Ed Notes Online
NYC Parent Urges Farina and King to Cancel Upcoming Math Exam
There was no rigor applied to the development of these tests, nor does the practice of high-stakes testing in general stand up to critical analysis....I was offended by your remarks earlier this week to the effect that while parents' opinions should be respected, children should come to school prepared to meet challenges like the state tests...I honestly believe it is time for insurrection at the
NYC Teachers of Conscience - Letter to Farina - We Refuse to Support Market-Based Reform by Giving the Test
We find ourselves at a point in the progress of education reform in which clear acts of conscience will be necessary to preserve the integrity of public education. We can no longer implement policies that seek to transform the broad promises of public education into a narrow obsession with the ranking and sorting of children. .. Teachers of ConscienceJia Lee is a core member of MORE and Change the
Aljazeera Features Change the Stakes Opt-Out Parent, NYC Teacher
FANTASTIC!!! Takiema, you nailed it!... CTS parentImagine if the UFT urged NYC teachers to consider opting out their kids to help bump the movement to deny the data for judging teachers? The day we have a majority of people opting out is the day that teacher evals based on testing become meaningless. N.Y. educator lets her son opt out of Common Core-based testingApril 2, 2014 A New York parent who
APR 03
Memo from the RTC: Professionalism, Personality, Talent – and Me
How to Succeed cast (most of them) photo -- Follow the red line straight|down to a tiny head - mePublished in The Wave, April 4, 2014www.rockawave.com
NYSUT Update: EIA Analyzes NYSUT Delegate Vote
My unscientific extrapolation estimates Revive NYSUT holds about 56 percent of the delegates, Stronger Together 24 percent, and 20 percent are unknown or undecided... EIA Mike Antonucci crunches the numbers based on endorsement of big local presidents for the Mulgrew/Weingarten Revive Slate.Is he missing something by assuming the rest of the delegates from the big locals will vote the way their le
PS 321K Rallies Friday Morning to Protest Awful ELA Test
...the teachers and administration are truly devastated by what a terrible test it was and how little it will tell us about our students. This is just the beginning. Let the deformers attack the staff and parents at one of the highest performing schools in the city and the actions of one of the top principals (who also happens to be the spouse of Mark Naison).Will Carmen Farina repeat her recent
APR 02
Video: Change the Stakes Rocks Opt-Out Movement
“I had people come up to me on the street and explain that their kids were sick this morning going into school, because they knew they have to take the test,” Dromm said.There is so much opt-out news I can manage to share much of it - stuff is just flying around.Former teacher and current City Councilman Danny Dromm held a press conference: More Parents Refusing NYC Standardized School Tests.A par
NYSUT UPDATE: UFT Sells Out on Charter Law in Exchange for Cuomo Tossing a Bone on Evals to Cut Iannuzzi
It will be even more interesting to see how the election results affect the delegates and the union. Will they all close ranks behind the next regime? Or will the divisions opened up during the campaign linger on?.. Mike Antonucci, EIA Insiders are telling me that Cuomo throwing Mulgrew an olive branch on teacher evals yesterday was a way to slap Iannuzzi and help Mulgrew in NYSUT election - a sig
Janine Sopp, Opt-Outer
It was an incredible honor to stand with all of the parents, elected officials and press in Brooklyn today. It felt like a real movement, with the most lively opt out signs to decorate our celebration!.. Janine Sopp Some press on the Press Conference: Brooklyn Parents Opt Out of State Testshttp://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/education&id=9487788# http://pix11.com/2014/04/01/family-o
APR 01
CEC 19 Meeting - Back to the Past - Plus Parent Outrage at What Test Did To Her Child
Oh what memories - I went to the Community Education Council 19 meeting last night to tape MORE/CTS member Katie Lapham (Critical Classrooms, Critical Kids blog) and CTS Fred Smith do a presentation on testing. The meeting was sparsely attended, but interesting all the same. CEC 19 (East New York - a block from Jefferson HS on Pennsylvania Av) is run by long-time activist Erica Perez. They are pre
Press Conference: Brooklyn Parents Opt Out of State Tests
The press attacks on opt-outers as cop-outers don't go very far when 80% of the parents at one of the top performing schools in the city opt-out - and with the support of the principal and teachers. Now one of the attacks on opt-outers is that they are coddled middle class white parents. So having 80% of the parents from District 23’s PS 446/The Riverdale Avenue Community School (which is in Brown
Opt-Out Update: Change the Stakes releases open letter to Chancellor: Stop bullying by admins
I've been neglectful in reporting the awesome stuff going on at Change the Stakes - blame my preoccupation with the play. As a peripheral member of their steering committee I am privy to all the internal debates, etc. though I stay in the background while the amazing parents run things. But I do get to see how the sausage is made and they are fabulous chefs.One constant thread has been the hassle
Change the Stakes -- Tonight CEC19 (East NY, Brownsville)
CTS continues its outreach and message to communities regarding testing and opting out.From Katie Lapham, MORE steering committee - Jia Lee, Fred Smith (Change the Stakes) and I are going to attend the CEC D19 meeting tonight. We are on the agenda to speak about testing. I teach in D19. It's from 6:45 - 9:45 pm; here's the address. Place: P.S. 13 Address: 557 Pennsylvania Ave.between Livonia and R
Worst Practices: You Don't Have to Teach in a Charter School to Get That Experience -
High staff turnover rates were considered a negative at one time -- now that is considered a good thing.Public school principals are using charter school tactics, not only in the way they treat staff -- aiming for constant turnover, etc, but also in how they treat kids -- push-outs, suspensions, no excuses, etc. The key to the cheap labor, high turnover concept is making teaching teacher-proof --
MAR 31
Cliff Kasden Reviews Rockaway Theatre's "How to Succeed....
photos and selfies by Lauren Susan (above right) Well, I survived the cast party - sort of - but I'm heading back to bed now. Maybe some video later. Thanks to Fred Smith and friend for coming down Sunday and David Bellel Saturday night. Lots to write about but too tired, especially after just coming home from striking the set -- 2 hours and it was all gone. Tomorrow we start building the set for
Chapter Leader Takes on Murry Bergtraum Closer/Hatchet Princpal Lottie Almonte
The Bloodletting - The aftermath of 2012-2013After the first year, over 51 staff members left, mostly voluntary in the form of transfers, hastened retirements and voluntary excess. This out of about 170 total staff in the building. No complaints from the Department of Education, not even UFT headquarters. Every instructional Assistant Principal, every secretary, every guidance counselor and dozens
MAR 30
The Work of Change the Stakes: Some History and How Organizing Bears Fruit
YES, word is spreading in Bed Stuy!... The teacher said the parent had the Change the Stakes refusal form!... Teacher in Bed-Stuy I left this as a comment on the Diane Ravitch bloggers network when the issue of Who is Our Audience came up.Organizational building: Blogging is a tool, not an end.After over 40 years of educational activism I've gone through many stages and have learned something (I h
MAR 29
Audio: Jaisal Noor and Lois Weiner on the State of Teacher Unions
Mary Compton who is mentioned in this interview may be making an appearance at the April 7 Don't Tread on Educators event at Paul Robson HS - look for details here and on their blog.Eterno at the ICE blog touches on this interview:LOIS WEINER SUMS UP TROUBLES OF US TEACHER UNIONS - http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=11648Lois We
Town Hall meeting at PS 30X re co-location - Monday March 31st, 6PM
See attached flyer and please share with your network, asociates, advocates & colleagues. Thank you!In solidarity,Carlos M. LopezPS 30x UFT Rep, SLT & Safety Chair.Please pass this info to your advocates. Town Hall MeetingMonday March 31st, 2014PS 30 Auditorium @ 6:00PM The Deputy Chancellor of the NYC DOE will like to hear your opinionsabout a Charter School being located in our building
Norm in The Wave: Countering the Propaganda About Eva Moskowitz Success Charters
Published Friday, March 28, 2014 Countering the Propaganda About Eva Moskowitz Success ChartersBy Norm ScottIf you happened to read Peter Stubben’s ridiculously misinformed pro-charter article in last week’s Wave, you might ask Stubben why he wants to throw autistic children into the street. Because that is exactly what would result if Eva Moskowitz, who makes almost half a million dollars a year