Friday, July 4, 2014

The Same Principal, The Same Middle School, A Different Teacher southbronxschool.

http://www.southbronxschool.com:

The Same Principal, The Same Middle School, A Different Teacher

The hits just coming in about this principal at that middle school in Brooklyn.

This is now the third "manifesto" The Crack Team has received from staff members. This principal reminds me of Bobby Pellit, Jason Sudekis' boss in "Horrible Bosses." This stuff just can't be made up.

Next up, a current teacher at that middle school, Irma Rabinowitz (Highlights in red added by The Crack Team).

To whom it may concern:

This is to express my objection to the oppressive and punitive measures applied throughout the 2013-2014 school year at my school.

I have been teaching English and or Social Studies for at least sixteen years at my school. I have

gone throughout these years and enjoyed a distinguished career. However, this year I suffered

under an administrative staff that offered no materials, and no support regarding the children

who disrupted the educational environment in my class every day.

I started the year teaching English and Social Studies to two (2) sixth grade classes. By the end

of the first marking period my second sixth grade class was taken away from me, and I was

assigned a seventh grade class. I received notification of this fact incidentally at a Departmental

Meeting. I was shocked, and no one in the administrative staff spoke with me about this major

change. I then spoke to the Principal and expressed my concerns that this was outside my http://www.southbronxschool.com:

NEA RA. Delegates to Arne: Make Like A Tree and Leave

NEA RA. Delegates to Arne: Make Like A Tree and Leave

NEA Calls for Secretary Duncan's Resignation

By Liana Heitin on July 4, 2014 7:57 PM

By Liana Heitin and Stephen Sawchuk

Denver

Delegates to the National Education Association's annual convention passed a new business item July 4 calling for U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to resign.

The surprising move comes on the heels of union anger over moves across the United States to revise due-process protections, tenure, and seniority—some of which have been supported by Democrats, including the Obama administration.

Proposed by the union's powerful California affiliate, the item cites "the Department's failed education agenda focused on more high-stakes testing, grading and pitting public school students against each other based on test scores" as its rationale for demanding the secretary's resignation.

Similarly themed items were introduced at the 2012 and 2011 meetings, but have never before passed. (The union did, in 2010, pass an NBI severely chastising Duncan.)

In addition, the California Teachers Association has had an ax to grind with the secretary since he commented on the Vergara v. California ruling, which found that the state's tenure law violated student rights.

Duncan seemed to support the decision, though his statement on it was not a hearty endorsement. Instead, he said that the groups should work together to rewrite the laws. After backlash from American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten, the secretary went out of his way to flesh out his opinion on Vergara in a blog post.

NEA has had a tense relationship with the Obama administration, and it's unclear how this will affect the union.

For years, as Education Week has reported, the NEA has vented its frustration with President Obama by essentially taking it out on Duncan. This strategy has allowed the union to criticize the administration without looking foolish, especially during the 2012 re-election season—after all, the union has never once endorsed a Republican presidential candidate, and had no choice but to throw its weight behind Obama.

But it's also important to note that California is one of the most populous of the state affiliates, and each year submits a large number of the NBIs that are debated. Last year, sources say, the CTA submitted 36 of the 92 total NBIs.

NEA put out its official response to the California item yesterday. President Dennis Van Roekel stated: "NEA members are understandably frustrated with Secretary Duncan and many of the Department of Education's policies in recent years. We will continue to push the Department of Education to drive student-centered policy changes that are influenced by those who know best—educators working in our classrooms and in our schools—rather than profiteers."

We've got queries out to the Education Department and the AFT for comment, and will update this item once we know more.http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/teacherbeat/2014/07/nea_calls_for_sec_duncans_resi.html

A Close Look At Close Reading | WagTheDog

A Close Look At Close Reading | WagTheDog:

A Close Look At Close Reading

Learning is not done to you, it is something you choose to do.

~ Seth Godin , “Stop Stealing Dreams”

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David Coleman and other proponents of close reading clearly don’t have respect for students or the learning process.

Common Core’s emphasis on deep analysis of text and close reading is an inappropriate and misguided approach to reading instruction that will discourage and dispirit many students.

“…A first reading is about figuring out what a text says. It is purely an issue of reading comprehension. Thus, if someone is reading a story, he/should be able to retell the plot; if someone is reading a science chapter, he/she should be able to answer questions about the key ideas and details of the text…

However, close reading requires that one go further than this. A second reading would, thus, focus on figuring out how this text worked. How did the author organize it? What literary devices were used and how effective were they?…

Finally, with the information gleaned from the first two readings, a reader is ready to carry out a third reading—going even deeper. What does this text mean? What was the author’s point? What does it have to say to me about my life or my world? How do I evaluate the A Close Look At Close Reading | WagTheDog:

SOCIAL PROMOTION- LAUSD'S PRIME MOVER FOR CONTINUED AND PREDICTABLE STUDENT FAILURE- DID THEY EVER REALLY WANT THESE KIDS TO LEARN? - Perdaily.com

SOCIAL PROMOTION- LAUSD'S PRIME MOVER FOR CONTINUED AND PREDICTABLE STUDENT FAILURE- DID THEY EVER REALLY WANT THESE KIDS TO LEARN? - Perdaily.com:

SOCIAL PROMOTION- LAUSD'S PRIME MOVER FOR CONTINUED AND PREDICTABLE STUDENT FAILURE- DID THEY EVER REALLY WANT THESE KIDS TO LEARN?

(Mensaje se repite en Español)

I know teachers didn't create social promotion. They, like the students, are just victims of it, since students not being required to master prior grade-level standard precludes a subsequent single-subject credential teacher from doing their jobs- but not from being set up for the blame- which dovetails nicely into an argument for corporate privatization of public education, so that these crooks can get their hands on 40% of the $1 trillion at stake- think credit default swap and sub prime for comparable scams. Did you know Green Dot Charters is traded on the New York Stock Exchange?

I also know that self-esteem is only the historical cover story for allowing social promotion, but ingrained racist attitudes that have no expectation or belief that poor minority children can learn is really the justification in maintaining those in power that have always had it. George "W" Bush didn't get into Yale and Harvard on his scintillating intellect, but rather his family's pedigree, which just happens to belong to a group of people who will be in the minority in the not too distant future, unless they can stop the new majority from getting the education necessary, so we can all realize our future in a time when that future is not a sure thing- global warming?

Therefore, the only way for that short-sighted privileged minority to maintain power is to make sure that the minorities that are rapidly becoming the majority don't have the educational formation necessary to assume their leadership roll in this putative democracy. Who's going to mow the lawns or take care of the kids? You mean we might have to do that for ourselves? And then there are the crimes of 400 years against Blacks that doesn't get the scrutiny it would get as long as Black children are allowed to continue underachieving, where even too many minority administrators still believe that asking more would be "culturally insensitive." Think about that, if you were lucky enough to get the education necessary to do so.
And if you know that minorities can only reach their potential by holding them to a common standard of excellence, it is understandable why those not wanting these people to reach their potential continue to socially promote them into outright failure or, worse yet, being bad public school administrators. But if you SOCIAL PROMOTION- LAUSD'S PRIME MOVER FOR CONTINUED AND PREDICTABLE STUDENT FAILURE- DID THEY EVER REALLY WANT THESE KIDS TO LEARN? - Perdaily.com:

Nite Cap 7-4-14 #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

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!

7-4-14 Ed Notes Online

Ed Notes Online: Dissecting Moaning Mona DavidsMoaning Mona Davids has switched sides more times than a tennis ball.... and burned more bridges than the retreating German army..... Ed Notes Local 372 President Santos Crespo Jr. fired [Mona] Davids in December, then sued her in January, claiming she failed to turn over passwords to databases containing confidential information about the union’s mem

by mike simpson / 46min

About that StudentsFirst tweet… | teacherbiz

About that StudentsFirst tweet… | teacherbiz: About that StudentsFirst tweet…https://twitter.com/StudentsFirst/status/484839932007964672It never shocks me when StudentsFirst says something ridiculous, but this tweet I came across yesterday is particularly laughable. The tweet itself is a quote from an Alexander Russo blurb (which is in direct response to a Politico article) that compares Students

by mike simpson / 56min

7-4-14 Engaging Parents In School… | Going Beyond Parent "Involvement"

Engaging Parents In School… | Going Beyond Parent "Involvement": “How to end homework for moms”How to end homework for moms is a very helpful article that appeared recently in The Washington Post. In it, former National Principal of The Year Mel Riddile provides some good advice to teachers about the kind of homework to give that will be helpful to students and promote a positive feeling

by mike simpson / 1h

Update: American Class Schedule 2014

AMERICAN CLASS SCHEDULE 2014 Upper ClassMiddle ClassMY PLACE Proudly Sponsored by

by mike simpson / 1h

Emergency! Please Send an Email Protesting Injustice to Children | Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!

Emergency! Please Send an Email Protesting Injustice to Children | Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!: Emergency! Please Send an Email Protesting Injustice to ChildrenFiled under: American Injustice,Immigration — millerlf @ 2:35 pm Emergency!! Minutemen and other right-wing groups are mobilizing to stop more busses of children in Murrieta, California.Please send an emergency protest email

by mike simpson / 3h

Frankly My Dear… | WagTheDog

Frankly My Dear… | WagTheDog: Frankly My Dear… Many people have commented on David Coleman’s infamous statement at a 4/28/11 Common Core conference in NY:“As you grow up in this world, you realize people really don’t give a sh#@ about what you feel or what you think.”Coleman’s dismissal and disapproval of personal reflections is also apparent in the Common Core teacher training video; “Preparing f

by mike simpson / 3h

Fraud, embezzlement in charter schools nationally resonate with problems in Connecticut - Courant.com

Fraud, embezzlement in charter schools nationally resonate with problems in Connecticut - Courant.com: Hustlers Cash In On Charter School Craze Colin McEnroeTo Wit7:30 p.m. EDT, July 3, 2014If I showed you the headline "Weak Charter School Laws Enable Scams, Insider Dealing," you'd probably assume it's the latest shoe to drop in the unfurling scandal of FUSE, the punch-drunk charter scho

by mike simpson / 3h

California's education leaders - AWOL again - SFGate

California's education leaders - AWOL again - SFGate: California's education leaders - AWOL againPeter SchragUpdated 11:41 am, Thursday, June 5, 2014Johanna Paraiso is an English teacher at Fremont High School in Oakland, one of three Bay Area schools named in the lawsuit over the time poor and immigrant students spend learning. Photo: Michael Short, The ChronicleThere's no way to know how many Ca

by mike simpson / 4h

Good Riddance to Common Core Testing | Diane Ravitch

Good Riddance to Common Core Testing | Diane Ravitch: Good Riddance to Common Core TestingA few years ago, Arne Duncan, Bill Gates, David Coleman, and a merry band of policy wonks had a grand plan. The non-governmental groups like Achieve, the National Governors Association, the Council of Chief State School Officers, and Coleman's own Student Achievement Partners would write the Common Core stand

by mike simpson / 4h

7-4-14 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): MORNING READ: Tuck throws a punch at TorlacksonChallenger to CA schools chief blasts handling of Inglewood Unified takeover Marshall Tuck, the man who hopes to unseat Tom Torlakson as state superintendent of public instruction on Wednesday decried a legislative committee’s failure to authorize an audit o

by mike simpson / 5h

Summer Lost: Episode 1 - The Slide | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

Summer Lost: Episode 1 - The Slide | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: Summer Lost: Episode 1 - The SlideIt’s a sweltering summer afternoon in Philadelphia and Dion Jones is reading to his two sons, Jayven and Cameron, on a bench in Smith Memorial Playground.It’s July 1 — one of the first weeks of summer vacation — and Jones just received a handful of free children’s books from the Philadelphia

by mike simpson / 6h

lol my common core | Missouri Education Watchdog

lol my common core | Missouri Education Watchdog: lol my common coreinShareWhat would Bill Gates write about his CCSSI investment? “I get to spend over $200 Million for standards adoption, implementation and PR campaigns and call it a performance about being the nation’s superintendent.”Imagine that you are a student studying for your doctorate. You are in the midst of writing your thesis which d

by mike simpson / 6h

Russ on Reading: Walter Dean Myers: An Appreciation

Russ on Reading: Walter Dean Myers: An Appreciation: Walter Dean Myers: An AppreciationI was saddened to learn of the passing of the great young adult author, Walter Dean Myers. Myers was an important presence on my classroom bookshelves. His books spoke to a segment of my students who found very few voices they could relate to in literature. He wrote of poor African American kids on the streets o

by mike simpson / 6h

My Independence Day Post Featuring Kate Smith and God Bless America | deutsch29

My Independence Day Post Featuring Kate Smith and God Bless America | deutsch29: My Independence Day Post Featuring Kate Smith and God Bless AmericaJuly 4, 2014For my July Fourth post, I would like to feature what is now a well-known American anthem as performed by the iconic Kate Smith, God Bless America. Written by Irvin Berlin and made famous by Smith, the song premiered in 1938. As noted in Pa

by mike simpson / 6h

The VergarGuments are Coming to New York State! | School Finance 101

The VergarGuments are Coming to New York State! | School Finance 101: The VergarGuments are Coming to New York State!Posted on July 4, 20140 Rate ThisAnd so it goes… The VergarGuments keep-a-comin… spreading their way from California to the Empire State, from Albany to Buffalo. And what are VergarGuments you say?Well, a VergarGument is a fallacious form of legal reasoning applied in the conte

by mike simpson / 6h

FLASHBACK: 4th of July

FLASHBACK: 4th of JulyNite Cap 7-4-13 #neara13 #RYH4Ed #BATsACT #thankateacher #EDCHAT #P2 #HEREPASTJUNEJames 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 CAPTODAYEducation is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world - Nelson Mandela - Wait, What?Education is the most powerful

by mike simpson / 6h

Morning Wink 7-4-14 AM Posts #edchat #edreform

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK AM POSTSLISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 7-4-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for allDiane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: A Reading List on TestingBob Shepherd posted this reading list on testing. The list was compiled by Alfie Kohn. I have a few additions: Todd Farley, Making the Grades Banesh Hoffman, The Tyranny

by mike simpson / 7h

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 7-4-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: A Reading List on TestingBob Shepherd posted this reading list on testing. The list was compiled by Alfie Kohn. I have a few additions: Todd Farley, Making the Grades Banesh Hoffman, The Tyranny of Testing Phil Harris, The Myth of Standardized Testing Jim Horn and Denise Wilburn, The Mismeasure of Education Daniel Koretz, Measuring

by mike simpson / 7h

7-4-14 Wait What? - Jonathan Pelto: Gubernatorial Candidate and A Really Nice Guy

Wait What?: Wait What? When Democracy is seen as a danger…This week, as our state and nation prepared to celebrate the 4th of July, the union leaders of the Connecticut AFL-CIO sent out their weekly email to members. Their update included the following article, Can’t Support Petitioning For Pelto I am an advocate for access to the election ballot. I was a plaintiff in a […] The post When Democrac

by mike simpson / 7h

7-4-14 Answer Sheet

Answer Sheet: A declaration for teachersThere’s no better time of year to talk about declarations than on July 4th, the day the second Constitutional Convention meeting in 1776 approved the Declaration of Independence. Here’s a new one by Jennifer Barnett, a classroom teacher for more than 20 years who decided it was time for teachers to have a declaration of […]49 by Valerie Strauss / 4h 7-3-14

by mike simpson / 7h

7-4-14 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.: The courts pension decision and the governor’s race.Yesterday’s Illinois Supreme Court decision is cause for celebration. Six of the seven judges agreed that the pension protection clause of the state’s constitution meant what it said. Contractual pension benefits between the state and all government

by mike simpson / 7h

7-4-14 Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL

Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL: “‘There Are So Many Inspirational Teachers Out There’: An Interview With Meenoo Rami”‘There Are So Many Inspirational Teachers Out There’: An Interview With Meenoo Rami is my latest post over at Education Week Teacher. This summer, I’ll be alternating between publishing thematic compilations of past posts and sharing interv

by mike simpson / 7h

7-4-14 Schools Matter All Week

Schools Matter: David Brooks: In Praise of SegregationIt's not often that NYTimes conservative columnist, David Brooks, finds any way to use science try to justify the lifestyles of the rich and separate, but someone sent him news of a study that he obviously felt he could manipulate to rationalize the continuing resegregation of America and its schools. Good fences make good neighbors. When ethni

by mike simpson / 7h

7-4-14 @ The Chalk Face

@ THE CHALK FACE: Expect a regular series on saving a schoolAs some of you may know, I walked away from a position in higher education to return to the elementary classroom. With roughly 13 years of experience in education, and two advanced degrees, even rather late in the hiring cycle, I had my pick of teaching positions in Washington, DC. I immediately chose, without hesitation, […]2 by Shaun Jo

by mike simpson / 7h

7-4-14 Curmudgucation

CURMUDGUCATION: Hess: Free Press Charter Stories "Unhelpful"The Detroit Free Press recently ran a huge, extensively researched and reported story on Michigan's charter schools. They concluded, among other things, that charters hoover up a billion dollars with little transparency, that many charters are simply an ATM for family and friends of operators, that even really bad charters have

by mike simpson / 7h

7-4-14 Perdido Street School

Perdido Street School: The Hubris, Arrogance And Authoritarianism Of Common Core ProponentsSome of the comments on Jay Greene's Common Core Political Naivete and the Enemies List post get at this:"The main problem has not been intention, I think, but strategy. I have no doubt many Core supporters really think national standards are educationally important. The problem is, to get what they tho

by mike simpson / 7h

"This July 4, governing in the spirit of revenge"

"This July 4, governing in the spirit of revenge": "This July 4, governing in the spirit of revenge"byteacherkenFollow 8 Comments / 8 NewAs we celebrate the Fourth of July, who can argue that our democracy is working the way the Founders intended? And who can deny that most of the blame for dysfunction must fall to the Republican Party?So begins Eugene Robinson's column in t

by mike simpson / 7h

NYC Educator: Could Educational Extortion Work?

NYC Educator: Could Educational Extortion Work?: Could Educational Extortion Work?Imagine the Crime of the Century:With all the money that Bill Gates has poured into the Common Core, pawning it off on states in return for large grants, seeming to buy the loyalty of organizations like the National PTA and AFT, it may come as a surprise that his Common Core has been kidnapped. There has been much s

by mike simpson / 8h

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Eric Holder turned into a political hack for Rahm

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Eric Holder turned into a political hack for Rahm: Eric Holder turned into a political hack for RahmShame on Attorney General Eric Holder for allowing himself and his office to be used to kickstart Rahm Emanuel's re-election campaign. Holder was in town Wednesday to hail the “amazing” turnaround in school safety since the 2009 beating death of Fenger Academy student

by mike simpson / 8h

Day 2: NEA Rep Assembly BAT Blog #NEARA14 #NEABAT (With pictures) | Continuing Change

Day 2: NEA Rep Assembly BAT Blog #NEARA14 #NEABAT (With pictures) | Continuing Change: Day 2: NEA Rep Assembly BAT Blog #NEARA14 #NEABAT (With pictures)July 4, 2014EducationNEA Rate ThisOn yet another beautiful Colorado day, thousands upon thousands of teachers and support personnel poured into the Denver Convention Center.Today, our National Education Association kicked off our 2014 Represen

by mike simpson / 8h

YESTERDAY

Geaux Teacher!: White Pulls a Dead Rabbit Out of His Hat!

Geaux Teacher!: White Pulls a Dead Rabbit Out of His Hat!: White Pulls a Dead Rabbit Out of His Hat!I sent this letter to all BESE members along with various and sundry other people today.On July 1, during the BESE special meeting, it was stated several times that "teachers don't get to see the iLEAP or LEAP tests and parents can't see the tests after administration," so it would not be

by mike simpson / 18h

Digital Tools As The Gateway Drug To Real Pedagogy? - The Jose Vilson

Digital Tools As The Gateway Drug To Real Pedagogy? - The Jose Vilson: Digital Tools As The Gateway Drug To Real Pedagogy?by JOSE VILSON on JULY 3, 2014in JOSEOn Sunday, I spent some time with the good folks at SMART Technologies (yeah, I can’t believe I’m saying that either, but more on that later) for the annual ISTE conference, a mega-large education conference hosted this year in Atlanta, GA.

by mike simpson / 18h

7-3-14 Schools Matter All Week

Schools Matter: Picket, Boycott, Shut Down Weingarten's Common Core ConventionFrom Inside AFT: The AFT convention, set for July 11-14 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, will focus on fighting back and fighting forward on key domestic issues to reclaim the promise of America, including the Common Core State Standards . . .2 by Jim Horn / 51min 7-2-14 Schools Matter All WeekSchools Matter: Join M

by mike simpson / 21h

Oregon Save Our Schools: Oregon SOS at the Gates Foundation Protest in Seattle

Oregon Save Our Schools: Oregon SOS at the Gates Foundation Protest in Seattle: Oregon SOS at the Gates Foundation Protest in SeattleOn Thursday, June 26th, members of Oregon Save Our Schools joined Oregon Bad Ass Teachers (BATs) in Seattle in solidarity with Washington BATs and Washington Save Our Schools at an event designed to bring attention to Bill Gates’ undue influence in our public schools

by mike simpson / 21h

NEA - 2014 News Releases

NEA - 2014 News Releases: NEA delegates approve creation of national campaign for equity and against “Toxic Testing”Campaign to focus on assessments and developing real accountability systemsDENVER—The National Education Association (NEA) will launch a national campaign to put the focus of assessments and accountability back on ensuring equity and supporting student learning and end the “test blam

by mike simpson / 21h

Nite Cap 7-3-14 #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 CAPThe Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro by Frederick Douglass | Bill AyersThe Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro by Frederick Douglass | Bill Ayers: The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro by Frederick DouglassA speech given at Rochester, New

by mike simpson / 23h