Nikole Hannah-Jones was terminated because she did not come from a “traditional academic-type background.” Good grief. Racism in academia. – Fred Klonsky

Nikole Hannah-Jones was terminated because she did not come from a “traditional academic-type background.” Good grief. Racism in academia. – Fred Klonsky

NIKOLE HANNAH-JONES WAS TERMINATED BECAUSE SHE DID NOT COME FROM A “TRADITIONAL ACADEMIC-TYPE BACKGROUND.” GOOD GRIEF. RACISM IN ACADEMIA.

The University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill said Thursday that the tenure application for New York Times journalist and The 1619 Project lead author Nikole Hannah-Jones was terminated because she did not come from a “traditional academic-type background.”

As a journalist for the New York Times, Nikole Hannah-Jones has been a leading researcher on the impact of race on education.

Her work on the on the ground-breaking 1619 Project is profound in its story of America’s foundation in the labor of enslaved people, and has found its way into classroom across the country.

And it is racism that led UNC to deny Hannah-Jones tenure.

Nothing else.

My professor and doctoral advisor at the University of Illinois Chicago, Dr. William CONTINUE READING: Nikole Hannah-Jones was terminated because she did not come from a “traditional academic-type background.” Good grief. Racism in academia. – Fred Klonsky

Support Illinois SB 808. Oppose edTPA and teacher prep privatization. Is the IEA really lobbying against this bill? – Fred Klonsky

Support Illinois SB 808. Oppose edTPA and teacher prep privatization. Is the IEA really lobbying against this bill? – Fred Klonsky

SUPPORT ILLINOIS SB 808. OPPOSE EDTPA AND TEACHER PREP PRIVATIZATION. IS THE IEA REALLY LOBBYING AGAINST THIS BILL?

Senate Bill 808 has passed the Illinois Senate and has gone on to the House where State Representative Will Guzzardi from my 39th district is the chief House sponsor.

It appears that SB 808, which would end the video taping and the violation of student privacy rights has the support of most legislators.

House Ed Committee members are Sue Scherer, Fred Crespo, Thomas Morrison*, Avery Bourne, Eva Dina Delgado, Anne Moeller, Delia Ramirez, Joe Sosnowski*.

*Republicans who have CONTINUE READING: Support Illinois SB 808. Oppose edTPA and teacher prep privatization. Is the IEA really lobbying against this bill? – Fred Klonsky

Activists in Mississippi have been clamoring to challenge the constitutionality of the state’s anti-strike law. Greenville school bus drivers may have kicked the door wide open. – Fred Klonsky

Activists in Mississippi have been clamoring to challenge the constitutionality of the state’s anti-strike law. Greenville school bus drivers may have kicked the door wide open. – Fred Klonsky

ACTIVISTS IN MISSISSIPPI HAVE BEEN CLAMORING TO CHALLENGE THE CONSTITUTIONALITY OF THE STATE’S ANTI-STRIKE LAW. GREENVILLE SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS MAY HAVE KICKED THE DOOR WIDE OPEN

Bus drivers in Greenville Public School District went on strike to protest reduced hours, low pay and ‘poor treatment’ by the district. Credit: Eric J. Shelton/Mississippi Today

Mississippi Today:

A political time bomb is ticking in Greenville, and the explosion could transform the state’s public education environment for decades to come.

Last Monday and Tuesday, between 13-20 bus drivers for the Greenville Public School District — some of the lowest paid employees in one of the most under-resourced school districts in one of the most under-resourced regions of America — skipped work to protest reduced pay and what they called poor work conditions.

As far as anyone knows, this was the first organized work stoppage in Mississippi public schools since 9,429 teachers walked out in a 1985 strike, after which lawmakers passed the demanded pay increases but also enacted one of the nation’s most stringent strike laws.

Lawmakers that year made it explicitly illegal for school employees to strike in Mississippi. They drafted the law as broadly as possible to include pretty much any CONTINUE READING: Activists in Mississippi have been clamoring to challenge the constitutionality of the state’s anti-strike law. Greenville school bus drivers may have kicked the door wide open. – Fred Klonsky

Student privacy HB256 – Fred Klonsky

Student privacy. HB256 – Fred Klonsky

STUDENT PRIVACY HB256

Update.

Hi Fred! 

Thank you for posting about the edTPA videotaping bill. It was HB256, but that bill disappeared with the end of lame duck session. 

So, the current incarnation is SB808-SFA1. (= the language is in an education shell bell that’s being amended.)

People can put in a witness slip at this linkas a proponent of SFA1 for the hearing scheduled for tomorrow at 2pm.

It still has the same chief sponsor in the Senate, Laura Murphy (D-Park Ridge); she is a big advocate for protections for domestic violence victims, which is why she took on this bill. 

It doesn’t have an equivalent bill in the House, but with any luck it should move over there as SB808.

Best,

Cassie

Support HB256, Rep. Will Guzzardi and Sen. Laura Murphy

Senate Chief Co-Sponsors: Iris Martinez, Bill Cunningham. Senate Co-Sponsors: Craig Wilcox, Dale Righter, Julie Morrison, Robert Peters, Robert Martwick.

House Co-Sponsors: Steven Reick, Mary E. Flowers, Tony McCombie, Sue Scherer, Linda Chapa LaVia, Katie Stuart, Michael Halpin, Robyn Gabel, Yehiel M. Kalish, Jonathan Carroll and John Connor.

Student teachers in Illinois must videotape themselves and their students to pass CONTINUE READING: Student privacy. HB256 – Fred Klonsky

Fewer new teachers in the pipeline. – Fred Klonsky

Fewer new teachers in the pipeline. – Fred Klonsky

Fewer new teachers in the pipeline

Over Spring break I had lunch with an old teaching buddy of mine.

It has been nearly a decade since I retired from teaching but we keep in touch.

Not as often because of the pandemic. But, we are both vaccinated now. I wanted to share a Little Village bodega/restaurant with him and catch up.

The tacos de canasta were, as usual, fantastic. And I had one taco with sweetbread. I grant you it is an acquired taste.

I have acquired it a long time ago.

He loved the place, as I knew he would.

He told me about the number of teachers from our school who were planning to retire this year and in the next couple of years.

It is a lot of people.

It’s not just about the pandemic. In fact, while the pandemic has been the cause of CONTINUE READING: Fewer new teachers in the pipeline. – Fred Klonsky

Governor Pritzker signs legislation expanding teachers’ bargaining rights. – Fred Klonsky

Governor Pritzker signs legislation expanding teachers’ bargaining rights. – Fred Klonsky

GOVERNOR PRITZKER SIGNS LEGISLATION EXPANDING TEACHERS’ BARGAINING RIGHTS.

This past week Governor Pritzker signed legislation expanding the bargaining rights of the Chicago Teachers Union.

It was a big win, the first significant victory in the fight for expanded collective bargaining rights since the Illinois legislature’s phony 1995 reforms under Governor Jim Edgar.

That year the legislature and Edgar, with the support of the state’s teacher unions, created the disastrous pension ramp which led to the current pension debt crisis.

It also limited the subjects of mandatory bargaining between the Chicago School Board and the union and solidified Mayor Daley’s mayoral control of the school board.

Mandatory subjects of bargaining must be negotiated and can be the subject of CONTINUE READING: Governor Pritzker signs legislation expanding teachers’ bargaining rights. – Fred Klonsky

Kentucky governor vetoes pension theft and voucher bills. Will the legislature vote to override pension bill? – Fred Klonsky

Kentucky governor vetoes pension theft and voucher bills. Will the legislature vote to override pension bill? – Fred Klonsky

KENTUCKY GOVERNOR VETOES PENSION THEFT AND VOUCHER BILLS. WILL THE LEGISLATURE VOTE TO OVERRIDE PENSION BILL?

Olivia Krauth Louisville Courier Journal

Calling them a “direct attack” on Kentucky’s public schools, Gov. Andy Beshear vetoed a set of controversial education bills Wednesday. 

Chief among the vetoed bills is House Bill 563, which would allow state funding to follow students who attend a public school outside of their home district and create a form of scholarship tax credits that would siphon millions from Kentucky’s general fund.

“Can we expect more from public education? Absolutely,” Beshear said Wednesday. “But the way to do that is not to defund it.”

The measure is “unconstitutional” on multiple fronts, Beshear said, and he expects it to face a legal challenge should his veto be overriden. 

The legislation landed on his desk after passing through the House on the slimmest CONTINUE READING: Kentucky governor vetoes pension theft and voucher bills. Will the legislature vote to override pension bill? – Fred Klonsky

A simple proposal. Give public school teachers an extra year of retirement service credit for the pandemic year. – Fred Klonsky

A simple proposal. Give public school teachers an extra year of retirement service credit for the pandemic year. – Fred Klonsky

A SIMPLE PROPOSAL. GIVE PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS AN EXTRA YEAR OF RETIREMENT SERVICE CREDIT FOR THE PANDEMIC YEAR

I’ve been out of the classroom for nearly a decade.

But as I speak to my colleagues who have taught this year it is mind boggling.

That is true whether they taught remotely, in-person or hybrid.

I have a simple proposal. It doesn’t begin to demonstrate what should be our profound thanks.

The Illinois legislature can act to give every public school teacher an extra year of creditable service.

Now some Republican state representative has introduced a bill that offers that up, CONTINUE READING: A simple proposal. Give public school teachers an extra year of retirement service credit for the pandemic year. – Fred Klonsky

Is the Dr. Seuss controversy a tempest in a teapot? Hell no. – Fred Klonsky

Is the Dr. Seuss controversy a tempest in a teapot? Hell no. – Fred Klonsky

IS THE DR. SEUSS CONTROVERSY A TEMPEST IN A TEAPOT? HELL NO.

You’ve may have heard all you want to hear about poor Dr. Seuss and Cancel Culture.

The publishers of Theodore Geisel’s books have decided that six of them won’t be published anymore because they are explicitly racist in the way Geisel drew some of his characters.

They are absolutely right.

The right wing went all cancel culture.

But the liberal’s defense may have bene worse. Geisel’s early racist depictions of Black and Asian people were excused as an issue of context. “That’s the way it was in those days,” some said. Nonsense. They were racist when he drew them.

The defenders of Geisel are reacting way too defensively. They act as if this is all taking up too much of our time.

I don’t think so.

I always made a practice of starting off my art classes, particularly with kindergarten CONTINUE READNG: Is the Dr. Seuss controversy a tempest in a teapot? Hell no. – Fred Klonsky

Will the meaning of “yes” be on the test? The tests are back. – Fred Klonsky

Will the meaning of “yes” be on the test? The tests are back. – Fred Klonsky

WILL THE MEANING OF “YES” BE ON THE TEST? THE TESTS ARE BACK.

“As the educators in the classroom, we have always known that standardized tests are not the best way to measure a child’s development,” says AFT President Randi Weingarten. You don’t have to tell me. Tell Joe!

Betsy DeVos may have been the worst Secretary of Education ever.

Check that.

Not “may have been.” She was the worst Secretary of Education ever.

But even Betsy DeVos knew that holding schools accountable for federally mandated standardized tests during the worst pandemic in a hundred years made no sense.

She cancelled them.

When Joe Biden was running to replace Donald Trump he was asked about standardized testing.

“Will you commit to ending the use of standardized testing in schools.”

Biden answered, “Yes.” “Teachers should be able to determine curriculum CONTINUE READING: 

Chicago teachers union approves the reopening plan – Fred Klonsky

Chicago teachers union approves the reopening plan. – Fred Klonsky

CHICAGO TEACHERS UNION APPROVES THE REOPENING PLAN

The need to reopen schools safely is nearly universally agreed upon.

“Safely” being the operative word.

But these are uncharted waters and I don’t envy teacher unions in districts across the country as they try to represent the safety concerns of educators, students and their families.

And whatever the particulars are here in Chicago – which includes a very strained relationship between the CTU and Mayor Lightfoot going back to the last election – the issue has created difficult conversations between every teacher union and board or mayor.

Over the weekend the Mayor announced a tentative agreement with the CTU on reopening. The CTU rejected the term “tentative agreement”, although from my experience that is what it was. The executive team presented the terms to the CONTINUE READING: Chicago teachers union approves the reopening plan. – Fred Klonsky

Remembering a dinner with Karen and Coach John. – Fred Klonsky

Remembering a dinner with Karen and Coach John. – Fred Klonsky

REMEMBERING A DINNER WITH KAREN AND COACH JOHN.

Singing back-up with Karen Lewis at my 2012 retirement party. “Take a load off, Fanny.”

There will be and should be plenty of those who will talk about the union leader, Karen Lewis, who died yesterday at the young age of 67.

I remember one memorable evening in New Orleans.

Anne and I were there on a brief holiday.

My cell phone notifications went off and it was a message from Karen Lewis

“I see on Facebook you’re in town. I’m down here for an AFT meeting and I need to get out of here. I need a break. What if you find a place for dinner and meet up with me and John?”

“Sure thing,” I texted back.

I booked a table for four at the Upperline, out of the French Quarter and a block CONTINUE READING: Remembering a dinner with Karen and Coach John. – Fred Klonsky

Crazy George Will and “Culturally Responsive Teaching and Leading.” – Fred Klonsky

Crazy George Will and “Culturally Responsive Teaching and Leading.” – Fred Klonsky

CRAZY GEORGE WILL AND “CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE TEACHING AND LEADING.”

George Will, the conservative writer frets that Illinois, which he calls “the worst-governed state,” is losing population. He has figured out why.

The chief problem in Illinois, according to George, is progressive education and a proposal calling for reflective and culturally responsive teaching.

I only wish it were so.

Forget about Chicago’s three decades of industrial disinvestment and police violence. Forget about a tax policy that punishes working families with a flat income tax and the imposition of high local taxes on revenue poor towns and school districts.

The list of reasons Illinois has lost population is long and we are not alone.

But Will is convinced the chief reason is  CONTINUE READING: Crazy George Will and “Culturally Responsive Teaching and Leading.” – Fred Klonsky

Kentucky back at cutting teacher pensions. – Fred Klonsky

Kentucky back at cutting teacher pensions. – Fred Klonsky

KENTUCKY BACK AT CUTTING TEACHER PENSIONS

In 2018 the Republican Kentucky legislature and their Republican governor went after teacher pensions which resulted in a massive spontaneous revolt among their already low-paid teachers.

The pension cutting bill passed but the court tossed it out.

And the Republican governor, Matt Bevins was also tossed out in the next election, replaced by the state’s Attorney General, Democrat Andy Beshear.

A rare Democratic win in red state Kentucky.

Thousands of Kentucky teachers march on the state capitol during the 2018 Red State Teacher Revolt.

Teacher pensions are under attack again in Kentucky,

The legislature is about to pass a bill that would deny new Kentucky teachers the benefits of current retirees.

Today the Kentucky legislature will start to take action on a bill intended to create a CONTINUE READING:Kentucky back at cutting teacher pensions. – Fred Klonsky

How is it that the IEA and other unions endorsed Mike Bost for Congress, a Confederate Insurrectionist? – Fred Klonsky

How is it that the IEA and other unions endorsed Mike Bost for Congress, a Confederate Insurrectionist? – Fred Klonsky

HOW IS IT THAT THE IEA AND OTHER UNIONS ENDORSED MIKE BOST FOR CONGRESS, A CONFEDERATE INSURRECTIONIST?

For nearly 40 years I have scratched my head at many of the political decisions of my teachers’ union, the Illinois Education Association.

A search of past blog posts will illustrate a number of past examples.

Endorsing Congressman Mike Bost is just one example of why I long ago stopped donating to the IEA’s political action fund, IPACE.

In the case of Bost, the IEA was not the only union who endorsed him.

The IEA support for Bost was particularly offensive because aside from being a Republican Trumper, on education issues Bost supported Betsy DeVos’ education agenda.

DeVos was an unrelenting opponent of public education and teacher unions.

Now a petition is calling is calling for the expulsion of Bost from Congress.

Bost pissed off  CONTINUE READING: How is it that the IEA and other unions endorsed Mike Bost for Congress, a Confederate Insurrectionist? – Fred Klonsky

A teacher will head the department of education. – Fred Klonsky

A teacher will head the department of education. – Fred Klonsky

A TEACHER WILL HEAD THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Like most educators around the country, I don’t know much about Dr. Miguel Cardona other than that he comes from years of classroom experience and that he was the head of public schools in Connecticut.

I have always thought that the importance of having a teacher head the federal education department was overstated.

First hand teaching experience is valuable in setting policy, but not the only thing.

I have been in too many heated conversations among my teaching colleagues about what constitutes good teaching practice to believe that practice alone will get us to CONTINUE READING: A teacher will head the department of education. – Fred Klonsky

Gingerbread houses and teacher unions. – Fred Klonsky

Gingerbread houses and teacher unions. – Fred Klonsky

GINGERBREAD HOUSES AND TEACHER UNIONS

When I see gingerbread houses this time of year I think about the teacher two doors down the hall who made making them an assignment each year as homework.

I imagine it was mostly done by parents – moms most likely. But they were great and festive. And a shared family thing. They filled the library display case. 

Pretzel log roofs. Jellies in the windows. Candied dripping icicles. Some small modest dwellings. Others quite like mansions.

And I remember when the teacher was diagnosed with cancer which made it physically impossible to take her class to PE or Music or recess. But she wanted to continue to teach and all she needed was assistance. 

Naturally, the district resisted. They pressured her to  CONTINUE READING: Gingerbread houses and teacher unions. – Fred Klonsky

Dr. Evil versus Lily and the teacher unions. – Fred Klonsky

Dr. Evil versus Lily and the teacher unions. – Fred Klonsky

DR. EVIL VERSUS LILY AND THE TEACHER UNIONS

We’re still waiting to hear from the Biden administration as to their pick for Education Secretary.

The delay could reflect the debate within the Democratic Party between the corporate education reformers like Democrats for Education Reform and the large teacher unions like the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association.

Former NEA President Lily Eskelsen Garcia has frequently been mentioned for the job.

Whoever gets the job has their work cut out for them in rolling back the four years of Betsy DeVos’ attack on public education.

Leading the charge on a pro-public school, pro-teacher union education secretary is CONTINUE READING: Dr. Evil versus Lily and the teacher unions. – Fred Klonsky

About that PhD. – Fred Klonsky

About that PhD. – Fred Klonsky

ABOUT THAT PHD.

With all the crises facing folks these days, some may wonder about why the hell are we talking about Jill Biden and her title as a doctor?

The Wall Street Journal, which published the original op-ed piece by Joseph Epstein, doubled down. Top WSJ editor Paul Gigot complained about critics of the column playing the gender card.

Whatever that is.

Dr. Biden has earned her title. She plans to continue to teach at a community college.

But what would be a shame is if the moment was lost to ask what exactly the Biden administration has planned for secondary education, student debt, junior colleges, adjunct pay and job protection?

Over 70% of U.S. instructors in higher education are adjuncts or never-to-be CONTINUE READING: About that PhD. – Fred Klonsky