Latest News and Comment from Education

Tuesday, January 5, 2016

Public preschools attempt to accommodate diverse languages of students | EdSource

Public preschools attempt to accommodate diverse languages of students | EdSource:

Public preschools attempt to accommodate diverse languages of students

Teacher Lien Nguyen got up in front of a class of 3-year-olds and gave a lesson typical of a preschool: Where are your eyes, nose and hair?
But Nguyen did something not heard in most classrooms: She repeated each body part in Vietnamese.
Most of the class understood, as 16 of the 23 children spoke Vietnamese.
While Spanish is by far the most common language other than English in California’s publicly funded pre-kindergarten programs, they enroll children who speak a variety of languages, reflecting the pockets of ethnic communities dotting California. In Los Angeles County alone, 224 languages and dialects are spoken by children in Head Start and the California State Preschool Program.
Preschool programs are playing a key role in helping children who speak languages other than English get ready for kindergarten. More than half of students in those two programs – the largest ones statewide – speak a language other than English at home.
Vietnamese was ranked the third most common home language – behind Spanish and English – in the state preschool program in 2013-14 and is also the third most common language in K-12. Head Start lists “East Asian languages” as the third most common home language.
Many of those Vietnamese-speaking children attend preschools near Little Saigon, the largest enclave of Vietnamese people outside of Vietnam, centered in Public preschools attempt to accommodate diverse languages of students | EdSource:


Cerf, the new “decider” in Newark, decides to break the unions | Bob Braun's Ledger

Cerf, the new “decider” in Newark, decides to break the unions | Bob Braun's Ledger:

Cerf, the new “decider” in Newark, decides to break the unions


Christopher Cerf, the state-appointed superintendent of the Newark schools, has unilaterally taken actions that threaten the future of collective  bargaining rights of the city’s school employee unions–and maybe even the future of the unions. Cerf announced he was imposing a salary settlement on members of the City Association of School Administrtators (CASA), the union representing school principals,  and he directed that prescription benefits plans be changed without a new agreement with the Newark Teachers Union (NTU).
“I am making the decision,” Cerf wrote in a letter to Tina Taylor, CASA’s president, saying he would unilaterally impose a new salary guide on principals and other administrators and take away a $6 million “contract ratification bonus” because, in his view, the union had waited to long to reach an agreement. His words were reminiscent of Gov. Chris Christie’s warnings to then newly-elected mayor Ras Baraka that he–Christie–was the decider of what happened in and to Newark schools.
“It’s clear that this latest move by Cerf is an attempt to break the CASA union,” said Tina Taylor, CASA’s president. The union has not had a new contract since 2009.


NTU's Abeigon
NTU’s Abeigon

At the same time, Cerf’s “chief talent officer,” Vanessa Rodriguez, announced in a letter to the provider of prescription drug benefits, the General Prescription Plan (GPP) that, “It is a decision of Newark Public Schools to cancel our Prescription coverage” for school employee unions, including the NTU. She demanded that the GPP turn over to her all information about subscribers held by the provider.
The prescription plan, provided under contract with the Newark Supplemental Fringe Benefits Program (SBF),  ends Feb. 1, Rodriguez said.
“We’re going to court,” said NTU President John Abeigon, who contended Cerf acted “with no financial discussion with the Newark Advisory Board (and) without any power to do so.”
Abeigon said Cerf’s decision to cancel the prescription contract as of Feb. 1came after the union refused to drop the SFB-backed prescription plan. The union Cerf, the new “decider” in Newark, decides to break the unions | Bob Braun's Ledger:

My Daughter is Not a Widget | gadflyonthewallblog

My Daughter is Not a Widget | gadflyonthewallblog:

My Daughter is Not a Widget

Father Holding Daughter's Hand
“I’m not sure public schools understand that we’re their customer—that we, the business community, are your customer. What they don’t understand is they are producing a product at the end of that high school graduation. Now is that product in a form that we, the customer, can use it? Or is it defective, and we’re not interested? American schools have got to step up the performance level—or they’re basically turning out defective products that have no future. Unfortunately, the defective products are human beings. So it’s really serious. It’s tragic. But that’s where we find ourselves today.”
Rex Tillerson, ExxonMobil CEO
My daughter just turned seven during this holiday season.
She loves to draw. She’ll take over the dinning room table and call it her office. Over the course of a single hour, she can render a complete story with full color images supporting a handwritten plot.
These narratives usually star super heroes, cartoon characters and sometimes her mommy and daddy. In these flights of fantasy, I’ve traveled to worlds lit by distant suns, been a contestant on a Food Network cooking show, and even been a karate pupil to a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle sensei.
That little girl is my pride and joy. I love her more than anything else in this world.
Make no mistake – She is not anyone’s product.
She is not a cog to fit into your machine. She is not merchandise, a commodity, a My Daughter is Not a Widget | gadflyonthewallblog:


New education law puts more pressure on states to serve English learners | EdSource

New education law puts more pressure on states to serve English learners | EdSource:

New education law puts more pressure on states to serve English learners

Delia Pompa
Delia Pompa
The Every Student Succeeds Act, which President Barack Obama signed into law last month, includes important policies that recognize the needs and diversity of English learners in an effort to close the ongoing achievement gap between them and other students. The bill, which reauthorizes the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, also crucially maintains accountability for improving academic achievement of English learners  – a hallmark of the last reauthorization, known as the No Child Left Behind Act.
Given the new law’s overall thrust of reducing federal authority in education, however, ensuring that the needs of English learners are met will be complicated by the fact that education agencies in 50 states and the District of Columbia will be interpreting the new mandates and perhaps implementing them differently.
The law has many strengths with respect to the nation’s approximately 5 million English learners in K-12 classrooms. The most far-reaching change requires that states include English language proficiency in their accountability frameworks under Title I, the provision that governs accountability for all low-income students.
Previously, accountability for growth in language proficiency was not included in general accountability provisions. With this change, how well English learners do on language proficiency assessments has greater consequences than ever before. Now, states must set their own goals for achievement on English proficiency assessments as well as for achievement on statewide math and language arts assessments. Together, results from these three assessments will be included along with at least one other academic indicator chosen by the state to count more than other indicators in statewide accountability systems. The change gives English learners a higher profile in accountability systems and reflects their growing importance in overall student achievement because of their increasing numbers.
Placing English learners in the law’s primary achievement and accountability framework will be of particular importance for California and other states and districts with the largest concentrations of English learner students. Of California’s approximately 6 million K-12 students, one in four is classified as an English learner, a far higher proportion than any other state.
In another significant change, states are now required to have a standardized process for classifying students as English learners, as well as a standardized process for how English learners exit special services (or how they are reclassified as English proficient). Up to now, many states have had a hodgepodge of English learner entry and exit criteria across districts, resulting in inconsistent assessment of needs and provision of services for students. Under the new New education law puts more pressure on states to serve English learners | EdSource:

ASL Teacher has ALS and loses both of her voices | Reclaim Reform

ASL Teacher has ALS and loses both of her voices | Reclaim Reform:

ASL Teacher has ALS and loses both of her voices

Karen Dyer, an American Sign Language (ASL) teacher, has ALS which was once called Lou Gehrig’s Disease; this is a progressive neurodegenerative disease which has caused her to lose both her vocal abilities and her hand movements.
Karen Dyer has lived her adult life with two voices—her speaking voice and the “voice” of her hands. As an ASL teacher, mentor, consultant, interpreter and actress, she has awakened a new level of awareness within our theatre community of what it means to communicate with your hands.
She introduced the character of Chester the Jester into the Children’s Programming. Chester never spoke, only signed. As a result, countless children left our theatre smiling and talking to each other with their hands.
Karen’s good friends are attempting to raise funds via a GoFundMe site.
7988735_1452006830.9009
The expenses and needs that accompany this disease, over and above health care coverage, can be emotionally, psychologically and financially debilitating. Our goal is to ease the financial burden of home modifications, transportation needs and in-home care.
If you can afford to help Karen Dyer, please do so. For more information and to contribute, please go to her GoFundMe site.
(I know that this is a legitimate situation because my wife’s dearest friend is also a friend of Karen Dyer. Although they both live outside of Philadelphia, a thousand miles away from me and my wife, we also hope that you can help Karen and her family during this crisis.)ASL Teacher has ALS and loses both of her voices | Reclaim Reform:

Receivership: Union battle & Common Core assessments | WBFO

Receivership: Union battle & Common Core assessments | WBFO:

Receivership: Union battle & Common Core assessments


As receivership plans for 15-of Buffalo's most struggling public schools could mean changes to the school day, the teachers union is planning to fight the new rule. WBFO's Focus on Education Reporter Eileen Buckley says one city school teacher calls receivership 'union busting'.  

 "They want to divide and conquer the unions, not just Buffalo, but across the state," said Mel Holden, Teacher at City Honors and Buffalo school parent.  

Holden tells WBFO News schools should be a stable place that families can rely on for their children to attend. Holden said she believes receivership will only destabilize troubled city schools, fearing they could be turned into charter schools that are not always a success. 
"It doesn't have the best interest of communities and children in mind. In addition creating this whole union busting. It's nothing  good for teachers, nothing good for the students, nothing good for the parents," responded Holden.
The Common Core assessments also come into play in receivership. Buffalo Parent Teacher Organization Co-chair Larry Scott said both the State Education Department and Common Core Task Force have 'flubbed' the receivership process.
"And the big question remains, because these schools placed in receivership -- it Receivership: Union battle & Common Core assessments | WBFO:

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



CORPORATE ED REFORM

 



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The charter-school scam deepens: The sick new “bubble” that could explode urban schools - Salon.com
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NYC Public School Parents: The Occupy Activist Teacher that the DOE Spent $1,000,000 to Try to Fire and Lost
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4 years late[r] - The Connecticut Education Association may finally be standing up against Malloy and Wyman on their teacher evaluation disaster - Wait What?
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He’s acting, but the nation’s new education secretary is for real - The Washington Post
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ALEC Education Task Force - SourceWatch
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Choosing Democracy: Business "Leaders" Fail at Public Education
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About That Fortune Article on Common Core… | deutsch29
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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
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Who Needs “Education” Anyway? | Save Maine Schools
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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