BIG EDUCATION APE 2ND BANANA
RECAP OF LAST WEEK'S BEST POST
Missouri Education Watchdog: Fuzzy Math Coming Home to Roost in Common Core State (sic) Standards?
Missouri Education Watchdog: Fuzzy Math Coming Home to Roost in Common Core State (sic) Standards?: Fuzzy Math Coming Home to Roost in Common Core State (sic) Standards? by stlgretchen In a recent email, *GovExec.com Today: Pay freeze limbo;** fuzzy math on BRAC savings,* fromgovexec.com: The 2005 Base Closure and Realignment Commission may have achieved recurring annual savings, but flawed cost estimates produced a doubling of anticipated expenses, the Government Accountability Office reported on Thursday. *Auditors also recommended improved methodology for predicting new cost...more »
Bill Maher takes on Michelle Rhee
Bill Maher takes on Michelle Rhee: Bill Maher takes on Michelle Rhee Posted by Valerie Strauss on March 18, 2013 at 10:57 am 0 Comments More [image: Bill Maher (hbo.com)] Bill Maher (hbo.com) Bill Maher clearly had done some homework when he sat down with to über-school reformer Michelle Rhee onhis HBO show, challenging her “no-excuses” philosophy on teachers by saying that he thinks the problem with public education is “poverty and parents.” On Friday night’s episode of “Real Time With Bill Maher,” he wasn’t the sledgehammer that he can be on other topics, but he did push back on so... more »
The Negro Motorist “Green Book” 1949 |
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
The Negro Motorist “Green Book” 1949 |: The Negro Motorist “Green Book” 1949 Posted on January 7, 2011 | 14 Comments This is new to us: The Negro Motorist Green Book is the subject of today’s “Little-Known Black History Fact.” The Negro Motorist Green Book was a publication released in 1936 that served as a guide for African-American travelers. Because of the racist conditions that existed from segregation, blacks needed a reference manual to guide them to integrated or black-friendly establishments. That’s when they turned to “The Negro Motorist Green Book: An International Travel ... more »
New school year: doubling down on failed ed policy - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post
coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
New school year: doubling down on failed ed policy - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: [image: Answer Sheet] New school year: doubling down on failed ed policy By Valerie Strauss This *was written by Lisa Guisbond, a policy analyst for the National Center for Fair and Open Testing, known as FairTest, a Boston-based organization that aims to improve standardized testing practices and evaluations of students, teachers and schools.* ** By Lisa Guisbond Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt credited his teammate, Jamaican runner Yohan “The Beast,” Blake, with helping him improve by b... more »
UPDATE: Notes from Diane + Why the Strongsville Strike Matters for Education | The Network For Public Education
Why the Strongsville Strike Matters for Education | The Network For Public Education: [image: The Network For Public Education -] Why the Strongsville Strike Matters for Education by admin In the last few weeks, something big has been happening in our small town. The Strongsville Education Association, our local teacher’s union, has been on strike since Monday, March 4th. As an alumna of this district, the last two weeks have taught me some important things about our town, the national conversation about education and the future of unions and middle class jobs. The current natio... more »
Special Late Nite Cap EXTRA 3-21-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2
*Nite Cap **EXTRA**EXTRA** EXTRA EXTRA **EXTRA* *I’ll get something written up for you* by alicemercer I’ve been doing a lot with short constructed writing response. Part of this is due to trainings I’m going to on Common Core for my district. The standards emphasize a written response that sites the information from the text the question is based on. I’m not in love with the standards, but feel I can live with the upper-elementary level ones (mostly because as Tom Hoffman points out, it’s not like their worse than what was here before). I make no claims about their appropriatene... more »
Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 3-21-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2
*Nite Cap UPDATE**UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE* *CORPORATE ED REFORM* Report from Indiana: Protesters Fill the Rotunda by admin *By Phyllis Bush* On Tuesday, March 19, the rotunda at the Indiana state house was filled by more than 500 people opposed to the expansion of vouchers. This followed an intense morning of speaking to legislators. NPE Boarb member Phyllis Bush shared this reflection on the day. Today’s thoughts are from a mixture of exhilaration and exhaustion from yesterday’s visit to the State House in Indianapolis. We spoke with two senators for an hour and for 40 minut... more »
FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Wednesday, March 20, 2013
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: *Breaking: Board Votes to Oust Monica Garcia From Presidency - LA School Report* Education Headlines *Wednesday, March 20, 2013* Lincoln Unified focuses on special-needs adultsResponding to a need that has been growing steadily for years, Lincoln Unified School District has moved to establish a program that will serve the district's young adults with special needs by preparing them to work and live with greater independence. Wiring students at school and home Stockton USD goalFollowing up on last year's large-scale purchase of c... more »
On "Innovation" in Social Policy, and "Solutionism" in Education - Dana Goldstein
On "Innovation" in Social Policy, and "Solutionism" in Education - Dana Goldstein: On "Innovation" in Social Policy, and "Solutionism" in Education by Dana Goldstein The following was written by the Princeton sociologist Melvin Tumin, in 1973. Tumin was thinking about the Teacher Corps, a Great Society program that was a sort of lefty precursor to Teach for America, in which intern teachers arrived in disadvantaged schools eager to close achievement gaps and -- because it was the sixties -- also build racial pride, improve student self-esteem, and overhaul the curriculum to bette... more »
Torlakson, Kirst write letter supporting nine-district NCLB waiver | EdSource Today
Torlakson, Kirst write letter supporting nine-district NCLB waiver | EdSource Today: Torlakson, Kirst write letter supporting nine-district NCLB waiver - by John Fensterwald by John Fensterwald * A waiver would give the districts flexibility to use more than $100 million of federal Title I money for low-income children and to propose creative ways to improve their lowest performing schools. It would also free them from other NCLB penalties, such as notifying parents that their schools are failures. The nine unified districts are Los Angeles, Fresno, Long Beach, San Francisco, Cl... more »
S.475: Eunice Kennedy Shriver Act - U.S. Congress - OpenCongress
S.475: Eunice Kennedy Shriver Act - U.S. Congress - OpenCongress: Bill Introduced: S.475 Eunice Kennedy Shriver Act A bill to reauthorize the Special Olympics Sport and Empowerment Act of 2004, to provide assistance to Best Buddies to support the expansion and development of mentoring programs, and for other purposes. S.475 - Eunice Kennedy Shriver Act A bill to reauthorize the Special Olympics Sport and Empowerment Act of 2004, to provide assistance to Best Buddies to support the expansion and development of mentoring programs, and for other purposes. view all titles (2) -... more »
Missouri Education Watchdog: US Department of Education Offers Encouraging Quote from Communist Leader Mao Zedong...
Missouri Education Watchdog: US Department of Education Offers Encouraging Quote from Communist Leader Mao Zedong...: US Department of Education Offers Encouraging Quote from Communist Leader Mao Zedong... by stlgretchen ...then deletes it. From BuzzFeed.com and* Department Of Education Website Quotes Mao Zedong:* *The “Kids' Zone” of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) website, part of the Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences, quotes communist leader Mao Zedong.* The NCES is the“primary federal entity for collecting and analyzing data relat... more »
Diane in the Evening 3-22-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Why Steve Barr Did Not Get Venice High School by dianerav I received an urgent message from a parent of a student at Venice High school in Los Angeles. She was desperate because had just learned that the privatization-friendly LA school board was about to vote on whether to give half of Venice High School to Steve Barr, eduentrepreneur (founder of Green Dot charters but now running a new charter chain). He wanted to start a “pilot school,” and this parent was outraged because, she said, Venice is a good school ... more »
UPDATE: Which Pot Should Pay for the Pool? | PWC Education Reform Blog
School Board Report – March 20, 2013 | PWC Education Reform Blog: Which Pot Should Pay for the Pool? by pwceducationreform For more than a month now followers of this blog and of the school division have been embroiled in a debate over whether a pool should be part of the 12th high school. BOCS and members of the county parks and recreation department are rumored to be in talks with the school division about the planning and funding for the pool, talks which have reportedly happened without the knowledge of my BOCS member or the school board. Prince William County’s Chief Exec... more »
Instead of closing schools, how about this?
Instead of closing schools, how about this?: Instead of closing schools, how about this? Posted by Valerie Strauss on March 22, 2013 at 11:17 am [image: closed-300x233]When Michelle Rhee told D.C. school residents that she, as chancellor of public schools in the nation’s capital, was closing 23 under-enrolled schools, she promised that a lot of money would be saved that could be plowed back into academic programs in remaining schools. It didn’t happen; an audit years later found that the closings actually cost the city $40 million. It remains to be seen how the most recent round of ... more »
UPDATE: Teacher Common Core Survey Results Missouri Education Watchdog: Common Core Editorials and PR Pieces: Give us "Just the Facts". No More Spin.
Missouri Education Watchdog: Common Core Editorials and PR Pieces: Give us "Just the Facts". No More Spin.: Teacher Common Core Survey Results by stlgretchen From Utah: Utah teachers speak out against *common core* --anonymously-- on this survey just released today. http://fb.me/11JPpZLWm Some comments from the survey: I opposed Common Core Standards and assessments because they are poorly considered. The language standard is based upon whole language methods which have a long history of being ineffective and even harmful to developing language skills. The math standards are... more »
UPDATE: The Flase Narrative Florida House Republicans Are Using to Defend Parent Trigger + How Parent Trigger Puts Florida’s Fine Arts Education at Risk | Scathing Purple Musings
How Parent Trigger Puts Florida’s Fine Arts Education at Risk | Scathing Purple Musings: The Flase Narrative Florida House Republicans Are Using to Defend Parent Trigger by Bob Sikes The phrase of the day was “give parents a seat at the table.” Watching today’s meeting of the House Education Committee for HB 867 on The Florida Channel revealed the clear philosophical divide between the two sides on Parent Trigger. Under sharp questions from Democrats, bill sponsor Carlos Trujillo was forced to affirm that the concerns of opponents are justified. 1. An out-of-state group like Paren... more »
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 3-22-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] NYC Offers Tips About Test Anxiety by dianerav NYC officials prepared a guide for parents to help their children survive the stress and trauma of the upcoming tests. Please read it. It sounds chilling. It says the state is about to subject your child to an ordeal. Here is how you should deal with it. What do you think? http://schools.nyc.gov/NR/rdonlyres/745FABA2-C5B2-46AF-BD52-5687683F4D77/0/SupportingYourChild1pagerforParents22013FINALESEnglish.pd Wharton Profes... more »
Special Late Nite Cap EXTRA 3-21-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2
*Nite Cap **EXTRA**EXTRA** EXTRA EXTRA **EXTRA* *I’ll get something written up for you* by alicemercer I’ve been doing a lot with short constructed writing response. Part of this is due to trainings I’m going to on Common Core for my district. The standards emphasize a written response that sites the information from the text the question is based on. I’m not in love with the standards, but feel I can live with the upper-elementary level ones (mostly because as Tom Hoffman points out, it’s not like their worse than what was here before). I make no claims about their appropriatene... more »
Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 3-21-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2
*Nite Cap UPDATE**UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE* *CORPORATE ED REFORM* Report from Indiana: Protesters Fill the Rotunda by admin *By Phyllis Bush* On Tuesday, March 19, the rotunda at the Indiana state house was filled by more than 500 people opposed to the expansion of vouchers. This followed an intense morning of speaking to legislators. NPE Boarb member Phyllis Bush shared this reflection on the day. Today’s thoughts are from a mixture of exhilaration and exhaustion from yesterday’s visit to the State House in Indianapolis. We spoke with two senators for an hour and for 40 minut... more »
Stop School Closings! Chicago March and Rally March 27th 4:00PM
Stop School Closings! Chicago March and Rally March 27th 4:00PM: Stop School Closings! Chicago March and Rally March 27th 4:00PM by Server *Action Alert* Stop School Closings! March and Rally March 27th 4:00PMScores of parents, students, teachers, public school employees and community residents are gearing up for the next stage in their fight to save 129 schools from the chopping block. While the District contemplates how many neighborhood schools they will shutter this year, taxpayers who have had enough of these top-down, draconian measures are strategizing about how to elevate ... more »
UPDATE: Notes from Diane + Why the Strongsville Strike Matters for Education | The Network For Public Education
Why the Strongsville Strike Matters for Education | The Network For Public Education: [image: The Network For Public Education -] Why the Strongsville Strike Matters for Education by admin In the last few weeks, something big has been happening in our small town. The Strongsville Education Association, our local teacher’s union, has been on strike since Monday, March 4th. As an alumna of this district, the last two weeks have taught me some important things about our town, the national conversation about education and the future of unions and middle class jobs. The current natio... more »
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: CReATE PRESS RELEASE ON NEW STUDY
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: CReATE PRESS RELEASE ON NEW STUDY: CReATE PRESS RELEASE ON NEW STUDY by Mike Klonsky *FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE* CONTACT: Stephanie Farmer, Roosevelt University 773-628-7680 sfarmer@roosevelt.edu *New Study from CReATE: School Closures will Negatively Impact Academic Performance, Destabilize Communities* CHICAGO (March 21, 2013) -- Closing public schools in Chicago will negatively impact academic performance and create more hardship for communities that are already suffering from disinvestment, according to a new study by Chicagoland Researchers and A... more »
Not by the numbers Former teacher falls out of good graces with district over school-closure disagreement Sacramento News & Review -
Sacramento News & Review - Not by the numbers - Bites - Opinions - March 21, 2013: *Not by the numbers* Former teacher falls out of good graces with district over school-closure disagreement Cosmo Garvin cosmog@newsreview.com Read 4 reader submitted comments This article was published on 03.21.13. *Related stories:* Fail Those who supported the deeply flawed Sacramento city school-closure process and outcome need to be held accountable in the media—and in the next election. SN&R, 02.28.13. Laugh it up The Actor’s Theatre of Sacramento presents comedy galore. SN&R, 02.17.11. [... more
Diane in the Evening 3-21-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Outrage! School Closings in Chicago by dianerav Guess whose schools were closed? The poorest, the neediest, the children of color. Now the charter operators will decide which ones they want. They will take the “strivers.” Who will take the others? Which children will be left behind in the era of No Child Left Behind? Which children come in last in Arne Duncan’s Race to the Top? How will the PR folks spin the mass closure of 50 public schools as a victory in “the civil rights issue of our TFA: Follow the Money by... more »
UPDATE: Are the Vetting Measures in Seattle Schools HR Adequate? + Seattle Schools Community Forum: It's Time to Turn the Page on Math in Seattle Schools
Seattle Schools Community Forum: It's Time to Turn the Page on Math in Seattle Schools: Are the Vetting Measures in Seattle Schools HR Adequate? by Melissa Westbrook It would seem something is amiss. From Q-13 News: *The 12-year-old special education student at Hamilton International Middle School reported the alleged incident Wednesday to school officials, who called police.* ***The substitute teacher isn’t employed by the school district, but a spokesperson said he won’t get any other assignments in the district until the police investigation is complete.* ***The boy, who is ... more »
MORNING UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 3-21-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Lancaster, Pa, Rejects Charter to Teach Business to K-4 by dianerav The Lancaster school board unanimously rejected a charter for the Academy of Business and Entrepreneurship Charter School. The school wanted a charter for K-12 but intended to open only with K-4. The charter sponsors plan to appeal to a state board, which can overturn the local decision. Earlier articles noted that this charter is part of the Gulen network, the nation’s largest charter chain, which... more »
UPDATE: Jim Webb on Congressional Abdication Daily Kos: Because I have nothing better to do with my time right now
Daily Kos: Because I have nothing better to do with my time right now: Jim Webb on Congressional Abdication by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) Some here may remember that I was very active in the Senatorial campaign of Jim Webb against George Allen in 2006. Besides the fact that I could not stand Allen, my reasons included several things often overlooked when people rallied around Webb because of his opposition to the Bush administration's invasion of Iraq: 1. Webb wanted to rebuild the American middle class 2. Webb wanted to see a restoration of the proper balance between the Cong... more »
Voice your opinion on issues important to you. How? With one click. | Reclaim Reform
Voice your opinion on issues important to you. How? With one click. | Reclaim Reform: Voice your opinion on issues important to you. How? With one click. Posted on March 20, 2013by kenpreviti Voice your opinion on issues important to you. How? With one click. Refuse to be a willing victim. Speak out. Simple: Find your Senators & Representatives in one click. Contact them. HERE: http://www.opencongress.org/people/zipcodelookup Simple: Find your letters-to-the-editor source in one click. Write a letter to your paper. HERE: http://afl.salsalabs.com/o/4055/letter/?letter_KEY=210&tag210.ema... more »
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to Hold NCAA March Madness Press Call | U.S. Department of Education
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to Hold NCAA March Madness Press Call | U.S. Department of Education: U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to Hold NCAA March Madness Press Call *Contact: * Press Office, (202) 401-1576, press@ed.gov *Event Date 1: *March 21, 2013 12:30 pm - 01:30 pm U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will hold a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) March Madness press call on Thursday, March 21, to discuss the need to strike a healthier balance between academics and athletics in college sports. Duncan will highlight progress that ... more »
Connecticut concerns about Renzulli Academy segregation makes Washington Post - Wait, What?
Connecticut concerns about Renzulli Academy segregation makes Washington Post - Wait, What?: Connecticut concerns about Renzulli Academy segregation makes Washington Post by jonpelto The Washington Post’s education reporter, Valarie Strauss, reprinted the recent column written by Wendy Lecker on her blog, The Answer Sheet. Strauss writes, “Are schools for “gifted” students promoting segregation? Here’s an argument that they are, from Wendy Lecker, a columnist for Hearst Connecticut Media Group and senior attorney for the Campaign for Fiscal Equity project at the Education Law Cen...more »
Started a profile at myEDmatch for kicks, what a strange, reformy thing this is – @ the chalk face
Started a profile at myEDmatch for kicks, what a strange, reformy thing this is – @ the chalk face: Started a profile at myEDmatch for kicks, what a strange, reformy thing this is by Chalk Face, PhD [image: @TCF on Blog Talk Radio] I saw that a friend on Facebook “liked” something called myEdmatch. Apparently, finding a teaching job is like online dating. To wit: Complete the Core Beliefs Profile so myEDmatch can suggest schools that would be good matches based on your core beliefs about education. So, is this tHarmony, or something? I filled out some beliefs with minimal foretho... more »
Ms. Reform: Education Reform as Starlet of NetFlix’s “House of Cards” - DailyCensored.com - Breaking Censored News, World, Independent, Liberal News
Ms. Reform: Education Reform as Starlet of NetFlix’s “House of Cards” - DailyCensored.com - Breaking Censored News, World, Independent, Liberal News: Ms. Reform: Education Reform as Starlet of NetFlix’s “House of Cards” by Adam Bessie [image: house of cards] “Education Reform” is a rising star: once Ms. Reform was all but ignored, featured in arcane reports presented in monotone at heavily acronymed academic conferences; now, she struts down the red carpet in Dolce & Gabbanna at awards shows, billionaire tech entrepreneur sidled on her arm, waving at the cameras with a poised gra... more »
Opting Out | Deborah Meier on Education
Opting Out | Deborah Meier on Education: Opting Out by debmeier A friend, principal of a NYC school, just sent me this: > Giving a test for which there is no established curriculum is absurd. Giving a test that all at Tweed are warning us many more children will fail is unconscionable, and abusive towards children. > > If we can get large percentages of parents to opt out, from a variety of schools, the people who take the stand will have protection. I know that many of my colleagues feel that if we just wait out Bloomberg’s term, we’ll get some breathing room. Buit we are like th... more »
Meet ASCD President Becky J. Berg — Whole Child Education
Meet ASCD President Becky J. Berg — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Willona Sloan]Meet ASCD President Becky J. Berg March 20, 2013 by Willona Sloan [image: Becky J. Bert] Becky J. Berg is from a family of educators. "My dad was a school board president; my mom was a career educator; and my sister, my grandmother, and my great-grandfather were educators," she says. Despite the genetic pull, Berg wasn't completely convinced she would follow in the family's footsteps until her experience as a summer camp counselor while she was in college. It was then that she reali... more »
UPDATE: Daily Kos: Will we hold our leaders to standards we applied to others? + thoughts on gun registration
Daily Kos: thoughts on gun registration: Will we hold our leaders to standards we applied to others? by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) To help you answer that might I suggest reading the opening statement made by Robert Jackson, then on leave from his position as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court to serve as Lead US Counsel (chief prosecutor) at Nuremberg. Let me offer the following from that statement: The American dream of a peace-and-plenty economy, as well as the hopes of other nations, can never be fulfilled if those nations are involved in a war every generation so v... more »
The Great Deception | EduShyster
The Great Deception | EduShyster: The Gr8 Deception by edushyster2012 *How to convince the public to abandon the wishy-washy notion of education for all in three easy steps* It is an indisputably true fact that our public schools are *hopelessly* failing beyond any hope of excellence. Yet the public remains strangely attached to the idea that publicly-funded schools have an obligation to educate all kids. Alas, that old-fashioned notion of equity is like the Lindsay Lohan of principles: washed-up and of waning interest. Today’s edu-visionary is all about excellence: the laser-honed... more »
MORNING UPDATE LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 3-20-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] How to Make Big Bucks as a Teacher by dianerav Teachers at a charter school in Louisiana received eye-popping bonuses. One got a bonus of $43,000–more than 75% of her annual salary–for raising test scores by 88% in one year. Five teachers shared bonuses of $167,000, The money comes from a federal grant. One teacher saw a gain of nearly 200%, but she teaches kindergarten, so she received only $4,086. Is NECAP a Valid Test for Graduation? by dianerav A reader sends ... more »
UPDATE: a life-saver for SB1? + Students against high stakes testing + Ben Joravsky and the “parent penis theory.” | Fred Klonsky
Ben Joravsky and the “parent penis theory.” | Fred Klonsky: Will an Illinois judge’s ruling on retiree health care be a life-saver for SB1? by Fred Klonsky A Sangamon County judge has ruled in a case not directly involving the state’s teachers that the state can demand higher payments from retirees for health care. While retired teachers already pay almost all of the premium for their health care through TRIP, the Teacher Retirement Insurance Program, the ruling suggests that health care is not a benefit that is protected by the Illinois constitution’s pension protection clause. Th... more »
UPDATE: Immigrant Populations: Seattle versus the Eastside + Second Civil Rights Investigation by Feds Seattle Schools Community Forum: Making Sense of Funding Foreign Language Immersion
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Making Sense of Funding Foreign Language Immersion: Immigrant Populations: Seattle versus the Eastside by Melissa Westbrook Great article in Crosscut about what is happening over on the Eastside with immigrant populations. *What draws immigrants to the Eastside and keeps them there, even when, like Tushara, they go to work in Seattle? Lee could be speaking for all of them when he answers, emphatically, with a single word: “School! I needed to raise kids, and Bellevue’s the place to do it.”* *It wasn’t just the Bellevue schools’ celebrated instruc... more »
Jersey Jazzman: The Real Reason For Vouchers
Jersey Jazzman: The Real Reason For Vouchers: The Real Reason For Vouchers by Duke *So what if I support vouchers to get votes in Lakewood? Wanna make something of it?* NJ Governor Chris Christie, 3/19/13: *Gov. Chris Christie today picked up the endorsement of Orthodox Jewish education*, community and business leaders, after bringing his small government message to a retirement community down the road. At Yeshiva Toras Aron, a religious school for boys, *Christie said his proposal for private school vouchers would ensure it is “the education of the parents’ choice*, regardless...more »
Jersey Jazzman: NJ Teacher Evaluation: Math Fail #3
Jersey Jazzman: NJ Teacher Evaluation: Math Fail #3: NJ Teacher Evaluation: Math Fail #3 by Duke Let's go back to this slide from the NJDOE's presentation on their proposed new teacher evaluation system, AchieveNJ: The yellow annotation is mine from a previous post on Student Growth Percentiles. Apparently, even though SGPs are on a scale from 1 to 99, the NJDOE thought it would be fine to give an example of a teacher's median SGP as "2.0," which makes no sense at all; read the post for all the details. Alas, this is not the only problem here... Let's talk a bit about the "Teache... more »
Breaking: Board Votes to Oust Monica Garcia From Presidency - LA School Report
Breaking: Board Votes to Oust Monica Garcia From Presidency - LA School Report: Breaking: Board Votes to Oust Monica Garcia From Presidency by Samantha Oltman The LAUSD Board voted today, 4 to 3, to limit the School Board president’s term to two years per individual. This will end Monica Garcia’s role as the Board’s president, a seat she has held for six consecutive years. Board member Steve Zimmer was the deciding vote, joining his colleagues Marguerite LaMotte, Bennett Kayser, and Richard Vladovic to approve the limitation. Garcia, Tamar Galatzan, and Nury Martinez voted again... more »
Daily Kos: The forgotten cost of war
Daily Kos: The forgotten cost of war: The forgotten cost of war by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) is driven home in a powerful way in a piece by Ron Kovic at Truthdig, titled The Forgotten Wounded of Iraq Most probably only know about Kovic from the movie biopic on him starring Tom Cruise in an Oscar nominated performance, "Born on the Fourth of July." If you saw the movie, forget about it and just read what Kovic has written. Here is his opening paragraph, which only hints at the power of what you will encounter reading this piece: Thirty-eight years ago, on Jan. 20, 1968, I w... more »
On "Innovation" in Social Policy, and "Solutionism" in Education - Dana Goldstein
On "Innovation" in Social Policy, and "Solutionism" in Education - Dana Goldstein: On "Innovation" in Social Policy, and "Solutionism" in Education by Dana Goldstein The following was written by the Princeton sociologist Melvin Tumin, in 1973. Tumin was thinking about the Teacher Corps, a Great Society program that was a sort of lefty precursor to Teach for America, in which intern teachers arrived in disadvantaged schools eager to close achievement gaps and -- because it was the sixties -- also build racial pride, improve student self-esteem, and overhaul the curriculum to bette... more »
Diane in the Evening 3-19-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Anti-Teacher Legislation Introduced in North Carolina Legislature by dianerav No more career teachers in North Carolina. That’s the goal of legislation introduced by Phil Berger, the President Pro Tem of the State Senate in North Carolina. The experienced, high-performing teachers would get a four-year contract. Others would get shorter contracts. No tenure for any teachers. Lots of performance pay built in. Bonuses would be tied to new teacher evaluation programs now From Rhode Island: “I Failed the Test” by diane... more »
News Update: Finch cuts Bridgeport School budget ; Claims it won’t reduce funding for schools (oh, okay) - Wait, What?
News Update: Finch cuts Bridgeport School budget ; Claims it won’t reduce funding for schools (oh, okay) - Wait, What?: One Adam-12, One Adam-12, we have a COI in progress by jonpelto COI as in Conflict of Interest… (Written by Jonathan Pelto and Wendy Lecker) Yesterday, the Connecticut State Department of Education held an eight-hour training session for elected officials, administrators and parents associated with the “turnaround” schools that make up the Commissioner’s Network. Among various education reformers, the “training event” featured none other than the Jumoke Academy’s ... more »
UPDATE: The continuing saga of Persepolis. CPS’s black eye. + And the winner is… + Ten years after. | Fred Klonsky
Ten years after. | Fred Klonsky: The continuing saga of Persepolis. CPS’s black eye. by Fred Klonsky [image: IMG_0096] *A Chicago reporter covers Lane Tech student protest.* Publisher’s Weekly: On Monday morning, a student-organized sit-in at Lane Tech, a magnet high school on Chicago’s north side protesting the decision to restrict access to *Persepolis *didn’t take place in the school library as planned, despite prior approval from the school’s librarian. Hundreds of students were locked out of the library and forced to crowd the hallways. According to Chicago retired teacher F... more »
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 3-19-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] More Cheering from Wall Street for School Closures by dianerav Good news for Wall Street! More school closings! Does Wall Street think it would be a good idea to close down all public schools? Think of the savings to municipalities if we just stopped offering free public education! A reader writes: *And Bloomberg reports this about Philadelphia school closures:* *Closing 12% of Philadelphia Schools Creates Winners: Muni Credit* * from Bloomberg * *“The nation’s fi... more »
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Arundhati Roy speaks in Chicago. Book banning, no small thing
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Arundhati Roy speaks in Chicago. Book banning, no small thing Arundhati Roy -- Chicago book banning, no small thing by Mike Klonsky Arundhati Roy reads from *The God of Small Things* (M. Klonsky pic)Listening to author/activist (*The God of Small Things)*, *Arundhati Roy* last night at Northwestern's Thorne Auditorium, was a powerfully provocative experience. As her narrative, on the 10th anniversary of the Iraq War, wound around and through the global struggle for peace, democracy, human dignity, Arundhati couldn't avoid mention of the banning by CPS... more »
Native Americans Challenge Teach For America in New Mexico - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher
Native Americans Challenge Teach For America in New Mexico - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Native Americans Challenge Teach For America in New Mexico by Anthony Cody Two weeks ago we learned about some questionable practices in the state of New Mexico. These things were revealed by investigator Michael Corwin, as part of the confirmation process for would-be Secretary of Education Hanna Skandera. One part of his testimony that was of special interest was his discussion of the role of Teach For America in his state. As readers know, I have explored the impact of TFA... more »
Hey, Bill Gates: You Evaluatin’ Me? (Part I) [Future of Teaching] | The Jose Vilson
Hey, Bill Gates: You Evaluatin’ Me? (Part I) [Future of Teaching] | The Jose Vilson: Hey, Bill Gates: You Evaluatin’ Me? (Part I) [Future of Teaching] by Jose Vilson Here’s the first in a two-part essay about Bill Gates’ interview with The Washington Post: He is correct in stating that students get evaluated all the time, from the first time they enter a classroom all the way through college and beyond. Getting a degree demands having plenty of tests getting thrown at you, high-stakes or otherwise. These tests often determine if you achieve the next level or not, and whether we... more »
The Time is Now: Students Talk School and Community Safety with Secretary Duncan | ED.gov Blog
The Time is Now: Students Talk School and Community Safety with Secretary Duncan | ED.gov Blog: The Time is Now: Students Talk School and Community Safety with Secretary Duncan Posted on March 18, 2013 by Guest Blogger [image: Duncan meets with students] Secretary Duncan talks with students about school safety as part of his ongoing Student Voices Series. Official Department of Education photo by Joshua Hoover. The fight to end the school-to-jail track and reestablish restorative justice practices is personal for Jasmine Jauregui, a youth organizer from the Youth Justice Coalition.... more »
Diane in the Evening 3-18-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Students in R.I. Punished for Their Tweets by dianerav The ACLU is protesting disciplinary actions taken against high school students in Warwick, Rhode Island. The students tweeted something negative about State Superintendent Deborah Gist. Whatever they tweeted was not reported in this story. The story said: “Several students called Gist names on Twitter following a story in the Journal in which about 35 adults took a portion of the New England Common Assessment or NECAP, deeming it very difficult. Several qu... more »
Sacramento Will Close Schools Serving Neediest Students | Diane Ravitch's blog
Sacramento Will Close Schools Serving Neediest Students | Diane Ravitch's blog: Sacramento Will Close Schools Serving Neediest Students by dianerav [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] I am late posting about the school closings in Sacramento, but better late than never. In Sacramento, the Hmong Innovating Politics (HIP) and the Sacramento Coalition to Save Public Education are working together to protest the closing of seven elementary schools. The closing of these schools will have a disparate impact on children of color and English-language learners. The “sav... more »
Overwhelmed Open Enrollment Process Reveals the Myth of School Choice. | The Sacramento Coalition to Save Public Education
Overwhelmed Open Enrollment Process Reveals the Myth of School Choice. | The Sacramento Coalition to Save Public Education: Overwhelmed Open Enrollment Process Reveals the Myth of School Choice. by Kate_Lenox The Open Enrollment priority for kids at the closed schools is a farce. The Open Enrollment timeline was just an excuse for the hurried closure "process" --we have to rush to get the schools closed so that parents can apply for open enrollment. There is no way 2000 students can be accommodated through that process. Students who live within the attendance boundaries hav... more »
Bill Maher takes on Michelle Rhee
Bill Maher takes on Michelle Rhee: Bill Maher takes on Michelle Rhee Posted by Valerie Strauss on March 18, 2013 at 10:57 am 0 Comments More [image: Bill Maher (hbo.com)] Bill Maher (hbo.com) Bill Maher clearly had done some homework when he sat down with to über-school reformer Michelle Rhee onhis HBO show, challenging her “no-excuses” philosophy on teachers by saying that he thinks the problem with public education is “poverty and parents.” On Friday night’s episode of “Real Time With Bill Maher,” he wasn’t the sledgehammer that he can be on other topics, but he did push back on so... more »
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 3-18-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] What You Have Been Waiting For: The Cla$$room of the Future by dianerav EduShyster has captured in one small post the essence of the classroom of the future. Here it is. We will go where no nation in the world has ever dared to go: Schools where happy teachers (all of them Excellent) have classes of 100 or more students, each one enjoying a customized, personalized education on their own tablet. This Is What School Reform Does Not Look Like by dianerav Once agai... more »
$43,056 bonus to charter teacher at ‘D’-rated school
$43,056 bonus to charter teacher at ‘D’-rated school: $43,056 bonus to charter teacher at ‘D’-rated school Posted by Valerie Strauss on March 18, 2013 at 4:02 am 19 Comments More [image: money1]The obsession among school reformers with standardized test scores and merit pay has led to this: A fourth-grade teacher at a charter school in New Orleans won a $43,056 bonus because her students’ scores skyrocketed at a school with a “D” state rating. But there’s more. According to The Lens, the standardized test scores of Deborah Williams’ students at Pierre A. Capdau Charter School jumped... more »
R.I. adults took a standardized test, and they didn’t like it
R.I. adults took a standardized test, and they didn’t like it: R.I. adults took a standardized test, and they didn’t like it Posted by Valerie Strauss on March 17, 2013 at 12:00 pm 0 Comments More [image: test]This time it was the kids serving as proctors and the adultstaking the standardized test. In Providence, R.I. on Saturday, several dozen state legislators, city officials, professors and others sat down for several hours at a library to take a standardized test that was created from actual questions off of the New England Common Assessment Program, or NECAP. Why did they do it?... more »
Sunday reads. | Fred Klonsky
Sunday reads. | Fred Klonsky: Sunday reads. by Fred Klonsky [image: BFfGdqrCUAACBIf.jpg-large] *CTU President Karen Lewis at yesterday’s NYCoRE conference. ”When you call my school a failure, them’s fightin’ words.”* *The pension fight in Illinois is creating a civil war in Springfield.* Who is getting a free lunch? *Senate Bill 2404 is supported by the We Are One coalition of public employee unions.* I support it too. I don’t like the part that requires active teachers to contribute 2% more. It makes our pensions the most expensive in the country. It divides active and retired te... more »
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 3-17-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Mayor Bloomberg’s Chaos Theory by dianerav This article in the New York Times describes how one large high school now houses nine small schools. Some succeed, some fail, some statistics are better, some are worse or no different. Some statistics are undoubtedly inflated by credit recovery and other tricks to game the system. One thing is clear: a building that once had one principal now has nine. It is not clear that the nine schools are doing a better job than the one old school in meeting the needs of the ... more »
H.R.1041: Providing Resources Early for Kids Act of 2013 - U.S. Congress - OpenCongress
H.R.1041: Providing Resources Early for Kids Act of 2013 - U.S. Congress - OpenCongress: Bill Introduced: H.R.1041 Providing Resources Early for Kids Act of 2013 Open Congress : Major Bill Actions in Education - 6 minutes ago To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to improve early education. Bill Introduced: S.502 Prepare All Kids Act of 2013 Open Congress : Major Bill Actions in Education - 6 minutes ago A bill to assist States in providing voluntary high-quality universal prekindergarten programs and programs to support infants and toddlers. Bill Introduced: S.... more »
Michelle Rhee Needs a Head Shrinker… – @ the chalk face
Michelle Rhee Needs a Head Shrinker… – @ the chalk face: Michelle Rhee Needs a Head Shrinker… by Kris Nielsen …so, here I am! (*Disclaimer: I am not a psychologist, but I play one on the Internet. The following is for entertainment purposes only and should not be used as an official diagnosis, even though I know I’m totally right.*) [image: "Hey, everyone! Watch me school this kid before I close his school!"]This probably isn’t healthy. Perhaps I should find a new hobby, before people start to think I’m obsessed or something. I’ve already previously diagnosed her as a full-blown ... more »
Public ed heroes of the day: School closings | Parents United for Public Education
Public ed heroes of the day: School closings | Parents United for Public Education: Public ed heroes of the day: School closings by helengym [image: Photos via philly.com, Joseph Dworetzky, Research for Action, Media Mobilizing Project] Photos via philly.com, Joseph Dworetzky, Research for Action, Media Mobilizing Project History is not made only by those with titles and power. It is defined and understood through the heroic actions of many. Here are a few public ed heroes who stood out for us during the school closings vote: *Media Mobilizing Project and the public education testim... more »
ASCD Conference Highlights: Day 1 | InterACT
ASCD Conference Highlights: Day 1 | InterACT: ASCD Conference Highlights: Day 1 by David B. Cohen [image: Freeman Hrabowski] What a busy day! There are 10,400 participants in this conference, hundreds of sessions, in a facility that seems like a whole campus. Lots here to write about in greater depth, but here are my highlights from Day 1. Freeman Hrabowski Dr. Freeman A. Hrabowski III was the keynote speaker this morning. His speech offered some inspirational examples of what’s possible when children have the support, expectations, structures, and nurturing that they need. Sometim... more »
Can We Build Schools Better, Faster, and Cheaper? | PWC Education Reform Blog
Can We Build Schools Better, Faster, and Cheaper? | PWC Education Reform Blog: Can We Build Schools Better, Faster, and Cheaper? by pwceducationreform Parents have raised concerns in recent weeks about the projected construction costs of Prince William County’s 12th high school. The school, which is set to open in September 2016 in the Independent Hill area of Prince William County, has a projected construction cost of $110,943,000. Of particular concern to some parents are the school division’s plans to include a pool in the 12th high school. The projected cost of this school... more »
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools and Arts Education
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools and Arts Education: Seattle Schools and Arts Education by Melissa Westbrook Precisely what I thought might happen with the Wallace Foundation grant to develop a plan for arts education in Seattle, *did *happen. The district received about $1M to develop this plan about 18 months ago. At the time I thought, well, great but what if you plan and don't get any money to carry it out? Yesterday it was announced that the Wallace Foundation declined to fund the SPS plan. The district's communication says: *While we’re disappointed that ... more »
Teachers v. billionaires | Dangerously Irrelevant
Teachers v. billionaires | Dangerously Irrelevant: Teachers v. billionaires by dr.scott.mcleod@gmail.com (Scott McLeod) David Sirota says: The pervasive media mythology tells us that the fight over the schoolhouse is supposedly a battle between greedy self-interested teachers who don’t care about children and benevolent billionaire “reformers” whose political activism is solely focused on the welfare of kids. Epitomizing the media narrative, the Wall Street Journal casts the latter in sanitized terms, reimagining the billionaires as philanthropic altruists “pushing for big chan... more »
One Teacher's Perspective: A Biased Letter From a Public School Product
One Teacher's Perspective: A Biased Letter From a Public School Product: A Biased Letter From a Public School Product by Imagine Wisconsin *Jenni Dye, an attorney and a Dane County Board Supervisor, let me republish below her open letter to the Janesville Board of Education. She blogs regularly at More Fine Print*. * A Biased Letter* **I submitted this letter today, with tears in my eyes and hope in my heart. I am sharing it with you because I am truly saddened by what things have come to in Wisconsin and because I think as we deal with contracts, and are often caught up in their f... more »
Tim Furman gave me the Flu!
*Tim Furman gave me the Flu!* *You Shouldn't Blog When You Are Sick!* * *[image: School Tech Connect] *http://www.schooltechconnect.com/*
Teachers For Social Justice: School Closings Fact Sheets
Teachers For Social Justice: School Closings Fact Sheets: School Closings Fact Sheets by sarah-ji [image: OccupyCityHall047] A TSJ working group/task force has created a series of Popular Education Pieces on school closings. Please download and share these fact sheets widely! - School Closings and Who Decides - School Closings and Testing - School Closings and Racism - School Closings and Charter Schools - School Closings and UNO Help Organize Against School Closings! by sarah-ji * * *Join TSJ, GEM, and CTU in organizing against school closings. * *Help us gather TSJ... more »
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 3-16-13
*4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit:* *4LAKIDS - SOME OF THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T FIT* IMPROVING MORALE: A MORAL IMPERATIVE smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 1 hour ago From the Associated Administrators of Los Angeles Update/Week of March 18th. | http://bit.ly/YCMscQ 14 March, 2013 :: Employee morale can be defined as the employee's outlook, optimism, self - concept and belief in themselves and their organization, its mission, goals, defined path, daily decisions and employee appreciation. Employee morale describes the overall outlook, attitude and UC REGENT...more »
Top Content this Week - 3-16-13 The Educator's PLN
Top Content this Week - The Educator's PLN: 1[image: Why Twitter is the hub of my personal learning network]Why Twitter is the hub of my personal learning network Added by Jennie Snyder on January 23, 2013 2[image: Response to lack of interest in classrooms]Response to lack of interest in classrooms Added by Sara Rosentreter on March 4, 2013 3[image: What does inclusion look like in your school for the student, the special educator and gen ed teacher?]What does inclusion look like in your school for the student, the special educator and gen ed teacher? Posted by Marcy J. Perry on Ju... more »
This Week's Education Research Report 3-16-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2
Education Research Report: *THIS WEEK'S EDUCATION RESEARCH REPORT* * * How can we stlil raed words wehn teh lettres are jmbuled up? Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 12 minutes ago Researchers in the UK have taken an important step towards understanding how the human brain 'decodes' letters on a page to read a word. The work, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), will help psychologists unravel the subtle thinking mechanisms involved in reading, and could provide solutions for helping people who find it difficult to read, for example in conditio... more »
Missouri Education Watchdog: Speak Out Against Common Core Survey for Teachers/Administrators
Missouri Education Watchdog: Speak Out Against Common Core Survey for Teachers/Administrators: Speak Out Against Common Core Survey for Teachers/Administrators by stlgretchen Are you a teacher or administrator who would like to speak out against Common Core but fear backlash from your state agency, school or the union? Here is a way for your opinion to be heard in Missouri. Take this survey here. Your identity will not be disclosed, unless you specifically allow it. We do request you inform us in which county you live so we can forward comments to legislators in that county. ... more »
