All Week @ THE CHALK FACE
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About the radio show
Join Drs. Shaun Johnson and Tim Slekar
LIVE Sundays at 6PM EST and Wednesdays at 7PM EST
on Blog Talk Radio for progressive, pro-public education talk radio.
Call in to speak live with Tim and Shaun during the show, (805) 727-7111.
You can also listen to our Monday "Sunday-Replay" at 7PM EST, and re-broadcasts of the archives every Tuesday and Thursday at 7PM EST.
Visit the @ the Chalk Face radio main page for more information on the show and syndication.
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Remarkable Idiocy: “Economically-driven Education”
On October 2, 2014, I will be speaking in Indiana to an audience chiefly comprised of university students who have a passing understanding of the intentions of moneyed interests to usurp control of public education. With a mind toward preparing for my upcoming engagement, I happened to read three pertinent (and powerful) articles: This one on September 26, 2014, […]
To La.’s Accountability Commission, As They ReVAMp Teacher Evals
In 2010, Louisiana Representative Frank Hoffman authored the bill to include student test scores as part of teacher evaluations. Hoffman said that he “would never do anything that would hurt good teachers”– an irony, since via his bill, Hoffman had decided that the definition of a “good teacher” is one whose value can be assessed […]
SEP 24
My Two Speaking Engagements in October
I will be speaking in Indiana and Maine in October. On Thursday, October 2, 2014, I will be in North Manchester, Indiana, at Manchester University (Cordier Auditorium, 7 – 8 p.m.). The title of my talk is, “When Education Reform Becomes ‘Erroneous Ideology Well Funded.” I will include information from my book, A Chronicle of Echoes: […]
SEP 23
@homedepot foundation rejected my small grant application. We don’t have enough needs, apparently.
I put in for a $750 grant for the Home Depot Foundation to get some start up funding for a school garden, meeting space that would eventually generate revenue at a local farmer’s market in Ward 8, DC. I get the automatic reply: Dear Applicant, The Home Depot Foundation appreciated the opportunity to consider your […]
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I am about six weeks into the new school year. You may have noticed, maybe not, that my personal contributions here, and to the “radio” show, dropped off precipitously. Teaching is a busy job, as you know. I have hobbies, a personal life, and other interests that supersede the old education reform commentary. Beyond the […]
Obsessions with the f-word. I mean, FRUSTRATION
I saw this posted today from the Answer Sheet on reading in our current standards-obsessed era. The article poses an interesting question: is cultivating frustration in children something we should embrace? My instincts tell me no, and I’ll let you debate that answer for yourself. But what I will say is that I’ve seen this word, […]
Bronx Tales
BRONX TALES. via BRONX TALES.Filed under: SHAUN JOHNSON, PHD: Musings from the Chalk Face
On the BUS: First-Hand Tales of Teaching, Speaking Out, and Consequences
Originally posted on WeActEd:What happens to teachers who speak out about problems they see in their work? Join the next Education Town Hall BUS as two educators tell first-hand stories and discuss the larger issues, including whistle-blowing, teachers unions, job protections, and the impact of school reform policies on teachers of color. Tune in…
SEP 22
La. Legis Auditor Steps Into Common-Core-Promoting Game
On September 22, 2014, Louisiana Auditor Daryl Purpera issued a report on his objective opinion (?) of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). Whether Purpera intended it or not, he is now part of the game. Purpera’s report is little more than another brochure for CCSS, one that glosses over issues such as who actually […]
SEP 21
AIR and Fordham Institute Grade Standards; Common Core Wins!
This is the story of two organizations that took diverging roads to grading state standards: American Institutes for Research (AIR) and Fordham Institute. Let’s start with AIR. In a report released September 2014, AIR has “internationally benchmarked” state education standards. Now, this is not to be confused with the famed-yet-elusive “international benchmarking” of the Common […]
Why Liberals Hate Arne Duncan
WHY LIBERALS HATE ARNE DUNCAN. via WHY LIBERALS HATE ARNE DUNCAN.Filed under: SHAUN JOHNSON, PHD: Musings from the Chalk Face