Latest News and Comment from Education

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 2-25-15 #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2

Nite Cap UPDATE

UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE


CORPORATE ED REFORM





The war on teachers: Test 'em all, let God sort 'em out
Arne Duncan demands Value-Added teacher evaluation asking, “What’s there to hide?”BUSH MENTALITY...Remember when Bush and Cheney decided to invade Iraq even though they knew Iraq had nothing to do with the 9/11 attacks and that there were no WMDs? Now that same mentality is being used by the current administration, only in this case, it's applied to teacher evaluation. A stretch, you say? Take a l


SBSB to Visit Land of Howard Stern and Bababooey
So about three weeks ago I get an email from Jon Leiberman's producer. Who is Jon Leiberman? Yes, that Jon Leiberman.Jon is part of the Howard (Stern) 100 news team and hosts a daily 15 minute roundtable current events show on Howard 101 entitled "Leiberman Live." For 15 minutes an expert on the topic of the day discusses with 2 wack packers that evening's topic. The show is serious, top


I’m sold on technology in the classroom.  I really am.  I mean, books, paper and pens are a form of technology–they’re just a comparatively inert and messy form.  I’m not sentimental about physical books.  I’m sure when they came around, some poor slob was sitting in a corner crying because reading would never be the same without handwritten scrolls, and a few centuries before that, when the scrol


A Lawmaker’s Personal Mission: More LGBT-Friendly Schools
Every day, young people who are gay, lesbian, or transgender are teased by other kids in school, and sometimes they have problems with school administrators too. The new head of New York City Council's Education Committee, Daniel Dromm, wants the public schools to do more to protect them. And his reasons are personal. Dromm worked as a schoolteacher for 25 years. He recalled how in the charged atm

"Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all." —Aristotle Many at-risk students in schools are crying out for help with their real-life issues, yet many educators respond with an emphasis on academic proficiency skills. With today's stress on academic achievement at all costs with little regard for the mental, social, physical, emotional, or spiritual aspects

After multiple tests.  CAtscan. MRI.  Echocardiogram. Chest xray. Physical exams. Blood tests 28 hours in the hospital Blood pressure normal since 1:30 am this morning Stifled not sure of the cause Considering it a transient ischemic attack. TIA.  It could be a precursor of a stroke.  For now, aspirin, statin for cholesterol! blood pressure medicine.  Low salt as part of diet.  Otherwise as life g

Only a few hours before a school board meeting scheduled for this evening, Newark’s state-appointed Superintendent Cami Anderson announced that neither she nor her leadership team would attend the meetings or any other meetings of the school board. Apparently, she thinks the board is too unruly and she prefers to engage with parents in other (controlled) settings. This is quite a show of contempt

Eva Moskowitz, the combative CEO of the Success Academy charter school chain (previously called Harlem Success Academy), anticipates that new Mayor Bill de Blasio may charge rent for her use of public space or may deny some of the co-locations offered in the waning days of the Bloomberg administration. Moskowitz enjoyed preferential treatment when Michael Bloomberg was mayor and had immediate acce


Parent Engagement Progress In New York
The New York City schools have had a lengthy history of not taking parent engagement/involvement seriously, but the new Chancellor has been taking steps to change that attitude. Her latest effort was announced yesterday when a committee was formed to evaluate how decisions are made to start new schools and to “co-locate” charters in existing public school buildings. You can read more about it here
Infographic: Math Cheat Sheet For Parents
I’m going to add this infographic to The Best Infographics About Parent Involvement In Schools, but I hope a math teacher out there will tell me if it’s accurate or not…. Click image to see a larger versionMath Cheat Sheet via Math Game Time
Newark: The Model Of How NOT To Do Parent Engagement (& A Whole Lot Of Other Ed-Related Things)
I’ve previously published a number of posts about the ed-insanity going on in Newark — including, but not limited to, parent engagement efforts. Here’s the latest from Bob Braun in Cami to Newark parents: Don’t worry, we know best: Pity the parents of Newark’s public school children. Many are unsure where their children will attend school in the fall. They’ve had to fill out application forms and
National Center for Families Learning Recognizes Five Organizations
The National Center for Families Learning has highlighted five organizations around the United States for their parent involvement efforts. You can read a summary of the awardees, and learn a lot more about each of them here.
Secretary Arne Ducan To Guest Moderate A #PTchat In April
Excited to announce I'll be guest moderating a special #ptchat on 4/8 during the Nat'l @FCEnetwork Conference in Ohio! Hope you can join. — Arne Duncan (@arneduncan) February 21, 2014 You can see all information about #PTchats here. And you can learn here about the Family and Community Engagement Conference he refers to in the tweet.
A “Parent Learning Walk” Is An Interesting Idea
Chalkbeat shares highlights from a letter New York City Chancellor Carmen Fariña recently sent to principals. It runs thirteen pages, but this particular excerpt caught my idea. It seems like an interesting idea: At M.S. 319 Maria Teresa in Manhattan, Principal Ysidro Abreu and his parent coordinator host a monthly “Parent Learning Walk.” They start each session by discussing the elements of good
Study: “Involved parents raise slimmer adults”
Involved parents raise slimmer adults is the title of a report on new research. It’s an excerpt: “One of the best safeguards against your children becoming overweight as adults is how involved you are with their lives,” says Cornell’s Brian Wansink, professor in the Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management and a leader of the team that used crowdsourcing to ask 532 adults, “Whic

Suit Seeks Relief for Trade School Students With Years of Debt but No Career
The suit contends that the government should stop trying to collect on some loans since it was aware that a nationwide chain of beauty schools routinely falsified student eligibility.    


De Blasio Says New York Can Add 29,000 Pre-K Seats
Mayor Bill de Blasio was trying to answer skeptics who questioned whether he could create enough prekindergarten seats to justify an income tax increase.    
Economic Scene: The Bane and the Boon of For-Profit Colleges
As these institutions play an indispensable role in helping low-income students, new regulations should look to improve the sector, not shrink it.    
Portland Public Schools teachers encourage donations and support for Medford educators: PPS News
Portland Association of Teachers leaders are encouraging union members to donate to Medford teachers who went through a 16-day strike.

Draft Indiana Standards Get Chilly Response at Public Hearing
A hearing in Indiana on new standards to replace the common core in that state drew many skeptical reactions from the public, along with concern from some teachers.


Will de Blasio Dump Moskowitz' Ill-Gotten Gains as Eva Throws Tantrum?
The last minute push by Bloomberg to get as many Eva Moskowitz charters into as many neighborhoods as possible reminded me of the American rush to leave Saigon in the waning days of the Vietnam war. Two October PEP meetings were set up to beat the clock and Moskowitz walked away with the biggest bundle. Law suits were filed over one of the final outrages of the Bloomberg administration. Public Adv


Nite Cap 2-25-14 #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 CAPBULLETIN: Cami to Newark: I won’t show. Ever. | Bob Braun's LedgerBULLETIN: Cami to Newark: I won’t show. Ever. | Bob Braun's Ledger: BULLETIN: Cami to Newark: I won’t show. Ever.Cami will meet with one mayoral candidate but not parents or teache