‘Why do I need a note for my religion?’ Students are told to get permission slips to wear hijabs. - The Washington Post : ‘Why do I need a note for my religion?’ Students are told to get permission slips to wear hijabs. When Fatmata Mansaray and Hajah Bah cross the stage Saturday for their high school graduation, they plan to do so proudly wearing headscarves of black and gold tucked beneath thei
Zoot Suits: A Fashion Movement that Sparked Mexican American Resistance by Angela Fichter — YES! Magazine : Zoot Suits: A Fashion Movement that Sparked Mexican American Resistance This June marks the 74th anniversary of the Zoot Suit Riots, a series of weeklong race riots that swept Los Angeles in the summer of 1943. The spirit lives on today. Dressed in a white shirt and pegtop trousers, the fas
Hitting Left with the Klonsky Brothers episode #19. | Fred Klonsky : Hitting Left with the Klonsky Brothers episode #19. My brother Mike and I are back from our Hitting Left Left Coast Listening Tour. This is my first blog post since returning after a terrific three days in the land of my formative years and teenage angst. We had to get back for this morning’s #19 edition of Hitting Left with the
Annual Meeting Speaker Announcement: Education Secretary Betsy DeVos - American Legislative Exchange Council : Annual Meeting Speaker Announcement: Education Secretary Betsy DeVos ALEC is pleased to announce that Education Secretary Betsy DeVos will be joining us for our 44th Annual Meeting in Denver, Colorado. “Secretary DeVos has been a stalwart champion of educational choice in the states, ele
Today in Wisconsin's War on Teachers. | BustED Pencils : Today in Wisconsin’s War on Teachers. Wisconsin’s Department of Public Instruction is toying around with this statement. “School districts throughout the state are experiencing difficulties obtaining and retaining licensed personnel. These difficulties can impact children’s educational experience. An emergency rule is needed to create addit
CURMUDGUCATION: The Federal Regs Voucher Workaround : The Federal Regs Voucher Workaround After Betsy DeVos's last round of Congressional obfuscation testimony, many folks are asking the same question as EdWeek-- " When Do Voucher Programs Allow Private Schools To Discriminate Against Students ?" As you can see in the clip above, DeVos answered variations on the question with repetitions of one a
Scholarchip IDs: Convenience but at what cost? – Wrench in the Gears : Scholarchip IDs: Convenience but at what cost? I’m grateful to the Alliance for Philadelphia Public Schools for keeping tabs on the Philadelphia’s School Reform Commission’s monthly meeting agendas. They recently alerted me to a resolution about student ID cards, that in turn started me thinking about ubiquitous computing, dig
DeVos Says More Money Won't Help Schools; Research Says Otherwise : NPR Ed : NPR : DeVos Says More Money Won't Help Schools; Research Says Otherwise Education Secretary Betsy DeVos made it clear, appearing before a Senate Appropriations subcommittee Tuesday, that she sees no connection between school funding and school performance. As evidence, she criticized the Obama Administration's $7 billion
Education leaders dissect digital gains in their districts, states : Education leaders dissect digital gains in their districts, states DMAPS, an online database that compiles states' policies for digital instruction, has been updated and expanded. An online database that details state policy and practices for digital learning in K-12 schools has been updated and expanded to help school leaders b
Will Chicago Become the Epicenter of Charter School Unionization? - Working In These Times : Will Chicago Become the Epicenter of Charter School Unionization? In a move sure to worry neoliberal education reformers, unionized charter school teachers in Chicago are voting this week on whether to formally join forces with the most militant teachers’ union in the country. The proposed merger—which wo
As More Schools Look to Personalized Learning, Teaching May About to Change : As More Schools Look to Personalized Learning, Teaching May Be About to Change Only a couple of years ago, classes at East Pennsboro Area Middle School in Enola, Pa., had between 25 and 35 students, all sitting behind rows of desks dutifully facing forward. Then, chances were high that their classroom instruction was fo
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all : Friday Lessons Diane Ravitch's blog A site to discuss better education for all Indiana Okays Failing Private Schools to Receive Voucher Students 5 by dianeravitch / 15min The fraud of school choice continues. “The Indiana State Board of Education approved four private schools with a history of low performance and academic failure
Nick Melvoin has a lot of ideas for L.A.'s schools - LA Times : Nick Melvoin has a lot of ideas for L.A.'s schools A special prosecutor for teacher sexual misconduct, a single-payer healthcare system for L.A. Unified, teacher evaluations based 40% on “measurable academic growth” — incoming school board member Nick Melvoin has ideas on how to improve schooling in Los Angeles. Melvoin, 31, won a se
“Alternative” Climate Science Is Being Mailed to Teachers Nationwide : “Alternative” Climate Science Is Being Mailed to Teachers Nationwide The Heartland Institute has mailed books and DVDs claiming there is no scientific consensus on climate change to more than 300,000 teachers. Now four senators are warning that it’s false information. Teachers nationwide are being targeted in a campaign to spr
Kansas Legislature Overrides Brownback Veto: Raises Taxes, Passes New School Funding Formula | janresseger : Kansas Legislature Overrides Brownback Veto: Raises Taxes, Passes New School Funding Formula Something stunning happened on Tuesday night in Topeka. John Hanna of the Associated Press reports : “Kansas legislators Tuesday night repudiated the tax-cutting experiment that brought Gov. Sam Br
More on the Lawsuit That Could Oust La. Ed Supt. John White | deutsch29 : More on the Lawsuit That Could Oust La. Ed Supt. John White On May 30, 2017, Louisiana teacher Ganey Arsement and several other Louisiana residents filed a lawsuit against Louisiana education superintendent John White and White’s “boss,” the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE), for failing to follow
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Coming of Age in California : Coming of Age in California At Dodger Stadium The Klonsky Bros. are winding up our Hitting Left listening tour, combing L.A. for current and future listeners. Our search has taken us from ocean-front Santa Monica and Venice, through Topanga Canyon to the Valley, and back west with a stop in our old Silverlake hood for lunch. Yesterday w
CURMUDGUCATION: Data Overload : Data Overload The last nine months have brought a shift in my view of data. Despite my long and vocal opposition to the gathering in data in schools, to the use of standardized tests to generate data that is in turn used for everything from judging students tons of it every day in my classroom-- in fact, one of my criticisms of many reformer data programs is they i
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Why Does the District Let Good Schools Go Bad? : Why Does the District Let Good Schools Go Bad? As a case study, Laurelhurst Elementary is a good one. For those of you who don't know, Laurelhurst Elementary, in the past, has had a solid reputation as an elementary school. Naturally, one reason is the tony neighborhood it sits in. But the neighborhood has always em
Credit Recovery Farce Generates Spectacular Graduation Rates | tultican : Credit Recovery Farce Generates Spectacular Graduation Rates A miracle has occurred. America’s high school graduation rates peaked at about 77% in 1970 and then drifted down for almost four decades to 69% in 2007. Astoundingly, even with increased graduation requirements rates have shot up. Many school districts in Californ
Youth Suicide Prevention - Mental Health (CA Dept of Education) : Youth Suicide Prevention A listing of resources to help school districts address the need for youth suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention, including a model youth suicide prevention policy for local educational agencies (LEAs). Parents, educators, mental health professionals, and legislators are making a concerted effor
Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 6/8/17 Featured Post solidaridad: Charter schools harm students Senators accuse DeVos of ‘quick about-face’ on climate change - The Washington Post by mike simpson / 4h Senators accuse
