SF schools try to mend problems without suspension:

SF schools try to mend problems without suspension Jill Tucker Monday, March 26, 2012 Print E-mail Share Comments (4) Font | Size:  7 Michael Macor / SFC Rosa Parks Elementary school Principal Paul Jacobson, stops to talks with students during lunch, Akese King at his side, in San Francisco, Ca. on Thursday March 8, 2012. Jacobson is using restorative justice practices to reduce suspensions and behavioral problem with his students. He walks around the school with restorative justice questions on a lanyard he wears around his neck, at the ready when a conflict arises. IMAGES  View Larger Images MORE BAY AREA NEWS Your Lucky Numbers 03.26.12 Man struck by Muni bus dies03.26.12 SF Bay Area weather: more rain, snow 03.26.12 For two decades, Principal Paul Jacobsen was known as a no-nonsense, cut-to-the-chase, hard-nosed school administrator who didn't hesitate to dole out strict punishment when students broke the rules. Then the San Francisco principal learned about something called the restorative justice approach. The restorative model, which the

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/03/25/MNS81NI3IK.DTL#ixzz1qEp8Nx52

This Week In Education: Thompson: Schools And Racial Profiling

This Week In Education: Thompson: Schools And Racial Profiling:

Thompson: Schools And Racial Profiling

by john thompson

What does the killing of Trayvon Martin have to do with the Department of Education's data collection which shows that black students are 3-1/2 times more likely to be suspended than white students?  Personal and institutional racism persist, as does bigotry born of a lack of communication.
One thing that the latest tragedy and the "school to prison pipeline" have in common, however, is that solutions to both can be found in the classroom.I would like to join with Jose Vilson, whose "Trayvon Martin and the Implication for Teacher Perceptions of Students," in the Huffington Post, affirms that, "Teachers can play a critical role in the move towards racial consciousness and, yes, harmony."  Vilson explains why teachers must listen to our students, and why we must find time in class for conversations that address our cultural perceptions and misperceptions.
The following is an example of one such conversation that I was privileged to witness.  Pat McGuigan, who was

Bruno: More "Divide And Conquer," Please

by Paul Bruno

Rick Hess had a great post last week pointing out that even if you think your debate opponents are wrong about an issue, that doesn't necessarily mean they're being unreasonable. He defends the strategic value of respecting your opponents' points of view because "[e]mpathy is ultimately the difference between cage-busters who implode amidst endless battles and those who, studying their Sun-Tzu, operate with determination and deliberation."
Hess illustrates the idea by describing why veteran teachers drive union opposition to compensation and seniority reform when those things might be to the benefit of less-veteran members. As it happens, that's the sort of difficulty Sun-Tzu addressed directly in The Art of War: "If [your enemy's] forces are united, separate them." And this raises the question - at least in my mind - of why reformers haven't adopted a divide-and-conquer strategy more frequently.
The overall merits of the particular reform aside, if it's true that younger teachers would be more open to, say,

Research: FLA & Hawaii Not Meeting Race Expectations

by Alexander Russo

There's a new report from CAP about state implementation of Race To The Topcoming out today.  The delays and overpromising we already know about, though there are new and updated details in the state reports.
The big headline is that two states -- Hawaii and Florida -- were found not to be meeting expectations.  Not New York.
Click below for the talking points.
Other findings:

• Race to the Top has advanced the reform agenda. We found that all the states that received a grant are now piloting or implementing a new teacher evaluation system.
• While progress is uneven, many states are largely on track with their Race to the Top commitments, making strong progress and meeting many of their initial promises. Under our evaluation rubric, most of the states appear to be meeting expectations.
• Every state has delayed some part of their grant implementation, and some observers worry about 

Shanker Blog » An Uncertain Time For One In Five Female Workers

Shanker Blog » An Uncertain Time For One In Five Female Workers:

An Uncertain Time For One In Five Female Workers

by Matthew Di Carlo

It’s well-known that patterns of occupational sex segregation in the labor market – the degree to which men and women are concentrated in certain occupations – have changed quite a bit over the past few decades, along with the rise of female labor force participation.
Nevertheless, this phenomenon is still a persistent feature of the U.S. labor market (and those in other nationsas well). There are many reasons for this, institutional, cultural and historical. But it’s interesting to take a quick look at a few specific groups, as there are implications in our current policy environment.
The simple graph below presents the proportion of all working men and women that fall into three different occupational groups. The data are from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and they apply to 2011.

Although it’s hardly news, it’s still rather remarkable that, as shown in the two bars at the bottom of the graph, 

Teachers in a position to reward friends and punish enemies on pension fight. « Fred Klonsky

Teachers in a position to reward friends and punish enemies on pension fight. « Fred Klonsky:

Teachers in a position to reward friends and punish enemies on pension fight.

by Fred Klonsky

PopoutThe Chicago Way.
Don’t be shocked when you read this. I have my criticism of the IEA leadership.
But at the IEA RA last week, when I was asked to vote on giving more money for the fight against anti-union legislation and defending ou

SB24 won’t solve CT’s real Teacher Equity Problems « School Finance 101

SB24 won’t solve CT’s real Teacher Equity Problems « School Finance 101:

SB24 won’t solve CT’s real Teacher Equity Problems

by schoolfinance101

Connecticut’s SB 24 appears to be little more than boilerplate reformy legislation which, like similar legislation in other states, creates a massive smokescreen concealing the very real problems facing Connecticut school districts. I addressed in a previous post my concern that SB24′s emphasis on charter expansion as a solution for high poverty districts is misguided, mainly because most of those successful charter schools in CT are currently achieving their successes at least in part by NOT serving high poverty populations. And another part may be the additional resources of these schools, used for such things as increased school time, supported by increased teacher salaries.  But SB24 comes with few resources attached. The other major elements of SB24 involve teacher “effectiveness” with significant emphasis on use of student performance measures for teacher evaluation. For numerous posts on this topic, see: http://schoolfinance101.wordpress.com/category/race-to-the-top/value-added-teacher-evaluation/
A few points are in order before I move on.
First, even if we make value added measures about 20% of an evaluation system, and observations and other 

All Things Education: Some Comments on Beautiful Souls, Saying No, Breaking Ranks, and Heeding the Voice of Conscience in Dark Times by Eyal Press

All Things Education: Some Comments on Beautiful Souls, Saying No, Breaking Ranks, and Heeding the Voice of Conscience in Dark Times by Eyal Press:

Some Comments on Beautiful Souls, Saying No, Breaking Ranks, and Heeding the Voice of Conscience in Dark Times by Eyal Press

by Rachel Levy

This is a guest post by an author who wishes to go by the pen name of Molly McGuire:

There's Many of Us Out There

by Molly McGuire

Caught as I am in a compromised world, Eyal Press’ book encouraged me to keep fighting. There’s a lot of us out there. We’re public school teachers. We’re told by our bosses to do things that hurt children. We refuse. 

We’re the sort who read Diane Ravitch’s The Death and Life of the Great American School System, or Diana Senechal’s The Republic of Noise, or Dan Willingham’s Why Students Don’t Like School. I’d like to add Eyal Press’ book to this list. He’s telling the stories of ordinary people (when Steven Spielberg wanted an ordinary 

Today in Real Reform & Innovation · TeacherSabrina · Storify

Today in Real Reform & Innovation · TeacherSabrina · Storify:

Storified by Sabrina Stevens

2 months ago · 28 views

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Today in Real Reform & Innovation

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1/24/12: State of the Union edition! What did public school supporters have to say about the President's speech, or the education panel afterwards?

1. Monday night, President Obama gave his annual State of the Union Address. From as many as 34,000 tweets sent about education just prior to and during the speech, a few key themes emerged.
   
   Though many agree that the speech itself was really strong*, one of most persistent threads of throughout the conversation was skepticism. People questioned the evidence behind 

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Don Kennedy makes a soft landing

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Don Kennedy makes a soft landing:

Don Kennedy makes a soft landing

by Charlie Mas

Don Kennedy, the former CFOO of Seattle Public Schools was kicked out on his ass a year ago. The School Board softened his landing with six months' severance, but now we know (from this Seattle Times article) that he has landed in clover as the interim operations chief in Bridgeport, Connecticut. At $900 a day, and assuming a 260 day contract, that's $234,000 a year. Any questions? He'll have to get back to you on that.

Dr. Goodloe-Johnson, as we know, has been made the superintendent of the state-run district in Michigan which is made up of all of the "failing" schools taken over by the state. I have no doubt that she got that position based on her analogous success with the Southeast Education Initiative here in Seattle. In case you're wondering, Dr. Goodloe-Johnson really did declare that effort a success.

Dr. Goodloe-Johnson rather famously (or infamously) denied any responsibility for the scandal in the RSBDP 

Parents: The Missing Engine Behind School Reform - New America Media

Parents: The Missing Engine Behind School Reform - New America Media:

Parents: The Missing Engine Behind School Reform

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New America Media, News Report, Khalil Abdullah, Posted: Mar 26, 2012

Modesto E. Abety-Gutierrez, President of The Children's Trust (with the mic), along with other panel speakers, including (from left) Liz Looney, Service Manager with City Year Miami; Principal Pablo Ortiz with Miami Edison Senior High School; School Board member Raquel A. Regalado with Miami-Dade County Schools; Dr. Lenore Rodicio with Miami Dade College; Mc Nelly Torres with Florida Center for Investigative Reporting; and Lucie Tondreau, a parent and Haitian community advocate and Parent.

A series of first-ever forums brought front line education reformers and community media representatives together in Atlanta, Memphis, Miami and New Orleans. The consensus was clear: improving schools is a civil rights issue but will become a movement only when parents are fully involved -- and a movement in which media must play a more a compelling role.

“It’s a right for the children to have an education,” said Elise Evans, co-chair of Southern Avenue Middle Charter School in Memphis. “It’s a civil right.” Her demand was seconded by Marleine 

In Case You Missed It: State orders mediator to oversee City teacher evaluation negotiation; PEP approves 19 co-locations « EdVox

In Case You Missed It: State orders mediator to oversee City teacher evaluation negotiation; PEP approves 19 co-locations « EdVox:

In Case You Missed It: State orders mediator to oversee City teacher evaluation negotiation; PEP approves 19 co-locations

by edvoxny

Here on EdVox we’re excited to bring you the latest news about education issues and policies affecting our communities. It can be hard to keep up with all of the events and happenings, so – in case you missed it… Here is a recap of the latest stories in NYC education news, starting with the oldest news:

MONDAY

• A parent at popular P.S. 261 in Boerum Hill op-eds in the Times that aggressive “poaching” of parents from her family’s school by the newly approved nearby Success Academy charter school will unbalance diversity at the school, and if the Bloomberg Administration’s ultimate goal is to “privatize” the school system: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/17/opinion/how-charter-schools-can-hurt.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

TUESDAY

• The endorsement of the United Federation for Teachers is a big prize up for grabs in the 2013 race for 

Playing Smart: A New Guide to Help Communities Open the Schoolyards | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights

Playing Smart: A New Guide to Help Communities Open the Schoolyards | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights:

Playing Smart: A New Guide to Help Communities Open the Schoolyards

by NEA Health Information Network

We’ve never needed safe play spaces in our communities more than we do now. Nearly a third of kids and adolescents in America – and two-thirds of adults – are overweight or obese. Many are urged to get more exercise but can’t follow this advice very easily where they live.
Schools, of course, have all kinds of exercise facilities – gyms, soccer fields, tracks, basketball courts, playgrounds, even swimming pools. But when school lets out, these spaces are often locked to students and the rest of the neighborhood.
Administrators have reasons for keeping these spaces closed after hours. They’re concerned about security. They’re afraid of getting sued if someone gets hurt. They
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Missouri Education Watchdog: Facebook Privacy = Student Privacy. It's the Same Issue.

Missouri Education Watchdog: Facebook Privacy = Student Privacy. It's the Same Issue. Where's the Outrage over the Longitudinal Data System? The Argument is the Same. Your Privacy is YOURS. Your Data is Not Your Employer's and not the Government's.:

Facebook Privacy = Student Privacy. It's the Same Issue. Where's the Outrage over the Longitudinal Data System? The Argument is the Same. Your Privacy is YOURS. Your Data is Not Your Employer's and not the Government's.

by stlgretchen

Facebook put out a statement about privacy as employers have started demanding Facebook passwords from prospective employees.  Why are Americans so concerned about this issue while a breathtaking invasive data gathering is occurring in the public schools...for children from 

The Fate of the Common Core: The View from 2022 :: Frederick M. Hess

The Fate of the Common Core: The View from 2022 :: Frederick M. Hess:

The Fate of the Common Core: The View from 2022

by Frederick M. Hess  •  Mar 26, 2012 at 8:31 am
Cross-posted from Education Week

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Funny story. A few weeks back, I was out in DC after one of my AEI working groups. It got late and just a few of us were left, including ed tech gurus Jonathan Harber, Larry Berger, and Mick Hewitt. Anyway, walking out of Panache after too many cocktails, we stumbled upon a DeLorean. One thing led to another. Long story short: they built a time machine and I test-drove it. Where'd I go? I hopped forward a decade to 2022, skipped the chance to meet my future self or check out the iPad 13.0, and instead avidly downloaded the most intriguing edu-titles I could find (sad, but what can you do?).

Anyway, wanted to share one title that's uber-relevant today. It's Great Promise Thwarted: The Humbling History of the Common Core, 2008-2018. It'll be written by my good friend, eminent NYU edu-historian Jonathan Zimmerman, and e-published by Harvard University Press, in 2022.

It's worth quoting a long excerpt from the book's conclusion:

For a brief time, during 2010-2012, the success of the Common Core seemed assured. 

5 Tips for a Successful Parent-Teacher Conference - High School Notes (usnews.com)

5 Tips for a Successful Parent-Teacher Conference - High School Notes (usnews.com):

5 Tips for a Successful Parent-Teacher Conference

By LAURA MCMULLEN

March 26, 2012 RSS Feed Print

Parents and high school teachers are not typically people with ample free time. But as the two groups that often influence children and their education the most, parents and teachers need to make time to communicate with each other.

They should form a partnership, says National Parent Teacher Association (PTA) president Betsy Landers, because parents and teachers both want their students to succeed. One important way to ensure the child's success is by engaging in effective parent-teacher conferences.

For parents, the most important step is showing up to the conference, which often means taking time off of work. In fact,Maryland legislators are currently working on a bill that would force business owners to give their parent-employees up to four hours of unpaid leave twice each semester to attend parent-teacher conferences.

[Read how students learn better with engaged parents.]

Parents in every state need to "do their homework" before attending the meeting, says Landers, and must know how to make every minute count once it starts. Here are five tips from Landers on how to do just that.

1. Talk to your child: Before attending the conference,