solidaridad: Elizabeth Terzakis and Adrienne Johnstone on Pedagogy and Liberation

solidaridad: Elizabeth Terzakis and Adrienne Johnstone on Pedagogy and Liberation:

Elizabeth Terzakis and Adrienne Johnstone on Pedagogy and Liberation

by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene

"It is not surprising that the banking concept of education regards men as adaptable, manageable beings. The more students work at storing the deposits entrusted to them, the less they develop the critical consciousness which would result from their intervention in the world as transformers of that world. The more completely they accept the passive role imposed on them, the more they tend simply to adapt to the world as it is and to the fragmented view of reality deposited in them." — Paulo Freire (Pedagogy of the Oppressed)

Elizabeth Terzakis and Adrienne Johnstone speaking at Socialism 2011 on July 01, 2011 — Chicago, Illinois.



[Click if you can't listen to the audio]

Poverty for American Families on the Rise — Personal Voices

Poverty for American Families on the Rise — Personal Voices:

Poverty for American Families on the Rise — Personal Voices

by cynthia

This week we all saw grim statistics documenting how poverty is increasing for many more Americans: more than 46 million live below the federal poverty line. What is that line? $11,139/year for an individual, and$22,314/year for a family of four. Can you imagine living on that sum in a big city, where everything costs even more?

It confirms what we know when we look around in our own lives — longer periods of unemployment among friends and family, salaries cut but with more responsibilities for those still lucky enough to have a job, lack of

Stranger in a strange land. « Fred Klonsky's blog

Stranger in a strange land. « Fred Klonsky's blog:

Stranger in a strange land.

by Fred Klonsky

Guest post by North Shore Teacher.

Your latest post on the late Harvard educator and his concerns about the damaging effects of central curriculum and standardized testing made me want to share something that is happening presently in my classroom. We have a new student, and this is her first year in a traditional public school. Her previous experience was in a private progressive school that didn’t use tests, textbooks, or even school bells.

She is brilliant. Curious, knowledgeable, engaged, humorous, and caring. Her parents picked our school because they felt it would be a bridge between her progressive world and traditional public schools, but now, after just under 4 weeks of school, they have a sleepless, anxious daughter who

Friends of Education asks your help to evaluate Superintendent Boasberg | DeFENSE

Friends of Education asks your help to evaluate Superintendent Boasberg | DeFENSE:

Friends of Education asks your help to evaluate Superintendent Boasberg

by defensedenver

From our allies at Friends of Education:

The Denver Public Schools Board of Education has begun work on Superintendent Tom Boasberg’s annual review. Here at Friends of Education, we thought we’d help the Board’s process along by giving you a chance to voice your opinion. We’ve created a survey online, and we would like you to take 2 minutes to fill it out. The survey is anonymous.

Click here for the survey: http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/641920/Survey-of-Denver-Public-Schools

Feel free to forward this link to as many people you know who care about Denver’s schools. Only one survey per computer is allowed.

Remember, it’s Our DPS, and we all have the right to voice our opinions about how we think our school district is being run.

Sincerely,

Nicolas Weiser, President

Friends of Education

Please go fill it out!

Democurmudgeon: Would you call Vouchers Successful, based on enrollment?

Democurmudgeon: Would you call Vouchers Successful, based on enrollment?:

Would you call Vouchers Successful, based on enrollment?

by Democurmudgeon

The headline screamed success: "School voucher program proving to be a success"

Wow, a voucher program that was working...stop the presses!! But wait, we're not talking graduation rates, closing the racial gap and test scores, we're really talking about how many unsuspecting parents are buying into this hyperbolic scheme. Check out this outrageous example of spin based on nothing but enrollment:

Indiana's controversial and highly debated school voucher program is working as hoped and is exceeding expectations. State Superintendent of Public Instruction Dr. Tony Bennett claimed enrollment has taken off like no other similar program in the country.

But the darker side is inadvertently revealed mid story in a warning to parents of a coming affordability disaster that will only get worse as private school costs and profits go through the roof. The end result; low and middle

Save Seattle Schools Community Blog: TFA and Apple - What Happened?

Save Seattle Schools Community Blog: TFA and Apple - What Happened?:

TFA and Apple - What Happened?

by Melissa Westbrook

Thanks to Mirmac 1 for this update.

The Daily Kos had a story about one woman's story about Apple's program to have customers donate old iPads to TFA teachers. Her story of getting passed around at Apple corporate reminds me of my efforts to figure this out. From the story:

After being passed around on the phone from one corporate office to another, I finally asked Jerry in marketing if Apple knew that Teach for America recruits weren't really teachers -- that their claim of "Teach for America takes well-trained teachers—referred to as "corps members"— was completely false, and that the campaign was deceptive. I said it would be great if Apple were offering donated iPads to real teachers, but the company is misleading donors when it tells them their donation will go to a Teach for America "teacher."

The marketing guy then said this. "We paint with a broad brush when we use the term teacher." He said he

Saturday coffee. « Fred Klonsky's blog

Saturday coffee. « Fred Klonsky's blog:

I am so proud to be a teacher this morning as I read about my striking colleagues in Tacoma, Washington.

Friday was the fourth day of the strike. In the face of a court order to return to work, 93% of the teachers voted to stay on the picket lines.

So far the teachers have the support of the community, according to a recent poll.

But the longer the strike goes on, the tougher it will be to hold on to that support. That’s just the way it is.

They are striking to defend seniority as the fair system for teacher reassignment. This has become an important issue as some Tacoma schools have closed.

If you read this blog regularly, you know how I feel about the value of seniority, when the alternative is

Old school.

by Fred Klonsky

Bruce Springsteen.

Save Seattle Schools Community Blog: Looking Hard at Facilities Issues Costs the District More Money

Save Seattle Schools Community Blog: Looking Hard at Facilities Issues Costs the District More Money:

Looking Hard at Facilities Issues Costs the District More Money

by Melissa Westbrook

From the Seattle Times comes this story about how much money it is costing to review the Facilities department. Sigh. Yes, it wasn't just the Silas Potter-connected programs but the whole thing is getting a good look-see. From the article:

While the district's initial consulting contract was $25,000, the scope of work quickly grew. The district extended the contract three times for varying amounts that now total $162,000, according to records obtained by The Seattle Times under the state's public records act.

I have to wonder, out of all the things the Times could investigate, how they picked this one but fine.

It's a great thing, frankly, because ALL of Facilities and Capital Projects should get this look. It's disturbing to

Area School Districts Lose Money on Whooping Cough Absences - KTXL

"Area School Districts Lose Money on Whooping Cough Absences"

Area School Districts Lose Money on Whooping Cough Absences

SACRAMENTO—

School districts in the Sacramento area are scrambling to get their students immunized for whooping cough as required by state health officials. Kids held out of class because they don't have the state mandated shots could cost districts big bucks.

Districts in the area generally get about $30 per student per day in average daily attendance funding from the state, also known as ADA funds. The Sacramento City Unified School Districts have more than 5,000 students who need the shots or immunization documentation. If they are held out, the district would lose over $150,000 a day.

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"Any circumstance that could potentially reduce funding and keep kids out of school and therefore reduce funding is a real concern," said Gabe Ross, district spokesperson.

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Luckily the district's deadline is still 3 weeks away and

School district uses Race to the Top money for public relations - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

School district uses Race to the Top money for public relations - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post:

School district uses Race to the Top money for public relations

By Valerie Strauss

A school district that is a finalist for the soon-to-be announced $1 million 2011 Broad Prize for Urban Education is embarking on a public relations effort — funded with U.S. government and Gates Foundation money — to end public opposition to its school reform program, which includes a slew of new standardized tests.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg School District in North Carolina is using Race to the Top money — which wasn’t intended to fund public relations efforts — and $200,000 in Gates Foundation money for the campaign.

First reported in The Charlotte Observer, the hirings come after the

george takei documentary needs help | angry asian man

george takei documentary needs help | angry asian man:

9.16.2011

george takei documentary needs help

Here's a cool internship opportunity for folks in the Bay Area interested in documentary film editing, passed along to me from our filmmaker pal Gerry Kim... The feature documentary he's producing chronicles the life of acting/activist pioneer George Takei and the release of his new musicalAllegiance, based on his internment camp experiences.

The documentary is almost halfway through production and they desperately need interns to help transcribe and organize approximately 50+ hours of footage. There's an opportunity for future pay, but at the moment, the film has no real funding yet (they're working on it).

The director, Jennifer Kroot, is working out of San Francisco. So they're putting out a call for interns or assistant editors in the Bay Area who can help out. Although it's pro bono work, meals and travel will be covered, and if you're a student, they can try to work it out so you'll get school credit.

Anyone interested should email a cover letter and resume to georgetakeidocumentary@gmail.com.

On ignorance & impartiality: A comment on the Monmouth U. Poll on Ed. Policy « School Finance 101

On ignorance & impartiality: A comment on the Monmouth U. Poll on Ed. Policy « School Finance 101:

On ignorance & impartiality: A comment on the Monmouth U. Poll on Ed. Policy

by schoolfinance101

Some Twitter followers may have noticed the ongoing back and forth regarding the validity of the recent Monmouth University Poll on education reform.I’d certainly rather spend my time on more substantive discussion.

As I’ve noted on many occasions, polls are what they are. They ask what they ask. And the responses to the questions must always be evaluated only with respect to what was asked. Questions about specific policies in particular require that the policies in question be described correctly. This is a point raised the other day by Matt Di Carlo about the Monmouth Poll here.

Yesterday, Patrick Murray, director of the polling institute posted a response to some of the criticisms levied against the recent Monmouth poll. Unfortunately, I found his response to be much less fulfilling and in many ways far more disturbing than the poll itself. Quite honestly, I’d have left this issue alone if not for some

Education as Colonization and Commodification Processes « Cooperative Catalyst

Education as Colonization and Commodification Processes « Cooperative Catalyst:

Education as Colonization and Commodification Processes

by Brent Snavely

You and I may use the same language and media for communicating and yet still not understand one another. This concept was driven home last year when I reconnected with a gentleman I graduated from law school with twenty years earlier. Why I contacted him is not as important as my letting you know that both of us agreed that he and I were never “supposed” to have attended law school.

When students enter the fifth grade, they have certainly figured a few things out on their own, and notwithstanding the information they previously received know something is awry. Some will “adjust” and perform with the excellence adults wish for them. Most will make their education passage in modest silence and

When is a PLC, not a PLC? « Diary of a Public School Teacher!

When is a PLC, not a PLC? « Diary of a Public School Teacher!:

When is a PLC, not a PLC?

As I have mentioned many times before, I went to the PLCSummit 2011 in Arizona, and became enlightened about what a PLC school really “looked” like. My former principal allowed us to come back and share what we learned with our teams and the staff. As we continued through the year, I felt really good about what we are doing, and how we were doing it.

However, with our new administrator, I question the validity of our PLC, it seems we have taken a step backwards. We have been assured that if we have concerns, we should let them be known, but I wanted to check with my PLC PLN, before I made that move, to see if my concerns had any validity. Below is a list of changes to our PLC that have me concerned. I know every principal is

Privatization: Turning America into K-Mart

Privatization: The Concise Encyclopedia of Economics | Library of Economics and Liberty:

Driven by wrong-minded public officials and corporate greed, contracts for public services are doled out without regard to cost effectiveness or quality. Time and time again, the public pays more and gets lower quality of services while public workers are laid off and corruption scandals make the news.

What is Privatization?

“Privatization” is an umbrella term covering several distinct types of transactions. Broadly speaking, it means the shift of some or all of the responsibility for a function from government to the private sector. The term has most commonly been applied to the divestiture, by sale or long-term lease, of a state-owned enterprise to private investors. But another major form of privatization is the granting of a long-term franchise or concession under which the private sector finances, builds, and operates a major infrastructure project. A third type of privatization involves government selecting a private entity to deliver a public service that had previously been produced in-house by public employees. This form of privatization is increasingly called outsourcing. (Other forms of privatization, not discussed here, include service shedding, vouchers, and joint ventures.)

Regardless of the mode of privatization, the common motivation for engaging in all three types is to substitute more efficient business operations for what are seen as less efficient, bureaucratic, and often politicized operations in the public sector. Some have described the key difference as the substitution of competition for monopoly, though some forms of privatization may involve only one provider in a given geographic area for a specific period of time. But because government almost always operates as a monopoly provider, the decision to privatize usually means demonopolization, even if not always robust, free-market competition.

The decision to privatize usually involves money. Governments sell state-owned enterprises to obtain proceeds either for short-term budget balancing or to pay down debt. They turn to the private sector to finance and develop a major bridge or seaport when their own resources are stretched too thin. And they outsource services in the hope of saving money in their operating budgets, either to balance those budgets or to spend more on other services (and occasionally to permit tax reductions).

Fighting Privatization Resources

• Food and Water Watch – Resources to Fight Water Privatization
• Privatization During an Economic Downturn Still Inefficient and Problematic – Progressive States Network
• In the Public Interest – Ensuring Democratic Control of Public Functions and Understanding the Risks of Privatization
• Stop Bad Contracts and Protect Public Jobs: Sample Legislative Language
• Working Better Together: A Practical Guide for Union Leaders, Elected Officials and Managers to Improve Public Services
• Public Service, Public Savings: Case Studies in Labor-Management Initiatives in Four Public Services
• Government for Sale: An Examination of the Contracting Out of State and Local Government Services
• Schools for Sale: The Privatization of Non-Instructional School Services
• Safety Net for Sale: The Dangers of Privatizing Social Services
• Child Welfare And Privatization: Trends And Considerations
• Florida's Experiment with Privatizing Child Welfare Services
• Prison Privatization: Don't be a prisoner to empty promises
• Facts at Your Fingertips: Corporate Research

CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS WEBSITE

CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS

A compilation of news articles about charter schools which have been charged with, or are highly suspected of, tampering with admissions, grades, attendance and testing; misuse of funds and embezzlement; engaging in nepotism and conflicts of interest; engaging in complicated and shady real estate deals; and/or have been engaging in other questionable, unethical, borderline-legal, or illegal activities. This is also a record of charter school instability and other unsavory tidbits.

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CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS

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CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS

Be sure to check out two other Great blogs:

-THE BROAD REPORT (as in Eli) -THE PERIMETER PRIMATE