NEA elects Latina to leadership at annual meeting « NewsTaco

NEA elects Latina to leadership at annual meeting « NewsTaco:









 Delegates make history by voting for new leadership team to head nation’s largest union

DENVER – July 04, 2014 -

Students across this country will have a historic new team advocating for their interests and the empowerment of the educators dedicated to their success this coming school year. Delegates attending the National Education Association’s 152nd Annual Meeting and 93rd Representative Assembly, meeting this week in Denver, elected new officers and executive committee members to lead the nation’s largest union, representing nearly 3 million educators. NEA’s new officers include a former state teacher of the year and elementary school teacher from North Salt Lake, Utah; a physical science teacher from Harrisburg, Pa.; and an elementary school music teacher from Louisa County, Va.

Lily Eskelsen García, a former Utah Teacher of the Year who started her 20-year career in education as a lunch lady before becoming an elementary teacher who worked with homeless children, was elected to head NEA. Eskelsen García previously served two three-year terms as NEA vice president and was named by President Obama to serve as a commissioner on the White House Commission on Education Excellence for Hispanics. An outspoken advocate for preserving and promoting public education for every student, she has been a vocal critic of high stakes testing and other policies that detract from student learning and exacerbate inequity in our education system.

“We must measure what matters and put students’ needs at the center of the system once again. We can no longer allow politicians who have never stepped into a classroom define what it means to teach and learn,” said Eskelsen García. “At a time when nearly 50 percent of public school children live in low-income families, our country must refocus its priorities on the needs of the whole child and bridge the gaps that have only grown over the last decade. We know what is at stake, and it is why we are educators. It is why we are fearless and why we will not be silent.”

After teaching only nine years, Eskelsen García was named her state’s top teacher. The daughter of an immigrant, she is one of the nation’s top Hispanic educators and used her leadership position to speak up on behalf of DREAMers seeking a path to U.S. citizenship and has been a vocal opponent of policies driven by the standardized testing mania. Her trajectory led to NEA, where she was elected an executive committee member in 1996 and secretary-treasurer in 2002; she was elected NEA vice president in 2008, and has been an outspoken advocate for the teaching profession, students, and learning. She also served as president of the Utah Education Association, an affiliate of NEA.

Delegates also elected Rebecca S. “Becky” Pringle, a middle school physical science teacher from Harrisburg, Pa., as NEA vice president. Pringle, now one of the highest-ranking African-American female leaders in the labor movement, has served since 2008 as NEA secretary-treasurer. She oversaw the fiscal NEA elects Latina to leadership at annual meeting « NewsTaco:

7-15-14 Schools Matter All Week

Schools Matter:

Ravitch Lashes Out at Union Misleadership Critique

"Hope. It is the only thing stronger than fear. A little hope is effective. A lot of hope is dangerous. Spark is fine, as long as it's contained."--President Snow, The Hunger Games  When Diane Ravitch spoke at the National Association of School Psychologists in February 2012, her hefty speaking fee was paid for by none other than Pearson.  Yes, that Pearson.  When challenged on one of th

by Jim Horn / 15min 

Picket the Koch Heads Education Privatization Meeting in Nashville July 22

The Badass Teacher of Tennessee need to saddle up, along with any other folks in Tennessee that care about public education.  6 PM at the Renaissance Hotel July 22.  If you need pamphlet ideas or one page handouts, let me know.  Can't be there--teaching that week.  Be sure to contact the TV stations for coverage.From Joey Garrison:A group led by one of the conservative Koch brothers, increasingly

by Jim Horn / 1min 

Doug Martin's Letter to Gordon Hendry and the Indiana State Board of Ed

By Doug Martin Once again the Indy Star has given space to complete unreality, this time by you, Gordon Hendry, the new state board of education member all goo-goo eyed over your neoliberal heroes Bill Clinton and Bart Peterson. In fact, your piece, in many ways, is an attempt for Mike Pence and the state board to do damage control over a recent Journal and Courier guest editorial by Dr. Lynn Ne

by Doug Martin / 6min

7-13-14 Schools Matter All Week

Schools Matter: Compelling evidenceSent to the Wall Street Journal, July 13, 2014In "Test scores may move, learning doesn't" (July 12), Jo Craven McGinty says that there is "compelling evidence"  that the US education system is inadequate, because American students "score below average in math and average in reading and science" when compared to other countries on int

by mike simpson / 18h 

7-15-14 @ The Chalk Face

@ THE CHALK FACE:

About the radio show

Join Drs. Shaun Johnson and Tim Slekar 

LIVE Sundays at 6PM EST and Wednesdays at 7PM EST 

on Blog Talk Radio for progressive, pro-public education talk radio. 

Call in to speak live with Tim and Shaun during the show, (805) 727-7111. 

You can also listen to our Monday "Sunday-Replay" at 7PM EST, and re-broadcasts of the archives every Tuesday and Thursday at 7PM EST.

Visit the @ the Chalk Face radio main page for more information on the show and syndication.

Debating Common Core Is Proof that Educators Have Lost

Debating Common Core Is Proof that Educators Have Lost. via Debating Common Core Is Proof that Educators Have Lost.

by plthomasedd / 15min 

7-14-14 @ The Chalk Face

@ THE CHALK FACE: About the radio showJoin Drs. Shaun Johnson and Tim Slekar LIVE Sundays at 6PM EST and Wednesdays at 7PM EST on Blog Talk Radio for progressive, pro-public education talk radio. Call in to speak live with Tim and Shaun during the show, (805) 727-7111. You can also listen to our Monday "Sunday-Replay" at 7PM EST, and re-broadcasts of the archives every Tuesday and Thursd

by mike simpson / 11min 

7-15-14 the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness (the public and scholarly writing by P. L. Thomas, Furman University)

the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness (the public and scholarly writing by P. L. Thomas, Furman University):

“Gravity”: The Unbearable Lightness of Being a Woman

In the film Gravity, Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) fulfills what appears to be a prerequisite for women in films: She undresses alone: Sandra Bullock, Gravity As a science fiction film fan, I immediately thought of Sigourney Weaver in Alien: Sigourney Weaver, Alien At the end of the film, when Ryan Stone crawls out of the water, again in her underwear, I was by then struck as well by Stone’s cropped

4 by plthomasedd / 12min 

7-14-14 the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness (the public and scholarly writing by P. L. Thomas, Furman University)

the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness (the public and scholarly writing by P. L. Thomas, Furman University): Debating Common Core Is Proof that Educators Have LostRecently, many within and among the AFT and NEA communities have been applauding that summer conventions have devoted time to debating the Common Core, some going as far as hailing that debate as proof of democracy in

by mike simpson / 18h 

Karen Lewis inches closer to run — crafting exploratory committee | Early & Often

Karen Lewis inches closer to run — crafting exploratory committee | Early & Often:

CTU President Karen Lewis talks to reporters in March. File Photo. | Rich Hein/Sun-Times

Karen Lewis inches closer to run — crafting exploratory committee

TUE, 07/15/2014 - 12:51AM

Karen Lewis’ potential bid for Chicago Mayor has moved beyond just a thought — it’s  an “organic,” growing movement, the fiery Chicago Teachers Union president said.

Lewis revealed on Monday she already has an unofficial exploratory committee in the works, a chairperson has been named and her camp is working to have a representative in each of the city’s 77 neighborhoods. 

Since an Early & Often poll released Sunday put Lewis at a 9-percentage-point advantage over Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Lewis’ phone has been ringing non-stop, she said.

“They’ve been coming from all over the country,” Lewis said in an interview Monday. “Facebook is blowing up. Twitter is blowing up.”

Lewis lashed out at Emanuel camp’s initial response to the poll published by the Sun-Times political portal. An Emanuel political spokesman called the poll numbers “laughable.”

“There are a variety of ways to look at these problems, but laughable isn’t one of them,” said Lewis, the mayor’s top critic during the closing of 50 schools. “That is how people feel — that they’ve been laughed at and ignored.” 

RELATED: Toni Preckwinkle rules out Mayoral run

Lewis said she’s still not made a final decision on whether to enter the contest. 

But she is already thinking about strategy. That involves drilling down to the community level on resident concerns and having a representative for each of the city’s 77 official community areas. 

Lewis described an ongoing effort to reach out to communities. 

“It’s an organic, grass-roots movement that doesn’t have a top down organization. I think that’s unusual to so many people,” Lewis said.Karen Lewis inches closer to run — crafting exploratory committee | Early & Often:

7-15-14 The Whole Child Blog — Education Support Professionals: Meeting the Needs of the Whole Student

The Whole Child Blog — Whole Child Education:

Education Support Professionals: Meeting the Needs of the Whole Student

Jean G. Fay has no typical workday. Whether it's working one-on-one with a child with special needs, helping out in the cafeteria at lunchtime, sewing costumes for the school musical, or leading 40 2nd graders in the Crocker Farm Elementary hip-hop crew, she does it all! Jean is also known at Crocker Farm for her homemade cookies. Her kindergartners love to munch on them while they listen to her

by Roxanne Dove / 2min 

7-14-14 The Whole Child Blog — MI21: Multiple Intelligences and Preparing Children for the 21st Century

The Whole Child Blog — Whole Child Education: MI21: Multiple Intelligences and Preparing Children for the 21st CenturySociety is quickly shifting, and so with it shifts the dialog about meaningfully learning and contributing. What used to pass for preparation to participate in a democratic society with a free market economy no longer holds true. Public schools currently reflect the 1900s more than

by mike simpson / 22h 

Marie Corfield: More on Christie's Executive Order, AchieveNJ & PARCC

Marie Corfield: More on Christie's Executive Order, AchieveNJ & PARCC:

More on Christie's Executive Order, AchieveNJ & PARCC

Keeping this short and sweet because Ani McHugh (aka. TeacherBiz) and Jersey Jazzman both wrote excellent analyses of all that transpired in the life of A3081/S2541. 

Let's cut to the chase. Here's what the weights in educator evaluations will look like next year: 

In addition, any educators who were rated ineffective or partially effective in the '13-'14 school year can have their evaluation reviewed. (more on this below)

I spent a lot of time reading various opinions on this deal. Some people are not happy. They think NJEA sold out. They think the association didn't do enough to stop the testing and protect children. But Ani's response is on point:

Many people (parents, students, educators) in the state are frustrated and angry that students will still have to take PARCC exams in the 2014-2015 school year–but it’s important to understand that a delay of PARCC implementation was never part of A3081/S2154. Even if it were, though, students would still have to take whatever tests would replace the PARCC–be they Smarter Balanced assessments or revised NJASK/HSPA tests that would have had to be rewritten to align with the Common Core.

In short, the PARCC is just one form of Common Core testing–the one New Jersey chose to use–and as long as New Jersey is a Common Core state that’s receiving federal funds under Race to the Top, our students will have to be tested in accordance with the federal mandates that accompany these initiatives.  If we weren’t subjecting students to PARCC testing, we’d be subjecting them to something very similar–and no doubt equally flawed, equally expensive, and probably equally invasive of their rights to privacy.

Folks, no matter what you think NJEA did or didn't do, all our children—my own child included—still have to take the tests, unless we as parents decide to opt them out. 

I and dozens of other educators from around the state testified at every NJEA State Board of Ed Lobby Day this past school year about the need to slow down the Marie Corfield: More on Christie's Executive Order, AchieveNJ & PARCC:

7-15-14 Seattle Schools Community Forum

Seattle Schools Community Forum:

Another Department for Seattle Public Schools

I can see where the district might want to run their own internal investigations after the generous help from the City (and the ever-professional and helpful Wayne Barnett in the City's own office of ethics) but a whole department? Banda is certainly churning out the work as he exits.  I hope there will be no last-minute surprises.   From SPS:In order to improve accountability and transparency in

by Melissa Westbrook / 1min 

Tuesday Open Thread

Interesting discussion at the NY Times; Should books for children be political?Speaking of books for kids, I love this one - My First Kafka (which would be Runaways, Rodents, and Giant Bugs).Recess - it IS for learning.  Great article from The Atlantic on one teacher's research.  The arguing continues in the Seattle Pre-K discussion.  The other initiative - not the City's - Seattle Initiative 107,

by Melissa Westbrook / 30min 

Who Was Using What Math (and how did Principals feel about the Math Adoption)?

I'm not sure this information will answer all questions, but I did put in a public disclosure request from SPS on the issue of what schools had been using enVision.  Here's the feedback I received on June 23rd.  (It is not complete as they are still trying to see if there were any MOU/agreements with the company.)Graham Hill – no records located. According to principal Laurie Morrison, Graham Hill

by Melissa Westbrook / 22min  

7-14-14 Seattle Schools Community Forum

Seattle Schools Community Forum: What is Teaching Time Really About (and how is it counted)?by Melissa Westbrook / 2min 7-12-14 Seattle Schools Community Forum WeekSeattle Schools Community Forum:Seattle Schools Community ForumSeattle Schools To Hold Community Meeting on Special EducationFrom SPS Communications:When:  Tuesday, July 22, 2014Time:  6:30 p.m.- 8:30 p.m.Where:  Seattle Public John Sta

by mike simpson / 18h 

A battle won in the war on teacher tenure :: SI&A Cabinet Report :: The Essential Resource for Superintendents and the Cabinet

A battle won in the war on teacher tenure :: SI&A Cabinet Report :: The Essential Resource for Superintendents and the Cabinet:



JULY 15, 2014

A battle won in the war on teacher tenure

by Alisha Kirby

(N.C.) Teachers in North Carolina won a battle in an ongoing war over job protections as legislative leaders gave up – at least for now – a proposal to eliminate tenure in exchange for an 11 percent raise. But sponsors of the plan promise they will continue their efforts.

The proposal, which died late last week during budget negotiations, would have allowed teachers to choose between voluntarily giving up tenure early, and getting the pay raise which Senate leader Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, called the largest teacher pay raise in state history. Approximately 75 percent of N.C. public school teachers are tenured.

Advocates for tenure say that the pay raise wouldn’t have been worth losing the job protections tenure provides.

According to Marge Foreman, government relations specialist for the North Carolina Association of Educators, a teacher accepting the pay raise would find themselves at risk when voicing their opinions down the line.

“Even advocating for or on behalf of students would be in jeopardy,” Foreman said.

Though originally established to protect teachers from discriminatory or arbitrary firings based on factors such as race, gender or political beliefs, critics say teacher tenure protections make it too difficult to fire ineffective teachers.

Because of this, tenure - also known as career status - has come under fire, most recently in California with a court ruling last month that struck down tenure laws. Meanwhile, legislation to eliminate tenure is being considered in Kansas and annual teaching contracts have already been implemented in Florida for teachers hired after 2011.

In North Carolina, Gov. Pat McCrory vetoed the proposed budget, after it had been reworked to allow teachers to keep their tenure protections and receive a permanent pay raise. The issue isn’t new and isn’t going away.

 “No conversation should ever be tied to career status,” Foreman said. “And that’s why (the NCEA) fought when they were trying to eliminate it for all employees in 2018.”

A previous plan to take tenure away from teachers in North Carolina was ruled unconstitutional by A battle won in the war on teacher tenure :: SI&A Cabinet Report :: The Essential Resource for Superintendents and the Cabinet:

‘We Will Not Be Silent!’ | NEA Today

‘We Will Not Be Silent!’ | NEA Today:

‘We Will Not Be Silent!’

At the 2014 NEA Representative Assembly (RA), held in July in Denver, Colo., nearly 7,000 delegates bid a warm farewell to outgoing NEA President Dennis Van Roekel and elected an historic trio of women— Lily Eskelsen García, president; Rebecca  “Becky” Pringle, vice president; and Princess Moss, secretary-treasurer—to lead them through the next three years. When the three take office Sept. 1 to lead NEA’s efforts to advocate for the interests of students and empower the educators who help to build their success, they will make NEA the first major union led by three women of color.

The team will face a host of issues affecting the nation’s public schools: budget crises, inequity, corporate take-overs, attacks on educator rights, and more. And RA delegates spent their time determining ways to maintain the Association’s momentum and driving solutions to the challenges ahead.

NEA is determined to neutralize the influence of corporate reformers, and move equity front and center in the national conversation about public education. In his final keynote speech to RA delegates, Van Roekel called on educators to build on the association’s “student-centered strategy.”

“Educators have to become the champions of equity to define solutions that drive excellence and success for all students,” Van Roekel said. “There will be pushback. There will be struggle. And yes, there will be progress. There must be progress!”

Delegates responded July 3 with an overwhelmingly successful vote to take action against the “test, blame and punish” system that has dominated the last decade under No Child Left Behind. They approved the use of NEA resources to launch a national campaign to end the high stakes use of standardized tests, to sharply reduce the amount of student and instructional time consumed by tests, and to implement more effective forms of assessment and accountability. In short, said Van Roekel, “It’s past time for politicians to turn their eyes and ears away from those who profit from overtesting our students and listen instead to those who know what works in the classroom.”

RA delegates also reaffirmed their commitment to continue working with states that adopted the Common Core State Standards to ensure the standards are properly implemented and that educators are properly trained and empowered to lead in that process.

The urgency to take more assertive measures on these critical issues was echoed by Sean McComb, National Teacher of the Year, and Paula Monroe, who was named Education Support Professional (ESP) of the Year. McComb, an NEA member who teaches in Baltimore County, reminded delegates that educators—not politicians or billionaires—take action every day in the classroom to help set students on a path to success.

“As others deliberate and debate, we have chosen to act…We are proud to be part of that solution, part of that investment,” McComb said. “We are proud to be a profession that takes up that call.”

Monroe passionately denounced the hordes of politicians and pushers of corporate education “reform” for their single-minded obsession with scapegoating educators.

“While they are attacking, threatening, and suing us, who is focusing on the real problems?” Monroe asked. “We need to focus on the real solutions to the entrenched social and economic problems that threaten to ‘We Will Not Be Silent!’ | NEA Today:

A Move to SacTown in Song, This time it’s for REAL: A Playlist | Cloaking Inequity

A Move to SacTown in Song, This time it’s for REAL: A Playlist | Cloaking Inequity:

A Move to SacTown in Song, This time it’s for REAL: A Playlist

Well I’m going out west where I belong.

I apologize for the thin posting on Cloaking Inequity the past two weeks. Summer is a busy time as I wrap up peer-reviewed articles, teach two methods classes for the new UT-Austin Superintendency cohort, personal and professional travel, conferences, etc. Avid readers of this blog may remember the post Julian Vasquez Heilig is leaving The University of Texas at Austin. I promise that today is not April 1. For my Twitter followers,LinkedIn connections, and Facebook friends the news that today I accepted an appointment as Full Professor and Director of the Educational Leadership at California State at Sacramento probably does not come as a surprise. California State offered a promotion to full, a leadership role, more professional and personal resources, and a greatly reduced teaching load compared to the #25 university in the world. I will sorely miss the students, faculty and community friends I have encountered here in Austin over the past 9 years. I will even miss the legislators and their dedicated staff. :) I debated how I could creatively tell the story of my departure from the University of Texas at Austin. Well here is my attempt…

Well I’m going out west where I belong
Where the days are short and the nights are long
And I’ll walk a little walk I’ll twist a little twist
I’ll shimmy a little shimmy I’ll fly a little fly
Yea we’re out there having fun in the warm California sun

A Move to SacTown in Song, This time it’s for REAL: A Playlist | Cloaking Inequity: