Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog:
Schooling in the Ownership Society
Schooling in the Ownership Society
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk
Schooling in the Ownership Society
Rahm's Walgreen cronies now say they're not moving HQ to Switzerland
Wesson oils RahmINVERSION -- Rahm's union-hating pals and campaign funders at Walgreen's now say they won't re-incorporate in Switzerland as planned. The re-incorporation — in which a company’s headquarters relocates overseas for tax purposes — is called a corporate inversionWith political pressure mounting from the White House down, Walgreen Co. is poised to announce Wednesday that it will keep i
Corks pop on Clark St. with a bump in reported test scores
They're jumping for joy and popping the corks down on Clark St. Why? Test scores for students in grades 2-8 reportedly showed some improvement in both reading and math. However, only seventh- and eighth-graders met national reading averages. About 51.5% of elementary school students are performing at national norms in reading and 49% in math, compared to around 46% in both categories in 2013.If th
AUG 07
Top-ranked ed states all have union teachers. Rhee's legacy in D.C.
Former Obama White House press secretary Robert Gibbs, along with another ex-White House aide, Ben LaBolt, supports former CNN anchor Campbell Brown's fight against teacher tenure. Once again top-ranked education states have strong teacher unions and have the highest education budgets. Bottom states, mostly non-union and lowest spending. The ranking was based on 12 factors, including student dropo
AUG 06
Malaria and good schools. 'Problem solved'
Reader Rufus responds to Bill Gates with a comment on my Schooling in the Ownership Society Blog. This one is too good to leave in the comments section.Rufus August 6, 2014Gates claims it's easier to find cures for malaria and other diseases than to “fix” American education.Neither of those things are as difficult as Gates makes them sound. Just look in Bill and Melinda's neighborhood. No malaria
Teachers not teaching in subject areas? Why not?
One of the dumbest teacher-bashing headlines ever, appears on the front page of today's Trib. "Teachers may not know the subjects they cover". Are you kidding me?According to the Tribune:The assignment of teachers not properly trained and credentialed to teach a specific course — a practice that has come under fire nationwide — is facilitated by loopholes in state laws and rules as well
In the 'trenches'
At the Hideout last night. It was another packed house at the Hideout last night for the Joravsky/Dumke Show featuring Chicago's three best education writers, Linda Lutton (WBEZ), Lauren Fitzpatrick (Sun-Times) and Sarah Karp (Catalyst). The three painfully/humorously ran through story after story about CPS' and City Hall's ongoing dis-information and obfuscation campaigns earning Rahm and his tea
AUG 05
The last laugh is the best laugh
Getting a late start this morning after doing the Patti Vasquez show on WGN Radio last night. Didn't get home til after 1 a.m. I really like her format and WGN's big late-night (11:00pm-2:00am) audience. Patti, a local stand-up comedian, likes quick, both humorous and serious banter back and forth on topical issues of education and politics. Last night we wound from the mayor and gov races, to CP
AUG 04
Weekend Quotables
"We tortured some folks." -- Pres. ObamaColumnist Gene LyonsThis is less a war than an uprising in a concentration camp... -- Chicago Sun-TimesBill Clinton “I nearly got him [bin Laden]. And I could have killed him, but I would have to destroy a little town called Kandahar in Afghanistan and kill 300 innocent women and children, and then I would have been no better than him.” -- MSNBCPol
AUG 02
Catherine Sugrue's Credentials
Ald. O'ConnorThe big story in Chicago is all about Catherine Sugrue, the sister of Ald. Patrick O'Connor, being appointed by schools CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett as principal of a north side elementary school. This even after Sugrue had failed the principal eligibility assessment twice in the last 12 months, making her ineligible for the job.O'Connor, is Rahm Emanuel's point person in the council. He'
AUG 01
LOLLAPALOOZA: Rahm rides his Texas connection
Chicago's biggest and priciest teeny-bopper rock festival jumps off this weekend. Thousands of mainly white, suburban kids are getting dropped off by parents in Grant Park, which is now surrounded by full length "NATO riot fences" to ease mom and dad's minds about the other (if you know what I mean). Many have paid the $250 needed for a 3-day pass (drugs not included) to hear favorites l