CORPORATE ED REFORM
How to prevent your school data — including your Social Security number — from getting wrapped up in a lawsuit | 89.3 KPCC
How to prevent your school data — including your Social Security number — from getting wrapped up in a lawsuit | 89.3 KPCC: How to prevent your school data — including your Social Security number — from getting wrapped up in a lawsuitIf you were a student in a California public school at any point since 2008, data about you could soon be released to plaintiffs in a lawsuit against the state's educ
CT legislature’s nomination committee votes 10 to 4 today to confirm Erik Clemons to State Board of Education. - Wait What?
CT legislature’s nomination committee votes 10 to 4 today to confirm Erik Clemons to State Board of Education. - Wait What?: CT legislature’s nomination committee votes 10 to 4 today to confirm Erik Clemons to State Board of Education. On a party-line vote, with Democrats backing Governor Malloy and Lt. Governor Nancy Wyman’s nominee for the State Board of Education, the General Assembly’s Executi
Survey: 70 Percent Of Educators Say State Assessments Not Developmentally Appropriate - NEA Today
Survey: 70 Percent Of Educators Say State Assessments Not Developmentally Appropriate - NEA Today:Survey: 70 Percent Of Educators Say State Assessments Not Developmentally Appropriate Results from a 2015 survey of more than 1500 NEA members teaching the grades and subjects required to be tested under No Child Left Behind (grades 3-8 and 10-12 in ELA and math) indicate that a vast majority of these
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Jay Travis: Yesterday was a good day
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Jay Travis: Yesterday was a good day: Jay Travis: Yesterday was a good dayJay Travis is the progressive hope, running for State Rep in the 26th Dist. against corporate reformer and pension grabber, Christian Mitchell.JT reports from Springfield:House Bill 557, calling for an elected representative school board for the people of Chicago, was passed out of committee by
Does the Every Student Succeeds Act MASK No Child Left Behind?
Does the Every Student Succeeds Act MASK No Child Left Behind?: Does the Every Student Succeeds Act MASK No Child Left Behind?The ESSA has been difficult for most of us to interpret—although it is clear the U.S. Department of Education will now back out of a lot of school business. Still, in reading how the states will now be almost completely in charge, one wonders how NCLB will change.How many o
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Does Anyone at OSPI Care about Appearances?
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Does Anyone at OSPI Care about Appearances?: Does Anyone at OSPI Care about Appearances?Apparently not, at least when it comes to charter schools. My second batch of public disclosure e-mails raises more troubling questions.In my first batch, I explained how a couple of other districts' lawyers were worried about running afoul of state law in signing interlocal do
Random Thoughts. Teacher unions aren’t all white. | Fred Klonsky
Random Thoughts. Teacher unions aren’t all white. | Fred Klonsky: Random Thoughts. Teacher unions aren’t all white. A couple of years ago Lily Eskelson Garcia was running for president of the National Education Association and I was an Illinois IEA Retired delegate to the national Representative Assembly. Lily came and spoke to our Retired Conference that precedes the RA.During the Q&A that fo
Should Teachers Have Strong Opinions? | gadflyonthewallblog
Should Teachers Have Strong Opinions? | gadflyonthewallblog: Should Teachers Have Strong Opinions?I am an opinionated person. I am also a public school teacher.Those two things should not be mutually exclusive.You should not have to give up the one to be able to do the other.Teachers should not have to relinquish their judgment in order to run an effective classroom. In fact, you might expect good
Schools Matter: ESSA Questions? Ask Diane Ravitch to Ask Lamar Alexander
Schools Matter: ESSA Questions? Ask Diane Ravitch to Ask Lamar Alexander: ESSA Questions? Ask Diane Ravitch to Ask Lamar Alexander“I still wonder why we, over time, don’t make every public school a charter school.” He continued, “You couldn’t do it all overnight, but you could do it over 20, 25 years. - See more at: http://www.aft.org/ae/winter2014-2015/kahlenberg_potter#sthash.y5Y6mha1.dpuf“I sti
Mass media deception on charter school test scores | Seattle Education
Mass media deception on charter school test scores | Seattle Education: Mass media deception on charter school test scores It’s interesting how much charter schools really do not want to be public schools beholden to public scrutiny.Case in point, 74, a slick media rag brought to you by the Walton’s and Bloomberg, and the News Tribune both came out with the same story about students in charter sch
Senate committee schedules confirmation hearing for John King as education secretary - The Washington Post
Senate committee schedules confirmation hearing for John King as education secretary - The Washington Post:Senate committee schedules confirmation hearing for John King as education secretaryThe Senate education committee plans to consider President Obama’s nominee for education secretary at a confirmation hearing at 2 p.m. on Feb. 25.John King Jr. has been serving as acting secretary of education
Pressure-cooker meetings have come with school districts’ budgeting freedom | The Modesto Bee
Pressure-cooker meetings have come with school districts’ budgeting freedom | The Modesto Bee: Pressure-cooker meetings have come with school districts’ budgeting freedomFor decades, schools in California had their spending basically laid out for them by the state. A makeover in school funding has freed district spending from those controls, and those fail-safes. Local control counts on communitie
Peggy Robertson | BustED Pencils
Peggy Robertson | BustED Pencils: The Kenneth S. Goodman “In Defense of Good Teaching” Award WinnerIn his letter of nomination for Peggy Robertson, Ian Altman writes: “For as long as Peggy has worked with students and teachers, she has been a tireless and compassionate advocate for both.” Peggy has been a literacy coach and literacy interventionist at Jewell Elementary School in Aurora, Colorado.
Gates: Funding Reform for Longer Than You Think – Save Maine Schools
Gates: Funding Reform for Longer Than You Think – Save Maine Schools: Gates: Funding Reform for Longer Than You ThinkIn “How Bill Gates Funded the Swift Common Core Revolution,” journalist Lyndsey Layton tells the story of how David Coleman, CEO of College Board, and Gene Wilhoit, Executive Director of the Council for Chief State School Officers, approached Bill Gates with a “new approach to trans
What School Walk-Ins Teach Us
2/18/2016 – What School Walk-Ins Teach Us: What School Walk-Ins Teach UsFebruary 18, 2016, 2016 SubscribeTHIS WEEK: Doing Pre-K Wrong … Viral Video Stokes Democratic Party Division … Segregation Produces Criminals … How Basics Improve Schools … New Crackdown On For-ProfitsTOP STORYWhat School Walk-Ins Teach UsBy Jeff Bryant“This week, thousands of teachers, parents, students, and community support
Why Most State Education Report Cards are Like Cookies Without the Sugar – Cloaking Inequity
Why Most State Education Report Cards are Like Cookies Without the Sugar – Cloaking Inequity: Why Most State Education Report Cards are Like Cookies Without the SugarOnce when I was in high school, a friend handed me a plate of chocolate chip cookies. They looked delicious! But just as I was about to eat one, she snatched them back. They looked great on the outside, she told me, but they tasted te
What out Washington State legislators CAN do to equitably fund educaton | Seattle Education
What out Washington State legislators CAN do to equitably fund educaton | Seattle Education: What out Washington State legislators CAN do to equitably fund educaton I’ve seen enough dancing around the real issues of funding education in Washington State by our legislators and it’s time for them to get serious or get another job.From the Washington Budget Policy Center (who made a great presentati
How Habits Support Democratic Schooling - Bridging Differences - Education Week
How Habits Support Democratic Schooling - Bridging Differences - Education Week: How Habits Support Democratic SchoolingDeborah Meier continues her conversation with Harry Boyte. To read their full exchange, please visit here.Dear Harry and friends,Thinking about "habits of mind"—as you take it up in your final paragraph—is a good reminder that schools serve purposes beyond those of the
Thomas B. Fordham Releases a Report on Quality of Common Core Tests, ACT, and MCAS: A Debate | Diane Ravitch's blog
Thomas B. Fordham Releases a Report on Quality of Common Core Tests, ACT, and MCAS: A Debate | Diane Ravitch's blog:Thomas B. Fordham Releases a Report on Quality of Common Core Tests, ACT, and MCAS: A DebateThe Thomas B. Fordham Institute commissioned and published an evaluation of the “content and quality of the next generation assessments,” specifically, the Common Core assessments (PARCC and S
Will Salary Increases Solve the Teacher Shortages? - The Atlantic
Will Salary Increases Solve the Teacher Shortages? - The Atlantic: What If America’s Teachers Made More Money?A number of states want to raise their salaries, but it’s unclear whether the increases will do much to solve schools’ staffing problems.Tia Martin, a long-term substitute teacher, leads a third-grade class at an elementary school in Nevada, one of many states struggling with teacher short
Alabama places 'failing' label on majority black schools only | AL.com
Alabama places 'failing' label on majority black schools only | AL.com: Alabama places 'failing' label on majority black schools only Alabama last week received a new list of failing schools, a two-page memo slipped under the door without explanation from the educators who prepared it.What does it mean? Why these 76 schools? Why "failing"? The measure is straightforward. These are the st
Seattle Schools Community Forum: McCleary; It's Not Over
Seattle Schools Community Forum: McCleary; It's Not Over: McCleary; It's Not Over It may appear that way to legislators and their big "whew, we got something done" but until we hear the Supreme Court's weigh in, the issue is not done.I just spoke to teachers at Roosevelt at the Red for Ed day. My main message to them and to you is to keep the heat on.Legislators need to hear that YOU a
CURMUDGUCATION: PA: Philly School Commission Gets Spanked
CURMUDGUCATION: PA: Philly School Commission Gets Spanked: PA: Philly School Commission Gets Spanked Philly schools are, by any measure, a mess. And after almost two decades, they are a prime example of how badly state takeover districts fail.In the nineties, the school gave up lost local control in exchange for enough funding to survive. In 2001, the state installed the School Reform Commission,
Stunning New Report Shows Power of Wraparound Community Schools | janresseger
Stunning New Report Shows Power of Wraparound Community Schools | janresseger: Stunning New Report Shows Power of Wraparound Community SchoolsThree organizations, the Center for Popular Democracy, the Coalition for Community Schools, and the Southern Education Foundation have released an in-depth and very significant report: Community Schools: Transforming Struggling Schools into Thriving Schools.
Chetty et al. v. Rothstein on VAM-Based Bias, Again | VAMboozled!
Chetty et al. v. Rothstein on VAM-Based Bias, Again | VAMboozled!: Chetty et al. v. Rothstein on VAM-Based Bias, Again Recall the Chetty, Friedman, and Rockoff studies at focus of many posts on this blog in the past (see for example here, here, and here)? These studies were cited in President Obama’s 2012 State of the Union address. Since, they have been cited by every VAM proponent as the key set
Thousands of Teachers and Students Denounce Budget Cuts in Nationwide Protests - Yahoo News
Thousands of Teachers and Students Denounce Budget Cuts in Nationwide Protests - Yahoo News: Thousands of Teachers and Students Denounce Budget Cuts in Nationwide ProtestsRaising signs that read “Support Our Schools” and “Actions Speak Louder Than Words,” teachers, students, and community members held walk-ins across the country Wednesday morning to demand increased support for public education.
Chicago 'walk ins': What are parents, teachers, and students protesting? - Yahoo News
Chicago 'walk ins': What are parents, teachers, and students protesting? - Yahoo News: Chicago 'walk ins': What are parents, teachers, and students protesting?Hundreds of Chicagoans stood behind the teachers' union in a demonstration against Chicago Public Schools and what they see as its failure to meet the needs of students and educators. Parents, students, and teachers are protesting at more th
WTF Education Department Letting For-Profit Schools Off Because They’re ‘Too Big To Fail,’ Report Says
Education Department Letting For-Profit Schools Off Because They’re ‘Too Big To Fail,’ Report Says: Education Department Letting For-Profit Schools Off Because They’re ‘Too Big To Fail,’ Report SaysBanks aren't the only "too big to fail" companies that put taxpayers at risk. Some giant for-profit colleges are ripping off students and squandering billions of taxpayer dollars, and the U.S.
Oops: School emails 'Hurt Feelings Report' that makes fun of whiners
Oops: School emails 'Hurt Feelings Report' that makes fun of whiners: Oops: School emails 'Hurt Feelings Report' that makes fun of whiners WILMINGTON, Del. — Some Lombardy Elementary School parents are fuming after the school accidentally sent out a sarcastic "Hurt Feelings Report" that makes fun of "whiners."The one-page form was included as an attachment to an email that was
Most State Education Report Cards Miss the Critical Ingredients | The Progressive
Most State Education Report Cards Miss the Critical Ingredients | The Progressive: Most State Education Report Cards Miss the Critical Ingredients Once when I was in high school, a friend handed me a plate of chocolate chip cookies. They looked delicious! But just as I was about to eat one, she snatched them back. They looked great on the outside, she told me, but they tasted terrible. She had l
DCPS changed its teacher-evaluation system—again. Why can't schools settle on a method?
DCPS changed its teacher-evaluation system—again. Why can't schools settle on a method?:Why Do Schools Keep Changing the Way They Grade Teachers?Last week, the District of Columbia Public Schools district announced major changes to its teacher evaluation program, called IMPACT. Again. Administrators have tweaked the program constantly since implementing it in 2009, mirroring a troubling national t
Andy Furillo: Golden 1 Center? If you pay to park, you own the joint | The Sacramento Bee
Andy Furillo: Golden 1 Center? If you pay to park, you own the joint | The Sacramento Bee:Andy Furillo: Golden 1 Center? If you pay to park, you own the jointJanis Hawkins dug around in her car for quarters to feed the meter Wednesday, and Sean Eichelkraut waited for an app to download on his cellphone so he could pay to park. Two different people from two different worlds, the Oakland woman and t
Teachers, Unions and the First Amendment | The Legal Intelligencer
Teachers, Unions and the First Amendment | The Legal Intelligencer: Teachers, Unions and the First AmendmentIn 1977, the U.S. Supreme Court set the rules for how public-sector unions could be involved in collective bargaining in Abood v. Detroit Board of Education, 431 U.S. 209 (1977). Although a string of recent Supreme Court cases have questioned the soundness of Abood, it has not been overturne
State’s schools are still underfunded | The Sacramento Bee
State’s schools are still underfunded | The Sacramento Bee: State’s schools are still underfundedFranklin Pham studies at Winston Churchill Middle School in Carmichael on Feb. 10. The California School Boards Association is lobbying for more funding for California’s public schools. Randall Benton rbenton@sacbee.comRead more here: http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/soapbox/article60902357.html#sto
New Report Sheds Light on Deficiencies of Common Core Math Standards | Caffeinated Thoughts
New Report Sheds Light on Deficiencies of Common Core Math Standards | Caffeinated Thoughts: New Report Sheds Light on Deficiencies of Common Core Math Standards (Washington, D.C.) – The American Principles Project Foundation has just published a new report, “Common Does Not Equal Excellent.” Focusing on the K-8 Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSS-M), authors Erin Tuttle and J.R. Wil
YESTERDAY
Confessions of a Whistleblower: LAUSD Whistle Blower Protection is a Fallacy by Cheryl Dorsey - Perdaily.com
Confessions of a Whistleblower: LAUSD Whistle Blower Protection is a Fallacy by Cheryl Dorsey - Perdaily.com: Confessions of a Whistleblower: LAUSD Whistle Blower Protection is a Fallacy by Cheryl DorseyThis is the story of what happens when someone reports wrong doing by an employer. This story probably plays out daily in an office near you. This is why most go along to get along; but I'm not bui
Rife with scandal, Detroit’s state-run school district to fold as privatization schemes continue - World Socialist Web Site
Rife with scandal, Detroit’s state-run school district to fold as privatization schemes continue - World Socialist Web Site:Rife with scandal, Detroit’s state-run school district to fold as privatization schemes continueThe Eastern Michigan University (EMU) Board of Regents voted on February 5 to sever its agreement with the scandal-ridden Educational Achievement Authority (EAA).The EAA, promoted
How Finland broke every rule — and created a top school system - The Hechinger Report
How Finland broke every rule — and created a top school system - The Hechinger Report: How Finland broke every rule — and created a top school systemIt’s not just a “Nordic thing”Jussi Hieveta’s fourth-grade class at the University of Eastern Finland’s Normaalikoulu teacher training school in Joensuu, Finland.end five minutes in Jussi Hietava’s fourth-grade math class in remote, rural Finland, and
Has Newark’s community schools initiative been sold out already? |
Has Newark’s community schools initiative been sold out already? |: Has Newark’s community schools initiative been sold out already?Activist Donna Jackson ejected from school board meeting Tuesday night after she called on the panel not to give in to Cerf’s “threats.”Community schools in Newark were supposed to be the public school answer to expansion of privately-operated charter schools imposed
COE Fiscal Procedural Manual Update for 2016 | Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team
COE Fiscal Procedural Manual Update for 2016 | Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: COE Fiscal Procedural Manual Update for 2016The Fiscal Procedural Manual for Business Officials in California County Offices of Education has been updated for 2016. Click here for the complete 2016 manual.Notes and InformationFor ease of navigation, every item listed on the index page of the manual is a
Gene V Glass: Education in Two Worlds: They Recruit, They Skim, They Flunk Out The Weak ... They are Arizona's Top Charter Schools
Gene V Glass: Education in Two Worlds: They Recruit, They Skim, They Flunk Out The Weak ... They are Arizona's Top Charter Schools: They Recruit, They Skim, They Flunk Out The Weak ... They are Arizona's Top Charter SchoolsArizona is a leader in the charter school movement. They lead in % of students in charter schools, and they lead the world in "Lack of Accountability." And no one in a
ACT’s College and Career Readiness Standards | deutsch29
ACT’s College and Career Readiness Standards | deutsch29: ACT’s College and Career Readiness StandardsOn February 11, 2016, the Fordham Institute published its idea of a report on how well a number of assessments align with the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). Here is a bit of what Fordham Institute wrote about ACT:ACT Aspire and MCAS both did well regarding the quality of their items and the d
Government Affairs and School Facilities and Trans - Year 2016 (CA Dept of Education)
Government Affairs and School Facilities and Trans - Year 2016 (CA Dept of Education): State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Appoints Division Directors for Government Affairs and School Facilities and TransportationSACRAMENTO — State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson announced today that he has appointed new Directors for the California Department of Education's (CDE) Government Affa
CURMUDGUCATION: One-to-One Tech Barriers
CURMUDGUCATION: One-to-One Tech Barriers: One-to-One Tech BarriersWe leapt into the one-to-one world in the fall of 2010, when my district put a netbook in the hands of every single high school student.I was excited. The process of trying to get a class into the single computer lab or, worse, use the traveling laptop labcart, was generally frustrating and lacked-- well, a certain spontaneity. I wa
Billionaire-Funded Charter School Juggernaut Hits Roadblock in Los Angeles | Alternet
Billionaire-Funded Charter School Juggernaut Hits Roadblock in Los Angeles | Alternet:Billionaire-Funded Charter School Juggernaut Hits Roadblock in Los AngelesTeachers union organizing in hostile charter environment, while L.A. school board blocks "out of touch" plan by billionaires. Over the past decade and longer, there has been a massively funded effort by the wealthiest people in Am
Russ on Reading: The Importance of Making Mistakes
Russ on Reading: The Importance of Making Mistakes: The Importance of Making MistakesThe vile video of Success Academy teacher, Charlotte Dial, berating a first grader for making a mistake on her math paper, reminds me of something I have been saying to teachers for years. "Value student errors, because those errors are our best window into what a child does not know and, therefore, they tell
Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 2/17/16
CORPORATE ED REFORMWays to Object to Disclosure of Student Data - Year 2016 (CA Dept of Education)Ways to Object to Disclosure of Student Data - Year 2016 (CA Dept of Education): Superintendent Torlakson Voices Strong Support for Protecting Student Privacy and Explains Ways to Object to Disclosure of Student DataSACRAMENTO— State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson reiterated his st
