1-27-14 Jersey Jazzman Jammin'

Jersey Jazzman:

Can We Please Have Some Straight Talk About Charters?

It was a reformy vortex last week when the Second Annual New Jersey School Choice Summit took place in Newark. After these fine reformy folks handed out yellow scarves to what appears to be a mostly empty room, it was time for noted education experts and experienced teachers Bob Bowden and Derrell Bradford to spout their pre-scripted malarky. Such fun...But there was a special added treat: William

14 by Duke / 1h   

1-26-14 Jersey Jazzman Jammin'

Jersey Jazzman: What Our "One Newark" Report MeansLate Thursday, Bruce Baker and I released our analysis of "One Newark," the plan to restructure schools in the state-run district. I'll admit the report is a bit heavy on technical language, but that's as it should be: we wanted to be clear about how we approached the task of evaluating One Newark, and why we reached the conclus

by mike simpson / 22h 

Special Late Nite Cap EXTRA 1-27-14 #EDCHAT #P2 #BATsACT #RealEdTalk

Nite Cap EXTRA

EXTRA EXTRA EXTRA EXTRA

Union to hit Olney Charter with unfair labor practice charge

PHILADELPHIA A union that has been involved in organizing teachers at Olney Charter High School is set to file an unfair labor practice charge Monday over a new social-media policy the union said was an attempt to silence staff.

1min 

Portland teachers union supporters pack meeting, blast Superintendent Carole Smith and school board

Nearly 430 union supporters packed into the Portland Public Schools district office on Monday

by Nicole Dungca | n... / 3min

BREAKING: Photo Subject Sabrina Jenkins to Join Michelle Obama for State of the Union

              FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 28, 2014                      First Lady Michelle Obama Invites Sabrina Jenkins, Featured in The Shriver Report, as Guest at the State of the Union Invitation highlights the impact of The Shriver Report, focusing the country’s attention  on the 1 in 3 American women living on or over the brink of poverty   Washington, D.C. — Putting a face on the econ

2 by Cara Lemieux / 23min hide  //  save

State of the Union Guest Sabrina Jenkins: 1 of 42 Million American Women Pushing Back from the Brink

‘The Shriver Report: A Woman’s Nation Pushes Back from the Brink’ photography subject Sabrina Simone Jenkins, a single mom and veteran from South Carolina, will join First Lady Michelle Obama as an invited guest in her box during tonight’s State of the Union speech, to highlight the face of economic inequality and social immobility.  Sabrina’s daughter Kenya will be accompanying her to the State o

1 by Cara Lemieux / 23min

Do Educators Actually DO Anything?

I attended my first #EduCon this past weekend. I observed and participated in many great things: learning from educators who regularly take risks, sharing my experiences with others, and bonding with the 6 staff members who let me accompany them to Philadelphia for the PD. One thing that stood out was consistent with my experiences at #PlayDateDG58 and #EdCampChicago: these educators do stuff. Th

3 by Sam LeDeaux / 2h 

The LPB Common Core Cover-up Continues

Recently the producer of LPB’s monthly Louisiana Public Square, Kevin Gautreaux, reached out to me to address some concerns I raised on my blog about LPB’s recent show on Common Core. The show was horribly biased, you can view it here. http://beta.lpb.org/index.php/publicsquare/topic/01_14_-_decoding_common_core/ I wrote a post condemning the obvious one-sidedness of the whole production. http:/

14 by crazycrawfish / 1h 

Yesterday, the Blog Readership Broke a Record

Yesterday, the blog recorded 69,817 page views. This was a record for the blog. The single most-read blog was the breaking news from Indiana, alerting readers that Governor Pence was trying again to strip the powers of Glenda Ritz. Over 30,000 people read that entry. Information is power. Stay informed.

6 by dianeravitch / 1h 

Feds Reviewing Pa. Student’s Bomb Arrest

PITTSBURGH—The FBI and federal prosecutors were reviewing allegations against a college student from Russia who has been charged with possessing bomb-making and marijuana-growing materials, though police acknowledge the suspect told them he wasn’t planning on “blowing anything up.” No federal charges had been filed against Vladislav Miftakhov by early Monday. The 18-year-old was arraigned Saturday

by cmaadmin / 1h hide  //  save

State AGs Investigating For-Profit Education Firms

Attorneys general for more than a dozen states have ordered several for-profit education companies to turn over information on the firms’ business practices. ITT Educational Services Inc., Corinthian Colleges Inc., Career Education Corp. and Education Management Corp. disclosed Friday and Monday that they had received subpoenas or civil investigative demands from a group of state attorneys general

by cmaadmin / 1h 

Samford Law’s Wendy Greene Uses Lessons of Civil Rights Movement to Fight Current Day Racial Inequality

  Wendy Greene says effective teaching is more than lecturing; it is engaging students in the subject matter through different methodologies so that the learning has personal meaning and application to students’ daily lives. From an early age, Wendy Greene knew she wanted to be a lawyer. Inspired by the late Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall and the stories of her parents’ participation in s

by cmaadmin / 1h 

Testing, Common Core officially on the legislature’s plate

A Republican-sponsored bill to delay rollout of new statewide tests and to require a new study of the state’s academic standards – which include the controversial Common Core Standards – was introduced in the Senate Monday. That sets the stage for legislative debate on some of the nation’s most contentious education issues, although the odds may be long for passage of the bill. Prime sponsor Sen.

by Todd Engdahl / 1h 

Bill Gates, wife to be Stanford commencement speakers01/27/2014 04:24 PM PSTCommencement weekend, June 13-15, will feature Bill and Melinda Gates, whose created the world's largest private foundation. It is committed to lifting the global burden of poverty, hunger and disease.  

Report: Va., Md., D.C. have some of the nation’s highest gaps by income level in reading proficiency

Fourth-grade students in Virginia, Maryland and the District have among the largest gaps in reading proficiency in the country when broken down by income level, according to a report released Tuesday by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Read full article >>    

2 by Michael Alison Ch... / 52min 

Immigration Activists Fasting for Reform Taking Show on the Road

The activists who went without food for a month to demand that Congress act on immigration reform, announced Monday that they are taking the Fast for Families protest on the road. The campaign will go on until April 9, organizers told a press conference in Washington. The tour comes at a time when the Republican Party, headed by House Speaker John Boehner, is working on a list of principles it wi

1h 

Affordable Care Act Helps Millions But Language Access Hampers Legislation’s Success

Before becoming a mother, having quality health care didn’t mean as much to me as it does now. But since having my son almost two years ago, I’m more driven than ever to make sure that everyone, especially women and children, has access to affordable health care. As policy director of the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum, I’m very lucky to work with a great team of people who are

by Priscilla Huang / 2h 

A Conversation With: Salman Khan Turned Family Tutoring Into Khan Academy

Salman Khan’s first student was a family member. Now his free electronic schoolhouse reaches more than 10 million users around the world.    

63 by By CLAUDIA DREIFU... / 1h 

Seattle’s socialist city council member vows to keep just 34 percent of her salary

Seattle City Council member Kshama Sawant promised on Monday to retain just 34 percent of her $117,000 salary after taxes, with the rest going toward various social activism groups. The Stranger reported that Sawant, a self-identified Socialist who was active in the Occupy Wall Street movement...

by Arturo Garcia / 2h 

New 5-year farm bill would cut subsidies while slashing food stamps benefits

Congressional negotiators reached a deal on a five-year bill Monday that eliminates or caps agriculture subsidies for thousands of farmers and slashes the food stamp program for needy Americans. The mammoth measure, which took some two years to hash out and endured a collapse of negotiations in...

by Agence France-Pre... / 2h 

Full Show: State of Conflict: North Carolina | Moyers & Company | BillMoyers.com

Full Show: State of Conflict: North Carolina | Moyers & Company | BillMoyers.com

by Duane Campbell / 2h 

Contours of Calif. Teacher-Protection Suit Take Shape

Highlights from opening arguments in the Vergara v. California trial.

by Stephen Sawchuk / 20min 

Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 1-27-14 #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2

Nite Cap UPDATEUPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATECORPORATE ED REFORMRewards for reading aloud?To be published in the School Library JournalShould we provide rewards if parents read 1000 books aloud to their children ("Vivacious vocabulary," Jan. 2014)? Read-alouds are very pleasant for both parents and children. The vast majority of children say that they enjoy being read to: 97% in Walker and

by mike simpson / 2h hide  //  save

Nite Cap 1-27-14 #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 CAPSummer Food Service Applications - Year 2014 (CA Dept of Education)Summer Food Service Applications - Year 2014 (CA Dept of Education):State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Urges Agencies to Apply to Become Summer Food Service Program SponsorsSACRAME

by mike simpson / 6h 

Can We Please Have Some Straight Talk About Charters?

It was a reformy vortex last week when the Second Annual New Jersey School Choice Summit took place in Newark. After these fine reformy folks handed out yellow scarves to what appears to be a mostly empty room, it was time for noted education experts and experienced teachers Bob Bowden and Derrell Bradford to spout their pre-scripted malarky. Such fun...But there was a special added treat: William

14 by Duke / 1h 

Updates On California Case Attacking Teachers

The Vergara vs. California court case began today. Here are new additions to The Best Resources On California Court Case Attacking Teacher’s Rights: California teacher tenure, dismissal challenged in lawsuit is from The San Jose Mercury News. RT @Joy_Resmovits: #Vergaratrial defendent, repping Cali: VAM is "purely theory," plaintiffs cannot prove teachers are "grossly ineffective&q

by Larry Ferlazzo / 1h 

Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 1-27-14 #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2

Nite Cap UPDATE

UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE

CORPORATE ED REFORM

Rewards for reading aloud?

To be published in the School Library JournalShould we provide rewards if parents read 1000 books aloud to their children ("Vivacious vocabulary," Jan. 2014)? Read-alouds are very pleasant for both parents and children. The vast majority of children say that they enjoy being read to: 97% in Walker and Kuerbitz (1979), 95% in Mason and Blanton (1971), and parents agree: Eighy-nine percent

by skrashen / 1h 

Stephen Krashen Blog 1-25-14

SKrashen:The Common Core: A Disaster for Libraries, A Disaster for Language Arts, a Disaster for American EducationStephen KrashenKnowledge Quest 42(3): 37-45 (2014). There never has been a need for the common core and there is no evidence that it will do students any good. The common core ignores the real problem in American education: Poverty. The common core will continue the process of turning

by mike simpson / 9h 

How the Grinch Stole Schoolmas!

There is a wonderful song by Tom Chapin, "Not on the Test" (http://notonthetest.com/).  When I saw the following post at Diane Ravitch's blog over the weekend, I was reminded that the problem is as severe as ever: http://dianeravitch.net/?s=teacher+blasts+los+angeles. They are cutting the self-same things that keep so many kids coming to and staying in school with smiles. 

1 by Adam Bergstein / 54min hide  //  save

Jack and Jill Went Up McGraw Hill

The following poem was composed during the June 2013 N.Y.C. Regents Grading Debacle.  Essay papers were sent to Connecticut to be scanned by McGraw Hill at great expense.  The scanners could not keep up with the pace of the grading, leading to much wasted manpower.  Many scans were poorly executed.  In the name of covering students' names and schools, sentences and paragraph sections were also ini

1 by Adam Bergstein / 54min 

Testworld

The image below was created after reading about computer systems that have been devised to grade essays.  The image is based on the 1973 terrifying science-fiction thriller "Westworld." Just imagine Yul Brynner's character, Gunslinger, grading essays!

1 by Adam Bergstein / 54min 

Burris: New York’s Old Standards Better than Common Core | Diane Ravitch’s blog

Carol Burris, principal of South Side High School in Rockville Center, NY, has read the Common Core standards. The 2005 Néw York standards, she concluded, were superior. Parents and educators are outraged. Does State Commussioner John King care? Burris writes: “”Hit the delay button.” That was the message New York’s senators sent to state Education ...read more

by admin / 2h hide  //  save

Bill Gates, wife to be Stanford commencement speakers01/27/2014 04:23 PM PST

Commencement weekend, June 13-15, will feature Bill and Melinda Gates, whose created the world's largest private foundation. It is committed to lifting the global burden of poverty, hunger and disease

Nuggets of Wisdom from Mentors Around the World

The lessons we learn from our mentors often remain with us long after our mentoring relationships come to a close. They leave us with priceless nuggets of wisdom that continue to guide our actions and shape the person we are today. I believe every educator has received some piece of advice that has helped in developing skills, improving performance, or maximizing one’s potential in order to become

by sblankenship / 34min 

Feds reviewing Pa. student’s bomb arrest

PITTSBURGH (AP) – The FBI and federal prosecutors were reviewing allegations against a college student from Russia who has been charged with possessing bomb-making and marijuana-growing materials, though police acknowledge the suspect told them he wasn’t planning on “blowing anything up.” No federal charges had been filed against Vladislav Miftakhov by early Monday. The 18-year-old was arraigned S

by cmaadmin / 2h 

In landmark trial, both sides debate whether teacher protection laws fail students - by John Fensterwald

The teacher tenure, seniority and dismissal laws that the nonprofit organization Students Matter wants a judge to overturn are essential to create a “professional, stable workforce” and attract teachers into a profession with low pay and difficult conditions, a state deputy attorney general said Monday at the start of the ... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit the Edsource Today website for

by John Fensterwald / 26min 

D.C. school boundary overhaul on track; parents uneasy but meetings are promised

The District is on track to overhaul school boundaries and feeder patterns for the 2015-16 school year, city officials told the D.C. Council on Monday, but there are far more questions than answers about what the changes will be and how they will affect city families. Read full article >>    

4 by Emma Brown / 3h 

Deasy tells court: teacher dismissal can cost district ‘millions’

LA Unified Supt. John Deasy LA Unified Superintendent John Deasy told a packed courtroom today that it can cost the district “millions of dollars” and can take “slightly less than 10 years” to get rid of an ineffective teacher. Deasy was the first witness to testify in the long-awaited start of Vergara v California, a battle over state laws that govern what to do with ineffective teachers. Beatriz

2 by Mark Harris / 1h 

N.J. public workers unions to appeal removal of cost of living increases from pensions

A group of New Jersey public employee unions will argue in appeals court Tuesday that the state’s decision in 2011 to remove cost of living increases for public employees’ pensions was unconstitutional and must be reinstated – potentially adding billions in liabilities to an already shaky pension system.

2 by Nancy Kearney / 2h 

Survey on Common Core

To Louisiana Educator readers: The above survey is intended to allow educators, school board members, parents, and other citizens to express their opinions about how Louisiana should deal with the Common Core State Standards. This survey is anonymous. No one will know the identities of survey participants.BESE has approved full implementation of the CCSS starting this school year and the PARCC tes

by Michael Deshotels / 1h 

Insights

Read the two passages and show a controlling idea about insights.That's what today's Regents exam asked my kids to do. The thing is, most of them have only been in the country a few years. And there are likely plenty of American-born kids who don't know what an insight is. Certainly insight is lacking on the part of the test designers, unless their goal is to fail as many New York students as poss

2 2h hide  //  save

What are Portland Public Schools and its teachers union still fighting over?

We give a rundown of key issues on the table that are still up in the air for the Portland Public Schools teachers contract.

by Nicole Dungca | n... / 54min 

Tigard-Tualatin School District to recommend close to 100 seats for open enrollment

There will likely be almost 100 seats in the Tigard-Tualatin School District up for grabs this March under Oregon’s open enrollment law, which allows students to more easily transfer to schools outside their home districts.

1 by Luke Hammill | lh... / 2h 

Capitol Alert: California school-construction needs as high as $12 billion, subcommittee reports

California needs as much as $12 billion in additional school-building money and almost $5 billion in modernization money, according to estimates in a report to the state board that oversees school-construction dollars. At right, Maiya Miller hugs Principal Shana Henry on the first day of school at Pacific Elementary school in Sacramento on Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2013.

by jmiller@sacbee.co... / 50min 

Was The Fix In On The ELA Regents Exam?

NYC Educator has a post up tonight about the outrage that was the ELA Regents exam.Here's a bit of what he said:Read the two passages and show a controlling idea about insights. That's what today's Regents exam asked my kids to do. The thing is, most of them have only been in the country a few years. And there are likely plenty of American-born kids who don't know what an insight is. Certainly ins

by reality-based edu... / 54min 

Brutal ELA Regents Exam Grading Chart From NYSED

Okay, they're looking for a high failure rate at SED on the ELA Regents exam, that's for sure.Students need to get 20 out of 25 multiple choice questions right in order to get only a 6 on their writing component.Given how hard the passages were, I suspect we are going to see lots of 6's on the writing components.That means we're going to get lots of failures.The chart is even harder than last Augu

by reality-based edu... / 2h 

@PARCCplace : More bang for the buck?

The PARCC folks and Common Core cheerleaders like to talk about the next generation of standardized testing.  Are these new tests worth the $29.50 per student cost? In my state of New York that would triple the cost of the current 3-8 testing program.  Of course we will also need to seriously upgrade technology in […]

6 by Chris Cerrone / 3h hide  //  save

NY State Senator George Latimer is my new Hero!

Although NY State Senator George Latimer isn’t a professional educator by trade, his perspective, vis-à-vis CCSS implementation, is spot on! This video is definitely worth watching, a few times. You have to love how he “slaps” the table for added emphasis!

15 by Angel Cintron Jr. / 3h 

Ten minute drawing. Common Core and cheesecake.

  H/T to my bro.

3 by Fred Klonsky / 1h 

Deasy tells court: teacher dismissal can cost district ‘millions’

LA Unified Supt. John Deasy LA Unified Superintendent John Deasy told a packed courtroom today that it can cost the district “millions of dollars” and can take “slightly less than 10 years” to get rid of an ineffective teacher. Deasy was the first witness to testify in the long-awaited start of Vergara v California, a battle over state laws that govern what to do with ineffective teachers. Beatriz

2 by Mark Harris / 1h 

How To Turn A Negative Consequence Into A Positive Classroom Management Strategy

Anyone who has regularly read this blog or my books know that I’m a big believer in “positive,” not “punitive,” classroom management strategies (see The Best Posts On Classroom Management). At the same time, however, there are some occasions that negative consequences are called for — for “serious” offenses and for those times (and for those students) when all the positive classroom management to

by Larry Ferlazzo / 9min

Rewards for reading outloud to children?

To be published in the School Library JournalShould we provide rewards if parents read 1000 books aloud to their children ("Vivacious vocabulary," Jan. 2014)? Read-alouds are very pleasant for both parents and children. The vast majority of children say that they enjoy being read to: 97% in Walker and Kuerbitz (1979), 95% in Mason and Blanton (1971), and parents agree: Eighy-nine percent

by skrashen / 1h 

SPECIAL Mid Day Banana Break 1-27-14 #RealEdTalk #edreform

Big Education Ape - Mid Day Banana BreakWe Can't Do It Alone Anymore A session with AFT president Randi ...The blare of trumpets signaled the Valley's official welcome to American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten last Tuesday afternoon.35min Welner Writes a Message to the President: Are We Serious About Reducing Inequality? | Diane Ravitch’s blogKevin Welner, director of the Natio

by mike simpson / 6h 

Nite Cap 1-27-14 #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 CAPSummer Food Service Applications - Year 2014 (CA Dept of Education)Summer Food Service Applications - Year 2014 (CA Dept of Education):State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Urges Agencies to Apply to Become Summer Food Service Program SponsorsSACRAME

by mike simpson / 3h  

Morning Wink 1-27-14 AM Posts #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTSLISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 1-27-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all #EDCHAT #P2Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Debate about Cost of Pre-K Grows in NYElected officials in NY are debating the cost of universal pre-K. It was a central plank in Mayor Bill de Blasio’s campaign. He won in a landsli

by mike simpson / 12h