Nite Cap UPDATE
UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE
Quick action contemplated on new assessments, API rewrite
The state commission charged with overhauling the Academic Performance Index may have recommendations ready as soon as May, officials said Thursday.
Why The Rich Need To Scapegoat Teachers
Every once in a while, the corporate media goes too far and gives away the game:
So this is apparently a real thing from the Wall Street Journal.
The Onion couldn't top this. Whether it's the sad faces of all these put-upon dejected rich people, or the elderly minority couple who is depressed despite not paying extra taxes (or was that the point?), or the distressed single Asian lady making $230,000 who might not be able to buy that extra designer pantsuit this year, or the "single mother" making $260,000 whose kids presumably have a deadbeat, indigent dad just like any other poor family, or that struggling family of six making $650,000 including $180,000 of pure passive income and wondering how to make ends meet,
Who Cares What Teachers Think?
I cannot tell you all how much this crap makes me nuts:
TED is coming to a television near you.
On April 16, PBS will air the very first televised TED event, TED Talks Education. The event, which will be filmed in New York on April 4, will bring together an hour of speakers and performers with a deep-rooted passion for education. The first three speakers booked: Bill Gates, Sir Ken Robinsonand Geoffrey Canada of the Harlem Children’s Zone – and watch for more announcements in coming weeks. With fresh thinking and bold ideas, the speakers and performers will discuss how we can curb the high school dropout crisis.
TED Talks Education will be broadcast nationally in the U.S. and will be produced by
Report Criticizes School Discipline Measures Used in Mississippi
Less than three months after the Justice Department sued Meridian, Miss., over discipline procedures, a report said that “overly harsh” policies were common throughout the state.
New York Legislators Propose Giving Illegal Immigrants Access to College Financial Aid
The bill would open up several state tuition-assistance programs at colleges and universities and create a scholarship fund, but it would not create a path to citizenship.
Moody’s Gives Colleges a Negative Grade
The credit reporting agency said it had revised its financial outlook for colleges and universities, assigning a negative rating to the entire field.
Compare and Contrast
From Notre Dame’s official statement on the apparent hoaxing of their star player by a woman pretending to be his online girlfriend:
“While the proper authorities will continue to investigate this troubling matter, this appears to be, at a minimum, a sad and very cruel deception.”
From Notre Dame’s football coach’s official statement on the suicide of a nineteen-year-old who had nine days
Poor News Network: Accreditation is the vehicle for privatization
by Terrilyn Woodfin, Poor News Network Bay View-just posted this piece as well- Students didn’t mince words at a protest to save City College at the [...] The post Poor News Network: Accreditation is the vehicle for privatization appeared first on DailyCensored.com - Breaking Censored News, World,...
Schedule of Events for the 57th Presidential Inaugural
Note: All times are Eastern.
SATURDAY, JAN. 19
National Day of Service Summit on the National Mall
Location: The National Mall
Start Event: 9:30 a.m. ET
The First and Second families are issuing a call to action for all Americans to join together in service to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. As part of the 57th Presidential Inauguration, the 2013 Presidential
Grayslake teacher strike into second day.
Grayslake teachers (District 46) on strike.
Lake County Federation of Teachers, Local 504 members hit the picket lines this morning after no agreement was reached in a last-ditch mediation session that ended late last night.
You can show your solidarity by joining the teachers at Frederick School located at 595 Frederick Road, Grayslake.
The Return to the Neighborhood – Mr. D is back!
It took quite a while, but the Neighborhood is back in business!To be honest, I was really expecting to post at least once a week when I started my new position. However, this year I learned of a new kind of exhaustion.
My new school, in all fairness, is such a refreshing change from my old situation that my exhaustion was barely noticed. It’s a charmed life: a K-8 neighborhood school in a Bronx neighborhood reminiscent of my ancestral
Midtown may lose Washington Elementary School
One of Midtown's few remaining primary schools is on the chopping block for closure, along with 10 other sites in the Sacramento City Unified School District.
The school – Washington Elementary School at 520 18th Street – is between the Mansion Flats and New Era Park neighborhoods, and was built in the 1950s. It was nearly closed in 2009, amid a budget crisis.
The reason for the schools' potential closures is due to declining enrollment, and because they're operating at
The school – Washington Elementary School at 520 18th Street – is between the Mansion Flats and New Era Park neighborhoods, and was built in the 1950s. It was nearly closed in 2009, amid a budget crisis.
The reason for the schools' potential closures is due to declining enrollment, and because they're operating at
Take This Quiz: Are You As Well-Read As A 9th Grader?
A throw back to 10th grade English. It's fun and makes you remember the good old days of annotating and spotting imagery
From Good Girl to Feminist
There was nothing ambiguous about how I was raised. What my parents expected of me was crystal clear, as were the expectations of my teachers and my church. Always serve yourself last, my mother said. Make sure, wherever you are, that everyone else is taken care of before you think of yourself. Don’t raise your hand in class, even if you know the answer, because boys don’t like smart girls. I remember the humorless face of my fifth grade teacher as she intoned “Girls must be perfect, their clothes, their hair, their manners. Absolutely perfect.” Don’t call attention to yourself. Don’t be proud of yourself, or people will think you’re stuck up and you won’t have any friends. Don’t make waves, don’t cause a scene, lower your voice, and sit down. It doesn’t matter whether
Seattle teachers resist standardized testing
As some of you might have heard, Seattle teachers at 2 high schools have refused to administer a junk science standardized test mandated by the district. This is a brave action and a powerful action. From all appearances this seems like a rank and file organized protest with deep roots at the school site level [...]
Student Navigates Alternate Routes to School
Hear how one family navigated the commute during the school bus strike
Jack Podvesker Hoffard is a lanky fifth grader who had both parents helping him get ready for school on Wednesday. He usually needs help but this was an unusual morning; because of the school bus strike Jack would take the subway.
Lynn Hoffard and Lori Podvesker help Jack get ready for school.
Normally, Jack took a yellow school bus from the door of his Clinton Hill home to school at P.S. K77, a school
High Stakes Testing and Opting Out Webinar
High Stakes Testing and Opting Out
You are invited to discuss high-stakes testing at an upcoming webinar. Register here. Share. Attend. The event is being hosted by Parents Across America.
Jan. 27 Testing Webcast with Fair Test Monty Neill, United Opt Out’s Tim Slekar and Shaun Johnson with special guest Garfield High School teacher Jesse Hagopian on high stakes testing and opting out
The term “high stakes testing” refers to standardized tests that are taken by students and used to evaluate a teacher and/or principal’s performance or that of a school.
Many times these tests have been used more as a weapon rather than a tool, causing the wholesale firing of teachers and the closing of schools, many times converting those closed schools into charter schools.
This type of testing also creates additional stress for students who many times feel that how they perform on a test may affect the future of a well loved teacher or school.
Another outcome of high stakes testing is the unfortunate focus on a small amount of information that is anticipated being on the test rather than studying a subject with a broad overview and providing the opportunity to understand the subject within a context and relate it to other subjects.
Many school districts, and even states have unfortunately been a part of the high stakes testing phenomenon and school communities have suffered greatly from it. Due to the damage that has been done, many principals, teachers, school districts and superintendents have pushed back on high stakes testing and said that “enough is enough”. See High Stakes Testing and Opting Out: The Push Back.
On January 27 at 1:00 PM PST, 3:00 PM Central and 4:00 PM EST, Parents Across America will be hosting an online seminar on high stakes testing and opting out of such tests.
Our guests will be:
Jesse Hagopian, teacher at Garfield High School and part of the MAP test boycott
Shaun Johnson, a former public school teacher, current teacher educator and online radio show co-host of At the Chalk Face who is a founder of United Opt Out National.
Monty Neill, Executive Director of the National Center for Fair & Open Testing (FairTest). Dr. Neill authored Implementing Performance Assessments: A Guide to Classroom School and System Reform, and Testing Our Children: A Report Card on State Assessment Systems, the first comprehensive evaluation of all 50 state testing programs.
Tim Slekar, a former public school teacher and now an associate professor of teacher education. Dr. Slekar is also co-host of At the Chalk Face and a founder of United Opt Out National.
There will be a discussion on:
- How high stakes testing got started.
- Methods to fairly evaluate a teacher in the classroom.
- Opting your student out of high stakes testing, why and how.
To sign up for this event, go to Eventbrite. You will be notified of instructions on how to sign onto the webinar a few days before the event.
We can accept a maximum of 100 guests.
If you have any questions, please leave your question in the comment section of this post.
~ Dora Taylor
PURE, LSC members call for investigation of UNO charter network finances
NEWS RELEASE *** FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE *** January 17, 2013
CONTACT: Julie Woestehoff, Parents United for Responsible Education (PURE) – 773-715-3989
Rosemary Sierra, President, Pilsen Academy Local School Council – 312-719-2740
Chicago parents call on Illinois Executive Inspector General
Chicago parents call on Illinois Executive Inspector General
to investigate UNO finances
Up to $133 million taxpayer dollars flow to politically connected charter network on shaky financial ground
while neighborhood schools face massive cuts and closures
CHICAGO- Today, representatives of Parents United for Responsible Education and Chicago Local School Councils will meet with the Illinois Office of the Executive Inspector General to ask for an investigation of the financial conditions of the United Neighborhood Organization (UNO) and its use of millions in taxpayer funds.
The Illinois General Assembly was on the verge of considering Senate Bill 24 on January 3rd, 2013, before they adjourned the lame duck session. Sponsored by Senator Heather Steans, the bill would give UNO charters another $35 million appropriation beyond the $98 million they have already received.
Parents are concerned that the legislature will approve this money without considering the risky financial practices of UNO and its UNO Charter School Network, even though Chicago is preparing to close as many as 137 schools due to alleged underutilization. And things could get much worse. Governor Quinn announced yesterday that state education funding may have to be cut as much as $400 million.
If SB 24 is approved by the state legislature, UNO and CPS would each be in line for the $35 million in state appropriations, which would result in approximately $5,415 in funding for each UNO student and $2.7 million per school, compared to approximately $89 in funding for each Chicago Public School (CPS) student and $54,405 for each school.
“It is outrageous that UNO is slated to receive the same amount of money as the entire Chicago school district will receive, when UNO runs only 13 schools,” said Julie Woestehoff, PURE executive director. “We call on the Illinois Inspector General to investigate how this politically-connected organization is able to amass such a large amount of taxpayer dollars without accountability to the public. Certainly UNO should not receive any more money until it is clear to the public that the money is being used properly, for improved education for Chicago children and not UNO’s ambitious real estate portfolio.” PURE has raised concerns before about the state’s largess toward UNO.
UNO has received nearly $100 million in legislative earmarks, and nearly $70 million in tax-exempt bonds to buy land, build schools and meet its lenders’ and bondholders’ expectations for the charter operator’s growth in enrollment and revenue. These bonds and direct state handouts were issued for the purchase of land and construction for UNO’s rapid expansion program, and enabled the growth needed to meet debt payments and growth commitments to UNO’s lenders and other bondholders in a complicated financial shell game.
“Our school has never gotten the programs and supplies our children need. Now CPS is planning to close a lot of schools, supposedly to save money. At the same time, UNO keeps getting millions of dollars to pull students from our school and put us in danger of being closed,” said Rosemary Sierra, local school council president at Pilsen Community Academy. “We thought the state had a budget crisis, but they seem to be able to find millions for the politically-connected people at UNO. Meanwhile, some of UNO’s schools have the lowest rating in CPS.”
Despite massive political favoritism, tens of millions in state subsidies and millions more in additional credit supports from bodies such as the Illinois Facilities Fund and Local Initiatives Support Corporation, Standard & Poor’s still rated UNO’s 2011 series tax-exempt bonds BBB-, which is one step above “junk” status.
UNO Board Chairman Juan Rangel and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel are longtime allies. Rangel recently served as finance chairman of Emanuel’s mayoral campaign, and he and other appointed-not elected-UNO leaders have strung together multiple taxpayer-subsidized and tax-exempt financial transactions to pay off private bank loans and private bondholders. UNO is using this largesse to engineer a rapid buildup of not only its student enrollment, but of substantial real estate holdings as well.
A breakdown of three years of UNO tax-exempt bonds is attached. It shows that, with each successive transaction, the financial burden has resulted in higher debt-per-student costs as UNO has nearly no other source of revenue other than public transfers via direct subsidies, publicly issued bonds and government contracts. If UNO fails to secure more buildings and more students, the growing financial burden will likely have an adverse impact on its students as per-pupil classroom spending will suffer due to an increasing portion of the network’s income being diverted to cover debt payments.
We are pleased that the Office of the Executive Inspector General recently launched a Grant Review Initiative Team to look into state grants like these. We are meeting with an intake investigator right after this press conference.
****
Details of UNO bonds from public sources:
Series 2006 Bonds: The Illinois Finance Authority issued $17.3 million in tax-exempt bonds for both UNO and the Noble Network of Charter Schools. UNO used $6 million in tax-exempt bond proceeds-plus $1.15 million in taxable bond proceeds-to finance renovations at three properties leased from the Archdiocese of Chicago. Student enrollment was projected to be 1,813 students for the 2006-07 year, and the debt-per-student was calculated at $4,429 ($8,028,994 in total funds divided by 1,813 students).
Series 2007 Bonds: The Illinois Finance Authority issued $15.8 million in tax-exempt bonds for UNO. UNO used the bond proceeds-plus $200,000 in taxable bond proceeds and a $1.6 million deposit from lender IFF-to finance the acquisition and renovation of a school from the Archdiocese of Chicago. Student enrollment was projected to be 2,376 students for the 2007-08 year and the debt-per-student was calculated at $10,781 (Series 2006 balance of $7,658,406, plus $17,957,714 in total funds, divided by 2,376 students). This is an increase of 143 percent from the previous year.
Series 2011 Bonds: The Illinois Finance Authority issued $35.85 million in tax-exempt bonds for UNO. UNO used the $35.85 million-plus $495,000 in taxable bond proceeds-to pay off a private bank loan. Student enrollment was projected to be 5,424 at the start of the 2011-12 year and the debt-per-student was calculated at $12,500 ($67,800,000 in outstanding debt per the November 13, 2011 S&P Ratings Report, divided by 5,424 students]. This is a 16 percent increase from 2007.
Attachment:
Standard and Poor report on UNO Finances