Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Majority of Newark board promises legal action against Cami | Bob Braun's Ledger

Majority of Newark board promises legal action against Cami | Bob Braun's Ledger:



Majority of Newark board promises legal action against Cami

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Newark school board members Marquis Lewis-Aquil, Donald Jackson, Antoinette Baskerville-Richardson and Ariagna Perello at Wednesday night's press conference.
Newark school board members Marquis Lewis-Aquil, Donald Jackson, Antoinette Baskerville-Richardson and Ariagna Perello at Wednesday night’s press conference. Deborah Gregory Smith, head of the Newark NAACP, looks on.

Seven of the nine members of Newark’s elected school board said they would go to court to seek the end of the city’s school reorganization plan known as “One Newark,” the dismissal of state-imposed school superintendent Cami Anderson, and the return of local control of a district seized by the state in 1995.  The board members contend Anderson has violated both school board policy and fire safety codes.
“We will not wait until they destroy Newark’s public schools, ” declared Ariagna Perello, the vice chair of the school board in a new conference on the steps of City Hall.
Four other board members–Antoinette Baskerville-Richardson, Philip Seelinger, Donald Jackson, and Marquis-Aquil Lewis–joined in the news conference. Statements in support of the board action by members DeNiqua Matias and Kahlil Rashidi were read by Perello.
Board president Rashon Hasan, viewed as an Anderson ally, and  member Rashied McCreary did not join their colleagues in condemning the superintendent and the man who appointed her,  Gov. Chris Christie. McCreary is a teacher at the KIPP charter school chain; charter schools have been major beneficiaries of the public school closing and  student dispersal plan Anderson called “One Newark.”
The board members, led by Perello, expressed increased frustration with the chaos that attended the opening of school under the “One Newark” plan earlier this month. She cited the problems at Barringer  High School where many Majority of Newark board promises legal action against Cami | Bob Braun's Ledger:

Rubber Room is Death Row southbronxschool

http://www.southbronxschool.com:



Rubber Room is Death Row

There was a parole, or maybe a commutation, today at the Zerega Ave Rubber Room.

As mentioned the other day, Rudy Baylor as reported here on Monday, received a new suit, a bus ticket and a ride to the deep end of the ATR pool courtesy of our friends at the DOE. We all bade him a fond farewell, wished him the best and went back to waiting. And waiting, and waiting for whatever fate awaits us.

Now there are 11 of us left. Coincidentally, we are all, we the exception of one (Who happens to be on the cusp of 40), over the age of 40. The vast majority are male and/or of color. But all of us share a few similarities. We are independent of mind and counting the days.

Two weeks ago I wrote about Tito Landrum and how OSI came for him. The poor guy has his meeting just a few days ago and he has been a wreck. He is walking around the last few days in a fog, just in shock. Almost 20 years in the system and it can all go down the toilet because anything a child says is gospel and teachers are deemed guilty unless they have the fight in them to prove themselves innocent after being kicked in the face for months.

Last year I wrote about my lack of human contact where I was assigned. In some ways that was better than I have it now. In a surreal way the Rubber Room at Zerega Ave resembles, rather is, Death Row. Death and doom are all around me. At least at 4360 Broadway I could create my own fantastical world.

That's what it's like. We sit around day after day, week after week and so on and wonder when our doom is coming or if will we get a last minute call to save us. Worse, we sit there wondering if this is all some kind of dream that we can't yet wake ourselves out of. 

We are in a large lunchroom with is akin to the day room in the pod on Death Row. A dozen people http://www.southbronxschool.com:

New report on L.A. Unified's iPads reflects problems with curriculum - LA Times

New report on L.A. Unified's iPads reflects problems with curriculum - LA Times:



New report on L.A. Unified's iPads reflects problems with curriculum






 An  evaluation of the iPads-for-all project in Los Angeles schools found that only 1 of 245 classrooms surveyed even used the costly curriculum. 



The analysis, conducted by an outside firm, also highlighted other problems, including the pace of the rollout last year at 47 schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District. It found that district staff was so focused on distributing devices that little attention could be paid to using iPads effectively in the classroom.



The early goal "was to just get the devices out, that was basically it, just get the devices out, use them as quick as possible ... there were other goals … they were talked about but they really didn’t get implemented,” the report quoted one technical specialist as saying.



A “district leader” commented: “We didn’t have enough people so everyone was working on deployment ... that really, really impacted our professional development rollout, in fact we barely had one because of that.”



The review, conducted by a nine-member team from Washington firm American Institutes for Research, offers a sharp contrast to early pronouncements from the school district on the $1.3-billion effort. In particular, L.A. schools Supt. John Deasy labeled the project “an astonishing success” and officials faulted media reports for suggesting otherwise.



Last month, Deasy suspended new purchases under the iPad contract and relaunched bidding. His close ties to Apple, the device maker, and Pearson, which provided the curriculum on the iPad, are under scrutiny by the school system’s inspector general. Deasy has denied any impropriety, emphasizing that he recused himself from the bidding because he owned Apple stock.



All told, the nation’s second-largest school system has purchased 109,000 iPads so far; 62,000 contain the Pearson curriculum. It was left off devices purchased late last year for use in state standardized testing. To date, the district has spent $61 million on the iPads, New report on L.A. Unified's iPads reflects problems with curriculum - LA Times:



lRelatedSupt. Deasy's early and avid support of iPads under intense scrutiny

EDUCATION
Supt. Deasy's early and avid support of iPads under intense scrutiny
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Disgraced, recalled, homophobic former Education Comm. Chair Paul Scott now a lobbyist for anti-teacher group StudentsFirst | Eclectablog

Disgraced, recalled, homophobic former Education Comm. Chair Paul Scott now a lobbyist for anti-teacher group StudentsFirst | Eclectablog:



Disgraced, recalled, homophobic former Education Comm. Chair Paul Scott now a lobbyist for anti-teacher group StudentsFirst

Former state House Representative Paul Scott earned a reputation during his time in office as one of the most anti-teacher legislators in Michigan. In his position as the Chair of the House Education Committee, he oversaw some of the most egregious attacks on teachers since Republicans swept into power following the 2010 election. It was bad enough that, eventually, Scott was recalled by voters in his district. The recall had a long and convoluted history with Scott attempting – unsuccessfully – to have the courts throw it out three times. In one of his attempts, he used the ludicrous rationale that he himself had created too much confusion for the recall to continue.
During the recall effort, Governor Rick Snyder and Attorney General Bill Schuette came to Scott’s defense in what the Detroit Free Press called a “clumsy and nakedly partisan” move, intervening on behalf of Scott with the State Supreme Court. Snyder even campaigned for him in Genesee County to help him fight the recall.
Scott has a notorious history as detailed by our pals at Progress Michigan. For example, while in office, he got one of his staffers pregnant and then moved her to a position on his campaign for Secretary of State.
Scott is also a notorious homophobe. He once accused an opponent of receiving support from “far left and radical homosexual groups”, his term for LGBT advocacy groups like Equality Michigan. An observer described Scott’s behavior during one debate this way:
At several points during the debate, Scott sneered at “the liberals,” whom he said have ruined this state, the family and our economy. Twice during the debate, he balled his fists and raised his voice in anger about the threat that gay people pose to our civilization. Scott’s angriest moment came when he expressed his utter “disgust” that middle school students in Goodrich are taught about condom use in a voluntary sex education class.
We now learn that, despite his homophobic, extreme views, Paul Scott has been hired as a lobbyist for the anti-teacher group StudentsFirst or “Regional Legislative Manager”, as they call him.
Scott has a long history with StudentsFirst. As the Chair of the House Education Committee, he shepherded multiple pieces of legislation written by them through his committee, legislation which did things like making illegal teacher strikes more illegal. In a leaked internal document from 2011, StudentsFirst thanks Scott for “overseeing the entire process” and gives credit to House Policy advisor Jason Mancini for Disgraced, recalled, homophobic former Education Comm. Chair Paul Scott now a lobbyist for anti-teacher group StudentsFirst | Eclectablog:

Bill to Improve After School and Expanded Learning - Year 2014 (CA Dept of Education)

Bill to Improve After School and Expanded Learning - Year 2014 (CA Dept of Education):



State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Applauds Approval of Bill to
Improve After School and Expanded Learning Programs 




SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today praised Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr. for signing Senate Bill 1221, sponsored by State Senator Loni Hancock, D-Berkeley, which will improve the quality of after school and expanded learning programs and encourage more programs to operate year-round.

"Strengthening and increasing access to after school and expanded learning programs is a top priority," Torlakson said. "High-quality programs help students succeed inside and outside the classroom by improving school attendance and academic success, while reducing high school dropout rates and juvenile crime."

The legislation is just one part of Torlakson's effort to upgrade expanded learning programs, which include before and after school, summer and intersession programs focused on developing the academic, social, emotional, and physical needs of students.

Torlakson' s After School Division issued a report last week that provides a road map to help all programs strive for excellence. The report, Quality Standards for Expanded Learning in California: Creating and Implementing a Shared Vision of Quality External link opens in new window or tab.offers a set of guidelines for implementing innovative and engaging programs.

In June Torlakson announced that $51 million in new grants from three separate funds were awarded to 333 local after school and expanded learning programs. In California, the Department of Education funds more than 4,400 programs, more than all the other 49 states combined.

For more information about expanded learning, visit the CDE's Before and After School Web page. For more information on SB 1221 External link opens in new window or tab. visit the California Legislative Information Web page.
# # # #
Tom Torlakson — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5206, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100

solidaridad: Unpacking Charter Schools' Heavy Baggage this week on Politics Or Pedagogy? with John Cromshow

solidaridad: Unpacking Charter Schools' Heavy Baggage this week on Politics Or Pedagogy? with John Cromshow:



Unpacking Charter Schools' Heavy Baggage this week on Politics Or Pedagogy? with John Cromshow

Politics Or Pedagogy? with John Cromshow

Featuring an analysis of education, policy and practice affecting our public schools.



KPFK 90.7 FM
Politics or Pedagogy? with John Cromshow

Friday, September 19, 2014
7:00 - 8:00 PM
Call in: (818) 985-5735

TOPIC:
Unpacking Charter Schools Heavy Baggage

GUESTS:
Kurt Bier, Esq.
Scott Folsom
Cynthia Liu, Ph.D.
(Dr. Paul Payne)
Meredith Ryley
Robert D. Skeels

INTERVIEWS:
Jackie Goldberg
Lisa Karahalios

Nite Cap 9-17-14 #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT



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



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Student Voice in a Box: Final Release: Student Voice in a Box: Final ReleaseThis is our final installment of Student Voice in a Box. We think that you’ll agree this week is our some of our best content yet.Ari Sussmann and the Student Voice CollaborativeThis week, Ari Sussman tells us about the Student Voice Collaborative and how to make impact on a schoolwide level. His stories are moving and the
1st Latina NEA President’s Concern: Testing, Teacher Pay and Undocumented Students « NewsTaco
1st Latina NEA President’s Concern: Testing, Teacher Pay and Undocumented Students « NewsTaco: 1st Latina NEA President’s Concern: Testing, Teacher Pay and Undocumented Students By Manuel De La Rosa, NewsTacoThe president of the nation’s largest teachers group visited the Rio Grande Valley in Texas as part of a two-day tour to discuss standardized testing, low teacher’s pay and undocumented childr
Charter v. Private School “Prepsters”: Manufacturing College-Ready Kindergartners
Charter v. Private School “Prepsters”: Manufacturing College-Ready Kindergartners: Charter v. Private School “Prepsters”: Manufacturing College-Ready KindergartnersSEPTEMBER 16, 2014 BY NANCY BAILEY 1 COMMENT“College Prep Begins in Kindergarten” is the motto for Cornerstone Preparatory School (a charter) in Memphis. HERE. A lot of charter schools advertise themselves as college preparatory schools
Russ on Reading: Can We Talk?
Russ on Reading: Can We Talk?: Can We Talk?I am channeling the late, great Joan Rivers today as I ponder the question that many education reformers have been asking: "Can we talk?"Lately you can't open a link to a pro-education reform blog without finding another reformster pleading for a civil conversation on education. My colleague and fellow founding member of the Guys with Beards and
Choosing Democracy: California Children Living Below the Poverty line
Choosing Democracy: California Children Living Below the Poverty line: California Children Living Below the Poverty lineNew Census Data Show That More Than One in Seven Californians -- One-Third of Them Children -- Lived in Poverty in 2013STATE'S OVERALL POVERTY RATE AND CHILD POVERTY RATE REMAIN HIGH DESPITE DECLINES SINCE 2011, HIGHLIGHTING NEED FOR POLICIES THAT BOOST WORKERS' EARNINGS SACRAMEN
Punk Rock Education Style | Crazy Crawfish's Blog
Punk Rock Education Style | Crazy Crawfish's Blog: Crazy Crawfish's BlogZesty Louisiana Education PoliticsPunk Rock Education StylePosted on September 16, 20140crazycrawfish:I really like this uplifting post about the current trajectory of the anti-deform movement and agree with the sentiment and assessment (and not just because of the shoutout to me.) :)Originally posted on Dad Gone Wild:In 1977
9-16-14 Schools Matter
Schools Matter: Here's What Standing Up Can Do!Are you, too, a heroine or hero waiting to act?by Jim Horn / 27min 9-15-14 Schools MatterSchools Matter: To Chris Barbic: There Will Be No Civility for Child Abusers and Corporate Profiteers2 by Jim Horn / 8min 9-14-14 Schools MatterSchools Matter: Indy's John Harris Loflin and José Evans' Big Gig at International ED ConferenceBy Doug MartinBelow is,
9-16-14 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): Editorial: LA Unified schools won’t get better if leaders fightEditorial: LA Unified schools won’t get better if leaders fight Via LA Times | Editorial Board This would be a difficult period for Supt. John Deasy and the Los Angeles Unified School District even if he and the school board were intent on wor
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: The rats are having a field day at CPS
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: The rats are having a field day at CPS: The rats are having a field day at CPSDead rat, one of many at a Southwest Side elementary school having problems with rodents and roaches since janitorial services were privatized.Aren't the 476 custodians being thrown out of their jobs by Rahm and his Aramark subcontractors, represented by SEIU Local 1? Can't help but wonder,
Cali Education Headlines - FCMAT
Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team | CSIS – California School Information Services: Education HeadlinesTaft High coach, parents decry handling of hazing incidentThe head football coach at Taft Union High School, who was put on paid administrative leave after a hazing incident, complained at a crowded school board meeting Monday night that he’s been “stripped of something” he loves for
Obama pre-school grants have interest and skeptics :: SI&A Cabinet Report
Obama pre-school grants have interest and skeptics :: SI&A Cabinet Report :: The Essential Resource for Superintendents and the Cabinet: SEPTEMBER 16, 2014Obama pre-school grants have interest and skepticsby Kimberly Beltran(Wash., D.C.) Three additional states this week signaled their intent to apply for funding under the federal Preschool Development Grants program, bringing to 32 the total
Ricciotti: Teachers are not the enemy - Connecticut Post
Ricciotti: Teachers are not the enemy - Connecticut Post: Ricciotti: Teachers are not the enemyPublished 5:47 pm, Monday, September 15, 2014Fewer and fewer college graduates today are entering the teaching profession as teaching today is like working in a war zone. The war on teachers, which began when George W. Bushbecame president in 2000 and continues with the Obama administration, has taken it
Where we’ve been; what lies ahead | Parents Across America
Where we’ve been; what lies ahead | Parents Across America: Where we’ve been; what lies aheadAs the new school year begins, PAA has asked its chapters and affiliates to provide descriptions of the past year’s activities and what they’re planning for this year. We’ll be posting these descriptions a few at a time, starting with our Pennsylvania affiliates, Parents United for Public Education and Yin
Americans Want Teachers to Take a Bar Exam - The Atlantic
Americans Want Teachers to Take a Bar Exam - The Atlantic: Americans Want Teachers to Take a Bar ExamAccording to a new poll, the public is increasingly in favor of more stringent certification standards. But is the federal government prepared to pay for them?gwaar/FlickrIn a new poll out today, Americans say they want teacher preparation programs to raise the bar for entrance, provide longer trai
9-16-14 Seattle Schools Community Forum
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Tuesday Open ThreadYesterday, Google and Mayor Murray surprised Highland Park Elementary with a major announcement about their request via DonorsChoose.org. Google "flash-funded" classroom requests from every teacher in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties who had made a request at DonorsChoose.  From Seattle.gov:Google donated $338,000 for 388 projects re
9-16-14 Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL
Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL: A comic that perfectly demonstrates the potential downside of tech in the classroomI’m adding this Frazz comic strip to The Best Posts & Articles Highlighting Why We Need To Be Very Careful Around Ed Tech:3 by Larry Ferlazzo / 15min hide  //  saveTwo New iPad Resources That Look IntriguingHere are two new intriguing res
2014 PDK/Gallup PollPDK International
2014 PDK/Gallup PollPDK International: PDK/Gallup Poll46th Annual PDK/Gallup Poll of the Public’s Attitudes Toward the Public SchoolsView the results of the October 2014 PDK/Gallup PollView the results of the September 2014 PDK/Gallup PollAbout the pollDownload 2nd PDK/Gallup poll report released September 16, 2014Download 1st PDK/Gallup poll report released August 20, 2014Watch a recording of “Fi
#CommonCore Misinformation Being Spread by Principal and Teacher | Missouri Education Watchdog
#CommonCore Misinformation Being Spread by Principal and Teacher | Missouri Education Watchdog: #CommonCore Misinformation Being Spread by Principal and TeacherinShareSo what do you do when your educational professionals are outed as Pinocchio?The Play: Standardized Testing in a Minnesota School DistrictAct I: Day One of Standardized TestingScene:Parents opt children out of standardized Common Cor
9-16-14 All NEW Living in Dialogue - When Teachers Lose Rights, They Must Raise Test Scores or Go
Home - Living in Dialogue: When Teachers Lose Rights, They Must Raise Test Scores or GoBy John Thompson. I do not question the sincerity of most former Obama administration officials and other liberals who support Vergara v California and its spawn. Some have long and loudly blamed teachers for education underperformance, saying that it is our “low expectations” and not the legacies of generationa
Morning Wink 9-16-14 AM Posts #edchat #edreform
BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTSLISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 9-16-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for allDiane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Ohio: More Charters Failing than Public SchoolsStephen Dyer, education policy fellow at Innovation Ohio, has analyzed the latest state report cards. The state’s Governor, John Kasich, is pro-cha