Latest News and Comment from Education

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Nite Cap 12-19-13 #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2


James Baldwin said it best: 

"For these are all our children, and we will profit by or pay for whatever they become."


A BIG EDUCATION APE NITE CAP

 mark as read

NYC Public School Parents: My inBloom presentation at last night's Hudson Valley Community College Common Core forum
NYC Public School Parents: My inBloom presentation at last night's Hudson Valley Community College Common Core forum: My inBloom presentation at last night's Hudson Valley Community College Common Core forumcredit:  Meredith Gavin via TwitterLast night, there was a terrific forum on privacy and the Common Core at Hudson Valley Community. It was a pleasure and a privilege for me to be able to have time to brief legislators and those in the audience on what I have learned about inBloom over the last year, and to answer their questions.  The forum was hosted by Assemblymember Steve McLaughlin, an
Texas Shuttering Campuses at Six Charter Schools | The Texas Tribune
Texas Shuttering Campuses at Six Charter Schools | The Texas Tribune: Texas Shuttering Campuses at Six Charter Schoolsby Morgan SmithDec. 19, 20131Comment Comment Republish Email Tweet RecommendEnlargegraphic by: Todd Wiseman / Chris Cole / Paul SoundersTexas will shut down campuses at six charter schools under a new law that includes heightened financial and academic performance rules for charter operators in the state.During the 2013 legislative session, the strengthened closure rules were a selling point for lawmakers who had otherwise opposed legislation that expanded the number of charter
“The Nation” Calls “Reign of Error” the Best Book of 2013 | janresseger
“The Nation” Calls “Reign of Error” the Best Book of 2013 | janresseger: “The Nation” Calls “Reign of Error” the Best Book of 2013Posted on December 19, 2013 by janressegerIn its Progressive Honor Roll of 2013, The Nation magazine has named Diane Ravitch’s Reign of Error  the “most valuable” book of the year.Here is the brief review:“Yes, she really did serve as an assistant education secretary for George H.W. Bush, and yes, she once supported George W. Bush’s “No Child Left Behind.”  But Ravitch refuses to cling to failed strategies, as she explains in her groundbreaking new book, subtitled T

TODAY

Math topics that need to be put out of their misery. Part 1: Writing algebraic expressions | Gary Rubinstein's Blog
Math topics that need to be put out of their misery. Part 1: Writing algebraic expressions | Gary Rubinstein's Blog: Math topics that need to be put out of their misery. Part 1: Writing algebraic expressionsLast month I wrote a post called ‘The Death of math’ which got a lot of attention as I described how I’d improve math teaching in this country by significantly reducing the number of topics tau
The Nation magazine names Seattle Eduction Association “Most Valuable Union” and credits Social Equality Educators for support of MAP test boycott | I AM AN EDUCATOR
The Nation magazine names Seattle Eduction Association “Most Valuable Union” and credits Social Equality Educators for support of MAP test boycott | I AM AN EDUCATOR: The Nation magazine names Seattle Eduction Association “Most Valuable Union” and credits Social Equality Educators for support of MAP test boycottBy I AM AN EDUCATOR on December 19, 2013The Nation magazine released its “Progressive H
Meet the new Boss | BCS in Context
Meet the new Boss | BCS in Context: Meet the new BossSame as the old BossThe Santa Clara County Board of Education has a new President: Leon Beauchman. Beauchman has been a member of SCCBOE for 13 years and previously served as SCCBOE President in 2002 and 2005. He was re-elected in Nov. 2012 in an uncontested race for the Area 3 seat—unfortunately, resembling a single-party election.*Beauchman ha
12-19-13 Ms. Jablonski's Class Blog
Ms. Jablonski's Class Blog: New Mexico Supreme Court Rules Gay Marriage Constitutional">The New Mexico Supreme Court  : On Thursday, The New Mexico Supreme Court declared gay marriage consitutional based on it being unconstitutional to deny a marriage license to gay and lesbian couples. From the ruling: Prohibiting same-gender marriages is not substantially related to the governmental interes
12-19-13 THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG Personalized Learning Starts with Personal Relationships — Whole Child Education
Personalized Learning Starts with Personal Relationships — Whole Child Education: Personalized Learning Starts with Personal RelationshipsDecember 19, 2013 by Whole Child PodcastDownload Podcast Now [Right-Click to Save]How do we help each student succeed? One promising way is to personalize learning and put each student at the center of her learning experience. Broader than individualized or diff
12-19-13 Seattle Schools Community Forum
Seattle Schools Community Forum: What Mayor Bloomberg Had To SayI had posted a link to a 5-part series at the New York Times that followed a young girl and her homeless family living in NYC.  It is devastating reading.Mayor Bloomberg weighed in.  Now, he has the biggest city in the country to run and I absolutely don't expect everything to work well particularly for the poor if only because that's
12-19-13 The Answer Sheet
The Answer Sheet: Maryland takes on new Common Core role as ‘favor’ to Obama, Gov. O’Malley saysHow’s this for messy? Top Maryland officials approved a contract making the state the “fiscal agent”  for one of two multi-state consortia developing  standardized tests aligned with the Common Core State Standards despite objections that the contract has no minority business participation and concerns
12-19-13 Ed Notes Online
Ed Notes Online: Howard Schwach on John King Visit to Long Island and Parents' Objection to inBloomGood to see my old editor at The Wave still battling the forces of evil.By Howard Schwach12/17/13http://liherald.com/valleystream/stories/State-school-boards-say-no-to-InBloom,51762A survey of more than 600 school board members across New York state found that 75 percent overwhelmingly oppose the edu
Millions of American Students Need to Learn English - Trevon Milliard - The Atlantic
Millions of American Students Need to Learn English - Trevon Milliard - The Atlantic: Millions of American Students Need to Learn EnglishBut only a fraction of teachers have received training to help English language learners. More than 5.3 million American public school students would struggle to understand this sentence. These students need to be taught the English language in addition to the us
NYC Public School Parents: Assembly Letter to John King on inBloom and Student Privacy
NYC Public School Parents: Assembly Letter to John King on inBloom and Student Privacy: Assembly Letter to John King on inBloom and Student PrivacyFifty Assemblymembers sign a letter to Commissioner King, expressing their continuing concern with the the state's plan to share data with inBloom: "We do not believe the State Education Department should share this information with inBloom, especi
School choice sounds great in theory—but who does the choosing? | Hechinger Report
School choice sounds great in theory—but who does the choosing? | Hechinger Report: School choice sounds great in theory—but who does the choosing?By Andre PerrySay it ain’t so—public-school leaders in New Orleans tinkering with admissions rules to cherry-pick students? No way. These are open-enrollment public schools, aren’t they? Apparently, public schools in the highly decentralized environment
Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: iPads in the classroom: Not a bust, but not yet a boonEducation HeadlinesThursday, December 19, 2013FCMAT provides links to California K-12 news stories as a service to the industry. However, some stories may not be accessible because of newspapers' subscription policies.Long Beach school okays 3 percent raise for teachersAfter five years wit
Free lunches: Is it kids or parents who should be sweeping the... | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com
Free lunches: Is it kids or parents who should be sweeping the... | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com: Free lunches: Is it kids or parents who should be sweeping the cafeteria floors?  Previous PostsEarly Christmas present for state: $51 million to expand child care for low-income familiesDecember 19, 2013NAEP: Some progress for Atlanta, but is it enough?December 18, 2013New state report: Maximize impact
12-19-13 the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness
the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness (the public and scholarly writing by P. L. Thomas, Furman University): Our Dystopia Is Now: The CircleFor twenty-first century readers and students, George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984 poses, I think, a temporal paradox. 1984, George Orwell Orwell’s “other world” appears simultaneously a horrifying totalitarian future possibility for human
Morning Wink 12-19-13 AM Posts #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2
BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS mark as readLISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 12-19-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for allDiane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: L.A. Teacher Breaks with Corporate ReformersLisa Alva Wood, a teacher in the Los Angeles public schools, belonged to an array of corporate reform groups. She belonged to Educators
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 12-19-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: L.A. Teacher Breaks with Corporate ReformersLisa Alva Wood, a teacher in the Los Angeles public schools, belonged to an array of corporate reform groups. She belonged to Educators for Excellence and other corporate-sponsored groups. She participated in an E4E video, along with other teachers, supporting a group that promotes high-s
12-19-13 Fred Klonsky Daily posts from a retired public school teacher who is just looking at the data
Fred Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacher who is just looking at the data.: Gary Elmen. Pension are not gifts. They are earned.  Out-going IRTA President Gary Elmen (left) and TRS trustee Bob Lyons. - Gary Elmen. IRTA President It’s true that education is the key to our future, but those who served the needs of our students in the past are also part of our future. For that re
12-19-13 Wait What?
Wait What?: Yup, Capital Prep’s Steve Perry Tweets about the dangers of Social Media…Dr. Steve Perry ‏@DrStevePerry Social media has had a net negative affect on schools. Kids & adults are free to tee off on each other & the schools are left to clean it up (December 18, 2013)   This from a man who has sent out 32,971 Tweets, many during school hours, costing Hartford and Connecticut […]The
12-19-13 Schools Matter
Schools Matter: Excuses, Excuses...In response to test scores for New York City:New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's reign as head of the nation's largest school system resulted in greatly improved graduation rates, but test scores that lagged behind the pace of other large American cities. New York City students' scores on national math and reading tests released Wednesday didn't show signific
12-19-13 Scathing Purple Musings | Color me purple in Florida, red in Washington, dark sky-blue in Israel and public school in Education
Scathing Purple Musings | Color me purple in Florida, red in Washington, dark sky-blue in Israel and public school in Education: Deja Vu All Over Again: Charter Schools USA to Appeal Denial of Application to State BoardBaseball legend Yogi Berra’s yummy pleonasm seems appropriate when it comes to the manner that Charter Schools USA takes advantage of a system they helped game themselves. No for-pr
12-19-13 Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL
Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL: Find Out What Word Was First Used The Year You Were BornThe OED birthday word generator: which words originated in your birth year? is an interactive from the Oxford English Dictionary that does what its title says. Just because I don’t have any other place to put it, I’m adding it to The Best “Today In History” Sites.8 by
12-19-13 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: 1st Look/Taking Initiative: THE PROTECTION OF LOCAL SCHOOL REVENUES ACT OF 2014via email from Educate our State and from their website | http://bit.ly/IYaNGG 19 December 2013  ::  According to Educate Our State: Over $7 billion dollars a year of local property taxes have been directed away from our community schools.  These are our local tax dollars app
12-19-13 @ The Chalk Face
@ THE CHALK FACE: Center for Union Facts… Yeah, Right.On December 10, 2013, the deceptively-named Center for Union Facts (CUF) bought a full-page ad in the New York Times in order to tell the public that some of the 2012 US PISA scores are the “fault” of American Federation of Teachers (AFT) President Randi Weingarten. Right there, we begin with stupid. The CUF attacks […]3 by deutsch29 / 6h 12-18
12-19-13 Perdido Street School
Perdido Street School: Bloomberg Claims His Education Reforms Are "Poster Child" For National ReformThe Daily News is doing Bloomberg "legacy" pieces today and the story on education by Ben Chapman is pretty good.Here's the opening: He ran for office as the Education Mayor, but his report card is mixed — at best. Mayor Bloomberg’s overhaul of the public schools was one of the m
The Task of Building a Thirst for Knowledge - Bridging Differences - Education Week
The Task of Building a Thirst for Knowledge - Bridging Differences - Education Week: The Task of Building a Thirst for KnowledgeBy Deborah Meier on December 19, 2013 9:45 AMDeborah Meier's reply to Robert Pondiscio of CitizenshipFirst.Dear Robert,Here's a much too long reply.  The time I allotted for editing has been cut short by the death of a colleague, Herb Rosenfeld.  He was a math teacher in
Filtering Noise From Signal In The Succession At LAUSD – redqueeninla
Filtering Noise From Signal In The Succession At LAUSD – redqueeninla: Filtering Noise From Signal In The Succession At LAUSDWritten by redqueeninla in Education Sometimes, reasonable minds really can disagree on a course of action.  And sometimes that disagreement is not hypocritical or foot-dragging; sometimes just taking a deep breath and counting to ten is not only the most cautious and respec
Six States Receive Race to the Trough Early Learning Challenge Money | Truth in American Education
Six States Receive Race to the Trough Early Learning Challenge Money | Truth in American Education: Six States Receive Race to the Trough Early Learning Challenge MoneyThe Associated Press reports that six states: Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Vermont have won a combined $280 million in government grants in order to improve birth-to-five early learning programs.  These
In Opposition To Academic Boycotts
Shanker Blog » In Opposition To Academic Boycotts: In Opposition To Academic BoycottsPosted by Rita Freedman on December 19, 2013Academic BoycottsOur guest author today is Rita Freedman, Acting Executive Director of the Jewish Labor Committee, and a recent retiree from the American Federation of Teachers.There is a growing, worldwide effort to ostracize Israel and to make it into a pariah state. (
On Short-Term Memory & Statistical Ineptitude: A few reminders regarding NAEP TUDA results | School Finance 101
On Short-Term Memory & Statistical Ineptitude: A few reminders regarding NAEP TUDA results | School Finance 101: School Finance 101Data and thoughts on public and private school funding in the U.S.On Short-Term Memory & Statistical Ineptitude: A few reminders regarding NAEP TUDA resultsPosted on December 19, 20130      Rate ThisNothin’ brings out good ol’ American statistical ineptitude li
Cartoons on Digital Kids and Adults | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice
Cartoons on Digital Kids and Adults | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: Cartoons on Digital Kids and AdultsHere’s my holiday gift to readers who might need a break from family gatherings, opening of presents, and over-eating. This monthly feature of cartoons looks at the ways that new technologies seize attention from both children and adults, parents and kids. I hope that at le
Research supports, equity demands rethinking the starting age of public school | EdSource Today
Research supports, equity demands rethinking the starting age of public school | EdSource Today: Research supports, equity demands rethinking the starting age of public schoolDecember 18th, 2013 | Add a Comment | By Seth Rosenblatt / commentarySeth RosenblattThe current structure of U.S. public schools – including the K-12 grade framework – was established over a century ago based on the goals, sc
Center for Union Facts… Yeah, Right. | deutsch29
Center for Union Facts… Yeah, Right. | deutsch29: Center for Union Facts… Yeah, Right.December 19, 2013On December 10, 2013, the deceptively-named Center for Union Facts (CUF) bought a full-page ad in the New York Times in order to tell the public that some of the 2012 US PISA scores are the “fault” of American Federation of Teachers (AFT) President Randi Weingarten.Right there, we begin with stup
Check Out Talking Points Memo Series of Short Articles by Diane Ravitch | janresseger
Check Out Talking Points Memo Series of Short Articles by Diane Ravitch | janresseger: Check Out Talking Points Memo Series of Short Articles by Diane RavitchPosted on December 19, 2013 by janressegerLast week the education historian Diane Ravitch was featured in a five-part “Book Club” atTalking Points Memo.  In the series of very short articles—here, here, here, here,  and here—Ravitch shares a
Network upgrades to push up cost of LA schools' massive iPad project | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC
Network upgrades to push up cost of LA schools' massive iPad project | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC: Network upgrades to push up cost of LA schools' massive iPad projectAnnie Gilbertson | December 19th, 2013, 6:00amCloned Milkmen/FlickrAn average of $750,000 per school is budgeted for wifi upgrades necessary for every student to have an iPad.The L.A. Unified school district is planning to spend more th
NYC Educator: The New Mayor
NYC Educator: The New Mayor: The New Mayor By special guest blogger Maestro PolíticoI’ve seen a lot of fretting around the NYC scene that Bill de Blasio is going to be a disappointment as a mayor. I think many New Yorkers simply have PBSD (Post Bloomberg Stress Disease) — where the mere word “mayor” conjured up images of awkward Spanglish, 16 oz. sodas cans, Joel Klein /Cathie Black/ Dennis Walcot
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Right On, Pittsburgh
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Right On, Pittsburgh: Right On, PittsburghA Small Talk salute goes out to the new school board in Pittsburgh for giving the boot to TFA before its recruits even had a chance to put boots on the ground..“I really don't see Teach for America as a program to help us,” said new Pittsburgh Public Schools board member Sylvia Wilson, a former teacher and former official wit

YESTERDAY

AFT’s Weingarten on Trial Urban District Assessment Results
AFT - A Union of Professionals - AFT’s Weingarten on Trial Urban District Assessment Results: AFT's Weingarten on Trial Urban District Assessment ResultsWeingarten: "These results show incremental progress despite the challenges urban schools face, but poverty and economic inequality—as economists and even the Pope have acknowledged—will stymie long-term gains unless policymakers face these i
The Educated Reporter: Closing the Gaps: Improving Outcomes and Opportunities for English Language Learners
The Educated Reporter: Closing the Gaps: Improving Outcomes and Opportunities for English Language Learners: Closing the Gaps: Improving Outcomes and Opportunities for English Language LearnersThis week, we're revisiting some of the top sessions from EWA's 66th National Seminar held at Stanford University. We asked journalists who attended to contribute posts, and today's guest blogger is Trevon M
Carmen Farina to be Named New NYC DOE Chancellor southbronxschool.com
http://www.southbronxschool.com: Carmen Farina to be Named New NYC DOE ChancellorA high level source within the NYC DOE has shared with The Crack Team at SBSB that Carmen Farina will be named as new chancellor of the Department of Education.Another close source to The Crack Team has given Ms Farina a thumbs up and thinks naming her is a great choice.Of course, the proof is in the pudding and we do
Scatter-shooting the Sitting Ducks — US Americans Believe Education is Broken | Dissident Voice
Scatter-shooting the Sitting Ducks — US Americans Believe Education is Broken | Dissident Voice: Scatter-shooting the Sitting Ducks — US Americans Believe Education is Brokenby Paul Haeder / December 18th, 2013but they still believe the Sun revolves around the Earth . . . and, well, that US of Amerika is the best country since, well, Eden!“Of all our studies, history is best qualified to reward al
The Ignorant Mindset Destroying American Education
The Ignorant Mindset Destroying American Education: The Ignorant Mindset Destroying American Educationby EDWARDBERGER on DECEMBER 19, 2013To get the most out of this blog, view Ted Talks 2011 – Knowledge Is Power.  #1:  Sir Ken Robinson; and  #5: Salman Kahn, and the Kahn Academy.I selected these two excellent presentations for many reasons, but the most important reveal is when Bill Gates comes o
CASU | CALIFORNIA STUDENT UNION : : Our struggles are one. Our victories are one. *** This site is currently under construction. Please bare with us as we update resources, links, etc. Thank you. ***
CASU | CALIFORNIA STUDENT UNION : : Our struggles are one. Our victories are one. *** This site is currently under construction. Please bare with us as we update resources, links, etc. Thank you. ***: Inside Chile’s Student MovementPosted on May 11, 2012 by CASTUDENTUNION • 4 CommentsThe Center for Latin American Studies and the Berkeley Law School present a talk with Giorgio Jackson, one of the l
Nite Cap 12-18-13 #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2
James Baldwin said it best: "For these are all our children, and we will profit by or pay for whatever they become."A BIG EDUCATION APE NITE CAP mark as read2013 in Review Part 1: Charter Schools: Public, Private, or Parasitic? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher2013 in Review Part 1: Charter Schools: Public, Private, or Parasitic? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: