CORPORATE ED REFORM
How can Donald Trump be so wrong (and yet so right about middle class anger) - Wait What?
How can Donald Trump be so wrong (and yet so right about middle class anger) - Wait What?: How can Donald Trump be so wrong (and yet so right about middle class anger)“With all due respect” to Donald Trump’s supporters, there is absolutely no doubt that Trump is a sociopath, psychopathic, lunatic who would quickly destroy what is left of the fundamental ideals that produced what we nostalgically r
Jersey Jazzman: Stronger Than The Swarm
Jersey Jazzman: Stronger Than The Swarm: Stronger Than The SwarmRegular readers have probably noticed two things about this blog:1) Lately, the posts are longer and much more likely to be filled with statistical stuff.2) I've had it with arguing with reformy hacks.This is probably something I should have said as part of a New Years post, but what the hell... I had a lot of time to think today whil
A Beloved Bronx Teacher Retires After a Conflict With His Principal - The New York Times
A Beloved Bronx Teacher Retires After a Conflict With His Principal - The New York Times: A Beloved Bronx Teacher Retires After a Conflict With His PrincipalTom Porton is used to drama: Since arriving at James Monroe High School as an English teacher 45 years ago, he has taught and staged plays. Outside, in the Bronx River neighborhood where the school is, there was plenty of drama in the 1980s, w
Support Don Perl's Billboard Campaign in Colorado - UNITED OPT OUT: The Movement to End Corporate Education Reform
Support Don Perl's Billboard Campaign in Colorado - UNITED OPT OUT: The Movement to End Corporate Education Reform: Support Don Perl’s Billboard Campaign in Colorado15 years ago, Don Perl refused to administer Colorado’s first high-stakes test. Since then thousands of parents nationwide have begun to Opt Out of the test. Let’s keep the dominoes falling as we move toward implementing more humane e
New York Schools Still Underfunded | Schott Foundation for Public Education
New York Schools Still Underfunded | Schott Foundation for Public Education: New York Schools Still UnderfundedNew York Governor Cuomo gave his State of the State address on January 13th, mentioning numerous plans to increase educational opportunities for students in the state. He discussed community schools, preK programs, and increasing education funding. However, some education advocates have a
Julie Goes to Washington Part 2 -Ed Lessons From A Sparkly District
Education Lessons From A Sparkly District: Julie Goes to Washington Part 2: Julie Goes to Washington Part 2Otherwise known as, It Was Supposed To Be Testimony on ESSA, But Really Was Testimony To The Influence of Gates Money. How's that for a title? Perhaps it's a bit wordy. However, it is how it felt walking into that conference room at USDOE on January 11th. If you missed watching the testimony
DIANE RAVITCH: Bill Gates should be ashamed: His back-room, charter-school power play hurts kids, public education - Salon.com
Bill Gates should be ashamed: His back-room, charter-school power play hurts kids, public education - Salon.com:Bill Gates should be ashamed: His back-room, charter-school power play hurts kids, public educationGates and his pals talked Washington legislators into an end-around on charter funding. It's a rotten deal for kidsWashington state has a school problem. The legislature confronts two court
A new coloring page: Sorry, Governor Inslee, there’s no disguising your lack of leadership on school funding | Seattle Education
A new coloring page: Sorry, Governor Inslee, there’s no disguising your lack of leadership on school funding | Seattle Education: A new coloring page: Sorry, Governor Inslee, there’s no disguising your lack of leadership on school fundingA message from TRAP:Governor Inslee, you’ve put us in a tight spot.TRAP wants to believe the Governor of the State of Washington would do right by the million stu
Hey Kids, Don’t Go To College. – Save Maine Schools
Hey Kids, Don’t Go To College. – Save Maine Schools: Hey Kids, Don’t Go To College.We know from Rex Tillerson of Exxon-Mobile and Jamie Meristotisof the Lumina Foundation that those at the top of the economic food chain view our children as products to be used by corporations to boost their bottom line.(Sometimes they find those products to be defective, and that’s frustrating for them.)We also kn
Oregon Save Our Schools: An Open Letter to Oregon Superintendents and School Boards
Oregon Save Our Schools: An Open Letter to Oregon Superintendents and School Boards: An Open Letter to Oregon Superintendents and School BoardsOregon Save Our Schools has sent a letter to as many Oregon superintendents and school board chairs as we were able to gather. Our volunteers spent many hours going to district's individual websites in order to reach out to them and ask that they not impede
Can teachers be trusted with a revolution? – @ THE CHALKFACE
Can teachers be trusted with a revolution? – @ THE CHALKFACE: Can teachers be trusted with a revolution?I saw passing mention of this letter the other day, and went to seek it out. It’s an apology from a Detroit teacher to parents on the conditions of their schools. I want to focus on this one paragraph, which I quote below:You’re going to hear in the news, and in the papers, about how I don’t car
Report: Why California’s teaching shortage could worsen — and how to reverse it - The Washington Post
Report: Why California’s teaching shortage could worsen — and how to reverse it - The Washington Post: Report: Why California’s teaching shortage could worsen — and how to reverse itA new report says that California’s teaching shortage — the supply of new teachers is at a 12-year low even as demand is starting to rise — is likely to get worse unless targeted steps are taken to stem it.California i
Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » Classroom Update #5: Have you read a good book lately?
Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » Classroom Update #5: Have you read a good book lately?: Classroom Update #5: Have you read a good book lately?Howdy, long time, no write. I apologize, but life has been happening and that leads to less writing. Can you tell I’ve been teaching cause and effect lately? I’m doing Colonial American history with the class, and that will be the topic of this post
Teacher observations may be less helpful afterall – @ THE CHALKFACE
Teacher observations may be less helpful afterall – @ THE CHALKFACE: Teacher observations may be less helpful afterallDuring the height of debate on value-added modeling and using test scores to evaluate teacher performance, I was a champion for the tried and true teacher observation. Objective measures of teacher performance are elusive because of all the variables outside of our control. This is
Parent: No, my kindergartner won’t be doing that homework assignment - The Washington Post
Parent: No, my kindergartner won’t be doing that homework assignment - The Washington Post: Parent: No, my kindergartner won’t be doing that homework assignmentKindergarten, as anyone paying attention knows, is not what it used to be. I’ve published a number of posts about just how academic it has become, with kids asked to sit in their seats and do academic work often with little or no recess or
How the Color of Money - McLeary Crime Scene Coloring Contest Came to Be - Living in Dialogue
How the Color of Money - McLeary Crime Scene Coloring Contest Came to Be - Living in Dialogue: How the Color of Money - McLeary Crime Scene Coloring Contest Came to Be By Carolyn Leith.Back in September, parents were blindsided when Seattle Public Schools (SPS) proposed staff cuts at “25 or something” schools across the district. Emergency meetings were held, letters were sent to the school board,
Vouchers and the Destruction of America’s Public Schools
Vouchers and the Destruction of America’s Public Schools: Vouchers and the Destruction of America’s Public SchoolsIt’s hard to believe that vouchers are being promoted across the country and are once again being considered in the State of Tennessee. Voters there have made it known time-and-again that they don’t like vouchers.Here the Tennessee Momma Bears give information to speak out against vouc
An Epic Battle for Public Education: A Frontline View | LucidWitness.com
An Epic Battle for Public Education: A Frontline View | LucidWitness.com: AN EPIC BATTLE FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION: A FRONTLINE VIEWGovernor Tom Wolf is battling for fair funding for Public Education. It’s an epic battle in Pennsylvania and part of the war on Public Education across America. It involves us all.In spite of the facts that legislators have failed to propose an acceptable budget, and that
Don’t Call It Activism | South Side Weekly
Don’t Call It Activism | South Side Weekly: Don’t Call It ActivismTroy LaRaviere on racial realities and the responsibilities of a schoolTroy LaRaviere, principal of Lakeview’s Blaine Elementary School, has made a name for himself as the CPS employee who speaks out. Heavily critical of Mayor Rahm Emanuel, standardized testing, charter schools, and much more, LaRaviere was formally reprimanded by t
CURMUDGUCATION: Transactions and Transformations
CURMUDGUCATION: Transactions and Transformations: Transactions and TransformationsMy wife is taking a professional development course this weekend, and one of her classmates (a football coach) brought up one the truly genius models of distinguishing between types of coaching. If you're active in the world of coaching, you may know these terms, but for the rest of us, let's talk about transactional
EXCLUSIVE: How Does ESSA Affect Teacher Education? | Diane Ravitch's blog
EXCLUSIVE: How Does ESSA Affect Teacher Education? | Diane Ravitch's blog: EXCLUSIVE: How Does ESSA Affect Teacher Education? EXCLUSIVE: Lamar Alexander’s Staff Explains ESSA: PART 1 | Diane Ravitch's blog http://bit.ly/1QlmO8KEXCLUSIVE: Senator Alexander’s Staff: ESSA and Teacher Evaluation, Part 2 | Diane Ravitch's blog http://bit.ly/1RzT9KjEXCLUSIVE: What Does ESSA Say About Bottom 5% of School
Sylvia Simms, the SRC member who changed the fate of a school
Sylvia Simms, the SRC member who changed the fate of a school: Sylvia Simms, the SRC member who changed the fate of a school Sylvia Simms rarely speaks publicly at School Reform Commission meetings.But nearly five hours into a contentious session on Thursday night, the former Philadelphia School District bus aide dropped a bombshell, offering a walk-on resolution that altered the fate of a struggl
Ed Notes Online: How a Friedrichs Loss Can Become a Win, Making Taylor Law Unconstitutional
Ed Notes Online: How a Friedrichs Loss Can Become a Win, Making Taylor Law Unconstitutional: How a Friedrichs Loss Can Become a Win, Making Taylor Law Unconstitutional...labor... needs more people engaging in a debate about what, in theory, could come the day after an adverseFriedrichs decision. That shouldn’t be limited to toying with the legal implications of the Court’s logic, but also what kin
Why Aren't Kids Being Taught Cursive in School Anymore? | PJ Media
Why Aren't Kids Being Taught Cursive in School Anymore? | PJ Media: Why Aren't Kids Being Taught Cursive in School Anymore?To me, there is a certain beauty in a handwritten document. There is a certain romanticism in a letter, and power in the ability to read historical documents such as the Constitution, or simply being able to sign your name. I happen to believe that good penmanship helps to tea
Local charter schools worth taxpayer money?
Local charter schools worth taxpayer money?: Local charter schools worth taxpayer money?Attentive kindergarten students sit at a classroom table with Jeff Castleberry on a mid-week morning as he rolls dice and dabs spots for a Do-A-Dot Art math assignment.One of the highlights each school day for the Pensacola Beach Elementary School principal is teaching math to Jennifer Neal’s kindergarteners. T
Alan J. Borsuk - Arne Duncan on Milwaukee's chronic woes: 'A national disgrace'
Alan J. Borsuk - Arne Duncan on Milwaukee's chronic woes: 'A national disgrace': Arne Duncan on Milwaukee's chronic woes: 'A national disgrace'I don't know how anyone can look at the results from last year on how Milwaukee kids are doing in reading and math and not think we need fresh, bold steps aimed at getting better.As I noted sarcastically last week, the testing itself and then the statewide
It’s only fair that every teacher contribute to the cost of negotiating benefits and protections | SanDiegoUnionTribune.com
It’s only fair that every teacher contribute to the cost of negotiating benefits and protections | SanDiegoUnionTribune.com: Teachers should pay fair share for representationOral arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court in the Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association case took place on Jan. 11, with hundreds of educators, firefighters, social workers and nurses gathering on the steps of the hi
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Why Didn’t PARCC Issue a Press Release About Skandera as Chair? | deutsch29
Why Didn’t PARCC Issue a Press Release About Skandera as Chair? | deutsch29: Why Didn’t PARCC Issue a Press Release About Skandera as Chair?David Connerty-Marin is the communications director for the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC). That’s his title on the PARCC web page. It is also his title according to his Linkedin bio and his Twitter page. David Conner
Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 1/22/15
CORPORATE ED REFORMMembers of Unions and Progressive Groups Back Sanders. When the Chiefs Pick, Clinton Gets the Nod. - TruthdigMembers of Unions and Progressive Groups Back Sanders. When the Chiefs Pick, Clinton Gets the Nod. - Truthdig: Members of Unions and Progressive Groups Back Sanders. When the Chiefs Pick, Clinton Gets the Nod.Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sa
