BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK AM POSTS
Common Core Costs to Districts Just Beginning
Where will districts find the money to implement Common Core standards? I received an email from a Missouri teacher about the increased cost of materials in one school district due to Common Core mandates. This is an example of the increased cost of curricula mandated by CCSS. How can the districts absorb these type of costs in the reality of shrinking budgets and revenues? The teacher writes about the books now aligned to the CCSS standards as opposed to the MO standards. Keep in mind this is only one set of curricula aligned to the CCSS that teachers must now use. *The books... more »
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 »
FIGHTBACK The Hi-Stakes Testing Madness Coalition for Public Education/Coalición por la Educación Pública:
Coalition for Public Education/Coalición por la Educación Pública: FIGHTBACK The Hi-Stakes Testing Madness: FIGHTBACK The Hi-Stakes Testing Madness by Black Educator *8 Ways For Parents to Fight * *the Hi-Stakes Testing Madness* National Resolution on High-Stakes Testing - *Sign Now!* Submitted by fairtest on April 23, 2012 FairTest, 12 other organizations, and prominent individuals have drafted the following a national Resolution on High-Stakes Testing. We call organizations and individuals to endorse it. We also encourage people to write letters and get organizations to endors... more »
Demand a Moratorium on School Closures & Co-locations - NY-GPS
Demand a Moratorium on School Closures & Co-locations - NY-GPS: - Take Action - Demand a Moratorium on School Closures & Co-locations! Demand a Moratorium on School Closures & Co-locations! Over the past 12 years, the Bloomberg administration has closed 140 schools. 60% of new elementary and middle schools have performed *worse* than the ones they replaced. Simultaneously, the Mayor's Dept. of Education has forced public schools to co-locate with charter schools, often resulting in huge inequities in classroom resources within individual school buildings. None of the Mayor... more »
Demand a Moratorium on School Closures & Co-locations - NY-GPS
Demand a Moratorium on School Closures & Co-locations - NY-GPS: - Take Action - Demand a Moratorium on School Closures & Co-locations! Demand a Moratorium on School Closures & Co-locations! Over the past 12 years, the Bloomberg administration has closed 140 schools. 60% of new elementary and middle schools have performed *worse* than the ones they replaced. Simultaneously, the Mayor's Dept. of Education has forced public schools to co-locate with charter schools, often resulting in huge inequities in classroom resources within individual school buil... more »
How the executive branch is reshaping education ― with little debate | Hechinger Report
How the executive branch is reshaping education ― with little debate | Hechinger Report: How the executive branch is reshaping education ― with little debate by Marc Tucker [image: How the executive branch is reshaping education ― with little debate] WASHINGTON ― In December, the application from the State of California for a waiver from the provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) was denied by the U.S. Department of Education. This, we were told, was because California disagreed with some items on the Department's reform agenda—especially those having to do with teacher ... 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?”
The Case of the Missing College Graduates | EduShyster
The Case of the Missing College Graduates | EduShyster: The Case of the Missing College Graduates by edushyster2012 Grab your magnifying glass, reader, and a heaping helping of fingerprint powder too—we’re going sleuthing.College graduates are the object of today’s inquiry, specifically students who, after attending urban academies of excellence and innovation, go on to attend college at STAGGERING numbers, yet disappear completely when it is time for that beloved tradition: the data round up.While it is an indisputable true fact that students who attend charter schools graduate fr... more »
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 »
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 1-24-13 Diane Ravitch's blog
Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] How Phony Reform Destroys Teacher Morale: “I Quit” by dianerav A reader sent this sad commentary on the state of education today. When you read dozens of letters like this from districts around the country, you have to wonder if the “powers that be” are trying to force experienced teachers out of the classroom, to make room for the young teachers who don’t know enough to think differently, who won’t stay around long enough to get a pension, who won’t question the New Order of testing and submission. Maybe... 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 »
State’s D in teacher prep nearly average | EdSource Today
State’s D in teacher prep nearly average | EdSource Today: State’s D in teacher prep nearly average ** January 24th, 2013 | Add a Comment | By Kathryn Baron Share on twitterShare on facebookShare on emailShare on print More Sharing Services There’s no sign of a bell curve in the latest scores of state teacher preparation programs. California received an overall grade of D on the *2012 State Teacher Policy Yearbook *released by the National Council on Teacher Quality. No, that’s not great, but it may be easier to bear knowing that the national average was a whopping D+. “With so mu... more »
Ed Notes Online: MORE Pres Candidate Cavanagh in NY Times
Ed Notes Online: MORE Pres Candidate Cavanagh in NY Times: MORE Pres Candidate Cavanagh in NY Times by ed notes online *"The ‘bad teacher’ narrative as a way of explaining what’s wrong with our school system gets really old,” says Ms. Cavanagh. “Our union has taken a stance that we will collaborate and compromise and that is shortsighted when the other side seems bent on destroying you." -- Julie Cavanagh in NY Times* http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/23/scorn-for-unions-threatens-mayors-educational-legacy/ Anything Michael Powell writes is worth reading, though one must p...more »
Joy Resmovits: Marco Rubio Wants Education Reform, Rick Scott Proposes Teacher Raise: Ed Today
Joy Resmovits: Marco Rubio Wants Education Reform, Rick Scott Proposes Teacher Raise: Ed Today: Marco Rubio Wants Education Reform, Rick Scott Proposes Teacher Raise: Ed Today by Joy Resmovits *Rubio-Style Reform?* Republican rising star Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) said Thursday that lawmakers must pay more attention to the "skills gap" between existing jobs and the lack of qualified employees to fill them, reportsThe Hill. Speaking at the Chamber of Commerce, Rubio said of education, "because it's not controversial, it's not getting nearly enough attention as it needs to be getting... more »
Daily Kos: Obama Reboot
Daily Kos: Obama Reboot: Obama Reboot by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) President Obama’s Inaugural Address was an unapologetic, unequivocal progressive manifesto of domestic policies.I needed that. So begins today's *New York Times* column by Charles M. Blow, whose title I have borrowed for this post.He offers selection from the President's words, but what catches my attention and provokes my thinking are some of his own words, such as those with which I began. You can of course simply read the column. If you do I will be more than satisfied. I will below offer some more of Blow... 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 »
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: The Battle in Seattle
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: The Battle in Seattle: The Battle in Seattle by Mike Klonsky SEA. members use phone bank to build support for Garfield teachers.The courageous action taken by teachers at Seattle's Garfield High School has won growing support and admiration, not only from the city's teachers, parents and students, but from teachers nationwide. Their announced refusal on January 10th to administer the Measure of Academic Progress (MAP), a poorly-constructed, high-stakes, standardized test, has once again brought national attention to disastrous testing-madness policie... 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 »
Teachers opposed to tests get a warning | Education | The Seattle Times
Teachers opposed to tests get a warning | Education | The Seattle Times: Teachers opposed to tests get a warning Seattle Public Schools officials have told teachers boycotting the MAP tests that they must administer the tests or face suspension. By Linda Shaw Seattle Times education reporter [image: Siblings Marley and Dakota Patterson-Footen attend a rally outside the Seattle Public Schools headquarters Wednesday at which some Seattle teachers protested the Measures of Academic Progress, or MAP, tests. Marley, 9, and Dakota, 5, attend B.F. Day Elementary in Fremont.] [image: Enlarge... more »
Texas House eliminates funding for standardized testing
Texas House eliminates funding for standardized testing: Texas House eliminates funding for standardized testing Posted by Valerie Strauss on January 24, 2013 at 6:02 am - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » [image: starr]The revolt against standardized testing in Texas has taken a new twist: The Texas House has put forth a draft 2014-15 budget that zeroes out all funding for statewide standardized assessment. By way of explanation, Speaker Joe Straus said, “To parents and educators concerned about e... more »
Schools Matter: Does language acquisition require hard struggle?
Schools Matter: Does language acquisition require hard struggle?: Does language acquisition require hard struggle? by skrashen Posted as a comment following Larry Ferlazzo’s second column on “How will I implement Common Core for Language Arts’ http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/classroom_qa_with_larry_ferlazzo/2013/01/response_honoring_struggle_in_common_core_for_language_arts.html?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed Re Dina Strasser’s contribution:" In second language acquisition terminology, we refer to Stephen Krashen's theory of "i plus one." It is where we present the s... more »
New Ethics Bill Would Ensnare Four Florida Legislators on Charter School Legislation | Scathing Purple Musings
New Ethics Bill Would Ensnare Four Florida Legislators on Charter School Legislation | Scathing Purple Musings: New Ethics Bill Would Ensnare Four Florida Legislators on Charter School Legislation by Bob Sikes Senate president Don Gaetz was obviously referring to former House Speaker Ray Sansom last week in his interview with *Florida Face to Face* while making the case for ethics reform: Senate President Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, used the example of a lawmaker who gets elected, snags a seat on the education committee and suddenly becomes an expert, leading to a paid job at a coll... more »
NYC Educator: John King Is the Worst Person in the World*
NYC Educator: John King Is the Worst Person in the World*: John King Is the Worst Person in the World* by NYC Educator It's not really easy to become a superlative. You have to work very hard at it, and there is always tremendous competition. But NYS Education Commissioner John King is breaking new ground of late, leapfrogging over other "reformers" to capture a title they're all clamoring for. How did he do this? It's simple, actually. When Mike Bloomberg once again failed to negotiate a junk science evaluation for teachers, reneging on a deal with the UFT, John King decided he'd... more »
More charges against charter-school officials - Philly.com
More charges against charter-school officials - Philly.com: More charges against charter-school officials January 23, 2013|By Martha Woodall, Inquirer Staff Writer - - - Share on emailShare on printShare on redditMore Sharing Services - - - - [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] The U.S. Attorney's Office announced five additional charges Tuesday against charter school founder Dorothy June Brown and three former administrators for defrauding the schools. The superseding indictment charges Brown, 75, of Haver... more »
Common Core: Implications of Collaboration « InterACT
Common Core: Implications of Collaboration « InterACT: Common Core: Implications of Collaboration by David B. Cohen [image: ACT members in EETF] Larry Ferlazzo (left), seen here with fellow ACT members on the CA Educator Excellence Task Force (l-r): Martha Infante, Tara Kini, Kelly Kovacic The implementation of the Common Core State Standards is underway, and the imminent transition that will affect most American public schools is sparking a wide variety of reactions among educators I know and interact with, or whose writing I read online. At the extremes are the enthusiastic ado... 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 »
Modern School: The Coming Influenza Pandemic Part III
Modern School: The Coming Influenza Pandemic Part III: The Coming Influenza Pandemic Part III by Michael Dunn In Parts I and II I discussed the biology, morphology and genetics of influenza and how the virus makes people sick. In Part III I will talk about various influenza pandemics that have occurred over the past century and the development of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenzas (HPAI). Seasonal flu does not usually kill many healthy adults and morbidity declines with age. Adults have already been exposed to several strains in their lifetimes and have developed immunity to many ... 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 »
Bush Foundation Sought to Head Off Bad News on Florida’s Graduation Rates | Scathing Purple Musings
Bush Foundation Sought to Head Off Bad News on Florida’s Graduation Rates | Scathing Purple Musings: Bush Foundation Sought to Head Off Bad News on Florida’s Graduation Rates by Bob Sikes A curious post was printed in Jeb Bush’s Foundation for Excellence in Education blog on January 3rd which indicated the foundation was taking the position that federal measurement of graduation rates were “misleading.” Wrote the foundation’s Mike Thomas: But the new measure comes in the form of numbers without context because there is no calculation of what states require for a diploma. A stude... more »
CDE Responds To ELD Questions - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education)
CDE Responds To ELD Questions - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education): California Department of Education Responds to Questions About Instruction and Services to English Learners SACRAMENTO—The California Department of Education's (CDE) English Learner Support Division Director, Dr. Karen Cadiero-Kaplan, issued the following statement regarding media reports of claims made by the American Civil Liberties Union about English-language instruction: "Despite the enormous financial strains of recent years, California has made dramatic progress in seeing that all English learners receive a... more »
Breaking: Seattle school superintendent threatens Garfield teachers with suspension over testing boycott. Action needed now. « Fred Klonsky
Breaking: Seattle school superintendent threatens Garfield teachers with suspension over testing boycott. Action needed now. « Fred Klonsky: Breaking: Seattle school superintendent threatens Garfield teachers with suspension over testing boycott. Action needed now. by Fred Klonsky [image: jose_banda]*Seattle school superintendent Jose Banda.* Multiple reports coming out from Seattle this afternoon say that school superintendent Jose Banda has issued a warning to all teachers that failure to carry out district mandated standardized tests will result in 10 day suspensions. The thre... more »
Schooling in the Ownership Society: How Sen. Steans greased the UNO charter deal
Schooling in the Ownership Society: How Sen. Steans greased the UNO charter deal: How Sen. Steans greased the UNO charter deal by Mike Klonsky SteansGreg Hinz has a great post on his Crain's blog today. It's all about the $35 million grant given to UNO, operator of a Chicago chain of privately operated charter schools tied into the old Daley political machine and now with connections to Mayor Rahm Emanuel. UNO Board Chairman Juan Rangel recently served as finance chairman of Emanuel’s mayoral campaign The $35 million is as much as Chicago Public Schools gets for the entire city. ... more »
Silicon Valley charters get $1.7 million for ‘blended learning’ | EdSource Today
Silicon Valley charters get $1.7 million for ‘blended learning’ | EdSource Today: Silicon Valley charters get $1.7 million for ‘blended learning’ ** January 23rd, 2013 | Add a Comment | By John Fensterwald Share on twitterShare on facebookShare on emailShare on print More Sharing Services Two Bay Area charter school organizations that have ventured into “blended learning” will be the first to receive funding from newly created $25 million Silicon Schools Fund. Summit Public Schools, which runs four charter high schools, will receive $1.4 million to help open two more high schools ne... more »
What Is Missing in the Common Core? — Whole Child Education
What Is Missing in the Common Core? — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Maria Hersey]What Is Missing in the Common Core? January 23, 2013 by Maria Hersey Life in the 21st century is evolving at a rapid and challenging pace, creating a renewed focus on the lack of fit between what education is and what it needs to be. In the United States, the most recent call for educational reform is the implementation of the Common Core State Standards, which highlight the importance of curriculum alignment and integration, a respect for multiple perspectives, and the provision o... more »
UPDATE: From the National Education Association Seattle Schools Community Forum: Timely Updates
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Timely Updates: From the National Education Association by Melissa Westbrook WASHINGTON—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 tests are being used to make decisions about students’ and teachers’ futures, and have corrupted the pursuit of improving real learning a... more »
Superintendent’s Special Education Advisory and Advocacy Committee supports MAP test boycott | Seattle Education
Superintendent’s Special Education Advisory and Advocacy Committee supports MAP test boycott | Seattle Education: Superintendent’s Special Education Advisory and Advocacy Committee supports MAP test boycott by seattleducation2011 [image: Solidarity-Breaks-Chains] *SEAAC* (Superintendent’s Special Education Advisory and Advocacy Committee) and concerned parents stand with the Garfield High School staff in opposing the MAP test for any use in high schools. The test covers materials not routinely taught to general education students. There is no reason for the test, and the results ar... more »
18 CITIES CONVERGE IN WASHINGTON D.C ON “JOURNEY FOR JUSTICE,” CALLING ON DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO END DISCRIMINATORY CLOSINGS OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS | Seattle Education
18 CITIES CONVERGE IN WASHINGTON D.C ON “JOURNEY FOR JUSTICE,” CALLING ON DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO END DISCRIMINATORY CLOSINGS OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS | Seattle Education: 18 CITIES CONVERGE IN WASHINGTON D.C ON “JOURNEY FOR JUSTICE,” CALLING ON DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO END DISCRIMINATORY CLOSINGS OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS by seattleducation2011 *National Movement Forms In Wake Of Mass School Closings & Turnarounds That Violate Civil Rights & Promote Divestment In Low-Income Communities Of Color * [image: PAA Board Director Karran Harper-Royal will be leading the delegation from Louisiana.]... more »
solidaridad: Video: Robert D. Skeels for LAUSD School Board, the Community Candidate
solidaridad: Video: Robert D. Skeels for LAUSD School Board, the Community Candidate: Video: Robert D. Skeels for LAUSD School Board, the Community Candidate by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene PopoutDocumentarian Chris Hume captured footage and interviews from the Robert D. Skeels for LAUSD School Board campaign's third weekend of precinct walking. Filmed on 1st Street in Boyle Heights at Purgatory Pizza just prior to the group going out to talk to voters. Featured in the video are two widely respected educators whose support is greatly appreciated. Dr. John Fernandez — Teacher, Theodo... more »
Diane in the Evening 1-23-13 Diane Ravitch's blog
Diane Ravitch's blog: NEA Supports Garfield High School Teachers’ Boycott by dianerav Will the Garfield High School teachers’ test boycott go national? They now have the support of both the AFT and their own union, the NEA. Will other Seattle high schools join them? Will teachers in other districts follow their lead? One source reported that the superintendent of schools in Seattle has warned that he will dock their pay. If that is true, we will have to raise money to help these brave teachers. Here is the NEA statement: Subject: Press Release – NEA President supports Seattle ed... more »
Michelle Malkin is (Almost) Spot On | Truth in American Education
Michelle Malkin is (Almost) Spot On | Truth in American Education: Michelle Malkin is (Almost) Spot On by Shane Vander Hart [image: michelle_malkin_02]Michelle Malkin has made the Common Core State Standards the subject of her syndicated column this week which has been published not only on her own website, but at places likeTownhall.com and National Review. Her first article is the first in a series on the Common Core so perhaps she’ll get to it. She explains her intent on her blog: One of my New Year’s resolutions is to provide you in-depth coverage of this vital issue that too... more »
Youth and Allies to Testify in DC to Stop School Closings | The IDEA Blog
Youth and Allies to Testify in DC to Stop School Closings | The IDEA Blog: Youth and Allies to Testify in DC to Stop School Closings by Dana Bennis in *Blog* * * On January 29, youth, educators, and community members from grassroots organizations around the United States will testify in Washington, D.C. at the U.S. Department of Education to speak out against the closing of public schools and raise awareness about the damaging impacts of closings on the lives of young people -- most especially youth from low-income and working class communities, communities of color, students with d... 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 »
AFT, NEA And The Privatization Drive Against Public Education By Jack Gerson
AFT, NEA And The Privatization Drive Against Public Education By Jack Gerson: AFT, NEA And The Privatization Drive Against Public Education By Jack Gerson by Danny Weil Jack Gerson, a long time leader and writer now retired from the Oakland Education Association OEA talks about the role of the AFT and NEA and the failure of the national education unions and the local unions to fight the destruction of public education through charters and privatization. He discusses in this context the failure of the Alameda Labor Council to support a direct action to defend a public school and t... more »
The Common Core Debate Continues | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…
The Common Core Debate Continues | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…: The Common Core Debate Continues by Larry Ferlazzo The spirited discussion about Common Core, begun at my Education Week Teacher column, continues. Paul Thomas wrote a thoughtful post titled Fatalism and Teacher Professionalism on the discussion and taking issue with my position I tried to leave a comment there, but my technological ineptness wouldn’t let me leave a response, so I emailed it to Paul and told him I’d publish it here (I assume he’ll put it up at his blog, too). Here it is. All comments welcome:... more »
John Thompson: The Gates Foundation Leapt, Now MET Looks - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher
John Thompson: The Gates Foundation Leapt, Now MET Looks - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: John Thompson: The Gates Foundation Leapt, Now MET Looks by Anthony Cody What would have happened if the Gates Foundation's Measures of Effective Teaching (MET) research had been conducted before the "Billionaires Boys Club's" preferences were codified into law in Race to the Top and the Department of Education's NCLB waiver requirements? How would their final report, "Ensuring Fair and Reliable Measures of Effective Teaching," read if its findings were reported before value-ad... 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 »
PAA’s Karran Harper Royal and others to testify in DC on school closings’ discriminatory impact | Parents Across America
PAA’s Karran Harper Royal and others to testify in DC on school closings’ discriminatory impact | Parents Across America: PAA’s Karran Harper Royal and others to testify in DC on school closings’ discriminatory impact by pureparents *MEDIA ALERT * *18 CITIES CONVERGE IN WASHINGTON D.C ON “JOURNEY FOR JUSTICE,” CALLING ON DEPT. OF EDUCATION TO END DISCRIMINATORY CLOSINGS OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS* *National Movement Forms In Wake Of Mass School Closings & Turnarounds That Violate Civil Rights & Promote Divestment In Low-Income Communities Of Color * *WHAT: *Students, parents and advocacy ... more »
Department Releases New Publications Highlighting ESEA Flexibility | ED.gov Blog
Department Releases New Publications Highlighting ESEA Flexibility | ED.gov Blog: Department Releases New Publications Highlighting ESEA Flexibility Posted on January 23, 2013 by Tiffany Taber With 34 states and the District of Columbia approved for ESEA flexibility, the U.S. Department of Education released a series of new publications this week, describing the flexibility program and the ways in which some participating states are advancing important education reforms. [image: ESEA Flex Logo]ESEA flexibility enables states and districts to maintain a high bar for student achieveme... more »
12 Days of Dreaming Event: Student Edition - Student Voice
Student Voice: 12 Days of Dreaming Event: Student Edition- by admin Originally Posted: http://www.educationdreamer.com/2013/01/12DODSE.html This past December I ran a series on Education Dreamer called The 12 Days of Dreaming. Over a course of three weeks I posted twelve different blogs by fourteen guest bloggers. Each blogger was an educator and he or she wrote about her dreams for education. Some covered broad topics such as assessment and the physical structure of the school. While others focused on their personal classroom or subject area. It was a great experience with great... 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 »
High School Graduation Rate at Highest Level in Three Decades | ED.gov Blog
High School Graduation Rate at Highest Level in Three Decades | ED.gov Blog: High School Graduation Rate at Highest Level in Three Decades by Cameron Brenchley A new report from the Department of Education shows that high school graduation rates are at their highest level since 1974. According to the report, during the 2009-10 school year, 78.2 percent of high school students nationwide graduated on time, which is a substantial increase from the 73.4 percent recorded in 2005-6. The report shows that graduation rates were up for all ethnic groups in 2010, and that the rate for Hispa... more »
School Tech Connect: It's More Than He Said-She Said
School Tech Connect: It's More Than He Said-She Said: It's More Than He Said-She Said by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) Ok, this is an important matter here--- and to be dramatic, it goes right to the heart of journalism. In this excellent piece by Bryan Lowry, CPS Communications person Becky Carrol distributes a considerable spray of flak in response to the premise of the utilization criticism. Read it carefully. I asked Wendy Katten about this, and
4LAKids - NOT DEAD YET: Libraries still vital, Pew report finds + a elementary school librarian’s 2¢
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: NOT DEAD YET: Libraries still vital, Pew report finds + a elementary school librarian’s 2¢: NOT DEAD YET: Libraries still vital, Pew report finds + a elementary school librarian’s 2¢ by smf BY DAVID L. ULIN, LOS ANGELES TIMES BOOK CRITIC | HTTP://LAT.MS/SBP0AQ [image: Los Angeles Public Library] Organizing the bookshelves at the Los Angeles Public Library. (Arkasha Stevenson/Los Angeles Times / January 21, 2013) January 22, 2013, 4:00 a.m. :: Perhaps the most groundbreaking aspect of “Library Services in the Digital Age,” the report r... more »
Shanker Blog » Are Charter Schools Better Able To "Fire Bad Teachers"?
Shanker Blog » Are Charter Schools Better Able To "Fire Bad Teachers"?: Are Charter Schools Better Able To Fire Low-Performing Teachers? by Matthew Di Carlo Charter schools, though they comprise a remarkably diverse sector, are quite often subject to broad generalizations. Opponents, for example, promote the characterization of charters as test prep factories, though this is a sweeping claim without empirical support. Another common stereotype is that charter schools exclude students with special needs. It is often (but not always) true that charters serve disproportionately fewer... more »
UPDATE: FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Wednesday, January 23, 2013
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: State schools chief calls for moratorium on risky bonds Education Headlines *Wednesday, January 23, 2013* Taft parents vent fury over inaction prior to shootingNearly two weeks after a shooting at Taft Union High School that left a 16-year-old student critically injured, community members at an information meeting at the school Tuesday demanded to know why administrators allowed the alleged shooter back on campus after he had allegedly threatened classmates. Lode arts center killed in emotional voteThe Calaveras High School band ... more »
Best of the Ed Blogs | National Education Policy Center
Best of the Ed Blogs | National Education Policy Center: Best of the Ed Blogs *Best of the Ed Blogs* features a frequently updated selection of interesting and insightful blog posts on education policy. The views expressed by the bloggers on our blog roll are thoughtful, original, and entirely their own. We hope you make *Best of the Ed Blogs* your first stop for concise takes on today's most important education topics. “‘How on Earth Will I Implement’ Common Core for Language Arts?” Best of the Ed Blogs Larry Ferlazzo January 23, 2013 The Achievement Racket Best of the Ed Blogs Edu... more »
Joy Resmovits: Teacher Overproduction, D.C. Mulling New Truancy Punishments: Ed Today
Joy Resmovits: Teacher Overproduction, D.C. Mulling New Truancy Punishments: Ed Today: Teacher Overproduction, D.C. Mulling New Truancy Punishments: Ed Today by Joy Resmovits *Teacher Pipeline Problem?* Stephen Sawchuk looks at the data so you don't have to, and finds that many states are producing more elementary school teachers than they'll need in the future. It's a supply and demand problem. "There is not a tight link the way there is in other countries, where there is a management of access to particular majors in higher education, tied to perceived needs of teachers, and al... more »
Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 1-19-13 Recap of Last Week's Best Post
Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 1-12-13 Recap of Last Week's Best PostBig Education Ape 2nd Banana 1-5-13 Recap of Last Week's Best PostBig Education Ape 2nd Banana 12-29-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 12-22-12 Recap of Last Week's Best PostBig Education Ape 2nd Banana 12-15-12 Recap of Last Week's Best PostBig Education Ape 2nd Banana 12-8-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 12-1-12 Recap of Last Week's Best PostBig Education Ape 2nd Banana 11-24-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 11-17-12 Recap of Last Week's Best PostBig Education Ape 2nd Banana 11-10-12 Recap of Last Week's Best PostBig Education Ape 2nd Banana 11-3-12 Recap of Last Week's Best PostBig Education Ape 2nd Banana 10-27-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post
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