SPECIAL NITE CAP
CORPORATE ED REFORM
Schools Matter: Why Have Some Civil Rights Groups Flipped on Standardized Testing?
Schools Matter: Why Have Some Civil Rights Groups Flipped on Standardized Testing?: Why Have Some Civil Rights Groups Flipped on Standardized Testing?By Ken Derstine @ Defend Public Education!In 1947, as a student at Morehouse College, an eighteen-year old Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote an article for the student newspaper The Maroon Tiger. In the article, The Purpose of Education, he explained his
New Orleans Warns Other Cities about Charter Takeover | National Opportunity to Learn Campaign | Education Reform for Equity and Opportunity
New Orleans Warns Other Cities about Charter Takeover | National Opportunity to Learn Campaign | Education Reform for Equity and Opportunity: New Orleans Warns Other Cities about Charter TakeoverTen years after Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans has a very different educational landscape, and it's one that many students, parents, or educators are unhappy about. A recent conference sent out a strong wa
Education Reform: Too Big to Succeed | Vicki Cobb
Education Reform: Too Big to Succeed | Vicki Cobb: Education Reform: Too Big to SucceedI'm a devoted follower of Diane Ravitch's blog. She is a tireless aggregator and a commentator on the various aspects of the misguided attempt, through law, to "reform" American education. She posts 7-10 times a day every day, good news and bad, what is happening on the ground as a result of national p
Individual-Level VAM Scores Over Time: “Less Reliable than Flipping a Coin” | VAMboozled!
Individual-Level VAM Scores Over Time: “Less Reliable than Flipping a Coin” | VAMboozled!: Individual-Level VAM Scores Over Time: “Less Reliable than Flipping a Coin”In case you missed it (I did), an article authored by Stuart Yeh (Associate Professor at the University of Minnesota) titled “A Reanalysis of the Effects of Teacher Replacement Using Value-Added Modeling” was (recently) published in t
Plan for charter takeover of worst public schools crafted in secret | The Charlotte Observer
Plan for charter takeover of worst public schools crafted in secret | The Charlotte Observer: Plan for charter takeover of worst public schools crafted in secretN.C. Rep. Rob Bryan, a Mecklenburg Republican with a leadership role in education, has been working for weeks on a bill he hopes will eventually transform public schools.It would start small, with a pilot Achievement District plan that wou
CURMUDGUCATION: Fighting Democracy
CURMUDGUCATION: Fighting Democracy: Fighting DemocracyThere are two questions coming out of the discussions about New Orleans and its privatized school system.1) Did student achievement actually improve?2) If that improvement did happen, was it worth the price?The answer to the first question is "Probably not" (though the careful secrecy and hoarding of data makes a definitive answer dif
With A Brooklyn Accent: Underlying Conditions Which Give Traction to "Black Lives Matter"
With A Brooklyn Accent: Underlying Conditions Which Give Traction to "Black Lives Matter": Underlying Conditions Which Give Traction to "Black Lives Matter"Black Lives Matter, as a movement, emerged from police killings of unarmed Black men and women. But powerful underlying trends that have been around for some time give the movement traction. Among these trends are:A drug war
K-12 Connectivity Heatmap Shows State Schools in Need of More Bandwidth | EdTech Magazine
K-12 Connectivity Heatmap Shows State Schools in Need of More Bandwidth | EdTech Magazine: K-12 Connectivity Heatmap Shows State Schools in Need of More BandwidthAccording to the report by CDW•G, 63 percent of schools don't have enough bandwidth to meet the current needs for digital learning.A new K–12 connectivity heatmap shows which states are ahead of the broadband curve and which are lagging b
L.A. Unified's 'teacher jail' policy ends up punishing students - LA Times
L.A. Unified's 'teacher jail' policy ends up punishing students - LA Times: L.A. Unified's 'teacher jail' policy ends up punishing students In 2012, the entire 110-member staff of Miramonte Elementary School was pulled off campus after accusations of molestation were leveled at two teachers. Mark Berndt pleaded no contest to charges involving feeding semen-laced cookies to blindfolded students; ch
‘Kids Count’ Data: States Such as Texas and Arizona Have the Highest Youth-Population Growth Yet the Worst Outcomes for Kids - The Atlantic
‘Kids Count’ Data: States Such as Texas and Arizona Have the Highest Youth-Population Growth Yet the Worst Outcomes for Kids - The Atlantic: More Kids, More ProblemsMany of the states with the fastest-growing youth populations are also the ones that produce the weakest outcomes for kids.It seems that America’s biggest nurseries are failing at their job.Those “nurseries”—the states with the largest
THE LATEST FROM KIDS COUNT Data Center from the Annie E. Casey Foundation
KIDS COUNT Data Center from the Annie E. Casey Foundation: KIDS COUNT Data Center from the Annie E. Casey Foundation:
Addicting Info – The Wizard Behind The Curtain: Citizens United Lawyer Behind Detroit’s Emergency Manager Laws
Addicting Info – The Wizard Behind The Curtain: Citizens United Lawyer Behind Detroit’s Emergency Manager Laws: The Wizard Behind The Curtain: Citizens United Lawyer Behind Detroit’s Emergency Manager LawsAccording to Richard McLellan’s Board of Trustees web page for Michigan State University’s College of Law, The Detroit Free Press once wrote:“He’s seldom seen in the state Capitol, and less likel
What Can We Learn from a Debate Over Pizza Parties in School? - Living in Dialogue
What Can We Learn from a Debate Over Pizza Parties in School? - Living in Dialogue: What Can We Learn from a Debate Over Pizza Parties in School?By John Thompson.Before the test-driven, competition-driven school reform movement, educators had plenty of issues to argue over. We didn’t face nearly as many controversies that we had to fight over. Educators might occasionally express our opinions in a
Pension rollback carries risk to teachers, schools :: SI&A Cabinet Report
Pension rollback carries risk to teachers, schools :: SI&A Cabinet Report :: The Essential Resource for Superintendents and the Cabinet: Pension rollback carries risk to teachers, schools(Calif.) In addition to making a host of sweeping changes, a proposal aimed at curbing the cost of public pensions could create significant labor troubles for schools because teachers would no longer be free t
State Shifts Regional Achievement Center into Camden School District - NJ Spotlight
State Shifts Regional Achievement Center into Camden School District - NJ Spotlight: STATE SHIFTS REGIONAL ACHIEVEMENT CENTER INTO CAMDEN SCHOOL DISTRICTNJ says the RACs, criticized by NJEA and other concerned parties, serve highest-need schoolsThe Christie administration has reconfigured its staffing to assist Camden public schools, as part of its general rethinking of how it will support New Jer
New York experience shows Common Core tests can come at a cost for underprivileged students - The Hechinger Report
New York experience shows Common Core tests can come at a cost for underprivileged students - The Hechinger Report: New York experience shows Common Core tests can come at a cost for underprivileged studentsLow-income students, disabled students and English language learners show sharper declines than general population in Common Core high school algebra examThere’s been a considerable debate in N
The Collateral Consequences of the Crimes of Children - The Atlantic
The Collateral Consequences of the Crimes of Children - The Atlantic: The Crimes of ChildrenThe juvenile justice system was designed to “hide youthful errors from the full gaze of the public.” But the extra penalties attached to these sentences have ruined many lives.Round Rock High School, just north of Austin in the Texas Hill Country, sprawls over 88 acres. It feels like a small liberal-arts co
Healthy Eaters, Strong Minds: What School Gardens Teach Kids : The Salt : NPR
Healthy Eaters, Strong Minds: What School Gardens Teach Kids : The Salt : NPR: Healthy Eaters, Strong Minds: What School Gardens Teach KidsTall brick walls conceal a colorful garden at Eastern Senior High School in Washington, D.C., where students like Romario Bramwell, 17, harvest flowers and produce. The program is run by City Blossoms, a nonprofit that brings gardens to urban areas.Lydia Thomps
Politics In The Classroom: How Much Is Too Much? (Diana Hess and Paula McAvoy) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice
Politics In The Classroom: How Much Is Too Much? (Diana Hess and Paula McAvoy) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: Politics In The Classroom: How Much Is Too Much? (Diana Hess and Paula McAvoy)In an earlier post, I pointed out the obvious fact that tax-supported public schools were political institutions. Not in the partisan sense of Republican and Democrat but in serving the co
Jersey Jazzman: Marilyn Zuniga and the Plight of Teachers of Color
Jersey Jazzman: Marilyn Zuniga and the Plight of Teachers of Color: Marilyn Zuniga and the Plight of Teachers of ColorAs we approach the beginning of the new school year, I think it's important to go back and recount the story of Marilyn Zuniga.You'll recall that Zuniga was a third grade teacher in Orange, NJ, a district that is almost entirely comprised of black and Hispanic students, 81 percent
Perdido Street School: MaryEllen Elia Offers Counterattack To Hillsborough School Board Allegations Of Financial Mismanagement
Perdido Street School: MaryEllen Elia Offers Counterattack To Hillsborough School Board Allegations Of Financial Mismanagement: MaryEllen Elia Offers Counterattack To Hillsborough School Board Allegations Of Financial MismanagementThe Tampa Bay Times reported last week that former Hillsborough School Superintendent MaryEllen Elia, now the new NYSED Commissioner in New York State, was accused by bo
‘I refuse.’ — Teacher rejects Florida’s wacky new program to give bonuses to educators with high SAT/ACT scores - The Washington Post
‘I refuse.’ — Teacher rejects Florida’s wacky new program to give bonuses to educators with high SAT/ACT scores - The Washington Post: ‘I refuse.’ — Teacher rejects Florida’s wacky new program to give bonuses to educators with high SAT/ACT scoresHere’s an update on a kooky new plan that I wrote about in Florida to spend $44 million to award big bonuses to teachers who got high SAT or ACT scores be
A critical look at the annual high school rankings by U.S. News - The Washington Post
A critical look at the annual high school rankings by U.S. News - The Washington Post: A critical look at the annual high school rankings by U.S. NewsU.S. News & World Report is famous for its college rankings — but it does others too, including an annual ranking of high schools. Are the schools declared the best really the best? Kevin Welner, the director of the National Education Policy Cen
5 facts about America’s students | Pew Research Center
5 facts about America’s students | Pew Research Center: 5 facts about America’s students In a few weeks, America’s roughly 53.5 million K-12 students will head to the classroom. Trading in swimming pools and summer jobs for math problems and history homework, these students will hit the books at one of more than 129,200 schools across the country, including about 5,700 charter schools and 30,900 p
Even As States Continue to Leave, PARCC Sets Last Year's Cut Scores | Mercedes Schneider
Even As States Continue to Leave, PARCC Sets Last Year's Cut Scores | Mercedes Schneider: Even As States Continue to Leave, PARCC Sets Last Year's Cut ScoresOn August 07, 2015, NPR released an article concerning setting the cut scores for the PARCC tests that 5 million students took in the spring.Originally entitled, "Who Is 'Good Enough' in a Common Core World?", the NPR article title w
25 Leadership Quotes Even The "Dumbest" Leaders Can Learn From | Aleksandr Noudelman | LinkedIn
25 Leadership Quotes Even The "Dumbest" Leaders Can Learn From | Aleksandr Noudelman | LinkedIn: 25 Leadership Quotes Even The "Dumbest" Leaders Can Learn FromNot everyone is meant for a leadership position. Unfortunately, with this uncertain economy we may be put in one, whether we like it or not. And when that happens, we have to act and learn fast. And if and when we don't,
That’s Rich. Across Country A Scramble Is On To Find Teachers: (NYT 8/10/15) | DCGEducator: Doing The Right Thing
That’s Rich. Across Country A Scramble Is On To Find Teachers: (NYT 8/10/15) | DCGEducator: Doing The Right Thing: That’s Rich. Across Country A Scramble Is On To Find Teachers: (NYT 8/10/15)This is no surprise. For years we have been predicting the demise of a great profession because of so–called “reform”. Ms. Rich writes a great deal in this article about this shortage but neglects to point out
YESTERDAY
Alright (My Identity in Passing) | The Jose Vilson
Alright (My Identity in Passing) | The Jose Vilson: Alright (My Identity in Passing)The last time I went to the Dominican Day Parade, my youthful naivete gave way for a conservatism I didn’t quite understand in myself. The schools of ostensibly hypermasculine Dominican men highlighting their hair and tightening their shirts threw me off. The crowds of voluptuous Dominican women wearing sexier vari
Teachers Say They Have Too Much Money for Supplies in This Sarcastic Hefty Campaign | Adweek
Teachers Say They Have Too Much Money for Supplies in This Sarcastic Hefty Campaign | Adweek: "Teachers Say They Have Too Much Money for Supplies in This Sarcastic Hefty Campaign"h bag company Hefty and Havas Worldwide Chicago tackle a big issue—one that's more powerful than smelly garbage or nondurable bags—for the brand's new #SaidNoSchoolEver campaign.The new work, which includes two
New Orleans Recovery District Called a Dismal Failure by the City’s Leading African American Newspaper
New Orleans Recovery District Called a Dismal Failure by the City’s Leading African American Newspaper | Educate All Students: Larry Miller's Blog: New Orleans Recovery District Called a Dismal Failure by the City’s Leading African American Newspaper On August 4th and 5th I attended an education conference in the great city of New Orleans, titled the New Orleans Education Conference. In contrast t
Jersey Jazzman: When You Punch Teachers Unions, You're Punching Teachers
Jersey Jazzman: When You Punch Teachers Unions, You're Punching Teachers: When You Punch Teachers Unions, You're Punching TeachersFortunately, I was outside of the country when Chris Christie sank to his latest new low:The New Jersey governor was on CNN on Sunday, where host Jake Tapper asked, “At the national level, who deserves a punch in the face?” (Why would Christie get that question? Because
Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 8/9/15
SPECIAL NITE CAP CORPORATE ED REFORMBack to drawing board for contract negotiations | Catalyst ChicagoBack to drawing board for contract negotiations | Catalyst Chicago: Back to drawing board for contract negotiationsCPS has pulled back from its offer of a one-year contract extension that would have retained the so-called “pension pick-up” and barred the opening of any new charter schools during t
