Thursday, November 18, 2010

The Coopmike48 Daily, Education

The Coopmike48 Daily

as shared by Coopmike48 + 448 followed people on Twitter

Education

13 people arrested in demonstration outside UC regents meeting in San Francisco

latimes.com - A police officer uses a baton to fend off protesters attempting to enter a University of California regents meeting in San Francisco.(Noah Berger / Associated Press / November 17, 2010) By Larry Go...

LATeducation

WTF?! Fee Hikes Again?? RALLY Nov. 18 @ UCI

wsauci.blogspot.com - Day of Action against: UC BUDGET CUTS!-TUITION HIKES! (AGAIN?!?) -Proposal to change fees to TUITION (falling into line with the historical trajectory of privatization of the UC)...... -Additional ...

coopmike48

Why Did Joel Klein Run?

huffingtonpost.com - In social studies classes, a major recurring theme is "push and pull." Immigrants came to the United States pulled by the promise of freedom and work. They were pushed from their homes of origin by...

Larryferlazzo

House of Commons Hansard Debates for 17 Nov 2010 (pt 0003)

publications.parliament.uk - We will see how much the scope for fiddling is removed when money is moved from the NHS budget to local authorities for social care.My hon. Friends the Members for West Lancashire (Rosie Cooper), f...

GiftedPhoenix

Nixon stressing importance of higher education | News-Leader.com | Springfield News

news-leader.com - Jefferson City -- In a time when higher education is more important than ever for jobs but the state is financially strapped to support its universities and colleges, Gov. Jay Nixon is calling for ...

schoolteaching

The Answer Sheet - What Ravitch told KIPP and Teach for America

voices.washingtonpost.com - Education historian Diane Ravitch gave a speech at Rice University about school reform in which she directly challenged officials from Teach for America and the Knowledge Is Power Program who were ...

The Answer Sheet - A School Survival Guide for Parents (And Everyone Else)

Education leaders don't have all the answers, apparently

By Valerie Strauss

Here’s what happened when I asked the governor of Maryland today whether he would want one of his children to be in a classroom with a teacher who had five weeks of training, as the Teach for Americaprogram gives before sending young people into America’s toughest schools:

Gov. Martin O'Malley didn’t directly answer the question.

This occurred when the newly reelected governor visited Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring along with Education Secretary Arne Duncan and National Education Association President Dennis Van

The Frustrated Teacher: What Do Teachers Need From Administrators?

What Do Teachers Need From Administrators?

[I originally posted this at Dangerously Irrelevant]

What do I need from administrators? It seems to be a huge question, and I am not sure why. Administration, in my experience in elementary schools in California's Bay Area, seems to be a tool of policy makers, not defenders of good, wholesome educational practices--they are the purveyors of fads. Or maybe they are simply trying to stay employed.

I have had principals who never taught in an elementary classroom. I've had principals who have been out of a classroom for 20 years, yet still think they are current. My district has gone through 3 superintendents in 10 years, each with his/her own "bee in the bonnet" about something that has more to do with money than educating kids. It's a sorry state of affairs.

Administration/principals in a school, IMHO, should be made up of current teachers. Actually, administrator should be a non-education based job--administrators should not be principals. At big hospitals there a managers who manage the business side, leaving medical personnel to do medicine. Sure there is a chief medical person, but that person is chiefly medical and only meets with the MBAs when money versus best practices is at issue, not to decide on

IMHO: What Exactly are We Fighting About? - The Local – Fort-Greene Blog - NYTimes.com

IMHO: What Exactly are We Fighting About?

By MICHAEL RANDAZZO, Community Contributor

Word about a public school protest was roiling around the Internet early Monday morning. It was first mentioned by Lucy Koteen on Fort Greene Kids Yahoo! Group, in a post reading, “Come to Brooklyn Tech on Tuesday, November 16th before the Panel for Educational Policy meeting to protest Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s appointment of Cathleen Black as the next Public Schools Chancellor.” Then came more — a petition, asking State Education Commissioner David M. Steiner to deny Ms. Black a waiver which would allow her to serve as school chancellor — despite her lack of experience in public education. I thought, “What the hell. I totally disagree with the mayor on this.” So, like hundreds of others, I signed.

I was able to slip out of work and arrive an hour late to the 4:30 p.m. protest. Lots of folks were gathered outside. I had to wonder — did I miss all the action? An answer from someone in the teeming crowd, “No, this is just a press conference. Meeting’s inside.”

As I entered Brooklyn Technical High School, for the first time in my eight years of being a Fort Greene resident, a policeman asked if I was there to speak or to listen. I said to listen and he countered, “Well you have a right to speak if you want.” I thought about this and decided “sure, I can do this” —

This Week In Education: Thompson: Performance Varies Widely From Year To Year

Thompson: Performance Varies Widely From Year To Year

by john thompson

The latest Brookings report seems to assume that the purpose of teaching is to provide economists with neat statistics. They discovered a nice pattern where output data across professions varies at similar rates, around 35% per year. That would provide important information if, as they assert without

Ousted CSBA director collects pension of $17,000 monthly - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Ousted CSBA director collects pension of $17,000 monthly

By Melody Gutierrez
mgutierrez@sacbee.com

Published: Thursday, Nov. 18, 2010 - 12:00 am | Page 3A

Last Modified: Thursday, Nov. 18, 2010 - 8:12 am

After being ousted as the executive director at a statewide nonprofit school board association, Scott Plotkin is drawing $205,000 annually from his public pension.

Plotkin, 57, retired Sept. 1 from the California School Boards Association with a $43,000 severance payment. He is receiving $17,089 monthly from the California Public Employees' Retirement System.

The CSBA came under fire in July when the pay of top executives were revealed. Until Wednesday, the pension information was not publicly known.

Plotkin was paid $516,517 in 2008 and $403,955 in 2009 after receiving sizable bonuses and other

Teach for America, Inc. is in Seattle | Seattle Education 2010

Teach for Ameirca, Inc. is in Seattle

by seattleducation2010

Our Broad-trained superintendent has spoken. There will be TFA, Inc. recruits in Seattle.

But the battle for Seattle is not over.

Why was it so important to bring TFA, Inc. to our state? Because there are well paid lobbyists and Broad/Gates backed organizations along with DFER, who just set up shop in our state, who are already lobbying for charter schools. Charter schools are populated with TFA, Inc. recruits. These TFA, Inc folks, fresh out of college can be trained to feed the students pre-packaged curriculum that can be regurgitated back out on a standardized test. Low pay, long hours, no union to bother with and no questions asked. If you don’t know anything about the art of teaching, then you will have no idea that there is another way to educate a child and therefore you will not question the process.

The Seattle school board last night rubber-stamped the supe’s recommendation zombie style, 6-1. The irony of this is that the Board Director who voted against it was representing the schools who would receive the majority of TFA, Inc. recruits.

Parents, students and teachers spoke up quite eloquently and in unison against having TFA, Inc. recruits in their

New Poll: Californians Oppose Fee Hikes, Support Increased Public Funding for Higher Ed « Student Activism

New Poll: Californians Oppose Fee Hikes, Support Increased Public Funding for Higher Ed

by Angus Johnston

California residents oppose fee hikes at the state’s public colleges and universities by a two-to-one margin, according to a new poll, and 57% believe that state spending on public higher education should be given a boost.

The poll, released yesterday, found that 62% of Californians oppose raising tuition in the UC and Cal State systems and the state’s community colleges, with just 35% supporting such increases.

Nearly half (49%) of all respondents said they would be willing to pay more in taxes to support higher education

Concerns Rise Over Funding of Public Colleges, Universities | California Progress Report

Concerns Rise Over Funding of Public Colleges, Universities

Posted on 17 November 2010

Printer-friendly version

Send to friend

By the Public Policy Institute of California

A strong majority of Californians say state funding for higher education is inadequate and most would favor more spending on public colleges and universities even if it means less money for other state programs. These are the findings of a statewide survey released today by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) with support from The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.

A poor economy and persistent state budget deficit have taken a notable toll on Californians’ views about state funding for public higher education in the PPIC survey—taken before the state legislative analyst projected a $25.4 billion budget shortfall over the next 18 months. Today, 74 percent of residents say the state does not provide enough money for colleges and universities, up 17 points from October 2007 (57%). Most Californians (68%) believe that spending for public higher education should be given a high or very high priority—a 14-point increase from November 2008 (54%)—

Schools Matter: Learning About KIPP: Lesson 1

Learning About KIPP: Lesson 1

by Jim Horn

After Valerie Strauss at WaPo posted yesterday D. Ravitch's sweet talk to the execs of KIPP, Inc., I thought it potentially useful to post some excerpts from my chapter on KIPP that recently appeared in an edited volume from Routledge. After all, if Dr. Ravitch's top-flight reeducation has left her with such huge blind spots when it comes to KIPP, what must the general public think?

The chapter is "Corporatism, KIPP, and Cultural Eugenics."

. . . .If threats, punitive measures, or wishful thinking (in any combination applied by liberals orconservatives) would have worked in the public schools to bring about the closing of the achievement gap between black and white, or rich and poor, then the children of the poor over the past twenty years may have been spared, perhaps, the continuing steroidal remedies and monstrous ministrations[i] that are now accepted practice in many urban schools trying to keep pace with the demands of NCLB’s Adequate Yearly Progress decree. And even as sanity insists that poor children will find the more rigorous national tests (now on the drawing board) even harder to pass than the less-rigorous state ones that they now fail in droves, the next likely tough-love chapter in the reform-schooling of urban America appears to be

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: El sueño americano: FRESNO STATE U’s STUDENT BODY PRESIDENT IS AN UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANT

El sueño americano: FRESNO STATE U’s STUDENT BODY PRESIDENT IS AN UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANT

Fresno State student's immigration status sparks rally

BY CYNDEE FONTANA / THE FRESNO BEE | HTTP://BIT.LY/BQTSJD

02:33 PM on Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2010 - Pedro Ramirez is best known as Fresno State's student body president.

Far less public is his status as an undocumented immigrant -- at least, until this week. That's when an anonymous e-mail, sent to The Bee and other media outlets, prompted Ramirez to confirm publicly that fact.

Now he's helping organize an on-campus rally Friday in support of the federal DREAM (Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors) Act. The legislation pending in Congress would allow some longtime residents like him to become legal U.S. residents after spending two years in college or the military.

"The DREAM Act itself symbolizes what it is to be an American, which is our goal," said Ramirez, a junior majoring in political science and agricultural economics. "We want to contribute to the United States, and utilize the degrees and skills we gained, to make it a better place."

Wednesday, reaction on campus to Ramirez's legal status was mild. A receptionist at the Associated Students Inc. student government office

Will the University of California Turn Back Before It’s Too Late? « Student Activism

Will the University of California Turn Back Before It’s Too Late?

by Angus Johnston

For nearly two years now the University of California has been criminalizing peaceful student protest. University officials have arrested activists as they slept quietly in a campus building, resting after a day of hosting workshops and seminars during a pre-finals study period. Campus police have used batons and tasers and pepper spray on protesters who meant them no harm and posed no physical threat. The university has distorted and abused its student conduct policies, deploying judicial sanction to suppress lawful dissent.

And all the while the dismantling of public higher education in California has rolled on. The state’s governor and legislature have at times responded to the activists’ passionate defense of their institution, but the institution itself has not.

The administration of the University of California has hollowed out the space at the heart of the university where productive dialogue and robust disputation should reside. They have thwarted students’ efforts to devise a creative, productive response to the current crisis, to build common cause in the shaping of the educational

IEA retirees say “no” to teacher retirement tax. « Fred Klonsky's blog

IEA retirees say “no” to teacher retirement tax.

NOVEMBER 18, 2010

by Fred Klonsky

From Ed Rosenthal, IEA-Retired.

West Suburban Retired Chapter voted unanaimously against these 3 changes at our meeting yesterday. IEA-Retired members have been there opposing changes that affect new teachers and current teachers even though they would not affect us. It would be nice if the active members would have our backs on taxing pension benefits. This same issue came up 5 years ago when the IEA Legislative Committee asked the same question. Just because someone proposes it doesn’t mean we have to agree with it. We said “No” 5 years ago; let’s say “NO” again!

13 people arrested in demonstration outside UC regents meeting in San Francisco - latimes.com

This Week In Education: Events: Notes From The GothamSchools Fundraiser

Events: Notes From The GothamSchools Fundraiser

by Alexander Russo

There was alas no surprise appearance from Cathie Black -- or Eli Manning -- but Randi Weingarten showed up and said nice things about GothamSchools (and vice versa -- it was a two-way love-fest) and it sounds like GothamSchools is in good shape -- a sold-out fundraiser, mentions in mainstream publications including most recently the WSJ, 3.5M pageviews in the last two years, and -- I didn't know this -- the best education site in the nation according to the Education Writers Association (CK). There was a tall skinny guy who looked like John Oliver from The Daily Show. Doug Lemov had the gall to do a PowerPoint presentation at a fundraiser (duly noted by

Queens Teacher: Oprah the Education Expert

Oprah the Education Expert

by Queens Teacher

Bloomberg gets endorsements from Oprah, other heavyweights to bolster case for Cathie BlackBY Adam Lisberg and Rachel Monahan

Bloomberg's pick for new schools chancellor got the heavy-weight endorsement of Oprah Winfrey last night - the same day he asked the state to approve his pick.

The talk show host's support is a sign of how hard City Hall is pushing back against Cathie Black's critics.

Winfrey told the Daily News she fully backs Black, the chairwoman of Hearst Magazines who convinced her to

A Loud 'Yes, We Can!' From San Francisco - Bridging Differences - Education Week

A Loud 'Yes, We Can!' From San Francisco

by Deborah Meier

Dear Diane,

I'm writing this from the West Coast following three days at the annual Fall Forum of the Coalition of Essential Schools. The big news is that we are moving forth—next year in Rhode Island! We are also in the process of rethinking and reinventing our mission and strategy—including, for starters, how we fund the network, especially at a time when the national school agenda is powerfully poised to dismiss any strategy that doesn't put test scores in the driver's seat. We're falling back on an old idea—the reforms we want must come from the bottom up first and foremost. Money, too. So we are confident that reminders to members, allies, and well-wishers will help us raise what we need to do the core of our work.

Among the forum speakers was Linda Darling-Hammond of Stanford University. She reminded us that, from the mid 1960s through the '70s, the decrease in poverty and the increase in school test scores went hand in hand. The widening of that gap once again coincided with the unraveling of the safety nets that are so much more robust in the countries that "outscore" us. The data Linda presented was as shocking to me as when I first heard it. If we look at wealth, not income, the correlation is even starker. It doesn't augur well for the future. But it poses an even stronger reason to see our schools as community agencies focused on the development of all the assets a community possesses. That includes using our minds well—at every age level.

Visits to local Bay Area schools helped create an atmosphere of hope for the 700-plus registered attendees, including lots of high school students who held their own sessions and joined in others, too. Coalition founder

Latest News and Comment from Education