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Tuesday, January 18, 2011

D.C. mayor offers most explicit criticism of IMPACT teacher evaluation system

D.C. mayor offers most explicit criticism of IMPACT teacher evaluation system

D.C. mayor offers most explicit criticism of IMPACT teacher evaluation system

Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, January 18, 2011; 6:00 PM

Mayor Vincent C. Gray says that the IMPACT teacher evaluation system, widely regarded as former chancellor Michelle A. Rhee's signature reform, has "a long way to go" before it is fair because it disadvantages instructors in schools with large numbers of students challenged by the effects of poverty and other social conditions.

"It's a step in the right direction, but it's got a long way to go to be a fair evaluation," Gray (D) said Saturday during a panel discussion on education and poverty at Adas Israel synagogue in Northwest Washington.

Gray's criticism of IMPACT, his most explicit since entering office, echoes that of the Washington Teachers' Union, a major financial supporter of his candidacy. It appears to clash with a core tenet of Rhee and her successor, Interim Chancellor Kaya

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In Remembrance of Sargent Shriver | Maria Shriver

In Remembrance of Sargent Shriver | Maria Shriver

In Remembrance of Sargent Shriver

By MariaShriver.com

Sargent Shriver was a beloved and devoted husband, father and grandfather. He was also a passionate and committed activist, political leader and peacebuilder who dedicated decades of his life to public service.
Statement from The Shriver Family:
Our dad, Robert Sargent Shriver, Jr., lovingly known as “Sarge,” today went to heaven to join the love of his life, our mother, Eunice Kennedy Shriver. He was surrounded by his five children, five children in-law, and his 19 grandchildren.

He was a man of giant love, energy, enthusiasm, and commitment. He lived to make the world a more joyful, faithful, and compassionate place. He centered everything on his faith and his family. He worked on stages both large and small but in the end, he will be best known for his love of others. No one ever came into his presence without feeling his passion and his enthusiasm for them. He loved God, he loved Eunice, he loved us, he loved anyone who was a servant of peace, justice or joy. He loved life.
We pray that his spirit and example will guide us as we accept the challenge of living as he did. We will miss him forever. May the angels and saints and all his family receive him with a party beyond all imagining.
Shriver was the first leader of the Peace Corps for President John F. Kennedy, and ran the “War on Poverty” during Lyndon Johnson’s administration. He inspired, directed, or founded numerous social programs and organizations, including Head Start, VISTA, Job Corps, Community Action, Upward Bound, Foster Grandparents, Special Olympics, the National Center on Poverty Law, Legal Services. To learn more about the amazing life of Sargent Shriver, please visit www.sargentshriver.org.
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Afternoon Update: New Posts on Parents 4 democratic Schools 1-18-11 Get Involved- Read Education News

New Posts on Parents 4 democratic Schools


Get Involved- Read Education News


Parents 4 democratic Schools

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The Most Important Higher Education Study in Years

The Most Important Higher Education Study in Years

The Most Important Higher Education Study in Years

by Kevin Carey



That would be Academically Adrift, by NYU sociologist Richard Arum and his colleague Josipa Roksa, released today. The study measured how much 2,300 statistically representative undergraduates who enrolled as freshmen in a diverse group of 24 colleges and universities in 2005 had learned by the time they (in theory) were ready to graduate, in 2009. As a measuring tool, the researchers used the Collegiate Learning Assessment, a respected test of analytic reasoning, critical thinking, and written communication skills.

Their finding? Forty-five percent of students made no gains on the CLA during their first two years in college. Thirty-six percent made no gains over the entire four years. They learned nothing. On average, students improved by less than half a standard deviation in four years. “American higher education,” the researchers found, “is characterized by limited or no learning for a large proportion of students.”

For a more detailed explanation of the findings and my take on what they say about accountability, affirmative action, the Obama higher education agenda, and why this doesn’t mean that fewer students should go to college, read my Chronicle of Higher Education column. There’s a lot more to talk about beyond that and it’ll

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Cal State LA Considers Suspending Asian and Asian American Studies | Immigrant Rights | Change.org

Cal State LA Considers Suspending Asian and Asian American Studies | Immigrant Rights | Change.org

Cal State LA Considers Suspending Asian and Asian American Studies

by Gabriela Garcia
California State University, Los Angeles, is one of the most diverse universities in the country. Student enrollment demographics this year are about 55% Latino, 22% Asian American/Pacific Islander, 15% white non-Latino, and 8% African American. Since 1972, students of color have comprised the majority. Cal State LA established the first Chicano Studies program in the nation in 1968. Minority Access, Inc, named the school one of America’s top colleges that exemplifies diversity. It has received the President’s Award for Diversity from the national accreditation organization for engineering education.
So it seems almost unbelievable that one of the country’s most diverse universities with a history of pioneering ethnic and area studies is considering suspending its Asian and Asian American Studies program. Despite increased interest in the program — a spike in enrollment in the program’s introductory class (over 40 students each semester) and a higher number of new majors each year — the school’s dean, Jim Henderson, has



The Ban Plays On: Two California Universities Ax Ethnic Studies

by Adriel Luis
Looks like California's celebration of Martin Luther King Day took a turn for the... Arizonian. This month students and faculties from two California campuses are fighting the demolition of their ethnic studies programs: Asian American Studies and Cal State Los Angeles and American Studies at the University of California Santa Cruz.
Late last year Dean James Henderson at CSULA offered students and faculty a grim holiday gift – notification that he had decided to suspend Asian American Studies, indefinitely. To date, the only explanation Henderson has offered is lack of faculty, student, and community support – which he announced at a November 29 meeting to a roomful of concerned faculty, students, and community members. Since then, a grassroots movement in support of retaining the program has been swelling both on and off campus.
CSULA is located in the San Gabriel Valley, which holds one of the largest Chinese populations in the country. Asian American Studies – which was just established in 2005 – failed in the Dean's eyes to meet enrollment 
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NYC Public School Parents: Feb. 7 Education Forum with Diane Ravitch

NYC Public School Parents: Feb. 7 Education Forum with Diane Ravitch

Feb. 7 Education Forum with Diane Ravitch

by Leonie Haimson

Education Forum with Diane Ravitch

Are our schools going in the right direction?

What parents should do

Monday, Feb. 7 at 6:30 PM
at PS/IS 89 in Lower Manhattan


201 Warren St. (directions: take the A, C, E, 1, 2, 3 to Chambers; or the N, R, 4, 5, 6 to City Hall.)


Diane Ravitch will critique the current direction of education reform, including school closings, privatization and high-stakes testing.


She will also introduce members of a new national organization, Parents Across America, working for positive and progressive change.


The event is free but you must reserve a seat in advance by clicking here . For more information, email info@parentsacrossamerica.org

Co-sponsored by Community Board 1, IS 89 PTA, Class Size Matters, Testing is Not Teaching, and Parents Across America.

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“The rich have their own photographers.” Milton Rogovin. RIP. « Fred Klonsky's blog

“The rich have their own photographers.” Milton Rogovin. RIP. « Fred Klonsky's blog

“The rich have their own photographers.” Milton Rogovin. RIP.

by Fred Klonsky

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A few years ago when Anne and I were visiting our family in New York, we spent an afternoon at the New York Historical Society slowly taking in the

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CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS: Weems School

CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS: Weems School
Weems School *THE WEEMS WAY: A CHARTER SCHOOL COLLAPSES AMID A HAIL OF SIBLING BATTLES AND UNPAID BILLS*; December 29, 2010; Cleveland Scene (OH) A regular week at the Weems School was a minefield of surprises for staff and students alike. For students, that was ...
Mokapu STEM School (attempt) *ANTI-GAY RELIGIOUS CULT TIED TO TORTURE SEEKS CHARTER CONVERSION OF MOKAPU ELEMENTARY*; January 13, 2011; Hawaii Free Press Hiding behind the benign sounding label, “Mokapu STEM School”, a religious cult with billions of dollars in assets is ...
California charter schools (food service issues) *CHARTER CHOICES: GOOD FOOD, FREE FOOD, NO FOOD - SOME CAMPUSES SAY THEY LACK THE MEANS TO PROVIDE NUTRITIOUS MEALS — OR ANY MEALS; *January 1, 2011; Los Angeles Times (CA) At Larchmont Charter School in Los Angeles, a former restaurant chef whips up ...
Patriot Preparatory Academy *CHARTER'S TIES TO CHRISTIAN SCHOOL DRAW STATE SCRUTINY*; November 8, 2010; Columbus Dispatch (OH) Out went the private Liberty Christian Academy. In came the public Patriot Preparatory Academy, a charter school in the same location with many of ...
International Preparatory School *CHARTER-SCHOOL OFFICERS CAN BE LIABLE FOR HOW PUBLIC FUNDS SPENT: OHIO SUPREME COURT ALLOWS STATE SUIT*; December 21, 2010; Associated Press in Columbus Dispatch (OH) The Ohio Supreme Court has ruled that officers or representatives of charter ...
Winfree Academy ***FORMER EMPLOYEES CLAIM TEXAS CHARTER SCHOOL VIOLATED TEXAS LABOR LAW;*December 23, 2010; LAS Newswire *Irving**, TX*: Former employees have claimed that Winfree Academy, a network of six charter schools in North Texas, has violated *Texas labor law ...
Lynacre Academy *FOUNDER, BOARD BLAME EACH OTHER FOR LYNACRE ACADEMY'S DEMISE*; February 17, 2008; Dallas Morning News (TX) Everyone knew something was amiss at Lynacre Academy – its school board members, its accountant and Texas Education Agency regulators charged ...
Imagine Charter School at Firestone *SVVSD RENEWS IMAGINE’S CHARTER: SCHOOL BOARD STILL EXAMINING CHARTER SCHOOL POLICIES;* January 13, 2011; Longmont Times-Call (CO) The St. Vrain Valley School District Board of Education on Wednesday renewed one charter school’s charter, then ...
Oceanside Charter School *APPEALS COURT RULES OCEANSIDE CHARTER SCHOOL MUST REPAY $350,000 FEDERAL GRANT*; January 14, 2011; The Press of Atlantic City (NJ) An appellate panel upheld an order for an Atlantic City charter school to repay a $350,000 federal grant to renovate a ...
Pembroke Pines Charter High School ***STUDENT WINS $1 IN FREE SPEECH FACEBOOK SETTLEMENT*; December 28, 2010; NBCMIAMI.com A buck doesn't go a long way these days, but it's probably the best dollar Katie Evans has ever earned. The Pembroke Pines Charter High School grad is celebrating ...
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The FBI’s Attempt to Blackmail Martin Luther King Into Suicide « Student Activism

The FBI’s Attempt to Blackmail Martin Luther King Into Suicide « Student Activism

The FBI’s Attempt to Blackmail Martin Luther King Into Suicide

by Angus Johnston

I mentioned this on Twitter yesterday, and promised to post about it today. The day’s kind of gotten away from me, so this’ll be as quick as I can make it.

In November 1964, weeks before Martin Luther King was to travel to Oslo to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, an anonymous correspondent sent him a package in the mail. The package contained an audiotape, and a letter.

The tape was a compilation of material recorded via Bureau wiretaps over the previous year. It consisted of off-color jokes and remarks King had made in private, among friends, interspersed with the sounds of him having sex with someone other than his wife. The letter included the following challenge:

King, look into your heart. You know you are a complete fraud and a great liability … you are no clergyman,

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The Answer Sheet - Ravitch: The pitfalls of putting economists in charge of education

The Answer Sheet - Ravitch: The pitfalls of putting economists in charge of education

Ravitch: The pitfalls of putting economists in charge of education

This was written by education historian Diane Ravitch on her Bridging Differences blog, which she co-authors with Deborah Meier on the Education Week website. Ravitch and Meier exchange letters about what matters most in education. Ravitch, a research professor at New York University, is the author of the bestselling “The Death and Life of the Great American School System,” an important critique of the flaws in the modern school reform movement. Dear Deborah, A few weeks ago, Mike Rose [a professor at UCLA] posted a list of his New Year's resolutions. One of them was that we should "make do with fewer economists in education. These practitioners of the dismal science have flocked to education reform, though most know little about teaching and learning." Mike suggested that so few economists were able to give useful advice about the financial and housing markets that we should now be skeptical about expecting
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School Tech Connect: In Which The Candidates Speak For Themselves

School Tech Connect: In Which The Candidates Speak For Themselves

In Which The Candidates Speak For Themselves

by effacethefacade@yahoo.com (Tim)
I missed the city's mayoral forum yesterday, but kudos to WBEZ, Catalyst, and the Chicago News Cooperativefor assembling this questionnaire, which sort of encapsulates all the big issues in the current "reform" discussion. Have a looky-loo for yourself.

Here are some of the big takeaways from the survey for me:

Gerry Chico doesn't have an original idea in his head. He's a cliche artist, and I even wonder if he's a real candidate or if he's playing a role here for someone.

Miguel del Valle is still my guy. I think he can win, and I think he can govern. This is not a guy who's going to rollover and play dead for the teachers' union, but he does seem to understand that these schools are for all of the people of the city and that there are outside factors that affect achievement. I wish he were more about
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Compton parents claim retaliation in school reform

Compton parents claim retaliation in school reform

Compton parents claim retaliation in school reform

By CHRISTINA HOAG, Associated Press

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(01-18) 10:56 PST Compton, Calif. (AP) --

Two parent activists have filed complaints with the U.S. Department of Education's civil rights office alleging they and their children have been victims of retaliation because they support a campaign to turn over a local school to a charter operator.

Marlene Romero and Hebert Hidalgo said in documents filed late Friday that teachers at McKinley Elementary School are using lies and intimidation to turn their children against them.

A spokesman at Compton Unified School District did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment Tuesday.

Romero and Hidalgo are two organizers behind a petition filed last month under California's "parent trigger" law, which allows a majority of parents at a failing school to force a district to make drastic changes to turn around the school, including charter



Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2011/01/18/state/n105650S92.DTL#ixzz1BQAEMY4u
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Chicago suburban school district positions itself to go after teacher salaries next year. « Fred Klonsky's blog

Chicago suburban school district positions itself to go after teacher salaries next year. « Fred Klonsky's blog

Chicago suburban school district positions itself to go after teacher salaries next year.

by Fred Klonsky

Maine Township District 207, with three high schools including Maine South where my students go, is already preparing to wage an assault on teacher salaries next year.

The district has $100 million in reserves.

Last year the had an operating deficit and they laid off 13% of the staff.

While the board continues to talk about the difficulties with the economy, they rarely mention their own mismanagement of funds.

No matter.

Now they gloat about having a leaner workforce, as if it was something other than classroom teachers they were

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As state testing nears, city directs $10 million to tutoring | GothamSchools

As state testing nears, city directs $10 million to tutoring | GothamSchools

As state testing nears, city directs $10 million to tutoring

by Anna Phillips

Nearly six months after the city saw students’ failure rate spike thanks to new, tougher state tests, Mayor Bloomberg is directing extra funding to ready those students for another round of exams.

The mayor announced today that the Department of Education will distribute $10 million to 532 schools where more than two-thirds of students failed the state’s math and English tests last year. The funding will target nearly half of the more than 100,000 students who did not meet the state’s newly heightened proficiency bar. Bloomberg said he expected 48,000 students to receive extra tutoring and in-school help as a result of the new funding.

DOE officials said schools should receive the money by February 8. Principals will be able to spend it on weekend classes, lessons after school, tutoring during the school day, and online programs that will help students cram for the upcoming exams. They will have to race to spend it in time for it to have an effect, as the

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Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Message from Lake Michigan

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Message from Lake Michigan

Message from Lake Michigan

by Mike Klonsky
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