Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Geaux Teacher!: THIS is CHOICE in the New Orleans RSD Charter Takeover

Geaux Teacher!: THIS is CHOICE in the New Orleans RSD Charter Takeover:



THIS is CHOICE in the New Orleans RSD Charter Takeover



Today, New Orleans parent Fiyah Like Ayanna posted the following plea for attention on Facebook. Fiyah showed up to place her child on the Recovery School District Lottery list hoping, she says, for a "B or C school."  (Why not an "A" school?)  This was her experience followed by comments from several others who found themselves in the same predicament.  This is the reality of CHOICE in the 100% charter world of the RSD. 

Fiyah - 

"I am in line to deal with my child's OneApp situation. This is the first day that the process has been open. The line to speak to someone is literally around the corner. There is NO parking and tow trucks are here towing cars. This is a serious problem. I have called WDSU to get news cameras down here. The newsroom said they are busy with the Ray Nagin sentencing. There are only people of color in this monstrous line. Where are the white folks? Could it be that they have all gotten into the schools they requested? My Family who are Education Quality/Equality Activists please come down to help.
They call it the "Public Fool" system, and right now...in this line, I feel like a fool."


Nikki Radicalone - 

"New Orleans parents lined up in the wee hours of the morning, attempting to beat the rush of parents and guardians that would line up to speak with a Recovery School District representative to acquire a space for the children in the 'B and C' schools this upcoming year.



 The 'One App' was supposed to streamline the issues that the parents have been enduring under this 'Slaves choose your master school' model, since the charter schools and the carpetbaggers revamped the school system. However, parents had to endure 
Geaux Teacher!: THIS is CHOICE in the New Orleans RSD Charter Takeover:
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Join National Campaign to Put Focus of Public Education on Student Learning | Dennis Van Roekel

Join National Campaign to Put Focus of Public Education on Student Learning | Dennis Van Roekel:



Join National Campaign to Put Focus of Public Education on Student Learning



The average American student and teacher now spend about 30 percent of the school year preparing for and taking standardized tests. This is time that schools could use to achieve their primary purpose of educating students. Instead, they become nothing more than test factories.
American taxpayers send approximately $1.7 billion to the corporate standardized test companies. These funds could go toward educating our youngest learners. They could be spent ensuring students have access to arts, music, and physical education. They could be spent on 21st century technology and updated materials.
No group of students has been more harmed by the failure of high-stakes testing than those in low-income communities. We were all told that the barrage of standardized testing unleashed by No Child Left Behind was necessary to collect critical data on the most underserved students -- including students with disabilities and English language learners -- to help shine a light on educational gaps and drive programs that would boost achievement.
The sad truth is that test-based accountability has not closed the opportunity gaps between affluent and poor schools and students. It has not driven funding and support to the students from historically underfunded communities who need it most. It has not led to an expansion of curricular offerings, but rather a narrowing of them.
NCLB's promise has been proven hollow; its policies have failed.
Despite this failed experiment, the testing obsession continues. We are so addicted to testing that we are now giving students out-of-date standardized tests that are not aligned with what is currently being taught in class. I spent 23 years teaching math to students who were amazingly capable, smart, and perceptive. But even my best student was not omniscient. We simply cannot hold students accountable for material they have not been taught. This is not education. It's malpractice.
Adding insult to injury, students' test scores are used to evaluate teachers who did not Join National Campaign to Put Focus of Public Education on Student Learning | Dennis Van Roekel:
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First English Framework Based On Common Core - Year 2014 (CA Dept of Education)

First English Framework Based On Common Core - Year 2014 (CA Dept of Education):



State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Announces State Adoption of First English Framework Based on Common Core




SACRAMENTO—California teachers have new guidance in teaching English language arts under the Common Core State Standards with additional support for English learners, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson announced today as the State Board of Education adopted the English Language Arts/English Language Development Framework for California Public Schools (Framework).This is the first time in the nation that a state has adopted dual guidelines in one publication for both English language arts and English language development.
"Bringing together the standards for English language arts and English language development will help give all students—no matter where they come from or where they live—the tools to read, write, and understand all their courses, so they will be ready for college and careers," Torlakson said. "The new Framework addresses the needs of our diverse student population and gives teachers a 'roadmap' for curriculum and instruction under the Common Core."
The Framework provides teachers guidance to teach the standards, which describe the knowledge, concepts, and skills that students should acquire at each grade level. The Framework covers the implementation of the California Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects (PDF; 2MB), as well as the new California English Language Development Standards. Adopted by the State Board of Education in 2010, theCommon Core State Standards for English language arts and mathematics are the basis for remodeling California's education system to help students learn step-by-step the real world skills and knowledge that they will need for college and careers.
"California is forging a new path through the adoption of one Framework for two interrelated standards that help ensure all of our students have the ability to read, write, and communicate with competence and confidence across a range of academic content areas," said State Board of Education President Dr. Michael Kirst.
The Framework helps teachers on a range of topics. These include guidance on instructional strategies to strengthen learning for every student, both in classrooms where English language is taught and in collaboration with teachers in other courses. It also contains information on the qualities of effective professional development, technology for instruction and learning, criteria for evaluating instructional materials, and on testing to improve instruction and learning. The Framework provides descriptions of the standards by grade span and level, and includes resources such as classroom instruction vignettes and models that teachers may use to address the diverse needs of their students.
The Framework was created by educators and literacy experts, most of whom are teachers in California classrooms, under the guidance of the state Instructional Quality Commission. Public comments on the draft Framework were collected earlier this year, and were presented to the State Board of Education. The Instructional Quality Commission unanimously recommended the Framework to the Board for adoption.
The Framework is currently available in draft form on the California Department of Education's May-June Draft ELA/ELD Framework Chapters Web page and will soon be updated to reflect its final adoption by the State Board of Education.
# # # #
Tom Torlakson — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5206, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100
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The Big Brain of the Right on American Exceptionalism | Bill Ayers

The Big Brain of the Right on American Exceptionalism | Bill Ayers:



The Big Brain of the Right on American Exceptionalism



David Brooks, the moderate “human face” of the plutocrats and its dangerous fang faction within the Repulsican Party, trumpeted the need for “a national greatness agenda” in his New York Times column and managed to evoke a grotesquely mangled and romanticized image of the Black Freedom Movement of 50 years ago in an attempt to rally people to a left/right social movement of all the politically disaffected built around the goal of broad revitalization: “Like the civil rights movement, this movement will ask Americans to live up to their best selves.” And our “best selves” is easily summed up by DB: “Love of country.” Yes simple patriotism will, in Brooks’ cosmology, allow Americans to see that sacrificing Social Security benefits “at a time when soldiers and Marines are sacrificing their lives for their country in Afghanistan,” or giving up pensions as an investment in “America’s future greatness,” represent the sensible unifying path forward.
Most Americans (and the whole world besides) think that the US adventures in Iraq and Afghanistan have been and continue to be catastrophic. The vast majority of the people of Iraq and Afghanistan (not the “insurgents” or the Taliban or the “jihadists”) have overwhelmingly opposed the US military presence in their respective lands practically from the start. Any ethical person would tell the government to end its senseless wars for a start, bring those Marines and soldiers home now, and spend those squandered billions on education, health, and the common good.
But Brooks sees the hand writing on the wall: US power is in deep crisis, and the American empire is coming to an end; his solution is to mobilize a nationalistic movement and shred any expectation of a The Big Brain of the Right on American Exceptionalism | Bill Ayers:
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NYC Public School Parents: Audit on school overcrowding released today confirms our findings that the crisis is getting worse

NYC Public School Parents: Audit on school overcrowding released today confirms our findings that the crisis is getting worse:



Audit on school overcrowding released today confirms our findings that the crisis is getting worse



Today's Daily News, and no that it not me screaming in facepaint.

Today's audit from the City Comptroller reinforces the findings in our recent report,Space Crunch, showing that DOE continues to put out misleading data to minimize the worsening crisis of overcrowding in our schools, and has no real plans to deal with it.   See the Juan Gonzalez front page story in the Daily News today about the audit.  The unacceptable level of overcrowding was also delineated in a recent study from the Independent Budget Office. 


Overcrowding has a host of negative impacts on students, including excessive class sizes, high rates of disengagement and disciplinary problems, safety issues, and a sense among students that the system doesn’t care enough about their needs.  More than 330,000 students were in classes of 30 or more last year.  We also found that the DOE undercounts the number of students in trailers by many thousands.

Though the audit found that about 1/3 of kids were in overcrowded buildings by looking at the Blue Book’s “historic” 2011-2012 figures, we analyzed more recent “target” figures from 2012-13 and found nearly half of all students were in overcrowded buildings.   

The “target” formula is somewhat more accurate but still underestimates the actual level of overcrowding in schools.  This means more than 480,000 students were in extremely overstuffed buildings last year. The audit found the same trend line as we did– worsening overcrowding, NYC Public School Parents: Audit on school overcrowding released today confirms our findings that the crisis is getting worse:

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Nite Cap 7-9-14 #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




7-9-14 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.: Greg Hinz. Rauner and Quinn and Stroger and Madigan.- Greg Hinz If you put together a list of Illinois politicians whom Bruce Rauner would be least likely to funnel campaign cash to, Chicago’s Stroger clan and Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan would be right at the top. The late John Stroger and
by mike simpson / 0min 
solidaridad: 'Crenshaw' documents what education reform monsters like Deasy do to schools with black students
solidaridad: 'Crenshaw' documents what education reform monsters like Deasy do to schools with black students: 'Crenshaw' documents what education reform monsters like Deasy do to schools with black studentsFrom Filmmaker Lena Jackson. Please forward widely:Please join us for the first Los Angeles screening of Crenshaw at the Southern California Library this Thursday, July 10th at 6:30pm. The even
by mike simpson / 9min 
1,000 LCAPs later, let’s hope we learn something | EdSource
1,000 LCAPs later, let’s hope we learn something | EdSource: 1,000 LCAPs later, let’s hope we learn somethingJuly 9, 2014 | By Carrie Hahnel / commentary | No Comments SHARE THIS ARTICLESOURCE: EDUCATION TRUST-WESTCarrie HahnelAs districts completed their first-ever Local Control and Accountability Plans this spring, the caveat “this is a learning year” became their oft-shared refrain. Now that m
by mike simpson / 41min 
Teacher Tenure | Deborah Meier on Education
Teacher Tenure | Deborah Meier on Education: Teacher TenurePosted on July 9, 2014 by debmeierdebmeier:My son’s latest blog on the teacher tenure issueOriginally posted on Nicholas Meier:There was a recent lower court ruling against so-called “Teacher Tenure” here in California. I am really not sure about the extent of the ruling, but the general verdict was that “tenure” was unfair to providing an
by mike simpson / 43min 
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Banda asks Duncan to allow SPS Waiver
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Banda asks Duncan to allow SPS Waiver: Banda asks Duncan to allow SPS WaiverFrom Superintendent Banda:Dear Seattle Public Schools community,Over the last several years we have made great strides in ensuring our students graduate ready for success in college, career and life. However, much work remains to ensure that each and every student has the academic and commu
by mike simpson / 48min 
At AFT Convention teachers union expected to fire up the base
At AFT Convention teachers union expected to fire up the base: At AFT convention, teachers union expected to fire up the basePosted on July 9, 2014 1:36 pm by Vanessa RomoRandi Weingarten, AFT PresidentThe American Federation of Teachers (AFT) kicks off itsannual convention in downtown Los Angeles tomorrow bringing more 3,500 national union delegates to the home ofLA Unified, the second largest sc
by mike simpson / 1h 
All Things Education: Not your mother's PE class
All Things Education: Not your mother's PE class: Not your mother's PE classMy sons are headed to middle school next year. They are disappointed (as am I) that there won't be recess, however, they are excited that they will have PE for a 90-minute block every other day. A few days prior to the end of their fifth grade year, I had been discussing this with a few other parents and some of their olde
by mike simpson / 3h 
Russ on Reading: Thinking about Critical Thinking, Common Core and Vergara
Russ on Reading: Thinking about Critical Thinking, Common Core and Vergara: Thinking about Critical Thinking, Common Core and VergaraRecent headlines have me thinking about critical thinking.House Speaker John Boehner Wants to Sue the PresidentSarah Palin Says, “Impeach the President.”Secretary of Education Arne Duncan Praises the Vergara DecisionReading some of these pronouncements makes me think
by mike simpson / 3h 
TO FINALLY FIX PUBLIC EDUCATION- IS TIMELY REGRESSION A VIABLE ALTERNATIVE TO EQUALLY FAILED CONCEPTS OF SOCIAL PROMOTION OR RETENTION? - Perdaily.com
TO FINALLY FIX PUBLIC EDUCATION- IS TIMELY REGRESSION A VIABLE ALTERNATIVE TO EQUALLY FAILED CONCEPTS OF SOCIAL PROMOTION OR RETENTION? - Perdaily.com: TO FINALLY FIX PUBLIC EDUCATION- IS TIMELY REGRESSION A VIABLE ALTERNATIVE TO EQUALLY FAILED CONCEPTS OF SOCIAL PROMOTION OR RETENTION?(Mensaje se repite en Español)Between dishonest social promotion of students without prior and current grade-leve
by mike simpson / 3h 
One Compliant County in Florida and its New 724 Tests |
One Compliant County in Florida and its New 724 Tests |: One Compliant County in Florida and its New 724 Tests Beginning this fall, in Collier County Florida as per the state of Florida’s new teacher accountability policy, district teachers/administrators are to create new tests for each and every class it offers (including all electives) to hold all teachers accountable for the value they purport
by mike simpson / 4h 
How Much Do Reformers Think Job Security Is Worth To Teachers? | Paul Bruno
How Much Do Reformers Think Job Security Is Worth To Teachers? | Paul Bruno: How Much Do Reformers Think Job Security Is Worth To Teachers?By PAUL BRUNO | Published: JULY 9, 2014A couple of weeks back at This Week in Education I tried to explain why the Vergara decision in California doesn’t have easily-predictable major consequences, even if you hand-wave away all of the inevitable legal wranglin
by mike simpson / 4h 
What a “free press”–pause here for laughter–means to Newark: Cowardice | Bob Braun's Ledger
What a “free press”–pause here for laughter–means to Newark: Cowardice | Bob Braun's Ledger: What a “free press”–pause here for laughter–means to Newark: CowardiceNJTV–wimping outFor the first time in nearly two centuries, Newark–the largest city in the eighth largest state in America–will not be home to a daily newspaper. After Sept. 8, The Star-Ledger will move its operations to Woodbridge and E
by mike simpson / 4h 
The Answer Sheet 7-9-14
Answer Sheet: Will the FCC ignore educators in modernizing key U.S. technology program?This post is a rebuttal to one that I published a few days ago about the federal “E-Rate” program — which offers discounts for schools and libraries to get Internet access and telecommunications — under the headline “A watershed moment for technology in education.” The earlier piece was co-written by Julius Gena
by mike simpson / 5h 
7-9-14 The Whole Child Blog — Keeping a Hidden Population Safe at School
The Whole Child Blog — Whole Child Education: Keeping a Hidden Population Safe at SchoolWhat percent of students is it okay to let feel unsafe at school? 0 percent 1 percent 5 percent 10 percent You, like me, probably answered zero percent. As an educator dedicated to a whole child approach to education, you recognize the value of each and every learner. What if I told you we have allowed (albeit
by mike simpson / 5h 
Kristal Clear on Common Core: And This Fat Lady Sings
Kristal Clear on Common Core: And This Fat Lady Sings: And This Fat Lady SingsThis is customer service nowadays and it is also what it feels like when you call the Capitol and attempt to voice constituent concerns with legislators, Governors and policy directors -- DEAF EARS!!  Even those "good" politicians (which there are not very many) compromise when push comes to shove and or get ov
by mike simpson / 5h 
HOW TO ENTICE THE BEST TEACHERS TO WORK IN HIGH-POVERTY CLASSROOMS | Teachers Fight Back
HOW TO ENTICE THE BEST TEACHERS TO WORK IN HIGH-POVERTY CLASSROOMS | Teachers Fight Back: HOW TO ENTICE THE BEST TEACHERS TO WORK IN HIGH-POVERTY CLASSROOMSleave a comment »The Obama administration is ordering states to devise strategies to get better teachers into high-poverty classrooms.  The Education Department is directing every state to devise a plan by April 2015 to get more good teachers i
by mike simpson / 5h 
7-9-14 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: Overpaid Centinela Valley superintendent firedCentinela Valley school board fires embattled Superintendent Jose Fernandez The Centinela Valley school board Tuesday night voted to fire Superintendent Jose Fernandez, ending a five-month chapter that began with revelations that the leader of th
by mike simpson / 5h 
Evangelical Christian clubs coming to Portland-area public schools, opposition says curriculum is 'hardcore fundamentalist indoctrination' | OregonLive.com
Evangelical Christian clubs coming to Portland-area public schools, opposition says curriculum is 'hardcore fundamentalist indoctrination' | OregonLive.com: Evangelical Christian clubs coming to Portland-area public schools, opposition says curriculum is 'hardcore fundamentalist indoctrination' Hundreds of Portland-area residents are organizing to stop a network of Christian clubs from proselytizi
by mike simpson / 6h 
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 7-9-14
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: California Court: CORRUPTION IS NOT SUFFICIENT REASON TO CLOSE A HIGH-SCORING CHARTER SCHOOLBy Diane Ravitch, from her blog | http://is.gd/Ar1v9e July 6, 2014  ::  For a few years, the American Indian Model Charter Schools in Oakland, California, were the most celebrated charter schools in the nation, beloved especially by the conservative and rightwing
by mike simpson / 6h 
What Would Mark Twain Have Thought of Common Core Testing? - David Perrin - The Atlantic
What Would Mark Twain Have Thought of Common Core Testing? - David Perrin - The Atlantic: What Would Mark Twain Have Thought of Common Core Testing?In his autobiography and in Tom Sawyer, the author skewered the test-centered teaching of his day. It's not hard to imagine what he would have thought about an exam that grades student essays via computer.I've been teaching high school English in Illin
by mike simpson / 6h 
What’s Obama’s Problem With School Choice? - Gov. Bobby Jindal and Gov. Scott Walker - POLITICO Magazine
What’s Obama’s Problem With School Choice? - Gov. Bobby Jindal and Gov. Scott Walker - POLITICO Magazine: What’s Obama’s Problem With School Choice?By GOV. BOBBY JINDAL and GOV. SCOTT WALKER July 08, 2014Koch BrothersWhy would the federal Department of Justice cite the Civil Rights Act and the specter of segregation to try and block a school choice program where more than nine in 10 participants c
by mike simpson / 6h 
A view of the future through kindergarten demographics | Pew Research Center
A view of the future through kindergarten demographics | Pew Research Center: A view of the future through kindergarten demographicsBY JENS MANUEL KROGSTADLEAVE A COMMENTToday’s kindergartners offer a glimpse of tomorrow’s demographics. A new data analysis by Pew Research Center finds a big increase over the past decade in the number of states where at least one-in-five public school kindergartner
by mike simpson / 6h 
Teacher Quality And The Decline In Teachers of Color - The Jose Vilson
Teacher Quality And The Decline In Teachers of Color - The Jose Vilson: Teacher Quality And The Decline In Teachers of Color This morning, I came across this article on Huffington Post (I know, I know, hear me out, though) and thought I should ask questions about President Obama’s initiative to enforce former President George W. Bush’s mandates for “excellent teachers” to stay in the highest-need
by mike simpson / 6h 
Clowns In The Tent, Oh My!
The Camel's Nose In The Tent.The Camel's Nose In The Tent.One cold night, as an Arab sat in his tent, a camel gently thrust his nose under the flap and looked in. "Master," he said, "let me put my nose in your tent. It's cold and stormy out here." "By all means," said the Arab, "and welcome" as he turned over and went to sleep.A little later the Arab awoke t
by mike simpson / 7h 
Organizing and Action | educationalchemy
Organizing and Action | educationalchemy: Organizing and ActionI have created (see link at here chart3 and at end of blog) a chart that may help folks in thinking through how to organize effective resistance to ed reform and crafting meaningful and effective alternatives to current education policies. My motivation to create this came from my own frustrations with a few things:1) Where to begin? S
by mike simpson / 7h 
Morning Wink 7-9-14 AM Posts #edchat #edreform
BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTSLISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 7-9-14 Diane Ravitch's blog #thankateacher #EDCHAT #P2Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: “Data Is Fool’s Gold of the Common Core”Common Core standards are usually described in the mainstream media in idealistic terms, using the positive and affirmative messages to sell the idea to the public. Doesn’t
by mike simpson / 7h 
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 7-9-14 Diane Ravitch's blog #thankateacher #EDCHAT #P2
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: “Data Is Fool’s Gold of the Common Core”Common Core standards are usually described in the mainstream media in idealistic terms, using the positive and affirmative messages to sell the idea to the public. Doesn’t everyone want “high standards?” Doesn’t everyone want every single student to be “college and career ready?” Doesn’t eve
by mike simpson / 7h 
7-9-14 Ed Notes Online
Ed Notes Online: Must Read: Democracy and Politics in the UFT, 1976 EdIn preparation for next week's MORE summer series on the history of caucuses and what we can learn, thanks to Vera Pavone, we have created an online version of the pamphlet we produced almost 40 years ago (minus the graphics). I will have some hard copies with me next week but I urge you to download it and read the 25 page pamph
by mike simpson / 7h 
7-9-14 Wait What? - Jonathan Pelto: Gubernatorial Candidate and A Really Nice Guy
Wait What?: Wait What? All WeekWhy won’t UConn simply tell the truth?According to today’s Hartford Courant, the University of Connecticut has returned the public stage, again, to claim that no taxpayer or student funds were used to pay for Hillary Clinton’s $251,000 speaking fee, for Governor Dannel “Dan” Malloy’s trip to Switzerland and China or for the 7,000 square foot house that the UConn Foun
by mike simpson / 7h 
7-9-14 Seattle Schools Community Forum Week
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Awkward and Odd; Green Dot Comes to TownAs I previously reported, Green Dot has submitted a letter of intent to the Charter Commission to open their second Puget Sound region charter school this time in "south Seattle."  A couple of readers alerted me that Green Dot had two open houses this week, one in the SW and one in the SE, to meet parents.  I attend
by mike simpson / 7h 
7-9-14 Schools Matter All Week
Schools Matter: A Teacher's Take on Common CoreFrom Labor Notes:. . . .There’s debate among teachers about the idea of replacing the status quo, state standards, with national ones. But the implementation has been roundly unpopular.Forty-five states and the District of Columbia have adopted the national standards, which cover English and math. Students will be tested on them every year, kindergart
by mike simpson / 8h 
7-9-14 Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL, & EF
Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL: Video: Donald Duck On Self-ControlI’ve previously shared the videos Sesame Street has done this year promoting the virtue of self-control. They’re pretty creative and entertaining. I just learned that Walt Disney apparently had similar ideas in 1938, and put out this cartoon of Donald Duck teaching and learning about self-c
by mike simpson / 8h 
7-9-14 @ The Chalk Face
@ THE CHALK FACE: About the radio showJoin Drs. Shaun Johnson and Tim Slekar LIVE Sundays at 6PM EST and Wednesdays at 7PM EST on Blog Talk Radio for progressive, pro-public education talk radio. Call in to speak live with Tim and Shaun during the show, (805) 727-7111. You can also listen to our Monday "Sunday-Replay" at 7PM EST, and re-broadcasts of the archives every Tuesday and Thursd
by mike simpson / 8h 
7-9-14 Perdido Street School
Perdido Street School: MTA Looks To Get Congress Involved In MTA/LIRR Unions DisputeFrom the NY Post:The MTA’s negotiations with unions representing LIRR workers broke down Tuesday afternoon, 12 days before hundreds of thousands of Long Islanders would be left stranded by a strike.With the walkout looming, MTA Chairman Thomas Prendergast penned a letter to US Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Min
by mike simpson / 8h 
New York Magazine Writer Thinks Ravitch Will “Make” Unions “Go Republican” | deutsch29
New York Magazine Writer Thinks Ravitch Will “Make” Unions “Go Republican” | deutsch29: New York Magazine Writer Thinks Ravitch Will “Make” Unions “Go Republican”July 9, 2014I just finished writing a post about American Federation of Teachers (AFT) President Randi Weingarten’s allegiance to the Democratic Party above all else, and what link do I open up next?That of a New York Magazine article by
by mike simpson / 8h 
Lily Eskelsen Garcia Elected to be the Next President of NEA | Lily's Blackboard
Lily Eskelsen Garcia Elected to be the Next President of NEA | Lily's Blackboard: We Are Fearless and We Will Not Be SilentJul 9th, 2014 by LilysBlackboard.NEA president-elect Lily Eskelsen García, after praising those who have supported and worked in concert with her, concluded NEA’s 152nd Annual Meeting with a strong message to those “who don’t know what they’re talking about”: We will not be si
by mike simpson / 8h 
NYC Educator: Who Will be a Jedi Teacher?
NYC Educator: Who Will be a Jedi Teacher?: Who Will be a Jedi Teacher?Under the new NYC contract, teachers in some schools will be picked from among the highly effective, effective (and satisfactory, where applicable) for leadership positions designated as ambassador, model and master teachers.  Teachers who apply must be approved by a committee composed of D.o.E. and Union officials with the Chan
by mike simpson / 8h 
States Fail at “Running the Local Schools,” Despite What Chris Christie Says | janresseger
States Fail at “Running the Local Schools,” Despite What Chris Christie Says | janresseger: States Fail at “Running the Local Schools,” Despite What Chris Christie SaysPosted on July 9, 2014 by janressegerPublic schools are human institutions, places where adults work to foster the intellectual, linguistic, mathematical, social, ethical, emotional, and physical growth and development of children.
by mike simpson / 8h 
Democratic Party’s Divide On Education Policy Gets Worse
Democratic Party’s Divide On Education Policy Gets Worse: Democratic Party’s Divide On Education Policy Gets WorsePolitical pundits who try to tamp down talk of divisions within the Democratic Party must not be paying any attention to education policy. For quite some time, close observers of the nation’s education policy have been calling attention to the fault lines between education progressives
by mike simpson / 8h 

YESTERDAY

Intimidation at Board Meetings - Geek Palaver
Intimidation at Board Meetings - Geek Palaver: Intimidation at Board MeetingsMay 06, 2012 ~ 2 Comments ~ Written by RussellSo there’s been a lot said about security at board meetings lately. Take Saturday’s article by Crystal Bonvillian of the Times, “Huntsville school board meeting audience met with metal detectors.”Laurie McCaulley was told that Al Lankford, the district’s security chief, was co
by mike simpson / 18h 
Shutting Teachers Up - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher
Shutting Teachers Up - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher: Shutting Teachers UpBy Nancy Flanagan on July 8, 2014 10:33 PMMany years ago, before the internet, while there was still such a thing as local print journalism comprised of actual reporters writing stories about what was going on around town, a friendly newspaper editor asked me to write a monthly column about education. Th
by mike simpson / 18h 
Another Teachers' Union Could Call For Obama's Education Secretary To Resign
Another Teachers' Union Could Call For Obama's Education Secretary To Resign: Another Teachers’ Union Could Call For Obama’s Education Secretary To Resign“If our delegates want to do so, we will—it’s in their hands.”WASHINGTON — The National Education Association called for Education Secretary Arne Duncan’s resignation at its convention last week, and the next largest teachers’ union might soon fo
by mike simpson / 20h 
Randi Weingarten, Twitter, and “Secret Society” Membership | deutsch29
Randi Weingarten, Twitter, and “Secret Society” Membership | deutsch29: Randi Weingarten, Twitter, and “Secret Society” MembershipJuly 8, 2014Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy is a corporate reformer’s gift. He appointedStefan Pryor, the co-founder of a major charter chain as state education commissioner. Even as traditional public education in Connecticut is underfunded, the number of charter sc
by mike simpson / 20h 
Geaux Teacher!: (John) White Lies and Alibis
Geaux Teacher!: (John) White Lies and Alibis: (John) White Lies and AlibisThis letter was submitted to the press for consideration.This is another unsolicited letter – from Anna Falcon Arthur, a physician and parent, in Thibodeaux, LA – expressing her own particular observations and concerns regarding Common Core.In a “three-strikes-you’re out” format, Thibodeaux parent Dr. Arthurs  documents the
by mike simpson / 22h 
Teachers are like gardeners | WagTheDog
Teachers are like gardeners | WagTheDog: Teachers are like gardeners“Being a good teacher is a lot like being a good gardener. Good gardeners are optimistic and patient. They are able to see the potential in those struggling young seedlings and enjoy watching them grow, develop and bloom. They give special tender loving care to those few plants that are struggling and not thriving. They don’t blam
by mike simpson / 22h 
Nite Cap 7-8-14 #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 CAPNutrition and Equipment Grants Awarded - Year 2014 (CA Dept of Education)Nutrition and Equipment Grants Awarded - Year 2014 (CA Dept of Education): State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Announces Winners of Nutrition and Equipment GrantsSACRAMENTO—Al
by mike simpson / 23h 




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