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Thursday, September 24, 2015

Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 9/24/15




CORPORATE ED REFORM



School uniforms? | Parents Across America
School uniforms? | Parents Across America: School uniforms? Kimberly Brooks, leader of PAA chapter PAA-Atlanta Public Schools, wrote the following article challenging the district’s school uniform policy.Atlanta Public Schools Uniform Policies: What Can We Infer From Them?A few weeks ago I spent over a hundred dollars in attire for my two children to attend school – a public school.The school has
L.A. Unified highlights magnet school performance compared with charters - LA Times
L.A. Unified highlights magnet school performance compared with charters - LA Times: L.A. Unified highlights magnet school performance compared with chartersThe Los Angeles Unified School District this week released an analysis of test scores showing that its magnet schools are outperforming charter schools. This comes as private foundations are proposing a huge expansion of charters in the city.“
Purging U. S. Education History: Ignoring Past Mistakes and Successes
Purging U. S. Education History: Ignoring Past Mistakes and Successes: Purging U. S. Education History: Ignoring Past Mistakes and SuccessesHistory, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again.Maya AngelouThey are doing strange things to Colleges of Education in this country, and one of the weirdest is dropping education history courses from re
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Washington State Charter Law Updates
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Washington State Charter Law Updates: Washington State Charter Law UpdatesFrom my previous thread and now with some answers to questions arising from the reconsideration extension granted to the Washington State Charter School Association by the Washington State Supreme Court.To review, here's what I wrote in my first thread about the ruling: The Court just recentl
CMD Publishes Full List of 2,500 Closed Charter Schools (with Interactive Map) | PR Watch
CMD Publishes Full List of 2,500 Closed Charter Schools (with Interactive Map) | PR Watch: CMD Publishes Full List of 2,500 Closed Charter Schools (with Interactive Map) Today, the Center for Media and Democracy is releasing a complete state-by-state list of the failed charter schools since 2000. Among other things, this data reveals that millions and millions of federal tax dollars went to “ghost
Parents of PAA Boston affiliate QUEST challenge Mayor’s school plans | Parents Across America
Parents of PAA Boston affiliate QUEST challenge Mayor’s school plans | Parents Across America: BOSTON PARENT GROUP QUESTIONS RENEWING BOSTON COMPACT AND PURSUING A UNIFIED LOTTERY Quality Education for Every Student (QUEST), a grassroots organization of Boston Public School parents with children who have attended over 30 Boston Public Schools, voiced concern about the Mayor’s plan to expand the Bo
More than 1 in 5 U.S. children are (still) living in poverty - The Washington Post
More than 1 in 5 U.S. children are (still) living in poverty - The Washington Post: More than 1 in 5 U.S. children are (still) living in povertyThe proportion of American children who live in poverty began rising during the recession, and it continued rising after the recession officially ended. In 2013, the child poverty rate finally fell for the first time since 2006 — a dip that advocates hoped
Choosing Democracy: Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis
Choosing Democracy: Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis: Our Kids: The American Dream in CrisisOur Kids: The American Dream In Crisis.Robert D. Putnam.Review by Duane CampbellThis new book is an insightful and well researched analysis  of on the achievement gap, which Robert Putnam  correctly calls an opportunity gap for the current generation of young people.  I was drawn to the book by respec
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Gen. Tata led the efforts to re-segregate Wake County schools. But now...
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Gen. Tata led the efforts to re-segregate Wake County schools. But now...: Gen. Tata led the efforts to re-segregate Wake County schools. But now...Gen. Tata with his pal Palin. Remember Brigadier Gen.Tony Tata?He was fast friends with Sarah Palin and Michelle Rhee's second in command in D.C. who then became the superintendent who led the school re-segregation initia
Philanthropy in Education: The Gifts that Keep Taking - Living in Dialogue
Philanthropy in Education: The Gifts that Keep Taking - Living in Dialogue: Philanthropy in Education: The Gifts that Keep TakingBy Anthony Cody.This weekend a select group of philanthropists will gather at Stanford University for an “Innovation Summit,” where they will hear from Melinda Gates and Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen, and other experts in giving money away. The event is hosted by the Stanfo
Pope Gives Shout-Out to Dorothy Day, Founder of Catholic Worker Movement
Pope Gives Shout-Out to Dorothy Day, Founder of Catholic Worker Movement : Pope Gives Shout-Out to Dorothy Day, Founder of Catholic Worker Movement In his address to Congress Thursday, the Pope reminded them of all the people and things they’re busily trying to forget about or have spent their careers legislating against (the poor, the oppressed, people in prison, the environment). He also gave se
Educational Redlining | janresseger
Educational Redlining | janresseger: Educational RedliningHeights Community Congress (HCC), founded in 1972, is Greater Cleveland, Ohio’s oldest fair housing enforcement organization.  For over four decades HCC has been conducting audits of the real estate industry to expose and discourage racial steering and disparate treatment of African American and white home seekers.  Each September, HCC orga
How to Promote Democracy in Schools - Bridging Differences - Education Week
How to Promote Democracy in Schools - Bridging Differences - Education Week: How to Promote Democracy in SchoolsDear friends and Harry,I'm a product of private progressive education.  I learned a lot there, including about democracy.  But...We had an annual "founder's day" ceremony where each year someone told about our glorious history as a school to help working men's children grow up
The real story: Why Mark Zuckerberg’s $100 million gift to Newark schools was announced on Oprah’s show - The Washington Post
The real story: Why Mark Zuckerberg’s $100 million gift to Newark schools was announced on Oprah’s show - The Washington Post: The real story: Why Mark Zuckerberg’s $100 million gift to Newark schools was announced on Oprah’s showDale Russakoff is a former Washington Post reporter and the author of a new book called “The Prize: Who’s in Charge of America’s Schools?” It is an in-depth look at what
Panel Mapping Out Path to Local Control of Schools Draws Crowd in Newark - NJ Spotlight
Panel Mapping Out Path to Local Control of Schools Draws Crowd in Newark - NJ Spotlight: PANEL MAPPING OUT PATH TO LOCAL CONTROL OF SCHOOLS DRAWS CROWD IN NEWARKAbout 100 gathered for first public meeting warned that task ahead will be difficult – but are assured that it will get doneJose LeonardoAppointed amid much fanfare this summer, the nine-member panel forging a path for returning Newark pub
Why the Los Angeles Times Missed the Biggest Education News this Week
Why the Los Angeles Times Missed the Biggest Education News this Week: Why the Los Angeles Times Missed the Biggest Education News this WeekBy Karen Wolfe. She is an LAUSD parent activist and supporter of public schools with children who currently attend district schools.According to the Los Angeles Times, there was not much to report: “Protestors Add a Little Rain to Otherwise Sunny Broad Museum
Seattle stops suspensions for elementary students | Q13 FOX News
Seattle stops suspensions for elementary students | Q13 FOX News: Seattle stops suspensions for elementary studentsSEATTLE (AP) — The Seattle School Board has declared a one-year moratorium on out-of-school suspensions for elementary school students who commit nonviolent offenses.The Seattle Times reports that board passed a resolution Wednesday to start the moratorium this school year.The resolut
Arne Duncan Really F---ing Cares About Kids :: Frederick M. Hess
Arne Duncan Really F---ing Cares About Kids :: Frederick M. Hess: Arne Duncan Really F---ing Cares About KidsYesterday, in POLITICO's annual education issue, reporter Michael Grunwald penned anenthusiastic portraitof Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. My favorite quote was former Duncan aide Justin Hamilton saying that "everyone says" that they care about what's right for kids. But &quo
Connecticut Ed Reform Leader urges business leaders to say something when poor have too many children - Wait What?
Connecticut Ed Reform Leader urges business leaders to say something when poor have too many children - Wait What?: Connecticut Ed Reform Leader urges business leaders to say something when poor have too many children“Speak your mind, if you think that it is not okay for a parent to have a fifth child when they are struggling to support one through four – right –speak it …” – Paul Diego Holzer, Ex
No Longer in Washington State are Test Scores to be Tied to Teachers’ Evaluations | VAMboozled!
No Longer in Washington State are Test Scores to be Tied to Teachers’ Evaluations | VAMboozled!: No Longer in Washington State are Test Scores to be Tied to Teachers’ EvaluationsYou might recall from a prior post that U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan pulled the state of Washington’s No Child Left Behind (NCLB) waiver because the state did not met the U.S. Department of Education’s timeline
National Student Privacy Symposium Tries To Paint Rosy Picture About Student Data Collection » Missouri Education Watchdog
National Student Privacy Symposium Tries To Paint Rosy Picture About Student Data Collection » Missouri Education Watchdog: National Student Privacy Symposium Tries To Paint Rosy Picture About Student Data Collectionhttp://missourieducationwatchdog.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/SDPS.pdfOn Monday, the Future of Privacy Forum, with money from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, held a Student Pr
Zuckerberg donation didn't go as planned - Business Insider
Zuckerberg donation didn't go as planned - Business Insider: 'Zuckerberg had no idea what he was getting himself into' with his $100 million donation to Newark public schoolsIn 2010, Mark Zuckerberg set into motion a bold plan to turn around Newark, New Jersey's failing public-school system.With a hyped-up announcement on "Oprah," he pledged to donate $100 million to Newark under the agr
NAEP - Achievement Gaps
NAEP - Achievement Gaps: Achievement GapsAchievement gaps occur when one group of students (such as, students grouped by race/ethnicity, gender) outperforms another group and the difference in average scores for the two groups is statistically significant (that is, larger than the margin of error). NCES explored the achievement gaps between Black and White, and Hispanic and White, students using N
Will Sacramento's Ethics Commission Fail Ethic Challenged Mayor KJ ?- Sacramento News & Review -
Sacramento News & Review - The city of Sacramento's ethics commission does no good if it doesn't have good rules to enforce - Essay - Opinions - September 24, 2015: The city of Sacramento's ethics commission does no good if it doesn't have good rules to enforceWhat's the use of a watchdog without any teeth?There was a fair bit of self-congratulation at Sacramento City Council last week, follow

YESTERDAY

State may delay quick return to local control of Newark’s schools | Bob Braun's Ledger
State may delay quick return to local control of Newark’s schools | Bob Braun's Ledger: State may delay quick return to local control of Newark’s schoolsNESB members (from left) Mary Bennett, Grace Sergio, Donald Katz, Rev. Perry Simmons, Ross Danis, Christopher Cerf and Jose Leonardo. Absent were Al Koeppe and Rochelle Hendricks.The head of a committee established to find a “road map” to return l
Hillsborough County Schools Loses Both Gates Money and Financial Reserves | deutsch29
Hillsborough County Schools Loses Both Gates Money and Financial Reserves | deutsch29: Hillsborough County Schools Loses Both Gates Money and Financial ReservesIn November 2009, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation awarded the Hillsborough County (Florida) Public Schools a $100 million grant as part of its “Empowering Effective Teachers” effort:Hillsborough County Public SchoolsDate: November 200
Friends, foes of Vergara ruling file briefs to appeals court | EdSource
Friends, foes of Vergara ruling file briefs to appeals court | EdSource: Friends, foes of Vergara ruling file briefs to appeals courtTwo former Republican governors joined an impressive array of law professors, education scholars, teachers of the year, civil rights advocates and state and civic leaders submitting briefs on both sides of the appeal of the Vergara lawsuit.Last week was the deadline
Why Integration In New York Won't Work | The Jose Vilson
Why Integration In New York Won't Work | The Jose Vilson:Why Integration In New York Won’t WorkThe New York Times has stepped up its race and class conversations in education, highlighted by this article from NYT’s Kate Taylor on the proposed rezoning of a school district in Brooklyn. While it makes sense to de-zone our schools in an effort to temper down the flurry of studies showing NYC as one o
Some of the struggles in public education in September 2015 | Dudley aka Origin
September 2015 | Dudley aka Origin: Some of the struggles in public education in September 2015September 2015 by Dudley aka Origin aboutThis track was made to document some of the struggles in public education in September 2015.lyricsKicking off the New year, standing up with no fear,reformers got It wrong and to us it's so clear,All types of battles for our schools across the nation,Communities o
CURMUDGUCATION: Gates Plan Crashes, Burns School District
CURMUDGUCATION: Gates Plan Crashes, Burns School District: Gates Plan Crashes, Burns School DistrictBack in 2012, "teacherpreneur" Ryan Kinser wrote on the Gates Foundation blog, Impatient Optimists, to sing the praises of the Gates partnership with Hillsborough County schools in a program called Empowering Effective Teachers.Back in 2009, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation awarded th
The Education Reform Oligarchy & Stiff Accountability - The Crucial VoiceThe Crucial Voice
The Education Reform Oligarchy & Stiff Accountability - The Crucial VoiceThe Crucial Voice: The Education Reform Oligarchy & Stiff AccountabilityWho convinced a nation that we should put “stiff accountability” in place without first ensuring that all schools and children had the necessary resources to achieve the excellence in education we demand of them? It was “them,” the rulers; not we,
Report: Economy improves, but not for California's poor kids | 89.3 KPCC
Report: Economy improves, but not for California's poor kids | 89.3 KPCC: Report: Economy improves, but not for California's poor kidsA new report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation found that despite better job numbers and consumer spending nationwide, the lot of poor children has not improved. The findings are based on data from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey, a comprehensive popu
4LAKids - Cortines says (+ the data proves): “OUR LAUSD MAGNET SCHOOLS OUT-PERFORMED CHARTER SCHOOLS AT ALL GRADE LEVELS”
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: Cortines says (+ the data proves): “OUR LAUSD MAGNET SCHOOLS OUT-PERFORMED CHARTER SCHOOLS AT ALL GRADE LEVELS”: Cortines says (+ the data proves): “OUR LAUSD MAGNET SCHOOLS OUT-PERFORMED CHARTER SCHOOLS AT ALL GRADE LEVELS”from the report:“Of the 192 LAUSD magnet schools and centers, 37 are for gifted or highly gifted students. However when overall sco
Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 9/23/15
CORPORATE ED REFORMFactory Model Education “Reforms” Were Designed for Product Testing, Not Children | Creative by NatureFactory Model Education “Reforms” Were Designed for Product Testing, Not Children | Creative by Nature: Factory Model Education “Reforms” Were Designed for Product Testing, Not Children“The factory model was developed to ensure quality control and produce identical “consumer” pr