Perfect parents, fragile children — Joanne Jacobs

Perfect parents, fragile children — Joanne Jacobs

Perfect parents, fragile children

by Joanne

If parents could engineer the perfect child, would he grow up to be unbearable? Katie Roiphe takes on overparenting — familiar ground but always good for a rant — in Slate.

You know the child I am talking about: precious, wide-eyed, over-cared-for, fussy, in a beautiful sweater, or a carefully hipsterish T-shirt. Have we done him a favor by protecting him from everything, from dirt and dust and violence and sugar and boredom and egg whites and mean children who steal his plastic dinosaurs, from, in short, the everyday banging-up of the universe? The wooden toys that tastefully surround him, the all-sacrificing, well-meaning parents, with a library of books on how to make him turn out correctly— is all of it actually harming or denaturing

Schools Matter: Texas Jury Nails the Hammer: Delay Could Get Life

Schools Matter: Texas Jury Nails the Hammer: Delay Could Get Life

Texas Jury Nails the Hammer: Delay Could Get Life

by Jim Horn

Makes me warm and fuzzy, too. Happy Thanksgiving!

From WaPo:

. . . .A jury in Austin found DeLay guilty of money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Punishment for the first ranges from five years to life in prison, but the former congressman from the Houston suburb of Sugar Land could receive probation.

DeLay will remain free until he is sentenced on Dec. 20.
"This case is a message from the people of the state of Texas that they want - and expect -

The Mayor and the Chancellor - NYTimes.com

The Mayor and the Chancellor - NYTimes.com

The Mayor and the Chancellor

Published: November 24, 2010

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Mayor Michael Bloomberg scored a huge victory for New York City public education in 2002 when he won control of the school system, but parents and state officials often complained that outside voices were not heard. On Tuesday, a panel of state educators essentially upbraided him for failing to listen to those who wanted a professional educator as the system’s new chancellor.

Related

• Times Topic: Cathleen P. Black

If the mayor wants to retain his choice, Cathleen Black, a media executive, he should accept the compromise being offered by state officials — to appoint a chief academic officer as Ms. Black’s right hand.

Ms. Black has a distinguished record in magazine and newspaper publishing, but she has spent very little time in a public school — her own children went to a private boarding school — and has no professional experience in education. Mr. Bloomberg has dismissed concerns about her résumé by suggesting that all the school system needs is a smart and talented manager.

The message seems to have rung sour. Chancellor Joel Klein, who also had no educationa

Bloomberg and State Seek Compromise on Cathleen Black - NYTimes.com

Bloomberg and State Seek Compromise on Cathleen Black - NYTimes.com

State and City Had Fruitless Talks on Deputy to Aid the Chancellor Pick

By SHARON OTTERMAN

Published: November 24, 2010

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In the days before an advisory panel and the state’s education commissioner expressed doubts about Cathleen P. Black’s qualifications to become the New York City schools chancellor, state officials and the Bloomberg administration held secret talks about the possibility of appointing an experienced educator to her side, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

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Chad Batka for The New York Times

Related

• A Man at Ease With the Classics, Now Torn Over a Schools Decision (November 25, 2010)

• Can a Publisher Run Schools? The Experts Debate (November 25, 2010)

Related in Opinion

• Editorial: The Mayor and the Chancellor (November 25, 2010)

State officials proposed that City Hall consider the second appointment to settle concerns about Ms. Black’s lack of experience in education, these people said Wednesday. But talks fell apart by Tuesday, and that afternoon David M. Steiner, the education commissioner, hardened the state’s position by saying publicly that he was disinclined to approve Ms. Black unless she had an official with education experience to help her run the system.

Ms. Black needs a waiver from Dr. Steiner because she lacks the educational experience that state law requires of chancellors.

On Tuesday, an advisory panel appointed by Dr. Steiner also expressed reservations about Ms. Black’s fitness for the job, with four of the eight members recommending that

My Post-Thanksgiving Letters To Students | Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day...

My Post-Thanksgiving Letters To Students | Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day...

My Post-Thanksgiving Letters To Students I’ve previously written about a practice I have of periodically writing personal letters to students — particularly ones that are facing particular challenges. I place it in a sealed envelope with his/her name on it, and just give it to him/her in a ...

“Test Your Hunger IQ – Feed a Child” The UN Food Programme has a simple quiz on world hunger on its website. What makes it stand-out, though, is what happens if you take it: “For every person who takes this short hunger quiz, a child will receive a warm meal thanks to an anonymous donor ...

“Ground Zero — Out Of The Ashes” “Ground Zero — Out Of The Ashes” is the title of a TIME Magazine slideshow. They describe it as “A look at where the towers once stood — ‘then and now’ — by photographer Joel Meyerowitz, who began who began photographing the site shortly after the ...

“Space Slideshows” MSNBC has an excellent feature called “Space Slideshows.” I’m adding the link to The Best Images Taken In Space.

“Cast Your Vote” Game Cast Your Vote is an interactive game on the iCivics site. There are a lot of interactives there, but I think most of them are overly-complicated — even for native English speakers. “Cast Your Vote,” though, puts you in the role of a person at a ...

How One Science Teacher Integrates Laptops into Lessons | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

How One Science Teacher Integrates Laptops into Lessons | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

How One Science Teacher Integrates Laptops into Lessons

by larrycuban

Carol Donnelly (pseudonym) has taught 13 years, the last six at Las Montanas. She has been using laptops since 2002 when they were introduced at the school. In 2009, when I interviewed her and observed her classes, she was teaching biology to honors students (one class), regular students (one class), and English Language Learners (ELL) in three classes. She used the same basic lesson for all of her biology classes, stretching out the content for ELL classes while going in more depth in the regular and honors classes (e.g., research papers, PowerPoint presentations, Science Fair projects). She integrated laptops into her lessons once a week.

Every Wednesday, she told me, is laptop day. She brings a mobile cart from the Media Center to her classroom. In one lesson I observed, Donnelly began class with a review of yesterday’s material on photosynthesis. Afterwards she had students open their laptops to watch animations of photosynthesis that she had loaded on their machines earlier. A pop-up quiz appeared after the animations. Donnelly walked around and checked student scores on the quiz. She then summarized the concept of photosynthesis by questioning

Here are a few suggestions in case Mayor Bloomberg wants to tap a co-chancellor for Cathie Black

Here are a few suggestions in case Mayor Bloomberg wants to tap a co-chancellor for Cathie Black

BY RACHEL MONAHAN AND MEREDITH KOLODNER
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS

Thursday, November 25th 2010, 4:00 AM

Appleton/News

Former deputy chancellor Marcia Lyles, who left last year to run a Delaware school district, may be good choice to serve as city's co-chancellor.

RELATED NEWS

• Pols divided on how to proceed with Black dilemma
• Lisberg: Pigheaded Bloomy made mistake with Black
• Panel votes down Bloomy's pick for schools head
• Editorial: Give Bloomy Black
• Anti-Cathie Black push gaining strength
• Bloomberg abused power, UFT boss says

Even though it's unclear if Mayor Bloomberg will tap a co-chancellor for Cathie Black, the speculation has already started.

Bloomberg could look to his own Education headquarters for the chief academic officer recommended by State Commissioner David Steiner or cast his search farther afield.

"Whoever the chief academic officer is needs to have a strong record of building curriculum and education programs that include students with special needs and English Language Learners," said Kim Sweet, executive director of Advocates for Children. Education experts are zeroing in on Eric Nadelstern, deputy chancellor for school support and instruction.

"Nadelstern is the obvious choice and has bought into the policies, and essentially he's

Pols divided on how to proceed with Black dilemma

by KATHLEEN LUCADAMO, ADAM LISBERG, MEREDITH KOLODNER and RACHEL MONAHAN, DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS

Politicians were divided Wednesday over a possible compromise to split the duties of schools chancellor so Mayor Bloomberg's pick could still take the top spot.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/education/2010/11/25/2010-11-25_here_are_a_few_suggestions_in_case_mayor_bloomberg_wants_to_tap_a_cochancellor_f.html#ixzz16IaFSJ00

Emanuel: New Curriculum By End of First Term / Chicago News Cooperative

Emanuel: New Curriculum By End of First Term / Chicago News Cooperative

Emanuel: New Curriculum By End of First Term

by DAN MIHALOPOULOS

Mayoral candidate Rahm Emanuel made a campaign promise this week to implement a new math and English language curriculum in Chicago’s public schools by the end of his first term.

Emanuel said the new curriculum would be geared toward meeting the “common core standards” that education officials in Illinois and more than 40 other states have adopted. How exactly to try to meet those standards, however, is left up to school districts.

“I want us, the city of Chicago, to be the first city to adopt the curriculum that teaches toward the common standards,” he told the Chicago News Cooperative. “Nobody has taken on the initiative.”

The effort would better prepare high school graduates for college or the workplace, he said, “so diplomas, on graduation day, mean something.”

But Emanuel quickly made clear that he meant no disrespect to retiring Mayor Richard M. Daley, who

Off for Thanksgiving. Enjoy your turkey. « Fred Klonsky's blog

Off for Thanksgiving. Enjoy your turkey. « Fred Klonsky's blog

Off for Thanksgiving. Enjoy your turkey.

by Fred Klonsky

“Gobble, gobble.”

The Answer Sheet - Why we don't eat deer for Thanksgiving (the Pilgrims did)

The Answer Sheet - Why we don't eat deer for Thanksgiving (the Pilgrims did)

Why we don't eat deer for Thanksgiving (the Pilgrims did)

Does this sound familiar? In 1621, Pilgrims, dressed in black and white with buckles on their shoes, held a feast in Plymouth Colony to celebrate their first harvest. They invited Wampanoag Indians, and everyone enjoyed turkey and pumpkin pie. Probably, but we don't know for sure. Historians, including those at Plimoth Plantation, a living museum in Plymouth, Mass., say that they do know there was a feast that year shared by the colonists and Wampanoag Indians. Squanto, who had learned English, served as translator. But it wasn’t until the 1800s that Thanksgiving became an annual holiday and that turkey became the staple of the Thanksgiving holiday meal.

The first Thanksgiving proclamation, by George Washington

The following speaks for itself: A copy of a 1789 newspaper that published President George Washington's proclamation of the first official Thanksgiving holiday in the United States:

Schools Matter: November's Rotten Apple in Education Goes to James McSwain, Principal of Lamar High School

Schools Matter: November's Rotten Apple in Education Goes to James McSwain, Principal of Lamar High School

November's Rotten Apple in Education Goes to James McSwain, Principal of Lamar High School

by Jim Horn

With apologies to the work of Jerry Bracey, whose Rotten Apple Awards in Education should still be required reading for education policy students and "thought leaders" like Andy R, I am offering this monthly award, which will be announced on the same day as the Monthly Education Hero. There are so many nominees in this Rotten category each month, the competition will be keen for sure.

But hands down, this month goes to Larmar High School principal, James McSwain, who has dumped, burned, who knows, most all the books and "repurposed" the school library into a coffee shop run by students. I guess you might say McSwain is really serious about preparing his high schoolers to compete for those 21st Century American jobs.

The Library's website also makes a pitch for the right-wing online database, Questia, where students are

Rhee's IMPACT system linked to fate of tight D.C. teachers union election

Rhee's IMPACT system linked to fate of tight D.C. teachers union election

GALLERY

The chancellorship of Michelle A. Rhee

Controversial D.C. schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee will announce her resignation on Wednesday, nearly four years after she was brought in by Mayor Adrian M. Fenty to improve the city's languishing public education system.

» LAUNCH PHOTO GALLERY

By Bill Turque

Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, November 24, 2010; 2:38 PM

Michelle A. Rhee is no longer chancellor of D.C. schools, but her presence still looms large over a Washington Teachers' Union election that is entering its final contentious days.

Incumbent President George Parker faces a stiff reelection challenge from Nathan Saunders, the union's general vice president, who contends that Parker was too pliant in his dealings with Rhee. He cites the collective bargaining agreement Parker negotiated with Rhee, one that weakens traditional seniority and other job protections for teachers. Union members approved the contract in June.
Saunders also pledges to pursue legal, legislative and lobbying efforts to undo Rhee's signature initiative, the new IMPACT evaluation system that links some teacher appraisals to student test scores and can trigger dismissals for educators who don't meet certain classroom performance criteria.