Why is Accountability Too Much to Ask of Charter Schools? | gadflyonthewallblog

Why is Accountability Too Much to Ask of Charter Schools? | gadflyonthewallblog

Why is Accountability Too Much to Ask of Charter Schools?

NOTE: THIS IS WHAT I HEAR WHEN JEANNE ALLEN SPEAKS :)

If you hire someone to buy your groceries, you’ll probably ask for a receipt.

That’s really all education advocates want from the charter school industry.

Charter schools are bankrolled with tax dollars but often run by private businesses.

Is it too much to ask these businesses to account for how they spend the money?

Apparently it is because Jeanne Allen has been sending her representatives all over the country to harass Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders and any other candidate with the audacity to demand charter schools be transparent and accountable.

Yesterday she wrote another blistering press release with the title: CONTINUE READING: Why is Accountability Too Much to Ask of Charter Schools? | gadflyonthewallblog

Jeff Bryant: Has the Democratic Party reversed its attitude on charters? – Alternet.org

Has the Democratic Party reversed its attitude on charters? – Alternet.org

Has the Democratic Party reversed its attitude on charters?

Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bennet wants you to know how much he cares—really cares—about education. Speaking at the Public Education Forum 2020, Bennet began his remarks by declaring he is “the first school superintendent in the history of America to run for president of the United States.” Bennet led the Denver school district from 2005 to 2009 before he was appointed to fill the state’s empty U.S. Senate seat. “Every single thing I do in the Senate runs through the lens of the kids that I used to work for in Denver,” he said.

Not that other Democratic presidential candidates at this strictly education-focused event weren’t equally intent on convincing the crowd they’re also deeply committed to educating the nation’s children. After all, the forum was sponsored and organized by the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers along with some other labor unions and civil rights and education advocacy groups. An audience of 1,500 in attendance seemed to be comprised mostly of educators and former educators from across the country.

Seven candidates each took to the stage one after the other, including Bennet; South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg; billionaire activist Tom Steyer; former Vice President Joe Biden; and Senators Amy Klobuchar, Bernie Sanders, and Elizabeth Warren. (New Jersey Senator Cory Booker had committed to attend but dropped out due to a bout of the flu.)

But Bennet at times seemed the most passionate among the candidates, raising his voice and jabbing the air on a number of occasions in response to questions from MSNBC’s Ali Velshi and Rehema Ellis and from the audience.

He accused his colleagues in Washington, D.C., especially in the Senate, of being out of touch, calling the Capitol’s marbled hallways “the farthest place in the universe” from the world of local schools. He claimed to be the only candidate in the race who had pledged CONTINUE READING: Has the Democratic Party reversed its attitude on charters? – Alternet.org

My Holiday Message - Lily's Blackboard

My Holiday Message - Lily's Blackboard

My Holiday Message

It’s my favorite season! Everywhere I look, people and little dogs are wearing red shirts and sweaters. It’s so wonderful to see their support for #RedforEd! 

The holidays can be stressful for so many people. Expectations are high, often too high. As they approach, I want all NEA members to know: I support you. I appreciate you. And I wish for you peace and love and good health in 2020, and, I must say, also a new president and Secretary of Education who supports strong public schools!  

This is the time of year, as the longest night of the year approaches, that I like to look for light in the world. And, despite the darkness that lurks in many corners of our nation today—the rise in hateful incidents in our schools, the loving families torn apart at our border, and even the mundane, every day gloom of outdated textbooks and leaky classroom ceilings that too many educators and students are experiencing—I recently have seen so many sparkles of hope.  

For example, the tens of thousands of educators who rallied in Indianapolis last month for the schools that Indiana students deserve: I see you.  

The hundreds of big-hearted people who stood on the steps of the Supreme Court on a dark and cold November morning to support Dreamers and demand compassion from the court for immigrants to this great nation: I see you.  

The Rhode Island educators who met last month to shine a spotlight on the mental-health crisis in our schools: I see you. And, the St. Paul, Minnesota, educators who have made their students’ mental health their number-one issue at the bargaining table: I see you, too. 

The New Hampshire education support professional, who shared publicly the heartbreak of her husband’s death from cancer so that her colleagues could win access to the Family and Medical Leave Act from New Hampshire lawmakers: My dear, I see you, too.  

We count our blessings in December. And then we make our resolutions in January for the new year ahead. As your president, I feel like I have 3 million blessings—each of you, working to inspire and uplift your students, your colleagues, and your profession.  

On your behalf, I resolve, as I always do, to continue our fight in 2020 for the public schools that our students—and you—deserve. I know I can count on you to be by my side in this work. For each and every one of you, I am grateful.  

Happy holidays, all!  

My Holiday Message - Lily's Blackboard

Gallup: State of America's Schools Report

State of America's Schools Report

State of America's Schools Report

The State of America's Schools report presents results from Gallup's research on the conditions that lead to high-quality learning environments and promote student achievement.

This report features several data sources, including results from the 2013 Gallup Student Poll, administered to more than 600,000 students in grades 5 through 12, as well as larger-scale studies on the central role of emotional engagement in the learning process.

Download the State of America's Schools report to learn how to:

• measure the psychological factors affecting students' motivation
• create a strengths-based strategy for personalizing students' education plans
• develop a talent-based leadership pipeline
• improve teacher engagement

Download the Report

State of America's Schools Report

Democratic presidential hopefuls are promising to ramp up funding for public schools

Democratic presidential hopefuls are promising to ramp up funding for public schools

Democratic presidential hopefuls are promising to ramp up funding for public schools 

Democratic presidential candidates are proposing bold new approaches to the federal government’s role in public education. Former Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Bernie Sanders and Sen. Cory Booker want to triple the US$15 billion spent annually on Title I, a program that sends federal dollars to high-poverty school districts.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren wants to go further and quadruple funding for that same program. She also wants to make quality child care and preschool affordable or free for all American families with kids, along with free breakfast and lunch for all public school students.

Other candidates have similar proposals to substantially increase funding for public education, including former Housing Secretary Julian Castro, Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Mayor Pete Buttigieg.

Funding increases of this scale would transform the federal role in education policy, making it easier for school districts to pay teachers higher wages while reducing class sizes. This focus on funding would mark a departure from previous administrations, which instead emphasized policies intended to increase accountability and strengthen teacher evaluation.

As a scholar of school finance, I study the role of resources in schools. The research is clear that spending more on students over the long haul would bring CONTINUE READING: Democratic presidential hopefuls are promising to ramp up funding for public schools

More Cartoons about Teachers and Teaching | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

More Cartoons about Teachers and Teaching | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice
More Cartoons about Teachers and Teaching

Surely, I have emptied the pool of cartoons on teachers and teaching? Nope. Here is a batch that I have not run before. Enjoy and a happy holiday to all of my viewers.

CONTINUE...EVEN:  More Cartoons about Teachers and Teaching | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

The 2020 Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action T-Shirt is Here! – Black Lives Matter At School

The 2020 Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action T-Shirt is Here! – Black Lives Matter At School

New 2020 Black Lives Matter at School T-Shirts! Order Today!

Order your shirt today!

The t-shirts are back for Black Lives Matter at School 2020!

Congratulations to Fabiha Ahmed was our student-designed logo contest winner! Fabiha is a high school student at Bard High School in Queens, NYC. She writes: “Thanks to my school Bard High School Early College Queens and Dr. Kadison and Ms. Mary Jo Lombardo for supporting me and encouraging me to compete in this contest. I would also like to attribute it to all of the students who have shown support for this movement and the art.”

We have placed these shirts on TeeSpring at the cheapest price that the site allows. We HIGHLY ENCOURAGE that if you are ordering more than 5-10 shirts, email us and get the direct logo from us. Take it to a locally-owned, preferably Black-led t-shirt print shop for a much better rate and much faster delivery! We place these here for convenience, not as an endorsement. Email us at blacklivesmatteratschool2@gmail.com.

All contributions generated from our 2020 National BLM@School merchandise cycle will support the Marsha P. Johnson Institute. The Marsha P. Johnson Institute (MPJI) protects and defends the human rights of BLACK transgender people. Learn more about their mission here: https://marshap.org/about-mpji/

The 2020 Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action T-Shirt is Here!

The student-designed logo contest winner was designed by Fabiha Ahmed, a high school student at Bard High School in Queens. She writes: “This attributes to my school Bard High School Early College Queens and Dr. Kadison and Ms. Mary Jo Lombardo for supporting me and encouraging me to compete in this contest. I would also like to attribute it to all of the students who have shown support for this movements and the art.”

We place these shirts on TeeSpring at the cheapest price that the site allows. We HIGHLY ENCOURAGE that if you are ordering more than 5-10 shirts, email us and get the direct logo from us. Take it to a locally-owned, preferably Black-led t-shirt print shop for a much better rate and much faster delivery! We place these here for convenience, not as an endorsement. Email us at blacklivesmatteratschool2 “at” gmail.com.

All contributions generated from our 2020 National BLM@School merchandise cycle will support the Marsha P. Johnson Institute. The Marsha P. Johnson Institute (MPJI) protects and defends the human rights of BLACK transgender people. Learn more about their mission here: https://marshap.org/about-mpji/

Black Lives Matter At School - https://wp.me/9BMkn

Schools are using facial recognition to try to stop shootings. Here’s why they should think twice. - Vox

Schools are using facial recognition to try to stop shootings. Here’s why they should think twice. - Vox

Schools are using facial recognition to try to stop shootings. Here’s why they should think twice.
Facial recognition is just one of several AI-powered security tools showing up at schools.

For years, the Denver public school system worked with Video Insight, a Houston-based video management software company that centralized the storage of video footage used across its campuses. So when Panasonic acquired Video Insight, school officials simply transferred the job of updating and expanding their security system to the Japanese electronics giant. That meant new digital HD cameras and access to more powerful analytics software, including Panasonic’s facial recognition, a tool the public school system’s safety department is now exploring.

Denver, where some activists are pushing for a ban on government use of facial recognition, is not alone. Mass shootings have put school administrators across the country on edge, and they’re understandably looking at anything that might prevent another tragedy.

Safety concerns have led some schools to consider artificial intelligence-enabled tools, including facial recognition software; AI that can scan video feeds for signs of brandished weapons; even analytics tools that warn when there’s been suspicious movement in a usually-empty hallway. Recode has identified about 20 companies that have sold or have expressed interest in selling such technology to educational institutions.

On its face, facial recognition seems like it might help keep kids safe; in a promotional video by Panasonic, a Denver public school official argues that the company’s AI could be used to prevent potentially dangerous people — like students expelled because they CONTINUE READING: Schools are using facial recognition to try to stop shootings. Here’s why they should think twice. - Vox

Just Try to Catch Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

Just Try to Catch Diane Ravitch's blog 

 A site to discuss better education for all

Prominent Evangelical Magazine Says It’s Time for Trump to Go

by dianeravitch / 4min

Christianity Today was founded by the late Reverend Billy Graham, the leading figure in evangelical Christianity. Its publication is Christianity Today. CT published an editorial today saying that it was time for Trump to leave. it received national attention. The editorial was signed by its editor-in-chief Mark Galli: Let’s grant this to the president: The Democrats have had it out for him from

ProPublica: Donald Trump Jr. Visits Mongolia, Gets Special Treatment, Kills an Endangered Sheep

by dianeravitch / 1h

Someday we won’t have to think about the Trump family and their misadventures. I look forward to that day. Donald Trump Jr. went to Mongolia in the summer of 2019, and ProPublica explains what he did there. What did you do on your vacation? Did you slaughter a creature who is part of an endangered species? The rocky highlands of Central Asia, in a remote region of Western Mongolia, are home to a

Houston: Founder of Houston Charter Chain Indicted and Arrested

by dianeravitch / 2h

For the fourth time in only five years, the leader of a charter school has been arrested for siphoning money away from the school. The Houston Chronicle reports : The founder of a now-closed Houston charter school network failed to properly disclose more than $1 million in payments to his brother’s companies and used taxpayer funds to cover costs associated with a timeshare in Hawaii, federal pro

YESTERDAY

Dana Milbank: Trump’s Deepening Demagoguery

by dianeravitch / 15h

Dana Milbank of the Washington Post wrote about Trump’s reaction to being impeached: Rage, Ridicule, Denial. Can you hold this man up as a role model for your children? He writes: It was 9:05 Wednesday night. Seven minutes earlier, President Trump received word, in the middle of a campaign speech, that he had been impeached by the House on the second of two articles. And how did he observe this s

Politico: Who Is Raising Money for Mayor Pete?

81by dianeravitch / 18h

In response to challenges from Elizabeth Warren about his funders, Mayor Pete Buttigieg released a list of his major donors, including his “bundlers,” the people who raise money from others for him. The list included some interesting names. One of them was Wall Street hedge fund manager John Pertry, who serves on the board of Eva Moskowitz’s Success Academy charter chain in New York City. Petry w

Trump’s Most Eloquent Critic Warns that Trump Will Shame the Republicans Who Defend Him

by dianeravitch / 20h

George T. Conway III is Trump’s most eloquent critic. If you follow him on Twitter, you will know that he has been consistent in calling out Trump for his outrageous behavior and his illegal actions. (He is the husband of Kellyanne Conway, Trump’s senior advisor, and some speculate that she is Anonymous, the inside whistleblower.) He writes today in the Washington Post that Republicans have lashe

Teresa Hanafin: The Impeachment Aftermath and Trump Derangement Syndrome

by dianeravitch / 21h

Teresa Hanafin wrote in the Boston Globe feature called “Fast Forward” about the aftermath of the impeachment vote and about Trump’s bizarre attack on Rep. Debbie Dingell in her home state of Michigan. Usually, when people use the term “X Derangement Syndrome,” they refer to people who become deranged thinking too much about X. In this case, it is Trump who displays his own derangement syndrome,

Miami: A School Choice Dream or Nightmare?

by dianeravitch / 22h

Sue Legg is a leader of the League of Women Voters in Florida and a member of the board of the Network for Public Education. She writes here about Miami, a district that is “all in” for school choice. Miami seems to have taken the place of Denver as their favorite district, now that the choice Majority was booted out of power. Legg writes: Miami is the school choice capital! According to this Edu

John Merrow: Winners and Losers in Pittsburgh

by dianeravitch / 23h

Veteran journalist John Merrow attended the Public Education Forum in Pittsburgh. I n this post , he reports his views about the candidates. Which ones did best, which ones were disappointing. And which one was the biggest surprise of the day and, in his estimation, “the biggest winner of the day.”

Nashville: Amy Frogge Tells the Chamber of Commerce Why Public Schools Are Great!

by dianeravitch / 1d

Amy Frogge is a member of the elected school board in Metro Nashville. She is a parent activist and a lawyer. She is also one of the heroes of my new book SLAYING GOLIATH: THE PASSIONATE RESISTANCE TO PRIVATIZATION AND THE FIGHT TO SAVE AMERICA’S PUBLIC SCHOOLS (Knopf), which will be published January 21. When Amy ran for the school board, the Disruption movement funded her opponents. Groups like

Andrea Gabor: How Schools Can Help In Getting an Accurate Census Count in 2020

by dianeravitch / 1d

Andrea Gabor writes here about the importance of an accurate Census in apportioning Congressional representatives and federal resources. She shows that California leads the way in relying on schools to make sure there is an accurate head count of those who live in the state. Fears are running high that the 2020 U.S. census could result in a costly undercount in a number of states and communities.

IDEA Charter Chain Drops Plan to Lease a Private Jet for $2 Million a Year

25by dianeravitch / 1d

Owning a charter chain is very lucrative, especially when it is one of Betsy DeVos’s favorites. Just this year, she gave the Texas-based IDEA chain $116 million from the federal Charter Schools Program to expand in Texas and Louisiana.* Feeling flush, the IDEA board of directors approved a plan to lease a private jet and pilot at a cost of $160,000 a month for eight years, nearly $2 million a yea

“Democracy Now” on the Public Education Forum

by dianeravitch / 1d

Amy Goodman, host of “Democracy Now,” interviews Carol Burris, Keron Blair, and Jitu Brown about the Public Education Forum and the fight for equity and justice. We are educating the public about the importance of changing the 

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all