Latest News and Comment from Education

Thursday, August 1, 2013

My Opponent’s Side Goes Negative: My Response | Sue Peters assails negative ad | Education | The Seattle Times:

My Opponent’s Side Goes Negative: My Response | Sue Peters for Seattle School Board:




My Opponent’s Side Goes Negative: My Response

For the Record….

Last week, a mailer was sent out to thousands of voters in Seattle School District 4 by a small group of supporters of Suzanne Dale Estey: Suzanne Naughton of the Great Seattle Schools, the Civic Alliance for a Sound Economy (CASE, the political action committee of the Chamber of Commerce), local businessmen Matt Griffin and Christopher Larson.
It contains false and incomplete information about my campaign. My views, qualifications and endorsements are misrepresented or omitted altogether. Though there are three candidates in the race, I am the only one singled out for this treatment.
Like many others, I was disturbed to see supporters of my opponent resort to such dishonest tactics on her behalf, and so early in the race.
Yet, it is also an indication of the strength and appeal of my candidacy.
I am proud of our authentic and smart grassroots campaign, which has focused on ideas and solutions to serious school district issues. Already we have been able to achieve a great deal, powered by dedicated volunteers, and connecting with supporters throughout 


 School Board candidate Sue Peters assails negative ad | Education | The Seattle Times:

School Board candidate Sue Peters assails negative ad

An independent group — backed so far mostly by two individuals — has raised $32,750 to support two school board candidates, and has sent out a negative ad targeting another one.
Seattle Times education reporter
MOST POPULAR COMMENTS
HIDE / SHOW COMMENTS
Estey doesn't have to inhibit anyone's freedom of speech. What she could have done was...  MORE
In the races for Seattle School Board, an independent group that’s raised $32,750 has sent out a negative advertisement targeting candidate Sue Peters and promoting one of her two opponents, Suzanne Dale Estey.
The group, which calls itself Great Seattle Schools, declared that Dale Estey is the “candidate for change” while Peters would offer “more of the same,” painting Peters as someone who would add to the problems that have plagued the School Board over the past few years.
Peters has criticized the ad, saying it misrepresents or omits her views, qualifications and endorsements.
“I have the support of four of the current School Board members and what that means is that I have their respect, and I will be able to work with the board in a constructive manner if I am elected.”
On her website, she has a point-by-point rebuttal, including refuting that she would oppose any 

The Educated Reporter: Amid Allegations of Indiana Grade Tampering, Tony Bennett Resigns as Florida's Education Commissioner

The Educated Reporter: Amid Allegations of Indiana Grade Tampering, Tony Bennett Resigns as Florida's Education Commissioner:

Amid Allegations of Indiana Grade Tampering, Tony Bennett Resigns as Florida's Education Commissioner



Tony Bennett resigned as Florida's education commissioner on Thursday amid news reports that while he was Indiana's schools chief he had ordered an accountability grade to be raised for a charter school run by one of his major donors. (Tom Lobianco of the Associated Press broke the story.)

Scott Elliott, education reform reporter for the Indianapolis Star, provided some context on the emails obtained by the Associated Press which provided the backbone to the investigation. He also had a followup with more about Christel House, and how Bennett's formula might have helped two other schools that received failing grades under Indiana's accountability system during his tenure.

Mike Petrilli, a vice president of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, a conservative education policy think tank in Washington, D.C.,  suggested avoiding a"rush to judgment."  From Petrilli's Education Gadfly blog:
"[Bennett] had spent months (and much political capital) building an A–F accountability system for Indiana’s schools. These systems are as much art as science (more akin to baking cookies than designing a computer), and 

Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 8-1-13 #BATsACT #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2


Nite Cap UPDATE

UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE


CORPORATE ED REFORM




Steal Like A Teacher: Thoughts on Austin Kleon’s Creativity
Austin Kleon’s Steal Like An Artist This summer, I’ve decided to dust off a few books I’ve had waiting in my bookshelf. One of those was Austin Kleon’s Steal Like An Artist, a quick guide for creatives who have no idea where to start developing their inner artist. Some of the principles can apply if we heed one of Austin’s major warnings: Nobody is born with a style or a voice. We don’t come out o


Special Big Education Ape Salute to Tony Bennett Greatest Hits- rags to riches
Special Big Education Ape Salute to Tony Bennett Greatest Hits- rags to riches School Report Cards? Not In Our Name. | Parents United for Public EducationSchool Report Cards? Not In Our Name. | Parents United for Public Education: School Report Cards? Not In Our Name.Posted on July 31, 2013 by REBECCAPOYOUROWLeave a commentLet Tony Bennett Grade Your $choolLike many Philadelphia public school pare


National Bennetts In Jail Day
The pillaging of public education tax money for the profit a few private corporations, hedge funds, and their multimillionaire/billionaire owners is criminal. Tony Bennett, Florida Commissioner of Schools, cheated on high stakes test scores for the charter schools in Indiana owned by his wealthy campaign owner buddy. In addition his wife is being paid in Florida by the same company that Bennett aw




Control for this!
Last night my wife had a totally different idea than I about how to handle a parenting situation.  I insisted that my “Dad way” was needed.  My wife simply looked at me (the wrong way) and I decided to loudly (yell) say that I “was sick of being undermined when it comes to being a […]


Tony Bennett: Songs in the Key of C, No Wait, A
Here's my two cents about the Tony Bennett grade changing story that Tom LoBianco broke. This was hard to write--with blogging there can be so much pressure to be timely that conflicts with my wanting to read and carefully consider everything on the subject. I'll do my best here.My initial concern was that the liberal media would treat this merely as a "bad actor" case, you know: Look how corrupt

Bob Sidle in Florida: Bennett Resigns, Angrily
At his resignation press conference, Tony Bennett said the stories in the media about his actions in Indiana were “malicious and unfounded.” He said that Governor Rick Scott and powerbroker Jeb Bush wanted him to stay, but he didn’t want anything to distract from educating the kids of Florida. Bob Sidle, who reported the story in his blog, wondered why Bennett was so quick to resign: “Bennett’s qu

Tony Bennett resigns Florida education post amid scandal
A national leader in the Republican effort to overhaul public education resigned as Florida education commissioner Thursday, amid allegations that when he ran Indiana’s schools, he changed the state grade of a charter school founded by a prominent GOP donor. Read full article >>    

Walls That Separate Us Even In Death…
New York Times columnist Charles Blow sent this image on Twitter of the still segregated cemetery where his family is buried. I’m adding it to The Best Sites To Learn About Walls That Separate Us. Satellite image of the segregated cemetery. Chain link fence runs next to horizontal paved walk. Whts abv, blks below pic.twitter.com/PwM2i83wxm — Charles M. Blow (@CharlesMBlow) August 2, 2013


Florida’s Education Chief Quits Amid Report That He Changed a School’s Rating
Florida’s commissioner of education resigned after news reports said he had changed the grade of an Indiana charter school whose founder donated to a campaign of his.    


Georgia opts out of PARCC
By Kimberly Brooks, leader of PAA-Atlanta/GA/Atlanta Public Schools News in Georgia applauds the success of delaying/opt-out of the PARCC consortium-designed Common Core assessments. While I believe that this article deserves recognition, there is much more work to be done. For starters, the Georgia Department of Education has yet to be composed of a staff that would accommodate such a great respo


Performance assessments may not be ‘reliable’ or ‘valid.’ So what?
In a comment on Dan Willingham’s recent post, I said we have plenty of alternatives that have been offered, over and over again, to counteract our current over-reliance on – and unfounded belief in – the ‘magic’ of bubble sheet test scores. Such alternatives include portfolios, embedded assessments, essays, performance assessments, public exhibitions, greater use of formative assessments (in the

Immigration Reform Could Lead to Surge of Adult Learners
Teachers at California’s adult schools expressed their concern over the requirement to learn English included in the immigration reform package approved in the Senate, given that it would increase the number of students at institutions that are already suffering from budget cuts. “One of the concerns we have is that, insofar as we’re growing and trying to add more classes and hire more teachers, t

L.A. Unified teachers ratings should be disclosed, judge rules
The performance ratings of individual teachers in the city school district are matters of keen public interest and should be released to the Los Angeles Times, a judge ordered Thursday.

Bill Sent To President: H.R.1911 Bipartisan Student Loan Certainty Act of 2013
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to establish interest rates for new loans made on or after July 1, 2013, to direct the Secretary of Education to convene the Advisory Committee on Improving Postsecondary Education Data to conduct a study on improvements to postsecondary education transparency at the Federal level, and for other purposes.July 31, 2013: Presented to President.


Has DR Alison Coviello; PhD and Principal Mismanged $250,000 Worth of Computers?
So does DR Alison Coviello; PhD and Principal of PS 154 put students first or her needs, her does nihilistic, win and always be right attitude come first? This question was put to the readers of this blog on July 31, 2013. Tonight, we ask that question again along with a new question. Does DR Alison Coviello; PhD and Principal have it out for me and has she conspired to ruin my career? As several


The smoking gun. In this video, the Civic Committee’s Ty Fahner admits he colluded with the bond rating agencies to destroy Illinois pensions.
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHV2Gte4aWw&feature=youtu.be] Thanks to Tim Furman for providing this video segment. There is nothing the fat cats in Illinois won’t do to destroy public employee pensions. The Civic Committee’s Ty Fahner demonstrated this when he spoke to a gathering of the Chicago Union League Club last month. Fahner openly admits that he colluded with the bond rating agencies