Latest News and Comment from Education

Sunday, June 29, 2014

Abusive Letter Sent to Jeff Storobinsky southbronxschool

http://www.southbronxschool.com:



Abusive Letter Sent to Jeff Storobinsky

On Tuesday we posted the plight of retired teacher Jeff Storobinsky and the abuse he endured at the hands of his principal at the middle school he was at in Brooklyn.

Remember how Jeff mentioned receiving an letter from his principal? An letter that was sent in anger without thinking?

It is now early in January 2014 (I am home), after a bungled faculty conference where a strong teacher challenged the principal and the principal rushed out of the library rather than to answer questions he went straight to his Personal Computer and wrote me a letter that if he was in a rational state of mind he would not have sent.

Well in a SBSB exclusive, The Crack Team has gotten it's hands on a copy of the email. Let's take a look!


This letter is written in the tone of a father to a irascible little boy. It's as if Jeff is now on punishment and must go sit in the corner and go to bed without dinner. Funny, Jeff is a 55 year old man with http://www.southbronxschool.com:

DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER!: 10 Things That Stand Out Because I Joined the #NotatISTE14 Community!

DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER!: 10 Things That Stand Out Because I Joined the #NotatISTE14 Community!:



10 Things That Stand Out Because I Joined the #NotatISTE14 Community!

I am not at ISTE2014. :(

I planned to go since my sis lives in Atlanta, but I figured the wedding of my teammate was much more important. AND, I heard ISTE2015 will be in Philadelphia next year, 30 minutes away! YEAH!

Here's the good news. Jen Wagner decided to start a #notatiste14  group. I think it evolved into much more than what was originally imagined. Over 250 people have taken advantage of this wonderful opportunity! Our community has connected usingVoxer, Google +, Twitter, any number of social media tools. Due to the resourcefulness of the members of this community, we have even connected with vendors at ISTE. We are being recognized in tweets as an official group. ISTE attendees are sharing information! This community is amazing!

1. I am not an island. There are so many out there who are looking to connect, and SHARE!

2.  One idea, (Thank you Jen Wagner), can produce amazing results!

3. There is something to be said about teamwork. There are awesome teachers behind the scenes pulling all this together. Whether it's GHO's, challenges, getting vendors to give prizes, etc..., they are getting it done.

4. People understand that sometimes things don't work out the way you planned! My bigKahoot quiz/contest was a huge bust! Instead of being upset over time wasted, everyone was so understanding!

5. Educators are THE most creative people in the world! Did you see those #notatiste14 badges?
I still have more ribbons to add thanks to the creativity of my #notatiste14 peers.

6.  This community validates what I already knew about teachers, and wish everyone else knew. We are in it for our students! I was on the computer most of the day, (Thank God DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER!: 10 Things That Stand Out Because I Joined the #NotatISTE14 Community!:

Geaux Teacher!: "I have lost faith in the PTA," says Parent

Geaux Teacher!: "I have lost faith in the PTA," says Parent:



"I have lost faith in the PTA," says Parent





This comment was made by a PTA Mom in response to a blog by Diane Ravitch.  In her blog, Diane relays the thoughts of Peter Greene on U.S.Ed Sec. Arne Duncan's speech at the National PTA Conference.   I have re-posted Peter's statement after the Mom's comment.



Note:  The Gates Foundation awarded a couple million $$ to the National PTA specifically to promote the Common Core Initiative.  Ever since I heard that I have wondered if the folks at the National PTA level had a clue about Common Core, surveyed their members,  or if they normally just accept money from any source.

http://dianeravitch.net/2014/02/07/ny-pta-parents-outraged-by-ccss-but/



PTA mom 

I was at that PTA convention in Texas and I bit my tongue through his entire speech. I wanted to throw up. I have lost faith in the PTA. While I love what PTA does at a local level for our schools, I am sickened by what I see at the state and National PTA levels. Our voices as members have been sold out to corporate interests, and the top leadership is out of touch with parents today. Most of the top leaders dont even have children in public schools anymore so they think we are overreacting about the excessive testing and problems with common core. The leaders enjoy the power and prestige of their office and won’t listen to parents and teachers.



Even more alarming, the general meetings at the national PTA convention were sponsored by Discover Card, Microsoft, and Pearson. During the general meetings, attendees were forced to sit through 15 minute commercials about their corporations and hear about their “partnerships” with PTA. The week before the convention, delegates received emails from PTA with advertisements for Pearson, telling us to be sure to stop by Pearson’s booth in the exhibit hall. How much did PTA get to spam our inboxes with marketing? We paid a lot of money to attend that convention, I don’t appreciate my email address being sold like that, especially to Pearson.



******



http://dianeravitch.net/2014/06/29/peter-greene-the-arne-duncan-drinking-game/



Peter Greene proves himself a man of infinite patience. In this post, he analyzes and deconstructs a speech that Arne Duncan Geaux Teacher!: "I have lost faith in the PTA," says Parent:

Nite Cap 6-29-14 #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 CAP



Did LDOE hire 100 summer Interns at 25,000 a piece? | Crazy Crawfish's Blog
Did LDOE hire 100 summer Interns at 25,000 a piece? | Crazy Crawfish's Blog: Crazy Crawfish's BlogZesty Louisiana Education PoliticsDid LDOE hire 100 summer Interns at 25,000 a piece?Posted on June 29, 20140I was recently contacted to investigate and Louisiana Department of Education story that sounded too absurd to be true. I was told John White had hired as many as 100 interns at 25 grand a pop
Firing Bad Teachers: A Superintendent and a Teacher's Union Official Debate - Conor Friedersdorf - The Atlantic
Firing Bad Teachers: A Superintendent and a Teacher's Union Official Debate - Conor Friedersdorf - The Atlantic: Firing Bad Teachers: A Superintendent and a Teacher's Union Official DebateCan due process for educators coexist with the ability to terminate abusive or unqualified individuals? Flickr/StreetliveDr. John E. Deasy, Superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District, supports the
Sixty Years After Brown V. Board, Black Teachers Are Disappearing---Again - News & Views - EBONY
Sixty Years After Brown V. Board, Black Teachers Are Disappearing---Again - News & Views - EBONY: Nettie Hunt and her daughter Nickie sit on the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court Sixty years ago Saturday, the Supreme Court issued its landmark Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka ruling. In a unanimous decision, the Court struck down the concept of “separate but equal” in the nation’s public sc
Louisiana “Annual Tests” Tied Up in the New Mexico Courts? | deutsch29
Louisiana “Annual Tests” Tied Up in the New Mexico Courts? | deutsch29: Louisiana “Annual Tests” Tied Up in the New Mexico Courts?June 29, 2014June 18, 2014, was an interesting day in Louisiana politics and education. (I realize these two are now one and the same, but humor me.)One event of June 18 was Governor Bobby Jindal’s decision to suspend Louisiana’s involvement in PARCC because Louisiana S
Protesters to Gates Foundation: "Divest from Corporate Education Reform" - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher
Protesters to Gates Foundation: "Divest from Corporate Education Reform" - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Protesters to Gates Foundation: "Divest from Corporate Education Reform"By Anthony Cody on June 29, 2014 3:02 PMOn Thursday, June 26, I joined several hundred educators, parents and students who marched and rallied in Seattle, Washington, in protest of the Gat
Some books simply stand out: The Teachers’ Lounge (Uncensored) by Kelly Flynn | Reclaim Reform
Some books simply stand out: The Teachers’ Lounge (Uncensored) by Kelly Flynn | Reclaim Reform: Some books simply stand out: The Teachers’ Lounge (Uncensored) by Kelly FlynnPosted on June 29, 2014by Ken PrevitiMoney is tight. Books can be expensive. The Teachers’ Lounge (Uncensored)by Kelly Flynn is worth your money and your time. Parents, school board members, older students, curious taxpayers, e
6-29-14 @ The Chalk Face
@ THE CHALK FACE: At the Chalk Face: Education Talk Radio (Sundays at 6PM EST)At the Chalk Face is the only progressive and pro-public education radio program available. Join Drs. Shaun Johnson and Tim Slekar LIVE Sundays at 6PM EST and Wednesdays at 7PM for commentary and interviews on the latest topics on education, including breaking stories from classrooms and schools nationwide. If you're a t
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 6-29-14
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: CALIFORNIA SUPREME COURT TO DECIDE IF GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS’ PRIVATE E-MAILS ARE PUBLIC + smf’s 2¢By PAUL ELIAS, ASSOCIATED PRESS, from the santa rosa press democrat | http://bit.ly/1iQZSiT June 28, 2014, 10:57 AM  ::  SAN FRANCISCO — The California Supreme Court will decide if private emails and other electronic communications of government officials ar
6-29-14 Schools Matter All Week
Schools Matter: Kevin Carey Plays His Fear Card about American Colleges: It's a DeuceWith ALEC far on in writing model legislation to put steerage of higher education under the ham hands of the Tea Party and the Oligarchs (sounds like the worst band ever, right?), and with the federal government too in debt to the oligarchs to do anything about it, the only remaining stumbling block is the need to
6-29-14 Jersey Jazzman Jammin' All Week
Jersey Jazzman: The REAL Objection to Adequate School FundingEvery once in a while, the school defunders give away the game:[NJ State Senator Mike] Doherty [R- Tea Party] also brought up what he said was another broken promise from Christie. He said the governor had promised to make equal school funding a key theme of the 2013 campaign, in which all 120 seats in the Legislature were up for grabs.
College liberals spurn $10M gift from Koch brothers | New York Post
College liberals spurn $10M gift from Koch brothers | New York Post: College liberals spurn $10M gift from Koch brothersBy Carl CampanileJune 24, 2014 | 2:27amModal TriggerBrooklyn CollegePhoto: Edwine SeymourThey may teach business classes at Brooklyn College, but the school’s liberal leaders have told two of the country’s top businessmen to take their money and shove it because they don’t like t
Activists confront Rahm at media event - Substance News
Activists confront Rahm at media event - Substance News: Police muscle protesters away from one of mayor's publicity stunts, force reporter away from Rahm... Activists confront Rahm Emanuel at one of his staged media events after massive layoffs and additional cuts hit Chicago's public schoolsKati Gilson - June 28, 2014Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel may have thought that he was just going to get anoth
6-29-14 Answer Sheet
Answer Sheet: Common Core’s testing framework is crumblingIn 2010, Education Secretary Arne Duncan gave a major speech praising the Common Core State Standards and new Core-aligned standardized tests that the Obama administration was funding and that would be developed by two multi-state consortia. He said: Our children deserve that — and to remain competitive, our country does too. States in each
Morning Wink 6-29-14 AM Posts #edchat #edreform
BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTSLISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 6-29-14Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for allDiane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Oklahoma Rejected Pass-Fail Third Grade Reading TestI am late in reporting this story, but did not want to miss the opportunity to correct my oversight. One of the truly bad ideas that has been a
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 6-29-14Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Oklahoma Rejected Pass-Fail Third Grade Reading TestI am late in reporting this story, but did not want to miss the opportunity to correct my oversight. One of the truly bad ideas that has been adopted in various states is that third graders must pass a reading test or flunk. They can’t advance to fourth grade. This is part of the
6-29-14 Ed Notes Online Week
Ed Notes Online: Eterno on End to Jamaica HS 122 Year History - Farina/deBlasio Silence is Endorsement of Bloomberg Closing Schools Policy“This is the end,” said longtime teacher James Eterno, a 28-year veteran of the school, while choking up. “It’s bittersweet. It’s a celebration, but it feels like a funeral.”Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/queens/24-students-graduate-jamaica-high-
6-29-14 Wait What? - Jonathan Pelto: Gubernatorial Candidate and A Really Nice Guy
Wait What?: Wait What? All Week“Disruptive innovation’ policies hurting state’s children” (By Wendy Lecker)The Corporate Education Reform Industry calls it “Disruptive Innovation.” Translated into English, it describes the process by which an “education reformer” claims that they are improving the quality of education for our children by blowing up and undermining our public schools, turning them
6-29-14 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.: Sunday reads.At the NEA RA with the next president of the NEA, Lily Eskelsen Garcia. It’s the final day of the NEA Retired Conference, Happy birthday to my Skokie Organization of Retired Educators (IEA-R) member and fellow Illinois delegate Bob Kaplan. Nine thousand delegates arrive in Denver for NEA
6-29-14 Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL
Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL: June’s Best Posts From This BlogI regularly highlight my picks for the most useful posts for each month — not including “The Best…” lists. I also use some of them in a more extensive monthly newsletter I send-out. You can see older Best Posts of the Month at Websites Of The Month (more recent lists can be found here). Here
Stephen Krashen Blog 6-29-14
SKrashen: Missing from the debate: Pleasure reading in EnglishSent to the South Chine Morning Post, June 28, 2014.I have participated in the Great Native Speaker Teacher debate in the South China Morning Post (letters by Vaughen Rapatahana, June 11, Michael Shaw, June 17, my letter, June 23, Regina Ip, June 27). Missing from all of these letters, including mine, is any mention of the biggest facto
6-29-14 Curmudgucation Week
CURMUDGUCATION: Being White GuysI'm going to write this companion piece to last night's post about race and gender and then I'm going to set this topic aside (until I don't).Preamble and Disclaimer Let me make two points before I start this exercise in gross generalization. These apply to the previous post as well.1) I cannot possibly speak for everybody in any category and to every person's exper
6-29-14 Perdido Street School Week
Perdido Street School: Time For Dennis Walcott To Just Go The AwayDennis Walcott shares the results of his latest physical for all New Yorkers to rejoice in:Smart government policies to improve longevity and health outcomes for the public are critical. But it is ultimately our own individual responsibility to chart a healthier course for ourselves. You don’t need to run marathons. A modest change
Lisa Nielsen: The Innovative Educator: Collaboration between companies + school district = Connected educators
Lisa Nielsen: The Innovative Educator: Collaboration between companies + school district = Connected educators: Collaboration between companies + school district = Connected educatorsAre you gaga over Google? Do you think Microsoft is magnificent? Do you excel at using Edmodo? Do you think PBS is the perfect platform for digital media content?Wouldn’t it be great to find others in your district us
NYC Educator: The Good, the Bad and the Really Ugly
NYC Educator: The Good, the Bad and the Really Ugly: The Good, the Bad and the Really UglyI learned of the death of Eli Wallach on the way to grade Regents last week in someone else's school.  The star of stage and screen had died at the age of 98.  I will always best remember him as Tuco, "the Ugly," part-time sidekick to Blondie, in Sergio Leone's "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.&

YESTERDAY

Rocketship Education sputters in expansion, classroom - ContraCostaTimes.com
Rocketship Education sputters in expansion, classroom - ContraCostaTimes.com: Rocketship Education sputters in expansion, classroomBy Sharon Noguchi snoguchi@mercurynews.comPOSTED:   06/28/2014 07:02:16 PM PDT0 COMMENTS| UPDATED:   5 MIN. AGO1/5Cristina Callagy, assistant principal, gets the student body fired up during the morning launch session to get the day started at the Rocketship Spark Acad
Nite Cap 6-28-14 #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 CAPTop Three Summer Reads Recommended for Educators |Top Three Summer Reads Recommended for Educators |: Top Three Summer Reads Recommended for Educators Following up on my most recent post regarding the first external review of my recently released