Friday, February 10, 2012

School arts = higher scores | UTSanDiego.com

School arts = higher scores | UTSanDiego.com:

School arts = higher scores

Research: Program boosts standardized test results

Students at the Vista Academy of Visual and Performing Arts perform a theatrical lesson to demonstrate how theater techniques are used to teach literacy.

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Singing to better scores

School districts that participated in the arts program

• Carlsbad Unified

• Escondido Union

• Fallbrook Union Elementary

• Julian Union

• Oceanside Unified

• Ramona Unified

• San Marcos Unified

• Valley Center-Pauma Unified

• Vista Unified

• Warner Unified

SAN MARCOS — North County third graders who had the arts integrated into their regular curriculum showed remarkable improvement on standardized test scores, researchers announced Thursday.

The Developing Reading Education with Arts Methods, or DREAM, program is in its third year of

Mother Crusader: Gov. Christie And His Reformy Friends Are Of Two Minds On Education Spending

Mother Crusader: Gov. Christie And His Reformy Friends Are Of Two Minds On Education Spending:

Gov. Christie And His Reformy Friends Are Of Two Minds On Education Spending

by darciecima

Governor Christie has the NJEA back in his sights, but he seems to be gearing for another budget battle with the Education Law Center too.

Christie added the Education Law Center to his targets Thursday, saying the decades of litigation by the Newark-based law clinic has driven up spending on education while hurting results.

“That statement was so appalling and such a window into their philosophy about

SCHOOL UNIFORMS AND STRICT DISCIPLINE « Teachers Fight Back

SCHOOL UNIFORMS AND STRICT DISCIPLINE « Teachers Fight Back:

SCHOOL UNIFORMS AND STRICT DISCIPLINE

by alkleen

The Chicago Tribune has written many stories about one of their favorite subjects, charter schools. The stories of inner city charter schools alway show pictures of students dressed in school uniforms and the students following strict rules and regulations. The stories quote teachers and principals who say the uniforms and discipline codes have made a world of difference compared to what goes on in the typical inner city public school.

Wow! What a surprise, uniforms and strict discipline helps. These people have a keen sense for the obvious. What a shame it took a whole generation of kids before this dawned on the reform geniuses.

Here is a description of how one school changed when uniforms and strict discipline were adopted. “Police

A Stop on the Road to ESEA Reauthorization | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights

A Stop on the Road to ESEA Reauthorization | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights:

A Stop on the Road to ESEA Reauthorization

by obriena

Yesterday President Obama and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced that 10 states have been awarded waivers that provide flexibility from some of the main provisions of No Child Left Behind (NCLB), including the 2014 deadline for 100% of students to reach proficiency in reading and math and the requirement that 20% of Title I funds be set aside for public school choice and supplemental educational services.

To receive a wavier, states had to agree to implement college and career-ready standards and to reform teacher and principal development, evaluation and support systems. They had to set new performance targets for improving student achievement and develop accountability systems that recognize and reward high-performing schools, provide “rigorous and comprehensive” interventions in the lowest-performing schools, and improve educational outcomes for underperforming subgroups of students.

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Remember Deborah Gist?

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Remember Deborah Gist?:

Remember Deborah Gist?

by Mike Klonsky

Gist

She's the State Supt. of Rhode Island. You know, the one who pushed a local superintendent to fire teachers and staff in mass at Central Falls High School back in February of 2010. In the face of massive protests, Gist was forced to retreat and most of the teachers were hired back. But the school and the entire town of Central Falls may never fully recover from the debacle, once hailed by President Obama as an "act of courage."

Well guess what? Now two years later, Gist how found God. She nows

Schools Matter: Christie Goes After Education Law Center and NJEA Leader

Schools Matter: Christie Goes After Education Law Center and NJEA Leader:

Christie Goes After Education Law Center and NJEA Leader

by Judy Rabin

Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey is going head to head with the state's teacher union and the Education Law Center as part of his continued march towards school privatization and deep cuts in public education funding.

Who will resign first?

From the Asbury Park Press

Christie rebuffs NJEA’s request he resign, saying “Life isn’t fair”

Posted on February 9, 2012 by Michael Symons

Gov. Chris Christie, whose call for the New Jersey Education Association’s executive director to resign was met

Orlando Sentinel Slams Steve Wise’s Charter School Bill | Scathing Purple Musings

Orlando Sentinel Slams Steve Wise’s Charter School Bill | Scathing Purple Musings:

Orlando Sentinel Slams Steve Wise’s Charter School Bill

by Bob Sikes

Yowza:

In 1996, Florida began a grand experiment in education reform. Charter schools were placed in a statewide Petri dish.
Critics warned that the public/private hybrids would siphon off funding and spell the end of traditional public schools.
And now, some state lawmakers foolishly plan to hand charter schools the hose. The Senate Education Committee has endorsed a bill requiring local school districts to share with charter schools a portion of the $1.9 billion in construction and maintenance money collected through local taxes. Money that charter schools could use to defray leases or to buy buildings that — rather

Diary of a Social Art-tivist Mommy: Questioning a sense of UNITY derived through war

Diary of a Social Art-tivist Mommy: Questioning a sense of UNITY derived through war:

Questioning a sense of UNITY derived through war

It's interesting to note how the sense of unity we derive from being in a war is often mistaken for true and genuine collaboration and human unity. Yet, when we feel such a sense of togetherness while also taking sides, we must always question whether we are indeed united on principles that foster true togetherness and honorable and noble values.

I was a teenager when I first heard the lyrics to John Lennon's Imagine. These lines below spoke to me very strongly

"Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people living life in peace"

I have often wondered could we really exist and be

Schools Matter: Professional Betrayal on the Heals of Political Betrayal

Schools Matter: Professional Betrayal on the Heals of Political Betrayal:

Professional Betrayal on the Heals of Political Betrayal

by P. L. Thomas

All across the U.S., state after state is falling victim to the accountability juggernaut fueled by the Common Core standards movement.

The Obama administration, led by Secretary Duncan, has proven in the past three years that promises of hope and change were mere masks for increasing the very worst of No Child Left Behind (NCLB)—now manifesting themselves as Race to the Top and opting out of NCLB. Many of us, however, are not completely surprised by political betrayal, but we are more stunned by the growing professional betrayal we are witnessing in our professional organizations, such as the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE).

The most recent evidence of that failure is a message to NCTE's members from the Council's president, Keith

Torn Between Two Parents! Dealing with Battling Separated/Divorced Parents. « Diary of a Public School Teacher!

Torn Between Two Parents! Dealing with Battling Separated/Divorced Parents. « Diary of a Public School Teacher!:

Torn Between Two Parents! Dealing with Battling Separated/Divorced Parents.

by Oldschoolteach

he dad walked into my classroom for M’s parent-teacher conference. I was surprised because mom said she would be attending.

His first words were, “I know SHE said she was coming, but when she heard I was coming, she decided not to come.”

My response was a simple, “Well, I am glad you were able to make it”, coupled with my best smile.

As the conversation about his child continued, it was interspersed with comments about what SHE said, or what SHE was doing, and what SHE thought about, you get my drift. I managed to remain noncommittal each time he mentioned HER name, but I was getting frustrated. I always switched gears and guided our conversation back to a discussion abo

February 21, 2012 Screening Committee Notice - State Board of Education (CA Dept of Education)

February 21, 2012 Screening Committee Notice - State Board of Education (CA Dept of Education):

CALIFORNIA STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION

1430 N Street, Suite 5111
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: 916-319-0827
Fax: 916-319-0175

State Board of Education Screening Committee Members

Ilene Straus, Chair
Carl Cohn
James Ramos
Aida Molina

Meeting Notice:
Screening Committee of the State Board of Education

Tuesday, February 21, 2012
9:00 a.m.

The meeting will be held at:
California Department of Education
State Board of Education Office, Suite 5111
1430 N Street, 5th Floor
Sacramento, CA
916-319-0827

Dr. Aida Molina will participate from the following location:
Bakersfield City School District
1300 Baker Street
Department of Academic Improvement and Accountability
Bakersfield, CA
661-631-4600

The purpose of this meeting is to interview candidates for the Instructional Quality Commission (IQC). The Screening Committee will decide which candidates it will recommend to the full State Board of Education at the March 2012 meeting.

Agenda

Call to order, Chair
Welcome and Introductions, Chair
Consideration of candidates for the IQC, as follows:

Applicant review and interviews of candidates for the IQC.
Selection of twelve candidates to recommend to the State Board of Education for approval and forwarding to the Governor for appointment consideration.

Adjournment

ALL TIMES ARE APPROXIMATE AND ARE PROVIDED FOR CONVENIENCE ONLY.

THE ORDER OF BUSINESS MAY BE CHANGED WITHOUT NOTICE.

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION FOR ANY INDIVIDUAL WITH A DISABILITY

Pursuant to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, any individual with a disability who requires reasonable accommodation to attend or participate in a meeting or function of the California State Board of Education (SBE), may request assistance by contacting the SBE Office, 1430 N Street, Room 5111, Sacramento, CA, 95814; telephone, 916-319-0705; and facsimile, 916-319-0175.

For more information concerning this agenda, please contact Jill Rice, Assistant Legal Counsel, California State Board of Education, at 1430 N Street, Room 5111, Sacramento, CA, 95814; telephone 916-319-0692; and facsimile, 916-319-0175. This agenda is posted on the State Board of Education's Web site .

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