Latest News and Comment from Education

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Morning Wink 9-16-14 AM Posts #edchat #edreform


BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS




LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 9-16-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Ohio: More Charters Failing than Public SchoolsStephen Dyer, education policy fellow at Innovation Ohio, has analyzed the latest state report cards. The state’s Governor, John Kasich, is pro-charter, pro-voucher, and pro-market forces. He is no friend to public education. The legislature is the same. They want more schools that are
9-16-14 Engaging Parents In School… | Going Beyond Parent "Involvement"
Engaging Parents In School… | Going Beyond Parent "Involvement": “With Tech Taking Over in Schools, Worries Rise”Parent are rightfully concerned about who will be controlling school data about their child (see The Best Posts On The inBloom Data Fiasco). The New York Times just published With Tech Taking Over in Schools, Worries Rise, which gives a pretty good overview of the issue.2 by L
9-16-14 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.: S.O.R.E. field trip. Town Hall with Senators Biss and Manar on school funding, Special Needs.Illinois State Senators Dan Biss and Andy Manar. Members of our retired IEA chapter are concerned about our pensions. Not just our pensions. We are concerned about the preservation of public schools. That mean
9-16-14 Wait What? - Why Malloy’s (and Foley’s) anti-tax pledge is anti-middle class
Wait What?: Why Malloy’s (and Foley’s) anti-tax pledge is anti-middle classIn a September 3, 2014 Wait, What? post entitled, Foley and Malloy are just plain wrong on taxes, the blog explained that Malloy and Foley are be fiscally irresponsible with their pledge not to propose or raise taxes if they are elected. The article begins with the following; Although Governor Dannel “Dan” Malloy is fond […
Poll: Public Rejects Teacher Evaluations Based on Student Test Scores | NEA Today
Poll: Public Rejects Teacher Evaluations Based on Student Test Scores | NEA Today: Poll: Public Rejects Teacher Evaluations Based on Student Test ScoresSeptember 16, 2014 by twalker  Filed under Featured News, Top StoriesLeave a CommentBy Tim WalkerMore evidence that the country is waking up to toxic standardized testing can be found in the new PDK/Gallup poll on the Public’s Attitude Towards Publ
The Answer Sheet 9-16-14
Answer Sheet: How Common Core’s recommended books fail children of colorCritics of the Common Core  have questioned a number of different aspects of the standards, including how they were written, whether they are developmentally appropriate and whether too much emphasis has been placed on non-fiction at the cost of literature. Here is a look at an issue that has gotten little attention: How the r
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 9-16-14
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: Letters to the editor: SUPT. DEASY IS A DISTRACTION FOR LAUSDReaders React: Letters to the editor and readers' opinions. | LA Times http://lat.ms/1o0jDlo 16 Sept 2014 To the editor: Los Angeles Unified School District Supt. John Deasy got it right. At this point, the iPad scandal is not an internal LAUSD problem, it's a political issue. It became so fro
9-16-14 the becoming radical | Spare the Rod, Respect the Child: Abuse Is Not Discipline
the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness (the public and scholarly writing by P. L. Thomas, Furman University): Spare the Rod, Respect the Child: Abuse Is Not DisciplineAs a teenager and then a young adult, I witnessed in two different contexts a powerful and publicly praised adult who was not what he appeared. Particularly when I was a young adult, early in my career, I was able
9-16-14 Hemlock on the Rocks
Hemlock on the Rocks: Do You Have VIABLE Complaints Against LAUSD? Check this out ....Teaching Community, Have you filled out your Grand Jury Complaint Form asking for theLos Angeles Grand Jury to investigate Superintendent Deasy forabuse of power ? If not review the forms attached.1) Grand Jury Complaint Example Form with 2nd Page Instructions2) Blank Grand Jury Complaint Form (to be printed out
9-16-14 Curmudgucation - Choice Finance Fantasies (Part II)
CURMUDGUCATION: Choice Finance Fantasies (Part II)I love the internet. In particular, I love the way it allows for conversations to break out between people who would never meet or interact in real life. This is one of those conversations.First, I wrote this piece about what I see as some fallacies in the ideas behind choice financing. Soon afterwards, Neerav Kingsland wrote this response at the b
9-16-14 Perdido Street School
Perdido Street School: Charter School Advocates Sue New York State For More MoneyWhat Governor Cuomo did for NYC charter schools by forcing the city to either find space for charters or pony up rent for private space?Charter advocates want that same advantage state-wide:A lawsuit filed by a group of charter-school supporters alleges that a chronic funding gap between charter schools and traditiona
Schools Open In Philadelphia, But Crisis Drags On | janresseger
Schools Open In Philadelphia, But Crisis Drags On | janresseger: Schools Open In Philadelphia, But Crisis Drags OnPosted on September 16, 2014 by janressegerSuperintendent William Hite opened school in Philadelphia on September 8—based, it seems, on hope and a prayer.  It can’t be said that he could really even count on the good faith of the Pennsylvania general assembly, whose members went home f
Nine years after Katrina, we’re still asking the wrong questions about education | The Hechinger Report
Nine years after Katrina, we’re still asking the wrong questions about education | The Hechinger Report: Nine years after Katrina, we’re still asking the wrong questions about educationBy Andre Perry“Is the educational system better now than it was pre-Katrina?” It’s the question I hear more than any other. But the typical responses around test score growth miss how we should measure school perfor
Inequitable Teacher Salaries Studied by Arkansas Legislature | EduSanity
Inequitable Teacher Salaries Studied by Arkansas Legislature | EduSanity: INEQUITABLE TEACHER SALARIES STUDIED BY ARKANSAS LEGISLATUREOn September 9th I picked up a copy of the Arkansas Democrat Gazette and read a story about teacher salaries titled “Lawmakers Study Salaries for Educators.” Of course this is something that I care about not only because I used to be a teacher and earned one of thos
How the media help spread Cami’s lies | Bob Braun's Ledger
How the media help spread Cami’s lies | Bob Braun's Ledger: How the media help spread Cami’s liesIt’s a lie. Some more polite than I might call it a half-truth or just a technical lie but I have had experiences with Anderson lies–remember how she denied sending out that letter about how kids would become criminals if they stayed home from school, the one she denied sending out? How she insisted sh
Chicago parents give school closures a poor report card | Al Jazeera America
Chicago parents give school closures a poor report card | Al Jazeera America: Chicago parents give school closures a poor report cardA year after nearly 50 schools closed, overcrowding and safety are big concernsCHICAGO — It’s the end of the first day of school, and Irene Robinson is making the rounds outside Anthony Overton Elementary, in Bronzeville, a historically black neighborhood on the city
Teachers For Social Justice: Calling Educators and Organizations for TSJ Curriculum Fair 2014!
Teachers For Social Justice: Calling Educators and Organizations for TSJ Curriculum Fair 2014!: Calling Educators and Organizations for TSJ Curriculum Fair 2014!SEPTEMBER 15, 2014 LEAVE A COMMENTTSJ Curriculum Fair 2014 Is Back!1. Exhibit Curriculum, or2. Have a Resource Table, or3. Present a Workshop!Applications Available Below! Do you want to exhibit your curriculum at the TSJ CF?Click here to
Shanker Blog » The Superintendent Factor
Shanker Blog » The Superintendent Factor: The Superintendent FactorPosted by Matthew Di Carlo on September 16, 2014One of the more visible manifestations of what I have called “informal test-based accountability” — that is, how testing results play out in the media and public discourse — is the phenomenon of superintendents, particularly big city superintendents, making their reputations based on
NYC Educator: The First Test
NYC Educator: The First Test: The First TestYesterday I wrote a test to give my beginners on Thursday. It's mostly easy, I think. I'd like them to do well. But you never know. Today a kid walked in who appeared to know absolutely zero English. If he blows the test I won't count it. The thing is, kids walk in every single day. He's missed maybe two weeks. He can catch up, though.But he's far from t
Opinion: Snapshot of Our Schools Offers Worrisome Glimpse of Class of 2027 - NJ Spotlight
Opinion: Snapshot of Our Schools Offers Worrisome Glimpse of Class of 2027 - NJ Spotlight: OPINION: SNAPSHOT OF OUR SCHOOLS OFFERS WORRISOME GLIMPSE OF CLASS OF 2027MARK WEBER | SEPTEMBER 16, 2014My kids were well-served by New Jersey’s public education system, but can all parents say the same?Mark WeberI’m an elementary music teacher, and we have a funny tradition that starts each year at my scho

YESTERDAY

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 9-15-14
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: LAUSD’S STUDENTS NEED BETTER LIBRARIES, NOT iPADS + smf’s 2¢A good school library is not in conflict with technology; it can enhance our understanding and use of it Op-Ed By Rebecca Constantino in the LA Times |  http://lat.ms/1uEk1L7 A student reads a book after visiting the library at San Pedro Elementary School. (Los Angeles Times) Sept 15, 2014  :: 
Competition for National Civics Program - Year 2014 (CA Dept of Education)
Competition for National Civics Program - Year 2014 (CA Dept of Education): State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Announces Competition for National Civics ProgramSACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson announced today that high school principals have until October 1, 2014 to nominate students for the prestigious United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP), which sends stude
#Stopcommoncore Grassroots Effort Destroys ‘Misinformed’ Common Core PR Video | Missouri Education Watchdog
#Stopcommoncore Grassroots Effort Destroys ‘Misinformed’ Common Core PR Video | Missouri Education Watchdog: #Stopcommoncore Grassroots Effort Destroys ‘Misinformed’ Common Core PR VideoinShareA textbook example of #CommonCorePRFailHow’s that revamped PR campaign to make the Common Core more palatable to parents and taxpayers compelled to pay for education reform directed/developed by private non-
Nite Cap 9-15-14 #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT
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 CAPWhat Would Campbell, Mona, and Sam Have to Say? southbronxschoolhttp://www.southbronxschool.com: What Would Campbell, Mona, and Sam Have to Say?Some interesting news came across the SBSB news desk today.A teacher, let's call him, Rudy Baylor, was
What Would Campbell, Mona, and Sam Have to Say? southbronxschool
http://www.southbronxschool.com: What Would Campbell, Mona, and Sam Have to Say?Some interesting news came across the SBSB news desk today.A teacher, let's call him, Rudy Baylor, was teaching a class one day and reached from behind to hand a 7th grade female student a piece of paper. The student was sitting with several of her female friends. It seemed all pretty routine, huh?The next thing Rudy k
Another Cami disaster–chaos at Barringer | Bob Braun's Ledger
Another Cami disaster–chaos at Barringer | Bob Braun's Ledger: Another Cami disaster–chaos at BarringerChaos hitHespe laughs as Newark kids go without food, teachers, and the courses they needBarringer High School in Newark was in chaos today after scores of students and parents marched out of the North Ward school–the oldest high school in Newark–to protest teacherless classrooms, foodless lunch
empathyeducates – When All the Angels Are White
empathyeducates – When All the Angels Are White: When All the Angels Are WhiteIllustration by Tara JacobyBy David J. Leonard | Originally Published at Gawker. September 13, 2014I am an angel in this nation.And I suspect the New York Times or Fox News would remember me as an angel if I am murdered in the middle of the road by a police officer in California, Florida, Missouri or Washington. Of cours
Teacher Refuses, Florida DOE Responds. FAIR testing suspended statewide #Florida | Continuing Change
Teacher Refuses, Florida DOE Responds. FAIR testing suspended statewide #Florida | Continuing Change: Teacher Refuses, Florida DOE Responds. FAIR testing suspended statewide #FloridaSeptember 15, 2014Education      Rate ThisIf you think that you can’t make a difference, think again.One teacher refuses and within a week,  the Florida DOE responds.K-2 Fair testing is suspended, statewide.Nice. Thank
9-15-14 the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness
the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness (the public and scholarly writing by P. L. Thomas, Furman University): Stephen King: On TeachingMy life as a reader and film goer overlapped significantly with Stephen King’s rise to fame as a horror writer, and then while I was teaching in the summer institute for a regional National Writing Project (Spartanburg Writing Project), we assign
Seattle PreSchool Initiative 1B: Acelero, The fox watching the hen house | Seattle Education
Seattle PreSchool Initiative 1B: Acelero, The fox watching the hen house | Seattle Education: Seattle PreSchool Initiative 1B: Acelero, The fox watching the hen houseIt seems in the world of education these days that whenever someone has an idea, there are efforts in play to try to co-opt the idea and make money off of it.Here’s an example in our own backyard and is happening before our very eyes.
Join us for Public Education Nation Event in NYC on October 11, 2014 | Cloaking Inequity
Join us for Public Education Nation Event in NYC on October 11, 2014 | Cloaking Inequity: Join us for Public Education Nation Event in NYC on October 11, 2014The Network for Public Education will hold a historic event in one month’s time. You may choose to attend in person at the Brooklyn New School in New York or view it via Livestreaming. A live-stream of the event will be available on Saturday,
9-15-14 Schools Matter
Schools Matter: To Chris Barbic: There Will Be No Civility for Child Abusers and Corporate Profiteers2 by Jim Horn / 8min 9-14-14 Schools MatterSchools Matter: Indy's John Harris Loflin and José Evans' Big Gig at International ED ConferenceBy Doug MartinBelow is, first, a press release from public school activist John Harris Loflin, director of education and youth issues at the Black and Latin@ Po
Raw Story » Bible-pushing Christians open the door for Satanic activity books in Florida schools
Raw Story » Bible-pushing Christians open the door for Satanic activity books in Florida schools: Bible-pushing Christians open the door for Satanic activity books in Florida schoolsThe Satanic Temple has responded to an Orange County, Florida decision to disseminate religious materials in public school by creating complementary materials that espouse the philosophy and practice of Satanism.Last m
9-15-14 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): ‘Email delete’ policy is misunderstood according to LAUSD‘Email delete’ policy is misunderstood according to LAUSD A policy intended to delete unnecessary emails on LA Unified district computers has caused a media storm and much confusion, but ultimately is misunderstood, according to officials who spoke
Cali Education Headlines 9-15-14 Fiscal Crisis & Management Team
Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team | CSIS – California School Information Services: Education HeadlinesSanta Ana Unified aims to close the AP achievement gapIn Santa Ana Unified — where the percentage of low-income students is 91 percent — about 40 percent of juniors and seniors take an AP exam. And among those who take the tests, 37 percent get a passing score. Santa Ana Unified Schoo
Fact or Fiction?: Video Games Are the Future of Education - Scientific American
Fact or Fiction?: Video Games Are the Future of Education - Scientific American: Fact or Fiction?: Video Games Are the Future of EducationSome educators swear by them as valuable high-tech teaching tools but little is known about their impact on learningSep 12, 2014 |By Elena MalykhinaA student plays MinecraftEdu.Courtesy of TeacherGaming LLCAs kids all across the U.S. head back to school, they’re
What Was I Doing in New Jersey? - Lily's Blackboard
What Was I Doing in New Jersey? - Lily's Blackboard: What Was I Doing in New Jersey?September 15, 2014 by Lily's BlackboardCategories: Education, Events, TestingTags: back to school, New Jersey, storify, TestingNEA’s Back to School Tour continues in New Jersey. Lily met with educators, community leaders and the students they love.[View the story "NEA Back to School 2014: New Jersey" on S
Six Things The Us Dept Of Education Did To Deprive Your Child Of Privacy | Common Core
SIX THINGS THE US DEPT OF EDUCATION DID TO DEPRIVE YOUR CHILD OF PRIVACY | COMMON CORE: SIX THINGS THE US DEPT OF EDUCATION DID TO DEPRIVE YOUR CHILD OF PRIVACY   46 commentsThe story of Common Core and data mining begins as most stories do, with a huge, unmet need.Self-appointed “stakeholder” know-it-alls at the federal level (also at state, corporate, and even university levels) determined that
Morning Wink 9-15-14 AM Posts #edchat #edreform
BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTSLISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 9-15-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for allDiane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Amy Frogge: A Novel Idea for Real Education Reform!Everyone wants to reform education. Everyone went to school, so everyone has ideas. But Amy Frogge, a member of the Metro Nashville School Boar