Latest News and Comment from Education

Saturday, January 25, 2014

Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 1-25-14 #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2


Nite Cap UPDATE

UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE


CORPORATE ED REFORM





Please Support Lew Frederick’s HB 4062 on Student Privacy
State Legislator Lew Frederick, a real champion for education, is sponsoring a bill in the coming legislative session protecting student records and privacy. We urge you to contact legislators in support of this bill.  BACKGROUND: Recent administrative decisions by  the U.S. Department of Education to FERPA (the federal law governing student data privacy)  have weakened  privacy safeguards and shi

Calif. law gives foster care kids a boost into adulthood
A 19-year-olds brave steps into independence after so many foster homes, she lost count



Is this American Justice?
Today, I learned about two “education theft” cases where a parent, Kelley Williams Bollar, served nine days in jail, and a set of parents, Hamlet and Olesia Garcia are facing up to seven years in prison. I’m ashamed I wasn’t aware of this problem before today – January 25th. However, now that I’m aware this […]

Lively discussion (debate) in the Japan Times over libraries/recreational reading
Lively discussion in the Japan Times (Krashen vs. Chris Clancy)My original letter:Recreational reading will scorePublished in the Japan Times,  January 19, 2014Regarding the Dec. 31/Jan. 1 article “English to get 2020 push but teachers not on the same page“: Experts have criticized Japan’s reform plan for English for not including enough hours of English instruction to accomplish its goals. They

Is this American Justice?
Today, I learned about two “education theft” cases where a parent, Kelley Williams Bollar, served nine days in jail, and a set of parents, Hamlet and Olesia Garcia are facing up to seven years in prison. I’m ashamed I wasn’t aware of this problem before today – January 25th. However, now that I’m aware this practice exists, I’m […]


Late Bloomers
So there’s this boy in our High School who seems to thrive on negative attention. For whatever reason, he seems to always be in some sort of trouble or giving his teachers some cause for concern, and it’s unfortunately making it hard for people not to judge or label him in a less than flattering light. He’s outspoken, he questions authority, he isn’t all that concerned with his academic standing a

Are Teachers Too Tame?The Hijacking of Public Education!
Public education  has been hijacked. It has been taken hostage by "ed reformers", standardized test makers, and "teacher accountability". How did this happen to a profession full of intelligent, passionate, outspoken people? Are we uninformed?  Are we choosing bliss via ignorance? Why is this happening? I have some thoughts... Teachers love their students and their jobs.Those o

Don’t Opt Out of SBAC Tests
Wendy Lecker has written a powerful piece on what a colossal waste of time preparing for the SBAC tests in our classrooms, and how parents absolutely have a legal right to opt their students out of taking these tests this year. And while I agree with everything she says, nevertheless, if I were a parent [...]


Video: “Who Invented Writing?”
TED Ed has a nice lesson and video called “Who Invited Writing?” You can see the entire lesson here.
January’s Infographics & Interactives Galore – Part Four
There are just so many good infographics and interactives out there that I’ve begun a new semi-regular feature called “Infographics & Interactives Galore.” You can see others at A Collection Of “The Best…” Lists On Infographics and by searching “infographics” on this blog. I’ll still be publishing separate posts to individually highlight especially useful infographics and interactives, but you
Talking to the President, War on Poverty and More in Weekly Blog Roundup!
It’s been a busy January at MomsRising so far. We’ve been tackling a variety of issues and we’re revving up for the President’s State of the Union address coming up next Tuesday, January 28. (If you’re on Twitter, join us @MomsRising!) Our members and partners have also been hard at work – check out a few of their stories from our MomsRising blog below! #Radio This Week! — This Week! Democracy Is


Bay Bridge, UNSAFE?
On September 2, 2013, the new East Span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge opened to traffic. The seismic opening of the new span is more than just an upgrade of one of the country's busiest bridges--it is an epic transformation of the bridge into a global icon.Public safety has always been the driving factor behind building the new East Span of the Bay Bridge. Over the years, the project has
Folsom Lake: Gold Rush History
Richard Preston said, “The actual town itself is close to 90 feet underwater.” Currently, the water level at Folsom Lake is lower than during the winter season of 1976-77, one of worst drought years in history, according to data from the California Department of Water Resources. Experts say what is exposed now would have been on the outskirts of the once-booming community, founded by Mormon prospe


An Unsafe Enviroment at PS 154 as Students Run Amok in the Bronx, Yet Again
From the files of the "You Can't Make This Shit Up Department," it just keeps getting nuttier and crazier at PS 154 in the Bronx. Is it possible that the wheels of the bus that DR Alison Coviello, Ed.D and Principal controls are flying off?After last night's blog post featuring how a student, The Flash, ran out of school property twice, once onto dangerous 135th St, several teachers cont


Lecker: Opting out, parents answer to a higher authority - StamfordAdvocate
Lecker: Opting out, parents answer to a higher authority - StamfordAdvocate: Lecker: Opting out, parents answer to a higher authority Opt-Out/Refusal Guides for each State | United Opt Out NationalOpt-Out/Refusal Guides for each State | United Opt Out National: OPT-OUT/REFUSAL GUIDES FOR EACH STATEAll documents are for informational purposes only and do not substitute as legal advice or legal coun
V.A.M.: Value Added Measure
V.A.M.: Value Added Measure: Education in the U.S. and South Korea: Why Would We Want a Hagwon Hell?Test scores are not a good measure of the value of an individual or of an education.    In a speech on January 14th, Arne Duncan praised Korean parents and the Korean educational system for producing strong test results and high college completion rates.  He qualified his statements by stating, &quo
The School Nobody Wanted - Except the Community | Alternet
The School Nobody Wanted - Except the Community | Alternet: The School Nobody Wanted - Except the CommunityThe closure of Sarah T. Reed Senior High School in New Orleans will usher in the first school district in the country with no publicly-run schools.COMMENT NOW!  A  A  AEmailPrintPhoto Credit: Infrogmation via Wikimedia CommonsJanuary 20, 2014  |   The recently announced closure of Sarah T. Re
Bill Gates' Viral Video: GatesLetter.com
Bill Gates wants to promote his website, GatesLetter.com, with a viral video, but Jimmy doesn't think they have time to make one.http://www.GatesLetter.comSubscribe NOW to Late Night with Jimmy Fallon: http://full.sc/IcjtXJWatch Late Night With Jimmy Fallon Weeknights 12:35/11:35c
Nite Cap 1-25-14 #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 CAP1-25-14 Saturday Matinée Special Double Feature Corporate Reform News BreakoutSaturday Matinée Special Corporate Reform School Girls News BreakoutSpecial  Sneak Preview - Witch Hunter starring Campbell Brown  News BreakComing to a theater near yo