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After federal threat, California agrees to administer both math and English tests this spring
Students taking a test. ; Credit: knittymarie/Flickr (cc by-nc-nd) California’s Department of Education announced Thursday that it’s backing down from a plan to give students just one of the new math and English standardized tests this spring. “These field tests simply make good sense, and expanding them to include both subjects for most students makes even better sense—in contrast to ‘double te
Statement by American Federation of Teachers President Randi ...
WASHINGTON—(ENEWSPF)—November 21, 2013. Today's action by Senate Democrats is a last resort to help our government function. Between filibusters ...
SBOE Retreats From Algebra II in High School Grad Plans
Only high school students who pursue an honors plan or a diploma specializing in math and science will have to take algebra II under recommendations that the Texas State Board of Education preliminarily approved Thursday. Despite an initial proposal that had included the advanced math course in all five new diploma plans, the 15-member board was nearly unanimous in its decision Thursday. The
Where IS the Real PD?
I often find myself frustrated with the dearth of access I have to people who really - I mean REALLY - know how to teach.I feel like I've heard, for the past eight years, suggestions on repeat. Included in that broken record of sayings are:- You should call home for tough students- Sentence stems work well with ELLs- Think about a different seating chart- You need to have consequences- Kids will r
Greg Anrig: Why Universal Pre-K Makes Sense
Greg Anrig of the Century Foundation here refutes the criticisms of universal pre-K, particularly those published by Grover Whitehurst of Brookings, who was George W. Bush’s research director. If you were reading this blog in 2012, you may recall that Whitehurst fired me as an unpaid senior fellow at Brookings–a position I had held for 15 years, on grounds that I was “inactive.” At the time, my b
UFT Delegate Assembly: MOREistas Comment and MORE
Lets just say the truth. Our union leadership has turned their back on it's members. It rules in a non-democratic fashion. Unity, randi, aft, mulgrew openly advocate for common core, Danielson, and test based evals- NOT ONE teacher I have ever spoken to feels the same.... A MORE Delegate------ When I was elected by my colleagues to serve as a delegate to the UFT Delegate Assembly, I believed that
After protests, planned school boundaries in central Denver get edits - Drawing the line
Updated: 7:02 p.m. Denver’s school board unanimously passed a proposal to change the boundaries between Lowry Elementary School and the Denver Green School that does not include the lower income Berkshire Towers or a new addition to Lowry. 7 p.m. New proposal also leaves the Berkshire Towers with Denver Green School rather than moving it to the Lowry boundary. 6:15 p.m. An updated proposal is no
Chicago Tonight's panel of "experts". No teachers allowed.
Just watched Chicago Tonight show on dropout prevention. Shouldn't have eaten first.The panel, which included CPS' new accountability chief John Barker, must have set the world record for empty, meaningless cliches abut Common Core and data-driven this and new metrics that. Barker was aided in elevating data about freshman-on-track above any and all other issues, by Elaine Allensworth from the Con
After federal threat, California agrees to administer both math and English tests this spring
Students taking a test. ; Credit: knittymarie/Flickr (cc by-nc-nd) California’s Department of Education announced Thursday that it’s backing down from a plan to give students just one of the new math and English standardized tests this spring. “These field tests simply make good sense, and expanding them to include both subjects for most students makes even better sense—in contrast to ‘double te
2 June Brown charters are still in limbo; People for People charter amended
The School Reform Commission Thursday approved an amended charter for People for People Charter School, allowing it to expand from a K-8 to a K-12 school, as long as it doesn't increase its total enrollment. But two charters founded by June Brown, who is now on trial in federal court for fraud, did not get SRC approval, although both were on the agenda. read more
Students advocate for better food
Students from Youth United for Change continue their efforts to improve the quality of food served in school. They took their case to the School Reform Commission Thursday night to publicly ask that students have a role in choosing a new provider for food that is prepared elsewhere, and that the District set standards to require that at least 75 percent is fresh rather than frozen. YUC also wants
Judge Smails Tells Danny Noonan He Is Not College Ready
In the 1980 hit comedy, "Caddyshack" (Which I have watch hundreds of times), caddy extraordinaire Danny Noonan attempts to curry favor with Judge Smails to win Bushwood's caddy scholarship. This coming on the heels of the untimely death of Carl Lipbaum, the original winner who suddenly died of a severe anxiety attack while at summer school.While transversing the first fairway Danny, who
A Troubling Time Capsule: JFK on the State of Public Education
With today marking the 50th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy's death, I thought I would share a post I wrote last year. In his commencement speech at San Diego State College, the president of the United States covered unsurprising territory in describing the challenges facing the nation’s public schools – inequities for minority students, a high dropout rate, and the need for better teach
White People Tell White People About Privilege, And That’s OK [Patrick, Chris, and Gretel] #educolor
First, I’ve always maintained that this site is a safe space to hash out issues of race and class for anyone willing to listen and learn. Even if people don’t come out of this site with the same exact understandings, I like to think we can agree without being disagreeable. In other words, let’s not troll. Check some of these comments out featuring smart folks: When Jose says “I can’t help but feel
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Top Sacramento City schools administrator tapped as interim superintendent - Our Region - The Sacramento Bee: Top Sacramento City schools administrator tapped as interim superintendentBy Loretta Kalblkalb@sacbee.comPublished: Thursday, Nov. 21, 2013 - 8:32 pmSara NoguchiBoard members for Sacramento city schools tapped a top district administrator Thursday night to serve as interim superintendent after Superintendent Jonathan Raymond leaves his post at the end of this year.The board named Sara Noguchi, an assistant superintendent for the district’s Central Area, to the post. She oversees 21 sch
CMD Exposes America’s “Highest Paid Government Workers” | PR Watch: CMD Exposes America’s “Highest Paid Government Workers” FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACT: Friday Thorn, friday_thorn@prwatch.org- Hint: They aren’t your local teachers, nurses and social workers - New initiative will expose the CEOs who take over public services and divert millions of tax dollars out of communities and into their pockets (Madison, WI) – The Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) today launched “America’s Highest Paid Government Workers,” a new initiative that will expose the taxpayer-funded salaries of CEOs whose
Pearson's Big Ed Biz Is Under Fire - Mon., Nov. 18, 2013: Pearson's Big Ed Biz Is Under FireBy Jack O'Dwyer PR exec Kate James, who is leaving the Gates Foundation to be chief corporate affairs officer at Pearson at the start of the year, will bring lots of controversy with her when she delivers the annual Distinguished Lecture to the Institute for PR Thursday at the Yale Club.The IPR website does not mention that James has taken the job with Pearson, moving from a non-profit to a for-profit organization. IPR said it will make an announcement of this before James starts her talk Thursday.James
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Heresy or Reality?: Todd Mertz tells it like it is. | Reclaim Reform
Heresy or Reality?: Todd Mertz tells it like it is. | Reclaim Reform: Heresy or Reality?: Todd Mertz tells it like it is.Posted on November 21, 2013by Ken PrevitiA) The attacks against public education are spearheaded by the scapegoating of teachers – past and present teachers.B) The support of one liberal issue does NOT justify the actual corporate sponsored, ALEC written, Illinois constitution i
Choosing Democracy: How Charter Schools Are Undermining Public Education
Choosing Democracy: How Charter Schools Are Undermining Public Education: How Charter Schools Are Undermining Public EducationStan KarpNovember 14, 2013 | Somewhere along the way, nearly every teacher dreams of starting a school. I know I did.More than once during the 30 years I taught English and journalism to high school students in Paterson, New Jersey, I imagined that creating my own school
Nite Cap 11-21-13 #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 readIn face of big fines, Torlakson retreats from conflict with feds over testing | EdSource TodayIn face of big fines, Torlakson retreats from conflict with feds over testing | EdSource Today: In face of big fines, Torlakson retreats fr
(Madison, WI) – The Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) today launched “America’s Highest Paid Government Workers,” a new initiative that will expose the taxpayer-funded salaries of CEOs whose corporations make billions by taking control of public services.