Are Education Conferences Relevant? | My Island View: Are Education Conferences Relevant?February 8, 2014 by tomwhitbyI am very fortunate to be able to attend a number of Education Conferences each year. This offers me a perspective of education conferences that is not afforded to a majority of educators. When one considers the total number of American educators compared to the total attendance at

Coalition for Public Education/Coalición por la Educación Pública: Newark Parents Give It To Gov Christie's Ed Flunky Cami Anderson!Parent Ms.Natasha Allen Runs Cami Out of NPS Advisory This took place at Newark's First Avenue School. The camera work is a little frantic, but you still can get the sense of righteous anger and determination for Newark's parents to control the educational destiny of

Why I Stopped Teaching Like a Champion | EduShyster: Why I Stopped Teaching Like a Champion A former KIPP teacher in New Orleans finds her voiceI was never much of a champion, to be honest. KIPP defines a successful teacher as someone who keeps children quiet, teaches children how to answer each question on a test composed of arbitrary questions, and then produces high scores on this test. Mind yo

BIG EDUCATION APE 2ND BANANARECAP OF LAST WEEK'S BEST POSTNot Everyone Is Able to Tweet and Post Who They Really Are | Connected PrincipalsNot Everyone Is Able to Tweet and Post Who They Really Are | Connected Principals: Not Everyone Is Able to Tweet and Post Who They Really Areby Chris Wejr • February 5, 2014 • 0 CommentsThere is often much discussion around the separation of our professional an

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTSNYC Educator: Andy Cuomo's Three-Ring Common Core CircusNYC Educator: Andy Cuomo's Three-Ring Common Core Circus: Andy Cuomo's Three-Ring Common Core CircusIntrepid Reality-Based Educator has the rundown on Governor Andy's Common Core panel.  I hear good things about teacher Todd Hathaway, who may perhaps counter the other teacher, E4E's Nick Lawrence, who

NYC Educator: Andy Cuomo's Three-Ring Common Core Circus: Andy Cuomo's Three-Ring Common Core CircusIntrepid Reality-Based Educator has the rundown on Governor Andy's Common Core panel.  I hear good things about teacher Todd Hathaway, who may perhaps counter the other teacher, E4E's Nick Lawrence, who of course supports whatever E4E's corporate overlords see fit. As someone who deals with real liv

Big Educational Laptop and Tablet Projects: Looking at Ten Countries | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: Big Educational Laptop and Tablet Projects: Looking at Ten CountriesMichael Trucano is the World Bank’s Senior ICT and Education Policy Specialist, serving as the organization’s focal point on issues at the intersection of technology use and education in middle- and low-incom

deutsch29 | Mercedes Schneider's EduBlog: Update on Common Core Status in the States: Part TwoOn February 6, 2014, I posted my first of three installments regarding the state of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in statehouses nationwide– and even in the US Senate. Reaction to CCSS includes the Huckabee-promoted “rebranding” of the CCSS “product” as well as CCSS investigation, testing delay,

A Twitter Conversation . . . Connecting with a School Community | Connected Principals: A Twitter Conversation . . . Connecting with a School CommunitySuperintendent John Marschhausen will be available to address student and parent questions regarding innovation in Hilliard City Schools on Monday, February 10. To join the first Twitter Connection, simply login to Twitter and send comments or quest

solidaridad: My UTLA Endorsements for 2014: My UTLA Endorsements for 2014My UTLA Endorsements for 2014 I typically stay out of UTLA internal politics. Unlike the nonprofit industrial complex (NPIC), and our own government, unions are intensely democratic institutions where the members really demonstrate self governance. However, with the forces of neoliberalism on the verge of privatizing the rema

V.A.M.: Value Added Measure: The Uncommon Brain of a Common-Core Reformer: The Uncommon Brain of a Common-Core ReformerIn the diagram above we see two sample brains.  They are basically the same--with one major exception.  Brain A is the Common-Core reformer's brain.  Notice it is nearly three times the size of specimen B, a public-school teacher's brain.  (Of course, there are millions of more B-

Corbett budget: “A paltry handout” | Parents United for Public Education: Corbett budget: “A paltry handoutPosted on February 8, 2014 by PARENTSUNITEDPHILALeave a commentLast week Governor Tom Corbett unveiled his proposal for the PA state budget. The proposal claims to put in close to $400 million into education. However on closer scrutiny, none of that money supports the basic education budget,

LA School Report - What's Really Going on Inside LAUSD (Los Angeles Unified School District): Clarifying role of ‘caretaker’ for LaMotte’s school board seatThe LA Unified school board on Tuesday is expected to approve a list of proposed responsibilities and job qualifications for a temporary, non-voting board member to fill the seat of Marguerite LaMotte, who died in December. The recommendations

empathyeducates:When Is School Reform Not Enough?Illustration; Copyright Bob Cahm By Ann Evans de Bernard | Originally Published at Education Week. February 3, 2014 | Published in Print: February 5, 2014, as When Is School Reform Not Reform? My state of Connecticut, like many others across the country, has received much attention lately […]by empathy / 5h YESTERDAYPolitics is Local – It Begins wit

Engaging Parents In School… | Going Beyond Parent "Involvement":Important NY Times Article: “Can Marriage Cure Poverty?”As most people know, there is a common narrative suggesting that single-parent households can be a cause of many problems affecting children — in and out of school. I wonder about that view, and have previously published The Best Articles Questioning The View That Singl

SKrashen:The Star Method: A Brilliant, No-Cost, IdeaLetter Published in the School Library Journal, 2010. LaDuska Adriance's idea of students putting a star in the inside corner of library books they like might be one of the great ideas of the century: Simple, no-cost, with the potential of substantially increasing interest in reading by creating a community of readers, what Frank Smith calls a &q

With A Brooklyn Accent:With A Brooklyn Accent Go BATs All WeekA Gates Foundation Dictatorships - A Response to My Video on "Common Core Stealth Standards""Letter I just got in response to what I said about Bill Gates in my "Common Core Stealth Standards" Speech ( now on youtube)Dear Mr. Naison,I apologize for contacting you at your Fordham email, but I just watched a youtu

Education - U.S. Congress - OpenCongress:Bill Introduced: S. 1974: LOCAL Level ActA bill to amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to prohibit Federal education mandates, and for other purposes.6h Bill Introduced: H.Res. 462: Recognizing January as "National Mentoring Month" and encouraging more people in the United States to mentor young people in their communities.Rec

Scathing Purple Musings | Color me purple in Florida, red in Washington, dark sky-blue in Israel and public school in Education:Scathing Purple Musings  Color me purple in Florida ALL WeekThe Creepy, Incestuous, Conflicts-of-Interests Involved in Florida’s School Grade SystemThe editors of the Lakeland Ledger have complete grasp of the timeline of events concerning Florida’s school grade system. T

Ms. Jablonski's Class Blog:D.C's "Revolving Door" Still SpinningThe New Times has a good piece on the "revolving door," which refers to the practice of members of Congress, congressional staffers or regulators leaving public service to go to work for special interests:A top aide to a Republican congressman from Arizona helped promote a legislative plan to overhaul the nation’s

teacherken at Daily Kos:teacherken at Daily Kos This WeekDon't worry - I have not YET disappearedSeriously,   I have had a number of direct inquiries as to whether something was wrong, as I have been writing so infrequently. Nothing is wrong, either with me or with my wife Leaves on the Current. I have been very busy with school-related tasks, as one semester has ended and a new one has begun, wit

The Answer Sheet:All Week @ The Answer SheetSchool board member vows to keep fighting for the late Ethan RediskeRick Roach,  a member of the Orange County School Board in Florida, sent the following e-mail about the death on Friday of 11-year-old Ethan Rediske, who became known in Florida after his mother, Andrea, fought a state requirement that her blind son, who had brain damage as well as cereb

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog:Schooling in the Ownership SocietyMike Klonsky's SmallTalk Schooling in the Ownership SocietyJay Travis is the real deal.At Travis fundraiser last night. I got to meet 26th Dist Rep. candidate Jay Travis at a campaign fundraiser for her last night. I came away thinking, she's the real deal. She previously worked as the executive director of the Kenwood Oakland Communi

Wait What?:  Wait What? All WeekAiling teacher evaluation program can’t be cured (by Wendy Lecker)Among Governor Malloy’s package of election year gimmicks to win back enough support to get 50 percent of the vote in November’s gubernatorial election are a series of steps to deceive teachers, parents and public school advocates into think that he is mending his ways and stepping off the corporate e

Seattle Schools Community Forum:Seattle Schools Community ForumShooting RoundupThe Stranger Slog has a weekly child shooting roundup and hey, one story is local.From Q13:PUYALLUP — Neighbors say they never heard a gunshot, but saw what happened next. “The young man was sitting in the driveway just rocking back and forth saying; I shot my best friend, I shot my best friend,” neighbor Carol Sharick

Ed Notes Online: Ed Notes OnlineNewark Update: Cami Anderson Closes Schools While Still Engaging in Chris Christie-Like Thug TacticsNewark parent leader arrested, jailed, after criticizing state plan to close schools....Before we get to that story there is this from a Newark teacher:Inclement Weather - Schools Closed February 5, 2014In the interest of the safety of our students, and due to hazardo

Jersey Jazzman:Jersey Jazzman Jammin' All WeekLocal Control: In New Jersey, It's Not For "Them"Bob Braun breaks an amazing story, once again showing Newark's public schools administration is out of control:A parent leader who criticized the “One Newark” plan pushed by state school superintendent Cami Anderson was arrested yesterday  on charges he assaulted a central office administrator.

Fred Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacher who is just looking at the data.: Fred All Week Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacherKeeping retirement weird.  We weren’t the oldest couple at Tipitina’s last night. But I didn’t notice any that were older. Anne and I left Chicago yesterday morning when the thermometer read minus four. We had had enough. We neede

Perdido Street School: Perdido Street School WeekSome Reaction To Cuomo's Common Core PanelHere are some comments left at the Capital Confidential reporting Cuomo's Common Core panel announcement:Once again the Bully of New York fails to include the real experts in the field. Educators have been saying all along what is best for student achievement but it has fallen upont deaf ears. Sorry knuckle

THE BECOMING RADICALRadical ScholarshipEMPATHYEDUCATES!the becoming radical  A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness by When Is School Reform Not Enough?Illustration; Copyright Bob Cahm By Ann Evans de Bernard | Originally Published at Education Week. February 3, 2014 | Published in Print: February 5, 2014, as When Is School Reform Not Reform? My state of Connecticut, like many others across the countr

Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFLLARRY FERLAZZO’S WEBSITES OF THE DAYFrom The Archives: “4 concerns about Michelle Rhee”I’ve recently re-started an effort I’ve tried to do previously by regularly highlighting previous posts and articles I’ve shared in previous years that I think might be worth a second look. Today, I’m highlighting a short piece I wrote for

Education Research ReportTHIS WEEK'S EDUCATION RESEARCH REPORTTesting the effectiveness of individualized college student coachingCollege graduation rates often lag behind college attendance rates. One theory as to why students do not complete college is that they lack key information about how to be successful or fail to act on the information that they have. This study presents evidence from a r

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit:4LAKIDS - SOME OF THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T FIT  John Marshall High Wins Lausd Academic DecathlonThe team takes first place with 55,785.7 out of a possible 65,400 points. Previous winners Granada Hills Charter and El Camino Real Charter  - as well as Franklin and Grant - also advance to the state level. By Alicia Banks, LA Times | http://lat.ms/1jm3fxp Marsh

NPE News Briefs ← from The Network for Public Education:NPE News Briefs ← from The Network for Public EducationNPE News BriefsDe Blasio says he won’t allow co-locations for charter schools | New York PostJust days after Mayor de Blasio’s Department of Education proposed slashing $210 million from a charter-school construction fund, he said he also won’t allow charters to share space in public-scho

Schools Matter:  Schools Matter All WeekPortland Teachers Vote To Strike / Time To Get Rid Of Testing And Hire More TeachersPortland teachers are leading the way, people.Chicago, Philadelphia, Portland, teachers, parents and students are united.http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/06/us-usa-teachers-portland-idUSBREA1507V20140206Portland, Oregon, teachers vote to authorize strikeBY TERESA CARSON

@ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: All Week @ THE CHALK FACE Update on Common Core Status in the States: Part TwoOn February 6, 2014, I posted my first of three installments regarding the state of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in statehouses nationwide– and even in the US Senate. Reaction to CCSS includes the Huckabee-promoted “rebranding” of the CCSS “product” as well as CCSS investi

Diane Ravitch's blogLISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH ALL WEEK LONGDIANE RAVITCH'S BLOGJames Meredith: Time for an American Child’s Bill of RightsCivil rights hero James Meredith is worried about the future of American public schools. He fought so hard to integrate them, but now he sees new forces seeking to take control of them, and not for good reasons. He wrote recently, as reported in Valerie Strauss’s

Ed reform bullpucky bingo | Seattle Education: Ed reform bullpucky bingoWe’ve all heard these words and phrases coming out of the mouths of ed reformers. If nothing else, these folks do remain true to their script. I have heard these terms from leadership within the Washington State PTA,  the League of Education Voters, Stand for Children, Michelle Rhee, Arne Duncan,  the Broadies and many other c

Ed Notes Online: Newark Update: Cami Anderson Closes Schools While Still Engaging in Chris Christie-Like Thug TacticsNewark parent leader arrested, jailed, after criticizing state plan to close schools....Before we get to that story there is this from a Newark teacher:Inclement Weather - Schools Closed February 5, 2014In the interest of the safety of our students, and due to hazardous weather cond

Notice of Public Meeting - Public Schools Accountability Act (CA Dept of Education): Notice of Public MeetingNotice of public meeting of the Advisory Committee for the Public Schools Accountability Act (PSAA) of 1999.February 20, 2014Meeting of the Full CommitteeDate, Time, and LocationFebruary 20, 201410 a.m. - 3 p.m.California Department of Education1430 N Street, Suite 1101Sacramento, CA 95814A

White students get better teachers in L.A., researcher testifies - latimes.com: White students get better teachers in L.A., researcher testifiesComments21EmailShare93A researcher testifying in a trial about California teacher policies says that the worst teachers in Los Angeles are doing more harm to students than the worst ones in other school systems that he compared. Above, LAUSD headquarters. 

Developing an Identity: A Student’s Story | Gatsby In L.A.: Developing an Identity: A Student’s Story Starting with this post, in addition to interviewing and observing teachers, I’m also going to be talking one on one with students in order to hear their stories.  Who are our students?  What does their education mean to them?  What effect do teachers have on them? Today’s interview is with Leo, a

One superb teacher, both suffering parents and a dead child deserve our empathy and help. | Reclaim Reform: One superb teacher, both suffering parents and a dead child deserve our empathy and help.Posted on February 7, 2014by Ken PrevitiThis child died today. The problem of corporate high stakes testing and its insane demands continues for all teachers, all parents and all of our children.Parent o

Peg with Pen: Colorado and PARCC. What will be left? Just the Students and the Chromebooks: Colorado and PARCC. What will be left? Just the Students and the ChromebooksColorado superintendents have recently become more vocal. They want more local control. They want to be in charge of making financial decisions for their districts. And they need support. They state,  “It can’t be just us. We need p

Portland teachers union president Gwen Sullivan says strike vote was 'bittersweet' (Q&A) | OregonLive.com: Portland teachers union president Gwen Sullivan says strike vote was 'bittersweet' (Q&A)Portland Association of Teachers president Gwen Sullivan addressed reporters outside the union's headquarters. Members of the union overwhelming voted to strike on Wednesday, a decision Sullivan ca

NYC Public School Parents: John King uses WSJ to threaten NYC on charter rent: are Amplify losses so great Rupert can't afford to pay fact-checkers anymore?: John King uses WSJ to threaten NYC on charter rent: are Amplify losses so great Rupert can't afford to pay fact-checkers anymore?Today the Wall St. Journal carried one of the worst articles I have ever read, carrying baseless threats by the S

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 CAPAnti-Common Core Lawsuit Filed in Utah | Truth in American EducationAnti-Common Core Lawsuit Filed in Utah | Truth in American Education: Anti-Common Core Lawsuit Filed in UtahFiled in Common Core State Standards, Education at State Level by Shan