A BIG EDUCATION APE NITE CAP
Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » March 19 forum in Chicago with Garfield teacher Jesse Hagopian: March 19 forum in Chicago with Garfield teacher Jesse Hagopian by admin [image: March 19 flyer] More Than a Score and the Chicago Teachers Union are co-sponsoring a forum featuring Seattle teacher Jesse Hagopian, a leader of the Garfield High School test boycott, along with CTU president Karen Lewis. It will be held on Tuesday, March 19, at 7 pm at the Mt. Carmel MB Church. 2976 S Wabash. The Garfield teachers made national headlines earlier this month when they ... more »
PAA’s new weekly “Parent Voices Weekly Education Fax” to Congress | Parents Across America: PAA’s new weekly “Parent Voices Weekly Education Fax” to Congress by pureparents Yesterday PAA launched our new weekly education update for legislators and anyone else who should be hearing more about education issues from the parents’ point of view. Our fax went to all the members of the U. S. House and Senate education committees. We will post them every week on our blog and link to that in our newsletter. We hope that you will also send these as faxes, e-mails, or snail mails to your Co... more »
Modern School: 3 of California’s “Top” Schools On the Chopping Block, And Good Riddance: 3 of California’s “Top” Schools On the Chopping Block, And Good Riddance by Michael Dunn What makes a “top” school, top? According to the San Francisco Chronicle (and most other media) it is test scores. Thanks to No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and Obama’s Race to the Top (RttT), test scores are all that matter these days. This has led to numerous cheating scandals, as well as a reduction in science, arts, physical education and other curricula to make room for more test preparation. It has also ... more »
Sacramento Press / Decision time – board to decide fate of 10 elementary schools: Decision time – board to decide fate of 10 elementary schoolsby Karen Wilkinson, published on *February 21, 2013* at *1:38 PM* * * * Jerry Tambarino of Tahoe Park holds up a flyer while addressing the crowd at last week's meeting at Washington School. Tonight the future of 10 Sacramento schools will be decided by a board of seven. We'll be live blogging the meeting of the Sacramento City Unified School District's board of education, and will pay particular attention to the fate of Washington Elementar... more »
Define fiscally and morally irresponsible? Malloy’s plan for older, retired teachers. - Wait, What?: Define fiscally and morally irresponsible? Malloy’s plan for older, retired teachers. by jonpelto There are a lot of crazy, irresponsible and down-right mean things in Governor Malloy’s budget proposal, but his plan to totally eliminate Connecticut’s contribution to the retired teachers’ health insurance fund may very well take the cake. For nearly sixty years, the State of Connecticut has been helping retired teachers acquire health insurance. Prior to 1986, active teachers did ... more »
The in box. Report from the ISBE meeting on special education class size limits. « Fred Klonsky: The in box. Report from the ISBE meeting on special education class size limits. by Fred Klonsky *The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) voted 5* *to 1 (Vinni Hall voted no) to put out for public comment* *rules that would completely eliminate limits on special* *education class size.* *The proposed rules would mean there would be NO state limit* *on the number of students a special education teacher* *is required to serve.* *Also there would be NO state limit on the number of stud... more »
Two Florida Civil Rights Groups Oppose Parent Trigger Bill | StateImpact Florida: Two Florida Civil Rights Groups Oppose Parent Trigger Bill - DOCUMENTS FEBRUARY 21, 2013 | 10:59 AMBY GINA JORDAN - *1* Comment - Email - - DIVERSITYINTEACHING/FLICKR Resolutions issued by the NAACP and LULAC Florida refer to parent trigger bills as controversial and experimental. Two civil right groups have teamed up to write resolutions against the proposedParent Empowerment in Education bill in Florida. The bill — best known as the “parent trigger” — passed the Florida House... more »
What’s Keeping America From Doing What’s Right For Children - Jeff Bryant: What’s Keeping America From Doing What’s Right For Children By Jeff Bryant | February 21, 2013 - - *This post is republished from the Education Opportunity Network, a new online publication edited by Jeff Bryant.* After the horrendous murder of 20 school children at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, a heartbroken President Obama implored the nation, “This is our first task – caring for our children. It’s our first job. If we don’t get that right, we don’t get anything right.” ... more »
HSS Professional Development Resources - History-Social Science (CA Dept of Education): HSS Professional Development ResourcesProfessional development opportunities for educators that focus on effective implementation of the state content standards. ------------------------------ Successful implementation of the content standards, curriculum development, and instruction depend on teacher preparation and on long-term professional development. As described in the History-Social Science Framework, ongoing professional development should be planned for all teachers who teach the soc... more »
State Sen. Steinberg Supports SCUSD School Closures - Rosemont, CA Patch: State Sen. Steinberg Supports SCUSD School Closures [image: File photo: Sen. Steinberg Speaking at a “Fund our Future” education rally.]As various groups voice their opposition to a plan to close 11 Sacramento City Unified School District schools–including one in Rosemont–one prominent state politician has come out backing it. Senate President pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento)said in a statement Wednesday that he supported the plan,which would close James W. Marshall Elementary School and 10 others,... more »
Most closed schools don't stay that way for long - Data Center - The Sacramento Bee: Most closed schools don't stay that way for long By Phillip Reese preese@sacbee.com Published: Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013 - 10:36 am Last Modified: Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013 - 10:46 am If the Sacramento City Unified school board votes to close 10 schools tonight, chances are many will reopen soon as specialty or charter schools. School districts across Sacramento County have closed about 60 schools in the last 10 years. Fewer than half remain shuttered, according to a Bee review of data from the state Dep...more »
Diane Ravitch's blog: Two Determined Moms in Indiana Take On Common Core by dianerav These days, parents and educators often feel powerless in the face of the powerful forces that are steamrolling them. In Indiana, two moms started a campaign against he Common Core standards. They started with small groups, then organized large ones, and eventually made their voices heard in the state legislature. The battle is far from over, but hey made an important point. This is still a democracy. Two informed citizens can make a difference. How One Man Makes a Difference by dianerav Tim ... more »
Feeling Stressed? MetLife Survey Shows You are Not Alone - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Feeling Stressed? Metlife Survey Shows You are Not Alone by Anthony Cody The Metlife Survey of the American Teacher is out, and it shows that more than half of all teachers feel under great stress. This relates closely to the number of teachers who describe themselves as "very satisfied," which has fallen to an all-time low, at 39%. I wrote about the implications of this state of affairs last March. Last year's survey discovered that 29% of the nation's teachers were planning to... more »
First World Education Problems in Detroit (Part I) - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher: First World Education Problems in Detroit (Part I) by Nancy Flanagan You've probably seen the fun--and enlightening--meme/hashtag: #FirstWorldProblems. Running out of hot water after a 10-minute shower? First world problem. Can't get the book you're dying to read on Kindle? First world problem. And so on.[image: Packardgraf.JPG] Most of our American problems end up being first world problems, including those in education. If you want proof, think back to thefaces of children in H... more »
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: *Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee group donates $250,000 to candidates in LAUSD races* Education Headlines *Thursday, February 21, 2013* Report suggests broadly expanding federal K-12 education spendingIn a sweeping vision to broaden educational opportunity, a panel of national education leaders has recommended boosting teacher pay and training, widening access to preschool and adding an unprecedented level of federal involvement in schools. Ramona district, teachers head to fact finding in contract talksAfter nearly 18 months... more »
Sacramento City board appears split over tonight's vote on closing 10 schools - Education - The Sacramento Bee: Sacramento City board appears split over tonight's vote on closing 10 schools By Melody Gutierrez mgutierrez@sacbee.com Published: Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013 - 12:00 am | Page 1A Last Modified: Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013 - 7:36 am The proposal to shutter 10 elementary schools in Sacramento City Unified School District tonight appears headed for a split vote after numerous critics questioned the method used to decide which schools should close. Several sources said newly appoin... more »
Mother Crusader: Poking Holes In A Charter Puff Piece; Waters, Perez And APP Say Charters Deserve More $$: Poking Holes In A Charter Puff Piece; Waters, Perez And APP Say Charters Deserve More $$ by darciecima Once again, Laura Waters infuriatingly tells only part of a story. In this case, she was aided and abetted byAsbury Park Press reporter Alesha Williams Boyd, who did a lazy job reporting a story about facilities funding for charters, using Academy Charter High School in Lake Como as a case study. The APP story feels like little more than a New Jersey Charter Schools Asso... more »
Evidence? They Can’t Handle the Evidence – @ the chalk face: I have little sympathy for the defense department #sequester by Chalk Face, PhD There’s a great deal of hand-wringing over this upcoming sequester which, according to most news outlets, could lead to around $85 billion in across-the-board cuts. The defense department is particularly upset, mentioning on CNN the possibility of furloughs. It’s hard to say who would ultimately be affected: But Hale said Defense Department civilian foreign employees would be exempted from pay cuts. There are about 50,000 foreign worker employ... more »
Districts as the Engine of School Reform: Past and Present (Part 2) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: Districts as the Engine of School Reform: Past and Present (Part 2) by larrycuban [image: 5915471-M] Districts have again become the darlings of school reformers. Where once reformers, past and present, skipped back and forth lining up their cross-hairs on the best targets for improving schooling such as individual teachers and principals, whole schools, and districts, today’s school reformers generally target districts. Many reasons explain the shift to dis... more »
Latino Voices Sidelined in Texas School Reform Debate | NewsTacoNewsTaco: Latino Voices Sidelined in Texas School Reform Debate by Texas Observer [image: texas_observer_logo]By Patrick Michels, Texas Observer [image: Latino-Coalition-for-Educational-Equity-712x475]Outside the Senate chamber Tuesday afternoon, advocates for minority students laid out their priorities for public education this session—and wondered why so few Latino experts have been invited to help shape this session’s biggest school reform bills. The press conference, heralding a new Latino Coalition for Educational ... more »
School Board Report – Feb. 20, 2013 « PWC Education Reform Blog: School Board Report – Feb. 20, 2013February 21, 2013 — pwceducationreform School Board Report for February 20, 2013 The meeting began a 7:24 with all members present. *Consent Aganda* All items on the consent agenda were approved unanimously. The items on the agenda include the following: 1. Adoption of the consent agenda 2. Music in out schools month 3. Theater in our schools month 4. Youth art month 5. MOU between PWC BOCS, PWCPS, and Prince William Crew Association 6. National playground safety week ...more »
Tonight in Hampden: The Neighborhood School Event of My Dreams! | Re:education in Baltimore: Tonight in Hampden: The Neighborhood School Event of My Dreams! by Edit Barry [image: Screen Shot 2013-02-21 at 9.32.26 AM] Not your mama’s PTO meeting.
Scrap the MAP Forum with Diane Ravitch « Seattle Education: Scrap the MAP Forum with Diane Ravitch by seattleducation2011 [image: MAP] Scrap the MAP Organizing Committee presents: *Scrap the MAP Forum:* *The Struggle for Quality Assessment* *Featuring: Diane Ravitch – Former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Education (via Skype)* *DATE: Thursday February 28, 2013 @ 6:30PM* *LOCATION: University of Washington — Physics & Astronomy Bldg room A102* Seattle teachers at Garfield High School, Ballard High School, Chief Sealth High School, the Center School, and Orca K-8 School voted to stop a... more »
Last-ditch effort: Parents, students protest possible school closures | News - KCRA Home: By Claire Doan Last-ditch effort: Parents, students protest possible school closuresSacramento City Unified School District trustees expected to decide Thursday UPDATED 10:45 PM PST Feb 20, 2013 - Text Size: - A - A - A Last-ditch effort: Parents, students protest possible school closures SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KCRA) —It was a last-ditch effort to save their schools: More than 100 people protested the possible closure of 11 Sacramento City Unified School District elementary schools o... more »
Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Who Was Behind the Jeb Bush Twitter Kerfuffle? by dianerav Yesterday I opened my Twitter account to discover that Jeb Bush’s Foundation for Excellence in Education claimed that I likened school choice to the Nazi invasion of Poland. This was absurd, so I wrote a post about it. I find that the best way to respond to outrageous attacks is to put them into the sunlight, the mighty disinfectant. Happily, Jersey Jazzman figured out who wrote the post for Jeb Bush’s Foundation and explained the long and interest... more »
Hartford Board of Education adopts illegal contract with FUSE/Jumoke Academy, Inc. - Wait, What?: Hartford Board of Education adopts illegal contract with FUSE/Jumoke Academy, Inc. by jonpelto [image: Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991] Last night, the Hartford Board of Education, led by Hartford’s Mayor, voted 6 to 2 to authorize Hartford’s Superintendent of Schools, Christina Kishimoto, to sign a contract with Family Urban Schools of Excellence (aka Jumoke Academy, lnc.) The agreement would allow FUSE/Jumoke Academy Inc. to manage Hartford’s Milner Elementary Sch... more »
Inspirational quote on a KIPP teacher’s classroom door | Gary Rubinstein's Blog: Inspirational quote on a KIPP teacher’s classroom door by Gary Rubinstein I visited KIPP High School in New York City a few months ago and wrote about it. My post was pretty generous — perhaps too generous — so I’m going to write more about what I saw there in a few small posts. In my last post I put a picture I took of the $400 senior dues poster. This wasn’t really that controversial, but I found it interesting that they would do KIPP style ‘spin’ on how the $400 was such a deal since it really s... more »
Joy Resmovits: Israel's Haredi Schools Get Standardized Testing; John Deasy Seeks Waiver: Ed Today: Arne Duncan: 'There Is No Fix' To Sequestration For Ailing Schools by Joy Resmovits WASHINGTON -- While sequestration is not a sure thing yet, school districts are already asking for help dealing with the massive, imminent cuts, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said Thursday morning. "I was on a call yesterday, people are starting to give RIF [reduction in force] notes," Duncan said in a meeting with reporters at the U.S. Education Department. "The sequestration stuff is very... more »
State releases district breakdowns under school funding formula | EdSource Today: State releases district breakdowns under school funding formula - by John Fensterwald by John Fensterwald Districts and charter schools now know how they’d make out under Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposed Local Control Funding Formula, his plan for sweeping school finance reform. The state Department of Finance posted the long-awaited district-by-district breakdown and a two-page overviewWednesday. The 80-page chart calculates districts’ base per student funding for 2011-12 as a comparison and lists fundi... more »
Crimes Against Humanity: Florida | Reclaim Reform: [image: Scott budget surplus] Crimes Against Humanity: Florida by kenpreviti If you make more than $3,200 a year in Florida, you are ineligible for Medicare whether you are a man, woman or child. Republican Tea Party Gov. Rick Scott and his Teapublican super-majority legislature have decided this is fair treatment. Tea Party Republican Billionaire Gov. Rick Scott was the CEO of the corporation convicted of the biggest fraud against Medicare in history. When questioned personally he repeatedly refused to answer on the grounds that it... more »
Sac Schools Get Sacked – @ the chalk face: Sac Schools Get Sacked by Kuhio Kane [image: Photo: can't stop, won't stop!] Ok. When Diane Ravitch speaks, I’m sure it’s a shot heard round the world. But, I’m saddened and livid at the news I found in one of her blogs today. I spent a most of my life teaching in California schools. I know Sacramento. A lot of us from three hundred miles south would travel up there frequently to attend meetings with colleagues. Definitely not to visit the governor living in his mansion in downtown Sacramento. “The fierce urgency of now, and no demo... more »
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Liberal rhetoric, a Republican echo: Liberal rhetoric, a Republican echo by Mike Klonsky Biden: "Buy a shotgun! Buy a shotgun!"I'm always amazed, but not surprised, when liberal Dems in power begin acting and sounding more and more like Republicans. Of course here in Chicago, there is no Republican Party. Only a Democratic machine that ideologically and politically could easily be mistaken for the regime of any one of a number of Tea Party governors in neighboring states of Wisconsin or Indiana -- especially when it comes to public education. Case in... more »
U.S. teachers’ job satisfaction craters — report: U.S. teachers’ job satisfaction craters — report Posted by Valerie Strauss on February 21, 2013 at 12:16 am - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » [image: teacher]Half of America’s public school teachers say they feel great stress several days a week and are so demoralized that their level of satisfaction has dropped 23 percentage points since 2008 and is at its lowest in 25 years, according to an annual survey of educators. The 29th annual MetLife Surv... more »
http://www.southbronxschool.com: Joan Crawford Comes to PS 154 in the Bronx by noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher) In the words of Frank Barrone, "Holy Crap!" Joan Crawford, she of the big Bozo eyebrows, passed away a lonely, bitter, drunk, old woman. This is what happens when one decides to be a manipulative, cold, micro managing control freak. That is unless that you are such a manipulative, cold micro managing control freak that somehow one does not cheat death but more importantly, cheats the after life. It was reported at first that that Bozo the clown was alive and well. How... more »
Schools Matter: Gutter Testing: Why Would Teacher Satisfaction Be Falling? by John Thompson It is hard to understand why teachers’ satisfaction has dropped to an all-time low during the Obama Administration. Yes, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has doubled-down on the bubble-in madness of NCLB. Duncan has pushed the agenda of the “Billionaires Boys Club” which threatens to kill the principle of public education. The administration has dumped “innovation” after “innovation” risky gamble after risky gamble on teachers, and set us up as scapegoats when they fail. But, hasn’t t... more »
NYC Educator: The Unity/ New Action Manifesto: The Unity/ New Action Manifesto by NYC Educator Hi folks, it's us, your good pals at Unity/ New Action. We're running for re-election this year, and there are lots of reasons you should vote for us. We'll list just a few of them below. 1. Lots of ATR teachers didn't get fired over the last three years. Hundreds, or perhaps even thousands of ATR teachers didn't have to go to the unemployment offices, get jobs at Walmart, or sell blood to get by. 2. Teachers did not get a reduction in pay. We could have signed a new contract that reduce... more »
Missouri Education Watchdog: A Third Consortia Emerging in Common Core State (sic) Standards: A Third Consortia Emerging in Common Core State (sic) Standards by stlgretchen Another private organization jumps into the public/private partnership to take over public school educational delivery/education: From Reuters.com: *New ACT Assessment System to be Named ACT Aspire(TM)* * **System Will Better Connect Assessment to Teaching and Learning* *IOWA CITY**, Iowa*-ACT, Inc., the nonprofit leader in college and career readiness assessment, today announced new details about its upcom... more »
Jersey Jazzman: Jeb Bush Hires His Biggest Cheerleader To Smear Ravitch: Jeb Bush Hires His Biggest Cheerleader To Smear Ravitch by Duke This one starts with yet another gilded reformy-type falling on his fainting couch: Diane Ravitch has hit a new low in the hyperbole she allows on her blog site. *This was written about charter schools:* “But the privatizers declared war on our schools, our kids, our teachers, our parents and our taxpayers. “We didn’t start this war, any more than Poland in 1939. But we must fight back. And ultimately, emerge victorious. “And when you’re in a wa... more »
The Chicago Teachers Union election is not until May. But the coalition of snakes appears well-funded. « Fred Klonsky: The Chicago Teachers Union election is not until May. But the coalition of snakes appears well-funded. by Fred Klonsky [image: 968521635] *Former failed CTU President Debbie Lynch has joined the coalition of snakes.* Chicago Teachers Union elections are not until May 17th. Tanya Saunders-Wolffe is the candidate of the United Progressive Caucus (UPC). The last UPC candidate, the incumbent Marilyn Stewart, was tossed out of office by Karen Lewis and the CORE caucus in... more »
In California, thousands of teachers missing needed credentials | California Watch: In California, thousands of teachers missing needed credentials by Joanna Lin Joanna Lin This story was edited by Robert Salladay and copy edited by Nikki Frick and Christine Lee. Daniel Anderson/California Watch Charlie Parker, a longtime biology teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School District, was assigned for two years to teach history and social studies – subjects he’s not licensed to teach. Thousands of teachers in California’s public schools every year are placed in classes they lack the cr... more »
Campaign Opposing Penny Pritzker For Commerce Secretary Heats Up | FDL News Desk: Campaign Opposing Penny Pritzker for Commerce Secretary Heats Up by DSWright Billionaire Penny Pritzker, of the plutocratic Pritzker family, has been floated by the Obama Administration as acandidate for Commerce Secretary. Penny Pritzker, an heiress to the Hyatt hotel fortune, is a leading candidate to become President Obama’s next commerce secretary as the president slowly moves to complete his second-term economic team. Ms. Pritzker, who led the groundbreaking fund-raising effort for Mr. Obama’s fi... more »
Daily Kos: Turned Around: Turned Around byShakespeares SisterFollow - - - 5 Comments / 5 New After four years, district and school administration finally made the teaching staff aware that our school is on year four of a five-year state turnaround plan. Yes, as a staff we were aware our students had needs. Yes, as a staff we knew we needed to improve student achievement. Did we, before this month, know the full extent of the severity of the situation? No. Did we know we might be forced into charter status by the state at the end of the 2013-2014 school year? No... more »
Oregon's largest charter school miseducated student for years, graduated her unable to read or write | OregonLive.com: Oregon's largest charter school miseducated student for years, graduated her unable to read or write by Betsy Hammond, The Oregonian [image: brafford.jpg]View full sizeKatherine Brafford, who grew up in Southern Oregon, is having to learn Braille and other blindness-navigation skills as an adult because Oregon Connections Academy and the Scio School District graduated her without equipping her to use basic assistive technology or other skills that are standard i... more »
Pilot Testing of Computer-Based Assessments - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education): State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Announces More Than 1,100 California Schools Taking Part in Pilot Testing of Computer-Based Assessments SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson announced that more than 1,100 schools across California will be participating in computer-based pilot testing launched today by the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium. The pilot test is a key milestone in the effort to overhaul the state's testing system over the next two years. "It's gratifying... more »
Schooling in the Ownership Society: From the D.O.E. to Murdoch: From the D.O.E. to Murdoch by Mike Klonsky Another high-ranking education official has figured out where his bread is buttered. Arne Duncan's press secretary, Justin Hamilton has followed former N.Y. Chancellor Joel Klein over to the evil media empire of Rupert Murdoch. Hamilton becomes senior vice president for corporate communications. Klein, the former chancellor of New York City public schools, is executive vice president at Murdoch’s News Corp. and director of Amplify. One of the hallmarks of the Military-Indus... more »
LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy seeks No Child Left Behind waiver for his district and nine others - LA Daily News: LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy seeks No Child Left Behind waiver for his district and nine others Posted: 02/20/2013 02:14:47 PM PST Updated: 02/20/2013 03:03:26 PM PST LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy is seeking to leverage the district's move toward teacher-accountability standards into more freedom on how to spend tens of millions in federal dollars. (File photo by John McCoy/Staff Photographer) LOS ANGELES -- With California unable to get a waiver from the No ... more »
Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee donates significantly to L.A. school board races - latimes.com: Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee donates significantly to L.A. school board races *This post has been updated.* Former District of Columbia Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee, a controversial figure in education reform, said Wednesday that her organization has made a substantial donation to the contests for seats on the Los Angeles Board of Education. The support of StudentsFirst is going toward a campaign on behalf of school board President Monica Garcia as well as Kate Anderson an... more »
Our Children Are Counting on Us — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG [image: Marc Cohen]Our Children Are Counting on Us February 20, 2013 by Marc Cohen As the education world around us continues to spiral through the misguided insanity of testing as both the academic means and the end, I remain steadfast in my determination to provide whatever I can to ensure that each and every student who walks through the door of my school has equitable access to high-quality instruction and is provided the kinds of learning opportunities that nurture academic risk-taking, critical inqui... more »
