Character Assassination? « Diane Ravitch's blog

Character Assassination? « Diane Ravitch's blog:

Character Assassination?

by dianerav

 Earlier today I posted a letter that appeared on the NYC parent blog, in which Students First was offering a gift to anyone who posted the most comments on blogs.  I made no reference to the person who wrote the letter.

Apparently it has been reprinted elsewhere, including the blog of Coach Bob Sikes blog  in Florida. Coach Bob got a response from the letter writer at StudentsFirst. She said she was the target of a well funded campaign of hatred and character assassination, apparently because her letter had been circulated.

I don’t know who assassinated her character. I find her reaction odd because she may be a fine person but the organization she represents spends millions to vilify teachers and unions and to urge legislatures to take away any job protection for academic freedom. It also just released an ad that not so subtly ridicules obesity and gays while presenting a humiliating and inaccurate portrait of American students and teachers to the world.

I wish StudentsFirst would consider the harm they do to hardworking educators.

Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee - Trying to Buy Love ?

Rhee offering gift cards for blog comments

Also, starting right now, there will be a monthly contest for the best rapid response. The more comments you leave on blog posts, the more times you can enter! Post a polite and persuasive pro-reform comment and email me the link so I can check it out. 

That's all you have to do!

At the end of the month (August 26th at midnight) I will announce the winner. Not only will that winner get a gift card to the restaurant or store of choice, but he or she will also be promoting the cause of real and transformative change in public schools! What could be better?

Rich Miller’s Uncle Kenny. « Fred Klonsky

Rich Miller’s Uncle Kenny. « Fred Klonsky:

Rich Miller’s Uncle Kenny.

by Fred Klonsky

Rich Miller at CapitolFax:

I spent some time at my Uncle Kenny’s house in Ashkum last weekend. We went to the Iroquois County Fair, which is like taking a step back in time.
The fair hasn’t changed much at all since I was a kid. They still don’t allow alcohol on the clean grounds where kids safely run free.
I was at that fair every day back when I was growing up, often accompanied by my Uncle Kenny.
I’m the oldest of five sons, so Kenny was like my big brother growing up. It was a nostalgic weekend, and it felt like old times.
Kenny worked hard all of his life, putting in more overtime hours as a state groundskeeper during blizzards and mowing season than I could count, and he finally retired after then-Gov. George Ryan signed early retirement legislation shortly before

Uncle Kenny and selective blindness. Reform Springfield.

by Fred Klonsky

Fred,
Why is it that those in Springfield can see “no other way” to fix the pension issue Uncle Kenny didn’t create, yet not one person in a position to affect change talks about Illinois’ structural deficit and it’s regressive tax code that emulates only a rare handful of states that sport a flat tax? What is it? Selective blindness?
Nope. It’s easier to hurt Uncle Kenny and the hundreds of thousands like him – and tank the state’s economy in the process – than to actually fix the revenue problem inherent in Illinois structural deficit and regressive flat tax system.

Diverse Neighborhoods and the Charter School Movement - Dana Goldstein

Diverse Neighborhoods and the Charter School Movement - Dana Goldstein:

Diverse Neighborhoods and the Charter School Movement

by Dana Goldstein

My colleague Sarah Garland has written a wonderful piece for The Atlantic about a local/federal/charter school partnership to racially and socioeconomically integrate the East Lake neighborhood of Atlanta. Across the country, more and more charter school movement leaders are realizing that if charters serve only poor, black, and Latino families, they will limit their potential educational reach, and will leave themselves open to criticism that they are reifying the segregated nature of American public education. Here in New York, for example, Eva Moskowitz's controversial Success Academy charter network will soon open two new schools in the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Williamsburg and Cobble Hill, where many white and college-educated families live. An explicit goal of the schools is to attact a student body far more diverse than that of the typical "no excuses" charter school. In the process, charter advocates hope to increase the base of political support for charter school expansion.
But as Sarah writes, the successful Atlanta charter she reported on, Charles Drew, is not a "no excuses" or 

Outrageous ideas that must be considered « Deborah Meier on Education

Outrageous ideas that must be considered « Deborah Meier on Education:

Outrageous ideas that must be considered

by debmeier

To continue. Read and consider the following news item, and keep in mind the recent Texas mandate against “critical thinking” skills. How do we respond?

Whatever Happened to Reading, Writing and Arithmetic?

Washington, D.C. – Today, American Principles in Action (APIA) condemned Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-FL) for endorsing the indoctrination of children at a gathering of young progressives.“To so blatantly call for the indoctrination of our children in the school system is a gross attack on the rights of American parents,” said APIA President Frank Cannon. “It is disturbing to see such a high-ranking individual in the Democratic Party encourage teachers to circumvent parental guidance.” Wasserman-Shultz, the chairwoman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, told attendees at

Mother Crusader: Five Hours Of My Life I Can't Get Back; The Cerf Nomination Hearing

Mother Crusader: Five Hours Of My Life I Can't Get Back; The Cerf Nomination Hearing:

Five Hours Of My Life I Can't Get Back; The Cerf Nomination Hearing

by darciecima

Below is the testimony I prepared and (sort of) delivered for the Senate Judiciary Committee regarding the nomination of Commissioner Chris Cerf.  Senator Doherty went on for what seemed like an ETERNITY (Check out Jersey Jazzman's timeline - it was at least 40 minutes of the five hour ordeal) but the five citizens that testified had their microphones abruptly turned off at exactly the three minute mark.  

It felt a bit hostile and unnecessary.  

Sitting in the room during the questioning it was hard not to notice how perfunctory it all felt.  Yes, yes, here is the question I should ask about (fill in creepy thing Cerf has done here).  But there was no probing.  No real challenge.  No teeth.  

Oh, except on his residency.  Senator Scutari really dug his heels in on that one.  

Sen. Nicholas Scutari (D-Union), the committee chairman, said Cerf’s answers about his residency nearly kept him from voting to affirm the nomination. Scutari said Cerf may have perpetrated "something like fraud" by not being truthful about his motivation to move.

Earlier this year, Cerf rented an apartment in Somerset County that is 

Won't Back Down - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher

Won't Back Down - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher:

Won't Back Down

by Nancy Flanagan

July has been what Michelle Rhee might call a crappy month for democratic public education.

• We have Emergency Manager Roy Roberts of Detroit Public Schools claiming that the new, imposed contract with teachers--which allows class sizes up to 60 for secondary classes and 40+ for elementary schools--is "good for kids."

• Not only will kids across the country be taking more tests, they'll be taking them on-line--which means that schools in poverty will come up short-handed on essential hardware. The tests are more likely to measure students' familiarity with technology than actual knowledge--and worse, the precious computers won't be put to their best use: actual student-directed learning.

• A voucher program in Louisiana:
...has the potential to shift well over a billion dollars a year in taxpayer money out of the public system into the hands of private for-profit and non-profit schools. Surely that gives state officials not just the right but the 

Finalists for National Teaching Award - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education)

Finalists for National Teaching Award - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education):

State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Announces 2012 State
Finalists for Prestigious National Teaching Award

SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson has named six outstanding teachers as 2012 California State Finalists for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST).

The mathematics nominees are: Jamie Garner, a sixth grade mathematics teacher at the Walnut Elementary Education Center in the Turlock Unified School District, Stanislaus County; Andrew Ivan Kotko, a primary grades teacher at Mather Heights Elementary School, Folsom-Cordova Unified School District, Sacramento County; and Sara Teressa Norris, the head primary teacher at Mills College Children’s School, an independent laboratory school affiliated with Mills College in Oakland, Alameda County.

The science nominees are Nathan Richard Fairchild, a science teacher at North Woods Discovery Charter School in the Gateway Unified School District, Shasta County; Michelle French, a first grade teacher at Wilson Elementary School in the Tulare City Elementary School District, Tulare County; and Alma Suney Park, a sixth grade teacher at Eastside College Preparatory School, a private school in East Palo Alto, San Mateo County.

“I congratulate these remarkably talented teachers who are among the most creative and effective in California,” said Torlakson, himself a science teacher-on-leave from Contra Costa County's Mount Diablo Unified School District. “Math and science educators are essential to the future success of students and the future of our state. I greatly appreciate their efforts to make these subjects exciting and inspiring.”

The California Department of Education (CDE) partnered with the California Science Teachers Association and the California Mathematics Council to recruit and select nominees for the PAEMST program. Each applicant had to demonstrate a mastery of math or science, appropriate use of instructional methods and strategies, effective use of assessment strategies, employ lifelong learning, and show leadership in education outside the classroom. Each candidate also was required to submit a 45-minute video lesson in support of their application.

Mathematics Finalists

• Jamie Garner teaches at a mathematics and science magnet school where all subjects are taught through the lens of those disciplines. Her classroom features hands-on, project-based learning activities. She leads a special elective class on “future cities,” where students are given the opportunity to generate model cities that could exist 150 years in the future. Mrs. Garner also provides intensive, after-school instruction for students who may be struggling in mathematics. She is a regional coordinator for PI Day (a day to celebrate the value and contributions of mathematics to our society). Her video focused on a geometry lesson determining the surface area of three-dimensional solids.
• Andrew Ivan Kotko is a primary grades teacher and a member of a district-wide team designing project and inquiry-based mathematics lessons. A National Board Certified Teacher, Mr. Kotko has taught in the Folsom-Cordova Unified School District for 10 years and is a graduate of California State University, Sacramento, with a major in physics. He was nominated for the award by a parent of one of his previous students. His video lesson focused on Place Value (Base 10 number systems).
• Sara Teressa Norris is the head primary teacher at Mills College Children’s School as well as a mentor to college students who are at various stages of their own professional development, working toward either initial certification or an advanced graduate degree. Ms. Norris is a graduate of the University of California, Santa Cruz, and has earned a Master of Arts degree from Mills College. Prior to her current position, she taught in a first grade Spanish bilingual classroom in the San Leandro Unified School District. She has a California Multiple Subject Credential with a Cross-cultural Language and Academic Development (CLAD) certificate and Bilingual CLAD certification in Spanish. Her video lesson featured regrouping strategies within addition.

Science Finalists

• Nathan Richard Fairchild has been a teacher for the last eight years. Previously, he was a wildlife naturalist and interpretative ranger in the Wind Caves National Park. He serves as a mentor and facilitator for the Electronic Mentoring for Student Success program, an online forum for new science teachers developed jointly by the University of California, Santa Cruz; and Montana State University. He holds degrees from Michigan State University and Montana State University. Mr. Fairchild was a previous state finalist for this award. The National Science Foundation, which sponsors the award for the White House, encourages candidates to reapply in subsequent cycles. He was nominated by his school’s principal and his video lesson was an inquiry where a local volcanic eruption is possible in the Redding area.
• Michelle French teaches first grade at Wilson Elementary School, where she has worked for 16 years. She is the co-director for the Improving Teacher Quality Grant—Bringing Language and Science Together project and serves as a professional learning community facilitator for her district. She has held many leadership positions in several professional associations and holds a Bachelor of Art’s degree from California State University, Fresno. She was nominated by a member of her school community. Her video lesson was focused on integrating language arts and science to learn about living things. Students learned about plant structures and functions.
• Alma Suney Park is a sixth grade teacher at Eastside College Preparatory School, where she has worked since 2005. Originally from Illinois, Ms. Park has 13 years of prior teaching, eight of which have been in California. She possesses credentials from Illinois, California, and Michigan. She has a strong background in the biological sciences and focuses her teaching strategies around problem solving, conceptual understanding, and addressing real-world problems. She has worked with the Teaching Channel to create demonstration lessons for the Common Core Standards. She has piloted a youth philanthropy project (Project Give) focused on environmental science and climate change. She holds degrees from the University of Chicago and the University of Michigan. Her video lesson featured an investigation on climate-change that culminated a unit of study on global warming.

The National Science Foundation administers the PAEMST program on behalf of The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. It represents the highest recognition that a kindergarten through twelfth grade mathematics or science teacher may receive for outstanding teaching in the United States. The program was enacted by Congress in 1983 and authorizes the President to bestow up to 108 awards each year.

Awards are given to mathematics and science teachers from each of the 50 states and four U.S. jurisdictions including Washington, D.C.; Puerto Rico; Department of Defense Schools; and the U.S. territories. Since the program’s inception, 84 California teachers have been named PAEMST recipients. Teachers are recognized for their outstanding contributions to teaching and learning and their ability to help students make progress in mathematics and science and are given expense-paid trips to Washington, D.C. to attend a series of recognition events and professional development opportunities, gifts from program sponsors from around the country, and a $10,000 award from the National Science Foundation.

For more information about PAEMST and a link to the National PAEMST Web site, please visit the CDE's Presidential Awards for Math & Science Teaching Web page. For contact information for the national finalists and the state nominees, please contact the CDE Communications Division at 916-319-0818 or communications@cde.ca.gov.

# # # #

Tom Torlakson — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5206, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100

State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Unveils Report
Highlighting Path Toward More Modern Schools

UC Berkeley Study Shows Opportunities for Schools and Communities With Investments

OAKLAND—As the need for new school construction slows over the next decade, California should refocus on updating and replacing aging school buildings with schools designed to be more environmentally friendly and better suited to the needs of the next generation of students, according to a new University of California, Berkeley, report released today by Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson.

The UC Berkeley Center for Cities & Schools prepared the report, titled “California’s K-12 Educational Infrastructure Investments: Leveraging the State’s Role for Quality School Facilities in Sustainable Communities.” The full report is available online at http://citiesandschools.berkeley.edu/reports/CCS2012CAK12facilities.pdf.

In the report, authors analyze California’s K-12 infrastructure policies, regulations, and funding patterns before providing recommendations that re-envision the state’s traditional construction role in K-12 infrastructure as one of modernizing facilities, supporting 21st century education, and contributing to more sustainable communities.

“California has a lot to learn about building the schools of the future—and the time to get started is now,” Torlakson said. “The way we build and maintain schools over the next generation will of course make a huge difference to our 6.3 million public school students and to the teachers and school employees who serve them. But our schools matter in other ways as well: as community centers and leaders in sustainability. That means that every dollar we invest in our school facilities is a dollar that can change the future of our state.”

Californians have invested about $118 billion from both state and local sources in school infrastructure since the 1998 School Facilities Program went into effect. Torlakson co-authored the 1998 bond measure, which passed with more than 60 percent of the statewide vote. The UC Berkeley report finds that a similar amount—about $117 billion from all sources, including local and state—will be needed over the next decade to address the need for new and updated schools, eliminate the deferred maintenance backlog, and allow for preventative maintenance.

“Californians all across the state know the key role our schools play in our state’s future, and they have supported them again and again,” said Torlakson, noting that better than two-thirds of local school bond measures passed in the June 2012 election. “I believe they will be with us again, whether it be locally, on the November ballot or on a 2014 bond measure.”

The report recognizes the need for new minimum standards for California’s schools in using up-to-date technology, allowing for physical health and fitness, and preparing students for career and college. The authors also recommend that all future school projects meet green building criteria to hold operating costs down and serve as centerpieces of sustainable communities.

Torlakson unveiled the report at a news conference at Oakland Unified School District’s La Escuelita Education Center today. He was joined by:

• Oakland Unified School District Board President Jody London;
• Oakland Unified School District Superintendent Tony Smith;
• Bay Area Council Vice President for Public Policy Linda Galliher;
• Jeff Vincent, Ph.D., deputy director of the UC Berkeley Center for Cities & Schools and lead author of the report; and
• Cesar Diaz, legislative director of the State Building and Construction Trades Council of California.

Diaz also co-chaired Torlakson’s Schools of the Future initiative, which first laid out many of the needs and potential solutions for bringing California’s schools up to date and ready to move into a changing future.

The mission of the UC Berkeley Center for Cities & Schools is to promote—through action, policy, and technical assistance—high-quality education as an essential component of urban and metropolitan areas to create equitable, healthy, and sustainable communities. More information can be found online at http://citiesandschools.berkeley.edu/.

# # # #

Tom Torlakson — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5206, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100

Gerard Robinson Sets Himself Up a The Heavy in Denying Polk County its Own Charter Schools | Scathing Purple Musings

Gerard Robinson Sets Himself Up a The Heavy in Denying Polk County its Own Charter Schools | Scathing Purple Musings:

Gerard Robinson Sets Himself Up a The Heavy in Denying Polk County its Own Charter Schools

by Bob Sikes

Florida’s education commissioner Gerard Robinson explained to Polk’s superintendent Sherrie Nickell that there seems to be something “coloring the decision” in the delay in granting the OK for the Polk County School Board from going forward on it plans to open charter schools for at-risk students. Robinson’s shadowy admission became more clear today. From another Merissa Green report in the Lakeland Ledger:

BARTOW | Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson said he doesn’t have enough information to make a decision on whether to allow the Polk County School District to open its at-risk charter schools.
Robinson became involved in the matter after Superintendent of Schools Sherrie Nickell asked him during his Monday visit to Polk County what was causing the delay.
Nickell said the seven proposed schools have not received school identification numbers to start 

Mother Crusader: Albert Shanker; Man Or Myth?

Mother Crusader: Albert Shanker; Man Or Myth?:

Albert Shanker; Man Or Myth?

by darciecima

Today I received a comment on my post, Edith Shanker Puts Laura Waters, Chris Cerf, & Joel Klein In Their Place.

Following your suggestion, I've written the following to Newsworks, my local NPR online newspaper:

I'm writing as a great fan of Newsworks to convey my dismay in your support of Laura Waters as a reliable voice in educational matters. 
She severely crossed the line in this piece:

http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/new-jersey-more/item/41549-the-famous-international-scholar-and-the-nj-education-commissioner

Please read the comment I submitted, as I feel it speaks for itself. I 

The Golden Rule vs Stop and Frisk! « Deborah Meier on Education

The Golden Rule vs Stop and Frisk! « Deborah Meier on Education:

The Golden Rule vs Stop and Frisk!

by debmeier

My eye was caught by Alan Chartok’s comment about “stop and frisk” in my local The Columbia Paper: “If you ask the general population their opinion, you had had better believe that they’ll tale the stop and frisk as long as it is someone else whose being frisked.”
Is there anything that schools can do that would help citizens understand the trouble with this kind of thinking. In a racist society–one in which the odds are that the white majority lives largely separated from th people of color, this kind of “them” and “us” thinking survives without much trouble, politically at least. It would have to be a pretty powerful kind of schooling for this “habit of mind” to wither away and truly be replaced with the one virtually all subscribe to: don’t do unto others….etc.
In general the reason we focus on “habits of mind” at CPE/MH et al is precisely because they are so powerful–

Do unto others as…continued

by debmeier

Maybe the two scholarly studies below address: How can schools influence the habit of imagining oneself in other shoes–and rethinking ones ideas and actions based on it?
Listening to a Challenging Perspective: The Role of Interruption
by Sophie Haroutunian-Gordon
Taking up an issue explored by John Dewey, Austin Sarat, and Walter Parker, as well as many others, I continue my study of the conditions under which people choose to listen to a perspective that challenges their 

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Meet Todd. He's CPS' New Common Core Commissar

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Meet Todd. He's CPS' New Common Core Commissar:

Meet Todd. He's CPS' New Common Core Commissar

by Mike Klonsky

Todd Babbitz is Rahm's new Chief Transformation Officer. What the hell is that, you ask? I'm not sure. In all my years working in and around public school districts, I've never heard of a Chief Transformation Officer. Butaccording to CPS' announcement, Todd will "oversee the newly created Office of Strategy Management (OSM)."

What the hell is the OSM, you ask? Again, not sure. I've never heard of an OSM. But according to CPS' announcement, it has something to do with, "implementing the rigorous Common Core Standards and improving accountability systems at all levels."

What makes Todd qualified to implement rigorous 

Jersey Jazzman: Chris Christie: Liar, Fool, or Both?

Jersey Jazzman: Chris Christie: Liar, Fool, or Both?:

Chris Christie: Liar, Fool, or Both?

by Duke

I got so caught up in Chris Cerf's coronation yesterday that I never got around to this poignant moment:

Instead of vitriol and venom today, Gov. Chris Christie's interaction with a teary public school teacher ended with an apology.

Tia McLaughlin invoked the Republican governor's frequent refrain that it's "harder to hate up close" in telling him she felt betrayed by his treatment of teachers when he took office two and half years ago. 

“You're right, it is much harder to hate up close because I’m not feeling the hate 

 Will you let yourself be fooled again?

Khan Academy: The Hype and the Reality (Karim Kai Ami) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

Khan Academy: The Hype and the Reality (Karim Kai Ami) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice:

Khan Academy: The Hype and the Reality (Karim Kai Ami)

Karim Kai Ani is a  former middle school teacher  and  founder ofMathalicious. This post appeared in Valerie Strauss’s  “Answer Sheet” in the Washington Post on July 23, 2012. Following the post is Sal Khan’s response.

In a new profile in Time magazine, Sal Khan, founder of the popular Khan Academy, explains how he prepares for each of his video lessons. He doesn’t use a script. In fact, he admits, “I don’t know what I’m going to say half the time.”

During a recent address to Washington D.C.-area educators, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan highlighted the importance of teacher education and professional development, and urged that we as a country provide teachers with more time to collaborate and plan lessons for their students. He then turned and praised Khan as a leading innovator transforming education for millions of students around the country.

The highest ranking official in American education says that effective teaching requires training and planning, and then holds up as his archetype someone who 

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Teaching: Art or Science? « Cooperative Catalyst

Teaching: Art or Science? « Cooperative Catalyst:

Teaching: Art or Science?

by Aaron Eden

It was posited to me recently that a professional development system for teachers designed to foster discussion about teaching and learning fits within the “teaching-as-intellectual-pursuit” model (“science” for short here), as opposed to the “teaching as art” model. To this person’s credit, this suggestion was more a musing than a statement of fact, but it got me thinking – both about whether teaching can be viewed as being solely in one or the other of those frameworks, and then, assuming that were true, where does discussion of teaching and learning fall relative to the two? I’ll save the dichotomous model question for later and assume here that it is, at least in part, valid. Assuming that is so, and assuming the synergy of said professional development model is agreed upon relative to the “teaching as science” model, the question remains: Is there a place for such activity in the “teaching as art” model? Should an educational organization catalyze discussion and sharing among its faculty as a way to help improve teaching and learning?

I will suggest the answer is a strong “yes”.

If teaching is art, then it comes down to the question of how artists hone their craft, and not only that, but how 

LAUSD • L.A. Unified Completes First Ever Social Media Survey

LAUSD • L.A. Unified Completes First Ever Social Media Survey:

L.A. Unified Completes First Ever Social Media Survey

New Media Could Improve Crisis Communications at LAUSD 

Information relayed through social media channels binds parents, staff and students faster during a crisis than other forms of communication, according to results of the first-ever social media survey released today by the Los Angeles Unified School District.

The poll of more than 4,800 online users at the District’s website found that 36% believe school safety alerts can be issued most effectively through social media. Those polled also said they preferred that the District use Facebook, Twitter and other new media to communicate with students, plan events and conduct community outreach.

“The purpose of social media outreach is to give our constituents the transparency and interaction they’ve requested,” said Stephanie Abrams, the District’s Director of Social Media, the first to hold such a role nationwide. “The results of the survey demonstrate that they see social media as a vehicle for this purpose.”

The District’s first-ever social media survey, conducted over the last three months of the school year, also showed the audience craves a wide range of District information online. For instance, 60% of those polled said they agree or strongly agree that they wanted to learn online about District events. Other popular requests cited in the poll were emergency services or school information, and District news.

But many still prefer updates through an older form of communication: email. Almost 70% prefer searching their inbox compared to 24% for Facebook, the highest-ranked social media channel in the survey. That’s not surprising, given the District only began coordinating its social media program in March, said Thomas Waldman, Director, Office of Communications & Media Relations.

What’s more, he said, nearly 60% of those surveyed were between 31 and 50 years old, an age group that represents a higher share of email than those who are younger. Still, Waldman expects in coming months a stronger desire for adopting new media as online users acquaint themselves with the District’s social media program.

Abrams echoed the sentiment. “Though social media is now complementing and in many ways displacing older media as a preferred means of communication around the world, school districts are just beginning to recognize its value,” Abrams said. “The survey will better enable this district to set priorities and target outreach with social media and our constituents in the future.”

In addition, Twitter followers have mushroomed; the District now has a Pinterest page; and a new blog, using contributions from all District departments and board members, will be launched in the coming weeks.

“We set up a Facebook page, a Twitter account, YouTube channel, and a Pinterest page to help disseminate information to students, parents, community and staff,” Abrams said.  ”The popularity of the District’s social media is growing quickly, and we expect these sites to continue to gain momentum throughout the school year.”

Learning from Really Bad Graphs & Ill-informed Conclusions: Thoughts on the New PEPG “Catching Up” Report « School Finance 101

Learning from Really Bad Graphs & Ill-informed Conclusions: Thoughts on the New PEPG “Catching Up” Report « School Finance 101:

Learning from Really Bad Graphs & Ill-informed Conclusions: Thoughts on the New PEPG “Catching Up” Report

by schoolfinance101

A new policy paper from Eric Hanushek, Paul Peterson & Ludger Woessmann has been receiving considerable attention. This despite numerous completely outlandish assertions drawn from junk charts that fill the pages of this reformy manifesto.
Look, I’ve said it before and will say it again. Eric Hanusek has contributed a great deal of high quality research to the fields of education policy and economics of education over the years and I have in the past and continue to this day to rely heavily on much of it to inform my own analyses and thinking in education policy. But this kind of stuff is really just infuriating. Rather than spend too much time venting, let’s try to use this new report for instructive purposes – to instruct the casual reader how to debunk and distill complete and utter BS when presented with pretty scatterplots and glossy formatting.
First, for your reading pleasure, the complete brief may be found here:

Louisiana Educator: Legal Challenge

Louisiana Educator: Legal Challenge:

Legal Challenge

by Michael Deshotels

The Baton Rouge Advocate today carries a story about letters sent to voucher schools by the LAE attorney Brian Blackwell warning them that they may be subject to lawsuits from the LAE for participating in the voucher program.  Some see this as an unfair scare tactic, and some believe the LAE is using strong arm "Union"tactics. I disagree. And I know who really used strong arm tactics to pass this privatization scheme with the use of our tax dollars. That "scholarship" money is money we all contributed for public education, not for the enrichment of a few greedy preachers and for the large corporations who are pushing to enlarge their virtual schools in Louisiana.

The following is the comment I submitted to the Advocate in response to this article:

I am a member of LAE and I know Brian Blackwell the LAE attorney. He is an excellent lawyer and he