Latest News and Comment from Education

Sunday, June 22, 2014

Arne Meets A BAT



Arne Meets A BAT




Mark Naison speaks to Veteran Teacher Lucianna Sanson after her visit to the White House to meet with Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. Little did he know,...

PARCC Security Breaches Revealed; Microsoft, InBloom, News Corp. Implicated

PARCC Security Breaches Revealed; Microsoft, InBloom, News Corp. Implicated:



PARCC Security Breaches Revealed; Microsoft, InBloom, News Corp. Implicated

Written by   // Friday, 20 June 2014 08:27 //


educationWritten by Tom Aswell, publisher of Louisiana Voice.
When LouisianaVoice broke the story about the stealth agreement between the Louisiana Department of Education (DOE) and Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. whereby DOE would provide News Corp. with personal information on Louisiana’s public school students for use by a company affiliated with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the resulting firestorm resulted in cancellation of the agreement.
Or did it?
 Remember, too, that it was Murdoch who, in 2010, speaking of the enormous business opportunity in public education awaiting corporate America, said, “When it comes to K through 12 education, we see a $500 billion sector in the U.S.”
In June of 2012, Erin Bendily, assistant deputy superintendent for departmental support and former education policy adviser to Gov. Bobby Jindal emailed Louisiana Superintendent of Education John White:
“I think we need to start with a very strong introduction and embed more CCSS (Common Core State Standards) alignment/integration throughout. This sounds harsh, but we should show that our current/old educator evaluation system is crap and the new system is stellar.”
Common Core, passed by the Legislature, was vetoed last Friday by Jindal who, like John Kerry and the $87 billion supplemental appropriation for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan in 2002, was for it before he was against it, but the controversy continues. Remember, it was our old friend Dave “Lefty” Lefkowith, that super commuter who flies back and forth between Baton Rouge and his Los Angeles home on a weekly basis, who first advised White to “forget” about communicating with the media or public about departmental plans to launch DOE’s Course Choice program in March 2013.
On Jan. 2, 2013, White emailed Lefkowith at 6:19 p.m., asking, “How we doing on communications? We have a huge launch in two months.”
“We just decided amongst ourselves: ‘Forget it,’” Lefkowith responded at 7:20 p.m. “Problem with that?”
“Fair,” White responded one minute later.
But at 6:53 p.m., 34 minutes after White’s email to Lefkowith and 27 minutes before Lefkowith’s response, White emailed Ken Bradford, assistant superintendent for the department’s Office of Content: “Okay. Time to start the blitz, as we roll up to launch.”
It was, however, the spate of emails scattered throughout the 119 pages of documents referencing the Shared Learning Collaborative (SLC), a project of the Gates Foundation that provided the link between the department and Murdoch and his News Corp. operation. Those emails confirmed the department’s intent to enter sensitive student and teacher information into a massive electronic data bank being built by Wireless Generation, a subsidiary of News Corp.
“Over the next few months, the Gates Foundation plans to turn over all this personal data to another, as yet unnamed corporation, headed by Iwan Streichenberger, former marketing director of a(n) (Atlanta) company called Promethean that sells whiteboard,” according to a news release by Class Size Matters, a non-profit organization that advocates for class size reduction of New York City’s public schools.
It was that revelation that should cause Louisiana citizens in general and parents of school children in particular the most cause for alarm.
Class Size Matters in January of 2013 released a copy of a 68-page contract between SLC and the New York State Educational Department which said in part that there would be no guarantee that data would not be susceptible to intrusion or hacking, though “reasonable and appropriate measures” would be taken to protect information.
Remember that “reasonable and appropriate measures” claim. It comes into play later.
The Gates contract also allows for the unrestricted subcontracting of duties and obligations covered under the agreement.
Remembers Gates as well; it, too, becomes important momentarily.
Fast forward to March of this year.
“The Louisiana Department of Education, in partnership with 15 other states, conducted the first phase of the PARCC Field Test March 24-April 11,” came the boast from DOE.
“More than 24,000 students in grades 3-8 successfully completed the Field Test: 24,415 students across 76 Local Education Agencies (LEA) participated in the Field Test, PARCC Security Breaches Revealed; Microsoft, InBloom, News Corp. Implicated:

Universal Pre-K in Seattle: Reasons to be cautious | Seattle Education

Universal Pre-K in Seattle: Reasons to be cautious | Seattle Education:



Universal Pre-K in Seattle: Reasons to be cautious

Annelieses

I was looking through a memory book that I had put together when my daughter was a small child and came across her pre-school schedule. It goes like this:
8:30-9:00 AM: Free time: Blocks, books and coloring
9:00-9:30 AM: Circle: French, Spanish, German and sign. (The children and teacher would sing songs in different languages and one teacher would sign while she spoke to the students. They would rotate languages each day.)
9:30- 10:00 AM: Outside: In the garden.
10:00- 11:30 AM: Classes: Art, Listening Comprehension, Music, Large Motor Activity, etc.
11:30- noon: Lunch: Manners and Language Development.
The children in my daughter’s pre-school also learned the alphabet, their numbers and how to write their names. The rest of the time they were absorbing new experiences, exploring their world,  learning how to work together and get along with each other and having fun in the process. Having fun at school during that time was very important to me. I wanted my daughter to equate learning and school to a positive experience.
Is this the same experience that Burgess and other fans of Universal pre-K envision for all children?
First, let’s take a look at the money. Funding for the Universal pre-K program in Seattle is to come from the levy that recently passed and by way of an increase inUniversal Pre-K in Seattle: Reasons to be cautious | Seattle Education:

Nite Cap 6-22-14 #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 CAP




4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 6-22-14
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: Op-Ed: WORLD WAR I, A WAR TOO EASY TO FORGETIn the rush to prepare kids 'to compete in the global economy',' current events and a lot of history get lost by Christopher L. Doyle, Op-Ed in the L.A. Times | http://lat.ms/1uUeYEi United States Army troops stand in the trenches in France during World War I. (Associated Press) 22 June 2014  :: Commenting rec
6-22-14 Schools Matter
Schools Matter: Learning About Liberty in a Charter Chain GangThis KIPP knock-off, Nashville Prep, has had numerous complaints about the severity of its penal pedagogy and abuse.  Here it is cleaned up for the cameras, i. e., minus the screaming and humiliation and silence.  If you find this disturbing, you have to remember that this is what they are most proud of--this is as good as it gets.by Ji
Common Core Memorandum of Understanding Not Just for “Development” | deutsch29
Common Core Memorandum of Understanding Not Just for “Development” | deutsch29: Common Core Memorandum of Understanding Not Just for “Development”June 22, 2014On June 18, 2014, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal announced that he had contacted the National Governors Association (NGA) and Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) to tell them that he was terminating Louisiana’s Common Core State
Dirty Secret in the Education Wars: Money Matters | NationofChange
Dirty Secret in the Education Wars: Money Matters | NationofChange: Dirty Secret in the Education Wars: Money MattersAn interesting twist in the ever-fascinating narrative of Republican politics unfolded in Mississippi this month when political operatives in the campaign to re-elect U.S. Senator Thad Cochran to another term attacked their primary challenger for wanting to “deeply cut federal educa
Video: Seattle schools superintendent expects to leave post this summer; parents worry about revolving door | Q13 FOX News
Seattle schools superintendent expects to leave post this summer; parents worry about revolving door | Q13 FOX News: Seattle schools superintendent expects to leave post this summer; parents worry about revolving doorSEATTLE — He’s only been the Seattle schools superintendent for about two years but now Jose Banda is announcing he may be leaving the district to take a superintendent job in Califor
Seattle Schools Community Forum: From Friday's Mad Dash News over Banda's Pending Departure
Seattle Schools Community Forum: From Friday's Mad Dash News over Banda's Pending Departure: From Friday's Mad Dash News over Banda's Pending DepartureUpdates:I spoke with several people connected with this issue on Friday.Gabe Ross is the communications person for Sacramento Schools.  He verified that some Sacramento School Board members will visit SPS this week.  He said that their Board has to
6-22-14 Jersey Jazzman Jammin' All Week
Jersey Jazzman: Charter School Reality: Hoboken, NJ EditionLet's return, once again, to the Northeast's home of charter school segregation denial: Hoboken, NJ.As I've stated before, the local charter school cheerleaders may try to deny the obvious, but the evidence is quite clear: the three charter schools in Hoboken do not serve nearly as many students in economic disadvantage as the public schoo
6-22-14 Answer Sheet
Answer Sheet: A teacher’s plea to bosses: Give us ‘time and autonomy to create solutions’If you talk to teachers about their jobs, one of the things you will hear most consistently is that they don’t have enough time to plan, collaborate and learn from each other. Here is an open letter from a teacher to superintendents and administrators everywhere explaining why this is so important. It was writ
NYC Educator: Wayne Barrett Is Shocked, Shocked
NYC Educator: Wayne Barrett Is Shocked, Shocked: Wayne Barrett Is Shocked, ShockedIt's important to Wayne Barrett that you know he is progressive.I am a progressive, How can you argue with that? After all, that's clear. You are, therefore, supposed to take his argument against union that much more seriously. But that's not all:...have been one since the 1960s, when I became a New York City public
Viewpoints: Eliminating teacher tenure will not improve public education - Viewpoints - The Sacramento Bee
Viewpoints: Eliminating teacher tenure will not improve public education - Viewpoints - The Sacramento Bee: Viewpoints: Eliminating teacher tenure will not improve public educationBy Erwin Chemerinsky and Catherine FiskSpecial to The BeePublished: Sunday, Jun. 22, 2014 - 12:00 amEliminating job security for teachers is not going to attract better teachers or do much to improve the quality of publi
MOOCs and Online Instruction: Cartoons | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice
MOOCs and Online Instruction: Cartoons | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: MOOCs and Online Instruction: CartoonsRecently, I posted an update on MOOCs after three years in the hype cycle. Afterwards, I scoured the web for cartoons on MOOCs and its kissing cousin, online learning (aka elearning, distance education). Here are some that might make you smile, giggle, or even prompt
Morning Wink 6-22-14 AM Posts #edchat #edreform
BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS6-22-14 Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFLLarry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL: Five Useful Ed Tech Articles & PostsHere are some recent useful pieces on ed tech-related issues: From Apple II to Touchcast, the evolution of computers in the classroom is from The Washington Post.
6-22-14 Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL
Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL: Five Useful Ed Tech Articles & PostsHere are some recent useful pieces on ed tech-related issues: From Apple II to Touchcast, the evolution of computers in the classroom is from The Washington Post. I’m adding it to The Best Sites For Learning About The History Of Technology. Via Tablet or Smartphone, Learning With MOOC
6-22-14 Curmudgucation
CURMUDGUCATION: Whole Brain TeachingI had put this out of my whole brain until Diane Ravitch posted a clip this morning from Nashville Prep. Here's the clip:This looks to be an application of Whole Brain Teaching, sometimes called Power Teaching, a techniques that seems to be the brain child of Chris Biffle Biffle is no slacker; he's published an assortment of books with legit publishers, and his
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 6-22-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: EduShyster Interviews Jose Luis Vilson about His New BookEduShyster interviewed Jose Luis Vilson, New York City teacher and blogger, about his new book, “This Is Not a Test.” Vilson has woven together the story of his own life with narratives about his students and classroom experiences. My impression, when I read his book, is that
6-22-14 the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness (the public and scholarly writing by P. L. Thomas, Furman University)
the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness (the public and scholarly writing by P. L. Thomas, Furman University): Debating the Gates Moratorium, Or Life among the RoadbuildersAs a lifelong fan of science fiction (SF), I want to start by invoking a SF convention that never gets old: time travel (but I’ll spare you the whirlwind prestidigitation mastered by Kurt Vonnegut, who married
6-22-14 Perdido Street School
Perdido Street School: Regents GradingBleary-eyed teachers in different places around the city are grading Regents exams this weekend - including this bleary-eyed teacher at Perdido Street School.That so much is riding for students, teachers and schools on a grading process that has exhausted teachers working through the day, then grading at night and on weekends, really ought to trouble any fair
6-22-14 Ed Notes Online Week
Ed Notes Online: Johannah Chase, Farina Choice for Special Ed: Kipper and TFAPeople are saying "same old, same old" -- keeping the old BloomKlein crowd around - people who defended some of the most horrific policies we've seen. Do they mean to say there is not one NYC current or former special ed teacher or supervisor qualified for this job? It really is a slap in the face of every speci
6-22-14 Fred All Week 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.: Ken Previti. The sanctity of contracts in a capitalist society – but not for teachers. The recently signed 75 year contract for a parking meter “concession agreement” is sacred.- Ken Previti is a retired teacher, activist and blogger living in Florida. Reclaim Reform can be found here. $6.50 per hour
All Week 6-22-14 @ THE CHALK FACE
@ THE CHALK FACE: Sgt. Bowe BergdahlOriginally posted on Bill Ayers:My brother Rick was one of the heroes of the American war against Viet Nam—he helped to organize and articulate war resistance in his unit, refused to kill people or to be killed in pursuit of the rulers’ imperial dreams, and deserted the US Army, spending the next decade on…by Michael Paul Gold... / 16min  All Week 6-21-14 @ THE
6-22-14 Wait What? - Jonathan Pelto: Gubernatorial Candidate and A Really Nice Guy
Wait What?: Wait What? All WeekFinally, an opportunity to speak to union membersAfter being shut out from speaking to the members of the American Federation of Teachers’ endorsing committee and the AFL-CIO delegates charged with selecting a candidate for endorsement, the Connecticut Working Families Party was kind enough to adhere to the fundamental principle of democracy and fairness and allow me
6-22-14 Seattle Schools Community Forum Week
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Mythbusters: Seattle can't keep a superintendentOnce again Seattle is looking to hire a schools' superintendent, just two years after hiring the current one. So you're going to read and hear a lot of people saying stuff like "What the heck is wrong with Seattle that it can't keep a superintendent? There must be something wrong with that school district/school
Louisiana Educator: The Real Experts on the Common Core
Louisiana Educator: The Real Experts on the Common Core: The Real Experts on the Common CoreThe following is a letter by three Louisiana teachers giving their opinion about the Common Core Standards. I believe this letter accurately reflects the view of many teachers across the state. In February of this year I conducted an opinion poll on Common Core using this blog which you mayview by clicking

YESTERDAY

Lesser of Two Evils for Education: FL Lunacy | Reclaim Reform
Lesser of Two Evils for Education: FL Lunacy | Reclaim Reform: Lesser of Two Evils for Education: FL LunacyPosted on June 21, 2014by Ken PrevitiChoose the lesser of two evils for education?In Florida, both candidates for governor are definitely evils who are known for being part of the corporate dismantling public education. As a matter of fact, the Republican incumbent, Rick Scott, was not part o
Nite Cap 6-21-14 #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 CAPWho Should Go, the Public Education Privatizers or the Teachers? You be the Judge - Perdaily.comWho Should Go, the Public Education Privatizers or the Teachers? You be the Judge Big money, Edvoice, Privatization scams, AB215 and Vergara invoking