Nite Cap UPDATE
UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE
CORPORATE ED REFORM
Allegations that Orr Principal Berates Pregnant Parent and Student After Flotus Visit
Flotus visit to Orr ElementaryBy Candi PetersonAn elementary school principal, Niyeka Wilson of Benjamin Orr elementary school located at 2200 Minnesota Avenue SE Washington, DC 20020 202/671-6240 may be in hot water and under investigation for disparaging comments she made on Facebook about a pregnant parent and student with respiratory problems at the school.Here's what the DC Parent Action Cons
Hate-Read This
My latest piece at transformED gets personal: But, at the end of the workshop, I left an impression with folks that, despite and because of my openness about my activism (and clear disenchantment with the DOE’s direction over the last nine years of my career), I actually have similar goals that many in central offices want. My CTQ board member self felt good about Barnett Berry and Ann Byrd crossi
Few L.A. teachers get bad ratings, trial documents show
More instructors than ever are being evaluated in detail in the Los Angeles Unified School District and only a small percentage are being rated as substandard, according to testimony Wednesday in litigation aimed at reducing teacher job protections.
ALEC’s Extensive Plans for Education Restructuring in Your State
The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) (established 1973) offers corporate America the opportunity to shape legislation that serves its profit-garnering interests and to do so in statehouses around the country. To accomplish this controlling of the legislative process, ALEC provides forums (conferences that double as posh vacations for legislators and their families) in which both compan
These kids got their school lunches taken away, but not because of bulliesUp to 40 kids at Uintah Elementary in Utah picked up their lunches Tuesday, then watched as the meals were taken and thrown away because of outstanding balances on their accounts a move that shocked and angered parents.
Randi Weingarten questions Cuomo's budget values
ALBANY—Randi Weingarten, the head of the American Federation of Teachers, traveled to the Capitol to join public employees and legislators in a ...
Students protest NECAPs; ‘We’re not guinea pigs’ | WPRI 12
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Dressed as guinea pigs and lab rats, members of Providence’s Student Union converged on the Rhode Island’s State House to protest high-stakes testing. They say tying performance on the NECAP standardized test to a high school diploma is an untested experiment that treats students like test subjects. The NECAP – which ...read more
Scary New Surveillance State Idea: Government Tracking Students from Preschool to Workforce | Alternet
The education sector, long frustrated by transient fads that have failed to uplift decades of sub-par student achievement, thinks it has finally found its knight in shining armor: an omnipresent data archive that will track students from pre-school to graduation, noting every teacher and test score. Then it will tack that trail of data onto ...read more
Deasy: Poverty Has No Causal Role in Low Performance | Diane Ravitch’s blog
Los Angeles Superintendent John Deasy testified in the trial of the lawsuit claiming that teacher tenure violates the civil rights of students. The plaintiffs in the Vergara lawsuit want to eliminate due process so it is easier to fire teachers if their students have low test scores. Most researchers acknowledge that family income and education ...read more
Civil rights hero launches ‘American Child’s Education Bill of Rights’ | The Answer Sheet
Calling modern school reform “catastrophically misguided and ineffective,” civil rights icon James Meredith is launching what he calls the American Child’s Education Bill of Rights, a 12-point declaration of obligations that he says the nation owes every public school child. The 80-year-old Meredith was the first black student to graduate from the University of Mississippi. ...read more
ALEC’s Extensive Plans for Education Restructuring in Your State
The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) (established 1973) offers corporate America the opportunity to shape legislation that serves its profit-garnering interests and to do so in statehouses around the country. To accomplish this controlling of the legislative process, ALEC provides forums (conferences that double as posh vacations for legislators and their families) in which both […]
5 Ways To Respond To Resistance
One of my favorite college education professors would often start class with a provoking question. As we would grapple with how to answer and/or support our positions, he would stand there with his large hands lifted in the air, his voice booming, “Disequilibrium is the beginning of education!” It took me a while to figure out that he was teaching us by example. He was trying to help a room full
Spin Doctors
Post modern soothsayers turning lies into truth Incompetence into misunderstood genius spinning, spinning, spinning, day and night weaving mixed messages and half truths spinning common straw into uncommon gold Corporate owned media angling, fishing, predicting, 24/7 non-stop, over clover and under cover, finally, a metamorphous achieved: From bungling idiot, into mistaken, taken for granted Good
UIC to Pursue Obama Library Alone
CHICAGO—Despite Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s suggestion the city make a unified bid for President Barack Obama’s presidential library, the University of Illinois at Chicago says it will work on its own bid. UIC spokesman Bill Burton told the Chicago Sun-Times the university is developing a proposal it will submit that will “leverage all of the strengths of the university, the city and the state” t
Korean Julia Sun-Joo Lee Brings New Face to Black Literature
Julia Sun Joo Lee says African-American literature is American literature. Dr. Julia Sun-Joo Lee has gotten used to the strange looks that sometimes greet her on the first day of class. “My students may initially be surprised to see me in the classroom,” says Lee, who teaches African-American Literature at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. “But I always say that African-American literature is
Students Embrace Cuban Educational Experience
GREENWOOD, Ind. (AP) – For more than 40 years, U.S. tourism to the island nation of Cuba has been forbidden. An embargo placed on travel in the 1960s essentially has cut off one of the most fascinating countries in the world. Few U.S. travelers have been able to experience the spicy mix of garlic, cumin and oregano in authentic meat turnovers called empanadas or enjoy a café cubano espresso sweete
Latino Consortium Looks to Evolve for Growing Latino Community
Dr. Maria de los Angeles Torres is director and professor of Latin American and Latino studies at the University of Illinois at Chicago and the IUPLR’s first female executive director. In 1983, Latinos made up less than 2 percent of faculty members and less than 5 percent of college students. Public funding for Latino research was paltry, and for research purposes many policymakers often arbitra
Assembly Speaker vows to tackle callenge of teacher pensions this year - by John Fensterwald
Assembly Speaker John Pérez pledged Wednesday to pass legislation this year to fix the huge deficit threatening the long-term stability of the state pension fund for teachers and administrators. Assemblyman Rob Bonta, D-Oakland, will hold the first hearing on the issue on Feb. 19 in the Assembly Public Employees, Retirement and Social ... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit the Edsource Toda
New suspension data show drop in use of ‘willful defiance,’ but ethnic disparity remains - by Susan Frey
Fewer students are being suspended for the controversial category of willful defiance, but African American students are still much more likely than their peers to be suspended for that reason, new data released Wednesday show. The category of willful defiance of school authorities, which also includes disruption of school activities, accounted ... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit the Eds
CTU answers Squeezy.
CHICAGO – In today’s State of the State address, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn made multiple references to “getting the job done” and also claimed to have ended the culture of instability that existed in Illinois government. He highlighted the strides that the state has made in working with women and minority-owned businesses. The problem is that his claims about the benefits of education reform and
Are These Truths Self-Evident? Revolutionary Student Declarations
CTQ blogger and 10th grade teacher Jessica Keigan writes: "Most great revolutions begin with a declaration of rights written by the oppressed peoples attempting to highlight their grievances and demands. [Although] my teenagers are not oppressed people, my teaching partner and I designed a lesson that asked students to read a set of revolutionary declarations as model texts for their own decl
Yes, Reformers, We SHOULD Talk About YOUR Kids' Schools
Last night was a good night for public education in Newark; the same cannot be said for State Superintendent Cami Anderson:The state-appointed Newark school superintendent stormed out of an angry, tumultuous School Advisory Board (SAB) meeting a few hours ago after a parent, infuriated by Cami Anderson’s treatment of the city’s children, asked “Why don’t you want for all brown babies what you wan
This Week’s “Round-Up” Of Useful Posts & Articles On Education Policy
Here are a few recent useful posts on educational policy issues: L.A. Unified unprepared for computerized state test is from The Los Angeles Times. I’m adding it to The Best Resources For Learning About The “Next Generation” Of State Testing. Houston Launches Ambitious 1-to-1 Computing Initiative is from Education Week. The hype and reality of ‘school choice’ is by Valerie Strauss. I’m adding it
Two New Sochi Interactives
Here are two new additions to The Best Sites For Learning About The Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games: The Associated Press has an interactive on the Olympic Medals. The Guardian has an interactive on the different Olympic venues.
More Engaging State Of The Union Resources
Here are a few more engaging resources on The State Of The Union address that I’m adding to The Best (& Most Intriguing) Resources For Learning About The State Of The Union Message: New words and old words:Forty years of evolving State of the Union themes is an interactive from The Washington Post. Use of Inequality of Language in State of the Union speeches is also from The Washington Post.
Video: “Puppy Love” – The First Of Many Super Bowl Commercials That Might Be Useful For Language-Learning
There are lots of great Super Bowl commercials from past years that are great for English Language Learners to watch and describe, and you can see all of them at The Best Sites Where ELL’s Can Learn About The Super Bowl. The first ones for the game on Sunday are coming out, and this one from Budweiser called “Puppy Love” tells a neat story. I don’t use beer commercials in my class (there are plent
CPS chief's letter makes some parents testy
A letter to parents and guardians from Chicago Public Schools chief Barbara Byrd-Bennett appears to indicate that students who opt out of...
Ballard High Teachers Say Yes to Later Start
From one Ballard teacher (via Facebook):Educators at Ballard HS voted today on a motion regarding moving the High School start times to a later time (switching with elementary). The vote was UNANIMOUS in support of the motion. The research, by the way, is also unanimous. Students learn better later in the morning.
What the PS 154 Bronx Community Needs to Know About the Common Core, And Now!
The PS 154 community, the parents, and worse, the students are being bamboozled by a modern day snake oil saleswoman, the 2014 equivalent of the Music Man, DR Alison Coviello; Ed.D and Principal of PS 154 in the Bronx.Where educators statewide, are decrying and fighting back against the Common Core, not only has DR Alison Coviello; Ed.D and Principal encouraged the full implementation of Common Co
Obama’s 5th State of the Union: a Student Perspective
President Obama spoke last night for roughly an hour and half, yet much was left unsaid. He touched on education’s overall importance to the future of the nation, and he could not have been more right. He reiterated some old ideas such as capping student loan rates at 10%, making more accessible pre-k education, and making schools prepare kids more for jobs, however no major policy change was me
Indiana Senate to Vote on Bill Abolishing Common Core
From WIBC 93.1FM in Indianapolis:The Senate will vote next week on a bill to put the final nail in the coffin of the Common Core education standards.Last year, legislators ordered the State Board of Education to pass new academic standards by July of this year. The Senate Education Committee has approved a bill along party lines, spelling out guidelines for what those standards should look like……E
Battle heating up against high-stakes tests
Schools CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett sent a letter to parents on Wednesday telling them why they should not have their child opt-out of the ISAT and the NWEA/MAP tests, the second time in less than two months she has issued such a letter.
UC Berkeley libraries saved with influx of cash
UC Berkeley's troubled system of two dozen libraries will receive a yearly infusion of cash under a new plan that is nothing short of a.
New reports detail N.J. school performance
Cherry Hill's and Moorestown's public high schools all exceeded the state average for the percentage of students who take performance arts classes, and the Gloucester County Institute of Technology, despite some challenges, posted a 100 percent graduation rate.
Camden protesters oppose superintendent's plan
About 60 teachers, parents, and community members protested proposed changes in the Camden School District in freezing temperatures before a school board meeting Tuesday night.
The Charter School Bill 1040 and the 1%: An Analysis | Seattle Education
The Charter School Bill 1040 and the 1%: An Analysis | Seattle Education: The Charter School Bill 1040 and the 1%: An AnalysisIf only they had channeled all of the money represented above into our public schools in Seattle rather than into financing the corporate takeover of our educational system…we would have full time librarians, nurses, career counselors, enough teaching assistants to handle t
3 Things We Should Stop Doing in Professional Development | Connected Principals
3 Things We Should Stop Doing in Professional Development | Connected Principals: 3 Things We Should Stop Doing in Professional Developmentby George Couros • January 30, 2014 • 0 CommentsSpending the last week in Oslo, Norway, with the visionary Ann Michaelsen and other school leaders here, I have really thought about the way that we deliver professional development, and to be honest, some of the
Education Dept. allows public charter schools to hold weighted lottery - The Washington Post
Education Dept. allows public charter schools to hold weighted lottery - The Washington Post: Education Dept. allows public charter schools to hold weighted lotteryHow to Steal Public Schools for Dummies (excerpts) The Education Department on Wednesday reversed a long-standing policy and will now allow public charter schools that receive federal grants to give admissions preference to low-income c
Stanford's Gardner Center partners with California schools on new reform plan
Stanford's Gardner Center partners with California schools on new reform plan: Stanford's Gardner Center partners with California schools on new reform planResearchers at the Gardner Center will help design a system for eight large urban school districts that examines social and emotional learning, as well as academic performance.BY BROOKE DONALDShutterstock /Aaron BelfordSchool culture, student r
It Really Does Take A Village (or A Community) | Gatsby In L.A.
It Really Does Take A Village (or A Community) | Gatsby In L.A.: It Really Does Take A Village (or A Community) The kids high-five Catherine Stine on their way in, say hello, grab their notebooks, sit down, and get to work.Silently.All of them.I’m gonna be honest: I’ve never seen anything like it. Granted, her class at Animo Leadership in Lennox is small, only 18 students. But still, at least ou
Social Studies isn’t English Language Arts’ Annoying Relative. | EdCentrist
Social Studies isn’t English Language Arts’ Annoying Relative. | EdCentrist: Social Studies isn’t English Language Arts’ Annoying Relative.Leave a commentMore and more, it seems that educational resources support two core courses: English Language Arts and Mathematics. In my opinion, this is a dangerous trend in education, today. At a time when students must prepare to live within global society,
Significant Drops in Suspension and Expulsion - Year 2014 (CA Dept of Education)
Significant Drops in Suspension and Expulsion - Year 2014 (CA Dept of Education): State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Reports California Sees Significant Drops in Student Suspensions and ExpulsionsSACRAMENTO—The number of students being suspended or expelled in California declined sharply during the last school year as more schools and districts put into place measures designed to keep young people
Is this the Gates Department of Education? - Integrity in Education
Is this the Gates Department of Education? - Integrity in Education: Is this the Gates Department of Education?Our Executive Director just sent this message to our supporters. Not on the list? Sign up here!As you may know, Integrity in Education recently launched an investigative campaign focused on the US Department of Education. Recognizing how many top staffers have direct ties to corporate fro
Coop’s Childhood Part 3 – Real School & Beyond | Lefty Parent
Coop’s Childhood Part 3 – Real School & Beyond | Lefty Parent: Coop’s Childhood Part 3 – Real School & BeyondJanuary 29th, 2014 at 15:45Bach Elementary SchoolNowadays K-12 school has become such a high stakes endeavor that academically oriented parents like mine might do their best to “game” the system by letting their kid start school a year later than possible, thinking to give them some
Alert: “Accountability” Bill Could Turn to Nuclear Option | Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!
Alert: “Accountability” Bill Could Turn to Nuclear Option | Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!: Alert: “Accountability” Bill Could Turn to Nuclear OptionFiled under: Charter Schools,Low Performing Schools,Vouchers — millerlf @ 6:04 pm The following article from today’s Journal Sentinel states that Democrats are part of the problem in advancing an “accountability” bill through Wisconsin’s l
Newark superintendent storms out of tumultuous school board meeting after parent refers to Anderson’s “brown baby” | Bob Braun's Ledger
Newark superintendent storms out of tumultuous school board meeting after parent refers to Anderson’s “brown baby” | Bob Braun's Ledger: Newark superintendent storms out of tumultuous school board meeting after parent refers to Anderson’s “brown baby”Natasha AllenThe state-appointed Newark school superintendent stormed out of an angry, tumultuous School Advisory Board (SAB) meeting a few hours ag
Nite Cap 1-29-14 #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 CAPOp-Ed: Education Policy Without a Plan Is Asking for Problems - NJ SpotlightOp-Ed: Education Policy Without a Plan Is Asking for Problems - NJ Spotlight: OP-ED: EDUCATION POLICY WITHOUT A PLAN IS ASKING FOR PROBLEMSASSEMBLYWOMAN MILA JASEY | JANU