CORPORATE ED REFORM
Teach for America: Lies, Damned Lies, and Special Contracts
Teach for America: Lies, Damned Lies, and Special Contracts: Teach for America: Lies, Damned Lies, and Special ContractsCelebrating its 25th anniversary this past weekend, Teach For America (TFA) marked a milestone. Over the past 25 years, the organization has not only expanded, but also shifted their mission and approach. With seemingly good, albeit naive and arrogant, intentions, TFA originated
Ms. Katie's Ramblings: The Dangers of Teach For America Indoctrination
Ms. Katie's Ramblings: The Dangers of Teach For America Indoctrination:The Dangers of Teach For America IndoctrinationNow, I have a lot of gripes with Teach For America. (You don't say, Ms. Katie!) I think their 5 week training stinks, and is bad for kids. I think their ties to the neoliberal education reform movement are dangerous and impossible to decouple from all that TFA is. I think their fun
Why Randi Spoke at the TFA #25 Convention | Diane Ravitch's blog
Why Randi Spoke at the TFA #25 Convention | Diane Ravitch's blog: Why Randi Spoke at the TFA #25 Convention Many readers were upset to learn that Randi Weingarten was speaking at the Teach for America 25th reunion at the Convention Center in Washington, D.C., last weekend.Randi appeared on a panel with Howard Fuller, who advocates for charters and vouchers. Fuller founded the BAEO, the Black Allia
Advisory Commission on Special Education (ACSE) meeting agenda February 24-25, 2016
ACSE Agenda February 24-25, 2016 - Administration & Support (CA Dept of Education): ACSE Agenda February 24-25, 2016Advisory Commission on Special Education (ACSE) meeting agenda.Agenda Times Are Approximate and Are Provided for Convenience OnlyItems may be re-ordered to be heard on any day of the noticed meeting. The order of business may be changed without notice. Every effort will be made t
L.A. teachers union wins dues increase, vows to battle foes of traditional public education - LA Times
L.A. teachers union wins dues increase, vows to battle foes of traditional public education - LA Times: L.A. teachers union wins dues increase, vows to battle foes of traditional public educationAlex Caputo-PearlL.A. teachers union President Alex Caputo-Pearl greets people after a 2014 news conference calling for smaller class sizes, fully staffed schools and higher pay for educators. On Wednesday
Why We Must Believe (Our Formation) | The Jose Vilson
Why We Must Believe (Our Formation) | The Jose Vilson: Why We Must Believe (Our Formation)“Come on, let’s get this done, I believe in you.”“Why do you always say that, Mr. Vilson, like …”“Um, because I believe in you.”“Oh my God, this is, like, the only class I hear a teacher say that …”It was a weird moment for me. I promised this school year I would change my vibe. I promised myself that I would
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Finding Out about What Happened During Lull of Washington State Charter Schools
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Finding Out about What Happened During Lull of Washington State Charter Schools:Finding Out about What Happened During Lull of Washington State Charter SchoolsAs I have previously stated, I have had public disclosure requests in for some time to various groups including former charter schools in Washington State, OSPI, and the Charter Commission. I am still awaiti
A California superintendent speaks out on charter schools | Parents Across America
A California superintendent speaks out on charter schools | Parents Across America: A California superintendent speaks out on charter schools The following was shared with us by our newest chapter, PAA-Marin (CA):18 months into a highly contentious local battle over the conversion of a “district-wide program of choice” into a charter school, which included two unanimous denials by the local school
What Happens to Artists Who Aren’t Good Readers?
What Happens to Artists Who Aren’t Good Readers?: What Happens to Artists Who Aren’t Good Readers?Imagine children in public schools today, who do not read well, but who are undiscovered, gifted artists. They are continually drilled in reading and get few opportunities to express themselves artistically.In some schools, if a student does not test well in reading they do not get to be in the band,
Beyoncé Upstaged by White Fragility at the Super Bowl | gadflyonthewallblog
Beyoncé Upstaged by White Fragility at the Super Bowl | gadflyonthewallblog: Beyoncé Upstaged by White Fragility at the Super BowlSANTA CLARA, CA – FEBRUARY 07: Beyonce performs during the Pepsi Super Bowl 50 Halftime Show at Levi’s Stadium on February 7, 2016 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)Black women’s bodies are scary.That’s the lesson we learned this Super Bowl Su
Charters schools see mixed results after complaining about treatment by L.A. Unified - LA Times
Charters schools see mixed results after complaining about treatment by L.A. Unified - LA Times: Charter school groups complain to LAUSD, then score some new schoolsAfter formally complaining that the Los Angeles Unified School District is treating them with increasing unfairness, charter school operators caught a few breaks at Tuesday's school board meeting.The Board of Education did reject one p
The Ohio Department of Education has a lot of explaining to do about its charter school grant: editorial | cleveland.com
The Ohio Department of Education has a lot of explaining to do about its charter school grant: editorial | cleveland.com:The Ohio Department of Education has a lot of explaining to do about its charter school grant: editorial At this point, it's nearly impossible to trust anything the Ohio Department of Education has to say on charter school performance, the subject of so much chicanery last year
James Kirylo: The Selling of Teacher Education (And Why We Should Resist) | deutsch29
James Kirylo: The Selling of Teacher Education (And Why We Should Resist) | deutsch29: James Kirylo: The Selling of Teacher Education (And Why We Should Resist)The following is a guest post by Dr. James Kirylo, professor of teaching and learning at Southeastern Louisiana University. Kirylo’s research interests include critical pedagogy, curriculum theory, teacher leadership, and literacy developme
CURMUDGUCATION: Citizens United vs. Friedrich
CURMUDGUCATION: Citizens United vs. Friedrich: "Citizens United vs. Friedrich"Citizens United vs. FriedrichMark Joseph Stern, writing for Slate about Hillary Clinton's NH concession speech, notes in passing a looming contradiction between the Friedrich vs. California Teachers case and the terrible Citizen's United decision.Folks tend to remember the bizarre reasoning that corporations ar
Where do the 2016 presidential candidates stand on education? | Parents Across America
Where do the 2016 presidential candidates stand on education? | Parents Across America: Where do the 2016 presidential candidates stand on education?PAA does not endorse any candidate, but we are committed to educating parents and the general public about where the candidates and parties stand on education issues. The information in the following table was retrieved on Feb. 10. 2016 from www.onthe
In Schools, Teacher Quality Matters Most | VAMboozled!
In Schools, Teacher Quality Matters Most | VAMboozled!: In Schools, Teacher Quality Matters MostEducation Next — a non peer-reviewed journal with a mission to “steer a steady course, presenting the facts as best they can be determined…[while]…partak[ing] of no program, campaign, or ideology,” although these last claims are certainly of controversy (see, for example, here and here) — just published
Christine Campbell, Randi Weingarten: Don’t be fooled by charter school bill (Gazette)
Charleston Gazette-Mail | Christine Campbell, Randi Weingarten: Don’t be fooled by charter school bill (Gazette):Christine Campbell, Randi Weingarten: Don’t be fooled by charter school bill (Gazette) When it comes to our neighborhood schools, we need to ensure they are places where parents want to send their children, educators want to teach and students thrive. This takes resources, hard work and
The education mess in Ohio under Gov. John Kasich - The Washington Post
The education mess in Ohio under Gov. John Kasich - The Washington Post: The education mess in Ohio under Gov. John KasichOhio Gov. John Kasich is campaigning for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination by touting “successes” in his state, including his education record. But a look at that record offers a somewhat different picture than the one he paints. In fact, some see a real education mes
Rep. Sherry Gay-Dagnogo Testifies in Support of DPS Teachers - YouTube
Rep. Sherry Gay-Dagnogo Testifies in Support of DPS Teachers - YouTube: Rep. Sherry Gay-Dagnogo Testifies in Support of DPS Teachers Rep. Sherry Gay-Dagnogo testifies in the Michigan Senate Committee. She is a former Detroit public school science teacher, and knows first hand the reality that Detroit teachers face everyday. The package of bills would impose stricter penalties for teachers and uni
Breaking laws or breaking children? A list of data and the laws. – Missouri Education Watchdog
Breaking laws or breaking children? A list of data and the laws. – Missouri Education Watchdog: Breaking laws or breaking children? A list of data and the laws.Are secret algorithms and mandated data collection violating basic human rights and existing law? A list of each: data and law.The data:Secret data collecting and predictive algorithms happening to school children here.Data badges, micro-c
Not a Second To Waste | EduShyster
Not a Second To Waste | EduShyster: Not a Second To WasteFast-growing UP Education Network has an innovative approach to educating low-income students that starts with not wasting a second of valuable learning time…Editor’s note: UP Education Network operates five schools in Massachusetts, including two in Lawrence, where the author of this piece taught. While the school she describes is operated
ICE agents won't be going onto Los Angeles public school campuses - LA Times
ICE agents won't be going onto Los Angeles public school campuses - LA Times: ICE agents won't be going onto Los Angeles public school campusesImmigrant rights activists protest in front of the White House in December ahead of deportation sweeps. (Shawn Thew / EPA)Immigration agents won’t be allowed onto the campuses of the Los Angeles Unified School District to look for undocumented students, the
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: More evidence that PARCC test is bogus. Parents were smart to opt-out.
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: More evidence that PARCC test is bogus. Parents were smart to opt-out.: More evidence that PARCC test is bogus. Parents were smart to opt-out. PARCC officials are still working to determine the full scope and causes of last year’s score discrepancies, which may partly result from demographic and academic differences between the students who took the tests on computer
The wounded beast heads home |
The wounded beast heads home |: The wounded beast heads homeChristie: Living and dying by the smirkChris Christie’s political persona lived by the smirk–and, this past week in New Hampshire, it died by the smirk. His relentless attack on Marco Rubio on what was, after all, a meaningless point, more than just damaged the Florida senator’s standing, it put an inglorious end to Christie’s hopeless cr
LOOK OUT! If parents opt their children out, the Malloy administration will cut funding for poor children - Wait What?
LOOK OUT! If parents opt their children out, the Malloy administration will cut funding for poor children - Wait What?: LOOK OUT! If parents opt their children out, the Malloy administration will cut funding for poor children Wait, What?Just when it seemed that Governor Dannel Malloy’s arrogance and bullying couldn’t get any worse, Connecticut school officials have been told to instruct parents
Despite problems charter schools could get more state money | Miami Herald
Despite problems charter schools could get more state money | Miami Herald: Despite problems charter schools could get more state moneyTALLAHASSEE, FLA. Setting up a potential tug-of-war over millions in taxpayer money, the Florida House is rushing ahead with a plan that would force school districts across the state to share local property taxes with charter schools.Some legislators are pushing to
Small Schools: The Edu-Reform Failure That Wasn't - Education Week
Small Schools: The Edu-Reform Failure That Wasn't - Education Week: Small Schools: The Edu-Reform Failure That Wasn't What ever happened to the small-schools craze? A little over a decade ago, philanthropists and policy leaders, believing they had identified the key to student performance, threw their collective weight behind an effort to redesign the nation's large high schools. They spent over a
CURMUDGUCATION: NY: Those Peoples' Kids
CURMUDGUCATION: NY: Those Peoples' Kids: NY: Those Peoples' KidsIt doesn't get much plainer than this. The headline of the New York Chalkbeat piece is "Hoping to attract gentrifiers, a troubled school gets a makeover and new admissions policy."The story is about Satellite West Middle School, a school redesigned to focus on science and art, renamed the Dock Street School for STEAM Studies
Wraparound Community Schools Are Long Term Investment, Not Quick Turnaround | janresseger
Wraparound Community Schools Are Long Term Investment, Not Quick Turnaround | janresseger: Wraparound Community Schools Are Long Term Investment, Not Quick Turnaround A little more than a year ago, New York’s Mayor Bill de Blasio launched a massive program of support for 94 public Renew Schools, identified as those where children’s test scores have been chronically low. All of the Renew Schools ar
Ed Notes Online: Learning From Lois (Weiner): Social Justice Unions, Restorative Justice, and Caucus Building
Ed Notes Online: Learning From Lois (Weiner): Social Justice Unions, Restorative Justice, and Caucus Building: Learning From Lois (Weiner): Social Justice Unions, Restorative Justice, and Caucus BuildingLois talked about how Restorative Justice can only work in a democratically run, collaborative school environment with a non-abusive, instead of a top-down principal. ... AMEN I was at Lois Weiner
Embedding Leadership in the Teaching Profession - NEA Today
Embedding Leadership in the Teaching Profession - NEA Today: Embedding Leadership in the Teaching ProfessionFour leading education groups brought some of the best and brightest minds from around the country to the 2016 National Summit on Teacher Leadership in Washington, D.C. on Feb. 5-6 to turn ideas into action and empower more educators to lead their professions.The National Education Associati
'failing at 15' - Helping the weakest students essential for society and the economy, says OECD - OECD
Helping the weakest students essential for society and the economy, says OECD - OECD: Helping the weakest students essential for society and the economy, says OECD 10/02/2016 - Most countries have made little progress helping their weakest students improve their performance in reading, mathematics and science over the past decade. This means too many young people are still leaving school without t
Educators Unite Behind Dan Wolk for Assembly | Davis Vanguard
Educators Unite Behind Dan Wolk for Assembly | Davis Vanguard: Educators Unite Behind Dan Wolk for Assembly Dan Wolk for State Assembly http://bit.ly/20Vtqhe Educators from around the region and state are uniting behind Davis Mayor Dan Wolk’s campaign for Assembly, adding to his growing momentum. Today, both the California Teachers Association (CTA) and California School Employees Association (CSE
L.A. teachers union seeks to raise dues as it fights a charter school push - LA Times
L.A. teachers union seeks to raise dues as it fights a charter school push - LA Times:L.A. teachers union seeks to raise dues as it fights a charter school push The Los Angeles teachers union has long been the most powerful player in local education.But with the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation and other well-heeled nonprofits pushing hard to fundamentally change the nature of public education in L
Initiative That Would Shut Down Charter Schools In California Cleared To Gather Signatures « CBS Sacramento
Initiative That Would Shut Down Charter Schools In California Cleared To Gather Signatures « CBS Sacramento: Initiative That Would Shut Down Charter Schools In California Cleared To Gather Signatures SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — A movement in California could shut down the state’s charter schools and return students to public schools.A grassroots coalition is calling California charter schools discriminat
School Busing No More: Obama Wants to Promote Integration on the Basis of Income - The Atlantic
School Busing No More: Obama Wants to Promote Integration on the Basis of Income - The Atlantic: School Integration’s ComebackPresident Obama’s budget includes a new $120 million grant to support school integration. For decades, researchers have found that integrating schools by race and economic status is one of the most powerful levers available for improving opportunities for kids. And for de
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Choosing Democracy: Support Sacramento Schools and Teachers
Choosing Democracy: Support Sacramento Schools and Teachers: Support Sacramento Schools and TeachersChoosing Democracy: Support Sacramento Schools and Teachers:
A conversation about a path forward at #TFA25 — Medium
A conversation about a path forward at #TFA25 — Medium: A conversation about a path forward at #TFA25Politics and religion have long been known for their potential to turn a conversation into a conflagration. In the last decade, education joined that short list of touchy issues. That’s no wonder, since many self-described “reformers” frame the debate around false dichotomies, such as their claim t
Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 2/9/16
CORPORATE ED REFORML.A. teachers union seeks to re-negotiate evaluation system | 89.3 KPCCL.A. teachers union seeks to re-negotiate evaluation system | 89.3 KPCC: L.A. teachers union seeks to re-negotiate evaluation systemThe union representing teachers in the Los Angeles Unified School District wants to re-work how the district rates teachers' job performance.It's one of two portions of the lab
