Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Mid Day Posts 4-23 #edreform #soschat

Making Myself Useful (and other items) | Mr. Teachbad

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 5 minutes ago

Making Myself Useful (and other items) | Mr. Teachbad: Making Myself Useful (and other items)byteachbad(I’m a bit rushed…driving to Indi­ana in…36 min­utes. More on that in a minute.)Churn ‘n’ Burn and Spin Me to theDoorThere are two short things I read this week that I believe are con­nected. The first was an arti­cle in Edu­ca­tion Week from early in April calledWhen Teach­ers Are Treated Like Wid­gets, Edu­ca­tion Suf­fers. It was writ­ten by aca­d­e­mics who are tired of all their stud­ies ... more »

RIGHT AGAIN :) ! Potter Williams Report: Diane Ravitch Outsmarted by One of Her Own

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 5 minutes ago

Potter Williams Report: Diane Ravitch Outsmarted by One of Her Own: DIANE RAVITCH OUTSMARTED BY ONE OF HER OWNEducation Week published aletterfrom Diane Ravitch to another progressive Deweyian educator Deborah Meier entitled “I Don't Understand Michelle Rhee.”Ravitch can't figure out why Rhee lies, why she blames teachers for everything and how she can reel in die-hard Republicans with ease.I guess education historian Diane Ravitch is not in on the endgame!Or is she? Maybe she's playing devil’s advocate for Duncan’s DOE ... more »

Ed Dept seeks to bring test-based assessment to teacher prep programs - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 5 minutes ago

Ed Dept seeks to bring test-based assessment to teacher prep programs - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: Ed Dept seeks to bring test-based assessment to teacher prep programsbyValerie StraussThe Obama administration wants to expand the use of standardized test scores as an accountability tool from K-12 into higher education.The Education Department just tried — and failed — to persuade a group of negotiators to agree to regulations that would rate colleges of education in large part on how ... more »

The Innovative Educator: The bad pineapple questions are not the problem with standardized tests

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The Innovative Educator: The bad pineapple questions are not the problem with standardized tests: The bad pineapple questions are not the problem with standardized testsbynoreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen)I am disappointed that the mainstream story about testing happens to be a poor a test section about pineapples. While I agree the test question was ridiculous, I think focusing on that diverts us from the real problem which is that even if the test had greatest questions on earth, standardized testing at its ... more »

School Tech Connect: The Single Sound Test

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School Tech Connect: The Single Sound Test: The Single Sound Testbynoreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman)CPS's now departed turnaround guy, Donald Fraynd, said he was leaving with a heavy heart to begin a start-up company. He called it something else, I can't remember.This appears to be it.I'll give him one thing ; he's a true believer.Decades of research show one thing – nothing affects achievement as much as the quality of teaching students receive. In fact, teacher attributes may account for more than ... more »

StudentsFirst will be in Seattle | Seattle Education

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StudentsFirst will be in Seattle | Seattle Education: StudentsFirst will be in Seattlebyseattleducation2011…and that isnota good thing.Ms. Rhee (pronounced "re")StudentsFirst is an organization created by Michelle Rhee after her tumultuous tenure as Chancellor of DC public schools. She was supported by Eli Broad who threatened to pull his financial support for the DC public school system and Rhee specifically if she was not selected to continue as Chancellor of DC schools after Mayor Fenty’s failed re-election bid. After Fenty, who ... more »

May Day Wildcat March Called for 1pm | OccupyWallSt.org #ows

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May Day Wildcat March Called for 1pm | OccupyWallSt.org: May Day Wildcat March Called for 1pmbyOccupyWallStviaSTRIKE EVERYWHERE!:A call has gone out for a massiveWildcatmarch in NYC on May 1st, starting at 1PM. The original call is availablehere. Secondingstrikeisaverb, See you in the streets! Forward and Repost widely.https://www.facebook.com/events/297929263615205/and print and distribute flyers (wildcatmarchflyer-single,wildcatmarchflyer-quarter)CALL FOR A WILDCAT MARCH FOR GENERAL STRIKE PARTICIPANTSMAY 1ST, 2012 1PMWe were told by bosses, by activists, by union leaders we could... more »

NYC Educator: Don't Know Much About History

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NYC Educator: Don't Know Much About History: Don't Know Much About HistorybyNYC EducatorIs NY State right to abolish theGlobal History Regents exam? Lots of us have had our fill of standardized testing, and would like to see far less of it. Of course that's not the case, as the state plans all sorts of nonsense, largely to assess teachers. Kids will be spending hours of potential learning time indulging in nonsensical junk science, to appease those who wish to fire ... more »

Zoning The Poor Out of Good Schools | California Progress Report

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Zoning The Poor Out of Good Schools | California Progress Report: Zoning The Poor Out of Good SchoolsbymeganBy Peter SchragMost of us have long known that in places like Oakland and Berkeley, and probably in a lot of other cities as well, the easiest way to predict a school’s test scores is by the altitude of the building.The higher up the school, the more likely it will be in an affluent neighborhood. The schools in the flats, where the poor ... more »

REASONS NOT TO SIGN GOVERNOR JERRY BROWN'S TAX INITIATIVE PETITION - Perdaily.com

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REASONS NOT TO SIGN GOVERNOR JERRY BROWN'S TAX INITIATIVE PETITION - Perdaily.com: REASONS NOT TO SIGN GOVERNOR JERRY BROWN'S TAX INITIATIVE PETITIONbyLeonard Isenberg(Mensaje se repite en Español)(For a national view of public education reform see the end of this blog post)In the bleak reality of coordinated political and corporate siege against public education, one is tempted to grasp at straws in trying to stop this continued onslaught against teachers and the ever worsening degradation of the essential democracy formative institution ... more »

Who lives in a pineapple under the sea? pineapple question stumps ... everyone!

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 7 hours ago

Captain: Are ya ready kids?Kids: Aye, Aye captain!Captain: I can't heeeaaar yooouuu!Kids: AYE, AYE CAPTAIN!Captain: oooooooooooo...Captain: Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?Kids: Sponge Bob Square Pants!Captain: Absorbent and yellow and porous is he.Kids: Sponge Bob Square Pants!Captain: If nautical nonsense be somethin' ya wish.Kids: Sponge Bob Square Pants!Captain: Then drop on the deck and flop like a fish.Kids: Sponge Bob Square Pants!Captain: Ready? Sponge Bob Square Pants,Captain Kids: Sponge Bob Square Pants, Sponge Bob Square Pants, Sponge Bob ... more »

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Late Nite Posts 4-22 #soschat #EDReform

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 7 hours ago

What Do New Studies Say Happens If You Are Treated Unfairly And/Or Feel Controlled? | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-13 minutes agoWhat Do New Studies Say Happens If You Are Treated Unfairly And/Or Feel Controlled? | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…: What Do New Studies Say Happens If You Are Treated Unfairly And/Or Feel Controlled?byLarry FerlazzoProf. Armin Falk, a professor at Bonn University, unveiled some very intriguing studies on motivation last week. ...more »

Educator Musing: Real Parent Empowerment is a Rebellion

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 7 hours ago

Educator Musing: Real Parent Empowerment is a Rebellion: Real Parent Empowerment is a RebellionbyEducator Musing If without medical justification, [your son] is absent fromschool on any dayduring the Assessment period, the District will deem thisabsence as unexcused. Further, if you keep [your son] home from school during theAssessment period,without medical verification, it is within the District’sdiscretion to deemthese absences as indicia of educational neglect, whichwould leave the Districtlittle choice but to contact Child Protective Services(“CPS”). Pursuant to theNew York

Teacher Appreciation:From the Mouths of Babes! « Diary of a Public School Teacher!

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 7 hours ago

Teacher Appreciation:From the Mouths of Babes! « Diary of a Public School Teacher!: Teacher Appreciation:From the Mouths ofBabes!Some of my studentswrote a letter for the state department’s Teacher Appreciation Day contest. After reading the letters, it gave me some insight as to what my students appreciate about me. I chose to use the letters as an informal evaluation tool to see what I am doing right,(or wrong). I found some of the responses quite amusing.:)I bustle (Vocabulary word) around on ... more »

ARE MORE OF Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee's Right Wing Buddies Turning On Her?

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

Potter Williams Report: Michelle Rhee’s Mask Is Slipping: Illegal Activity in Constitution State?: ARE MORE OF Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee's Right Wing Buddies Turning On Her?MICHELLE RHEE’S MASK IS SLIPPING: ILLEGAL ACTIVITY IN CONSTITUTION STATE?It was only a matter of time before Michelle Rhee would start blowing her cover. But I have to admit she’s held off “enquiring minds who want to know” for at least five years since signing on to DC.Citizen watchdogs have found evidence of Rhee's ... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Pineapples Don't Have Sleeves

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

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Pineapples Don't Have Sleeves: Pineapples Don't Have SleevesbyMelissa WestbrookIf ever there was a reason to pull a stop on standardized testing mania, it's this story.The Hare and the Pineapple.Yes, apparently in NYC's 8th grade standardized test there was a reading section, based on a story by Daniel Pinkwater, the children's author, about a hare and a pineapple having a race, based on The Tortoise and the Hare. (The story was altered from Mr. Pinkwater's original according ... more »

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Early Evening Posts 4-22 #SOSchat #p2 #edreform

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

ED News Worth Reading April 2011 at Pinterest.Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-12 minutes agoED News Worth Reading April 2011:ED News Worth Reading April 2011ED News Worth Reading April 2011https://pinterest.com/coopmike48/ed-news-worth-reading-april-2011/4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: CORONA-NORCO USD IN INLAND EMPIRE GIVES TEACHERS THE FREEDOM TO EXPERIMENT INSTEAD OF PRESCRIBED LESSON PLANS, boosting scores and graduation rates in the heavily Latino, low-income district.Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-12 minutes ago4LAKids - some of the news... more »

NSBA President’s letter to Obama: please change direction! « Parents Across America

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

NSBA President’s letter to Obama: please change direction! « Parents Across America: NSBA President’s letter to Obama: please change direction!byleoniehaimson“…school board members and top educational thinkers overwhelming urge abandoning the current “command-and-control” federal educational oversight…driving us toward mediocrity….Mr. President, public education in the U.S. is on the wrong track. As we have moved decision-making farther

Bridgeport Schools Going Private With Taxpayer Money? - Jonathan Kantrowitz - Connecticut News

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

Bridgeport Schools Going Private With Taxpayer Money? - Jonathan Kantrowitz - Connecticut News: Bridgeport Schools Going Private With Taxpayer Money?April 22, 2012 at 3:18 pm byJonathan Kantrowitzby Jon Pelto fromWait, WhatThis week we learned that Governor Malloy and his education commissioner, Stefan Pryor hired certain consultants to help develop Malloy’s “Education Reform” bill. Rather than go through some silly competitive bidding process, they simply got a quasi-state agency, SERC to hire the two consultants; one for $195,000 and the other ... more »

Andrea Merida on why Denver school board should reject Gates grant « Parents Across America

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Andrea Merida on why Denver school board should reject Gates grant « Parents Across America: Andrea Merida on why Denver school board should reject Gates grantbyleoniehaimsonSee video below of Andrea Merida, a member of the Denver school board and Parents Across America, on why they should reject a grant from the ALEC-linked Gates Foundation. [For more on this issue, see theGates website,including comments from critics.] In hermessageon vimeo, Andrea asks:Why are the Denver Public Schools accepting money from the Bill ... more »

NYC Public School Parents: NYC principal opting her own children out of testing

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NYC Public School Parents: NYC principal opting her own children out of testing: NYC principal opting her own children out of testingbyLeonie HaimsonHere is a letter from a NYC principal who spoke outagainst standardized testing and corporate education reform onWNYC radio, whenBrian Lehrer had Michelle Rhee as his guest. She sent the below letter,about opting her children out of testing in the Ridgewood NJ public schools, to their principals,teachers, the superintendent, the NCLB administrator, guidance counselors,Special Education supervisor, etc.The official ... more »

What Do New Studies Say Happens If You Are Treated Unfairly And/Or Feel Controlled? | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…

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What Do New Studies Say Happens If You Are Treated Unfairly And/Or Feel Controlled? | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…: What Do New Studies Say Happens If You Are Treated Unfairly And/Or Feel Controlled?byLarry FerlazzoProf. Armin Falk, a professor at Bonn University, unveiled some very intriguing studies on motivation last week. I’ll provide a short summary of how I believe some of his key findings can be applied to education. You can also read a more extensive reporthere, review ... more »

What Works in Education | Seattle Education

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What Works in Education | Seattle Education: What Works in Educationbyseattleducation2011There are many successful programs that work around the country in terms of educating our students and one that was successful on a national level was the original war on poverty which was paid for by public funds.As Linda Darling-Hammond wrote in her book, The Flat World and Education:How Policy Can Matter…These declines are not inevitable. We have made strong headway on educational achievement in the past and can do ... more »

In Case You Missed It: Testing begins with many complaints; Mayoral candidates go after Mayor’s policies « EdVox

In Case You Missed It: Testing begins with many complaints; Mayoral candidates go after Mayor’s policies « EdVox:

In Case You Missed It: Testing begins with many complaints; Mayoral candidates go after Mayor’s policies

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:

MONDAY

• Times columnist Michael Powell details the negative effects of the Bloomberg administration’s closing schools policy on those schools’ students:http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/17/nyregion/in-schools-cut-by-new-york-citys-ax-students-bleed.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss
• A detailed analysis of the federal “turnaround” option for struggling schools showed mixed results:http://gothamschools.org/2012/04/16/nationally-federal-turnaround-funding-generates-mixed-reviews/
• Some parents have grown so disillusioned with standardized testing that their children are boycotting the exams this year:http://gothamschools.org/2012/04/16/small-but-determined-band-of-families-sitting-out-the-state-tests/

TUESDAY

•  The Working Group on School Transformation released a report critical of the Bloomberg administration’s 

National Teacher of the Year - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education)

National Teacher of the Year - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education):

California Teacher of the Year Rebecca Mieliwocki
is Named America's Top Teacher

WASHINGTON, D.C.—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today congratulated California's Rebecca Mieliwocki for being selected as the 2012 National Teacher of the Year, the nation's oldest and most prestigious teaching honor.

"Rebecca Mieliwocki is an inspiration to her students, to me, and to every California teacher. She brings enormous energy, enthusiasm, and optimism to teaching—a career that has never been more challenging, or more vital to our future," said Torlakson.

"She's the perfect choice for this tremendous honor, and I know she'll do an outstanding job of teaching the nation about the great things happening every day in California's public schools," he said.

She will be recognized by President Barack Obama on Tuesday in a ceremony at the White House.

One of five current California Teachers of the Year, Mieliwocki (pronounced "Milwaukee") has been teaching for 14 years, including nine years at Luther Burbank Middle School, where she teaches seventh grade English.

She didn't start out to be a teacher although both her parents were both teachers for 30 years. She first studied to become a lawyer, but eventually went into publishing. Finally, she admitted to herself that teaching was in her blood.

"It's in my DNA. It's who I am. It's who I'm supposed to be," she said. "Teaching truly is a calling. I may not have picked up the phone right away, but eventually I answered the call."

Mieliwocki earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Speech Communication from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo; and a Single Subject Professional Clear Credential in Secondary English Education from California State University, Northridge.

Mieliwocki, who is the 62nd National Teacher of the Year, will serve a one-year, full-time commitment as a national spokesperson for education.

The National Teacher of the Year Program is a project of the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) in partnership with the University of Phoenix and People to People Ambassador Programs and is sponsored by the ING Foundation and Target®.

Mieliwocki is the seventh National Teacher selected from California since the program began in 1952. The program's very first winner was a California teacher, Geraldine "Gerry" Jones, who taught in Santa Barbara. Other winners were Chauncey Veatch, 2002, Thermal; Marilyn J. Whirry, 2000, Manhattan Beach; Sandra McBrayer, 1994, San Diego; Janis T. Gabay, 1990, San Diego; Myrra Lenore Lee, 1977, Le Mesa.

In addition, eleven California Teachers of the Year have been named National Teacher of the Year finalists over the years.

To access the CCSSO News Release, go to CA Teacher Named 2012 National Teacher of the Year (Outside Source). For more information about National Teacher of the Year program, please visit the CCSSO Web site at: CCSSO - The National Teacher of the Year Program (Outside Source). For more information about California's Teachers of the Year Program, please visit: California Teachers of the Year.

# # # #

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

State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Congratulates Four
California Schools to Win First National Green Ribbon Awards

SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today congratulated four California schools that were among the first 78 nationwide to earn U.S. Department of Education "Green Ribbon Schools" titles for exemplary environmental programs and practices.

"California's schools are leading the way into a cleaner, more energy-efficient future, and it's wonderful to see that work recognized with some of the very first national Green Ribbon Schools awards," Torlakson said.

Twenty-nine states, the District of Columbia, and the Bureau of Indian Education nominated nearly 100 schools, of which 66 per public, including eight charters, and 12 were private. California nominated four schools (the maximum number allowed) and all were declared winners.

They are:

• Environmental Charter High School (Outside Source), Lawndale Elementary School District.
• Longfellow Elementary School (Outside Source), Long Beach Unified School District.
• Grand View Elementary School (Outside Source), Manhattan Beach Unified School District.
• The Athenian School (Outside Source), a private school in Danville.

"I commend today's winners for their commitment to the earth and to learning," Torlakson said. "Science, environmental, and outdoor education are vital to prepare our students with 21st century skills in sustainability to grow our global economy."

Torlakson, whose Schools of the Future report issued last year led to California's participation in the federal awards program, said he was impressed by the inventive projects undertaken at the winning schools, from Walk-to-School Wednesdays to community recycling centers to rainwater collection irrigation systems.

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan made the announcement of the Green Ribbon Schools winners this morning in Washington, D.C., where he praised the efforts of America's newly declared green schools.

To access the U.S. Department of Education's News Release, please go to: Obama Administration Names 78 Schools in 29 States and D.C. as First-Ever U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools | U.S. Department of Education (Outside Source).

In his proclamation declaring April 22, 2012 as Earth Day, President Barack Obama said, "As we work to leave our children a safe, sustainable future, we must also equip them with the tools they need to take on tomorrow's environmental challenges. Supporting environmental literacy and a strong foundation in science, technology, engineering, and math for every student will help ensure our youth have the skills and knowledge to advance our clean energy economy." To read the complete proclamation, please go to: Presidential Proclamation -- Earth Day | The White House (Outside Source).

For more information on Torlakson's Schools of the Future Report, please visit the California Department of Education Web site at Schools of the Future Report (PDF; 1MB).

For more information on the USDE Green Ribbon Schools Program, please visit the CDE Web site at Green Ribbon Schools Award Program - School Facility.

# # # #

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

Follow-Up: Parent Engagement vs. Parent Involvement - Teaching Ahead: A Roundtable - Education Week Teacher

Follow-Up: Parent Engagement vs. Parent Involvement - Teaching Ahead: A Roundtable - Education Week Teacher:

Follow-Up: Parent Engagement vs. Parent Involvement

By Larry Ferlazzo on April 23, 2012 9:23 AM

Larry Ferlazzo

In my previous post, I highlighted what I characterized as the difference between parent involvement and parent engagement. Involvement, I suggested, was more of a "doing to" while engagement leaned towards a "doing with."

What would the roles of key players look like from these two different perspectives?

In involvement, the parent might be seen as a volunteer who is generally directed by school staff toward completing tasks or as a client who receives services and information. In engagement, the parent would be considered as a leader (or a potential leader) who is integral to identifying a vision and goals for the school and community. He or she would encourage others to contribute their own visions to that big picture and perform the tasks necessary to reach those goals.

In involvement, the teacher might be akin to a social worker, doing things for parents or tending to tell them what they should be doing with their children. In engagement, the teacher is more of an organizer who helps parents do things for themselves. He or she would elicit ideas from parents about what everyone (parents and school staff) could do differently to support students and their community.

In involvement, the administrator might develop a vision for the school and community and 

Daily Kos: Frank Rich has a MUST-READ piece

Daily Kos: Frank Rich has a MUST-READ piece:

Frank Rich has a MUST-READ piece

by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken)

in New York Magazine titled Sugar Daddies and subtitled The old, white, rich men who are buying this election.
I am at school, and limited in crafting excerpts to make that clear to you.  Here's one paragraph where he defines the universe about which he is writing (and his original is full of hyperlinks that I am not going to include):

Sugar daddies—whom I’ll define here as private donors or their privately held companies writing checks totaling $1 million or more (sometimes much more) in this election cycle—are largely a Republican phenomenon, most of them one degree of separation from Karl Rove and his unofficial partners in erecting a moneyed shadow GOP, David and Charles Koch. At last look, there were 25 known sugar daddies on the right (or more, if you want to count separately the spouses and children who pitch in). You’ve likely heard of Sheldon Adelson, the Vegas tycoon who is Benjamin Netanyahu’s unofficial ambassador to the GOP. But you may be less familiar with Irving Moskowitz, the bingo entrepreneur who funnels his profits into East Jerusalem settlements. Or Robert Mercer, the hedge-fund master of “flash trading” who poured a clandestine $1 million into ads attacking the “ground-zero mosque” and nearly another $3 million into a scale-model railroad in his Long Island mansion. Or Steven Lund, the co-founder of Nu Skin, which became “direct selling” sponsor of the Romney-run 2002 Winter Olympics after having spent much of the nineties settling complaints over false advertising and other unscrupulous practices with the Federal Trade Commission and six different states’ attorneys general.

Please keep reading

What “Education Reform” Really Means - Jonathan Kantrowitz - Connecticut News

What “Education Reform” Really Means - Jonathan Kantrowitz - Connecticut News:

Jonathan Kantrowitz Political activist, health nut About Jonathan Kantrowitz What “Education Reform” Really Means April 23, 2012 at 11:50 am by Jonathan Kantrowitz Two must read articles appeared this week: Wendy Lecker: The real needs in Connecticut classrooms Read more: http://www.ctpost.com/opinion/article/Wendy-Lecker-The-real-needs-in-Connecticut-3498343.php#ixzz1ssXNYBwL In the past few weeks, Connecticut has been inundated with high-priced ads from out-of state lobby groups, op-eds from businessmen, and appearances by the governor, all claiming that there is a “moral imperative” to pass Governor Malloy’s version of the education bill, SB24. Meanwhile, the real imperative that many Connecticut schools have to deal with is far more practical and mundane. Here are some examples of reality: A mouse infestation in a school so severe that, while trying to learn, children hear them scurrying around daily. Schools with no funds to buy textbooks and workbooks, instead relying on copying handouts for