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Thursday, October 31, 2013

10-31-13 @ THE CHALK FACE

@ THE CHALK FACE:





NYSED: Cherry picking data.
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 […]
  
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)

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

 
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
michelle_rhee
Michelle Rhee, founder of StudentsFirst and former chancellor of District of Columbia Public Schools, at a discussion on education reform in September.
Danny Moloshok/UPI/Landov
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.
Calderon
Click for more on the Calderon Dynasty
 
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

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 

California Academic Decathlon Website

California Academic Decathlon Website:

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ken@academicdecathlon.org 
.10.3.13

Nite Cap 10-31-13 #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



TODAY

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Happy Halloween Spooky Education Reform
NYC Public School Parents: NYC Parents star at Senator Flanagan's hearings on Common Core, testing and privacy
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10-31-13 Ed Notes Online
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Are Louisiana’s latest SPS score release just another Trick or really the Treat, White claims? | Crazy Crawfish's Blog
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MSNBC Highlights OTL Infographic and Philly Organizers | National Opportunity to Learn Campaign | Education Reform for Equity and Opportunity
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Full Funding Friday #8 – Schedule | WeArePCAPS
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New Orleans schools have comparatively high rate of testing irregularities on standardized tests | The Lens
New Orleans schools have comparatively high rate of testing irregularities on standardized tests | The Lens: New Orleans schools have comparatively high rate of testing irregularities on standardized testsOPT-OUT/REFUSAL GUIDES FOR EACH STATEClick here Opt-Out/Refusal Guides for each State | United Opt Out National:Looked at from several different angles, New Orleans public schools have a comparat
STEAM-Roller - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher
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NYC Educator: What People Say and What Reformy John Sees
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New Endorsements for Sue Peters, Seattle school board candidate | Seattle Education
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Keep It Simple for Our Youngest Learners — Whole Child Education
Keep It Simple for Our Youngest Learners — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOGKeep It Simple for Our Youngest LearnersOctober 31, 2013 by Kevin ScottAs we wrap up the month looking at education for our youngest learners, there are many pieces of the equation to grapple with. Like most of you reading this, I cringe at the politicization of education issues that we often see online, on TV, o
National panel of state school chiefs callsfor teacher prep update SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources
SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources: National panel of state school chiefs callsfor teacher prep updateBy Tom ChorneauThursday, October 31, 2013Just as common national curriculum standards are transforming instruction inside the K-12 classroom, a new report from the Council of Chief State School Officers is calling for a similar refocusing of teacher preparation programs.Strategies that
NYC Public School Parents: Southold Superintendent demands right to opt out of data sharing, citing state's contract with inBloom
NYC Public School Parents: Southold Superintendent demands right to opt out of data sharing, citing state's contract with inBloom: Southold Superintendent demands right to opt out of data sharing, citing state's contract with inBloomSuperintendent David Gamberg credit: Suffolk TimesAs more and more districts give back their Race to the Top funds to protect student privacy, so they don't have to si
Racing to the Bottom through School Choice and Privatization | janresseger
Racing to the Bottom through School Choice and Privatization | janresseger: Racing to the Bottom through School Choice and PrivatizationPosted on October 31, 2013 by janressegerHere is a third and final reflection stimulated by my trip last weekend to Fort Wayne, Indiana.  (The first two pieces are here and here.)  At an afternoon forum last Sunday on public education—during panel discussions and
Cali Education Headlines Thursday, October 31, 2013
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: U.S. threatens to take $3.52 billion from California schools in testing disputeEducation HeadlinesThursday, October 31, 2013Schwarzenegger: 'My eye is on the ball'Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has formed an alliance with top Senate Democrats to protect federal funding for after-school programs that may be in danger of losing mo
The Word Gap
Shanker Blog » The Word Gap: The Word GapPosted by Esther Quintero on October 31, 2013It is now well established that children’s oral language development is crucial to their academic success, with the documentation of profound differences in word learning and the acquisition of content knowledge between children living in poverty and those from more economically advantaged homes. By the time they
A Rash of Studies | Taking Note
A Rash of Studies | Taking Note: A Rash of Studiesby JOHN MERROW on 31. OCT, 2013 in 2013 BLOGS  Facilitated by Linda Darling-Hammond  Watch this webinar.  Fall brings the World Series, lots of football games, and–it would seem–almost as many reports on education. Here’s my summary of four recent studies, with close analysis of the most controversial, a study of Michelle Rhee’s IMPACT program in W
Slideshow: NEA Members Speak Out for Quality and Equity in Higher Education | NEA Today
Slideshow: NEA Members Speak Out for Quality and Equity in Higher Education | NEA Today: Slideshow: NEA Members Speak Out for Quality and Equity in Higher EducationOctober 30, 2013 by twalker  Filed under Featured News, Higher Education, Top Stories1 CommentBy Mary Ellen FlanneryThis week is Campus Equity Week and NEA called on all of its members to speak up, organize, and work together to change
PARENT POLITICAL PICKS: The Network For Public Education | We are many. There is power in our numbers. Together, we will save our schools.
The Network For Public Education | We are many. There is power in our numbers. Together, we will save our schools.: NPE endorses three candidates for Centennial School District School Board, PANPE Endorses Four Candidates for Atlanta School BoardNPE endorses Anne Sung for Houston Board of EducationNPE Endorses Four Candidates for Denver Board of EducationNPE Endorses Bill Hodges for Douglas County
If principals lack a sense of urgency, schools are sunk | Dallas Morning News
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Exclusive - Diane Ravitch Extended Interview Pt. 1 - The Daily Show with Jon Stewart - 10/30/13 - Video Clip | Comedy Central
Exclusive - Diane Ravitch Extended Interview Pt. 1 - The Daily Show with Jon Stewart - 10/30/13 - Video Clip | Comedy Central: Exclusive - Diane Ravitch Extended Interview 
Testing Resistance & Reform News: October 24 - 30, 2013 | FairTest
Testing Resistance & Reform News: October 24 - 30, 2013 | FairTest: Testing Resistance & Reform News: October 24 - 30, 2013Submitted by fairtest on October 31, 2013 - 12:17am news  otherIt's tempting to apologize for the growing length of the weekly newsclips list. Yet, these e-blasts accurately reflect what is going on around the country. Test resistance is exploding in literally dozens o
10-31-13 Schools Matter
Schools Matter: TFA's PR Machine Lights It Up in Memphis with Front Page Stories of "Enchantment" and "Allure"CorpEd bought Memphis City Schools with a 90 million dollar Gates Foundation grant in late 2009, and early in 2010 the TN Department of Education was gobbled up by a $501 million bribe from the Gates controlled US Dept. of Education's RTTT.  Thus began the slashing and
Morning Wink 10-31-13 AM Posts #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2
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10-31-13 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.: Medicare Advantage roll-out is heading off the cliff.. The deadline for deciding what our retiree health care will look like – whether we go with Medicare Advantage or op out – is December 13th. Central Management Services is co-sponsoring informational seminars across the state between November 11th
Attendance Counts - Boost Attendance
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LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 10-31-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
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Noam Chomsky: The Purpose of Education - THE DAILY RIFF - Be Smarter. About Education.
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Study: Dual credit benefits kids in richer schools | Hechinger Report
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U.S. threatens to take $3.52 billion from California schools in testing dispute - Inside Bay Area
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Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 10-30-13 #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2
Nite Cap UPDATEUPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATECORPORATE ED REFORMHorror Story 2013Warning: This is a Horror Story. Horror Story 2013: Sequestration. Cut food stamps for military families, veterans and all the poor. Cut pensions. Cut and fire teachers. Cut education budgets and close schools and libraries. Cut-cut-cut-cut-etc. Why? Corporations want more profits from the taxes that were meant for all o
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Byrd-Bennett reshuffles her bureaucracy. Yes, that'll do it.
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Byrd-Bennett reshuffles her bureaucracy. Yes, that'll do it.: Byrd-Bennett reshuffles her bureaucracy. Yes, that'll do it.It seems like every year CPS leaders come up with a new, top-down bureaucratic management structure to keep local schools in line. And every year we have to learn the new names for the sub-district or regional managers, ie. AIOs, Network Managers,
Nite Cap 10-30-13 #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 CAPTODAYPeg with Pen: Defeat Speaker of the House Boehner: TOM POETTER for Congress 2014Peg with Pen: Defeat Speaker of the House Boehner: TOM POETTER for Congress 2014: Defeat Speaker of the House Boehner: TOM POETTER for Congress 2014Tom Poetter i