NPE News Briefs ← from The Network for Public Education:
YESTERDAY
Bobby Jindal Has a Hissy Fit When Justice Department Defends Desegregation | Diane Ravitch’s blog
Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal went into a partisan rant before a far-right audience, complaining that the U.S. Department of Justice had sued to block the state’s voucher program. The legal action was taken to prevent vouchers from undermining desegregation in counties (parishes) that remain under court order. In a bizarre twist, Jindal portrayed himself as ...read moreThe post Bobby Jindal Has
Need a TFA recruit? New Haven that will be $2,500 | Windham you’ll have to kick in $4,000 – Wait What?
In 2011, Teach for America brought in $306.8 million in revenue, up 14 percent from the year before. TFA brags that only 20 percent of their money goes to fundraising and administration. As of two years ago, Wendy Koop, TFA’s CEO and co-founder, pulled down $448,000 in salary and benefits. Her co-founder, Matthew Kramer made ...read moreThe post Need a TFA recruit? New Haven that will be $2,500 |
Lawmakers Begin to Connect the Dots Between Gates and Common Core – Living in Dialogue – Education Week Teacher
By Anthony Cody on August 30, 2013 7:49 PM Common Core proponents are mounting a full court press in a belated recognition that their testing juggernaut is running into some serious obstacles around the country. Former TFA CEO Wendy Kopp shared her opinion today that the Common Core test results are a “welcome wake-up call” ...read moreThe post Lawmakers Begin to Connect the Dots Between Gates and
Computer Glitches Are Commonplace at Big Publishing Corporations | Diane Ravitch’s blog
A reader submits the following comment. He or she might also have noted the computer failures of testing companies this past spring, for example, in Indiana and Oklahoma. The reader says: Pearson has a pattern of poor performance nationwide, stretching back for more than a decade. For example, A. In 2002, a computer glitch caused ...read moreThe post Computer Glitches Are Commonplace at Big Publis
Inside News Corp’s $540 Million Bet on American Classrooms | Mashable
In the middle of Brooklyn’s high-end Dumbo neighborhood, 20 inner-city children sit around two wooden tables at what appears to be a small summer camp. Tablet computers are scattered across the tables, punctuated by plates of corn chips and bowls of salsa. The kids are restless on this sweltering July afternoon, fidgeting in their chairs ...read moreThe post Inside News Corp’s $540 Million Bet on
When Will the Charter Industry Finally Be Honest? | Jersey Jazzman
If you’re shocked by this, you haven’t been paying attention: The parent of a special education kindergarten pupil at the Upper West Side Success Academy charter school secretly tape recorded meetings in which school administrators pressed her to transfer her son back into the public school system. The tapes, a copy of which the mother ...read moreThe post When Will the Charter Industry Finally Be
Cuomo Wants “Death Penalty” for “Failing Schools” | Diane Ravitch’s blog
New York Governor Cuomo wants a “death penalty” for “failing schools,” He was referring to the public schools of Buffalo, which is one of the state’s poorest districts. He threatened state takeover, mayoral control, or charters. None of his remedies has ever succeeded. But they will extinguish democracy. Democracy is not the cause of low ...read moreThe post Cuomo Wants “Death Penalty” for “Failin
What Can Martin Luther King, Jr. Teach Us About Our Education System? | Diane Ravitch in the Huffington post
I received a note from an outstanding superintendent in a fine suburban district in New York, someone I greatly admire. He is experienced and wise. He has the support of parents, staff, and community. He runs one of the state’s best school districts. He wrote of the excitement and joy of the beginning of the ...read moreThe post What Can Martin Luther King, Jr. Teach Us About Our Education System?
How much ‘value’ can teachers really add to student achievement? | The Answer Sheet
By Valerie Strauss, Published: August 30 at 10:30 am Chris Gilbert teaches English at a high school and community college in North Carolina. His work has written for the English Journal of the National Council of Teachers of English, the Language Experience Forum Journal and for this blog. He is a 2013 recipient of national council’s ...read moreThe post How much ‘value’ can teachers really add to
E.D. Hirsch, Jr., Opposes Value-Added Teacher Evaluation | Diane Ravitch’s blog
E.D. Hirsch, Jr., the founder of the Core Knowledge curriculum, wrote an article opposing value-added teacher evaluation, especially in reading. Hirsch supports the Common Core but thinks it may be jeopardized by the rush to test it and tie the scores to teacher evaluations. He knows this will encourage teaching to the test and other ...read moreThe post E.D. Hirsch, Jr., Opposes Value-Added Teach
The Lingering Legacy of Segregation | the becoming radical
Posted on August 30, 2013 by plthomasedd As we approach 60 years since U.S. Supreme Court’s 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision and stand in the wake of a 50-year anniversary of the March on Washington, Richard Rothstein details: Today, many black children still attend schools in racially and economically isolated neighborhoods, while their families still reside in ...read moreThe post The L
What would Michelle Obama think about this? | The Answer Sheet
By Valerie Strauss, Published: August 30 at 12:02 pm Michelle Obama has advocated for more physical activity in schools. (By Kevin Lamarque / Reuters) You’ve got to wonder about a school system that institutes a new requirement that violates its own wellness policy. That’s just what happened in the Washington D.C. public school system, where ...read moreThe post What would Michelle Obama think abo
NPE Candidate Battles Koch Brothers in Douglas County, Colorado | Diane Ravitch’s blog
Please view the website of the Network for Public Education, where you can find the links and photos that accompany this announcement. Koch Brothers Enter the Douglas County Race NPE-endorsed Candidate Faces AFP-Backed Tea Party Candidate NPE-endorsed candidate Ronda Scholting now faces an opponent in the Douglas County School Board race who is supported by ...read moreThe post NPE Candidate Battl
Malloy/Pryor’s “School Turnaround Office” loses another “major player.” – Wait What?
As criticism builds about Governor Malloy, Commissioner of Education Stefan Pryor and the State Department of Education’s “School Turnaround Office,” the latest word is that Gabrielle Ramos, the Broad Foundation Fellow hired by Steven Pryor to help lead the turnaround operation, is leaving the State Department of Education effective immediately. Ramos has been one of ...read moreThe post Malloy/Pr
Further Apart in Public Schools than Ever Before | Nancy Bailey’s Education Website
As an educator, I look at civil rights progress through the lens of a teacher, and I see little to be happy about when it comes to public schools and race relations. I think we’ve gone backwards. Which reform groups address this issue authentically? With all the “achievement gap” talk how are we pulling together ...read moreThe post Further Apart in Public Schools than Ever Before | Nancy Bailey’s
TALLAHASSEE: Gov. Rick Scott’s private meeting with Jeb Bush irks parent activists, Democrats – Florida – MiamiHerald.com
TALLAHASSEE — After failing to show up at the three-day education summit he convened in Clearwater this week, Gov. Rick Scott held a private meeting in Miami Thursday night to discuss the future of Florida’s schools. The guest list: former Gov. Jeb Bush, state Sen. John Thrasher and state Board of Education Chairman Gary Chartrand. ...read moreThe post TALLAHASSEE: Gov. Rick Scott’s private meetin
Common Core National Education Outrages Teacher Coalition
As outrage continues to grow surrounding the unprecedented “Common Core” nationalization of K-12 education under the Obama administration — particularly among Republicans, Tea Party groups, conservatives, and libertarians — a new foe of the controversial scheme is attacking the federally backed standardization plan from all angles, including the political left. Known as the Badass Teacher ...read
When will the civil rights community wake up to your propaganda? | Teachers’ Letters to Bill Gates
ear Bill, I’d like to believe that everyone who’s interested in education has a common goal: to ensure that each child in America, regardless of race, creed, or circumstance, has access to great public schools. However, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the education reform policies you promote—which you claim help civil rights causes—actually accomplish the ...read moreThe post When will the
‘The napkin’: When Bush, Thrasher huddled, big change followed | Tampa Bay Times
As Gov. Rick Scott dines in private in Miami to discuss education with former Gov. Jeb Bush and Sen. John Thrasher, R-St. Augustine, it’s worth recalling what happened before when Bush and Thrasher met. It may explain why Scott’s meeting with the two men haas the potential to cause headaches for the current governor. The ...read moreThe post ‘The napkin’: When Bush, Thrasher huddled, big change fo
Philadelphia trying to flip shuttered schools quickly | NewsWorks
By Elizabeth Fiedler, @EAFiedler John L. Kinsey Elementary in North Philadelphia is one of 31 school properties that will be empty on the first day of school. (Brad Larrison/for NewsWorks, file) The city of Philadelphia and its cash-strapped school district are joining forces to sell some shuttered school buildings. The new partnership is moving forward now ...read moreThe post Philadelphia trying
2nd job a necessity for many NC teachers | WNCN
DURHAM, N.C. - The next time you go out, don’t forget to tip your bartender or waiter, because it could be the end of their 16-hour work day. Some teachers in the state are struggling just to make ends meet, and are forced to work multiple jobs just to keep doing the one main job ...read moreThe post 2nd job a necessity for many NC teachers | WNCN appeared first on NPE News Briefs.
Success Academy parent’s secret tapes reveal attempt to push out special needs student | NY Daily News
Call them the charter school tapes. The parent of a special education kindergarten pupil at the Upper West Side Success Academy charter school secretly tape recorded meetings in which school administrators pressed her to transfer her son back into the public school system. The tapes, a copy of which the mother supplied the Daily News, ...read moreThe post Success Academy parent’s secret tapes reve
BAT Founder: Education “Reform” Is a Coup D’Etat | Diane Ravitch’s blog
Mark Naison is one of the founders of BAT, the Badass Teachers Association. He says that what is happening to public education today is nothing less than a coup d’état, a stealthy takeover of public education by elites who know little or nothing about education. Some do it for the power; some for greed; some ...read moreThe post BAT Founder: Education “Reform” Is a Coup D’Etat | Diane Ravitch’s bl
AUG 29
State Audit Says Houston Charter Misspent $5.3 Million in Federal Funds | Diane Ravitch’s blog
The Texas Education Agency charged that a charter school in Houston misspent $5.3 million in federal funds on cruises, first-class air tickets, and other personal expenses for the owners and managers. “The report found rampant conflicts of interest and numerous questionable expenses involving Varnett superintendent Annette Cluff and her husband, Alsie Cluff Jr. He’s the ...read moreThe post State
Is Madison ready for Tim Slekar? | The Daily Page
Edgewood College’s new education dean says schools should opt out of high-stakes tests Ruth Conniff on Thursday 08/29/2013 As kids and teachers head back to school, the future of education in our state is a boiling-hot topic. And no one is more ready to plunge into the roiling waters of school controversy than Tim Slekar, ...read moreThe post Is Madison ready for Tim Slekar? | The Daily Page appea
First, Do No Harm: That Includes the Media | the becoming radical
Posted on August 29, 2013 by plthomasedd Public education in the U.S. suffers under a powerful intersection of politics, the media, and the public. As I have too often documented, misinformation tends to be reinforced among all three of these forces. The role of media, as Alfie Kohn has examined, is central to perpetuating not ...read moreThe post First, Do No Harm: That Includes the Media | the b
State budget cuts temper hopes for new school year | NC Policy Watch
8/26/2013 by Lindsay Wagner Barbara Dell Carter is everything you dream of in a second grade teacher. Seventeen years into her career, she is highly skilled, brimming with warmth and enthusiasm, and, as anyone speaking with her for just a couple of minutes will realize, incredibly passionate about her life’s work. She still has the ...read moreThe post State budget cuts temper hopes for new school
Report: Public schools more segregated now than 40 years ago
By Valerie Strauss, Published: August 29 at 3:49 pm Today, African American students are more isolated than they were 40 years ago, while most education policymakers and reformers have abandoned integration as a cause. That reality is explained in a new report called “For Public Schools, Segregation Then, Segregation Since: Education and the Unfinished March” ...read moreThe post Report: Public sc
Senator Who Advocates for Arming Teachers Accidentally Shoots Teacher With Rubber Bullet | Alternet
August 29, 2013 A state senator who is advocating for arming teachers in the aftermath of the school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, accidentally shot a teacher with a rubber bullet during a training course, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports. Arkansas Sen. Jeremy Hutchinson (R) recently participated in “active shooter” training and mistakenly shot a teacher who ...read moreThe post Senator
Our Thoroughly Insane Teacher Evaluation System | Diane Ravitch’s blog
This is a letter from Arthur Goldstein to his colleagues at Francis Lewis High School in Queens, New York. Arthur is chapter chair of his school, where he teaches English language learners. He also had a terrific blog called NYC Educator. This is what he told the staff about the new teacher evaluation system: ...read moreThe post Our Thoroughly Insane Teacher Evaluation System | Diane Ravitch’s
Florida Lawmaker Files Bill To Stop New Education Standards | StateImpact Florida
BY JOHN O’CONNOR A Florida lawmaker has filed a bill which would put a hold on Common Core standards. A Florida lawmaker has filed a bill that would put the implementation of Common Core education standards on hold until the the State Board of Education conducts an independent review of how much the new standards ...read moreThe post Florida Lawmaker Files Bill To Stop New Education Standards | St
Extracurricular activism | The Providence Phoenix
Back to school with the Providence Student Union By PHILIP EIL | August 28, 2013 How you feel about the Providence Student Union will likely depend on how you feel about public education in America. And race in America. And income inequality. And acts of political theater. And the word “union.” And the word “organizer.” ...read moreThe post Extracurricular activism | The Providence Phoenix appea
The most ridiculous ed idea of the week (so far) – update | The Answer Sheet
By Valerie Strauss, Published: August 28 at 8:00 am (Update: Another most ridiculous option) The most ridiculous ed idea of the week so far comes to us from Florida, where Gov. Rick Scott organized a three-day education summit for ed leaders, legislators, teachers and parents. He sent interim Education Commissioner Pam Stewart to lead it, ...read moreThe post The most ridiculous ed idea of the wee
NC teachers: Low pay forces some from profession, state | WRAL.com
RALEIGH, N.C. — More than 1.5 million students returned to school across North Carolina this week, but not all teachers decided to come back as well. Cameron Shumay said this is the first time he hasn’t been part of back-to-school week in 13 years. “I did miss it a little bit,” said Shumay, a former ...read moreThe post NC teachers: Low pay forces some from profession, state | WRAL.com appeared fi
School district’s voucher program parallels national effort – Our Colorado News: Lone Tree Voice: News
Similarities, local links raise questions of broader agenda Jane Reuter jreuter@ourcoloradonews.com Douglas County Schools’ effort to overhaul the district is in sync with proposals put forth by a conservative, national political organization that many believe advances an education-privatization agenda. The American Legislative Exchange Council brings legislators and corporate representatives toge
Arne Duncan Attaches More Strings to NCLB Waiver Renewals | Politics K-12 – Education Week
By Michele McNeil on August 29, 2013 1:00 PM Two years after offering states waivers under the No Child Left Behind Act, the U.S. Department of Education is expecting states to up the ante on teacher quality if they want another two years of flexibility. Barring a reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, ...read moreThe post Arne Duncan Attaches More Strings to NCLB Waiver Re
For the record: Are charter schools and district-run schools treated equally? | catalyst-chicago.org
Both sides–charter school proponents and regular public school advocates–say the other gets more. The truth is complicated. By: Sarah Karp / August 27, 2013 This 2005 Catalyst In Depth looked at the issue of per pupil budgeting. When CPS presented its 2013-14 budget last month, officials touted the new student-based budgeting as a way to ...read moreThe post For the record: Are charter schools and
What Do Public Educators Do? They Educate the Public! | Diane Ravitch’s blog
This reader responds to the findings of the PDK/Gallup poll, which showed a shift in public opinion against testing, against using test scores to evaluate teachers, and against public release of teacher personnel files and ratings. “We said last year that we had a lot of hard work to do, to inform and educate the parents we work with, to ...read moreThe post What Do Public Educators Do? They Educa
NYC Public School Parents: Please contribute to help the final orphaned class at Christopher Columbus HS
Here is the somber request by an alumnae of Columbus HS in the Bronx to help students in the last graduating class at that school, being phased out by the DOE, receive college counseling and other basic programs that have been denied them by the powers that be, by donating to a fund at the ...read moreThe post NYC Public School Parents: Please contribute to help the final orphaned class at Christo
Charter school advocates look for an opening on City Council | GothamSchools
by Anika Anand, at 10:00 am As charter schools proliferated during the Bloomberg years, local elected City Council officials remained a reliable foe at rallies and protests against the sector’s growth. But with at least 20 of the council’s 51 seats sure to turn over at the end of the year, many of the press ...read moreThe post Charter school advocates look for an opening on City Council | GothamS
How Teach For America recruits get preference for teaching jobs | The Answer Sheet
By Valerie Strauss, Published: August 29 at 6:00 amE-mail the writer This story takes place in Bridgeport, Conn., but the same thing is happening around the country. It’s about how Teach For America corps members are given preference over well-trained teachers in Bridgeport, Conn., where Paul Vallas remains superintendent pending a state Supreme Court decision ...read moreThe post How Teach For Am
Do Civil Rights Groups Want More High-Stakes Testing? | Diane Ravitch’s blog
A group called the Campaign for High School Equity made news the other day when it criticized Arne Duncan’s NCLB waivers and complained that the waivers might reduce the amount of high-stakes testing for poor and minority students. Mike Petrilli at the conservative think tank Thomas B. Fordham Institute challenged me to admit that the civil rights groups were leading the ...read moreThe post Do Ci
Mantra of the corporate reformers: ‘Teachers Wanted — No Experience Necessary’ |Mike Klonsky’s SmallTalk Blog
From the Times to Edweek, it seems like planted stories abound, hailing the coming of the new prototype teacher. You know, she’s the one “most difficult to pick from of the group of students surrounding her”, writes Edweek’s Alexis Lambrau, about the subject of her photo shoot, Ferrin Bujan, a 24-year old teacher at the ...read moreThe post Mantra of the corporate reformers: ‘Teachers Wanted — No
Common Core standards are ‘curriculum upsidedownia’ | SFGate
Frequently, these days, I’m reminded of Edward Lear’s whimsical illustration, “Manypeeplia Upsidedownia.” The drawing depicts an imagined botanical species, with a half dozen characters suspended upside down from a flower’s bending stem. It is a product of the Victorian golden age of nonsense, but it is fitting today, now that we Americans seem to have ...read moreThe post Common Core standards a
Gov. Scott promises action after schools summit ends | Naples Daily News
CLEARWATER — A three-day schools summit ended Wednesday with promises to fix Florida’s beleaguered school grading system, but it’s still not clear what it will mean for students and teachers across the state. Gov. Rick Scott called for the schools summit following a summer that included the abrupt resignation of Education Commissioner Tony Bennett and ...read moreThe post Gov. Scott promises actio
Hundreds March on CPS, City Hall to Demand Elected School Board | DNAinfo.com Chicago
By Ted Cox on August 28, 2013 2:03pm | Updated on August 28, 2013 4:14pm DOWNTOWN — Hundreds of protesters marched from Chicago Public Schools headquarters to City Hall Wednesday to demand an elected school board. “Today we light the match for an elected, representative school board in the city of Chicago,” said Jitu Brown of the ...read moreThe post Hundreds March on CPS, City Hall to Demand Elec
NECAP and graduation: a parent’s perspective | Jean Ann Guliano – Patch
This past Sunday afternoon (August 26) my friend, Tina Egan, and I attended a RI Board of Education meeting. I am very proud of Tina as she was one of the plaintiffs on the recent lawsuit that ensured such an important meeting, which included a presentation on the use of the NECAP as a graduation ...read moreThe post NECAP and graduation: a parent’s perspective | Jean Ann Guliano – Patch appeared