Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Early Evening Posts 2-14 #edchat #p2 #edreform

VEA Protests Bills Passed by General Assembly « PWC Education Reform Blog

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 45 minutes ago

VEA Protests Bills Passed by General Assembly « PWC Education Reform Blog:VEA Protests Bills Passed by General AssemblyFebruary 14, 2012 — pwceducationreformThe VEA has sent out a flyer asking teachers to wear black on Friday Feb 17 2012 to protest what they claim is a “lack of commitment to public education and loss of respect accorded teachers by our elected officials.“ (see 2012BlackFridayFlyer).So what terrible, horrible, awful, no good, very bad things has the VA General Assembly done to cause ... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Two provocative articles for my students

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 45 minutes ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Two provocative articles for my students:Two provocative articles for my studentsby Mike Klonsky Waselenchuk’s judgment of the court’s geometry would make even Euclid wonder.I'm giving my Philosophy of Ed students two provocative articles from the New York Times to consider. They have just finished reading John Dewey's Experience and Education and the articles exemplify the fundamental connection between experience and learning.The first is, "A Field Trip to a Strange New Place: Second Grade Visits the Parking ... more »

LAUSD SUPERINTENDENT JOHN DEASY'S FAIRYTALE (CUENTO DE HADAS LAUSD Superintendente John Deasy) - Perdaily.com

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 45 minutes ago

LAUSD SUPERINTENDENT JOHN DEASY'S FAIRYTALE (CUENTO DE HADAS LAUSD Superintendente John Deasy) - Perdaily.com:LAUSD SUPERINTENDENT JOHN DEASY'S FAIRYTALE (CUENTO DE HADAS LAUSD Superintendente John Deasy)by Leonard Isenberg(Mensaje se repite en Español)(For a national view of public education reform see the end of this blog post)Poor Superintendent John Deasy. He's just trying to do his job and the police wont let him do it. Watch the following video and see if you can spot the contradictions in the statements of truth ... more »

Tell the President What You Know (and He Doesn't) « The Whole Child Blog « Whole Child Education

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 45 minutes ago

Tell the President What You Know (and He Doesn't) « The Whole Child Blog « Whole Child Education:THE WHOLE CHILD BLOGTell the President What You Know (and He Doesn't)February 14th, 2012 by Klea ScharbergYou know it’s crucial to prepare students for long-term success rather than short-term achievement. Yet federal education policies like NCLB promote narrow, stopgap reforms instead of comprehensive support for our nation’s youth.Tell Washington leaders to focus on what really matters—our children’s long-term futures—by creating a President’s Council ... more »

Career Readiness Campaign - Initiatives & Programs (CA Dept of Education)

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 45 minutes ago

Career Readiness Campaign - Initiatives Programs (CA Dept of Education):Career Readiness CampaignThrough his California Career Readiness Initiative, SSPI Tom Torlakson has directed the California Department of Education to proceed with 17 key objectives to support, sustain and strengthen Career and Technical Education (CTE) in the State. His Initiative builds upon goals outlined in "A Blueprint For Great Schools."ObjectivesLaunch Career Readiness Initiative Campaign: On February 14, 2012, State Superintendent of Public Instruction (SSPI) Tom Torlakson asked practitioners of Career a... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Teach for America - "The Gift that Just Keeps On Giving"

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 45 minutes ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Teach for America - "The Gift that Just Keeps On Giving":Teach for America - "The Gift that Just Keeps On Giving"by Melissa WestbrookWell look at this - a Broad superintendent going behind a School Board's back to hire more TFA (as they lay off more real teachers ). This is in Cobb County Georgia. Unbelievably, they are paying $8k per TFA per year (as opposed to SPS's $4k per year and Federal Way's $3k per year).(Thanks ... more »

Mother Crusader: A Tale of Two Residences (And Offices)

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 45 minutes ago

Mother Crusader: A Tale of Two Residences (And Offices):A Tale of Two Residences (And Offices)by darciecimaOK, so no confirmation hearing for Chris Cerf on Thursday. Like Jersey Jazzman, I am a little disappointed. I was getting geared up to testify about the glaring lack of transparency in the NJDOE under Acting Commissioner Cerf, but I guess it will have to wait. I'm sure it will just give me more ammunition if he ever does get a hearing because I'm not ... more »

Republicans are retreating on No Child, too | The Education Front Blog | dallasnews.com

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 45 minutes ago

Republicans are retreating on No Child, too | The Education Front Blog | dallasnews.com:Republicans are retreating on No Child, tooby William McKenzie/ Editorial ColumnistIn my column today about President Obama's move away from No Child Left Behind, I raised some concerns about what could happen with his revisions. (I also pointed out several positives likely to come from his plan.)But let me be clear; The president isn't the only one walking away from No Child. Congressional Republicans also are in ... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Student protests hit Rahm's favorite charter chain

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 45 minutes ago

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Student protests hit Rahm's favorite charter chain:Student protests hit Rahm's favorite charter chainby Mike KlonskyJulie Woestehoff, of Parents United for Responsible Education, speaks at a rally and march to call for an end to what they call “appalling” disciplinary policies at some schools. | Brian Jackson~Sun-TimesThe mayor's favorite charter school franchise was the target of a parent and student protest yesterday. An FOIA report obtained by PURE, the Advancement Project civil rights group and a student ...more »

Teachers Don't Suck !: Cooked Up Schemes and Catchy Titles

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 45 minutes ago

Teachers Don't Suck !: Cooked Up Schemes and Catchy Titles:Cooked Up Schemes and Catchy TitlesI got to thinking about all the educational schemes that are constantly cooked up in Trenton, Washington and throughout the U.S. What really impresses me is not the results they yield but the grandiose sounding names that are dreamt up for these fruitless projects. The ability to continuously conjure up such pretentious titles (and of course, the catchy sounding acronyms) is astonishing especially in light of ... more »

Schools Matter: Resistance begins with organizing: Social Justice Schools Conference Report Back

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 11 hours ago

Schools Matter: Resistance begins with organizing: Social Justice Schools Conference Report Back:Resistance begins with organizing: Social Justice Schools Conference Report Backby Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene"How do we help students and teachers to stop blaming ourselves and each other and start working together to change the system?" — CEJ Student Activist Photos by Robert D. Skeels, see the entire set.We're beginning to see scattered resistance to the corporate school privatization agenda of the Billionaire Boys Club, ALEC, and Arne Duncan. ... more »

Sac City Unified May Close A.M. Winn After All - Rosemont, CA Patch

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 11 hours ago

Sac City Unified May Close A.M. Winn After All - Rosemont, CA Patch:Sac City Unified May Close A.M. Winn After AllElementary school students just east of Rosemont may have to find a new school next year, despite a previous decision by the Sacramento City Unified School District not to close their school.That campus, A.M. Winn Elementary School, is under-enrolled and could save the district $181,000 if closed.Potential budget cuts for the 2012-13 school year are forcing the district to choose ... more »

THE PERIMETER PRIMATE: Learning from Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee #edchat

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 11 hours ago

THE PERIMETER PRIMATE: Learning from Rhee:Learning from Rheeby The Perimeter PrimateThis is a guest post by Joanna A. Bujes, an Oakland public school parent and supporter of public education. She has taught at U.C. Berkeley, University of Santa Clara, and SUNY Plattsburgh, and she has been a volunteer teacher and tutor in the Oakland public schools (poetry, drama, math) whenever she could find the time.RHEE'S FRAMING OF THE DEBATE ON EDUCATIONOn the evening of February 7, Michelle Rhee, former chancellor ... more »

Opening the Door to a Private Education with Public Money | Uppity Wisconsin

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 11 hours ago

Opening the Door to a Private Education with Public Money | Uppity Wisconsin:Opening the Door to a Private Education with Public MoneySubmitted by Sen. K. Vinehout on Mon, 02/13/2012 - 11:48amBuried in the state budget is a little known provision that opens the door to using state money for private schools.Under the “voucher program” parents in Milwaukee can send their children to private schools with money from the state. A ‘voucher’ is like a coupon. Parents use state money pay ... more »

Cory Booker and Chris Christie: Teachers Should Live in Downtown Newark | The Nation

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 11 hours ago

Cory Booker and Chris Christie: Teachers Should Live in Downtown Newark | The Nation:Cory Booker and Chris Christie: Teachers Should Live in Downtown NewarkDana Goldstein on February 10, 2012 - 5:56pm ETFuture site of the Teachers’ Village development in downtown Newark, New JerseyYesterday Newark Mayor Cory Booker, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, and several private developers and investors—including Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein—converged on a vacant lot in Newark’s historic downtown for the groundbreaking of Teachers’ Village.The mixed-use development, a ... more »

When Educators Reflect as Parents… | Connected Principals

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 11 hours ago

When Educators Reflect as Parents… | Connected Principals:When Educators Reflect as Parents…by Scott ShawAs a principal, one of my favorite things to do is listen to success stories shared by the teachers. As a father, one of my favorite things to do is listen to success stories shared by other parents. When the two worlds collide, the moment is even more special.One of our brilliant educators recently shared the following (names have been changed):Last night, Tommy was excited to share ... more »

solidaridad: ALL OUT: Tuesday, February 14 Rally “Stop the Insanity”! 1-5pm at LAUSD (Beaudry)

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 11 hours ago

solidaridad: ALL OUT: Tuesday, February 14 Rally “Stop the Insanity”! 1-5pm at LAUSD (Beaudry):ALL OUT: Tuesday, February 14 Rally “Stop the Insanity”! 1-5pm at LAUSD (Beaudry)ALL OUT: Tuesday, February 14 Rally “Stop the Insanity”! 1-5pm at LAUSD (Beaudry)

2013 Education Budget: What it Means For You | ED.gov Blog

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 11 hours ago

2013 Education Budget: What it Means For You | ED.gov Blog:2013 Education Budget: What it Means For YouPosted on February 13, 2012 by Cameron BrenchleyContinuing its commitment to education and an America built to last, the Obama Administration released its 2013 budget proposal to Congress today. It includes new education investments that will give U.S. students and workers the education and training they need for the jobs of today and tomorrow.The Department of Education is requesting $69.8 billion in discretionary ... more »

President's Budget Proposal Fails to Fund D.C. Voucher Program - MarketWatch

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 11 hours ago

President's Budget Proposal Fails to Fund D.C. Voucher Program - MarketWatch:President's Budget Proposal Fails to Fund D.C. Voucher ProgramWASHINGTON, February 13, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Despite reauthorization agreement, Obama aims to halt highly-successful Opportunity Scholarship ProgramPresident Barack Obama's newly-released federal budget would not provide funding to the highly-successful D.C. voucher program, despite an agreement signed by the president last year that reauthorized the program.The American Federation --the nation's voice for school choice--strongly decr... more »

Dirty Work - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 16 hours ago

Dirty Work - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher:Dirty Workby Nancy FlanaganEver have a summer job as a teenager? Yup. Me, too. I was a chicken fryer and pot washer at a KFC. I had a 6:00 a.m. waitressing gig at a dockside breakfast joint where fishermen impressed with my coffee-refill speed left hefty 50-cent tips. I've been a cashier, a security guard and a berry picker. The list goes on.Ever find yourself exploited on that job? ... more »

Illinois’ SB7 gets presented to our teachers. « Fred Klonsky

Illinois’ SB7 gets presented to our teachers. « Fred Klonsky:

Illinois’ SB7 gets presented to our teachers.

by Fred Klonsky

I went to a meeting after school yesterday.

Power point.

The purpose of the meeting was to update us on the implementation of Senate Bill 7 in our district.

Because we are a high performing district we do not have to change our present evaluation system until 2016.

Except.

Except we have to change our present three levels to four. At the present time we have something like “excellent,” “satisfactory,” and “unsatisfactory.” We have to add something like “needs improvement.” Okay. No big deal.

We needed legislation for that?

We have to group teachers into four groups for the purpose of laying them off. Like non-tenured are in group one

Support PURE! » Rally against school closings Thursday

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Rally against school closings Thursday:

Rally against school closings Thursday

by admin

From the CTU:

We urge you to attend a public meeting on Thursday, February 16, 2012. This rally will unite representatives of the 16 school communities whose schools face being closed, phased-out and turned-around by the Chicago Board of Education on February 22, 2012.

Please stand with the affected school communities by ATTENDING this important rally at at Pleasant Gift Baptist Church in the Bronzeville community,

4526 S. Greenwood,

6-8 pm. on Thurs. 2/16.

Among the invited guests will be legislators and allies who support the neighborhood schools’ efforts to improve the schools in a community- and teacher-led process, in direct opposition to the proposed take-over by politically connected private school operators. This meeting will call for passage in the Illinois Legislature of two bills which would institute a moratorium on closings, phase-outs and turnarounds.

The state legislative task force created to address community concerns over Chicago’s efforts to shut down or turnaround underperforming schools is calling for a moratorium on school closings, phase-outs and turnarounds. State Rep. Cynthia Soto, (D-Chicago), has introduced a bill in the General Assembly calling for a ban on these

Now we’ve got Mayor Rahm upset

by admin

The secret sauce has made a touchdown, according to Mayor Rahm.

He’s really mad about our protest yesterday against Noble’s discipline policy. I’d guess he’s even madder that the news made every Chicago news outlet plus CNN, MSNBC, and Huffington Post, so far, and it definitely has legs.

He’s mad because we forgot to mention that Noble has better-than-mediocre test scores (though the network is federal academic watch) and a better-than-citywide graduation rate (though it’s hard to compare given that the discipline system in question allows Noble to pressure almost any lagging student to leave).

He may even be mad that we made fun of his comment that Noble has “the secret sauce.”

By the way, Rahm claims that Noble’s near-90% graduation rate is “almost double the system-wide [rate]” which

Racist Gym Teacher Closes Achievement Gap | Mr. Teachbad

Racist Gym Teacher Closes Achievement Gap | Mr. Teachbad:

Racist Gym Teacher Closes Achievement Gap

FAKE EDUCATION NEWS

–Philadel­phia, PA

Researchers and jour­nal­ists from around the coun­try have descended on Philadel­phia this evening to doc­u­ment the fron­tier of edu­ca­tion reform. In one east side Philly neigh­bor­hood, a teacher has qui­etly gone about his astound­ing, path-breaking work for three decades. If pre­lim­i­nary data for this year prove cor­rect, phys­i­cal edu­ca­tion teacher Reg­gie Jack­son of Charles Car­roll High School has nearly closed the achieve­ment gap.

The Teach­bad Edu­ca­tion News (TEN) team is in Philadel­phia and we’ve finally caught up with Mr. Jack­son, 61, after a dis­trict awards ban­quet. He has gen­er­ously agreed to an interview:

TEN: First of all, con­grat­u­la­tions on your award, Mr. Jack­son. You must

A Teacher Letter to the New York State Dept. of Ed. | United Opt Out National

A Teacher Letter to the New York State Dept. of Ed. | United Opt Out National:

A Teacher Letter to the New York State Dept. of Ed.

by admin

To Whom it May Concern:

I firmly oppose any initiative that continues (or expands) the current regime of standardized testing. As an educator, I know that standardized tests are not humane, nor developmentally appropriate.

We are currently studying and writing non-fiction in my second grade classroom. It is beautiful to hear students teach all about topics that they know and love, like ice cream, outer space, insects and more. As part of the study, I decided to invite two of my students from last year into my classroom to share their work. I first had to walk to my school’s satellite location (because we don’t have enough space in our school to house all of our students) and pick up the girls. “Rianna and Jen! Chris is here to bring you to his class!” their teacher announced. Their faces brightened, as they pulled on their hats and mittens and zipped up their jackets. As we were walking and discussing life in third grade I hear Jen say, “I’m nervous about the test,” under her breath. I asked her why, “I just want to do ok. My mom wants me to do ok.” Jen added, “Yeah, my mom got me lots of test prep books. I want to do ok too.” In that moment, I did not know how to respond to my former students, who moments before were

PSAT for 2-14-12: Call Brizard again! Plan to come see Monty! Waivers!

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » PSAT for 2-14-12: Call Brizard again! Plan to come see Monty! Waivers!:

PSAT for 2-14-12: Call Brizard again! Plan to come see Monty! Waivers!

by admin

For Public Schools Action Tuesday (PSAT) today,

1) Parents 4 Teachers is asking you to help keep the pressure on CPS CEO Brizard about school closings and turnarounds. Call today 773-553-1500. I plan to fax my message to him at 773-553-1501. Some points to mention are below.

2) Plan to come to the forum, “Winning the Testing Battle/ Overhauling NCLB/ESEA” at UIC with FairTest’s Monty Neill tomorrow, Wednesday Feb. 15, at 6 pm. in the Cardinal Room at UIC’s Student Center East (701 S. Halsted at Polk, public parking in structure across Halsted).

3) Consider providing testimony to ISBE on the ESEA waiver request they propose to submit to the US Department of Education. They never give us much time to do this – the proposal has only been posted for a

Free Webinar: Designing Learning Activities in a Standards-Based System « The Whole Child Blog « Whole Child Education

Free Webinar: Designing Learning Activities in a Standards-Based System « The Whole Child Blog « Whole Child Education:

Free Webinar: Designing Learning Activities in a Standards-Based System

by Klea Scharberg

Join Anne R. Reeves, author of Where Great Teaching Begins: Planning for Student Thinking and Learning, for an exciting, free webinar on designing learning activities in a standards-based system.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012, 3:00 p.m. eastern time
Register now!

Many teaching practices are “inherited” from previous generations of teachers, but not all of these fit well into a standards-based system that requires all parts of the learning process to be aligned with those standards.

In this webinar, participants will learn how to use a set of planning tools to adapt traditional activities to align them with standards. In addition, they will learn to use these tools to create their own engaging learning activities that will take learners to mastery of the academic standards.

Reeves is an associate professor of education and department head at Susquehanna University, a small, private, liberal-arts undergraduate college in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania. She teaches introductory education courses to first-year students, teaches methods courses to seniors, and supervises secondary education students in their student teaching. Connect with Reeves by e-mail at reeves@susqu.edu.

Explore forthcoming and archived ASCD webinars.

Education Research Report: 13 Questions About Education Reform By Diane Ravitch

Education Research Report: 13 Questions About Education Reform By Diane Ravitch:

13 Questions About Education Reform By Diane Ravitch

by Jonathan Kantrowitz

Ω

Do politicians know anything at all about schools and education? Anything?


as first posted here: Nieman Watchdog

(Some links added)

By Diane Ravitch

gardendr@gmail.com

1. Both Republican candidates and President Obama are enamored of charter schools—that is, schools that are privately managed and deregulated. Are you aware that studies consistently show that charter schools don’t get better results than regular public schools? Are you aware that studies show that, like any deregulated sector, some charter schools get high test scores, many more get low scores, but most are no different from regular public schools? Do you recognize the danger in handing public schools and public monies over to private

Recruiting Focus Group Members - Letters (CA Dept of Education)

Recruiting Focus Group Members - Letters (CA Dept of Education):

Dear County and District Superintendents and Charter School Administrators:

RECRUITING FOCUS GROUP MEMBERS FOR UPDATING THE ENGLISH
LANGUAGE ARTS/ENGLISH LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK FOR
CALIFORNIA PUBLIC SCHOOLS, KINDERGARTEN THROUGH GRADE TWELVE

The California Department of Education (CDE) is pleased to announce that it is recruiting members for four focus groups to provide input on the upcoming English Language Arts/English Language Development Framework for California Public
Schools, Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve (ELA/ELD Framework). The ELA/ELD Framework will incorporate and support the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects, adopted by the California State Board of Education (SBE) in August 2010, and reflect current research on English language arts instruction. It will also incorporate new English Language Development Standards, which are due to be adopted by the SBE in late summer of 2012. Curriculum frameworks provide guidance to teachers, administrators, and parents on how a standards-based curriculum is implemented in the classroom.

Pursuant to the California Code of Regulations, Title 5, Section 9511(c), the CDE will convene four focus groups across California. Each focus group will include between 10 and 15 invitees, who will be selected to ensure balanced representation of regions, types of schools, and grade-level experience. Members of the focus group must be educators at the time of appointment. California Education Code, Section 44013(a) defines an educator:

“Educator” means a certificated person holding a valid California teaching credential or a valid California services credential issued by the commission who is employed by a local education agency or by a special education local planning area and who is not employed as an independent contractor or consultant.

Interested individuals are encouraged to apply. County and district superintendents and charter school administrators are invited to nominate individuals for appointment to a focus group and distribute the attached application to potential applicants. Please note that there is no stipend for service on a focus group, and no reimbursements for travel costs or substitute replacements can be provided by the CDE.

The focus group meetings will be open to the public and comments made by both focus group members and members of the public at each meeting will be forwarded to the Instructional Quality Commission and the SBE for consideration.

Focus group meetings are currently planned for the following dates and locations:

Dates	Locations
May 22, 2012	Orange County Office of Education
May 31, 2012	California Department of Education, Sacramento
June 4, 2012	Monterey County Office of Education
June 5, 2012	Contra Costa County Office of Education

Each focus group meeting will be held in the late afternoon. A more detailed agenda will be sent to participants and posted on the CDE Curriculum Frameworks Web page at http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/rl/cf/ prior to each event.

To apply to be a member of a focus group, please use the online application form. The form can be downloaded from the CDE’s Curriculum Frameworks Web page at http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/rl/cf/. For your convenience, the application form is attached. Applications must be e-mailed to elaframework@cde.ca.gov and received no later than 3 p.m. on Thursday,
April 5, 2012.

If you have any questions regarding focus groups, please contact Cynthia Gunderson, Education Programs Consultant, Curriculum Frameworks and Instructional Resources Division, by phone at 916-319-0451 or by e-mail atcgunderson@cde.ca.gov.

Sincerely,

Tom Torlakson

TT:cg
Attachment - http://www.cde.ca.gov/nr/el/le/documents/yr12ltr0214att.doc (DOC; 52KB; 3pp.)

cc: Michael Kirst, President, State Board of Education
Sue Burr, Executive Director, State Board of Education

State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Unveils Career Readiness
Initiative to Lower Dropout Rate and Prepare Students for Careers

Effort Showcases Career Technical Education to Help Economy

SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today unveiled his Career Readiness Initiative, designed to help lower dropout rates and provide graduates with the career readiness skills needed to pursue further education and training, be prepared to enter the workforce, and help the state rebound from its economic recession.

The multi-faceted Initiative is aimed at integrating career technical education (CTE) into today's high school curriculum and helping link students with California business and industry. Torlakson outlined the Initiative at the Educating for Careers/California Partnership Academies conference, "Pathways to Success," at the Sacramento Convention Center Tuesday as part of CTE Month.

"The ongoing budget crisis and an 18 percent dropout rate mean we have to take action to help our students—and our state's economy," Torlakson said. "Career technical education is a proven way to ensure more of our students, especially those who are deemed 'at risk,' succeed after high school."

The Initiative puts into action recommendations contained in Torlakson's A Blueprint for Great Schools, released last year. TheBlueprint described the need to increase the personalization of instruction and engagement of students through career-themed Linked Learning pathways. Linked Learning blends rigorous academic instruction, high quality CTE courses, work-based learning experiences, and support services to help students succeed. The Initiative includes strategies for increasing the number of career academies within high schools, re-crafting high school curriculum to include career readiness components, and showcasing best practices that meld CTE and academic course work.

A recent report Profile of the California Partnership Academies 2009-2010 ] (Outside Source) found that 95 percent of seniors participating in California Partnership Academies (CPA)—career academies supported by local business-education partnerships—go on to graduate, compared with 85 percent of their peers. The report also found that African American and Hispanic students graduated at significantly higher rates from CPAs than from the general high school population. Among Latino seniors, the CPA graduation rate was 94 percent, the statewide rate 80 percent; among African American seniors the CPA graduation rate was 92 percent, compared with the statewide rate of 76 percent.

These statistics are even more impressive considering that state law requires each academy to enroll no less than 50 percent at-risk students. About 57 percent of these students graduate completing the University of California a-g college preparatory course work required for admittance to our state's four-year universities, compared with 35 percent of graduates statewide. About 88 percent plan to attend two- and four-year college after graduation.

"Our CTE programs are tried and proven, and it just makes sense to build on these successes," said Torlakson, who plans to showcase successful schools and support policies to expand these approaches. "We need to do everything we can to help our students achieve career and college success, and help us return California to its rightful place as an economic powerhouse and global leader."

To learn more about the Career Readiness Initiative, please visit Career Readiness Campaign - Initiatives & Programs. For more information on Torlakson's A Blueprint for Great Schools, please visit A Blueprint For Great Schools - Initiatives & Programs.

# # # #

Tom Torlakson — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5206, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100

School Tech Connect: Get on the Horn, People

School Tech Connect: Get on the Horn, People:

Get on the Horn, People

by noreply@blogger.com (Tim)

It's Virtual Lobby Day. You should get your colleagues to spend five fewer minutes being stressed out over their ten thousand observations or whatever, and shepherd them over to a phone or a computer. They need to do something important.

I really like my current representative, although I'm so jittery about going out and campaigning or canvassing. I'd hate to get behind someone who turns out to be stealth reformy, or stealth anti-labor, or stealth attack-the-pensions, and it's just so hard to know what the term "Democrat" means in the age of Rahm-- particularly when it comes to public education. Kelly Cassidy is doing a good job in the 14th district; the IFT has endorsed her. I'd like to hear more from her, or more from IPACE or the CTU about why there was no endorsement from those organizations in the 14th district.

Anyway... drag a colleague to the phone. You can bet Ty Fahner is calling someone as we speak, ranting and raving about how broke we are and how the only solution is more tax cuts.

Occupy V-Day: The Greatest Love Of All | The Jose Vilson

Occupy V-Day: The Greatest Love Of All | The Jose Vilson:

Occupy V-Day: The Greatest Love Of All

by Jose

Whitney Houston

This is part of the OccupyVDay movement, sponsored by Samhita Mukhopadhyay. I found out about it via Jennifer Pozner and didn’t think I would, but Ms. Houston inspired this. Rest in peace.

Until a few years ago, Valentine’s Day worsened everything I knew about love.

My first crush was this girl named Barbara in the second grade. Whether it was her low key demeanor, cherubic face, or her dulcet voice, I knew I had to send her a card and a small box of chocolates to let her know my feelings towards her. Sure enough, the other Jose in the classroom (Jose L, because namesakes have to take

VEA Protests Bills Passed by General Assembly « PWC Education Reform Blog

VEA Protests Bills Passed by General Assembly « PWC Education Reform Blog:

VEA Protests Bills Passed by General Assembly

February 14, 2012 — pwceducationreform

The VEA has sent out a flyer asking teachers to wear black on Friday Feb 17 2012 to protest what they claim is a “lack of commitment to public education and loss of respect accorded teachers by our elected officials.“ (see 2012BlackFridayFlyer).

So what terrible, horrible, awful, no good, very bad things has the VA General Assembly done to cause this uproar?

Several things, actually.

(1) The House has passed HB 576 “relating to public schools; teacher contract and evaluation policies.“ The bill has been read on the Senate floor and is currently hanging out in the Senate Education Sub-Committee awaiting debate.

What does this bill do?

Changes for Principals and Assistant Principals.

Increased their probationary period from 3 to 5 years, except for Principals who were previously teachers. For Principals who

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Two provocative articles for my students

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Two provocative articles for my students:

Two provocative articles for my students

by Mike Klonsky

Waselenchuk’s judgment of the court’s geometry would make even Euclid wonder.

I'm giving my Philosophy of Ed students two provocative articles from the New York Times to consider. They have just finished reading John Dewey's Experience and Education and the articles exemplify the fundamental connection between experience and learning.

The first is, "A Field Trip to a Strange New Place: Second Grade Visits the Parking Garage" by Michael Winerip.

LAUSD SUPERINTENDENT JOHN DEASY'S FAIRYTALE (CUENTO DE HADAS LAUSD Superintendente John Deasy) - Perdaily.com

LAUSD SUPERINTENDENT JOHN DEASY'S FAIRYTALE (CUENTO DE HADAS LAUSD Superintendente John Deasy) - Perdaily.com:

LAUSD SUPERINTENDENT JOHN DEASY'S FAIRYTALE (CUENTO DE HADAS LAUSD Superintendente John Deasy)

by Leonard Isenberg

(Mensaje se repite en Español)

(For a national view of public education reform see the end of this blog post)

Poor Superintendent John Deasy. He's just trying to do his job and the police wont let him do it. Watch the following video and see if you can spot the contradictions in the statements of truth challenged Superintendent Deasy to Conan Nolan of NBC. Following the video, I will share my own thoughts with you. Please feel free to make your own comments as well.

http://www.nbclosangeles.com/shows/news-conference/

LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy wants to present himself as a nice guy who is just doing his difficult job,