Monday, July 23, 2012

Dialogue with the Gates Foundation: How do we Build the Teaching Profession? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

Dialogue with the Gates Foundation: How do we Build the Teaching Profession? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher:

Dialogue with the Gates Foundation: How do we Build the Teaching Profession?

by Anthony Cody

Post #1 of 5 in this dialogue.
Follow me on Twitter at @AnthonyCody
Two weeks ago I traveled to Seattle and spent most of the day meeting with leaders of the Gates Foundation, discussing their work around education reform. I have been critical of the impact their agenda has had, but they expressed an interest in opening up a dialogue. This blog post will be the first in a series of exchanges that will explore some of the key issues in education. We plan a process where we will take turns posting our perspective on a given theme, followed by a response from the other party. All posts will be carried here, and at the Gates Foundation's Impatient Optimists blog. We will ask everyone to join in a lively discussion. The education reform debate has deteriorated at times - our goal is to engage in a constructive conversation, to turn down the heat and seek a bit more light.
In the weeks to come we will get into some nitty gritty issues, such as what it means to "measure" teacher effectiveness? What is the role of poverty in relationship to education reform? What is the purpose of a k-12

Secretary Duncan, White House, Smithsonian Officials to Celebrate Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 Anniversary | U.S. Department of Education

Secretary Duncan, White House, Smithsonian Officials to Celebrate Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 Anniversary | U.S. Department of Education:

Secretary Duncan, White House, Smithsonian Officials to Celebrate Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 Anniversary

JULY 23, 2012

Contact:

Press Office, (202) 401-1576, press@ed.gov

Education Secretary Arne Duncan, along with officials from White House and the Smithsonian Institution will join high-school student leaders from New York and Washington D.C., today for a series of events celebrating the 48th anniversary of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Joining the students and Secretary Duncan will be Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Russlynn Ali, Special Assistant to the President for Education Roberto Rodriguez, and leaders from the White House Initiatives on American Indian and Alaska Native Education, Asian American and Pacific Islanders, Education Excellence for Hispanics, and Historically Black Colleges.

Students will also hear from curators of the Smithsonian’s National Museums of African American History and Culture and American History, and will delve further into civil rights history through discussions with senior administration officials about the struggle to achieve legislation prohibiting discrimination based on race in our nation’s schools. They will also discuss current issues and perspectives on Title VI and develop their own visions for advancing equality. Youth involvement played a significant role in the passage of the Civil Rights Act, and youth continue to play a major role in sustaining its principles.

In addition, the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) will release “Title VI: Enforcement Highlights,” published to commemorate the 48th anniversary of Title VI, and reviewing OCR’s work over the last three years to enforce this important civil rights statue.

“Even as we celebrate today, we must also honor the legacy of Title VI by understanding its enduring relevance and continuing to vigorously enforce its protections for students of all races and national origins,” said Russlynn Ali, the Department’s assistant secretary for Civil Rights.

“Title VI: Enforcement Highlights” describes how OCR has fought civil rights violations such as discriminatory discipline, racial harassment, and barriers to education for English learners. OCR received nearly 5500 Title VI-related complaints in the last three years – a record -- and launched over 55 systemic, proactive investigations. The document also covers OCR’s ground-breaking policy guidance in areas such as how school districts and colleges can voluntarily choose to promote diversity in their student bodies within the Constitution.

The document also reports on data culled from the Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC), released by OCR in March of this year. The CRDC surveyed 72,000 schools teaching 85 percent of America’s students, and data show that racial inequities remain a reality in many of America’s schools. For example, African-American students are over 3 ½ times more likely than their white peers to be suspended or expelled. And Hispanic students represent 21 percent of the enrollment in high school but only 13 percent of students passing at least one Advanced Placement exam.

Title VI states, ”No person in the United States shall, on the basis of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subject to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.” Title VI applies to all levels of educational institutions – public or private – that receive federal financial assistance. The statute extends to all programs and activities and prohibits denial of equal access to college- and career-preparatory courses, programs for English learners, and discriminatory discipline and harassment—all of which are fundamental barriers to equal education.

Among the young people expected to attend today’s events are students from the New York Mayor’s Youth Leadership Council, New York Urban Ambassadors, the Close Up program, the Washington, D.C., Schools Without Walls, as well as winners of the Princeton Prize on Race Relations.

Following their time at the Department, the students and their chaperones will take part in tours through the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.

Tony at the Red Line Tap. « Fred Klonsky

Tony at the Red Line Tap. « Fred Klonsky:

Tony at the Red Line Tap.

by Fred Klonsky

“If this global warming keeps up I’m gonna start charging you rent for that stool,” Tony said to me as I grabbed the one next to him.
“Christ, Tony. It’s another three digit day.”
I nodded to Marty. “Bring me something artisanal,” I said.
“An Old Style okay?” she said.
“As long as it’s cold. Perfect.”
“Topic?” Tony said.
“No. Nothing. I’m heading downtown Wednesday morning for a rally at CPS. Supporting the teachers

Which side are you on?

by Fred Klonsky

In box. Health care isn’t free now for retired teachers.

by Fred Klonsky

Fred:
I think another area of clarification when explaining to others our pension benefits, is that a large number of state pensioners who were part of AFSCME, etc. do get free health care, we’re not part of that group. My neighbors and friends have no idea the difference between AFSCME, TRS, SERS, etc. and the pension benefits for each system/group. My neighbors think I’m pulling the wool over their eyes when I tell them we’re not part of that group that gets free health care. I’ve been trying to educate them in that area. I find that I’m a bit more successful by acknowledging

Geaux Teacher!: SOUTHEAST LA. HOSPITAL CLOSURE - THE STARTLING TRUTH

Geaux Teacher!: SOUTHEAST LA. HOSPITAL CLOSURE - THE STARTLING TRUTH:

SOUTHEAST LA. HOSPITAL CLOSURE - THE STARTLING TRUTH

by noreply@blogger.com (Lee Barrios, M.Ed., NBCT)

I received this open letter being circulated statewide and written by Dr. Mordecai Potash. Some attachments are included at the end of the letter but several others were sent as documents with no URL. They constitute documents that support the questions that this letter poses and were made available to the press. I will continue to report information and responses as I receive them.

Louisiana can no longer stand by and allow its Governor's dictatorial rule to destroy our local economies and the quality of life for our communities through the destruction of our public schools and other public services that are paid for by taxpayers and benefit ALL residents of the State of Louisiana.

Bobby Jindal "BELIEVES" as does his Superintendent of Education John White that he has unlimited control of

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES:

WEEKEND QUOTABLES

by Mike Klonsky

Jesse Sharkey

CTU's Jesse Sharkey

As the threat of a teachers strike looms larger in Chicago, the result of Rahm's unwillingness to bargain seriously over job security and longer school day, Sharkey says:

“There’s still some more runway left where we can land this plane.”

Sharkey says a key to unlocking the stalemate is the hiring back of "effective veteran teachers" who currently are being replaced with lower-paid teachers who are just starting out, many of them TFAers.

“We know that teachers just starting out have a 50 percent [dropout] rate. It’s actually a job that lot of people can’t do.

Barbara Miner on “Why are Playgrounds Even Controversial?” « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!

Barbara Miner on “Why are Playgrounds Even Controversial?” « Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!:

Barbara Miner on “Why are Playgrounds Even Controversial?”

by millerlf

Do children deserve playgrounds? Why is this even controversial?
By Barbara Miner July 22, 2012 View from the Heartland Barbara Miner’s blog is part of MJS’s Purple Wisconsin project. Miner is an award-winning journalist and photographer.
It’s a sad day in Milwaukee when we are forced to debate whether young children deserve playgrounds at their school.
Unfortunately, it’s another example of the deeply “separate and unequal” educational realities in our hypersegregated region. Can you imagine an outpouring of complaints in affluent suburbs such as Whitefish Bay

On Rollerball and Brave New World « Diane Ravitch's blog

On Rollerball and Brave New World « Diane Ravitch's blog:

On Rollerball and Brave New World

by dianerav

In response to a post about Bill Gates’ prediction about the future of American education, a reader writes:

“Corporate society takes care of everything. And all it asks of anyone, all it’s ever asked of anyone ever, is not to interfere with management decisions.” – Rollerball (1975)

I didn’t see “Rollerball” when the film was released in 1975. It is a dystopian film about the distant future in 2018. It is not so distant anymore.
Dystopian films and novels are warnings, not predictions.
I just finished re-reading Brave New World, which I must have read fifty years ago. There is so much about the novel I didn’t remember. It bears re-reading. I was struck by the planned rank-ordering of people. No need to test them to put them in their status as Alpha or Beta or Gamma or Epsilon. The rankings were selected at the time

Schooling in the Ownership Society: New video exposes ALEC's ed task force

Schooling in the Ownership Society: New video exposes ALEC's ed task force:

New video exposes ALEC's ed task force

by Mike Klonsky

Popout

Here's a great tool you can use in meetings and classrooms to educate about ALEC's role in privatizing public schools, curriculum and testing. The video has a good critique of cyber-schools, the Virtual Schools Act currently being pushed in several states by ALEC, and companies like, K12 Inc. which are making millions in profits even while being currently under federal investigation.

Shanker Blog » The Unfortunate Truth About This Year's NYC Charter School Test Results

Shanker Blog » The Unfortunate Truth About This Year's NYC Charter School Test Results:

The Unfortunate Truth About This Year’s NYC Charter School Test Results

by Matthew Di Carlo

There have now been several stories in the New York news media about New York City’s charter schools’ “gains” on this year’s state tests (see here, here, here, here and here). All of them trumpeted the 3-7 percentage point increase in proficiency among the city’s charter students, compared with the 2-3 point increase among their counterparts in regular public schools. The consensus: Charters performed fantastically well this year.
In fact, the NY Daily News asserted that the “clear lesson” from the data is that “public school administrators must gain the flexibility enjoyed by charter leaders,” and “adopt [their] single-minded focus on achievement.” For his part, Mayor Michael Bloomberg claimed that the scores are evidence that the city should expand its charter

Daily Kos: “I call 6,000 rounds of ammunition running low,” he said.

Daily Kos: “I call 6,000 rounds of ammunition running low,” he said.:

“I call 6,000 rounds of ammunition running low,” he said.

by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken)

That is a line from this New York Times story on the amount of ammunition the Aurora shooter had been able to obtain.
I was a Marine.
While I never saw combat, many of those with whom I served did.
None of them were ever issued anything close to that amount of ammunition, even in a combat situation.
Yes, those operating M-60 Machine guns or their equivalent, whether in infantry or on helicopters, had lots of rounds. But not 6,000.
The shooter also had a 100-round drum.
What if he had been using that?
What if his rifle had not jammed?
How many might have died?
He had a Bushmaster AR-15. It fires a .223 round, something drilled into my memory since firing military AR-15s and M-16s in the Marines.
The DC snipers used a Bushmaster XR15, firing .223 rounds.
If I may quote from Pete Seeger's "Where have all the flowers gone" -
When will we ever learn>

Education firm linked to Fattah's son lays off all its teachers, administrators

Education firm linked to Fattah's son lays off all its teachers, administrators:

Education firm linked to Fattah's son lays off all its

teachers, administrators

By Martha Woodall

Inquirer Staff Writer

Chaka Fattah Jr.

1 of 2

View images

Philadelphia schools plan

to spend big on a reform fantasy

By Jerry Jordan

It's blockbuster season at the movies, the time of year when many of us allow ourselves to suspend reality, munch on over-buttered popcorn, and get lost in a world of superheroes, alien attacks, and outrageous plot lines.

Philadelphia has its own far-fetched story line this summer. It's about a school district that, even though it's so cash-strapped it can't afford summer school, decides to spend $139 million over the next five years for an education reform strategy that won't improve student achievement. And $38 million of that is to be spent this year.
This script can be read as either horror or comedy. Frighteningly (or hilariously), though, this is reality.
The chief of the Philadelphia School District's charter school office recently conceded that the charter school expansions approved so far this year could cost $139 million over five years — $100 million more than he originally estimated. So, on top of a looming $282 million deficit, the School District plans to spend tens of millions of dollars more while making math mistakes worth $100 million? Clearly, the charter school expansion agenda has trumped fiscal sanity.
The School District's deficit is a major obstacle to reforming a system that was already struggling to serve our children. It's time to stop subjecting our kids to this high-cost, low-return reform

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH - 7-23-12 - Diane Ravitch's blog

Diane Ravitch's blog:

Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch

A Glimmer of Hope in Philadelphia?

by dianerav

Thanks to the reader who sent the link to this editorial in the Philadelpia Inquirer.
The editorial warns that charter schools are no panacea; that many of them are no better than the public schools they replace; that opening charters does nothing for the vast majority left behind in public schools for which there is no plan at all.
Opening escape hatches that skim off the most motivated kids solves no problems.
Most children will be left behind. Remember them?
And it will cost a bankrupt district $139 million to open new charters.

Vouchers for Special Education?

by dianerav

Marcus Winters is one of those researchers who always advocates for vouchers. He often writes opinion pieces in places like the New York Post and the Wall Street Journal, extolling the virtues of vouchers and private management.
In this article in Rupert Murdoch’s New York Post, Winters explains why New York should follow the example of Florida and give vouchers to special education students.
Winters extols Florida’s McKay Scholarship program but fails to mention that it became immersed in scandal after a Miami newspaper wrote an expose.
The schools receiving vouchers are unregulated; the state never inquires about their curriculum or their facilities.
A brief excerpt from the story in the Miami New Times:
While the state played the role of the blind sugar daddy, here is what went on at South Florida Prep, according to

This Is Your Homework: Berliner on Education and Inequality

by dianerav

I received a pdf. file with a copy of an important new article by David Berliner. It examines the relationship between education and inequality. I don’t know how to attach a pdf. file to this post. So I doing this. I am copying the whole article because you should read it. Consider it your homework assignment.

DRAFT OF JULY, 2012

THIS PAPER IS UNDER REVIEW

COPY EDITING STILL TO COME

Citation: Nichols, S. L. (Ed.) (2013). Educational Policy and the Socialization of Youth for the 21st Century. New York: Teachers College Press

Chapter 9:

Sorting out the effects of inequality and poverty, teachers and schooling,

on America’s youth

David C. Berliner

Arizona State University

What does it take to get politicians and the general public to abandon misleading ideas, such as “Anyone who

Suburbs and charter schools: More room for innovation | Get Schooled

Suburbs and charter schools: More room for innovation | Get Schooled:

Suburbs and charter schools: More room for innovation

by Maureen Downey

Interesting post by Fordham Institute’s Michael J. Petrilli on why charter schools ought to be viable options in leafy, affluent suburbs with great schools.
Petrilli says pro charter school forces typically focus on throwing a lifeline to poor kids in failing urban schools rather than their accelerated peers in the suburbs. But he says charter schools could have a strong role in the super zip codes such as Scarsdale, Bethesda or McLean, where the students arrive in kindergarten well ahead of the curve.
Petrilli maintains that the advanced abilities of the students create a conducive environment for charter schools

The Innovative Educator: 5 majors to discuss with teens thinking about college

The Innovative Educator: 5 majors to discuss with teens thinking about college:

5 majors to discuss with teens thinking about college

by noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen)

While the new common core standards call for all students to be college and career ready, the narrowed, one-size-fits-all initiative gives little attention to customizing coursework to a student’s unique talents, interests or abilities. As a result, like me, many young people are left with a diploma in one hand, and in the other hand scratching their head, unsure of exactly what course of study they want to pursue. The end result can be a hefty investment intuition, housing, and books in a major that’s just not right for them.

The high school years are the right time to begin having conversations about what might be the best field of study to pursue. If that field includes college, these are five majors to consider that might lead to fulfilling careers. Discuss these with teens early so they can begin focusing their high school experience toward activities, studies, internships, and work

Khan Academy: The hype and the reality - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

Khan Academy: The hype and the reality - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post:

Khan Academy: The hype and the reality

By Valerie Strauss

This was written by Karim Kai Ani, a former middle school teacher and math coach, and the founder of Mathalicious, which is rewriting the middle school math curriculum around real-world topics.

By Karim Kai Ani

In a new profile in Time magazine, Sal Khan, founder of the popular Khan Academy, explains how he prepares for each of his video lessons. He doesn’t use a script. In fact, he admits, “I don’t know what I’m going to say half the time.”

During a recent address to Washington D.C.-area educators, Secretary

(BLOOMBERG )of Education Arne Duncan highlighted the importance of teacher education and

Fists of Freedom: An Olympic Story Not Taught in Schools - Education - GOOD

Fists of Freedom: An Olympic Story Not Taught in Schools - Education - GOOD:

Fists of Freedom: An Olympic Story Not Taught in Schools

by Dave Zirin

It's been almost 44 years since Tommie Smith and John Carlos took the medal stand following the 200-meter dash at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City and created what must be considered the most enduring, riveting image in the history of either sports or protest. But while the image has stood the test of time, the struggle that led to that moment has been cast aside.
When mentioned at all in U.S. history textbooks, the famous photo appears with almost no context. For example, Pearson/Prentice Hall’s United States History places the photo opposite a short three-paragraph section, "Young Leaders Call for Black Power." The photo's caption says simply that "...U.S. athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised gloved fists in protest against discrimination."
The media—and school curricula—fail to address the context that produced Smith and Carlos' famous gesture of

Private school scores fall as public schools see rise | The Journal Gazette

Vouchers vary test outcomes | The Journal Gazette:

The Journal Gazette

Published: July 23, 2012 3:00 a.m.

Vouchers vary test outcomes

Private school scores fall as public schools see rise

Niki Kelly | The Journal Gazette

INDIANAPOLIS – Private schools that accepted voucher students saw their ISTEP passing rates dip this year at the same time public school scores rose slightly, a Journal Gazette analysis shows.
About 71 percent of Indiana’s public school students passed both the English and math portion of the ISTEP+ in 2012, up from 70 percent last year. The scores mark an 8 percent gain since the 2008-09 school year.
In contrast, The Journal Gazette looked at 189 private schools with voucher students that administered the test and had 2011 data for comparison.
The passing rate for both math and English at those

STOP LAUSD DELAY TACTICS - BECOME A COMMISSION ON PROFESSION COMPETENCE PANEL MEMBER - Perdaily.com

STOP LAUSD DELAY TACTICS - BECOME A COMMISSION ON PROFESSION COMPETENCE PANEL MEMBER - Perdaily.com:

STOP LAUSD DELAY TACTICS - BECOME A COMMISSION ON PROFESSION COMPETENCE PANEL MEMBER

by Leonard Isenberg

(For a national view of public education reform see the end of this blog post)
If you would like to take an active part in ending the witch hunt against the removal of hundreds of teachers without due process of law, then you might consider becoming a panel member for the Commission of Professional Competence (CPC) to stop the stalling that is starving teachers into submission, resignation, and the ultimate lifting of their credentials by California Teacher Credentialing (CTC), so they will never

NYC Educator: How Do You Get Teachers to Clap for Bill Gates?

NYC Educator: How Do You Get Teachers to Clap for Bill Gates?:

How Do You Get Teachers to Clap for Bill Gates?

by NYC Educator

At the last AFT Convention, incredibly, Bill Gates was the keynote. Personally, I was horrified. Here is this man who's doing everything his billions will permit to eviscerate our profession, and we're inviting him in to tell us about it. Why on earth would anyone want to do that? I have no idea. I

I do know a little about how you get New York teachers to clap, though. It's largely because each and every UFT member at the convention is a member of the Unity Caucus, the group that’s controlled the UFT virtually since its inception.

The caucus is open only by invitation, and there are

Latest News and Comment from Education

Monday, July 23, 2012

Secretary Duncan, White House, Smithsonian Officials to Celebrate Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 Anniversary

Education firm linked to Fattah's son lays off all its

teachers, administrators

Philadelphia schools plan

to spend big on a reform fantasy

Khan Academy: The hype and the reality

Vouchers vary test outcomes

Private school scores fall as public schools see rise