Latest News and Comment from Education

Tuesday, January 5, 2016

Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 1/5/15



CORPORATE ED REFORM

 



El Dorado CountyBoard hires Ed Manansala, a former superintendent of St. Hope schools | The Sacramento Bee
El Dorado County education board taps new schools chief | The Sacramento Bee: El Dorado County education board taps new schools chiefEd Manansala was named Tuesday as the new El Dorado County superintendent of schools, replacing a predecessor who resigned in November after his second arrest for allegedly driving under the influence.Manansala, 46, is a former superintendent of St. Hope schools in S
Warning: Gates is Infiltrating Opt Out | Save Maine Schools
Warning: Gates is Infiltrating Opt Out | Save Maine Schools: Warning: Gates is Infiltrating Opt OutOkay.  If this isn’t enough to convince you that Corporate Opt-Out is real and is trying to co-opt the grassroots opt-out movement, I don’t know what will:This Saturday, Citizens for Public Schools (CPS) will host an “Opt-Out Campaign Launch” with the Center for Collaborative Education– an organizati
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Rahm to Atty Gen. Lynch: 'But you said fed probe wouldn't go any higher than CPD.'
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Rahm to Atty Gen. Lynch: 'But you said fed probe wouldn't go any higher than CPD.': Rahm to Atty Gen. Lynch: 'But you said fed probe wouldn't go any higher than CPD.'"The Law Department holds its employees to the absolute highest professional and ethical standards and does not tolerate any action that would call into question the integrity of the lawyers who ser
The charter-school scam deepens: The sick new “bubble” that could explode urban schools - Salon.com
The charter-school scam deepens: The sick new “bubble” that could explode urban schools - Salon.com: The charter-school scam deepens: The sick new “bubble” that could explode urban schoolsA charter-school bubble is growing, and it's young black kids in cities who are most in dangerA new study warns that we may be headed towards a charter school “bubble.” Jennifer Berkshire of the Edushyster blog s
NYC Public School Parents: The Occupy Activist Teacher that the DOE Spent $1,000,000 to Try to Fire and Lost
NYC Public School Parents: The Occupy Activist Teacher that the DOE Spent $1,000,000 to Try to Fire and Lost: The Occupy Activist Teacher that the DOE Spent $1,000,000 to Try to Fire and LostHere is the story of David Suker, a US Army veteran who taught at-risk students for 14 years, and was removed from a Bronx GED classroom in December 2011 after he’d spoken out about the horrendous conditions e
Inside the Every Student Succeeds Act - Education Week
Inside the Every Student Succeeds Act - Education Week: INSIDE THE EVERY STUDENT SUCCEEDS ACTThe year-end passage and signing of the Every Student Succeeds Act represents more than just a rare bipartisan agreement on the part of the nation’s chronically polarized policymakers. For the first time in more than a decade—and a half-century after enactment of the country’s main K-12 law—Congress has re
4 years late[r] - The Connecticut Education Association may finally be standing up against Malloy and Wyman on their teacher evaluation disaster - Wait What?
4 years late[r] - The Connecticut Education Association may finally be standing up against Malloy and Wyman on their teacher evaluation disaster - Wait What?: 4 years late[r] – The Connecticut Education Association may finally be standing up against Malloy and Wyman on their teacher evaluation disasterAccording to a press advisory issues earlier today, the Connecticut Education Association will ho
Playa Vista dispute reflects classism as major issue facing LAUSD - LA School Report
Playa Vista dispute reflects classism as major issue facing LAUSD - LA School Report: Playa Vista dispute reflects classism as major issue facing LAUSDThe school board vote was simple, but the matter is far more complex, drawing a focus to an issue many within LA Unified find uncomfortable to talk about: classism.The issues involved in the Playa Vista Elementary Schooldispute are a microcosm of co
He’s acting, but the nation’s new education secretary is for real - The Washington Post
He’s acting, but the nation’s new education secretary is for real - The Washington Post: He’s acting, but the nation’s new education secretary is for realJohn B. King, Jr. settled into the rocking chair before a group of cross-legged kindergartners and fielded a question from a little boy.“Wait, are you a president?” the boy asked the grown-up in the grey suit, who was escorted into their small cl
Sacramento City School Board—A Teacher on the School Board | Ellen Cochrane
Sacramento City School Board—Area Two Highlights 2015 | Ellen Cochrane: Sacramento City School Board—Area Two Highlights 2015A Teacher on the School BoardEllen CochraneSacramento City School BoardTrustee Area 2The New Year holds much promise for Sac City, as well as many challenges. It seems that better economic times will offer a boost to the districts finances. However, the responsibilities of t
John King Talks ESSA, Priorities for 2016, and Being an 'Acting' Education Secretary - Politics K-12 - Education Week
John King Talks ESSA, Priorities for 2016, and Being an 'Acting' Education Secretary - Politics K-12 - Education Week: John King Talks ESSA, Priorities for 2016, and Being an 'Acting' Education SecretaryJohn King, the newly minted acting education secretary, dropped by Joanne Leleck Elementary School at Broad Acres in Montgomery County, Md., to welcome students back from the holiday break, highlig
CURMUDGUCATION: Friedrichs for Dummies
CURMUDGUCATION: Friedrichs for Dummies:Friedrichs for DummiesSo you've been hearing about Friedrichs vs California Teachers Association, but not paying close attention. You know the unions are upset about it (but when aren't the unions upset about something), and you've heard that the Supreme Court is going to hear it, but you've put off learning more because it all seems so contentious and does a
New State Board of Education member collects multi-million dollar contract via State Board of Education - Wait What?
New State Board of Education member collects multi-million dollar contract via State Board of Education - Wait What?: New State Board of Education member collects multi-million dollar contract via State Board of EducationEthics for public officials?  Not so much.One of Governor Dannel Malloy’s recent appointees to the Connecticut State Board of Education is not only a representative of the charter
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Rauner tells POLITICO: 'I wasn't in Cuba. I was in, um...Europe.'
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Rauner tells POLITICO: 'I wasn't in Cuba. I was in, um...Europe.': Rauner tells POLITICO: 'I wasn't in Cuba. I was in, um...Europe.'“You’d be amazed at what we ate. I’m not going to tell you that.” -- Gov. RaunerNatasha Korecki is one of my favorite reporters on the Chicago scene. I peruse her Illinois Playbook in POLITICO most mornings over breakfast. You should too
No Child Left Behind is Gone. But What Does the New Ed Law Mean for K-12 Funding? - Inside Philanthropy
No Child Left Behind is Gone. But What Does the New Ed Law Mean for K-12 Funding? - Inside Philanthropy: Fundraising Intelligence - Inside Philanthropy: No Child Left Behind is Gone. But What Does the New Ed Law Mean for K-12 Funding?The latest version of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act was recently signed into law by President Obama. The new law, christened the Every Student Su
New Study Explores How New Orleans Families Choose Between Public and Private Schools | WWNO
New Study Explores How New Orleans Families Choose Between Public and Private Schools | WWNO: New Study Explores How New Orleans Families Choose Between Public and Private SchoolsWhen low-income students apply to school in New Orleans, they have three options: a handful of traditional public schools, mostly charter public schools, and private schools with voucher programs. How do these students an
With A Brooklyn Accent: The Magic of Community History-What Test Based Accountability and School Closings Ruined in the Bronx
With A Brooklyn Accent: The Magic of Community History-What Test Based Accountability and School Closings Ruined in the Bronx: The Magic of Community History-What Test Based Accountability and School Closings Ruined in the BronxYesterday, while going through my files to do the footnotes for a book of African American Bronx oral histories I was completing, I came upon a document that filled me with
Common Core eases literary classics to the sidelines :: SI&A Cabinet Report
Common Core eases literary classics to the sidelines :: SI&A Cabinet Report :: The Essential Resource for Superintendents and the Cabinet: Common Core eases literary classics to the sidelines(Wash.) In some schools where Common Core rules the curriculum, only parts of Joseph Heller’s classic tale of a struggle and disillusionment is likely read, with the themes of “Catch-22” taught in tandem w
Flawed Assumptions about School Reform Strengthening the U.S. Economy | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice
Flawed Assumptions about School Reform Strengthening the U.S. Economy | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: Flawed Assumptions about School Reform Strengthening the U.S. EconomyNYT: "While graduating from college in unprecedented numbers, [Millennials] are earning between 5 and 9 percent less (after adjusting for inflation) than what their elders were receiving at similar poi
We are opting our first grade son out of the MAP test—here’s our letter explaining why | I AM AN EDUCATOR
We are opting our first grade son out of the MAP test—here’s our letter explaining why | I AM AN EDUCATOR: We are opting our first grade son out of the MAP test—here’s our letter explaining whyThe infamous MAP test is set to be administered in my son’s school this week. The MAP test is a computerized test meant to measure students in math and reading. Seattle Public Schools initially required MAP
Like NCLB, new education law makes promises that will be hard to fulfill | EdSource
Like NCLB, new education law makes promises that will be hard to fulfill | EdSource: Like NCLB, new education law makes promises that will be hard to fulfillThe profound question that anyone concerned about our children’s future – and the nation’s – is whether the Every Student Succeeds Act that President Barack Obama just signed will be any more successful than the law it replaced in realizing it
Bradley Foundation’s Radical Education Privatization Campaign Rolls On | One Wisconsin Now
Bradley Foundation’s Radical Education Privatization Campaign Rolls On | One Wisconsin Now: Bradley Foundation’s Radical Education Privatization Campaign Rolls OnUpdated Research Finds Over 130 Organizations Part of $108 Million-Plus Propaganda CampaignMADISON, Wis. — In recent years, the unaccountable private school voucher program dramatically expanded in Wisconsin while state public schools suf
Mom: What do I expect from my children’s elementary school? Certainly not this. - The Washington Post
Mom: What do I expect from my children’s elementary school? Certainly not this. - The Washington Post: Mom: What do I expect from my children’s elementary school? Certainly not this.Laura Eberhart Goodman  is a former classroom teacher and writer on “The Synapse” on Medium. Her work has been published on the YouShare Project, and in the upcoming IAGC (Illinois Association for Gifted Children) annu
Tennessee's York Institute Shows How Education Can Improve the Quality of Life in Rural America - The Atlantic
Tennessee's York Institute Shows How Education Can Improve the Quality of Life in Rural America - The Atlantic: Salvaging Education in Rural AmericaRural towns struggle with widespread poverty, limited opportunity, and low college-attendance rates. What role do schools play in improving the quality of life?Alvin C. York Agricultural Institute sits in the heart of Fentress County, Tennessee, high o
Who profits from charter schools?
Letter | Who profits from charter schools?:  Who profits from charter schools?In regards to "Governor makes pitch on charter schools to pastors" (Dec. 31), before anyone accepts the arguments of the deceptively entitled "school choice" advocates (i.e. pro-charter and pro-voucher), I urge them to question the underlying motives of this movement - and to dig out the data.A few ye
Education leaders mourn loss of inspirational Red Deer teacher Joe Bower | Edmonton Journal
Education leaders mourn loss of inspirational Red Deer teacher Joe Bower | Edmonton Journal:Education leaders mourn loss of inspirational Red Deer teacher Joe BowerDiane Ravitch, professor of education at New York University: “He was one of those educators that you wish were in charge of an entire state or nation. He was kind, caring, compassionate, and loved children.”Members of Alberta’s educati

YESTERDAY

ALEC Education Task Force - SourceWatch
ALEC Education Task Force - SourceWatch: ALEC Education Task Force - SourceWatch:About ALECALEC is a corporate bill mill. It is not just a lobby or a front group; it is much more powerful than that. Through ALEC, corporations hand state legislators their wishlists to benefit their bottom line. Corporations fund almost all of ALEC's operations. They pay for a seat on ALEC task forces where corporat
Choosing Democracy: Business "Leaders" Fail at Public Education
Choosing Democracy: Business "Leaders" Fail at Public Education: Business "Leaders" Fail at Public EducationDiane Ravitch. Let’s state a simple fact: there is NO EVIDENCE that Common Core will improve education or test scores. It was launched in 2010. It has been tested in many states, and test scores have collapsed. Why the stubborn insistence that it will raise American test
About That Fortune Article on Common Core… | deutsch29
About That Fortune Article on Common Core… | deutsch29: About That Fortune Article on Common Core…I have been reading Peter Elkind’s January 01, 2016, article in Fortune on the Common Core State Standards (CCSS).Elkind’s work is a study in foolishness. Basically, he demonstrates the unfounded faith that powerful individuals whose lives only skirt the worlds of whose with children in public schools
Success Academy Principal Who Created ‘Got to Go’ List Takes Leave - The New York Times
Success Academy Principal Who Created ‘Got to Go’ List Takes Leave - The New York Times: Success Academy Principal Who Created ‘Got to Go’ List Takes LeaveThe principal at a Success Academy charter school who created a “Got to Go” list of difficult students is taking a personal leave of absence, a Success Academy spokeswoman said on Monday.Critics of Success Academy, the high-performing New York C
California’s list of poor schools posted again | The Sacramento Bee
California’s list of poor schools posted again | The Sacramento Bee: California’s list of poor schools posted againFacing a lawsuit threat, the state Department of Education has changed its position on posting a list of low-performing schools whose students could be transferred to schools with higher academic test scores.A state “open enrollment law,” enacted in 2010, requires the department to li
Who Needs “Education” Anyway? | Save Maine Schools
Who Needs “Education” Anyway? | Save Maine Schools: Who Needs “Education” Anyway?I’m telling you – these guys just keep letting the cat out of the bag.Jamie Merisotis, who makes $619,334 a year as CEO of the Lumina Foundation, recently suggested in this article that we combine the U.S. Department of Education with the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) of the Department of Labor and the
Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 1/4/15
CORPORATE ED REFORMRIP JOE BOWERHis Blog – For the Love of Learning There was little due diligence on new education law, but there will be plenty for indigestion — Opinion — Bangor Daily News — BDN MaineThere was little due diligence on new education law, but there will be plenty for indigestion — Opinion — Bangor Daily News — BDN Maine: There was little due diligence on new education law, but the