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 teacher
John Laesch. Carol Ammons in the 103rd.
Carol Ammons is the pro-pension, pro-labor candidate in the March 18th Democratic Primary. Fred, I recently wrote my friend David Johnson, a brother carpenter and Jobs With Justice activist from Champaign-Urbana. The nature of my e-mail was to express disappointment in the Carpenters Union for backing Toni Berrios in the 39th State Rep. race when we have a solid union candidate, Will Guzzardi,
Keeping retirement weird. That video.
You know what I thought as I watched that video of a CPS professional development session? Damn. Why didn’t I ever think of that? Video taping one of the sessions I had to sit through over the past 30 years, that is. We are justifiably outraged watching this. But if you want command and control, this is what you do. Read from a script. Repeat after me. Call and response. The New York Times editor
This video of CPS Professional Development goes viral. PD on crack.
Thanks to the Washington Post’s Valerie Strauss, this video of Chicago Public School ISAT preparation and Professional Development has gone viral. This presenter was one of several consultants flown in from California and the United Kingdom for the Chicago Public Schools’ Office of Strategic School Support Services’ special network. This is a professional development for teachers of Saturday ISAT
YESTERDAY
More support for ISAT opt out.
February 28, 2014 To the teachers at Saucedo Elementary and Drummond Elementary schools, Teachers for Social Justice fully supports your decision to refuse to administer the 2014 ISAT test to your students. Thank you for taking this important step to protect your students from a week of testing that does not benefit them and does not allow teachers to teach. Your decision is a courageous one in th
Bully Byrd-Bennett’s up-to-the-minute rules on handling “insubordinate” teachers.
February 28, 2014 Dear Principal: We are offering the following guidance to principals on the administration of the Illinois Standard Achievement Test (ISAT) in schools where parents have opted out of the test and/or teachers refuse to administer the test despite our directives. The overwhelming majority of students have not been opted out of the test and we must be sure that we create a fair te
Bully Byrd-Bennett’s up-to-the-minute rules for opt out.
Dear Principal: We are offering the following guidance to principals on the administration of the Illinois Standard Achievement Test (ISAT) in schools where parents have opted out of the test and/or teachers refuse to administer the test despite our directives. The overwhelming majority of students have not been opted out of the test and we must be sure that we create a fair testing environment
Let Saucedo teachers teach.
Friday, February 28th at 4PM. Saucedo Academy. Cook County Commissioner Jesus “Chuy” Garcia.
Testing revolt spreads. Second CPS school faculty votes no to ISAT.
CTUNet: CHICAGO—The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) supports teachers and parents at Thomas Drummond Montessori School who announced today their intent to boycott the Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT). Drummond joins Maria Saucedo Scholastic Academy as the second school this week to take action against this “low-stakes” standardized test. Saucedo teachers announced on Tuesday their intent t
The CPS ISAT letter and the parent response.
From: ”Swartz, Claudinette” Date: February 27, 2014 at 11:46:13 AM CST Subject: ISAT opt out I wanted to reach out on the opt out issue because I’m concerned that there are repercussions from the State that teachers and parents may not be aware of. We’ve just sent something to principals and I want to make sure you g
Bully Byrd-Bennett is now threatening parents and kids.
. Things are heating up in Chicago today. Lines are being drawn in the sand. CPS CEO is not just threatening teachers with the loss of their teaching certification. She’s threatening parents. I’ve heard from dozens of parents who are telling me versions of this: Our principal just received word TODAY that students who chose to opt out of the ISAT must SIT QUIETLY at their desk with the unopened
Dillard adds to his ALEC support.
When I pointed out that Kirk Dillard was state chairman of the anti-union, racist American Legislative Exchange Council, folks like NEA Board of Directors member Tom Tully wrote to say that he was told there was a letter from Dillard resigning from ALEC. “Indeed there is,” responded IEA Director of Government Relations when I asked him about it. But when I finally got to read the letter, it did
Don’t call him “Rahmner.”
The Chicago Sun-Time’s political reporter Natasha Korecki sat down with Mary Ann Ahern of NBC, Art Golub and Kate Grossman, both reporters for the Sun-Times, to discuss the overlap of supporters for Bruce Rauner’s gubernatorial campaign and Rahm Emanuel’s mayoral campaign. Shock! They’re the same guys. Grossman points out that Bruce gets mad when you call him Rahmner. Excuse me for a minute. Rahm
Urgent: In The Face Of Threats, Saucedo Teachers Ask Ctu Members To Rally At 3:30 Pm Friday
IN THE FACE OF THREATS, SAUCEDO TEACHERS ASK CTU MEMBERS TO RALLY AT 3:30 PM FRIDAY Teachers and parents at Saucedo Academy are standing strong against baseless threats from central office. They are asking CTU members to show support tomorrow, Friday, February 28 at 3:30 p.m. Saucedo Elementary is located at 2850 W. 24th Blvd. Wherever you are, please wear red to school and take pictures w
FEB 27
Bill Drew. The Menominee Warrior Society.
- Bill Drew is a friend, long-time radical and activist. Responding to my post on Wounded Knee, he sends a long a chapter from his memoir, Fortunate Son. When a group of young Menominee Indians occupied the Alexian Brothers Monastery on land adjacent to their reservation, we traveled up there to give publicity and support. Theirs was an action modeled on the occupation of Wounded Knee by the Sio
Wounded Knee.
With my green 1968 Volkswagon Beetle attached to the tow bar of a recreational vehicle that we contracted to deliver, my brother, a friend Nancy and I left LA for Chicago. Nancy and Mike would return to LA. I would stay. March 3rd it will be 41 years. I was 24 years old and all that I owned I could back into three cardboard boxes. And as we loaded them in into the RV, the radio reported that ac
FEB 26
The dirty tricks of Toni Berrios and the regular Democrats.
The dirty tricks of the regular Democrats have hit the fan in my 39th State Representative District. Democratic Party boss Joe Berrios’ daughter, Toni, is facing defeat in the March 18th primary at the hands of progressive Will Guzzardi. Last week the regular Dems sent out postcards and letters to the district’s voters claiming Guzzardi favored child molesters. This week they are sending out th
Joravsky post reminds me of my stalker Ben Velderman.
If you’re a long time reader of this blog you can hit the remote. If you play the drinking game that involves downing a shot when I post a picture of my stalker, Ben Velderman, get to the liquor cabinet. Chicago Reader columnist Ben Joravsky reports today on the difficulty of getting a response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request from Rahm Emanuel, the City of Chicago or the Chicago Pu
Matt Farmer. Opt out letter.
Matt Farmer and Karen Lewis in Springfield last week for teacher pension rights. From Matt Farmer: Here’s the text of the letter I sent to the principal of my youngest daughter’s school. (My oldest kiddo is years removed from the CPS experience.) Dear [Principal's name], Lisa and I have decided that Samantha will not sit for the ISAT examination next month. This letter serves as our official “o
Karen Lewis. Standardized testing and the Eugenics movement.
- Karen GJ Lewis is the President of the Chicago Teachers Union and National Board Certified Teacher. Many people who are convinced that standardized tests are reliable and valid indicators of student learning are not only sadly mistaken, but they are often people who also support policies that harm children, teachers and schools. This is unfortunate for a variety of reasons, the least of which i
Teaching our students and keeping them safe.
The words of Sarah Chambers, who stood on the steps of Saucedo Academy yesterday afternoon. “We are not afraid.” Parents place their children in the care of teachers. They expect us to do what is best, to teach them and keep them safe and return their children to them safe. Yesterday morning 100% of the teachers chose to boycott the ISAT test. To teach them instead. And keep them safe. Trust me. F
FEB 25
Teachers at Chicago’s Saucedo Scholastic Academy vote 100% to boycott ISAT test. Teachers union has their backs. 100%.
This morning teachers at Maria Saucedo Academy voted unanimously to boycott the ISAT test. This follows on the heels of yesterday’s press conference by parents who have opted out of the test. They represent a reported 500 parents who have opted out district-wide. Here is the press release from the Chicago Teachers Union: CHICAGO – The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) supports teachers and parents a
Tony at the Red Line Tap.
“I don’t get it,” Tony sighed as I grabbed my seat at the bar. “Sean, my man.” I yelled to the kid in the back room. “A Cal’Arenys. Room temperature.” “I said, I don’t get it.” “I heard you, but I wanted my beer. Now. What don’t you get, Tony?” “Four-man bobsledding. How is it different from two-man bobsledding?” “It’s different because one has two guys and one has four,” I explained. “Why are
Todd Mertz. In Arizona…
- Todd Mertz is a teacher and IEA union and political activist. The ruling came on Thursday. Yes, I know we don’t live in Arizona. But this is significant and absolutely great news for us too. Here is why: The language in the IL and AZ constitutions are very similar in protecting pension benefits for public employees. In fact, both the IL and AZ constitution state that membership in the state pe
FEB 24
NIJWJ. The Illinois Charter Commission.
Dear Fred, Can you spread the word on these bills? We need the support of every progressive person in the State to move these forward. Mary Shesgreen Northern Illinois Jobs With Justice Action Alert and newsletter. This is our chance to fight back against the billion-dollar-backed drive towards the privatization and corporatization of Illinois’s public schools. State Representative Linda Chapa LaV
Now this is a candidate’s position on pensions I want to see. Jay Travis.
Jay Travis is running against incumbent State Representative and lobbyist Christian Mitchell in the 26th District. 1. Revenue. The “pension crisis” was manufactured by big business groups who have successfully avoided paying their fair share in taxes for years. They enjoy an artificially low tax rate that has starved the state of revenue and plunged us into debt. Rather than doing
Dillard’s endorsements are all hat, no horse.
Seconds after posting about the IEA’s decision to offer the failing campaign of former ALEC state chairman Kirk Dillard a small portion of what they handed over to him last time. I received this in the mail from the Illinois Retired Teachers Association (of which I am a member): On February 12, 2014 the IRTAPAC Board of Directors voted to endorse Kirk Dillard for Governor in the Republican primar
Big union ad buy for Guzzardi.
. The price of poker just went up. A piece of interesting election news this morning is that the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) just dropped $50,000 on a media ad buy for Will Guzzardi’s race against Machine Democratic Party daughter, Toni Berrios. Berrios has been flooding 39th Representative District mailboxes with bogus claims that Guzzardi defends child molesters. Yep. Chicago p
FEB 23
Venial Sins. I once taught the whole child. No we develop interventions.
- Venial Sins is a public school teacher. I teach in the same district as Mark, and never before have I felt such a high degree of pressure to make sure every student is meeting goals or standards. In the past, primary grade students were believed to be developing at different rates, and what one child could do in kindergarten, another may not master until second grade. We “taught the whole child,
Sunday book review section. Strike for America: Chicago Teachers Against Austerity.
Strike for America: Chicago Teacher Against Austerity Michah Uetricht. Verso Press. The announcement of the return of former Illinois Education Association Executive Director Jo Anderson arrived in my email box almost simultaneously with the arrival of Micah Uetricht’s Strike for America. Uetricht’s brief book contains a back-stage look at the creation of the Chicago Teacher Union’s CORE caucus
Sunday reads.
Elijah Edwards, AFSCME Local 2858 Vice President (right) and I talk pension theft with Keeanga-Yahmahtta Taylor and Micah Uetricht of Jacobin Radio Chicago. One Newark means firing 700 union teachers, replaced by TFA kids. Finding: Conservative activists are manufacturing the perception of a public pension crisis in order to both slash modest retiree benefits and preserve expensive corporate su
FEB 22
Duncan advisor Jo Anderson returns to IEA.
Jo Anderson, who prior to the election of President Obama served as Executive Director of the Illinois Education Association, has left his position as Senior Advisor to Education Secretary Arne Duncan. He has returned to the IEA as Co-Executive Director of the IEA’s Consortium for Education Change, an organization that brings boards of education, administrators and IEA members together on various
Mark Stefanik. Uncommon core.
- Mark Stefanik is a frequent contributor to this blog. He is a veteran middle school Language Arts teacher. Rubrics, assessments, and goals. Oh, my. Standards, objectives, and tests. Oh, my. Pensions and data and lies. Oh, my. I have a feeling we’re not in Education anymore. Instead, we’re off to greet the future on the yellow brick road of Alignment. When was the last time an Institute Day did
Jay Rehak. Fixing our fund begins with a guaranteed source of revenue.
— Jay C. Rehak, president, Chicago Teachers’ Pension Fund Board of Trustees, English teacher, Whitney M. Young Magnet High School, wrote this to the Chicago Tribune. Illinois Senate President John Cullerton’s “How to save Chicago teachers’ pensions” (Commentary, Feb. 10) noted with alarm the $613 million pension obligation Chicago Public Schools owes to the 63,000 members of the Chicago Teachers’
Keeping Retirement Weird.
What a week! Down to the University of Illinois Chicago to rally with the striking faculty. Up to Evanston for our soup kitchen and half a cola table outside pension thief Robyn Gabel’s district office. Down to Springfield for the Chicago pension rally. All between gym time, uke with the kids, blogging, drawing and closely following the Canadian – U.S. hockey matches. Actually, you can leave ou
Four questions for IEA RA delegate Jerry Mulvihill.
Are you a delegate to the IEA Representative Assembly? Yes. This year and for the past 10 years. You plan to introduce a New Business Item concerning Common Core? Yes. It is my intention to introduce a New Business Item that directs the IEA Leadership to withdraw its support of the Common Core. Have you been impacted as a classroom teacher by CCSS? Yes. Immensely. The biggest impact with regard
Who was State Representative Mitchell voting for and representing when he voted to cut our pensions?
Christian Mitchell is the incumbent House member in the 26th State Representative District. He is being challenged by former Kenwood Oakland Community Organization (KOCO) Executive Director Jay Travis. Recent revelations have uncovered that State Representative Christian Mitchell (26th District) is a high-level employee for an influential lobbying and public affairs firm with strong ties to convic
Who is 26th District Representative Christian Mitchell was working and voting for when he voted to cut pensions?
Christian Mitchell is the incumbent House member in the 26th State Representative District. He is being challenged by former Kenwood Oakland Community Organization (KOCO) Executive Director Jay Travis. Recent revelations have uncovered that State Representative Christian Mitchell (26th District) is a high-level employee for an influential lobbying and public affairs firm with strong ties to convi