Thursday, October 31, 2013

10-31-13 @ THE CHALK FACE

Here is another example of education reformers cherry picking data. New York Education Commissioner John King and the Board of Regents have been under a tremendous amount of pressure from parents and educators across the Empire State about the Common Core implementation and the significant increase in mandated testing, along with the cancellation and rescheduling […]

20 by Chris Cerrone / 1h

10-30-13 @ The Chalk Face

@ THE CHALK FACE: AFT and ATF Respond to Locals: A Follow-UpRecently, I posted an article about a story in the Albuquerque Journal about the New Mexico NEA and AFT putting pressure on the New Mexico Public Education Department (PED). I called the suggestions from the two state union groups an “appeasement.” Also included in my article was a statement from the Albuquerque Teachers Federation (ATF)

by mike simpson / 9h

National education reform advocate sought Calderon'€™s influence | Al Jazeera America

National education reform advocate sought Calderon'€™s influence | Al Jazeera America:

National education reform advocate sought Calderon'€™s influence

by Trevor Aaronson

October 31, 2013 5:41PM ET

A private meeting with lobbyists for Michelle Rhee occurred before the CA state senator sponsored education reform bill

Topics:: Politics; Crime; Law & Justice

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Lobbyists representing the nonprofit founded by education reform activist Michelle Rhee met privately with Thomas Calderon, a political dealmaker here, the day before Calderon’s brother, state Sen. Ronald Calderon, introduced a controversial bill that would have toughened teacher performance evaluations, according to people familiar with the matter.

The meeting with lobbyists for StudentsFirst, Rhee’s nonprofit lobbying organization, occurred on Feb. 20 of this year. The next day, state and other public records show, Senator Calderon introduced the bill championed by Rhee’s group. There is no indication that Rhee attended the meeting, and she did not respond to requests for an interview.

Ronald Calderon’s push for the education bill came after Rhee’s organization earlier had provided critical financial support to the political campaign of his nephew, Ian Calderon. In May 2012, state records show, StudentsFirst funneled $378,196 through a political action committee to the young Calderon’s successful campaign for the California Assembly.

Senator Calderon, who declined to answe

Teachers union leader: Reclaim promise of public education : Gary News

Teachers union leader: Reclaim promise of public education : Gary News:

Teachers union leader: Reclaim promise of public education

American Federation of Teachers national President Randi Weingarten addresses Gary teachers Thursday at the annual 2013 QuEST/TEACH Conference. Seated nearby is Gary Teachers Union President Joe Zimmerman.

By Carmen McCollum carmen.mccollum@nwi.com, (219) 662-5337

GARY | Randi Weingarten, president of the National American Federation of Teachers, encouraged Gary teachers Thursday to fight for the heart and soul of public education.

The union leader was the keynote speaker at the 2013 QuEST Teachers Conference at West Side Leadership Academy, an event sponsored by Gary Teachers Union Local No. 4. The two-day annual event includes workshops, guest speakers and entertainment.

Weingarten said she sympathized with Gary teachers and other educators across the state who have worked in public education under former state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Bennett, former Gov. Mitch Daniels and new Gov. Mike Pence. Weingarten touched on the controversial A-F grade system championed by Bennett and the revelation Bennett changed grades to benefit the charter school of a prominent Indianapolis donor.

"Follow the money," Weingarten said as she moved about the stage at West Side. "Instead of being honest about what happened, he (Tony Bennett) tried to fix it."

Weingarten said the Gary Community School Corp., like others across the country, lost students to charter and private schools. She said public schools are the center of the community, and she

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Despite all their boasting, charters missing from today's top-scoring schools list

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Despite all their boasting, charters missing from today's top-scoring schools list:

Despite all their boasting, charters missing from today's top-scoring schools list

Missing from today's published list of the top 50 highest performing list of Chicago area schools are any charters. All 50 of the top-listed schools (based solely on ISAT test scores of course), whether selective-enrollment or suburban, are public schools with union teachers.

OK, so where are over-hyped Chicago charters? Noble Street? Urban Prep? KIPP? Chicago Int'l? Well, you won't find any of them on today's list of top scorers and you won't find them at all, out in the wealthy burbs. Nor will you find any of Rahm's vaunted military academies or turnaround schools.

Best and funniest answer to the where-are-they question comes from top charter school hustler Andrew Broy, President of the Illinois Network of Charter Schools. According to his press release:

For the first time in Chicago history, this year the top 11 highest performing non-selective Chicago Public Schools high schools are charter schools... Chicago