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Thursday, January 6, 2011

Schools Matter: Media Bullpen; Gleason Family Foundation

Schools Matter: Media Bullpen; Gleason Family Foundation

Media Bullpen; Gleason Family Foundation

by Kenneth Libby
Head on over to MediaBullpen.com to check out the new and (likely) obnoxious voice in the education realm. The Bullpen, a joint project between the Gates Foundation, Walton Family Foundation, Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, an Gleason Family Foundation, will evaluate media coverage of education issues. It's run by the Center for Education Reform. The Gates Foundation invested $275,000 in the project; dollar amounts for the others are unknown.

In the edu-field, Gates and Walton are hardly unknown names, even for the casual observer. The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation is well-known, too, but more for their involvement in funding conservative think tanks and other right-wing causes. The Gleason Family Foundation, the fourth funder in this attempt at "media accountability," was one I hadn't read much about before. For interested readers, here's a list of the edu-
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The Frustrated Teacher: TFT And Others Will Be On Blog Talk Radio Friday Evening

The Frustrated Teacher: TFT And Others Will Be On Blog Talk Radio Friday Evening

TFT And Others Will Be On Blog Talk Radio Friday Evening

This Friday, January 7th at 9pm (EST), Bronx Teacher, The Total Tutor, Larry Sand, A Conservative Teacher and I will be on Blog Talk Radio on Neil Haley's Total Tutor Show discussing, well, education.

Neil has tried to get 2 sides--liberals and conservatives--to come together to see how close or far apart we are from each other in our perspectives on education reform.

I am pretty sure the conservative guys are union haters. Not sure if they are Rhee lovers, but it wouldn't surprise me.

Tune in! 6pm on the West Coast, 9pm on the East Coast, Friday evening. Be there. Listen and send me link references as ammo.

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Democurmudgeon: The Facts on Public Workers and Private Sector Pay Explode Myth Pushed by Republican Governors.

Democurmudgeon: The Facts on Public Workers and Private Sector Pay Explode Myth Pushed by Republican Governors.

The Facts on Public Workers and Private Sector Pay Explode Myth Pushed by Republican Governors.

by Democurmudgeon
Chris Hayes examines the myth that state employees are our new "welfare queens." How would you explain the fact that public workers earn 4 percent less than private sector workers. Columbian University Assistant Professor Dorian Warren has a whole lot more.

Popout
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#edreform The Media BullPen Sneaky Preview

The Media BullPen

BRINGING ACCOUNTABILITY TO

 EDUCATION REPORTING


SNEAKY PREVIEW


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Advocates and foundations set to rate education journalism | GothamSchools

Advocates and foundations set to rate education journalism | GothamSchools

Advocates and foundations set to rate education journalism

by Maura Walz
As journalists, we try to scrutinize education advocacy funding. But soon, the foundations and advocates may be turning the microscope back on us.
The Center for Education Reform — a Washington, D.C.-based group that pushes for the expansion of charter schools — is preparing to launch a new project it’s calling “The Media Bullpen.” The site will be designed to “monitor the daily flow of education news and respond to it in real time,” according to a preview of how the site might work posted on its website.
A six-point baseball-themed ratings system will determine whether stories are accurate, with facts “portrayed in the correct light” (”Home Run”), or ”completely wrong,” drawing “invalid” conclusions (”Strikeout!”).
It’s not clear how the center’s advocacy positions and those of the funders of the project — several powerful
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Update: New Posts on Parents 4 democratic Schools 1-6-11

New Posts on Parents 4 democratic Schools

Get Involved- Read Education News

Parents 4 democratic Schools

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Gov. Jerry Brown set to announce elimination of education office| PolitiCal | Los Angeles Times

Gov. Jerry Brown set to announce elimination of education office| PolitiCal | Los Angeles Times

Gov. Jerry Brown set to announce elimination of education office

January 6, 2011 | 10:03 am

Gov. Jerry Brown is set to announce the elimination of the office of the education secretary. The announcement could come as early as Thursday.

Brown had targeted the office during the campaign as an example of bureaucratic redundancy. Brown spokesman Evan Westrup would not confirm any planned announcement, but the 11 employees in the education secretary’s office were already packing boxes and have been notified that their office has been targeted for elimination.

The education secretary is not a Cabinet position. The secretary serves as an adviser to the governo

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Scott's controversial education advisor

Scott's controversial education advisor

Scott's controversial education advisor

Updated: Thursday, 06 Jan 2011, 6:28 PM EST
Published : Thursday, 06 Jan 2011, 6:10 PM EST

TAMPA - Rick Scott's first official public event as Florida Governor took place inside a charter school near Miami.

"That's exactly what we want to do in this state," Scott said of the school's public-private partnership.

The one-time occupant of a corporate boardroom worked a classroom Thursday, chatting with students and teachers. Scott used the event to pinpoint his proposed reforms for public education, which include eliminating teacher tenure, offering vouchers, and boosting charter schools.

"Our kids are going to come first," Scott said to reporters following the photo-op. "We're going to empower. We're going to have as much choice as we can."

Scott also trumpeted Michelle Rhee, a former Washington D.C. public schools superintendent who drew criticism for firing teachers whose students were failing. Rhee will serve as an education advisor to Scott, his office said.


  1. 0106scott5.WTVT_tmb0002_JPGClick to Watch Video
  2. 0106scott6pm.WTVT_tmb0000_JPGClick to

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Sweeping Reforms Ahead, Says New Education Board Member - The Bay Citizen

Sweeping Reforms Ahead, Says New Education Board Member - The Bay Citizen

Sweeping Reforms Ahead, Says New Education Board Member

Stanford professor Michael Kirst returns to the board at a time of budget crisis and needed changes

By JENNIFER GOLLAN on January 6, 2011 - 2:31 p.m. PST
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Stanford University School of Education
Michael Kirst

Reforms to school spending and curricula are among the top policy issues the newly appointed state Board of Education will tackle, according to a leading educator named to the board this week.

Newly appointed state Board of Education member Michael Kirst, an emeritus professor of business administration and education at Stanford University, who served on the state board during Gov. Jerry Brown's first administration, said in a phone interview that he is gearing up for a busy three-year term. Among his top priorities: shifting the way schools are allowed to spend their money and overhauling the state's student testing system.

Schools with high-achieving students could be released from state mandates related to instructional time, for example, allowing them to focus on student outcomes. If students are scoring well in

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School Tech Connect: Dan Montgomery's Public Comments

School Tech Connect: Dan Montgomery's Public Comments

Dan Montgomery's Public Comments

by effacethefacade@yahoo.com (Tim)
Here are the recent comments of Dan Montgomery, the new president of the Illinois Federation of Teachers, at the recent Illinois Senate Special Education Hearing. If you've been following anyone writing from Illinois, you know there's a lot of reformy proposals coming from every corner of the state. And of course, there's the whole latest pop craze going around, too.

Dan's really only talking about the collective bargaining attack here, as well as teacher evaluations. I don't have much to add, except that I think he does a pretty nice job. There are a lot of districts that have worked out very
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Saddled with old debts, a Brooklyn school blames decline on cuts | GothamSchools

Saddled with old debts, a Brooklyn school blames decline on cuts | GothamSchools

Saddled with old debts, a Brooklyn school blames decline on cuts

by Anna Phillips

When a Brooklyn elementary school principal sunk her school nearly $180,000 in debt and was eventually removed from her post, teachers expected a fresh start.

Instead, they experienced the city’s typical solution for bankrupt schools: a payment plan.

P.S. 114 in Canarsie, Brooklyn was given four years to repay the city. Now that the city plans to begin closing the school next year, the teachers union, parents, and teachers are blaming the school’s decline on the debt left by a principal they asked the city to fire. City officials are calling this claim is unfair, since other schools manage to pay the city back while keeping their test scores up.

City schools can easily overspend if they don’t factor budget cuts and enrollment decreases into their spending plans. When this happens, the city doesn’t eat the loss and give the school a clean slate the next year. Instead, schools are put on payment plans in which they’re given several years to pay the city back. A spokeswoman for

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Judge finds Portland French School used unfair labor practices in teachers' effort to join union | OregonLive.com

Judge finds Portland French School used unfair labor practices in teachers' effort to join union | OregonLive.com

Judge finds Portland French School used unfair labor practices in teachers' effort to join union

portland french school

By Matt Buxton, The Oregonian

January 06, 2011, 12:03PM
The ruling will require the school to remove sections of its employee handbook, file for a visa on part of a terminated employee and remove written warnings to union organizers. Full story »

Northeast Portland: County, city youth encouraged to apply for action grants; first workshop Saturday

granthigh.JPG

By Larry Bingham, The Oregonian

January 06, 2011, 9:00AM
"The workshops are designed to help strengthen applications," said program director Pam Phan. "They are being facilitated by youth, so it's youth training other youths." Full story »
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