Education
Teaching Reading Comprehension Through Content Areas — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Klea Scharberg]Teaching Reading Comprehension Through Content Areas January 25, 2013 by Klea Scharberg What is the most effective way to teach a reading comprehension strategy? Does explicit instruction in one type of reading comprehension strategy facilitate acquisition of similar types of reading comprehension strategies? This video, from Best Practices Weekly, dissects a study that posed these questions in an article published in the *Journal of Educational Psychology*. Foc... more »
Diane in the Evening 1-25-13 Diane Ravitch's blog
Diane Ravitch's blog: Support Thomas Mertz for Madison, WI, School Board by dianerav Thomas Mertz trained as a historian of education. We have that in common. Though I have never met Thomas, I endorse his principles and I am happy to see that he is running for election to the school board in Madison, Wisconsin. The need has never been greater to elect allies and strong supporters of public education. Please help him in any way you can. *Prepared, Progressive, Passionate* *I am excited to announce my candidacy for the Madison Metropolitan School District Board of Education, Seat... more »
The Sunday Mail. « Fred Klonsky
The Sunday Mail. « Fred Klonsky: The Sunday Mail. by Fred Klonsky [image: 704856_4221285371192_1247059966_o] *Ms Gunderson’s class sings together.* *Now would be a good time for Obama to change his attachment to Duncan* and market-based education reforms. *Why does the US do poorly* on international rankings in education achievement? Too many poor kids. *Karen Lewis* on the Ed Show blog. *$240 billion amassed by 100 richest people enough to end extreme poverty four times over:* Oxfam. *Study shows kids not “kindergarten ready.”* I just kind of expected them to come the first day. Wit... more »
UPDATE: NEA President Dennis Van Roekel on Garfield + The Seattle Garfield movement spreads + Mark Stefanik. Savage indignation. « Fred Klonsky
Mark Stefanik. Savage indignation. « Fred Klonsky: The inbox. NEA President Dennis Van Roekel on Garfield. by Fred Klonsky *Fred,* *We have been witness this week to a defining moment within the education profession as educators at Seattle’s Garfield High School take a heroic stand against using the MAP test as a basis for measuring academic performance and teacher effectiveness. I, along with 3 million educators across the country, proudly support their efforts in saying ‘no’ to giving their students a flawed test that takes away from learning and is not aligned with the curricul... more »
Joy Resmovits: Jerry Brown Makes Veiled Hit On EdSec Arne Duncan? Harnessing Teachers' Voices: Ed Today
Joy Resmovits: Jerry Brown Makes Veiled Hit On EdSec Arne Duncan? Harnessing Teachers' Voices: Ed Today: Jerry Brown Makes Veiled Hit On EdSec Arne Duncan? Harnessing Teachers' Voices: Ed Today by Joy Resmovits *Did Jerry Brown Just Ding Arne Duncan?* In his State of the State address yesterday, Calif. Gov. Jerry Brown (D) talked a bit about federalism and education policy. He proposed a new funding formula and called for more local control. (Some background: his more customized No Child Left Behind waiver was rejected by the U.S. Education Department). Then it got a little sni...more »
MORNING UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 1-25-13 Diane Ravitch's blog
Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Getting Ready for the Common Core Testing by dianerav A friend of a friend of a friend passed this along, hoping I might be able to answer the question about the appropriateness of this test question in second grade. What do you think? “Please read a question on a quiz that my 7 year old son in the 2nd grade got wrong and tell me if I’m crazy for Nevada Set to Replace Career Teachers with TFA by dianerav This is a disturbing interview with Nevada’s State Superintendent of Instruction James Guthrie. Nevada... more »
Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 1-24-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2
*Nite Cap UPDATE**UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE* An eloquent letter of support for the MAP test boycott from the teachers at Roosevelt High School by seattleducation2011 Wednesday/January 23, 2012 This We Believe: Teachers, parents, students, school board members and the administration of Seattle Public Schools owe Garfield High School teachers their gratitude and thanks for speaking the truth. We believe that any reprimand or negative consequences … Continue reading → “On Parents, Better To Coax Or Coerce?” by Larry Ferlazzo Here’s an interesting article from a group called The Cen... more »
Alfie Kohn and Pasi Sahlberg Blogathon « Cooperative Catalyst
Alfie Kohn and Pasi Sahlberg Blogathon « Cooperative Catalyst: Alfie Kohn and Pasi Sahlberg Blogathon by joebower I am putting out a call for people to participate in an Alfie Kohn and Pasi Sahlberg Blogathon.[image: kohnsalhlbergcartoon] This blogathon is in response to the “Creating a great school for all - an evening with Alfie Kohn and Pasi Sahlberg,” Wednesday, February 20, 2013 at Red Deer College in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada. Click here for tickets. Rather than have Alfie Kohn and Pasi Sahlberg simply show up and talk for a couple hours just so we can all go back to work the n... more »
THE PERIMETER PRIMATE: A trip down memory lane with Oakland’s “American Indian” charter schools & Ben Chavis
THE PERIMETER PRIMATE: A trip down memory lane with Oakland’s “American Indian” charter schools & Ben Chavis: A trip down memory lane with Oakland’s “American Indian” charter schools & Ben Chavis by The Perimeter Primate Last evening Oakland Tribune education reporter Katy Murphy sent out this tweet: *Oakland school board just voted 6-1 to issue "notice of intent to revoke" to three American Indian charters. Final decision in March.* It seems apropos to take a look back at some memorable news stories about those schools. 11/14/2001 *“Beating a New Kind of Drum.*” *East Bay Expre... more »
UPDATE: Latest FLDOE Finding + Republican Texas House Says No to Jeb Bush on Testing | Scathing Purple Musings
Republican Texas House Says No to Jeb Bush on Testing | Scathing Purple Musings: Latest FLDOE Finding: Poverty and Race Didn’t Matter in Teacher Evaluation Scores by Bob Sikes From Associated Press reporter Bill Kaczor in the *Miami Herald*: TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Studies show students’ race and socio-economic status have virtually no correlation with their teachers’ performance evaluation scores, a top Florida education official told a legislative panel Thursday. Teachers are being evaluated during the current school year for the first time using what’s known as a value-added model.... more »
UPDATE: You Get What You Pay For + The Sky Will Soon Be Falling, Again + School Tech Connect: Nekritz vs. Martire
School Tech Connect: Nekritz vs. Martire: You Get What You Pay For by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) Ben Joravsky goes right to the heart of it. And I'd note that CPS uses charters to take care of a community's educational needs during the time poor people are moving out and wealthier people are moving in. At which point they create a regular public school with unionized teachers who get paid a decent salary, because as everyone knows, you get what you pay for. I actually don't care. Nothing can dissuade me from starting Tim Tech Charter. Like this blog, my school will The Sk... more »
Letter to the SCUSD Board of Education: | The Sacramento Coalition to Save Public Education
Letter to the SCUSD Board of Education: | The Sacramento Coalition to Save Public Education: Letter to the SCUSD Board of Education: by Kate_Lenox [image: Home] For the past ten years, the Sacramento City Unified School District has closed schools piecemeal, even when attempting to put a process like a 7-11 committee in place. Now with its back against the wall financially, the district believes it must close a large number of schools to remain solvent. To address the declining enrollment and over capacity in the district, planning should have begun by considering the be... more »
Diane in the Evening 1-24-13 Diane Ravitch's blog
Diane Ravitch's blog: Teachers at Roosevelt HS Support Colleagues at Garfield by dianerav Forty-Three Roosevelt High School teachers (colleagues in Seattle Public Schools with Garfield High School teachers) signed this Letter of Support (on Jan. 23, 2012) for GHS teachers and a call to for expedient dismissal of the MAP exam because it has not proven to be useful or reliable. (PDF of original with signatures available upon request). This We Believe: Teachers, parents, students, school board members and the administration of Seattle Public Schools owe Detroit: 28 More Schools Wi... more »
UPDATE: SPS Librarians also Speak Out on MAP Seattle Schools Community Forum: District Continues to Overbuild?
Seattle Schools Community Forum: District Continues to Overbuild?: SPS Librarians also Speak Out on MAP by Melissa Westbrook From our friends at the Stranger Slog, what librarians are saying: *Laurie Amster-Burton, who spoke on behalf of librarians, says she actually switched schools in part because of how invasive MAP testing had become in regard to library time and space. The district has told educators that it thanks them for their concern but it needs time to work out a solution, but Amster-Burton says that these problems have existed for years, and educators have been bringing... more »
Bernardine Dohrn Retiring (from Norhtwestern Law School, but not from the work ahead) « Bill Ayers
Bernardine Dohrn Retiring (from Norhtwestern Law School, but not from the work ahead) « Bill Ayers: Bernardine Dohrn Retiring (from Norhtwestern Law School, but not from the work ahead) by billayers Bernardine Dohrn, founder and former director of the Children and Family Justice Center (CFJC), Bluhm Legal Clinic, Northwestern Law School, will retire from the Center and Law School on August 31, 2013. For more than twenty years, Bernardine has been the CFJC’s visionary leader and champion in the struggle for justice for youth. She has advocated for fair sentencing for children, for... more »
In These 19 States, Teachers Can Still Spank Kids
In These 19 States, Teachers Can Still Spank Kids: In These 19 States, Teachers Can Still Spank Kids This may change in North Carolina, but what about the rest of the U.S.? By Suzi Parker January 23, 2013 Comment [image: In These 19 States, Teachers Can Still Spank Kids] In November 2012 in front of the Supreme Court, Paula Flowe of New York City draws attention to a bill in Congress that would outlaw corporal punishment in schools. (Photo: Roll Call/Getty Images) If John Tate, a North Carolina State Board of Education member, has his way, North Carolina will no longer allow teacher... more »
UPDATE: How to opt your student out of the MAP® test + Seattle Superintendent threatens punitive actions against boycotting teachers: a Seattle teacher responds, others around the country write letters in protest | Seattle Education
Seattle Superintendent threatens punitive actions against boycotting teachers: a Seattle teacher responds, others around the country write letters in protest | Seattle Education: How to opt your student out of the MAP® test by seattleducation2011 *There has been a request for information on how to opt out of the MAP test in Seattle. To follow is an update of a post that Sue wrote in 2010 on opting your student out of the test.* To opt-out of the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP®) test, parents/guardians need to write a short e-mail or letter to their child’s principal, teachers... more »
UPDATE: FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Thursday, January 24, 2013
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: Fensterwald: ACLU warns it will sue state over 20,00 unserved English learners Education Headlines *Thursday, January 24, 2013* Students choose extra, not exodus, as Stockton USD lowers credit requirementThis year, it seemed more conceivable than ever that there could have been an early exodus from Stockton Unified of high school students who had more than enough credits to graduate ahead of time. Rowland High begins major renovationsThe modernization project is funded by a $118 million construction bond passed in 2006. ACLU takes... more »
UPDATE: NEA President: Seattle Teachers Stand Against Flawed Testing a “Defining Moment” | NEA Today
NEA President: Seattle Teachers Stand Against Flawed Testing a “Defining Moment” | NEA Today: NEA President: Seattle Teachers Stand Against Flawed Testing a “Defining Moment” by twalker *By Tim Walker* The boycott by teachers in Seattle over the district-mandated Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) standardized test has attracted national attention and an outpouring of support from educators, students, and parents from across the country. In perhaps the first instance anywhere in the nation, teachers at Garfield High on January 9 decided unanimously to refuse to administer the tes... more »
Tony at the Red Line Tap. « Fred Klonsky
Tony at the Red Line Tap. « Fred Klonsky: Tony at the Red Line Tap. by Fred Klonsky [image: tonyattheredline] “Jeez, it’s cold,” I said to nobody in particular. Marty looked over from the cash register. “Know what, honey,” I said. “Give me some of your Paulaner Brauhaus Hefeweizen from Shanghai.” “No problem,” said Marty. “If you say ‘please’ and don’t call me ‘honey.’” “Yes m’am,” I said and winked. “Don’t wink,” she said. “Okay,” I mumbled. Tony turned halfway from his stool. “Where you been hiding?”
Alfie Kohn: Why Punishment Doesn't Work - Bridging Differences - Education Week
Alfie Kohn: Why Punishment Doesn't Work - Bridging Differences - Education Week: Alfie Kohn: Why Punishment Doesn't Work by Deborah Meier *Guest blogger Alfie Kohn joins Bridging Differences today. He will blog with Deborah Meier for the next month.* Dear Deb, [image: alfie-kohn-headshot-tmb.jpg] Thanks for inviting me to join you on this forum so we can be overheard by people other than a waiter when we affectionately poke each other. Of course you're right that we agree on the big issues—those that all educators most urgently need to be discussing. But perhaps we can stimulate so... more »
Julia Steiny: Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee Throws Gas on Ed Reform Hostilities GoLocalProv
GoLocalProv | News | Julia Steiny: Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee Throws Gas on Ed Reform Hostilities: Julia Steiny: Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee Throws Gas on Ed Reform Hostilities Thursday, January 24, 2013 The ever-controversial Michelle Rhee and her organization Students First have issued a State Policy Report Card, grading states' reform policies. Almost all the states got either a "D" or an "F." Dummies. As the Chancellor of the D.C. schools, Rhee posed for the 2008 cover of Time Magazine looking witchy with a broom, symbolizing her efforts to sweep bad teachers and ... more »
Morning Update: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 1-24-13 Diane Ravitch's blog
Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] The Best Governor in the United States Is…. by dianerav California’s Governor Jerry Brown! His State of the State speech, given today, is brilliant. It reflects his probing intellect, his philosophical bent, his deep understanding of the power of the creative mind, his abiding love of his state. On the subject of education, he speaks words that will be music to the ears of every educator. He recognizes–as Washington, D.C. does not–that great education cannot be mandated or legislated. He knows–as most G.F... more »
New York City School Bus Drivers’ Strike: An Injury to One Is an Injury to All « Classroom Struggle
New York City School Bus Drivers’ Strike: An Injury to One Is an Injury to All « Classroom Struggle: New York City School Bus Drivers’ Strike: An Injury to One Is an Injury to All by ClassroomStruggle As the privatization agenda moves forward and attacks teachers and students it’s sometimes forgotten how school support workers are affected. At least in Oakland, custodial workers have gone years without a raise and numerous positions have been outsourced. A key and often overlooked outsourced position is afterschool workers. Increasingly they have been expected to shoulder mo... more »
School Tech Connect: Monty Neil Tonight
School Tech Connect: Monty Neil Tonight: Monty Neil Tonight by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) [image: School Tech Connect] 7 PM, Hartzell Methodist Church. Inch by inch, row by row, people are waking up to overtesting that's going on in our schools. Even the sleepiest people. By the way, the testing is not something the teachers are asking for. It's political. It's part of the corporate takeover of public education. You can't have something like SB7 and not expect a barrage of idiotic "formative" testing. If you were a legislator, for example, and you voted for SB7, and you ha... more »
Sacramento News & Review - Downsizing the district - Bites - Opinions - January 24, 2013
Sacramento News & Review - Downsizing the district - Bites - Opinions - January 24, 2013: Downsizing the district Neighborhood schools to be shuttered, superintendent's ‘priority schools' spared By Cosmo Garvin cosmog@newsreview.com This article was published on 01.24.13. The Sacramento City Unified School District board will meet on Thursday, February 21, to consider the closure of 11 neighborhood elementary schools. They are Bret Harte, Clayton B. Wire, C.P. Huntington, Fruit Ridge, James W. Marshall, Joseph Bonnheim, Maple, Mark Hopkins, Susan B. Anthony, Tahoe and Washingt... more »
High school senior publicly tells 300+ students he is an LGBT teen
At the presentation of senior class awards (Class Clown, Most Likely to Succeed, etc.), an LGBT teen publicly announces during his acceptance speech for Class Actor award that he is an LGBT teen and is tired of acting as someone he's not on a daily basis. His classmates clearly approve.
Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 1-23-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2
*Nite Cap UPDATE**UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE* [image: via Seattle Education Association] NEA President supports Seattle educators who refuse to give flawed standardized test Standardized test takes away from student learning WASHINGTON - January 23, 2013 - National Education Association (NEA) members at Garfield High School in Seattle, Wash., voted to not administer the district-mandated Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) standardized test that is not aligned with state standards or the district curriculum. NEA has long urged for the careful consideration of the fact that these te... more »
Open Letters FROM Reformers I Know. Part 2: Wendy Kopp | Gary Rubinstein's Blog
Open Letters FROM Reformers I Know. Part 2: Wendy Kopp | Gary Rubinstein's Blog: Open Letters FROM Reformers I Know. Part 2: Wendy Kopp by Gary Rubinstein Though she was the last one to receive an open letter from me, Wendy Kopp is the second person to respond. I’ll probably make some comments about the letter in the ‘comments’ section later on, but for now I want to give her the full forum. 1/23/13 Dear Gary, From my kids’ perspective, Darth Vader is one of the cooler things I’ve been compared to over the years. Thank you for your letter, and for starting this open letter series... more »
A National Council on Children: Renewing Our Vision for America’s Future | First Focus
A National Council on Children: Renewing Our Vision for America’s Future | First Focus: [image: First Focus - Making Childen and Families the Priority] A National Council on Children: Renewing Our Vision for America’s Future REPORTS Search resources By Bruce Lesley and Shadi Houshyar Download this Resource Related press release:Leading Experts Propose Game-Changing Ideas to Improve the Lives of Children According to UNICEF, the United States ranks 20th out of 21 industrialized nations in child wellbeing and poverty. To combat our rising rates child poverty, this essay, written by Fi... more »
UPDATE: Wait,What? OPM Secretary Barnes says state budget deficit at $64.4 million. - Wait, What?
Wait,What? OPM Secretary Barnes says state budget deficit at $64.4 million. - Wait, What?: Wait,What? OPM Secretary Barnes says state budget deficit at $64.4 million. by jonpelto A state budget deficit at $64.4 million. SURPRISE! Surprise???? The Malloy administration goes for broke with its misleading approach to the state’s budget deficit problems. Yesterday, Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management Ben Barnes issued his monthly budget letter to the State Comptroller announcing that due to a decline in revenue (and some additional excess spending); this year’s Connecti... more »
Update: Seattle Schools Community Forum: What About BEX?
Seattle Schools Community Forum: What About BEX?: What About BEX? by Melissa Westbrook What are you hearing at your school about the levies? Is there a big push on? I know that at least 20+ schools have endorsed it. Yesterday, the Times had an op-ed from the head of School First, Greg Wong, in support of the levies but it had one day on their webpage and is now gone to their file area. Kind of odd. The election is less than a month away and ballots are coming your way next week. And, yet this seems to be a decidedly low-key election. Does the district NOT want to call attent... more »
How do I go about Blogging? « My Island View
How do I go about Blogging? « My Island View: How do I go about Blogging? by tomwhitby If there is one thing that Social Media in education has taught me it is: Never answer for someone else’s need to know! In a world of discussions using tweets and posts there is an audience for discussion on any level of experience on any given subject. The subjects that I deal with most often involve Education, Social Media, or Social Media in Education. The Posts and Tweets I ponder the most are those that deal with the very basics of these subjects. I always worry if a basic explanation is ju... more »
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 1-23-13 Diane Ravitch's blog
Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] How Billionaires Bought New Jersey’s Government by dianerav Jersey Jazzman explains a simple concept: When private organizations give money to public agencies, it should be fully disclosed. A couple of legislators actually offered legislation to assure proper oversight, but it was vetoed by Governor Chris Christie, exercising a line-item veto. In this post, JJ shows how private money is being used to privatize public schools in district after district, without public knowledge or consent. This stinks. Teac... more »
NYC Educator: Governor Cuomo and His Grand Experiment
NYC Educator: Governor Cuomo and His Grand Experiment: Governor Cuomo and His Grand Experiment by NYC Educator Governor Andrew Cuomo has proclaimed himself the student lobbyist. This is, apparently, because no one else in the state cares about students. Certainly teachers don't care. They're so utterly worthless they can't even be trusted to grade the tests of students in their buildings. And parents don't care either. So it's on Andrew Cuomo, alone, to take on this monumental task. Oddly, Governor Cuomo pontificates about what schoolchildren need, but refuses to do any homework h... more »
Why STEM Education and Minority Achievement gaps are Interlinked | NewsTacoNewsTaco
Why STEM Education and Minority Achievement gaps are Interlinked | NewsTacoNewsTaco: Why STEM Education and Minority Achievement gaps are Interlinked by Voxxi [image: stem education][image: voxxi]By Hope Gillette, Voxxi Economists agree – science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education is critical to the future success of the United States. Yet even at the K-12 level, these subjects are not being given the emphasis they deserve. According to a Huffington Post blog by Stephen M. Coan, president of the Sea Research Foundation, early education has focused primarily on readi... more »
Jersey Jazzman: Reformy All-Stars!
Jersey Jazzman: Reformy All-Stars!: Reformy All-Stars! by Duke *Been there...* This Sunday, an all-star congregation of the reformyest of the reformy meets in New Jersey to sing the praises of "choice." And the lead tenor will be none other than the Pavarotti of privatization, Education Commissioner Chris Cerf: New Jersey School Choice Summit In commemoration of National School Choice Week, please join education reform leaders and supporters from across New Jersey for a timely, important, and uplifting meeting about education reform and school choice in the Garden State. Get you... more »
Seattle Schools Community Forum: KUOW Report on the Alliance for Education
Seattle Schools Community Forum: KUOW Report on the Alliance for Education: KUOW Report on the Alliance for Education by Melissa Westbrook It's a doozy. The first head of the Alliance, Sue Tupper (who coincidentally ran the No on 1240 campaign for the WEA), said this: *"When the organization started, there was great sensitivity to needing to take the cues from the school district, rather than coming up with an agenda and then imposing that agenda on the school district," Tupper said.* Exactly. I get some air time and then comes in Sara Morris, the current head of the Alliance. ... more »
Got Choice? Ubetcha! - Celebrating National School Choice Week
*National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) Group: 1 in 5 charter schools not doing well enough to stay open* A group that oversees more than half of the nation's 5,600 charter schools said as many as one in five U.S. charter schools should be shut down because of poor academic performance. *http://seattletimes.com/html/nationworld/2019784379_charterschools29.html* *CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS WEBSITE* CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS A compilation of news articles about charter schools which have been charged with, or are highly suspected of, tampering with admissions, grad... more »
Special Mid Day Banana Break 1-22-13 #soschat #edreform
*Big Education Ape - Mid Day Banana Break* Caterpillar: Why IL Dems go after teacher pensions by Mike Klonsky Slowpoke Comics *How much do Illinois' largest corporations pay in state income taxes? It's a complex question, but the answer is simple: Nobody knows. Well, almost nobody. The companies know, but they're not telling. Tax collectors know, but they're not allowed to tell. That leaves the rest of us with just one safe guess: as little as legally possible*. -- Chicago Tribune If you're looking for clues as to why a Democratic governor and House Speaker as well as a Dem-contr... more »
Diane in the Evening 1-22-13 Diane Ravitch's blog
Diane Ravitch's blog: Danger: Privatization in Texas by dianerav The new leadership of the Texas legislature has a plan. State Senator Dan Patrick, the new chair of the Senate Education Committee, wants vouchers, more charters, and a fast track for closing down public schools. He and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst want to shorten the time that schools have to improve or close–from five years to only two. That should clear the way for lots of vouchers and charters! Allen Weeks, who heads the Save Texas Schools coalition in the state, wrote an article about the privatization agenda. H... more »
Words Can Hurt: No Name-Calling Week 2013 — Whole Child Education
Words Can Hurt: No Name-Calling Week 2013 — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Kristen Pekarek]Words Can Hurt: No Name-Calling Week 2013 January 22, 2013 by Kristen Pekarek Inspired by the young adult novel, *The Misfits*, where characters work together to create a no name-calling day in their schools, this annual event aims to end name-calling of all kinds in schools and communities everywhere. The No Name-Calling Week Coalition, created by whole child partner the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, provides students and educators with opportunities and r... more »
NYC Public School Parents: The testing rebellion & opt-out movement in NYC has a supporter -- inside Tweed
NYC Public School Parents: The testing rebellion & opt-out movement in NYC has a supporter -- inside Tweed: The testing rebellion & opt-out movement in NYC has a supporter -- inside Tweed by Leonie Haimson Lisa Nielsen A nationwide backlash has erupted against the obsession with standardized testing. In February 2012, the Texas Commissioner of Education, Robert Perry, announced that testing had become a "perversion of its original intent.” Over the last year, 86 percent of Texas school boards representing 91 percent of the state’s students, have passed resolutionsagainst the use ...more »
Joy Resmovits: Obama's Inaugural Education Mentions, Test Prep Bankruptcy: Ed Today
Joy Resmovits: Obama's Inaugural Education Mentions, Test Prep Bankruptcy: Ed Today: Obama's Inaugural Education Mentions, Test Prep Bankruptcy: Ed Today by Joy Resmovits *So There Was An Inauguration...* As you might have heard, this weekend, President Barack Obama was sworn in for his second term. And at the inauguration, he gave a speech. The Washington Post's Valerie Straussteased out O's references to education. (Hint: There weren't many. For the most part, Obama lumped in education with other domestic policy issues in need of reform). More here from Politics K-12. *Test Pr... more »
Graduation Rate Hits Record High For High School Students: Government Report
Graduation Rate Hits Record High For High School Students: Government Report: Graduation Rate Hits Record High For High School Students: Government Report by Joy Resmovits More U.S. high school students than ever are graduating on time, according to new information released by the research arm of the U.S. Education Department. The percentage of students who graduated from high school within four years of starting ninth grade in the 2006-2007 school year hit a record high, according to the report. "What we see is an increase," Jack Buckley, who directs the Education Department's ... more »
Teachers’ test boycott draws growing support | Education | The Seattle Times
Teachers’ test boycott draws growing support | Education | The Seattle Times: Teachers’ test boycott draws growing support Support is growing for Garfield High teachers in their boycott of a district-required test. Seattle Public Schools officials, while saying the test has value, also are acknowledging that some of the teachers’ concerns have merit. By Linda Shaw Seattle Times education reporter [image: Rachel Eells is among Garfield High School teachers who are refusing to administer the school district-required MAP test to their students. Eells, who teaches language arts, says t... more »
Oregon Save Our Schools: Dartmouth v. College Board
Oregon Save Our Schools: Dartmouth v. College Board: Dartmouth v. College Board by Kris Alman This duel may not have registered a spark of interest, but leave it to Dartmouth to shoot down the College Board! (No worries! Corporations don't suffer mortal blows.) Beginning with the class of 2018, Dartmouth will no longer offer college credit for good Advanced Placement (AP) scores, claiming these courses aren’t as rigorous as their college courses. Dartmouth, you see, is not for commoners. In 1819, their trustees won a landmark Supreme Court decision over the New Hampshire legisl... more »
Mississippi Will Struggle With Common Core Implementation | Truth in American Education
Mississippi Will Struggle With Common Core Implementation | Truth in American Education: Mississippi Will Struggle With Common Core Implementation by Shane Vander Hart [image: MDOE-Seal]I had written earlier that Arizona has funding issues with the Common Core. Iowa’s Department of Education doesn’t even have statutory authority to implement the SBAC tests. Now *The Sun Herald* in Biloxi, MS reports that schools in Mississippi will have a hard time with implementation: All U.S. students in second through 12th grades, under the newly adopted Common Core State Standards, will take... more »
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools This Week
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools This Week: Seattle Schools This Week by Melissa Westbrook It's a fairly quiet week around SPS this week. *Tuesday, January 22nd* Call into the Board office (or e-mail) if you want to sign up for the Speakers list for the Board meeting on Wednesday. Frankly, you will not be changing anyone's mind if you choose to speak BUT if you want to make a point, out loud and in public, now's the time to go on record. 252-0040 or boardagenda@seattleschools.org *Wednesday, January 23rd* Rally to support teachers against MAP at 4:00 p.m. This o... more »
Diane in the Evening 1-21-13 Diane Ravitch's blog
Diane Ravitch's blog: Diane and Sharon Higgins, a parent activist in Oakland EduShyster: If Martin Luther King Were Alive Today…. by dianerav EduShyster tries to imagine how Martin Luther King, Jr., would react to today’s corporate reform movement in education. Would he agree with the corporate reformers that poverty is an excuse for bad teachers? Would he agree that segregation doesn’t matter? Would he agree that unions are *LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 1-21-13 Diane Ravitch's blog* coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Lis... more »
President Obama’s Second Inaugural Address full text - Washington Wire - WSJ
President Obama’s Second Inaugural Address - Washington Wire - WSJ: Here* is the full text of President Barack Obama’s second inaugural address on Jan. 21, 2013, as prepared for delivery:* Vice President Biden, Mr. Chief Justice, Members of the United States Congress, distinguished guests, and fellow citizens: Each time we gather to inaugurate a president, we bear witness to the enduring strength of our Constitution. We affirm the promise of our democracy. We recall that what binds this nation together is not the colors of our skin or the tenets of our faith or the origins of our... more »
The Seattle Times | Martin Luther King Jr. Timeline
The Seattle Times | Martin Luther King Jr.: Timeline Martin Luther King Jr. The struggle to change conditions in America, and to win equal protection under the law for citizens of all races, formed the backdrop of Martin Luther King's short life. Civil rights It may be hard to believe that less than 50 years ago, America had separate drinking fountains for whites and blacks and "colored balconies" in movie theaters. - January 15. Michael Luther King Jr., later renamed Martin, born to schoolteacher Alberta King and Baptist minister Michael Luther King. Boyhood in Swee... more »
“Intelligence plus character-that is the goal of true education.” - Martin Luther King, Jr. - Wait, What?
“Intelligence plus character-that is the goal of true education.” - Martin Luther King, Jr. - Wait, What?: “Intelligence plus character-that is the goal of true education.” – Martin Luther King, Jr. by jonpelto *“Intelligence plus character-that is the goal of true education.” - Martin Luther King, Jr.* The debate in America today is not between those who want to keep our education system as it is and those who want to change it. The “education reformers” are fond of saying that those of us who oppose their initiatives are for the status quo. They are wrong and their rhetoric is... more »
The Educated Reporter: Martin Luther King Jr. Day: Should Schools Stay Open?
The Educated Reporter: Martin Luther King Jr. Day: Should Schools Stay Open?: Martin Luther King Jr. Day: Should Schools Stay Open? by Emily Richmond *It's inauguration day, but it's also the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. Here's my post on the topic from last year.* Today is a federal holiday, which means schools -- and pretty much every office -- is closed here in D.C. However some districts nationwide opt not suspend classes for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Many schools use the day as an opportunity for special assemblies and workshops, while others simply continue with their... more »
Chad Sansing comes clean about positive test scores « Cooperative Catalyst
Chad Sansing comes clean about positive test scores « Cooperative Catalyst: Chad Sansing comes clean about positive test scores by Chad Sansing All sizes by giulia.forsythe Interviewer: Did you ever use worksheets to enhance your students’ test performance? [image: All sizes by giulia.forsythe]Chad Sansing: Yes. I: Was one of those worksheets a word search? CS: Yes. I: Did you ever teach to the test or use released items to enhance your students’ test performance?
Mike Rose on Cognition! « Deborah Meier on Education
Mike Rose on Cognition! « Deborah Meier on Education: Mike Rose on Cognition! by debmeier Before I forget. Once again Mike Rose opens my eyes and clears my mind of the nonsense that accumulates when I’m not looking! “Giving Cognition a Bad Name”, Education Week, January 16, 2013–back cover! he false distinction between “affect” and “cognitive”–”character” vs “academics” and on and on is more than foolish. It’s dangerous. Above all to those we’ve too long cheated in our schools under the name of “care” and “love” and “the whole child.” Strong character–feistiness, grit, or whatever... more »
Diane in the Evening 1-20-13 Diane Ravitch's blog
Diane Ravitch's blog: File Under “You Can’t Make This Stuff Up” How Do You Answer This Teacher’s Question? by dianerav I am a strong supporter of the public schools and opposed to the “reform” movement attempting to privatize education. I didn’t find your article divisive. But, I do have a question that keeps coming up for me about some of the reasons why charters gain traction. Charters benefit from the real and perceived impact of heterogeneous grouping upon the achievement of more prepared students. Similarly, they score points because public schools are less able to address... more »
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Schmitz Park Joins the Chorus of Teacher Voices
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Schmitz Park Joins the Chorus of Teacher Voices: Schmitz Park Joins the Chorus of Teacher Voices by Melissa Westbrook From the West Seattle Blog: *Dear Superintendent Banda,* *The staff of Schmitz Park, by a unanimous vote, joins in its support of Garfield High and all other schools and individuals around the district that boycott the MAP test. We agree with Garfield’s position about the harmful, ineffective, and wasteful nature of the MAP test and its deleterious impact on instructional time and consequently student achievement. We join SEA in a... more »
193 Chicago elementary schools not safe from closing - Chicago Sun-Times
193 Chicago elementary schools not safe from closing - Chicago Sun-Times: 193 Chicago elementary schools not safe from closing By Lauren FitzPatrick and Art Golab Staff Reporters January 19, 2013 2:30AM 0 0 Share 35 [image: Schools CEO BarbarByrd-Bennett speaks City Club Chicago lunch Maggiano's Banquets. File photo. | Rich Hein~Sun-Times] Schools CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett speaks at the City Club of Chicago lunch at Maggiano's Banquets. File photo. | Rich Hein~Sun-Times INTERACTIVE MAP: Potential School Closings RELATED STORIES - CPS won’t close high schools, top performers, By... more »
The Sunday Mail. « Fred Klonsky
The Sunday Mail. « Fred Klonsky: The Sunday Mail. by Fred Klonsky [image: 704856_4221285371192_1247059966_o] *Ms Gunderson’s class sings together.* *Now would be a good time for Obama to change his attachment to Duncan* and market-based education reforms. *Why does the US do poorly* on international rankings in education achievement? Too many poor kids. *Karen Lewis* on the Ed Show blog. *$240 billion amassed by 100 richest people enough to end extreme poverty four times over:* Oxfam. *Study shows kids not “kindergarten ready.”* I just kind of expected them to come the first day. Wit... more »
Steppenwolf - Magic Carpet Ride
Off of Steppenwolf's second album, Steppenwolf The Second I like to dream yes, yes, right between my sound machine On a cloud of sound I drift in the night Any place it goes is right Goes far, flies near, to the stars away from here Well, you don't know what we can find Why don't you come with me little girl On a magic carpet ride You don't know what we can see Why don't you tell your dreams to me Fantasy will set you free Close your eyes girl Look inside girl Let the sound take you away Last night I held Aladdin's lamp And so I wished that I could stay Before the thing could answer me... more »
Howard Zinn’s History of the American Empire, animated style | MyFDL
Howard Zinn’s History of the American Empire, animated style | MyFDL: [image: User Picture]Howard Zinn’s History of the American Empire, animated styleBy: Elliott Saturday January 19, 2013 6:29 pm [image: Tweet]Tweet [image: digg] [image: stumbleupon] Empire or Humanity? What the Classroom Didn’t Teach Me about the American Empire by Howard Zinn (Narration by Viggo Mortensen) H/T Open Culture
DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER!: Student Goals = Growth in Test Scores? Is This the New Normal?
DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER!: Student Goals = Growth in Test Scores? Is This the New Normal?: Student Goals = Growth in Test Scores? Is This the New Normal? by Lisa M The staff discussed the goals our students need to meet in order to be successful by the end of the year. The goals we are trying to get our children to achieve. The goals we are striving for and want our students to attain. You know what the goals are? *A NUMBER ON A STANDARDIZED TEST!* * * I am supposed to sit down with my students and push them to reach their goal. And what is that goal? *A NUMB... more »
Garfield High teachers get support from the AFT. From the NEA? Crickets. « Fred Klonsky
Garfield High teachers get support from the AFT. From the NEA? Crickets. « Fred Klonsky: Garfield High teachers get support from the AFT. From the NEA? Crickets. by Fred Klonsky AFT President Randi Weingarten: *Dear Garfield High School Teachers:* *Thank you. Thank you for taking a courageous stand against the fixation on high-stakes testing and its harmful impact on our ability to give our students the high-quality public education they deserve.* *Your actions have propelled the national conversation on the impact of high-stakes testing. Every educator understands that appropriat... more »
UPDATE: Daily Kos: Just so you know what we are dealing with
Daily Kos: Just so you know what we are dealing with: Just so you know what we are dealing with byteacherkenFollow - - - 1 Comments / 0 New I suggest you take a look here and consider the following 60 round and 100 round compatible with M4/M16/AR15 type weapons they promote by showing someone in military garb but as far as I know such large capacity magazines are neither standard issue military equipment nor in fact encouraged in the armed forces, although perhaps someone with military experience than mine in the mid 60's might care to comment. Please tell what ... more »
Diane in the Evening 1-19-13 Diane Ravitch's blog
Diane Ravitch's blog: Is This Article “Divisive”? by dianerav This is the article that a Rightwing Wisconsin think tank called “divisive.” From what I have seen these past twenty years, charters and vouchers are divisive. What do you think? Indiana: Private and Religious Schools May Lose Independence by dianerav A report from Indiana: Vic’s Statehouse Notes #106– January 17, 2013 Dear Friends, Yesterday’s committee vote on Senate Bill 184, the voucher expansion bill, was delayed until next Wednesday’s meeting. This gives us all more time to send additional messages of oppositi... more »
Occupy the Department of Education California Father
[image: California Father] *Published on Jan 19, 2013* April 4-7 students, parents and educators will speak out in defense of public education. Join Diane Ravitch, Deborah Meier, Nancy Carlsson-Paige, Stephen Krashen and many others @ the United States Department of Education or watch @ www. livestream.com/califather. PS The LA Times Has Always Hated Public Schools *by California Father on January 15, 2013 · Leave a Comment* I am reading Upton Sinclair’s wonderful muckraking book about public education in Los Angeles in the ‘twenties, The Goslings, a Study of American Schools. See ... more »
Real Parent Power Organized Parents, Organized Teachers
Real Parent Power: Current national and local education policies often pit teachers and parents against each other, trapping them in a cycle of blame and mistrust. But in one Minneapolis community, parents and teachers decided to work together to make their schools better – with great results. This is their story.** *About Organized Parents, Organized Teachers* *Organized Parents, Organized Teachers* was produced by the Annenberg Institute for School Reform as part of AISR’s ongoing efforts to support community organizing for better schools and collaborative, effective partnership... more »
New Audio Book of Fugitive Days now available! « Bill Ayers
New Audio Book of Fugitive Days now available! « Bill Ayers: New Audio Book of Fugitive Days now available! http://www.audible.com/pd?asin=B00AFF6UDG&source_code=SUSP0339WS012607 [image: Fugitive Days: Memoirs of an Anti-War Activist | [William Ayers]] Fugitive Days: Memoirs of an Anti-War Activist - UNABRIDGED - by William Ayers - Narrated by Jeff Woodman - - - - Regular Price :$24.95 Special Offer: Learn how to get this for $7.49 !
The Unknown Teacher
control of teachers: The Unknown Teacher by Susan Ohanian [image: The Unknown Teacher] (To JS/07/M/378 In place of a marble monument, this data is warehoused at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and at NEA and AFT Headquarters) She was found by the U. S. Department of Education to be One against whom there was no official debit side, And all the reports on her conduct agree That, in the modern sense of an old-fashioned word, she was highly qualified, For in everything she did she obeyed Standardisto decrees. Except for maternity leave, till the day she retired She worked in a clas... more »
Do Public Schools, Umm, Suck? - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher
Do Public Schools, Umm, Suck? - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher: Do Public Schools, Umm, Suck? by Nancy Flanagan Recently, my friend and IDEA colleague John Dubie, a high school senior, posted a personal, autobiographical blog entitled "Big Picture Saved My Life." John meant that statement literally. It's his story to tell--and I urge you to read it--but I was stunned by the aftermath of the piece, which was picked up, reprinted and dissected in a number of other blogs. I was especially surprised by those commentaries bearing titles indicating that John's life... more »
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 1-19-13 Diane Ravitch's blog
Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Milwaukee: No Model for America by dianerav Recently I wrote a post maintaining that choice had failed in Milwaukee, and that the city would be better off if it had a single public school system, doors open to all, receiving public support and public funding and civic energy. Uniting behind public education makes more sense than supporting three separate systems, none of which do well for studnts. The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel published my post as an opinion piece. So far, my views have been critiqued... more »
UPDATE: Schools’ Design Can Play Role in Safety + Lance Armstrong Is Right About One Thing | toteachornototeach
Lance Armstrong Is Right About One Thing | toteachornototeach: Schools’ Design Can Play Role in Safety, Student Engagement by aristotlethewise *Schools’ Design Can Play Role in Safety, Student Engagement* [image: Joplin Interim High School social commons] By Jaclyn Zubrzycki A building alone does not create a school culture. But research shows that school buildings can affect students’ morale and academic performance. Now, school officials are moving away from the “cells and bells” design marked by long, locker-lined hallways of windowless classrooms, and toward more open, flexible ... more »