Tackling Student Debt and the Privatization of Education | Activism, Blog | BillMoyers.com

Tackling Student Debt and the Privatization of Education | Activism, Blog | BillMoyers.com:

Tackling Student Debt and the Privatization of Education

March 13, 2014

by Joshua Holland

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Elizabeth Warren kicks off the Higher Ed, Not Debt campaign in Washington, DC. March 6, 2014. (Image: Generation Progress/Layla Zaidane)

Last week, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) kicked off a new campaign called “Higher Ed, Not Debt” to tackle the nation’s staggering burden of student loan debt. The campaign will be fought by a broad coalition of unions and progressive groups including the Working Families Party, Progress Now and Jobs for Justice and a couple of think tanks, the Center for American Progress and Demos.

The campaign has broad goals, including highlighting the role Wall Street has played in financializing student debt products. But Nelini Stamp, youth outreach director for Working Families, tells BillMoyers.com that it is part of a larger battle over education in America from pre-kindergarten up. Below is a lightly edited transcript of our discussion.

Joshua Holland: Tell us about this new campaign.

Nelini Stamp: Last week, groups gathered in Washington, DC and across the country — more than ten actions in ten states — to launch the Higher Ed Not Debt campaign. Working Families is one of dozens of groups involved — it 

empathyeducates – Rahm Backs CPS on Warning to Teachers Over ISATs

empathyeducates – Rahm Backs CPS on Warning to Teachers Over ISATs:

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Rahm Backs CPS on Warning to Teachers Over ISATs

Mayor Rahm Emanuel said Friday that CPS boss Barbara Byrd-Bennett “made the right call” in warning teachers of the repercussions of refusing to administer an achievement test next week. | DNAInfo/Ted Cox
By Ted Cox @tedcoxchicago| Originally Published at DNA Info. February 28, 2014

EDGEWATER — The mayor backed Chicago Public Schools chief Barbara Byrd-Bennett Friday in her hard-line warning to teachers about administering a statewide test.

“She made the right call,” Mayor Rahm Emanuel said Friday at an Edgewater news conference. “The only person who can pull somebody out is not a teacher, but a parent.”

The mayor insisted that, under his administration and CPS Chief Executive Officer Byrd-Bennett, “We reduced the amount of tests given.”

He said the Illinois Standards Achievement Test, slated to begin next week at CPS schools, was mandated by the state, “so you have to follow through.”

The ISATs, as they’re commonly called, are being phased out and are no longer being used in promotions, 

Six Questions Every Journalist Should Ask Before Quoting Social Media Posts |:

Six Questions Every Journalist Should Ask Before Quoting Social Media Posts

March 13, 2014 in Students

Twiter is a public space, says Gawker, and conversations you have in public spaces are public. You want private? Take it to email, or text, or phone.

Seems legit. But apply this rule to the offline world, and it falls apart pretty quickly. Don’t want me butting into the conversation you’re having in a diner? Take it to a hotel. Don’t want me snarking on that phone call about your cancer diagnosis on Twitter? Talk quieter. Don’t want me putting your reaction to the car accident that killed your kid on YouTube? Grieve when you get home.

The reality is that the boundary between private acts and public acts is blurry, and always has been. People do private stuff in public all the time, and while we may in some cases have a legal right to violate the privacy of those moments, mostly we don’t, because it’s understood that we shouldn’t. It’s understood that it’s a jerky thing to do.

Is Twitter different? Maybe. In some ways it is. Certainly it’s generally simpler to snoop on people’s private conversations on Twitter than it is in meatspace — simpler not just because it’s easy to do, but also because it’s easy to do without getting caught. Tweets aren’t more public than a loud conversation on 

Welcome new PAA Board! | Parents Across America

Welcome new PAA Board! | Parents Across America:



Welcome new PAA Board!

 We are delighted to announce the new Board of Directors for Parents Across America!

PAA has been in a year-long process of filing for our 501c3 and setting up our permanent structure. The election of a 7-member Board of Directors is the next important step. Please join us in welcoming our new Board of Directors for 2014!

Elected March 2014

New Directors

Dawn Collins (Baton Rouge, LA – chapter, PAA-Baton Rouge)

Dawn D. Collins, MPA is a political consultant and community advocate with a diverse background in public service.

Her professional experience began at the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) where she implemented the smooth decentralization of outreach strategies and application processing for the Breast and Cervical Cancer program. During her service at DHH, she also gained expertise in data management through collaborative efforts to develop software for agency specific needs.

Dawn’s desire to empower families soon led her into the world of grassroots organizing. She was drawn to President Obama’s message that community empowerment is a true vehicle of change. In 2008, Dawn’s training included work with nationally renowned agencies such as New Leaders’ Council, New Organizing Institute (NOI) and Governor Howard Dean’s Democracy for America. As one of a 30-person cohort chosen from 500 applicants. Dawn participated in NOI’s 2010 New Media Bootcamp. She received immense instruction form leading practitioners in Washington, D.C. to enhance the strategies of political and issue-based campaigns. She also participated in NOI’s 2012 Data Bootcamp where she received high level training from national leaders in data management, campaign modeling, and targeted voter outreach.

Dawn D. Collins is a staunch advocate for progressive causes.  She gives data-driven strategic consultation to political campaigns, as well as handles government affairs and training programs for non profit organizations through her consulting business Cogent Concepts and Project Management, LLC.

Nathan Harris (Indianapolis,IN – works with PAA-Indiana)

Nate is the owner of Wise Energy LLC in Indianapolis, Indiana, which Is a general contractor serving new and existing commercial customers in need of thermal, acoustical, and fire stopping insulation. Wise Energy is a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) certified business.

Most recently, Nate was a Project Director for Upward Bound at Indiana University. Upward Bound is a US Department of Education funded program designed to provide college readiness services to high school students that are low-income and potential first generation college graduates. In this position, Nate managed over $5,000, 000 in funding over an 8 year period and, successfully assisted with grant writing responsibilities during federal competitions. The program enrolled approximately 30 students in college annually over an 8 year period. Nate managed 2 statewide

- See more at: http://parentsacrossamerica.org/paa-board/?utm_source=feedly&utm_reader=feedly&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=paa-board#sthash.PaxG9Apd.dpuf

Mother Crusader: NJDOE Spokesman Cites Biased, Data Free Editorial As Justification For Charter Expansion

Mother Crusader: NJDOE Spokesman Cites Biased, Data Free Editorial As Justification For Charter Expansion:

NJDOE Spokesman Cites Biased, Data Free Editorial As Justification For Charter Expansion

If you were thinking I exaggerated HoLa and Barbara Martinez's political and media connections in my last blog post, then check out this piece, where Hoboken Board president Leon Gold eloquently unleashes his frustrations to Salon reporter, Josh Eidelson. 

Gold confirms just about everything in my post, and adds even more fuel to the fire.

On Board President/Uncommon Schools 'Chief External Officer' Barbara Martinez:

And the fact is, they are being a bit disingenuous when you read about their school board president … she is a paid activist for charter organizations. I feel that the school would not be as attractive [to others] if they did more recruiting from the Housing Authority [residents, as she pledged to do].

On Dawn Zimmer and the organized, connected parents of HoLa:

I just got reelected to the school board, and we were running together. HoLa wanted an expansion, and HoLa wanted our City Council people to write letters, and the mayor. We begged Dawn, “Don’t 

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 3-13-14

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit:

Smarter Balanced: NEW CALIFORNIA STANDARDIZED TEST - SCHEDULED TO START NEXT WEEK - POSTPONED FOR A WEEK – with one day’s notice!

One of the contractors running the tests wants more time to “test the load”. Adolfo Guzman-Lopez   | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC http://bit.ly/1gyawDE Photo by Overton 2012 via Wikimedia Commons March 14th, 2014, 4:58pm  ::  Southern California students will have to wait another week to take a new computerized standardized tests. Testing was set to start on Tuesday, but the test's

by smf / 11min 

Education in California/Dance of The Lemons: THE VERGARA LAWSUIT

®eformers want to make it easier to sack bad teachers From the print edition of  The Economist (UK) | http://econ.st/1fv0tyl Mar 15th 2014 | LOS ANGELES JOSH, a young social-studies teacher working in a tough part of Los Angeles, had been on the job for less than a year when word came that it might not last much longer. Its public finances in ruins, California was slashing budgets and

by smf / 25min 

LAUSD IN THE NEWS: from Thursday March 13, 2014 + smf’s 1½¢

4LAKids is having a small computer problem this AM and is posting/Tweeting/Facebooking the morning email  LAUSD in the News feed directly to the 4LAKidsNews Page. ●● Were  smf  to add his 2¢ it would be to point out – re: L.A. school board approves amended contract for Supt. John Deasy -  that the Board of Ed has taken a page from the Broad Academy playbook and has made its interaction with the

by smf / 2min 

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 3-11-14

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: Striking The Balance In School Budgeting Control  Cross & Joftus http://edstrategies.net is a national education consulting firm.  The C&J Blog gives partners and associates a way to share insights learned from working with a very diverse set of clients–including small rural districts, large urban districts, states, foundations, and national non

by mike simpson / 20h 

New York City’s Charter School Showdown Reignites National Debate on Privatized Education | Democracy Now!

New York City’s Charter School Showdown Reignites National Debate on Privatized Education | Democracy Now!:

New York City’s Charter School Showdown Reignites National Debate on Privatized Education

 The battle over charter schools is heating up after New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio blocked three privately run charter schools from using rent-free space inside public schools. The city also announced it will cut $210 million in charter school construction funding and use the money toward universal pre-K and after-school programs. The moves have set off a fierce debate in New York and the country and have even pitted de Blasio against New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, a fellow Democrat. We are joined by former public school teacher Brian Jones and Steve Barr, founder of the Green Dot Public Schools, a charter school network.

TRANSCRIPT

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.

JUAN GONZÁLEZ: A battle is heating up in New York City and state over the future of charter schools. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio recently blocked three privately run charter schools from expanding and using rent-free space inside public schools. The city also announced it will cut $210 million that the Bloomberg administration had set aside for charter school construction and use that money toward universal pre-K and after-school programs.

AMY GOODMAN: The moves have set off a fierce debate in New York and the country and have even pitted de Blasio against New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, a fellow Democrat. A pro-charter group called Families for Excellent Schools recently launched this television ad campaign.

UNIDENTIFIED FATHER: I voted for Mayor de Blasio because he talked about looking out for the have-nots.

UNIDENTIFIED MOTHER 1: Mayor Bill de Blasio talks about the Tale of Two Cities, but yet he wants New York City’s Charter School Showdown Reignites National Debate on Privatized Education | Democracy Now!:

Preschool lessons: New research shows that teaching kids more and more, at ever-younger ages, may backfire.

Preschool lessons: New research shows that teaching kids more and more, at ever-younger ages, may backfire.:

Why Preschool Shouldn't Be Like School

New research shows that teaching kids more and more, at ever-younger ages, may backfire.

Ours is an age of pedagogy. Anxious parents instruct their children more and more, at younger and younger ages, until they're reading books to babies in the womb. They pressure teachers to make kindergartens and nurseries more like schools. So does the law—the 2001 No Child Left Behind Act explicitly urged more direct instruction in federally funded preschools.

There are skeptics, of course, including some parents, many preschool teachers, and even a few policy-makers. Shouldn't very young children be allowed to explore, inquire, play, and discover, they ask? Perhaps direct instruction can help children learn specific facts and skills, but what about curiosity and creativity—abilities that are even more important for learning in the long run? Two forthcoming studies in the journal Cognition—one from a lab at MIT and one from my lab at UC-Berkeley—suggest that the doubters are on to something. While learning from a teacher may help children get to a specific answer more quickly, it also makes them less likely to discover new information about a problem and to create a new and unexpected solution.

What do we already know about how teaching affects learning? Not as much as we would like, unfortunately, because it is a very difficult thing to study. You might try to compare different kinds of schools. But the children and the teachers at a Marin County preschool that encourages exploration will be very different from the children and teachers in a direct instruction program in South Side Chicago. And almost any new program with enthusiastic teachers will have good effects, at least to begin with, regardless of content. So comparisons are difficult. Besides, how do you measure learning, anyway? Almost by definition, directed teaching will make children do better on standardized tests, which the government uses to evaluate school performance. Curiosity and creativity are harder to measure.

Developmental scientists like me explore the basic science of learning by designing controlled experiments. We might start by saying: Suppose we gave a group of 4-year-olds exactly the same problems and only varied on whether we taught them

3-13-14 LA School Report - What's Really Going on Inside LAUSD

LA School Report - What's Really Going on Inside LAUSD (Los Angeles Unified School District):

ULTA super PAC holds off on LAUSD school board endorsement

In an unusual move, PACE, the political arm of the second-largest teachers union in the country, is sitting on the sidelines for the moment, after voting last night to “recommend no endorsement” in the upcoming LA Unified school board race to fill the vacant seat in South Los Angeles, District 1. At the endorsement meeting at union headquarters, the PACE committee interviewed 5 of the 7 candidates

2 by Aaron Stella / 26min hide  //  save

Vergara witnesses hail teamwork, even if API gaps remain

Shannan Brown Two witnesses from the same California school district told the court in Vergara vs. California today that collaborative efforts have enabled the district to deal smoothly with ineffective teachers without constrictions from the laws at issue in the case. Shannan Brown, the head of the San Juan Unified School District’s teachers union, and Elizabeth Davies, an assistant superintenden

1 by Mark Harris / 56min 

Field of candidates for LAUSD school board narrows to final 7

The race is on. The Los Angeles City Clerk’s office released the final list of LA Unified school board candidates who qualified to appear on the ballot in the June 3 special election. Of the 13 candidates who originally filed papers to run for the recently vacated seat, only seven submitted sufficient petitions with enough valid signatures to qualify. The District 1 seat, left open by the death o

2min 

City Terrace giving kids a window — and language — to the world

Students at City Terrace Elementary in east Los Angeles learn reading, writing and arithmetic, just like any other student in the LA Unified school district. Except for one thing: They are learning these subjects in Mandarin. City Terrace is located in a low-income neighborhood, and the majority of students are Latino. For many of them, English is their second language, after Spanish. “We’re takin

3 by Yana Gracile / 21min hide  //  save

Morning Read: LA Unified board amends Deasy contract

L.A. school board approves amended contract for Supt. Deasy Los Angeles Unified schools Supt. John Deasy has a newly modified contract that includes an annual buyout of unused vacation days and new performance measures that require him to bring in revenue and enroll more students. He will also pay his own pension deduction for the first time, a cost offset by an increase of $20,000 to his annual s

2 59min 

3-12-14 LA School Report - What's Really Going on Inside LAUSD

LA School Report - What's Really Going on Inside LAUSD (Los Angeles Unified School District): Denied renewals, 2 Aspire charters appeal to LA CountyAfter the LA Unified board denied renewals last month for two high-performing charter public schools in southeast Los Angeles — Aspire Antonio Maria Lugo Academy and Aspire Ollin University Preparatory Academy — the schools vowed to fight on. They file

by mike simpson / 21h 

What is “Value-Added” in Agriculture? |:

What is “Value-Added” in Agriculture?

 An interesting post came through my email defining “value-added” in its purest form. This comes from the field of agriculture where value-added is often used to model genetic and reproductive trends among livestock, and from where it was taken and applied to the “field” of education in the 1980s.

Here’s the definition: “Value-Added is the process of taking a raw commodity and changing its form to produce a high quality end product. Value-Added is defined as the addition of time, place, and/or form utility to a commodity in order to meet the tastes/preferences of consumers. In other words, value-added is figuring out what consumers want, when they want it, and where they want it – then mak[ing] it and provid[ing] it to them.”

In education, the simplest of translations follows: “Value-Added is the process of taking learning (i.e., a raw material) and changing its form (i.e., via teaching and instruction) to produce a high quality end product (i.e., high test scores). Value-Added is defined as the addition “value” in terms of changing learning’s most observable characteristics (i.e., test scores) in order to meet the (highly politicized) tastes/preferences of consumers. In other 

Hypocrisy and the Washington Post | Taking Note

Hypocrisy and the Washington Post | Taking Note:

Hypocrisy and the Washington Post

by JOHN MERROW on 13. MAR, 2014 in 2014 BLOGS, MICHELLE RHEE, OP-ED, MEDIA

Is there any limit to the hypocrisy of the Washington Post’s Editorial Page?  What brings this to mind is the Post’s recent editorial attacking the District of Columbia’s Inspector General, Charles Willoughby,whose work the same editorial writers had praised a year earlier.

What changed? How, in just ten months, did Mr. Willoughby go from being a trustworthy source to an inept hack in the eyes of the Post?  The answer is painfully obvious: Back then, the Post was defending Michelle Rhee, which it has shown time and again that it will do at all costs and in the face of clearly contradictory evidence.

This is what the Post wrote in April 2013: “Several investigations have been conducted into student testing by the public school system. All – including inquiries by the D.C. inspector general and the U.S. Education Department’s inspector general with the participation of the U.S. attorney  - concluded that no widespread cheating occurred.” (emphasis added)

As the Post knew (and as we had reported in detail on Frontline), the Inspector General conducted a slipshod inquiry that doesn’t really deserve to be called an ‘investigation.’ Despite evidence of widespread ‘wrong-to-right’ erasures in over half of DC’s public schools, Mr. Willoughby spent 17 months–more than 500 days– ‘investigating’ one school.  In that time he interviewed just 34 people!  However, the Post’s editorial writers chose to overlook his inept work–a performance that would 

3-13-14 Seattle Schools Community Forum

Seattle Schools Community Forum:

One Mom's No-Nonsense Attitude on Opting Out

As the nation gets into its standardized testing season, the number of parents, in districts throughout the nation, that are opting their children out is growing. In a story from Chalkbeat Colorado, one mom was very clear on her wishes for her daughter.  When the school ignored them - placing her daughter in an office with adults who were talking to her about the test and refusing to allow that ch

by Melissa Westbrook / 47min 

Google in Big Trouble for Data-Mining Student E-mails

 I will be writing a thread about what I learned at the Work Session on data privacy yesterday.  Some is good, some not-so-good (with Director Carr asking the best questions).  But I can say that SPS has NOT done enough.  From Education Week:As part of a potentially explosive lawsuit making its way through federal court, giant online-services provider Google has acknowledged scanning the contents

by Melissa Westbrook / 1min 

Fireworks Coming as Parents/School Staffs Clamor for Attention

Tonight is the second of the Superintendent's regional meetings about the Strategic Plan at 6:30 p.m. at Hale High School.I suspect that this particular meeting - coming on the heels of pushback from staff on later start times AND the brewing rebellion by schools over cuts to their budgets - might prove to be larger and more contentious than the one earlier this week.  And Hale - having had a late

by Melissa Westbrook / 9min 

"Redshirting" Kindergartners

From Ed Week:The youngest kindergarteners in any class are about five times more likely to be retained in school compared to their older peers, a new study states.Moreover, educators don't tend to modify their teaching to include a variety of age groups present in kindergartens—but they should make such accommodations, wrote Francis L. Huang, assistant professor in the University of Missouri Colle

by Melissa Westbrook / 21min  

3-12-14 Seattle Schools Community Forum

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Big Data - The New Coin of the RealmMy predictions for the new coin of the realm for the next 25 years for both business and government?  Data and lots of it.  And now, we have "digital data backpacks" so that your child's data can be "carried" around AND made use of anywhere your child goes. From The Atlantic (with the what-should-be-troubling-

by mike simpson / 23h