Latest News and Comment from Education

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Mid Day Posts 3-25 #edreform #soschat


SOUTH BRONX SCHOOL: Gideon Stein Looks Down His Nose From His Balcony

SOUTH BRONX SCHOOL: Gideon Stein Looks Down His Nose From His Balcony: Gideon Stein Looks Down His Nose From His Balconybynoreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher)OnMarch 12, I wrote about one of Eva Moskowitz's official henchman Gideon Stein.But calling Gideon Eva's henchman is not enough. I think, at least my opinion is Gideon is Eva's Little mouthpiece.Now to remind you who Gideon is, he is a very rich white man whose mission in life is to correct the behavior, culture, and education of ... more »

Mike Klonsky...: Keynoter at Bowling Green

Mike Klonsky...: Keynoter at Bowling Green: Keynoter at Bowling GreenbyMike KlonskyThe third annual Urban Education Conference is where BGSU undergraduates presented alongside University faculty, graduate students, professional teachers, and administrators to learn from each other about the complexities of the urban education experience.The Keynote speaker was Dr. Michael Klonsky, Small Schools Workshop, Chicago, "Public Schools-An Endangered Species" at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, March 23, in 101 Olscamp Hall.

Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee tells how she Divided D.C.

Education reformer Michelle Rhee tells her side: Education reformer Michelle Rhee tells her sideJill TuckerSunday, March 25, 2012Michelle Rhee, the former Washington, D.C., schools chancellor, might very well be the most controversial figure in publiceducationthese days.She runs the national nonprofit she started in 2010 called Students First, which advocates for increased parent choice, fiscal accountability at all levels of public education and weeding out ineffective teachers and, last year, Time magazine named her among the world's 100 most influential people.But ... more »

Daily Kos: What Kids Aren't Learning

Daily Kos: What Kids Aren't Learning: What Kids Aren't Learningbyrss@dailykos.com (teacherken)is the title of the kickoff session of a camoaign titled "Teaching Out Loud" being run byTeaching for Change, and organization whichprovides teachers and parents with the tools to transform schools into centers of justice where students learn to read, write and change the world.It is dedicated to the idea thatbuilding social justice starts in the classroom.The subtitle of the campaign isSocial Justice Teaching Shouldn't Be Silenced, and that of ... more »

Wolk still leads contribution race, Frerichs makes big move for second | Davis Enterprise

Wolk still leads contribution race, Frerichs makes big move for second | Davis Enterprise: Wolk still leads contribution race, Frerichs makes big move for secondHeading into the final months of campaigning for Davis CityCouncil seats, incumbent Dan Wolk has not lost much of his substantial financial lead in contributions.Candidates again had to file on Thursday to show their campaign contributions from Jan. 1 to March 17 and Wolk now has amassed a $20,139 campaign war chest, over $8,000 more than ... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Creativity, Common Core, Racial Diversity (or Guilt). The Sunday Education Weekly Reader 03.25.12

Missouri Education Watchdog: Creativity, Common Core, Racial Diversity (or Guilt). The Sunday Education Weekly Reader 03.25.12: Creativity, Common Core, Racial Diversity (or Guilt). The Sunday Education Weekly Reader 03.25.12bystlgretchenWelcome to the Sunday Education Weekly Reader for 3.25.12. This week's visual soundbites from Twitter:I didn't make the connection of "collaboration" this tweeter took away from the article. I find it fascinating the creative genius in all students could very well be squashed by a common curriculum, common timetable for learning, and ... more »

Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » EETT, that light at the end of the tunnel is looking less like a train…

Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » EETT, that light at the end of the tunnel is looking less like a train…: This emperor has no clothes…byalicemercerIn general, education policy in California is on a different trajectory than many other states. No less a personage thanDiane Ravitch has lauded my governor, Jerry Brown. Even though the Obama administration foolishly over-looked Linda Darling-Hammond, ourstate superintendenthas highlighted her work, and appointed her to the state credentialing commission. With the departure of State ... more »

How Michelle Rhee Orchaestrated a Deceitful Billionaire Bait and Switch | Scathing Purple Musings

How Michelle Rhee Orchaestrated a Deceitful Billionaire Bait and Switch | Scathing Purple Musings: How Michelle Rhee Orchaestrated a Deceitful Billionaire Bait and SwitchbyBob SikesWashington Postreporter Bill Torque takes a close look at the DCPS budget and notes there’s a serious difference between Michelle Rhee’s budget and that of her successor, Kaya Henderson.One of the more striking line items on the operating side is for private grant funds. They averaged about $21 million between 2010 and 2012, as the Broad, ... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: The Urban Ed Conference at Bowling Green

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: The Urban Ed Conference at Bowling Green: The Urban Ed Conference at Bowling GreenbyMike KlonskyThanks to the great folks at theECCO Learning Community (Educators in Context and Community) for inviting me to keynote their Urban Education Conference at Bowling Green University, Friday. The entire conference was great. I especially enjoyed the many informal discussions with ECCO students and then listening to several of their presentations at the break out sessions. ECCO is a small learning community ... more »

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top 3-25 AM Posts #soschat #edreform

An Urban Teacher's Education: Teaching HumanityBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-3 hours agoAn Urban Teacher's Education: Teaching Humanity: Teaching HumanitybyJames BoutinThis is the first year of my career I've been tasked with teaching literacy directly. I have two groups of 9th-grade students whose literacy I'm responsible for improving in a detectable way.Prior to this year, I'd never really thought about literacy all that deeply. Literacy - the ability to read, right? As someone trained in language arts, I know ...more »

School Tech Connect: It's Called A Shakedown

School Tech Connect: It's Called A Shakedown: It's Called A ShakedownEvery once in a while someone says something so succinctly that really, nothing more need be said. Andthat person is MiC:Agreeing to reducing earned benefits in exchange for a promise to pay benefits which have already been earned is not something of real value. It’s a shell game and a betrayal of trust.Backgroundhere.For the record, I reviewed the Illinois constitution this evening. No where is the IEA or the IFT ...more »

An Urban Teacher's Education: Teaching Humanity

An Urban Teacher's Education: Teaching Humanity: Teaching HumanitybyJames BoutinThis is the first year of my career I've been tasked with teaching literacy directly. I have two groups of 9th-grade students whose literacy I'm responsible for improving in a detectable way.Prior to this year, I'd never really thought about literacy all that deeply. Literacy - the ability to read, right? As someone trained in language arts, I know how to engage students with reading: engage and build background knowledge, make predictions, ... more »

The in box. “Fool me once.” « Fred Klonsky

The in box. “Fool me once.” « Fred Klonsky: The in box. “Fool me once.”byFred KlonskyFred,Here’s what I don’t understand about Sen. Cullerton’s rational: He’s offering a promise to honor the state’s previous promise as “something of real value”.Call me silly, but fool my once…If the state had honored it’s promise in the first place and not skipped it’s payments, there might be some belief in the state following through. But despite this, Sen. Cullerton sees offering a new contract ...more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Trayvon Martin

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Trayvon Martin: Trayvon MartinbyMelissa WestbrookFYI - Tomorrow, a rally and march for Trayvon Martin sponsored by the NAACP, Mothers for Police Accountability, American Friends Service Committee, and other activist groups.Rally at 4pm Sunday the 25thGreater Mt.Baker Baptist Church,2425 South Jackson StreetMarch at 4:30pmtoMLK Memorial Park,2200 Martin Luther King Jr WayTrayvon Martin was 17. He had friends, was bright (but got in trouble for tardiness) and had a close-knit family even though his parents had divorced. He ... more »

SEA Candidate statements by Jonathan Knapp and Phyllis Campano | Seattle Education

SEA Candidate statements by Jonathan Knapp and Phyllis Campano | Seattle Education: SEA Candidate statements by Jonathan Knapp and Phyllis Campanobyseattleducation2011In the spirit of fairness, because I have posted information regardingEric Muhswho is a candidate for President of the Seattle Education Association, to follow is a statement by Jonathan Knapp and his running mate Phyllis Campano.Every governance election within a union presents a crossroads for the membership. At the crossroads of this election we believe that there are two paths ... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: IN THE MAILBOX

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: IN THE MAILBOX: IN THE MAILBOXbyMike KlonskyTO: Journalists Who Cover EducationFROM: Bob Schaeffer, Public Education Director, National Center for Fair Open Testing (FairTest)RE: Test CheatingDATE: March 24, 2012TheAtlanta Journal Constitution's investigation of suspicious test scores around the nation is the latest example of how the widespread, politically mandated misuse of standardized tests is damaging U.S. public schools and the children they serve. Yes, cheating on standardized exams is very widespread -- FairTest has documented confirmed cases ... more »

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » 100 local academics oppose CPS teacher evaluation tied to test scores

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » 100 local academics oppose CPS teacher evaluation tied to test scores: Don’t miss me on Rev. Jesse Jackson show Saturday pm100 local academics oppose CPS teacher evaluation tied to test scoresI will be speaking Monday at theCReATE press conference:March 23, 2012EDUCATORS SOUND ALARMABOUT USING “STUDENT GROWTH”TO EVALUATE TEACHERS AND PRINCIPALSCReATE, a volunteer group of local education professors and researchers, will detail their concerns about a planned Chicago Public Schools evaluation system ... more »

How much will you bet on the IEA leadership having some spine? Will you bet your pension? « Fred Klonsky

How much will you bet on the IEA leadership having some spine? Will you bet your pension? « Fred Klonsky: How much will you bet on the IEA leadership having some spine? Will you bet your pension?byFred KlonskyI have had the pleasure of having a number of conversations with Glen Brown.You will not find a man more knowledgable on the issue of Illinois teacher pensions than Glen.Or a nicer guy. And a wonderful poet.His most recent blog postingasks if you ... more »

Schools Drop ‘Pink Slime’ Beef Filler Like a Hot Potato - NYTimes.com

Schools Drop ‘Pink Slime’ Beef Filler Like a Hot Potato - NYTimes.com: ‘Pink Slime’ Losing Place on School Lunch MenusEvan McGlinn for The New York TimesOrchard Gardens K-8 School in Boston no longer serves beef containing “pink slime,” or lean finely textured beef, an ammonia-treated filler.By JESS BIDGOODPublished: March 24, 2012RECOMMENDTWITTERLINKEDINE-MAILPRINTREPRINTSSHAREBOSTON — Andy Gomez, a ninth grader at Brighton High School, was not sure why hamburgers and meatballs had disappeared from the cafeteria, but he was not happy about it. ... more »

No, You Can’t End Racism By Tweeting About The Trayvon Martin Foundation « Student Activism

No, You Can’t End Racism By Tweeting About The Trayvon Martin Foundation « Student Activism: No, You Can’t End Racism By Tweeting About The Trayvon Martin FoundationbyAngus JohnstonAt 7:24 last night, a Twitter account called @WeLoveTrayvon sent its third tweet:“R.I.P. Trayvon Martin. For every RE-TWEET this tweet gets, $1 will be donated to the TrayvonMartinFoundation, which helps counteract racism.”In the eighteen hours since, that tweet has been retweeted tens of thousands of times.Unfortunately, it’s a hoax.There’s no such thing as ... more »

What happens when charter schools close? | NOLA.com

What happens when charter schools close? | NOLA.com: What happens when charter schools close?Published: Saturday, March 24, 2012, 9:57 AM Updated:Saturday, March 24, 2012, 11:04 AMBySarah Carr, The Times-PicayuneNearly four years ago, teenagers Lynntrell Westbrook and Damonika Stokes took a chance on an ambitious new charter school that promised a rigorous high school curriculum combined with regular community-service activities.Michael Democker, Times-PicayuneStudents board buses to leave Sojourner Truth at the end of the school day Friday.Leaders at Sojourner Truth Academy charter... more »

A weekend interview with parent activists Kathleen Oropeza and Rita Solnet | #soschat #paa #edchat| Tampa Bay Times

A weekend interview with parent activists Kathleen Oropeza and Rita Solnet | Education articles blog on schools in Florida Tampa Bay: the Gradebook | Tampa Bay Times: Rita SolnetHow do you feel you got feedback from lawmakers? Do you feel like they listened to what you had to say?Actually, yes. This was quite a learning process for myself. I learned that many of them are just misinformed. They really don't have the facts. They don't have the evidence. And when ... more »

Cheating our children: Suspicious school test scores across the nation | ajc.com

Cheating our children: Suspicious school test scores across the nation | ajc.com: Cheating our children: Suspicious school test scores across the nationShareThisPrintE-mailByHeather Vogell,John Perryand Alan Judd and M.B. PellThe Atlanta Journal-ConstitutionSuspicious test scores in roughly 200 school districts resemble those that entangled Atlanta in the biggest cheating scandal in American history, an investigation by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution shows.Enlarge photoHyosub Shin, hshin@ajc.comSt. Louis: Patrick Henry Downtown Academy’s principal was placed on leave last year for... more »

CT Gov proposes to take the public & parents out of public education « Parents Across America

CT Gov proposes to take the public & parents out of public education « Parents Across America:


CT Gov proposes bill to take the public — & parents — out of public education

Missouri Education Watchdog: The Food Police in Wellesley Stike Back at Kids

Missouri Education Watchdog: The Food Police in Wellesley Stike Back at Kids:


The Food Police in Wellesley Stike Back at Kids

Who is supposed to be setting educational policies for schools?  The state or the Federal Government?

This is a classic example of governmental overreach reported by boston.com. The food police strikes again!  Poor kids.  It's supposed to be about them, right? It's to make them fit and healthy according to Michelle Obama.  It's more as if the schools via the Federal Government mandates are starving students with not serving them enough food to satisfy them and providing expired milk. The waste of food is 

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Just Wondering

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Just Wondering:


Just Wondering

Now we know a few more things about the situation at Lowell and I just have to ask Dr. Enfield and Mr. Apostle a couple of questions:

This was in the comments section on the thread about the release of the investigation report. 

Last year, Gregory King shared with the entire staff during a staff meeting, a "This is my life" power point. In it he revealed that his father had been killed by white racists when he was just a young boy, I believe at age six. His brother was killed as a teen ager, also by presumed gang activities. We knew that he had gone through what would have a major impact on his phyche.

All year, when we saw teachers bullied, and his own outbursts, ranting at the staff, we all somewhat excused 

Jersey Jazzman: Arne Duncan: Indifferent Maniac

Jersey Jazzman: Arne Duncan: Indifferent Maniac:


Arne Duncan: Indifferent Maniac

What a nutcase:
Publishing teachers' ratings in the newspaper in the way The New York Times and other outlets have done recently is not a good use of performance data, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said in an interview yesterday.
"Do you need to publish every single teacher's rating in the paper? I don't think you do," he said. "There's not much of an upside there, and there's a tremendous downside for teachers. We're at a time where morale is at a record low. ... We need to be sort of strengthening teachers, and elevating and supporting them."
So how does this square with Duncan's famous endorsement, in 2010, of the Los 

Schumer: DOJ must probe Stand Your Ground laws - CBS News #trayvonmartin@ritacolleen

Schumer: DOJ must probe Stand Your Ground laws - CBS News:


Schumer: DOJ must probe Stand Your Ground laws

By
Lucy Madison
(CBS News) Senator Chuck Shumer is calling on the Justice Department to expand its probe of the Trayvon Martin shooting to include an examination of controversial Stand Your Ground laws associated with the case, he told CBS News' "Face the Nation" on Sunday.
Schumer, in interview with CBS News' Norah O'Donnell, said he is sending a letter to the Justice 

Daily Kos: The Tragedy of Education Tranformation: Leadership without Expertise

Daily Kos: The Tragedy of Education Tranformation: Leadership without Expertise:


South Carolina's Superintendent of Education Mick Zais makes several claims in The State(March 25, 2012) that build on one central argument: "The most important information about teachers isn’t the degrees they have or their years of seniority. Their effectiveness in the classroom matters much, much more."
Like Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, Zais has no experience teaching children in K-12 public education. This complete lack of teaching experience and degrees in the field of education is a suspect position from which to claim that these two characteristics do not matter. In fact, political appointees and elected officials sit in unique positions often above both accountability (the mantra du jure of the political elite regarding education) and qualifications—unlike the real world markets they often praise.
Leadership without Expertise?
Since the early 1980s, U.S. public education has been experimenting with accountability, 

For The People - a Social Democracy Conference | Uppity Wisconsin

For The People - a Social Democracy Conference | Uppity Wisconsin:


For The People - a Social Democracy Conference

Printer-friendly versionSend to friend
Date: 
Wed, 04/04/2012 - 12:00am - 4:00pm
Student-Run Social Democracy conference at UW- Stout.  Steve Hanson of Uppity Wisconsin will be one of the speakers in the Oral Presentations section. https://www.facebook.com/events/177648715686026/

Location

UW Stout Memorial Student Center
302 10th Avenue Cedar, Maple, and Birch Rooms
MenomonieWI 54751
United States
44° 52' 24.8592" N91° 55' 35.9472" W

Jersey Jazzman: How To Convince Me the Merit Pay Fairy Is Real:

Jersey Jazzman: How To Convince Me the Merit Pay Fairy Is Real::


How To Convince Me the Merit Pay Fairy Is Real:

This is one of the most despicable things I have read in this whole reformy debate, and it stands as evidence as to why billionaires should not be influencing education policy. From Bill Turque of the Washington Post, writing about the D.C. schools:
One of the more striking line items on the operating side is for private grant funds. They averaged about $21 million between 2010 and 2012, as the Broad, Arnold, Walton and Robertson foundations supported the labor contract negotiated by former D.C. schools chancellor Michelle Rhee, one that eliminated seniority preferences and established big performance bonuses under IMPACT.
But the Rhee Effect is there in bold relief on Page D-2. With Rhee gone and the three-

Reflections on Teaching » 3 simple questions for Common Core mathematics standards…

Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » 3 simple questions for Common Core mathematics standards…:


3 simple questions for Common Core mathematics standards…

In my last post, I said I would look at three questions about the new common core standards and how they play out for fifth grade in California:
  1. How do they compare with the current standards (with no assumption that the current standards are working–they aren’t);
  2. Are they too narrow, or too broad;
  3. Are they developmentally appropriate, and are some of the exemplars appropriate for elementary.
This post will cover the mathematics standards. I’m going to start with a story from my professional life. I’m doing this even though Mr. Coleman (co-author of the ELA standards) insists no one give a “hoot” what I think, and further that I need to read the text itself, without biasing things with prior knowledge, I think that’s stupid. I think it’s really stupid that someone as well educated as Mr. Coleman would say that because let’s face it, most learning is gained by creating analogues between something new and novel, and what we already know.
My story is this, when I was in the classroom last we used a text from Saxon. It was heavy on procedure and computation, light on visuals, and completely devoid of any joy. Four years later, I return from the computer lab to the classroom, and a new mathematics text. It’s full of illustrations! It’s full of real-life examples! It sucks. I wrote a bit here. My point is this, I don’t like my state’s current math standards. They are way too broad, way 

Stand Up for Trayvon Martin Rally – Sunday – March 25th in City Heights #trayvonmartin

Stand Up for Trayvon Martin Rally – Sunday – March 25th in City Heights:


Stand Up for Trayvon Martin Rally – Sunday – March 25th in City Heights

Stand Up for Trayvon Martin Rally Sunday
March 25, 2:00 pm
Highland & Landis Park, 3795 Fairmount Ave. San Diego 92105
(between the library and rec center in City Heights)
George Zimmerman shot and killed Trayvon Martin, an unarmed 17-year-old, inside a gated Florida community on Feb. 26, 2012. He has not yet been charged in the shooting. Our community will come together in support for Trayvon Martin's parents, who are calling for Zimmerman's arrest and prosecution. We demand justice for Trayvon Martin!

Steve Wise Sought to Suppress Test Data for a Campaign Contributor | Scathing Purple Musings

Steve Wise Sought to Suppress Test Data for a Campaign Contributor | Scathing Purple Musings:


Steve Wise Sought to Suppress Test Data for a Campaign Contributor

From Leslie Postal in the Orlando Sentinel:
Sen. Steve Wise, R-Jacksonville, is convinced.
Since watching some of Lockavitch’s 30-minute demonstrations , Wise, a veteran legislator and chairman of the Senate’s education committee, has used his influence to insert millions of dollars for Lockavitch’s program into the state budget since 2000. The 2012-13 budget the Legislature just approved includes an additional $750,000 meant for the North Carolina company.
But the program’s central premise — that phonics skills won’t help the “worst-performing” students — runs counter to decades of reading research and to Florida’s blueprint for reading instruction.
More significantly, Florida students who took part in Failure Free Reading last school year did 

Jersey Jazzman: Schools Need Real Research

Jersey Jazzman: Schools Need Real Research:


Schools Need Real Research

Yesterday, I pointed out that Newark superintendent Cami Anderson's piece in the Star-Ledger referred to all sorts of "research" without giving us any citations. I can't say for sure whether that's the fault of Anderson or theS-L; I can say that Anderson is making some very controversial assertions, and she should back them up with actual citations from the literature.

A good role model for both her and the S-L is Matt DiCarlo of shankerblog.org. Matt is a real researcher who reaches his conclusions through careful study of high-quality studies, and not through ideology. Matt pointed me to some real research that contradicts some of Anderson's claims. For example:

Anderson: "Some research shows that we lose our best teachers to charter schools and other professions because they feel they are not growing and they become disheartened seeing students in ineffective