Some Parents Think Segregation Is Wrong. Me Too. « Diane Ravitch's blog

Some Parents Think Segregation Is Wrong. Me Too. « Diane Ravitch's blog:

Some Parents Think Segregation Is Wrong. Me Too.

by dianerav

This post contains one of the comments on the Minnesota charter story that I missed while my Internet service was down.
It contributes more to the discussion earlier about whether segregation is okay if it is voluntary.
Let me add that I have never supported the creation of public schools (are charters still public schools?) that welcome one race, one cultural group, one point of view, one group to the exclusion of others. I got death threats twenty years ago when I criticized Afrocentrism, and since then I have criticized Hebrew-language charter schools and an Arabic-language public school. My view is that if there is a demand for a foreign language, it should be taught in public school, but should not be the focus of the curriculum; that way tends towards 

For the Record: CPS budget favors special programs, charters | catalyst-chicago.org

For the Record: CPS budget favors special programs, charters | catalyst-chicago.org:

For the Record: CPS budget favors special programs, charters

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By: Sarah Karp and Rebecca Vevea (WBEZ-Chicago Public Media) / July 13, 2012

Tags: finance and budgets

If a budget is a document that shows an organization’s priorities and direction, the CPS budget released last week reveals in stark black-and-white the undercurrent of much of the discussion so far: District officials are directing resources—and students—to magnet, specialty, selective and charter schools. An interactive map (below) created by WBEZ/Chicago Public Media and Catalyst Chicago showsthe school-level impact of the budget.

Overall, the number of teacher positions allocated to specialty schools and programs and to selective schools increased by 615. The number of regular 

Attorney in Miramonte sex abuse case calls for federal investigation into LAUSD - LA Daily News

Attorney in Miramonte sex abuse case calls for federal investigation into LAUSD - LA Daily News:

Attorney in Miramonte sex abuse case calls for federal investigation into LAUSD

By Barbara Jones, Staff Writer

Posted:   07/13/2012 04:35:24 PM PDT

Updated:   07/13/2012 04:36:47 PM PDT

Attorney in Miramonte sex abuse case calls for federal investigation into LAUSD
A lawyer for 11 alleged victims of sexual abuse at Miramonte Elementary called Friday for an independent federal investigation into Los Angeles Unified's handling of allegations.
During a morning news conference outside his Pasadena office, attorney Brian Claypool said he'd received a 

Urban Ed: Another Arbitration Ruling Is Overturned By the Courts

Urban Ed: Another Arbitration Ruling Is Overturned By the Courts:

Another Arbitration Ruling Is Overturned By the Courts

This is becoming a trend! 
A district 75 teacher and dean turned  a student's suicide note over to the student's father -instead 
of the OSI investigators (the student never followed through).


The DOE charged her with conduct unbecoming of a teacher (3020-a proceedings in DOE 
parlance).  She was found guilty of interfering with a DOE investigation.


The punishment? A $7,000 fine!!


Now outside the DOE, interfering with the police is only punishable by a $1,000 fine. 
So, naturally, the teacher got a lawyer and she did 

Those #%$$$&* Cyber Charters « Diane Ravitch's blog

Those #%$$$&* Cyber Charters « Diane Ravitch's blog:

Those #%$$$&* Cyber Charters

by dianerav

As time goes by, as I learn more about cyber charters, I become more convinced that they are legal fraud.
The last time I wrote something critical about cyber charters, a day or so ago, it was because Pennsylvania approved four more, even though the ones it has get terrible ratings, terrible test scores, terrible everything.
Not surprisingly I received several comments from people who said they are parents of children in cyber charters, and they are very happy.
Right.
And then I saw this article on Twitter a few minutes ago. The FBI is investigating the head of one of the first

Merit Pay, the Undead Policy Idea

by dianerav

I just finished writing about the history of merit pay and I was struck by a simple fact: Merit pay has been tried again and again and again and again, and it died again and again and again and again.
Study after study says it made no difference.
Teachers don’t like it.
It doesn’t raise test scores.
But it never dies.
It is the Undead Policy Idea. It is the Dracula of American education.
Despite the absence of any evidence whatsoever, the U.S. Department of Education got Congress to authorize

Perils of Life in the Age of the Internet

by dianerav

About 7 pm EST yesterday, my Internet service died a quick death.
When it went down, it took out my access to the Internet, the telephone, and the television.
That happened as I was trying to post the news about Camika Royal’s article on Huffington Post.
I had to use my cell phone to get it posted, my cell having 3G.
Where I am now (not in NYC), cell phone service is spotty, and I had a hard time getting through to the local cable company.
The upshot was that I was offline for 24 hours.
I got Internet access back about an hour ago, and am still waiting for a repair crew to restore the telephone.

Where the Jobs Are

by dianerav

Thanks to Sharon Higgins for supplying the latest estimate from the Bureau of Labor Statistics about where the jobs are for the next several years.
She sent this comment:

Here’s more evidence of the mismatch between “College-for-All” and the STEM push and what the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects. A huge number of upcoming jobs require only a high school diploma or less. See Table 1. Occupations with the fastest growth, projected 2010-20 and Table 2. Occupations with the largest numeric growth, projected 2010-20 @http://www.bls.gov/ooh/about/projections-overview.htm

If I read the chart correctly, we will need many more nurses, nurses aides, home health care aides, retail clerks,

Is Segregation OK if It is By Choice?

by dianerav

I received a long response from Joe Nathan in response to my post about segregation in the charter schools of Minnesota.
My post included a link to an article by John Hechinger of Bloomberg News about charter schools in that state that are one-race or one-ethnic group.
The question Joe Nathan’s response raises is this: Is segregation in a public facility (remember, charter schools say they are public schools) commendable so long as the individuals there choose to be segregated?
My problem is that I am old enough to remember that segregationists in the South in the 1950s advocated

Do You Want to See Camika’s Great Speech?

by dianerav

If you are following the saga of Dr. Camika Royal, you will remember that Gary Rubinstein posted a video of her addressing the Philadelphia summer institute of TFA, some 700 young people who will work in the Philadelphia public schools (which is laying off teachers).
Gary sent the video to me, and I wrote a post, but before I could put it online, the video mysteriously disappeared. There was some pushback, as both Gary and I get an email from someone warning us that Camika was not going  to be used by “the anti-reform movement” and that she was a loyal servant of the reform movement.
Yesterday evening, I got a tweet from Camika, addressed to both me and Gary, with a new statement by Camika

Seattle Schools Community Forum: District Seeks Calendar Sponsors

Seattle Schools Community Forum: District Seeks Calendar Sponsors:

District Seeks Calendar Sponsors

by Melissa Westbrook

From District Communications:

Local businesses, nonprofits and other organizations can now partner with Seattle Public Schools to help defray the costs of our annual calendar, while at the same time reaching a large audience with sponsored advertisements.

The calendar, which reaches an audience of 55,000 families, staff and community members, is an essential resource to the district. Becoming a sponsor is a great way to help support the district, staff and students by helping us to fund the printing of the calendar and increase community involvement. 

“During these lean budget times, many school districts have eliminated their calendar or 

LAUSD: MIRAMONTE ATTORNEY BRIAN CLAYPOOL SAYS, "IT'S ABOUT THE MONEY...SOMEBODY'S GOT TO GO TO JAIL" - Perdaily.com

LAUSD: MIRAMONTE ATTORNEY BRIAN CLAYPOOL SAYS, "IT'S ABOUT THE MONEY...SOMEBODY'S GOT TO GO TO JAIL" - Perdaily.com:

LAUSD: MIRAMONTE ATTORNEY BRIAN CLAYPOOL SAYS, "IT'S ABOUT THE MONEY...SOMEBODY'S GOT TO GO TO JAIL"

by Leonard Isenberg

(Mensaje se repite en Español)

(For a national view of public education reform see the end of this blog post)

Attorney Brian Claypool, who represents 11 Miramonte students and their parents against the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), has a commitment from the FBI to investigate why - 6 months after the Miramonte child molestation scandal - there has been no independent investigation of not only the Miramonte scandal, but what appears to be a culture within LAUSD administration that places Average Daily Attendance (ADA) revenue streams from the State of California above any concern for the students and their family's who have been subjected to a clear pattern of intolerable 

Jersey Jazzman: A Virtual Disaster in PA

Jersey Jazzman: A Virtual Disaster in PA:

A Virtual Disaster in PA

by Duke

Con Academy 

Browse Con Academy  library of over 3,100 educational videos...

Uh-oh:

FBI agents on Thursday raided the office of Pennsylvania Charter Cyber School founder Nick Trombetta, who is suspected of misusing Pennsylvania tax dollars to fund his out-of-state ventures, KDKA News reports.

The FBI raided the administrative offices of PA Cyber and other ventures founded by Trombetta, including the Avanti Management Group -- a for-profit consultant firm based in Ohio.

The Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School, founded in 2000, enrolled more than 11,300 students in the 2011-12 academic year and has an annual budget of more than $100 million. Critics say the $10,000 the school receives for each child far exceeds the cost 

Mother Crusader: Rolling The Dice; One In Three Approved Charters In New Jersey Can't Cut The Mustard

Mother Crusader: Rolling The Dice; One In Three Approved Charters In New Jersey Can't Cut The Mustard:

Rolling The Dice; One In Three Approved Charters In New Jersey Can't Cut The Mustard

by darciecima

As I sit here waiting to find out if the NJDOE will release the list of final charters today, I can't help but wonder how many brand new charters will be opening this Fall.  


When the last round of eight approvals was announced in January of this year, the NJDOE stated that thirty three charters would be eligible to open in September of 2012.  I guess with

The Gates Foundation's Education Philanthropy: Are Profit Seeking and Market Domination a Public Service? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

The Gates Foundation's Education Philanthropy: Are Profit Seeking and Market Domination a Public Service? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher:

The Gates Foundation's Education Philanthropy: Are Profit Seeking and Market Domination a Public Service?

by Anthony Cody

Guest post by Chemtchr. 

Part Two of Two. See Part One here.

The Gates Foundation favors a charitable model known as a public-private partnership, which appears at first to be an enlightened model for corporate engagement. For-profit ventures are "partnered" with the government for funding, to drive positive social change.

The problem is that apparent charities are actually spending public funds, often without our knowledge or consent, and public private partnerships in education have shown themselves to be vulnerable to outright fraud as well as wasteful insider dealing. There's no open or democratic mechanism to determine public benefit, or regulation to protect public education funding from financial pillage for services it doesn't want or need.

Some for-profit corporations directly set up their own non-profit intermediary to divert government funding. For 

Gates, Pearson Funded Think-Tank Says Florida Leads in Education Goals | Scathing Purple Musings

Gates, Pearson Funded Think-Tank Says Florida Leads in Education Goals | Scathing Purple Musings:

Gates, Pearson Funded Think-Tank Says Florida Leads in Education Goals

by Bob Sikes

From StateImpact reporter Gina Jordan:

Despite questions about the state’s standardized testing, Florida is making progress — a lot of it — according to a report released by the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB).
Sixteen states adopted SREB goals 10 years ago to guide policymakers and education leaders.
Florida outperforming other southern states in a variety of indicators, according to the 2012 progress report. Florida is among the leaders when it comes to qualified teachers, college and career readiness, and school leadership standards.
“Florida has worked very hard for more than a decade to implement sound education reform policies designed to improve academic proficiency and performance,” said Florida Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson. “The report speaks to the outstanding increases in student 

Schooling in the Ownership Society: New Michigan dictatorship privatizes entire school district

Schooling in the Ownership Society: New Michigan dictatorship privatizes entire school district:

New Michigan dictatorship privatizes entire school district

by Mike Klonsky

Now that Michigan's T-Party Gov. Rick Snyder has been given the power of a fascist dictator over the state's impoverished cities and towns, one of the first things he's going after is public education. First stop -- struggling Muskegon Heights, where Snyder has already replaced the elected city government with a hand picked business czar. The czar, Don Weatherspoon, has now decided to turn the entire public school systemover to a for-profit company, Mosaica Education, Inc.

NPR reports:

So far, the details of the contract with Mosaica are still secret. Though the document was approved in an open meeting, it wasn't available to the public, and attorneys refused to share the information with reporters; basic information like how much money 

LAUSD moving to better review teachers - LA Daily News

LAUSD moving to better review teachers - LA Daily News:

LAUSD moving to better review teachers

By Barbara Jones, Staff Writer

Posted:   07/12/2012 09:17:02 PM PDT

Updated:   07/12/2012 09:25:54 PM PDT

Limerick Avenue Elementary School Principal Betsy Garvin, left, and Chatsworth Park Elementary Principal Esther Leon attend a training boot camp Wednesday, July 11, 2012 at Mulholland Middle School in Lake Balboa on a new teacher performance evaluation system planned for LAUSD. (Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer)

It's got more depth, more breadth and, certainly, more heft.
At 30 pages, the performance evaluation that Los Angeles Unified wants to use to rate its teachers is 27 pages longer than the one that's been in place for years.
Instead of the cursory review that now nets nearly every teacher a satisfactory rating - despite the district's dismal 56 percent graduation rate - the new Teaching and Learning Framework plots a teacher's knowledge 

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Gates ponders how teachers should be paid in his 'new universe'

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Gates ponders how teachers should be paid in his 'new universe':

Gates ponders how teachers should be paid in his 'new universe'

by Mike Klonsky

But as long as we spend the time and money to get each element right; as long as we don’t let politics block the common core; as long as we let teachers use new technology in the classroom, this could be the educational equivalent of the Big Bang – creating a new universe of learning and discovery for our teachers and students. -- Bill Gates, master of the "new universe."

Bill Gates hasn't made up his mind quite yet about merit pay. Even though the world's second richest man 

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Friday, July 13, 2012

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team:

Catalina Island, CA

Education Headlines

Friday, July 13, 2012

Claremont Unified approves agreements with organizations

Claremont Unified School District board members voted to approve agreements with a number of employee organizations Thursday night using $2.4 million in reserve funding to temporarily increase the district's contribution to each groups benefits and give an immediate pay raise for 2012.

Alvord district calls for bond election

The Alvord school board will ask voters in November to approve $79 million in reauthorized bonds. The board unanimously approved a resolution Thursday night, July 12, to place the bond measure on the ballot. If passed, the measure would save about $260 million in interest over the life of the bonds, but property owners would pay about $51 more per $100,000 assessed valuation each year.

LAUSD moving to better review teachers

At 30 pages, the performance evaluation that Los Angeles Unified wants to use to rate its teachers is 27 pages longer than the one that's been in place for years. Instead of the cursory review that now nets nearly every teacher a satisfactory rating - despite the district's dismal 56 percent graduation rate - the new Teaching and Learning Framework plots a teacher's knowledge and skills in more than five dozen categories.

Frey: Amended versions of key discipline bills move forward

Three key bills aimed at changing school discipline policies were approved in the state Assembly before the summer recess and will be ready for a final vote on the Senate floor when legislators return from their recess in August. But in the process, the bills have been softened to give districts more discretion to implement harsher punishments than the authors originally intended (see chart below).

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Fruitvale approves administrator furloughs

Fruitvale School District's board on Tuesday approved five unpaid furlough days for administrators and other non-represented certificated staff, such as counselors and district directors, for the new school year to cope with budget cuts.

Lodi and Galt school districts could face more cuts

If the November tax initiative is passed, the state budget and education funding will remain as is. If the initiative fails, up to $460 per student per year will be withheld from Lodi Unified, or about $12.3 million.

Galt high school district hires Michael Roberts as new superintendent

Michael Roberts has been chosen as the new superintendent of Galt Joint Union High School District and will earn $139,382 annually. His three-year employment contract was approved at Tuesday's board meeting.

Signatures turned in for Support Our Schools initiative

The Irvine city clerk received more than 18,000 signatures for the Support Our Schools initiative, which would more than double city support for Irvine schools from 2013 to 2016 if it qualifies for the November 

Real Life in a “Turnaround” School « Diane Ravitch's blog

Real Life in a “Turnaround” School « Diane Ravitch's blog:

Real Life in a “Turnaround” School

by dianerav

Mayor Bloomberg and Secretary Duncan like to describe the firing of teachers and the closing of schools as a wonderful reform strategy.
Something magical is supposed to happen because of clearing out half or all of the staff and starting over with a new team, or half a new team.
The public knows nothing about the details, reads that “reform” is happening, and is satisfied to know that someone is doing something even if they don’t know what it is.
There is an implicit assumption that the teachers who got fired must be “bad” teachers because they work in a “failing” school.
Change the teachers, goes the story, and the school won’t be a failing school anymore, It will be a “turnaround”

Wisdom from an Experienced Urban Teacher

by dianerav

A reader comments with hard-won knowledge. I would summarize it as being prepared with a variety of approaches and strategies and knowing when to apply the one that is right for the situation. No single approach is right for all.

Diane, I’m an inner city teacher with 14 years of experience.The guiding principle I see for teachers’ practice is to create a teaching style that plays to one’s own strengths as a person and a member of the educational community. I believe that a great diversity in approaches creates a healthy learning experience for all.But this also means that there is a place for the driven disciplinarian.Despite the poorly thought out tone of the excerpt you shared, there is a need for something of an assertive no-nonsense approach to teaching, especially in the most challenging environments. I’m talking about environments with no functioning discipline in the hallways or in administrator’s offices. In some inner city

More form WTF file: New Detroit schools contract allows up to 61 students in grades 6-12 | The Detroit News | detroitnews.com

New Detroit schools contract allows up to 61 students in grades 6-12 | The Detroit News | detroitnews.com:

New Detroit schools contract allows up to 61 students in grades 6-12

• By Jennifer Chambers
• The Detroit News
• 25 Comments

Purchase Image

Under a new three-year contract imposed last week class sizes in Detroit Public Schools could be as large as 61 students each in grades 6-12. (David Coates / The Detroit News)

From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20120713/SCHOOLS/207130335#ixzz20WCQjTON

Detroit— Class sizes in Detroit Public Schools could get much larger this fall — up to 61 students each in grades 6-12 and 41 students in grades kindergarten through 3 — before school officials take action to level them out.

Under a new three-year contract imposed last week on the teachers' union, DPS will "make reasonable efforts" at reorganizing class sizes for students in K-12 when they exceed contractual limits.

In grades K-3, the class maximum is 25. But under the new contract with the Detroit Federation of Teachers, which took effect July 1, a class would need to reach 41 students before DPS moves to reduce it.

In grades 4-5, where 30 is the limit, it would take 46 students to

From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20120713/SCHOOLS/207130335#ixzz20WCLaBtE

Teachers Reject “Captain Bligh” Principals | ED.gov Blog

Teachers Reject “Captain Bligh” Principals | ED.gov Blog:

Teachers Reject “Captain Bligh” Principals

Posted on July 13, 2012 by Guest Blogger

As Teaching Ambassador Fellow Greg Mullenholz ends his tenure at ED, he reflects on what he has heard from teachers and principals about effective school leadership.

My wife has an uncle, Craig, who works for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and, as with many of his colleagues, Craig has an utter fascination with all things nautical. Take, for instance, one particular t-shirt that Craig wears with the Jolly Roger, emblazoned with the slogan, “The beatings will continue until morale improves.” A satirical take on the ineffectiveness of punishment or forced adherence, this phrase, of unknown origination, says a lot about what qualifies one to take on a leadership role on a ship—or a school. Dictators only encourage mutiny.

The role of principals in student achievement is critical. Principals are in fact the “captains,” guiding the direction of the school through calm and stormy seas, tasked with ensuring