All Education Matters: Debtors Strike

All Education Matters: Debtors Strike:

Debtors Strike

Let's stop using these terrible, rotten terms, like loan forgiveness and such. It only serves to undermine our efforts and our voices. We're not sinners. We did nothing wrong. That's why I have never liked the term, and haven't used it for a long time. There are better, more clever ways to accomplish what we need to accomplish. For instance, debt jubilee makes a lot more sense, and does not imply that we're coming on our knees, begging for something. We don't need to beg, and the term loan forgiveness is provocative in a bad way - it won't attract good press. It's being

The Wrong Thinking about Measuring Costs & Efficiency in Higher Education (& how to fix it!) « School Finance 101

The Wrong Thinking about Measuring Costs & Efficiency in Higher Education (& how to fix it!) « School Finance 101:

The Wrong Thinking about Measuring Costs & Efficiency in Higher Education (& how to fix it!)

by schoolfinance101

There is a movement afoot to reduce the measurement of the value of public institutions of higher education to a simple ratio of the revenue brought in by full time faculty members divided by the salaries and benefits of those faculty members. That is, does each faculty member “pay” for him or herself, on an annual cash flow basis?[1]

Even some of the finest major public colleges and universities have recently succumbed to reporting such information, arguably, in an effort to appease politically motivated critics.[2] This seemingly simple ratio of the “net cost” of faculty salaries and benefits is presumed representative of the relative efficiency of higher education institutions and/or entire public systems of higher education.

This is a dreadfully oversimplified if not simply wrongheaded approach to measuring the cost of providing public

PURE » “How’m I doin’?” – Rahm’s latest push poll continues attack on CTU

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » “How’m I doin’?” – Rahm’s latest push poll continues attack on CTU:

“How’m I doin’?” – Rahm’s latest push poll continues attack on CTU

by admin

Former New York City mayor was well-known for sticking out his hand to constituents on the street and, rather than asking how they were, instead demanding to know “How’m I doin’?”

Apparently our poll-loving Mayor Rahm wants the same kind of feedback without the personal contact.

Last night I got a follow-up call to a June 2011 “For a Better Chicago” telephone poll asking some of the same

NYC Public School Parents: Occupy the DOE! Join us on the steps of Tweed on Thursday, Nov. 17th! #OWS

NYC Public School Parents: Occupy the DOE! Join us on the steps of Tweed on Thursday, Nov. 17th!:

Occupy the DOE! Join us on the steps of Tweed on Thursday, Nov. 17th!

by Leonie Haimson

Friends: There is a total assault being conducted on our first amendment rights to assembly, speech and the press in NYC. If you doubt what I am saying, please watch this.

And then remind yourself of this, our First Amendment right:Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

What happened this morning and today is appalling. The city’s move to prevent people from peaceful assembly in protest of profound economic injustice is another instance of Bloomberg’s remarkable disdain for the human and constitutional rights that we – THE people – hold very dear. In defending this right, NYC council member Ydanis Rodriguez was arrested,

The 99 Percent, the 1 Percent, and the Bloomberg Education Agenda - Dana Goldstein #OWS

The 99 Percent, the 1 Percent, and the Bloomberg Education Agenda - Dana Goldstein:

The 99 Percent, the 1 Percent, and the Bloomberg Education Agenda

by Dana Goldstein

The folks at The Awl have published my longish essay on the Occupy movement, Mayor Bloomberg, and the public schools. Since I attended the education reform "teach-in" at Zuccotti Park last Friday, I've been thinking through whether the 99 percent/1 percent critique applies to school reform, as Bloomberg critics argue. Here's

Gene Lyons: Heretical ideas on education | Arkansas Blog

Gene Lyons: Heretical ideas on education | Arkansas Blog:

Gene Lyons: Heretical ideas on education

Posted by Max Brantley on Wed, Nov 16, 2011 at 6:51 AM

Gene Lyons, who's been covering education for decades and is a former college professor himself, writes this week about some heretical ideas regarding education.

1) Though problems no doubt exist,

Despite melodramatic pronouncements to the contrary by sundry politicians, tycoons, tycoon/politicians and media-enhanced “reformers” like former Washington, DC schools chancellor Michelle Rhee, the available evidence shows American students performing steadily better on standardized assessments of educational progress over the past 30 years.

2) Noting Tennessee's inexplicable teacher evaluation system which purports to quantify the

MinnPost - Michelle Rhea keeps the beehive buzzing in Minneapolis speech

MinnPost - Michelle Rhea keeps the beehive buzzing in Minneapolis speech:

Michelle Rhea keeps the beehive buzzing in Minneapolis speech

By Beth Hawkins | Published Wed, Nov 16 2011 8:45 am

No actual bees were harmed yesterday when Michelle Rhee appeared at the Minneapolis Convention Center yesterday, but a number of hornets’ nests got thwacked wide open.

Michelle Rhee

As a young Teach for America recruit many years ago in Baltimore, Rhee famously swallowed a bee in a desperate attempt to shock her unruly class into silence. The ensuing two decades have been characterized by the same audacity, just displayed on larger stages.

Yesterday, as the featured speaker at a luncheon organized by the Economic Club of Minnesota, Rhee kept an entire ballroom full of politicians, business

#N17 Mass Day of Action | Occupy Together #OWS

#N17 Mass Day of Action | Occupy Together:

#N17 Mass Day of Action

November 16th, 2011 · Ella · AnnouncementsNo comments

OWS is calling upon you to participate in a national day of direct action on November 17 in celebration of the the two month anniversary of the Occupy Wall Street movement.

Occupy Wall St
7:00 Shut Down Wall Street
3:00 Occupy the Subways
5:00 Take the Square

This information and more at: occupywallst.org/action/november-17th

Occupy Colleges
Students across the country will gather together on November 17 to protest the rising costs of college education, and the diminishing quality in that education from universities. Students will strike by gathering in central locations throughout each school, or in solidarity at Occupy Wall Street.

More information at: occupycolleges.org

Portland
Occupying steelbridge in morning
Rally afterwards
Subsequently occupying banks

www.n17pdx.org
https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=104127476368742

INTERNATIONAL
Spain
A general strike of university students will be taking place in the following cities: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, Tarragona, Palma, Sevilla, Santiago de Compostela, Murcia, Madrid, Valencia, Castello, Alicante, Zaragoza

17:00: Demonstration in Madrid

Place: From Nuevos Ministerios to Puerta del Sol Square
Call: Assembly UAM-CSIC / 15M

tomalafacultad.net
madrid.tomalaplaza.net/2011/11/08/17n-manifestacion-estatal-por-los-servicios-publicos

Belgium
Activists are mobilising for sit-ins at universities and schools to discuss the ongoing protests around the world, resist the increasing commercialisation of education and connect to the struggle on the global level.

ism-global.net/ghent_occupy_nov17

Germany
Massive student strikes, flash mobs, rallies, and other actions will be taking place in dozens of cities

ism-global.net/germany_education_strike_nov17

Modern School: Doing It For Money—The Trafficked & Exploited Teen Fantasy

Modern School: Doing It For Money—The Trafficked & Exploited Teen Fantasy:

Doing It For Money—The Trafficked & Exploited Teen Fantasy

by Michael Dunn

Activists and law enforcement officials often claim that hundreds of thousands or even millions of children are trafficked and forced into prostitution in the U.S., conjuring up images of innocent young girls being snatched from their loving families and coerced into a lifetime of drugs, STDs and perversion by greedy and heartless pimps.

This appalling scenario is so universally upsetting to Americans that Congress has easily raised millions of dollars to fight the problem, while a cottage industry of nonprofits has arisen to assist in the efforts.

The problem is that almost none of this scenario is true.

Ric Curtis and Meredith Dank, from the anthropology

Bill would label pizza a vegetable in school lunches - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

Bill would label pizza a vegetable in school lunches - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post:

Bill would label pizza a vegetable in school lunches

by Valerie Strauss

If you put nutritious broccoli and kale on top of a chocolate-glazed donut, can the concoction be considered equivalent to a vegetable serving?

This is the same logic that Congress is about to incorporate into a new law as it gets ready to vote on legislationthat would, among other things, allow public schools to count a small amount tomato paste that is put on top of pizzas to be counted as a vegetable.

Read full article >>

A new deal between District and charters? | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

A new deal between District and charters? | Philadelphia Public School Notebook:

A new deal between District and charters?

by Benjamin Herold

As part of busy meeting today, Philadelphia's School Reform Commission is expected to consider a new agreement between the District and two of the largest charter school umbrella organizations in the state.

Featured Title:

SRC to discuss Great Schools Compact

read more

Inequality: How Students in Poor School Districts are Paying the Price for the State Budget.

Alliance for Quality Education -:

I want to share a graph with you from a report we released yesterday entitled Back to Inequality: How Students in Poor School Districts are Paying the Price for the State Budget. The statewide report shows that poor school districts received a much larger per pupil cut than wealthier districts. Some districts lost double and triple what wealthy districts lost. The recent $1.3 billion devastating cut to our schools further widens the inequality gap for public school students.

In just six weeks, millionaires will receive a $5 billion tax break from the State. This is revenue that could be used to return teachers and programs to classrooms. Does any of this make sense to you? Speak out NOW.

Click HERE to take action by sending an email to the Governor and Legislature now.

Click HERE to download the full report and watch our press conference.

In solidarity,

AQE