Growth/Achievement vs Left/Right – Educate Louisiana : Growth/Achievement vs Left/Right These days, it is hard to tell which political faction is pushing for the different components of education reform, but it is clear that the unified-bipartisan effort has fractured. The parting of ways is mostly due to the nomination, and subsequent confirmation, of Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education. It ha
Allowing Guns in Schools is a Bad Idea | gadflyonthewallblog : Allowing Guns in Schools is a Bad Idea Even Water Guns Guns were not allowed at Donald Trump’s inauguration . They were not allowed at his speech to the National Rifle Association (NRA). Nor were they allowed at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) or at most of his hotels, golf courses and other properties . But he wan
Badass Teachers Association : Period 1 By: Marla Kilfoyle, Executive Director, The Badass Teachers Association Marla Kilfoyle, Exec. Dir. The Badass Teachers Association Here is what folks don’t get about teaching - it is not effective or ineffective; you are not a bad teacher or a good teacher. The art of teaching cannot be confined to one definition for every school day. The art of teaching is
Why the Trump/DeVos visit to a Catholic school is so unusual — and what it really means - The Washington Post : Why the Trump/DeVos visit to a Catholic school is so unusual — and what it really means President Trump and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos made their first official joint trip to a school on Friday. It was a highly unusual trip for a president, but one that clearly signals his educatio
CURMUDGUCATION: Finding the Good Teachers : Finding the Good Teachers Modern ed reform has always embraced a binary view of teachers-- there are good ones and bad ones. We should sort them out. Maybe find the good ones so we can give them a nice reward. Find that bad ones so that we can fire them. The problems with this view are (or at least should be) obvious. Teaching is a complex multi-faceted
The Next Step in the Trump-DeVos Plan to Send Taxpayer Money to Religious Schools | Mother Jones : The Next Step in the Trump-DeVos Plan to Send Taxpayer Money to Religious Schools Why Florida is the new darling for school choice boosters. During his address before a joint session of Congress earlier this week, President Donald Trump paused to introduce Denisha Merriweather, a graduate student fr
Only in Betsy DeVos’ Michigan can schools be “reformed” by closing them | Eclectablog : Only in Betsy DeVos’ Michigan can schools be “reformed” by closing them The news broke on January 20, 2017 that as many as 38 schools could be closed in Michigan, 24 of those in Detroit, due to “poor academic performance.” Parents in the city, and throughout the state, were understandably stunned, as this anno
Fighting Back Against Sessions's Trans Attack | Advocate.com : Fighting Back Against Sessions's Trans Attack Trans youth were already under assault before President Trump and Attorney General Sessions made it worse for them. Randi Weingarten of the American Federation of Teachers tells us what she's doing to defend our kids. BY RANDI WEINGARTEN MARCH 03 2017 5:34 AM EST Transgender students — jus
What's the Big Idea? | Schott Foundation for Public Education : What's the Big Idea? John H. Jackson, President & CEO, The Schott Foundation for Public Education Sounding more like a measured politician than ever, President Donald Trump’s first Joint Address to Congress Tuesday night outlined the broad contours of his vision for a “Renewal of the American Spirit” while also challenging the nation
Trump to visit private school to promote school choice - SFGate : Trump to visit private school to promote school choice WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump will be visiting a private, religious school in Florida on Friday, signaling that his education agenda will focus on school choice. The president will tour St. Andrew Catholic School in Orlando, where he is expected to drop in on classro
Audio: Fact-checking the most negative LA school board race in years | 89.3 KPCC : Fact-checking the most negative LA school board race in years If you care about the impact of money in local politics in Los Angeles, here’s one candidate to watch closely in next week's primary election: L.A. Unified School Board president Steve Zimmer . Since 2007, when L.A. voters decided to limit direct contrib
To Opt Out, Or Not! – Educate Louisiana : To Opt Out, Or Not! Spring will soon be upon us. I can tell because my inboxes are filling with questions about state assessments and opt-outs. I am happy to answer questions for anyone who takes the time to contact me, but it is easiest for me to just explain it here. I will provide you with the information regarding accountability, and leave it to you t
With A Brooklyn Accent: Where the Music Came From: Mourning the Loss of Great Music Programs in Our Public Schools : Where the Music Came From: Mourning the Loss of Great Music Programs in Our Public Schools Just had a thought. So much of the amazing music we had in the 50's and 60's- whether it was the beautiful harmonies of doo wop singers, the girl groups and the Beach Boys; the incredible hor
Vicki Cobb: I Attended the Great Debate About Charter Schools at Intelligence Squared | Diane Ravitch's blog : Vicki Cobb: I Attended the Great Debate About Charter Schools at Intelligence Squared On March 1, there was a heated debate around the proposition “Charter Schools Are Overrated,” hosted by Intelligence Squared. The room in New York City was packed. Two academics–Gary Miron of Western Mi
Bridgeport Board of Education Member Maria Pereira speaks out against Malloy Education Cuts - Wait What? : Bridgeport Board of Education Member Maria Pereira speaks out against Malloy Education Cuts Maria Pereira is a public education advocate and member of the Bridgeport Board of Education. She recently testified before the General Assembly’s Appropriations Committee on Governor Dannel Malloy’s
DeVos and Tax Credit Vouchers: Arizona Shows What Can Go Wrong - The New York Times : DeVos and Tax Credit Vouchers: Arizona Shows What Can Go Wrong Steve Yarbrough is one of the most powerful men in Arizona. As president of the State Senate, he has promoted a range of conservative policies, including a tuition tax credit system that provides over $100 million per year to finance vouchers for pri
Schools Matter: Dem Epiphany: Public Education Under Siege : Dem Epiphany: Public Education Under Siege In 2001, Democrats joined Republicans to create a massive school privatization corporate welfare plan known as No Child Left Behind. With fanciful performance targets and unbending rules, which every education policy person knew would detonate thousands of the poorest public schools over the co
Proposal would keep California schools from denying lunch over unpaid fees | Firstcoastnews.com : Proposal would keep California schools from denying lunch over unpaid fees A new bill proposal wants to make sure no student goes hungry at school even if their lunch bills are unpaid. Democratic state Sen. Bob Hertzberg introduced the proposal in February in an attempt to end lunch shaming at Califo
Betsy DeVos called it: Bear puts Connecticut schools on lockdown : Betsy DeVos called it: Bear puts Connecticut schools on lockdown DETROIT — For those who ridiculed Education Secretary Betsy DeVos for mentioning "potential grizzlies" as a reason for keeping a gun in schools for safety, it may be time to start lining up to apologize: A bear put a pair of Connecticut schools on lockdown this week.
Caterpiller raided by feds. Tax cheats. | Fred Klonsky : Caterpiller raided by feds. Tax cheats When Caterpiller announced it was joining other big corporations like Boeing and moving its headquarters to downtown Chicago, Crain’s reported that it took some analysts by surprise. Aides to Gov. Bruce Rauner say they heard about the move “this morning” and the administration was “not involved” in the
Stanford Researcher Presents the Evidence Against Trump-DeVos Voucher Plans | janresseger : Stanford Researcher Presents the Evidence Against Trump-DeVos Voucher Plans It seems that President Donald Trump and his education secretary, Betsy DeVos are looking to tuition tax credits, a form of school vouchers, to fulfill Trump’s campaign promise to expand school choice. (This blog has covered Trump
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Karen Lewis is our guest today on Hitting Left. : Karen Lewis is our guest today on Hitting Left. CTU Pres. Karen Lewis will be our in-studio guest this morning on Hitting Left. Be sure and tune-in at 11 a.m. (CST) to Lumpen Radio, WLPN 105.5 FM to listen live. You can download the app here. My brother Fred and I will be talking to Karen about (what else?) teaching
The Heroism of Incremental Change (Part 2) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice : The Heroism of Incremental Change (Part 2) In a recent podcast, economists Ed Glaeser and Stephen Dubner were discussing “big bang” solutions, big leaders who make dramatic changes, and the folly of looking for such “solutions” and leaders. Here is their exchange on civil rights between the 1940s an
Seattle Schools Community Forum: OSPI and Lt Governor's Office Get It Done : OSPI and Lt Governor's Office Get It Done From OSPI (bold mine): The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction announced today that, thanks to a public-private partnership initiated by Lt. Governor Cyrus Habib, low-income students in Washington state will be able to take Advanced Placement (AP) and International Bac
Odd questions on the latest TFA alumni survey | Gary Rubinstein's Blog : Odd questions on the latest TFA alumni survey As a TFA alum, each year I get invited to fill out the annual alumni survey. Sometimes I boycott the survey, knowing that TFA is likely to misrepresent the results of this survey. Whether it is the claim that two-thirds of alumni are still teachers or that 80 percent of alumni ar
Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 3/2/17 Featured Post Educators Told to Intern at Local Businesses To Renew Teacher Licenses Sacramento moves to block immigration officials from student data | 89.3 KPCC by mike simpson / 2min Sacramento moves to block immigration officials from student data | 89.
