Big Education Ape - Mid Day Banana Break
CORPORATE ED REFORM
California "Reformers" Seek Judicial Over-Reach Based on No Evidence
Dave Welch, Chief Strategic Officer of Infinera. and the famed attorney Theodore B. Olson believe that five education laws "are destroying California's public education system, demoralizing the teaching profession, and robbing California children of their future." They believe they know how to rid the state of "stagnant, disinterested and uninspiring teachers." So, they have filed Vergara v California which would strip Californians of their democratic rights to a public education system consistent with their beliefs.
In their press release, Welch and Olson claim to believe, "recent research shows that teaching effectiveness is not only measurable, it is the most important determinant of a child's academic (and future) success--more important than socio-economic status, parent involvement or even per-pupil funding." Their belief in such an
List of Florida Opponents to Parent Trigger Continues to Grow
Miami Herald reporter Kathleen McGrory attended today’s staged event put on by Patricia Levesque of Foundation for Florida’s Future to support Parent Trigger. McGrory writes in Naked Politics:
Is the contentious parent-trigger proposal in trouble?
Patricia Levesque, the executive director of former Gov. Jeb Bush‘s Foundation for Florida’s Future, held a press conference Tuesday morning to “debunk myths” associated with the proposal.
She was accompanied by Pat DeTemple, a senior strategist for Parent Revolution, the group that helped create the law in California. Nikki Lowery, of former D.C. schools Chancellor Michelle
$1.2 million for Conferences and Travel
Over the past year we’ve all been treated to stories about federal employees having a grand time at taxpayer expense at conferences in Las Vegas and other locations. Because of the controversial nature of these events, I thought it might be worthwhile to look at conferences and travel in PWCS. In the original FY 2014 [...]
The Truth Behind GO Public School’s Corporate Connections
Our recent post critiquing the National Council on Teacher Quality’s report entitled “Teacher Quality Roadmap” got the most hits out of any of the posts on Classroom Struggle. This demonstrates there is clear interest in understanding the politics and economics behind a seemingly well-intentioned nonprofit organization such as GO. With that said, we’re publishing Jack Gerson’s [...]
No Local Control of Schools For Poor Minorities
- Many citizens of Fort Lee, NJ, were unhappy with their school superintendent's performance. The local school board pressured him to resign. The state's response?
Nothing - even though that superintendent, Steve Engravalle, was a personal favorite of both Governor Christie and NJDOE Commissioner Cerf.
- Many citizens of Perth Amboy, NJ, were unhappy with their school superintendent's performance. The local school board voted to remove her. The state's response?
Reinstate her over their will, then wait out hearing an appeal until a new school board could be elected (with the
Nothing - even though that superintendent, Steve Engravalle, was a personal favorite of both Governor Christie and NJDOE Commissioner Cerf.
- Many citizens of Perth Amboy, NJ, were unhappy with their school superintendent's performance. The local school board voted to remove her. The state's response?
Reinstate her over their will, then wait out hearing an appeal until a new school board could be elected (with the
The Gap No One Wants to Talk About | National Education Policy Center
School Leadership in the Digital Age: An Interview with 2013 Digital Principal Ryan Imbriale
New technologies are dramatically changing how people learn. Unfortunately, many schools are moving far too slowly to adopt them, with classrooms today organized in much the same way they were in the 1950s. We in public education must do a better job incorporating new technologies into teaching and learning to prepare students for success in the changing world that awaits them.
But what does it look like when schools step into the digital age? And what can school leaders do to ensure students are learning in new ways?
We recently had the opportunity to hear about these issues from an expert, Ryan Imbriale, Principal of Patapsco High School and Center for the Arts in Baltimore and one of NASSP’s 2013 Digital Principals. In an e-mail interview, he shared his thoughts on how school leaders can promote digital learning and the challenges they face in doing so, as well as specific examples of what it looks like in his building.
Public School Insights (PSI): Before we discuss your school in particular, I want to ask a couple overarching questions. You were recently named one of NASSP’s 2013 Digital Principals. What exactly is a “digital principal”?
Imbriale: Well, a digital principal is actually real – it’s not some sort of virtual person. That’s been the running joke at my school since my staff found out I won the award. The award is designed to recognize principals who exhibit bold, creative leadership with new technologies.
PSI: In general, what is the role of a school leader in digital learning?
Imbriale: The school leader must be willing to fostering
read more
But what does it look like when schools step into the digital age? And what can school leaders do to ensure students are learning in new ways?
We recently had the opportunity to hear about these issues from an expert, Ryan Imbriale, Principal of Patapsco High School and Center for the Arts in Baltimore and one of NASSP’s 2013 Digital Principals. In an e-mail interview, he shared his thoughts on how school leaders can promote digital learning and the challenges they face in doing so, as well as specific examples of what it looks like in his building.Public School Insights (PSI): Before we discuss your school in particular, I want to ask a couple overarching questions. You were recently named one of NASSP’s 2013 Digital Principals. What exactly is a “digital principal”?
Imbriale: Well, a digital principal is actually real – it’s not some sort of virtual person. That’s been the running joke at my school since my staff found out I won the award. The award is designed to recognize principals who exhibit bold, creative leadership with new technologies.
PSI: In general, what is the role of a school leader in digital learning?
Imbriale: The school leader must be willing to fostering
read more
Alex Abramoff, son of “Casino Jack” Abramoff, to run for Santa Monica College Student Body President
Readers might remember the horrific Jack Abramoff who, with his surly counterparts such as Ralph Reed, Grover Norquist and a host of crooked politicians, milked [...] The post Alex Abramoff, son of “Casino Jack” Abramoff, to run for Santa Monica College Student Body President appeared...
The Democratic Party’s Anti-Democratic Education Policy
QoTD Chris Christie: Vouchers
Quote of the Day was pulled from Star-Ledger reporter Jenna Portnoy's Twitter feed, and retweeted by Blue Jersey alum DSWright (hat/tip) and then @BlueJersey:
The state controls Newark public schools and Newark is going to court to get control back. Jersey City, the first school system in New Jersey to come under state control, in 1989, retains the label of "failing school system". The state also controls Paterson schools - it was at a 'Town Hall' there that a man shouted 'fix the schools' and
"We don't have a vouchers system yet -- much to my chagrin," @govchristie tells Catholic school student.
— Jenna Portnoy (@jennaportnoy) March 26, 2013
The state controls Newark public schools and Newark is going to court to get control back. Jersey City, the first school system in New Jersey to come under state control, in 1989, retains the label of "failing school system". The state also controls Paterson schools - it was at a 'Town Hall' there that a man shouted 'fix the schools' and
Nurses Vs. Test Scores
Warning: This post is completely unscientific and only represents me thinking out loud. However...
Matt DiCarlo has an excellent post out today about school nurses. Only 41% of schools surveyed have a full-time RN on staff. Matt asks:
Matt DiCarlo has an excellent post out today about school nurses. Only 41% of schools surveyed have a full-time RN on staff. Matt asks:
There are several ways to look at these results. One might ask, for example, how many children are sent home from school unnecessarily every day because there is no nurse on site, and whether that affects their academic performance (a point that is likely to be politically viable in today’s test-obsessed environment). Or, taking a different approach, one could wonder about cost effectiveness – it costs money to hire nurses, and school budgets always reflect difficult choices. Finally, one might zero in on the ever-present issue of underlying variation – i.e., whether the
Junot Díaz Talks “Superman Question” on The Colbert Report
By Latino RebelsLast night Junot Díaz appeared on “The Colbert Report” talking literature, immigration, and Freedom University, a college for undocumented student. Like he tells Colbert, “Every single immigrant we have, undocumented or documented, is a future American. That’s just the truth of it.”
And then what about the “Superman Question?” You do know that Superman is undocumented, right?
The Latino Rebels are a collective of social media influentials, bloggers, marketers, journalists, poets, writers,
Did Chicago Tribune and Joyce Foundation Do Push Polling?
Several weeks ago, a Chicago website reported that the Chicago Tribune, the Joyce Foundation, and the University of Chicago were engaging in “push polling.” This is a telephone poll that literally “pushes” the listener in a certain direction, with questions designed to have pre-determined conclusions.
Read the transcript. Do you think this was a push poll?
Read the transcript. Do you think this was a push poll?
Too much testing?
From the Seattle Times: Seattle school leaders have decided to relax a few requirements for the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) this spring, the exams that are the focus of a teacher boycott that has received national attention. Ninth-graders who have passed the state’s reading exam will not have to take the MAP reading test, Read More
More states will reconsider their position to implement the Common Core
From Scholastic Administrator Alabama’s move in February to withdraw from both of the groups designing assessments for the Common Core, PARCC and Smarter Balanced, raised red flags across the country. Alabama’s pullout echoed Utah’s, which withdrew from Smarter Balanced last year. And in Indiana, former education commissioner Tony Bennett was denied reelection last November, largely Read More
Common Core Math Problems
Jane Robbins sent me some Common Core Math problems that she had obtained from an elementary school in the Metro Atlanta area. We’ll let these speak for themselves.
Community Schools, An Untapped Resource: A March 18, 2013 Convening
When knowing everything about your students isn’t enough
Community Schools, An Untapped Resource: A March 18, 2013 Convening
By Deb McCurdy, Special to K12NN
On March 18, 2013, public education advocates, administrators, school board members, school administrators, non-profit organizations and philanthropists convened at the California Endowment in downtown Los Angeles. The event followed from a discussion a group of First District CA PTA delegates had with State Senator Carol Liu’s staff on state funding issues.
They met to prove that it takes a village to care for our children, but to also discuss exactly how a village might go about it.
State Senator Carol Liu explained that the “Community Schools” strategy, one that maximizes local resources to better the academic, health and social well being of our children, is a movement that works when it is supported both from the top down and from the bottom up. Senator Liu described a system where there is an alignment of resources, cross-sector coordination, and an agenda that is as individual as the community of people it serves.
This coordination, she said, was crucial in order to efficiently maximize a holistic approach to helping our children out of poverty, steer them away from crime and prepare them to fully participate in a 21st Century skilled
Hayle Community School (Photo credit: Artichoke_Trust)
On March 18, 2013, public education advocates, administrators, school board members, school administrators, non-profit organizations and philanthropists convened at the California Endowment in downtown Los Angeles. The event followed from a discussion a group of First District CA PTA delegates had with State Senator Carol Liu’s staff on state funding issues.They met to prove that it takes a village to care for our children, but to also discuss exactly how a village might go about it.
State Senator Carol Liu explained that the “Community Schools” strategy, one that maximizes local resources to better the academic, health and social well being of our children, is a movement that works when it is supported both from the top down and from the bottom up. Senator Liu described a system where there is an alignment of resources, cross-sector coordination, and an agenda that is as individual as the community of people it serves.
This coordination, she said, was crucial in order to efficiently maximize a holistic approach to helping our children out of poverty, steer them away from crime and prepare them to fully participate in a 21st Century skilled
When knowing everything about your students isn’t enough
In March, technology entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, representatives from big-name companies and philanthropies and some teachers descended on Austin, TX for a conference meant to highlight new solutions to the biggest dilemmas in education. Educational games, apps, data dashboards and social media were touted as the next big things in panels with titles like “EdTech Entrepreneurs: Are They the Next Superheroes?” and “Building Schools Into the Innovation Ecosystem.” The main theme at the SXSWedu conference—which is linked to the better known music and technology festivals—was how these new technologies are poised to make the learning experience for students more “personalized.” With data gathered and organized by new software