Latest News and Comment from Education
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Democrats Must Choose: The Elites or the Working Class
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Editors’ note.
As a first step. Note. 74,118,950 people in the US voted for our
positions. They voted for a continuation of democracy. That is a...
7 hours ago
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Two Items of Interest for Seattle Schools
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The first is whether *any SPS schools will be closed tomorrow*; the
district closed 14 today. It looks like several regional districts like
Renton will b...
8 hours ago
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Resolution Urging the DOE to Implement a Multi-year Plan that will Provide
All NYC Students with the Benefits of Smaller Classes
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Nov. 2024 We have drafted the following resolution for PTAs, SLTs or CECs
to consider, urging the DOE to create and implement a actual multi-year
class siz...
12 hours ago
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Memo to Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy
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Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE): You’ve been drafted to cut the
federal government down to size. Congratulations! This is not rocket
science. ...
12 hours ago
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WE HAVE MET THE ENEMY AND HE IS US
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*WE HAVE MET THE ENEMY AND HE IS US*
As I stroll through this chamber of horrors known as the Trump 2.0 cabinet
picks, I can't help but wonder how th...
13 hours ago
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New book for researchers looking to better understand the college student
experience
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*Work can help design, implementation, interpretation of results that shed
light on students, especially underrepresented populations*
* College stude...
13 hours ago
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The Trans Bathroom Issue Explodes in Congress
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Delaware elected Sarah McBride to Congress. Representative McBride is
transgender. Republican women are going nuts for fear that Rep. McBride
might use the...
18 hours ago
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Biden's final days. Long range missiles and land mines.
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Joe Biden and his surrogates have talked a lot these past weeks about
Biden’s commitment to a “peaceful transition”.
18 hours ago
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"Donald Trump will be the next president of the United States"
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I’m not certain it’s possible to understand what happened in the 2024
election this close to it, beyond the undeniable outcome: Donald Trump will
be t...
19 hours ago
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NH: Defunding Special Ed
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Is educating students with special needs getting expensive for your
district? If you're in New Hampshire, Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut
has a mes...
20 hours ago
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Running silent and deep.
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Trump is evil and he is setting our nation up for something far worse than
just failure. His actions over the past week should send shivers up our
nation’s...
1 day ago
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Sagan Flashback
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Carl Sagan nailed it back in 1995.
[image or embed]
— NightDiver13 (@nightdiver13.bsky.social) November 18, 2024 at 9:46 AM
1 day ago
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As Aspira Applies For A New Charter School In Georgetown, DOE Is Oblivious
To Issues At Their Newark School
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It has to be a busy time for the folks at Aspira! Not only is their
original school in Newark, Delaware up for renewal but they are applying
for a new Aspi...
1 day ago
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Student Writing as Teaching and Learning, Not Evaluation: And Why the
“Research Paper” Mindset Fails Students (Still)
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[Header Photo by Twinkl on Unsplash] I am teaching now into my fifth
decade, and most of that career has been dedicated to teaching students to
write. But ...
1 day ago
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"Activities Rather Than Objects"
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Like a younger sibling, our school has always run on hand-me-downs.
I've long believed that one of the functions of preschools in our society
is to be ...
1 day ago
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Left of Black | S14:E1 | Jasmine Nichole Cobb on the Art and Texture of
Black Hair
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What is the cultural significance of Black hair and how does it impact the
way African Americans show up across all arenas of social life? And what
are s...
1 day ago
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Ohio’s Legislators Focus on Culture Wars & Private School Vouchers. In Next
Session, Will Legislators Fully Fund Public Schools?
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As the 135th Ohio General Assembly winds down its lame-duck session at the
end of 2024, there is not a lot off cheerful and exciting news for the
state’s p...
1 day ago
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What Teachers Can Do about Pervasive Misinformation (Erica Meltzer)*
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A doctored [photo] of a Parkland shooting survivor ripping up the
Constitution. A fake story about a firefighter jailed for praying at the
scene of a fire,...
2 days ago
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Who’s Afraid of Anne Frank?
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Last week, in Howell, Michigan, the town where I used to live, a local
youth theatre group was putting on a production of the play version of The
Diary of ...
3 days ago
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¡Si, ganamos!
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En victorias desde la Carolinia del Norte hacia el Estado de Washington y
Maine, encontramos la evidencia que cuando nos organizamos, ganamos.
Siempre encu...
3 days ago
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Tell the Senate: RFK Jr. is wrong for Health and Human Services
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The nomination of RFK Jr. for Secretary of Health and Human Services puts
America's children at risk. In addition to discouraging parents from
vaccinatin...
4 days ago
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Scam Education Study from Denver
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By Thomas Ultican 11/16/2024 Another education study financed by Arnold
Ventures and the Walton Family Foundation blurs education reality. Their
2022 model...
5 days ago
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Pointing Out The Parralles
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“Your friend professes belief yet I’m not convinced. What about you? Are
the gods real?” “They are real,” says I, “And you’re a prick.” ― Ferdia
Lennon, Gl...
5 days ago
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LOL, Craig Foster: I'm flattered, although I have no idea who you are
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The dumbest mystery in Polk County may be solved. A quintessential MAGA
man, picking on a woman who is not a public figure, may have revealed
himself. Come...
5 days ago
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Democrats Didn’t Lose the November Election in November…..
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Some pundits are blaming Kamala Harris for not doing this or that, and
others are blaming Joe Biden for not dropping out earlier, but I am
convinced that D...
6 days ago
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Pre-Order a Signed Copy of “Teach Truth: The Struggle for Antiracist
Education”!
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I'm thrilled to announce that anyone who pre-orders Teach Truth: The
Struggle for Antiracist Education through Seattle’s Elliott Bay Book
Company will rece...
6 days ago
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Closing the U.S. Department of Education: A LOSS for Children with
Disabilities
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Donald Trump just proclaimed the Project 2025 agenda in 10 points about
education. As expected, this includes dismantling the U.S. Department of
Educatio...
1 week ago
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A message from Quaker Meeting for Worship
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the branch of Society of Friends to which I belong is unprogrammed, we have
no designated ministers. Anyone who feels moved by the Spirit is free to
rise...
1 week ago
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It’s hard to win an election if you lose 11 million voters
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I was wondering what the actual popular vote totals were over the last 7 or
8 US presidential election cycles, and discovered a few important things
that h...
1 week ago
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Trump and Education
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I do not believe American education is a top concern for Donald Trump. I do
believe that he could well turn it over to the likes of the Heritage
Foundation...
1 week ago
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A Look Back: The Best “Best” Lists From The First Half Of 2024
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(I’m republishing my best posts from the first half of the year. You can
see the entire list of them here) Here are the best “Best” lists
published in ...
1 week ago
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Don’t Obey In Advance
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Last week, I hopped off a bus and voted early. It was quick, convenient,
and came with two stickers: one for me and one for ...
Read More
The post Don’t...
1 week ago
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DOE privacy regulations: revised yet again but still puting student
privacy, health and safety at unacceptable risk!
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The DOE has issued revisions to their earlier version of the Chancellor's
A-820 regulations on student privacy for the second time. They have also
delay...
2 weeks ago
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“I’m Done With Him; He’s A Douchebag” …And Other Tales From Distant Doors
And Stoops
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The Democratic Party has been joining with thousands of allied groups
working feverishly to hold off TFG’s fever-dream. I’ve long…
The post “I’m Done Wit...
2 weeks ago
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Excerpts from Diaries of Americans - Posted in Chronological Order
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Diaries of Americans.
I will b collecting a number of diaries of ordinary individuals into one
document, portions of which may be of use to teachers....
2 weeks ago
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SBE Agenda for November 2024
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Agenda for the California State Board of Education (SBE) meeting on
November 13, 2024.
2 weeks ago
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October’s Parent Engagement Resources
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"We need dads to make a difference not just in school, but in our
societies." – parenting coach Dion Chavis @NimahGobir 3 Strategies for
Encouraging Dads’ ...
3 weeks ago
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The Dumpster Fire at City Hall
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Too serious to be a soap opera.
3 weeks ago
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Safeguarding your child’s personal data: Threat to student privacy from
DOE’s use of digital learning, Teenspace, College Board, AI & more
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Oct. 24, 2024 Last night we held a privacy briefing, pointing out the flaws
in the privacy practices and policies of the NYC Dept. of Education.
Co-sponso...
3 weeks ago
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Try Substack?
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Seems like the popular new thing. Here’s my first try – it’s about
yesterday’s UFT Retired Teachers Chapter meeting – first ever not run by
Unity. (Spoiler...
4 weeks ago
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Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) Aim to Control UFT
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There is a monster lurking in the shadows of the UFT. It's the Democratic
Socialists of America.
The Crack Team came across a Politico article from 201...
1 month ago
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Number 18 — A barely-hanging-on Blogoversary
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Blogoversary #18 SEPTEMBER 14, 2006 I started this blog while I was still
teaching, in 2006. I had just begun my 31st year as an educator. Just like
in pre...
2 months ago
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Student "Growth" Measures Are STILL Biased
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This caught my attention:
New Jersey school districts may soon be evaluated differently, *with a
greater emphasis on student growth* as compared to stud...
3 months ago
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Illustrative Math: The new curriculum that nearly every Algebra teacher in
NYC has to start using this fall and why it is destined to flop
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Starting this September, nearly every Algebra teacher in New York City is
expected to follow a new curriculum called ‘Illustrative Math.’ This is
part of a...
3 months ago
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Time to Rein in Vouchers
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Universal voucher programs have, in many states led to substantial budget
stress (Baker, 2024;[1] Hager, 2024). Initial cost estimates in Florida
were that...
3 months ago
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AI Has Little to Contribute to Traditional Education: Problems and
Possibilities
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AI is hot today. Almost everyone is talking about AI with all sorts of
suggestions, advice, comments, and emotions. The majority of the
conversations are a...
3 months ago
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AIN’T IT AWFUL
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As the terrible feelings of dread and angst spread across the world the
great majority of the American people feel powerless before the onslaught
of those ...
3 months ago
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15 Questions for the Candidates
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Those citizens who fantasize about defying tyranny from within fortified
compounds have never understood how liberty is actually threatened in a
modern bur...
4 months ago
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Inside Higher Education Podcast: A Bird’s Eye View of Higher Education
During Turbulent Times
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As we move further into 2024, the landscape of higher education continues
to evolve, presenting both challenges and opportunities for academic
leaders. The...
5 months ago
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Did Darryl Willie lie or interfere in the whistleblower investgation? Why
not both?
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Willie said below to Action News Jax
[image: image.png]
It's troubling for quite a few reasons. First he is saying the board knew
about the complaint an...
5 months ago
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What Country Has The Longest School Day? A Comprehensive Guide
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In today’s fast-paced world, education plays a crucial role in shaping the
future of individuals and nations...
7 months ago
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Book Review: “The Bill Gates Problem: Reckoning with the Myth of the Good
Billionaire”
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By Anthony Cody What impact has Bill Gates had on the world since he
launched the most wealthy tax-exempt foundation in the world? We finally
have a book t...
9 months ago
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We are making a CPESS documentary!
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In 2020, I was approached by Deborah Meier and Jane Andrais and I decided
we should document the story of Central Park East Secondary School (CPESS).
This ...
9 months ago
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Radical Eyes for Equity: Media Misreads Reading Science (Again)
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Radical Eyes for Equity: Media Misreads Reading Science (Again)
For more than five years, mainstream media has been obsessed with two false
but compelling...
9 months ago
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Could This Be Gadfly’s End? Top 12 Articles From 2023 Read By Fewer Than
Ever
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After 9 years of pounding my head against the wall - well, it seems like
the wall is winning.
10 months ago
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The Sky is Falling, or is it?
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Well, this is the first anniversary of the introduction of Generative AI in
the form of ChatGPT to the world of education. Before it was a week old,
over o...
11 months ago
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Redesigning School Governance: Beyond Mayoral Control
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From time to time the legislature passes a bill with a sunset provision,
unless the law is reauthorized by a specific date the law reverts to the
law it re...
1 year ago
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20 Best Mph Programs In New York, NY (2024 Updated)
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20 Best Mph Programs In New York, NY 1. Pace University Rating: (4.2 )
Address: One Pace Plaza, New York, NY 10038...
The post 20 Best Mph Programs In...
1 year ago
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POSTPONED: Florida’s Impact on Social Studies
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POSTPONED: discussion with Florida and DC educators and advocates on the
impact of Florida's new laws
Continue reading
1 year ago
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Vote NO on the UFT Contract. Here is Why:
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The best reason to vote no on this contract is this: UFT Unity* lied* to us
in 2018. They misrepresented that contract. It was predicated on deals we
wer...
1 year ago
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Metaphors in ‘I Have a Dream’ Speech
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In this article, we will explore the powerful use of metaphors in Martin
Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” ...
Read more
1 year ago
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All My New Writing is on Substack
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Come check it out . . . samchaltain.substack.com
1 year ago
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What ever happend to John Deasy, the Man From Gates?
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* Here's an update on Deasy from 2020*
By Thomas Ultican 7/29/2020
April 21, the Stockton Unified School District (SUSD) board accepted John
Deasy’s let...
1 year ago
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Testimony to the CPS Truancy Task Force
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I prepared testimony for one of two public hearings held by the Chicago
Public Schools Truancy Task Force, a body mandated by state legislation.
The meetin...
2 years ago
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Skin Deep
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She spends so much time on her outward appearance. There is never a hair
out of place. Her makeup is perfect and her clothes are stylish and match
to ...
2 years ago
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Tennis Memories from a Time When Racism and Anti-Semitism Still Prevailed
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I learned tennis at a public park in Brooklyn- Lincoln Terrace- where the
teaching pro was a mailman named Phil Rubell. Almost all the kids who took
lesson...
2 years ago
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There Is A Teacher Shortage.Not.
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THERE IS A TEACHER SHORTAGE. And just to be sure you understand, it’s not
that teachers don’t want to teach. It’s not that there aren’t enough
teachers cer...
2 years ago
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Reason #1 to pick Dr. Grace over Mr. Walters: The future we’ve already seen
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In 2014, Oklahoma voters corrected the mistake we made in 2010. In 2022,
let’s not make the mistake in the first place. Elect Dr. April Grace
instead. She ...
2 years ago
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*Defeating the Purpose of Education*
*Updated: May 2024*
*Most people would agree that the primary purpose of education is to
prepare children for a good a...
2 years ago
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THERE IS A TEACHER SHORTAGE. NOT!
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There is a teacher shortage.And just to be sure you understand, it's not
that teachers don't want to teach.It's not that there aren't enough
teachers certi...
2 years ago
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Abortion: Only For Those Who Need It!
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NOTE: This post contains my opinions on Catholicism based on my experiences
as a child in the 1960's and 70's. Take what you like and leave the rest. I
m...
2 years ago
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Want to know the condition of a Philly school building? New map to help.
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[image: Two students walk by a Philadelphia school building.] Aging
infrastructure has been an issue for Philadelphia schools for years. A new
interactive...
2 years ago
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STREET LIFE
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My mom told me, “You should treat all people equally, but don’t bring a
“colored” into the house.” I believed …
Continue reading →
2 years ago
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Schools Matter: Reflecting on Green Dot’s Disastrous Locke Takeover
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*“Green Dot came and made it into more of a jail.” — Chris*
My history of opposing the Green Dot Charter School Corporation back when I
was an activist i...
2 years ago
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Book Banning Turns to Dick and Jane
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Breaking News: Dateline February 4, 2022 - Parents in Dimwitty, Alabama
have asked the Dimwitty Board of Education to ban the children's primer *Fun
with...
2 years ago
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On the Edge of Silence
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“There is but one truly serious philosophical problem and that is suicide.
Judging whether life is or is not worth living amounts to answering the
fundamen...
2 years ago
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The Howlers of History and How We Must Reclaim the Narrative
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“There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is
proof against all judgments and which cannot fail to keep a man in
everlasting ignor...
3 years ago
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Have You Heard Has a New Website
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TweetHave You Heard has a new website. Visit us at
www.haveyouheardpodcast.com to find our latest episodes and our entire
archive. And be sure to check out...
3 years ago
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Follow me at Substack
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I've moved. Follow me at Substack
I'm now posting regularly at Substack. You can subscribe for free to my new
Edu/Pol blog at michaelklonsky.substack.com
...
3 years ago
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I’ve moved.
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I’m on Substack now. Five bucks a month to subscribe.
3 years ago
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Milwaukee Bradley Foundation at Center of Attacks on U.S. Voting Rights
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The Big Money Behind the Big Lie Donald Trump’s attacks on democracy are
being promoted by rich and powerful conservative groups that are determined
to win...
3 years ago
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Milwaukee Bradley Foundation at Center of Attacks on U.S. Voting Rights
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The Big Money Behind the Big Lie Donald Trump’s attacks on democracy are
being promoted by rich and powerful conservative groups that are determined
to win...
3 years ago
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Aspiring Teachers Get New Help Paying For College
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[image: colorful classroom pattern]
*; Credit: shuoshu/Getty Images*
Cory Turner | NPR
New rules kick in today that will help aspiring teachers pay for c...
3 years ago
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Major victory over a corporate charter school chain and their trade
association
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Original post at Robert’s page on Medium. On Tuesday, March 23, 2021, I got
my second big win in court against a charter school corporation. It was
also a ...
3 years ago
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Tips Akses Situs Judi Qq Tanpa Perlu Takut Nawala
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Kegiatan berjudi slot melalui situs judi qq online, sekarang sudah
dilakukan oleh banyak penjudi Indonesia. Tentu, Kamu yang sedang membaca
artikel ini a...
3 years ago
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CEJ’s Virtual Mayoral Candidate Forum; Racial Justice in Public Schools
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On Thursday, February 18th, over 1,000 students, parents, educators,
community members, and activists alike, joined CEJ to hear the mayoral
candidates’ vis...
3 years ago
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GA run-offs need your help!
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Extremely important. Volunteer if you can. Thank you if you are already
doing so. Out of state opportunities here: Ralph …
Continue reading →
3 years ago
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Pandemic Teaching – What’s up?
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Responding to the call from Pocketful of Primary to answer questions about
how teaching during the pandemic is going.
3 years ago
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The Threat of Integration
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I have lived in the same house in the Miracle Mile section of Los Angeles
for over 30 years, where up until now I have had little or no interaction
with th...
3 years ago
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New Teacher Evaluation Report Released by the Network for Public Education
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A new report on current teacher evaluation systems throughout the US was
just released by the Network for Public Education. The report is titled,
“Teachers...
4 years ago
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www.job-applications.com
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https://www.job-applications.com/bed-bath-and-beyond-job-application/
4 years ago
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Teacher Creates National Database Tracking COVID-19 Outbreaks in Schools
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Kansas educator Alisha Morris's online coronavirus news-tracker goes viral,
now hosted on a new NEA website.
4 years ago
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School Year 2020-21: We Are Asking the Wrong Questions
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It is perfectly understandable that many in our country want public school
buildings to be open for in person instruction this year. Among the many
hardshi...
4 years ago
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Correction for July 10th Post on School District Audit
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On July 10, 2020 we published a post “School District Caught Manipulating
Attendance Records to Get More Money” which incorrectly cited Valley Park
School ...
4 years ago
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We fight for a democracy worthy of us all!
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The nation stands at a crossroads, said NEA President Lily Eskelsen GarcÃa
in her final keynote address to the 2020 NEA Representative Assembly and
it’s up...
4 years ago
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Giving Private Schools Federal Emergency Funds Slated for Low-income
Students Will Shortchange At-risk Kids
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Low-income Seattle students began to pick up bagged lunches in March after
their school closed. Karen Ducey/Getty Images Derek W. Black, University of
Sout...
4 years ago
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A Fundamental Redesign of Our Schools
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I climbed the hill leading up to one of my favorite coffee shops in Seattle
this morning to enjoy a coffee while taking in a phenomenal view of the
city o...
4 years ago
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The Passing Of Chaz 1951-2020 Age 69
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I am the son of Chaz and like to inform you that he passed away this
afternoon from the COVID virus. My father passed in peace beside his loved
ones. We ar...
4 years ago
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Thoughts on schooling in the era of COVID-19
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Well, a whole lot has changed since I returned to blogging a month and half
ago. In case you didn't notice, and I'm sure everyone reading this did,
there's...
4 years ago
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What are You Going to Do when Disaster Capitalism Knocks on the
Public-School Door?
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“Schools will be closed until at least April 20, after the upcoming spring
break, but could stay closed for significantly longer, Mr. de Blasio said.”
Whe...
4 years ago
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Let The Next Round Of Anti-Semitic Ads Begin
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All four pro-public education candidates came in first in their LAUSD
school board elections, but two will face run-offs in November.
4 years ago
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NAEP scores and "the science of reading"
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*Sent to US News. They just informed me that they no longer publish
letters to the editor. *
*Re: “National reading emergency” November 12*
*[https://www...
5 years ago
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2019 NAEP Scores: Achievement Gap or …?
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Here you go: A ‘Disturbing’ Assessment: Sagging Reading Scores,
Particularly for Eighth-Graders, Headline 2019’s Disappointing NAEP Results
NAEP 2019: Re...
5 years ago
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Cara Menang Bermain Judi Bola Online
-
Bermain judi bola online tentu saja memiliki kesenangannya tersendiri baik
itu mendapatkan keuntungan maupun ketika menantikan hasil skor pada sebuah
perta...
5 years ago
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What Cory Booker isn’t telling us about the Newark water crisis.
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BY GUY STERLING Guy Sterling, a longtime resident of Newark and a member of
the Newark Water Group, spent almost 30 years as reporter with The
Star-Ledger ...
5 years ago
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A Storm is Coming! (…again)
-
A new Commissioner will have as much impact on our state ed system as a new
meteorologist will have on …
Continue reading →
5 years ago
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JerseyCAN Can't Hide From Opioids Crisis Billionaire Founder
-
[image: Image result for jerseycan]
NJ Spotlight needs to stop giving space to billionaire-backed corporate
reform groups like JerseyCAN. JerseyCAN does n...
5 years ago
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Déjà vu: 2019 ELA Assessment: Dear Board of Regents
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Dear Board of Regents,
I have copied below an email I sent to you almost a year ago, after the
2018 ELA assessment's computer-based testing failures and mo...
5 years ago
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This Week in Education Organizing - February 15, 2019
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Coalition for Education Justice to Release Report on CRE
Eighty-five percent of public school students in New York City are Black,
Latinx, or Asian and y...
5 years ago
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Black Lives Matter at Schools National week of Action: Feb 4 - Feb 8
-
Join the National Week of Actions for Black Lives Matter at Schools.
Starting Monday, February 4th educators in cities across the country will
draw closer...
5 years ago
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The World According to Michelle Rhee
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The men behind the curtain fashioning the brave new world of corporate run
education in America! Michelle Rhee is the founder of StudentsFirst, The
New T...
6 years ago
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13 Things I Learned While Blogging for Education Week
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This is the 500th blog I've written as the Teacher in a Strange Land, for
Education Week Teacher. As it turns out, it's also my final blog for
EdWeek. Here...
6 years ago
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Blockchain: Life on the Ledger
-
Originally posted on Wrench in the Gears:
I created this video as a follow up to the one I prepared last year on
Social Impact Bonds. It is time to examine...
6 years ago
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New York Times piece on '68 Democratic Convention Protest
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‘The Whole World Is Watching’: The 1968 Democratic Convention, 50 Years
Later
On Aug. 28, 1968, violent clashes in Chicago between demonstrators and the
...
6 years ago
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My Letter to the NYS Board of Regents and Commissioner Elia Regarding ESSA
Opt Out Provisions
-
commissioner@nysed.gov Regent.cashin@nysed.gov ESSARegComment@nysed.gov
Regent.Rosa@nysed.gov Regent.Reyes@nysed.gov Regent.Chin@nysed.gov
Regent.Young@n...
6 years ago
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Corruption on Top of Corruption: How Rahm’s Response to Sexual Abuse of
Students Reveals His Core Function
-
Rahm Emanuel’s response to the Chicago Tribune investigation that found CPS
failed to protect hundreds of students from sexual abuse is cowardly. It
is co...
6 years ago
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New Local Businesses in Sacramento
-
Starting a new local business in Sacramento is a monumental task, but can
be accomplished with footwork, perseverance and knowledge. One must learn
the loc...
6 years ago
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3rd Grade Reading: Who is Failing?
-
Education Trust Midwest has just released its study on third grade reading
and, predictably, the results aren’t great. This study uniquely compares
Michiga...
6 years ago
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Why Poetry? Why Now? – a poem from Linda Christensen and an invitation
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My dear friend Dr. James Avington Miller Jr. sent me a phenomenal book on
poetry called Rhythm and Resistance – Teaching Poetry for Social Justice.
Here is...
6 years ago
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Opting out of the Dinosaur (end of year test)
-
Today I sent in a second letter to refuse PARCC/CMAS for my son, Luke. The
first email I sent at the beginning of the year was not sufficient as they
requi...
6 years ago
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Resurrection
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I realized it's Lent, but this blog, bless Jesus Christ, can't wait.
Ok, so with that said, I plan to discuss Class Action suits in existence,
as well as w...
6 years ago
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Chicago Collegiate Charter School Must STOP Expansion Plans
-
So I did a little digging into Chicago Collegiate Charter Schools, the
tiny school looking to expand into the empty Kohn Elementary School
building. A sch...
6 years ago
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IDEA Is Still The Law Of The Land
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6 years ago
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Education Is a Civic Question
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In their final post to end Bridging Differences' decade-long run, Deborah
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7 years ago
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Quick! Get over there! The daily education news roundup and education
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7 years ago
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7 years ago
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IBO REPORT: NYC Charter School Costs To Grow More Than Budgeted!
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Attitude Determines Altitude* (*conditions apply)… and the Importance of
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8 years ago
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Prison Gerrymandering: Incarceration Weakens Vulnerable Voting Communities
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8 years ago
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Tweets by sharonoak
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WTU Peterson Slate: Not a 1 Woman Dictatorship
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8 years ago
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8 years ago
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MY NEW BLOG
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8 years ago
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Thank you
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Dear Readers,
Thank you for visiting *The Perimeter Primate*. This blog is being retired
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8 years ago
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GLSEN Massachusetts Educator Retreat
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*GLSEN Massachusetts Educator Retreat*
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9 years ago
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I am Retiring
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conte...
9 years ago
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Flaws at the Heart of Current Education Reforms
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9 years ago
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9 years ago
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Pay Teachers Less to Improve School Efficiency - hmmm!
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10 years ago
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12 years ago
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13 years ago
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The MAP Test
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Teachers will be voting this afternoon on the contract that has been
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evaluation system th...
14 years ago
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With A Brooklyn Accent: Letter from a Los Angeles English Teacher to his Students:
With A Brooklyn Accent: Letter from a Los Angeles English Teacher to his Students::
Letter from a Los Angeles English Teacher to his Students:
A letter to my students of Los Angeles Unified:
You have been failed.
You have been failed not by the school or your teachers (or their boogeyman union), but by people far removed from the world you inhabit. These people in plush houses and all the creature comforts of life have tried to label the school you are now attending a failure, but the people who know only “of” you--who have never come down to see you in your class and home environment—are more interested in their own profit and aggrandizement than in actually seeing you succeed.
The failure has been on their part and the interests they represent in demonizing you and your situation.
Let me begin by saying I realize as an English teacher that everything is about definition and who gets to CONTROL definition. Thus it is with this powerful word: “education”. It does not mean the same thing to everybody.
There are two models of education that are in play.
One definition of “Education” is defined by people with tremendous power, both political and financial. It is a form of “education” that kids of our school shall receive. There is another definition of “education” that exists that is entirely outside
YOUR sphere because they genuinely believe you are not worthy of it.
Your own LA School Superintendent John Deasy will tell you that you shouldn’t worry about 40 and 50 kids in a class because that doesn’t matter. He tells you that the cleanliness of your school doesn’t matter. He tells you that the lack of electives doesn’t matter. He tells you that the lack of interesting classes, of arts programs of field trip opportunities don’t matter. He tells you that if only you had “better” teachers, your situation in life would change dramatically.
He knows this because what matters is how well you can do on a test. If you do well on a test it PROVES to his system that you are “educated.” Your quality of life in every other aspect is of little real concern to him.
John Deasy’s children and the children of his friends have a different model of education. They DO NOT get what you get. They get the BEST of education in a completely different environment. Look where so many people in LAUSD district headquarters send their kids. Are they the kids next to you in your classes? I would love you to go to their schools and check out what they have and see how wildly different it is from what you have experienced.
Like many school districts across the country, we are now beholden to forces far above that dictate our lives. The Pearson Testing organization (they run ALL the standardized tests that are inflicted upon you through the course of your life) and the Bill Gates corporation (the gagillionaire who is behind the advent of the Common Core and all those “education” software products have recently joined forces to make sure all your younger brother and sisters are under their yoke for good:http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/1748922 while controlling and dictating the education market far into the future.
You see, education is Big Business. It is not about what is best for you. It is what is best for people who have power over your lives.
Pearson and Bill Gates KNOW what incredible things are out there in the world and the potential of a real education. Believe me, they make sure THEIR OWN KIDS take full advantage of it. They will give you computer programs and software instead. None of it is designed to challenge you as a thinking individual. There will be a lot of bells and whistles to the programs to simply make you DO the assignments. In their philosophy, they ask, “What has to happen for kids to DO their work?” Simply give you a computer program. Viola!
When was the last time you ever went on a field trip in LAUSD? When was the last time you got out and did something cool, exciting, interesting or mind-blowing? IT IS NOT A PRIORITY. If you did, it was because a teacher did something despite the school district, not because of it.
You get an iPad that you already know is old news and you do scripted assignments on it and are not allowed to take it home to do what YOU want to do with it. You do what THEY TELL YOU to do with it on programs that have bankrupted your district and made a tidy profit for the Testing Companies.
Your School Superintendent believes THIS IS WHAT YOU MOST NEED for your lives. He tells you THIS IS YOUR CIVIL RIGHTS issue. He is Rosa Parks fighting for Apple and Civil Rights is not your packed classrooms or any elective classes that would actually bring joy to your lives. If I had my way, it would be mandated that kids had to go on at least EIGHT field trips a school year. You all know that a SMART field trip is what you remember from school and has the ability to change your life. That means NOTHING to Pearson and Gates. It means NOTHING to many school districts who oversee urban education. They couldn’t care less. If it happens in school, great, but they certainly make ZERO effort to encourage it.
The TESTS are his biggest concern. Not your critical thinking skills. That is lip service since his notion of “critical thinking” and mine are at wild variances.
LAUSD now is LAUSD, INC. Under John Deasy, we are a factory. The goal is to just get you through high school and if we can prove you have done well enough on Pearson Tests, we proclaim you “educated”. Their bar which they believe is the TRUE measure of education is pathetic. It is insulting. It is abusive. It is a joke. He and Eli Broad have staffed LAUSD with like-minded administrators and district hires to oversee his pedagogy. The destruction of public education in LASUD is being cheered by the highest political and business powers while schools and communities are left reeling in the process.
You have heard all your life that we are trying to make you more competitive in a global economy. Another joke. These same powers-that-be have made sure that your lives are going to always be a struggle. For whatever token 1% of you can manage to get a full scholarship to college, the majority of you will have to incur massive student loan debt to “compete” with other kids who have had much higher privilege than you have enjoyed.
They will tell you it’s all about hard work and perseverance (and believe me, I’m not belittling those qualities at all!), but John Deasy got both his education and position through being guided and handled by the billionaires Eli Broad and Bill Gates. You are not likely to be as fortunate as him. He claims all his achievements are due to all his own hard work—again, a joke. Few individuals in life get so pampered and rewarded as he has been, but that is how the society works.
You get all the cheerleading illusions of “you-can-be-anything-you-want-to-be!” but society is still ruled by the powerful elite who protect their own. Thus you are on the short end of a two tiered education system where one group keeps gaming the system for their own while you continue to struggle with the crumbs they throw you.
Your future is not in getting an iPad. Your future lies in realizing these phony gestures are meant to hurt you and KEEP you from getting what you are entitled to.
The education model they give you WILL harm you far more than if you were to just go to any library in the country and start reading all the books that interest you, start searching for websites that intrigue and inflame your brain, skip school to hit up the museums and art galleries and dance and theater performances that your school NEVER takes you to. You will have a much better shot at succeeding in life than if you stay within the Gates/Pearson/Deasy system you are being condemned to.
As a National Board Teacher, I am duty bound to tell you this. To pretend you are not in a grand political struggle is a lie. Deasy, Pearson, Gates, Race to the Top and the Department of Education are all political beasts who are in no way neutral about your life. They pour billions of dollars into school board races and appoint superintendents across the land to make sure their interests are enacted. They are not benign and helpful. They seek to hurt you with their vision for your future life.
Their grand talk is really only about their own selfish interests. You are outgunned by their money and political clout, but you can fight them guerilla style like other smart revolutionaries before you.
That means getting smart on your own terms. Reject theirs. Become aware and fight for our school. Fight for your families. Fight for your community. Fight for all kids everywhere in your situation. Do whatever you can to oppose their plans for you.
I wish you a much better life than what they offer.
Together, we will achieve it.
Sincerely,
--Your High School English Teacher