Latest News and Comment from Education

Friday, July 11, 2014

Nite Cap 7-11-14 #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 CAP




Why A Great Principal Burned Out – And What Might Have Helped | Gatsby In L.A.
Why A Great Principal Burned Out – And What Might Have Helped | Gatsby In L.A.: Why A Great Principal Burned Out – And What Might Have Helped Boxes crowd the hallways, moving in and moving out. I’m in an empty office at Animo Phillis Wheatley Middle School in South L.A. talking to Principal Nat Pickering, who has resigned after three years so that he can go back to being a teacher. Back when I was
Time-Capsule Teaching | My Island View
Time-Capsule Teaching | My Island View: Time-Capsule TeachingJuly 11, 2014 by Tom Whitby @tomwhitbyHave you ever been witness to a time capsule being opened?  If you are not familiar with such events it is very simple. People select items that represent their culture or personal lives, and place them in a container to be sealed up for a long period of time. After a few decades the container is ope
E-rate Program Modernized - Year 2014 (CA Dept of Education)
E-rate Program Modernized - Year 2014 (CA Dept of Education): State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Applauds FCC Vote to Expand Internet Access for Schools and LibrariesSACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson applauded a ruling by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) today that marks a major step toward preparing students for the global economy by expanding Internet
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 7-11-14
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: GOP’s KASHKARI CRASHES TEACHERS’ UNION CONFAB IN L.A.by Joel B. Pollak, The Breitbart Report | http://bit.ly/1mHmkdD   11 Jul 2014, 12:23 PM PDT  ::  LOS ANGELES -- Republican gubernatorial candidate Neel Kashkari held a press conference at the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) conference in Los Angeles, demanding school reform and attacking incumbe
AFT's Weingarten Tells Teachers: 'Be a Little Badass,' 'Engage in Conflict'
AFT's Weingarten Tells Teachers: 'Be a Little Badass,' 'Engage in Conflict': AFT'S WEINGARTEN TELLS TEACHERS: 'BE A LITTLE BADASS,' 'ENGAGE IN CONFLICT'414by JOEL B. POLLAK 11 Jul 2014, 1:05 PM PDT 2POST A COMMENTLOS ANGELES -- American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten told thousands of teachers to "be a little badass" in fighting against "so-called reformers"
7-11-14 Fred Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacher
Fred Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacher who is just looking at the data.: Old and invisible in the NEA.Lillian Rubin died last month at the age of 90. The psychologist Lillian Rubin died last month at the age of 90. Rubin wrote about women, the relationships between mothers and daughters and, more recently, about ageism. I don’t know about you, but the chirpy tales that dom
FCC votes to transition to new high-speed Internet subsidy program for schools
FCC votes to transition to new high-speed Internet subsidy program for schools: FCC votes to transition to new high-speed Internet subsidy program for schoolsBy ReutersFriday, July 11, 2014 15:09 EDT (Reuters) – U.S. Federal Communications Commission on Friday voted along party lines to begin to transition E-Rate, the largest U.S. educational technology subsidy program, to focus on high-speed Inte
Louisiana Educator: Obama Needs Better Advice on Education #AFT14
Louisiana Educator: Obama Needs Better Advice on Education: Obama Needs Better Advice on EducationFour well respected teachers who teach in high poverty schools got to have lunch with President Obama recently and give him their suggestions about how to get some of our best teachers to teach disadvantaged students. One of the teachers who has ablog wrote a post describing the meeting and made sever
7-11-14 The Whole Child Blog — Core Criteria for Collaborative Conversations
The Whole Child Blog — Whole Child Education: Core Criteria for Collaborative ConversationsThe Common Core Speaking and Listening Standards have drawn new attention to how these skills are developed across curriculum and across grade bands. In their 2014 ASCD Annual Conference session, "Collaborative Conversations: Meeting Anchor Standard 1 in Speaking and Listening," authors Nancy Frey
#AFT14 solidaridad: Fundraiser for Dr. George McKenna, come support the communty and teacher's choice for LAUSD
solidaridad: Fundraiser for Dr. George McKenna, come support the communty and teacher's choice for LAUSD: Fundraiser for Dr. George McKenna, come support the communty and teacher's choice for LAUSDDr. George McKenna Fundraiser by Robert D. SkeelsDr. George McKenna Fundraiser
Chicago Teachers Union | CTU Common Core Position Paper #AFT14
Chicago Teachers Union | CTU Common Core Position Paper: CTU Common Core Position PaperDOWNLOAD THE PDF OF THIS REPORT HERE.Common Core Mission Statement:The Common Core State Standards provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, so teachers and parents know what they need to do to help them. The standards are designed to be robust and relevant to the real wor
7-11-14 @ The Chalk Face
@ THE CHALK FACE: The Problem with the AFT Offer for Teachers to “Rewrite” the Common CoreA very good thing will happen on Sunday, July 13, 2014, at the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) convention in Los Angeles: The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) will be debated on the floor. No behind-closed-doors killing of the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) resolution opposing CCSS. As Politico states:
The Problem with the AFT Offer for Teachers to “Rewrite” the Common Core | deutsch29
The Problem with the AFT Offer for Teachers to “Rewrite” the Common Core | deutsch29: The Problem with the AFT Offer for Teachers to “Rewrite” the Common CoreJuly 11, 2014A very good thing will happen on Sunday, July 13, 2014, at the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) convention in Los Angeles: The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) will be debated on the floor.No behind-closed-doors killing of
7-11-14 Seattle Schools Community Forum
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Friday Open ThreadThere's a teenaged-boy with autism missing in our are. Please take a look at this photo in case you see him.In one big difference between Seattle and Spokane school districts (in addition to Spokane being a charter authorizer), apparently they don't feel the need to expand at the administrative level nor give raises.  From The Spokesman-Review:As
Response: The Real Story in Camden, N.J. - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher
Response: The Real Story in Camden, N.J. - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Response: The Real Story in Camden, N.J.By Guest Blogger on July 11, 2014 10:57 AMGuest post by Laura WatersThis post is in response to a July 5th post by Julia Sass Rubin, "Charter School Networks and Shady Political Dealings: The Camden, N.J. Story"Every day in Camden, New Jersey, students wake up w
Return on Educational Investment - A district-by-district evaluation of educational productivity (2014)
Return on Educational Investment - A district-by-district evaluation of educational productivity (2014): Please interpret our individual district productivity evaluations with a heavy dose of caution. The connection between spending and educational achievement is complex, and our data does not capture everything that goes into creating an effective school system. Our data comes from the 2011 schoo
AFT Convention live stream - A Union of Professionals - #AFT2014
AFT - A Union of Professionals - Live stream: Convention live streamSessions scheduled for the live stream are as follows:ALL TIMES PACIFICFriday, July 119:30 AMGeneral sessionSaturday, July 129:30 AM2:30 PMGeneral sessionsSunday, July 138:30 AM10 AM2 PMNominating sessionGeneral sessionGeneral sessionMonday, July 149 AMGeneral sessionTune in Friday, July 11 at 9:00 AM for live stream
Questions Every Public School Parent Should Be Asking Now | Opt Out Orlando
Questions Every Public School Parent Should Be Asking Now | Opt Out Orlando: Questions Every Public School Parent Should Be Asking NowBy Opt Out OrlandoIt’s summer.  Report cards are out and families are on vacation. I’m glad for you if you are. Lazy days. No school days. Play days. Summer camp. Music. Mud. Hopscotch. Hanging out. Increasingly however, for some children who have been unsuccessful
Morning Wink 7-11-14 AM Posts #edchat #edreform
BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTSLISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 7-11-14 Diane Ravitch's blog #thankateacher #EDCHAT #P2Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Charter School Corruption in North CarolinaTo think about charter schools in America today, you have to separate the rhetoric from the reality. It helps to have a guide, someone who sees the man behind the curtai
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 7-11-14 Diane Ravitch's blog #thankateacher #EDCHAT #P2
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Charter School Corruption in North CarolinaTo think about charter schools in America today, you have to separate the rhetoric from the reality. It helps to have a guide, someone who sees the man behind the curtain. Blowing smoke in the eyes of the media and the public. Fortunately there is such a man in North Carolina. His name is
7-11-14 Ed Notes Online
Ed Notes Online: LA Confidential: AFT Convention Day 1, Part 1Friday, July 11, 5AM, LA timeDon't expect deep analysis or insights from these reports. Not much time for that. I'm doing them sort of stream of consciousness, diary-like in rough chronological order as the day went. I had lots of conversations with lots of people through the day and want to get them down before they're gone. Luckily my
Teachers union to rally in L.A. against loss of job protections - Los Angeles Times
Teachers union to rally in L.A. against loss of job protections - Los Angeles Times: Teachers union to rally in L.A. against loss of job protectionsRandi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, criticized a court ruling limiting job protections, but also wants teachers to consider common-sense changes. (John Hanna / AP)HOWARD BLUMEcontact the reporter National union leaders w
7-11-14 LA School Report - What's Really Going on Inside LAUSD
LA School Report - What's Really Going on Inside LAUSD (Los Angeles Unified School District): ‘Fiscal mismanagement’ cited in closing 2 Magnolia chartersLA School Report has learned that ‘fiscal mismanagement’ and a host of other irregularities as the reasons behind the sudden closure last month of two LA Unified charter schools, Magnolia Science Academy 6 and Magnolia Science Academy 7, according
7-11-14 Wait What? - Jonathan Pelto: Gubernatorial Candidate and A Really Nice Guy
Wait What?: Wait What? All WeekWARNING: The assault on Connecticut’s Hospitals – Here come the for-profit hospital operatorsFor decades, even centuries, Connecticut’s regional non-profit hospitals have been one of its greatest assets.  Emergency rooms, maternity programs, and access to local, high-quality hospital care have made our communities better, safer and healthier places to live and raise
A Teacher’s Appreciation For Her Principal (Ann Staley) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice
A Teacher’s Appreciation For Her Principal (Ann Staley) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: A Teacher’s Appreciation For Her Principal (Ann Staley)So rare it is for a teacher to write appreciatively about her principal. There are, of course, many reasons for the rarity: too much already on teachers’ plates, writing is hard to do, principals who perform all that is expected of th
7-11-14 Schools Matter All Week
Schools Matter: Hechinger Report Pulls Out the Stops to Save the Gates CoreBelow are funders of the Hechinger Report, and yesterday's hosannas for Common Core by Hechinger make it clear that the kinder and gentler corporate ed reform propaganda sheet has kicked its coverage up a notch. The piece is written a Taylor McGraw, TFA alum and Eva Moskowitz chain gang employee.If you decide to read it, no
7-11-14 Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL, & EF
Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL: “Thesaurus.Land” Looks Like A Helpful ToolThanks to a tweet from Eric T. MacKnight, I’ve learned about a new site called Thesaurus.Land. It’s an online…thesaurus, and a pretty neat one. You type in a word, as I did with the word “sad” in the above image. Once you click on the arrow/triangle to the left of each word, it will
7-11-14 the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness by P. L. Thomas, EdD
the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness (the public and scholarly writing by P. L. Thomas, Furman University): Racism not Below the Surface in U.S., StillSince it is just sports, that LeBran James and Carmelo Anthony are wielding a significant amount of power during the NBA off-season could easily go unnoticed except for sports fans and those enthralled by ESPN and sports media.
7-11-14 Perdido Street School
Perdido Street School: Imagine The Fun You Could Have At ThisFrom State Of Politics:At 8:45 a.m., state Education commissioner John King speaks at a professional development conference for teachers, Clark Auditorium, New York State Museum, Albany.Boy, there's a helluva way to spend a Friday afternoon in summer - a PD conference with NYSED Commissioner King as keynote speaker.Here's hoping they ser
Russ on Reading: Arne Duncan Gives Lip Service to Equity
Russ on Reading: Arne Duncan Gives Lip Service to Equity: Arne Duncan Gives Lip Service to EquitySecretary of Education Arne Duncan says he wants all students to have access to a quality teacher. Well, who could argue with that? On Monday, the U.S. Department of Education launched an initiative aimed at addressing what Duncan calls the “systemic inequities that short-change students in high-povert
Teachers union convention opens, Common Core on table - The Washington Post
- The Washington Post: Teachers union convention opens, Common Core on tableIn response to teachers who are uneasy with the Common Core State Standards, a major teachers union is offering to underwrite projects crafted by teachers to improve the math and reading standards.Randi Weingarten, the president of the American Federation of Teachers, is expected to announce Friday that the union will give
Registration Process a Fiasco: New Orleans Parents Struggle to Secure Places for their Children | janresseger
Registration Process a Fiasco: New Orleans Parents Struggle to Secure Places for their Children | janresseger: Registration Process a Fiasco: New Orleans Parents Struggle to Secure Places for their ChildrenPosted on July 11, 2014 by janressegerHere is what the Center on Reinventing Public Education at the University of Washingtonpronounces on its website as the heart of  “portfolio school reform”:
empathyeducates – This Is What Happened When I Drove My Mercedes To Pick Up Food Stamps
empathyeducates – This Is What Happened When I Drove My Mercedes To Pick Up Food Stamps: This Is What Happened When I Drove My Mercedes To Pick Up Food StampsDid the title catch your attention? Have you been there or are you someone who, at times, 'sees' and believes…We have all heard the stories – 'welfare schemes.' And what would you say if you only knew? Life delivers a lot of lessons. Listen;
NYC Educator: The Myth of the Myth of the Blogger Beast
NYC Educator: The Myth of the Myth of the Blogger Beast: The Myth of the Myth of the Blogger BeastAs the UFT lines up its delegates to march in uniform rows to all vote the Unity line at the AFT convention in Los Angeles, I am sorry to say you probably won't see many Blogger Beasts present.Yet, amid the foul stenches emitted by modern-day educational "reform," there lurk in cavernous dep
Q&A: A Union Leader On Tenure, Testing And The Common Core : NPR Ed : NPR
Q&A: A Union Leader On Tenure, Testing And The Common Core : NPR Ed : NPR: Q&A: A Union Leader On Tenure, Testing And The Common CoreWeingarten says people need to talk more about how to "attract, retain, support and nurture great teaching for kids at risk."Shannon DeCelle/APThe American Federation of Teachers (AFT) is holding its annual convention in Los Angeles through this wee
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Byrd-Bennett's Folly
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Byrd-Bennett's Folly: Byrd-Bennett's FollyWHO BESIDES THE MAYOR and BBB thought this was a good idea? When CPS officials first announced the plan to borrow two months' worth of revenue from the 2015-16 school year to pay for 2014-15 expenses,Catalyst reported on the plan with skepticism and incredulity. Now the Tribune does the same:The money grab would be a "br

YESTERDAY

This new state scholarship is the first to help middle class families pay for college - Yahoo Finance
This new state scholarship is the first to help middle class families pay for college - Yahoo Finance: This new state scholarship is the first to help middle class families pay for collegeOn paper, Luigi Galvan’s family looks better off than most. Together his parents earn about $120,000 per year — more than twice the current median household income in the U.S. That kind of paycheck may be plenty
Colonialism, Not Reform: New Orleans Schools Since Katrina • An Interview with Karran Harper Royal
Colonialism, Not Reform: New Orleans Schools Since Katrina • An Interview with Karran Harper Royal: Colonialism, Not ReformNew Orleans Schools Since KatrinaAn Interview with community activist Karran Harper RoyalBY STAN KARP AND JODY SOKOLOWER PURCHASE A PDF OF THIS ARTICLEKarran Harper RoyalBy next fall, New Orleans will have only five public schools—those operated by the Orleans Parish School Bo
Jindal Says No to Roemer, Garvey and Boffy’s 2014-15 Assessment “Offer” | deutsch29
Jindal Says No to Roemer, Garvey and Boffy’s 2014-15 Assessment “Offer” | deutsch29: Jindal Says No to Roemer, Garvey and Boffy’s 2014-15 Assessment “Offer”July 10, 2014On July 10, 2014, three members of the Louisiana State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE)– President Chas Roemer, James Garvey, and Holly Boffy– decided that they would make Governor Bobby Jindal an offer regarding
Will the real PARCC Assessment… | WagTheDog
Will the real PARCC Assessment… | WagTheDog: Will the real PARCC Assessment…On July 7, 2014 PARCC issued a statement that included the following…“..The latest good news came Friday: a legal challenge that paused work on the assessments has been overcome, and the PARCC states can continue working to build and deliver high quality assessments that measure how on track students are for success in col
Notice of Public Meeting for July 22, 2014 - State Board of Education (CA Dept of Education)
Notice of Public Meeting for July 22, 2014 - State Board of Education (CA Dept of Education): Notice of Public Meeting:Proposed Changes to Regulations Governing the Local ControlFunding Formula LCAP TemplateTuesday, July 22, 2014, 9:00 a.m.California Department of Education1430 N Street, Suite 1101Sacramento, CA 95814916-319-0809On July 10, 2014, the State Board of Education approved the commencem
CELEBRATING HIP’S 2-YEAR ANNIVERSARY! - Hmong Innovating Politics
Hmong Innovating Politics: CELEBRATING HIP’S 2-YEAR ANNIVERSARY!July 11, 2014 · by Hip Sacramento · in HIP in the News. ·By Tong Thao, HIP OrganizerFirst of all, on behalf of every HIP organizer, I want to wholeheartedly say thank you to all the supporters, community partners, volunteers and organizers who have been with us since the beginning. Our journey thus far would not have been possible wit
The Culture of War Unleashed | Bill Ayers
The Culture of War Unleashed | Bill Ayers:The Culture of War UnleashedWar culture is everywhere: at athletic events where everyone is expected to sing ritualistic patriotic songs at the start and once again at half time or the seventh inning stretch, and where uniformed and armed people march with flags onto the field of play; at airports and train stations where uniformed military people are give
Nite Cap 7-10-14 #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 CAP7-10-14 The Whole Child Blog — Reflect or Refract: Top 3 Tips for the Reflective EducatorThe Whole Child Blog — Whole Child Education: Reflect or Refract: Top 3 Tips for the Reflective EducatorPost written by Barry Saide and Jasper Fox, Sr. The d