Ed Roundup for 9-14-12 - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education)

Ed Roundup for 9-14-12 - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education):

Education Roundup for the Week Ending September 14, 2012

SACRAMENTO—The California Department of Education (CDE) today issued this week's Education Roundup of education-related announcements of public interest.

Antioch School Student and Teacher Both
Selected for Coveted National Healthcare Honors

The CDE congratulates a student and a teacher from Dozier-Libbey Medical High School in the Antioch Unified School District in Antioch for receiving prestigious honors related to their work in healthcare education.

A recent graduate, Antonio Hernandez is California's first president-elect for the National Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA), which represents 138,000 students. He will be pursuing pre-med and economics at Stanford University this fall. Hernandez previously served as his school's Cal-HOSA president. He also earned medals at both the state and national competitions in medical reading that tests students in communication, teamwork skills, and comprehension of health science literature.

High school teacher Cynthia Soraoka won a coveted internship over the summer in the Office of the U.S. Surgeon General in Washington, D.C. Soraoka also served as chair on the Board of Directors for the state's Cal-HOSA.

Cal-HOSA is one of the career-technical student organizations recognized and supported by the CDE through State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson's Career Readiness Initiative. Cal-HOSA provides students with leadership development and industry-based competitions to demonstrate their career readiness.

Dozier-Libby Medical High School was designated a California Distinguished School in 2011 for its continued excellence in career-technical education.

Low-Cost Pest Management Training Available for School Districts

The California Department of Pesticide Regulation (CDPR) is offering four one-day workshops to train school staff responsible for pest management in K-12 schools.

The following workshops will cover California Healthy Schools Act requirements and integrated pest management principles, including hands-on demonstrations:

• October 3, 2012: Canyon Country (Los Angeles County);
• March 1, 2013: Antioch (Contra Costa County);
• April 4, 2013: Brawley (Imperial County); and
• June 12, 2013: Templeton (San Luis Obispo County).

The workshops have a $25 registration fee. Advanced half-day workshops on turf grass management for district personnel who already have attended an integrated pest management workshop are also available. The first turf grass workshop is November 19 in Davis.

For more information, please visit the CDRP's Web page on Training  . For information on the California Healthy Schools Act, please visit CDRP's School Integrated Pest Management Program  Web page, or contact Laurie Brajkovich at 916-445-9903.

2013 Safe & Wise Water Way Poster Contest for Students

The California Department of Boating and Waterways (CDBW) invites students to participate in the 20th annual Safe & Wise Water Ways poster contest. The contest focuses on the importance of safety when in or near the water.

All California students in kindergarten through eighth grade are eligible to apply. One winner from each grade level will be selected. Winning students will be rewarded with a Coast Guard-approved life jacket, and their poster will be featured on the 2013 boating safety calendar. The winning artwork will be featured at the State Capitol during the 2013 boating season. Also, the winning elementary schools will have an opportunity to host the CDBW's award-winning AquaSMART Live! puppet show or game show.

Contest rules, guidelines, previous winners' artwork, and more information can be found on the 2012 Safe & Wise Waterways! Web page. The deadline to enter is October 19, 2012. For more information on boating and water safety, and to download the free AquaSMART curriculum and materials, please visit AquaSMART  . Teachers may also create their own lesson plans by visiting Teacher's Notes.

# # # #

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

Request for Applications

21st Century Community Learning Centers - Elementary & Middle Schools

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Due: Friday, November 30, 2012

California's 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) Program provides funding to create incentives for establishing before-and after-school enrichment programs that partner schools and communities to provide academic and literacy support and safe, constructive alternatives for youth. Each program must consist of three elements: academic assistance, educational enrichment, and family literacy services. Programs must operate during every regular school day and may operate during summer, intersession, or vacation days.

Program Questions: After School Division, e-mail: afterschool@cde.ca.gov, tel. 916-319-0923

Downloading Questions: ASSIST Help Desk, e-mail: assist@cde.ca.gov, tel. 916-319-0923

Document	Description
Request For Application (DOC)	Overview and instructions for the 21st CCLC Elementary and Middle Schools grant application.
Online Application	Online application using the After School Support and Information SysTem (ASSIST).
ASSIST Application Instructions (DOC)	Instructions for using the ASSIST online application.

Certifications and Assurances

Document

Description

General Assurances & Certifications (Posted May-2011)

Required as a condition of receiving funds. Applicants do not need to sign and return them with the application; they must be downloaded and kept on file for compliance reviews, complaint investigations, or audits. Applicants that participate in the Consolidated Application - ConApp - should have a copy on file and do not need another copy. Program-specific assurances are not included here and should be listed separately on the Request for Application (RFA).

More about 21st Century Community Learning Centers - Elementary & Middle Schools

Request for Applications

21st Century High School ASSETs

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Due: Friday, November 30, 2012

The 21st Century High School After School Safety and Enrichment for Teens (ASSETs) Program provides incentives for establishing before- and after-school enrichment programs that partner schools and communities to provide academic support; safe, constructive alternatives for high school students; and assistance in passing the California High School Exit Exam. Programs may operate after school only, or after school and any combination of before school, weekends, summer, intersession, and vacation. Each program must consist of three elements: academic assistance, educational enrichment, and family literacy services.

Program Questions: After School Division, e-mail: afterschool@cde.ca.gov, tel. 916-319-0923

Downloading Questions: ASSIST Help Desk, e-mail: assist@cde.ca.gov, tel. 916-319-0923

Document	Description
Request for Applications (DOC)	Overview and instructions for the 21st Century High School ASSETs grant application.
Online Application	Online application using the After School Support and Information SysTem (ASSIST).
Online Application Instructions (DOC)	Instructions for using the ASSIST online application.

Certifications and Assurances

Document

Description

General Assurances & Certifications (Posted May-2011)

Required as a condition of receiving funds. Applicants do not need to sign and return them with the application; they must be downloaded and kept on file for compliance reviews, complaint investigations, or audits. Applicants that participate in the Consolidated Application - ConApp - should have a copy on file and do not need another copy. Program-specific assurances are not included here and should be listed separately on the Request for Application (RFA).

More about 21st Century High School ASSETs

Application Information

Application for appointment to commissions, councils, or committees.

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Application for Appointment to Advisory Body

• Advisory Commission on Charter Schools (ACCS)
  • Announcement (DOC)
  • Application (DOC)
• State Board of Education Student Member
  2013-14 Student Board Member application and information.

State Board of Education Conflict of Interest Code (DOC; Updated 30-Mar-2012)
This document describes the State Board of Education (SBE) Conflict of Interest Code and disclosure requirements for SBE members and members of advisory groups, councils, and commissions appointed by the SBE.

State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Comments on State
Takeover of Financially Troubled Inglewood Unified School District

SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson issued the following statement after Governor Brown signed Senate Bill 533, providing for an emergency loan and state takeover of the Inglewood Unified School District:

"The Governor's action was necessary to keep Inglewood's public schools operating and serving students despite the district's extreme financial difficulties," Torlakson said. "The Department of Education will consult with the Los Angeles County Office of Education to name an experienced administrator to oversee the long and difficult process of returning the district to solvency and, ultimately, local control."

After taking office nearly two years ago, Torlakson warned that California's schools were in a state of financial emergency, and urged that years of severe budget cuts to schools be reversed to avoid sending more school districts into insolvency.

Initiated at the request of the school district, SB 533 (D-Wright) provides up to $55 million in emergency state loans to help the Inglewood Unified School District meet its financial obligations. The loan must be paid back to the state within 20 years.

The law requires the State Superintendent of Public Instruction to assume all the legal rights, duties, and powers of the governing board of the district and appoint a state administrator. The school district's elected governing board serves only in an advisory capacity until a number of conditions are met.

The administrator's authority continues until the loan has been repaid, the district has adequate fiscal systems and controls in place, and the State Superintendent has determined that the district's future compliance with the fiscal plan approved for the district is probable. The recovery plan also includes steps to improve the district's community relations and governance, pupil achievement, financial management, personnel management, and facilities management.

Inglewood Unified School District is the ninth school district to request an emergency loan and state takeover since 1990. Since then, local governance has been returned to five districts. For more information, please visit the California Department of Education's State Emergency Loans Web page.

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Tom Torlakson — State Superintendent of Public Instruction

RheeFirst! » Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee uses false quotation to demonize teachers

RheeFirst! » Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee uses false quotation to demonize teachers:

Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee uses false quotation to demonize teachers

by admin

Originally posted by Aaron Krager on his blog.  Read the entire post here.
“‘I will advocate for the kids when they have the money to bankroll my luxurious traveling and speaking schedule,’ said Michelle Rhee at a recent meeting with her wealthy Wall Street investors.
Okay, admittedly that quote is made up and Rhee has never made that kind of statement (as far as I can tell). Unfortunately, she does not admit to using a quotation [here] against teachers unions despite its fictional existence….
The new film “Won’t Back Down” uses the same quotation and paints a picture of corrupt teachers unions. One’s out for themselves and not caring about the students they educate day in and day out.
Here’s the problem. The quote is a complete fake. The Washington Post took down Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s use of the quote a few months ago.…
But the bottom line here is for Rhee. The quotation is false. Stop using, apologize, get on with the facts. Or does that make it too hard for you to sell your corporate education reform agenda?”

Afternoon UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 9-14-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

Diane Ravitch's blog:

A Seminal Round-up on VAM–and Why It Doesn’t Work

by dianerav

Two years ago, the Economic Policy Institute drafted a joint statement by a group of prominent scholars of education and assessment.
Well before the current crisis over value-added assessment, this ad hoc group warned that there were many reasons to doubt the value of test-based evaluation.
Since that report was published there have been many more demonstrations of the invalidity of student tests as a measure of teaching quality.
In time, it will be clear to everyone who cares about education that this is not a good way to judge teacher quality.

Great Column by Eric Zorn on Misuse of Tests

by dianerav

Please read this article.
Eric Zorn of the Chicago Tribune has taken the time to read research.
This is especially important because the Trib has been hostile to the CTU strike.
I am especially pleased that he read Gary Rubinstein’s careful dissection of VAM in New York City.
Gary’s posts should go viral.
He shows that VAM doesn’t work.
It is meaningless.

Richard Rothstein Explains Flaws of VAM

by dianerav

Richard Rothstein explains that VAM is an unproven methodology with negative consequences for the quality of education.
Rothstein says he is not surprised that Chicago teachers oppose its use. He wonders why other teachers have not gone on strike for the same reason.
It has not worked anywhere.
It narrows the curriculum.
It relies too heavily on tests that were not designed to measure teacher quality.
The teachers are being used as guinea pigs for an unproven methodology that will harm education.

The Gates Foundation Responds to Anthony Cody

by dianerav

The Gates Foundation, on its blog-site called “Impatient Optimists,” responds to Anthony Cody’s searing critique of the foundation’s support for market-based reforms.
Please read Anthony’s post, then the Gates’ response.
Also read Anthony’s post about poverty, and Gates’ response.
I think it is shameful that the foundation’s representative begin by questioning whether Anthony believes that poor children can learn. This is the standard reformer tactic to anyone who raises the issue of poverty as an impediment to learning. They would have us believe that being hungry and homeless is just an excuse for bad teachers; that it doesn’t matter if children can’t see the front of the room, can’t hear the teacher, because they 

Which Job Is Tougher: Teacher or Rocket Scientist?

by dianerav

A reader comments in response to a post complaining about the quality of teachers:
I am one of those people with an elite STEM degree.
I have volunteered at school as a guest speaker, a parent-chaperone, and occasionally given a lesson in an 

Why Do Conservatives Love High-Stakes Testing?

by dianerav

Marcus Winters recommends using value-added assessment to get rid of “ineffective” teachers. His paper was published by the conservative Manhattan Institute, which regularly issues his and others’ critiques of unions, tenure, seniority and any kind of job protection for teachers.
Many studies–and practical experience–have demonstrated that value-added assessment is unstable, unreliable and inaccurate. A teacher with a high rating may have a low rating the next year. The National Academy of Education and the American Educational Research Association published a joint paper warning that VAA says 

Why the “Nixon-to-China” Tactic in Education?

by dianerav

John Thompson has a good article at Huffington Post asking why President Obama did a “Nixon-to-China”maneuver with education.
That phrase “Nixon-to-China” comes up again and again, and Thompson makes a telling point: It describes a political decision, not an education policy. The President’s education policy is indeed very little different from that of the GOP. As Thompson puts it, “It is a political gamble designed to beat up on two of the Democrats’ most 

What Are We Doing to the Little Ones?

by dianerav

A pre-K teacher in New York City expresses alarm at the proliferation of developmentally inappropriate mandates:
The debate is already on about what constitutes quality early childhood education and, private schools not withstanding, in NYC and thanks to NYS for including common core in pre-k, it is not a good thing.
In our continuing effort to “win the gold medal” in education, we have lost sight of what it means to be a child in the United States.
Despite volumes of research on the subject of early childhood learning, many have pushed down the curriculum 

Mired in the Past?

by dianerav

A reader responds to a post that contained advice from Margaret Haley, written almost a century ago:

It’s truly amazing how little has changed in America’s fundamental view of education in the past century.  Despite all the changes in the outward trappings of schooling, i.e., technology and science, we keep clinging to the fantasy that schools are factories that produced “educated” children; and that education can be managed like any other business:  Teachers became factory workers, children became workpieces or products, and administrators became floor bosses and executives.  All of this was done in the name of “efficiency”, which really meant “on the cheap”, and reduced the idea of education to little more than test taking.  The few who tried 

An Intelligent Editorial about the Strike

by dianerav

The Los Angeles Times printed a thoughtful editorial about the teachers’ strike and about evaluating teachers by student test scores.
These days it is unusual to find an editorial or opinion column asking whether the tests were designed to measure teacher quality. They were not. Frankly, the test publishers ought to be yelling bloody murder about the inappropriate use of the tests, but they are making so much money that it’s hard to hear their complaints or to expect them.
I wish more writers would look at the research about the inaccuracy and instability of value-added assessment. I 

The table is (almost) set: MMSD handbook process (and a few other things) | AMPS

The table is (almost) set: MMSD handbook process (and a few other things) | AMPS:

The table is (almost) set: MMSD handbook process (and a few other things)

by Thomas J. Mertz

Thomas Nast, “Uncle Sam’s Thanksgiving Dinner,” Harper’s Weekly,
November 20, 1869.

Wilbert Harrison, “Lets-Work-Together, Part1″ (click to listen or download).

It has been a busy week, so this is a late and short update on the Madison Metropolitan School District Employee Handbook process.  The news is good.
One of the things keeping me busy has been joining others in support of the fundamental rights to free speech and assembly against the unprecedented attacks directed  by new Capitol Police Chief Daniel Erwin.  You can read all about that via the excellent coverage by the Wisconsin Citizen’s Media Cooperative; ; you can show your support by joining the Solidarity Sing Along, every day at Noon at the Capitol.  Please do.
Last I wrote about the Handbook process, the MMSD default position was that the drafting would be done by a work group composed exclusively of administrators, with input from other staff being limited.  At a special 

ENCOURAGING SIGNS « Teachers Fight Back

ENCOURAGING SIGNS « Teachers Fight Back:

ENCOURAGING SIGNS

leave a comment »

More teacher strikes are going on in the Chicago suburban areas. The teachers in several other suburban districts have also threatened to strike. I have seen teachers everywhere speaking out in support of striking teachers, criticizing so called “reforms”, speaking out against student test scores as a teacher evaluation tool, and talking about rejecting merit pay proposals.

Perhaps teachers have finally had enough with all this teacher bashing, the ridiculous reform measures, the meddling of corporations and big money interests, the anti union forces, and the tactic of school boards using the poor economy as an excuse to take back salary and benefits from teachers.

These are all encouraging signs. Finally we see teachers standing up for themselves and refusing to be bullied any longer. There are still way too many teachers who refuse to understand why the threat of a strike, or an actual strike is necessary when negotiating with school districts. To those teachers I would say, “exactly what other leverage do you have when negotiating” ?  The answer is, NONE.  Time and again we see district negotiations going on for months, teachers negotiating while working for months without a contract, an

What’s the difference between old-style patronage and principal discretion in hiring? « Fred Klonsky

What’s the difference between old-style patronage and principal discretion in hiring? « Fred Klonsky:

What’s the difference between old-style patronage and principal discretion in hiring?

by Fred Klonsky

A second grader named Aaron once told me a joke.
“Hey Mr. Klonsky. What’s the difference between boogers and Brussel sprouts?”
“I don’t know, Aaron. What’s the difference between boogers and Brussel sprouts?”
“Kids will eat boogers.”
I thought of that joke this morning as I read Mark Brown’s column in the Sun-Times.

Fifth day. Logan Square. “Venceremos.”

by Fred Klonsky

On the fifth day of the Chicago teachers strike teachers, students and parents from a dozen northwest side schools gathered at the Logan Square Centennial Monument.
Organized by the Logan Square Neighborhood Association and the CTU, the rally was a spirited demonstration of solidarity and community support.
Although the neighborhood’s alderman, Rey Colon, was one of the signers of an aldermanic letter demanding teachers return to work without a contract, parents continued what has been a signature of this strike: Their support for the teachers and opposition to the politicians.

My lunch with Illinois Representative Elaine Nekritz didn’t go well.

by Fred Klonsky

Democratic state House Representative Elaine Nekritz.
The afternoon CTU rally  yesterday was scheduled downtown at the Hyatt Regency at 3:00.
So I had a tight schedule. I wanted to attend at least part of the North Lake Shore Illinois Retired Teacher Association luncheon scheduled for noon at the Elks Club in Des Plaines.
All the local north suburban candidates for the November elections had been invited.
When I arrived I discovered that I had been seated between Democratic House Representative Elaine Nekritz and

Day four we went to Penny Pritzker’s hotel.

by Fred Klonsky

Penny Pritzker, former fund raiser for the Obama campaign and member of the Hyatt Hotel Pritzkers, is one of Rahm’s friends who sits on the Chicago Board of Education.
Hyatt has been the subject of a nearly three-year old labor dispute with Unite Here.
In Illinois, Penny Pritzker pays the same percentage of income tax as the women who make the beds in her hotels.

The Rag Blog interview.

by Fred Klonsky

An interview with Fred Klonsky:
Chicago teachers in red and on strike
If the city of Chicago wins this strike it will very likely give the green light to big cities such as Los Angeles and New York to go after teachers’ unions there.By Jonah Raskin / The Rag Blog / September 13, 2012
Fred Klonsky, 64, retired in June 2012 after 30 years of working as an art teacher in grades k-5 in the public school system in Illinois.
He doesn’t go into the classroom to teach kids anymore, but he hasn’t retired from political 

Why Evaluating Teachers is Complicated, No Matter What You Think of the Chicago Strike - Dana Goldstein

Why Evaluating Teachers is Complicated, No Matter What You Think of the Chicago Strike - Dana Goldstein:

Why Evaluating Teachers is Complicated, No Matter What You Think of the Chicago Strike

by Dana Goldstein

The Chicago teachers' strike has prompted a lot of commentary along the lines of -- "Duh, judging teachers by how much students learn is a great idea! I get evaluated at my job!" -- and while I agree that more stringent, detailed teacher evaluations are important, measuring how much students learn over time, and how much of their knowledge can be attributed to their classroom teacher (as opposed to their parents, tutors, or peers), is a complex proposition. I'd like to review what some of the challenges are.
Historically, when adult incentives are tied to children's test scores, the curriculum is narrowed to what is included on the test. The must-read book is Measuring Up, by Harvard psychometrician Daniel Koretz.No test can encompass the broad sweep of what we want children to know, not only in a given subject, but also in terms of critical thinking, decent behavior, curiousity, and so on and so forth.
That said, teaching to a good test--like an International Baccalaureate or Advanced Placement exam, with free-

Gates Foundation to Oakland Teacher: "We have different realities." | Crooks and Liars

Gates Foundation to Oakland Teacher: "We have different realities." | Crooks and Liars:

Gates Foundation to Oakland Teacher: "We have different realities."

14 comments

By karoli

For the past several weeks, former Oakland public school teacher Anthony Cody has been engaged with the Gates Foundation on issues surrounding education reform, poverty's impact on learning ability, charter schools and other issues.
This week was the final exchange, and it was a doozy. Moreover, it parted an opaque curtain on how nonprofits view teachers and their contribution to the dialogue.
The discussions have centered around charter schools and how they play into the for-profit education push, particularly in schools serving impoverished students who are also not performing on standardized tests. Cody's final entry concerned the profit motive in education "reform." I have the impression the Gates folks really didn't appreciate what he said very much.
Cody wrote:

The market, by definition, seeks to tap the desire to make money as a motivation for solutions

A Teacher in Dialogue with the Gates Foundation: Five Exchanges over Core Issues in Education - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

A Teacher in Dialogue with the Gates Foundation: Five Exchanges over Core Issues in Education - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher:

A Teacher in Dialogue with the Gates Foundation: Five Exchanges over Core Issues in Education

by Anthony Cody

Follow me on Twitter at @AnthonyCody
I have been in conversations with the Gates Foundation for the past two months. In my early exchanges with representatives of the Gates Foundation it felt as if we were barely scratching the surface of the many issues that I thought should be explored. I thought that this dialogue might serve to delve into the issues more deeply.
Yesterday the Gates Foundation responded to my last post, focused on the problems associated with a market-driven approach to education reform.
I want to revisit the ten posts in this exchange, and have chosen excerpts from each to provide an overview to the discussion. Below are links to each of the ten posts, on both my Education Week blog, and over at the Gates Foundation's Impatient Optimists blog. (Note: there tended to be more comments posted over at Impatient Optimists.)
Exchange #1: How can educators create a strong professional culture in our schools? How do we build the teaching profession?
My post went first: How do we Build the Teaching Profession?
At Living in Dialogue.
At Impatient Optimists.

We need to pursue the conditions necessary for solid reflective, collaborative cultures at schools. These are dynamic processes that rely on the leadership and inspiration of everyone involved. They require trust to be invested in our school leaders, who in turn need to trust their teachers to engage in this often open-ended work. Constant pressure to raise test scores and top-down mandates destroy this. These external pressures do not add coherence--they subtract it. Teachers need autonomy and time, and they need support, access to partners, the use of strong models of collaboration, and small class sizes so they are not overwhelmed every day. We need to strengthen, not eliminate due process, when we ask teachers to open their classroom practices to one another and reflect honestly about their practice.

-- Anthony Cody
Gates Foundation response is by Irvin Scott: "How do we Build the Teaching Profession?"
At Living in Dialogue.

At Impatient Optimists.

I think the elevation of the teaching profession we seek not only can happen - it's already happening. Over the past year, I have had the honor of meeting and engaging with hundreds and hundreds of teachers across the country. From these experiences, three things have become very apparent. First, teachers are not monolithic in their views and perspectives. This is why it has been so important for us at the foundation to engage with many teachers as frequently as possible. Second, while teachers may not all share the same views on how to build the profession, most seem to believe that the challenges faced by our students and teachers warrant significant shifts in the profession. Finally, teachers welcome the opportunity to play key roles in building the profession. The foundation will do all that we can to ensure that this happens.

-- Irvin Scott
Exchange #2: How do we consider evidence of student learning in teacher evaluation?
The Gates Foundation's Vicki Phillips writes the first post

AFT President Randi Weingarten Slams Rahm Emanuel Over Chicago Teacher’s Strike | FDL Action

AFT President Randi Weingarten Slams Rahm Emanuel Over Chicago Teacher’s Strike | FDL Action:

AFT President Randi Weingarten Slams Rahm Emanuel Over Chicago Teacher’s Strike

by Jane Hamsher

Tell Boys & Girls Club of Chicago:
Dump Rahm Emanuel

Update II: Dave Dayen reports that Rahm is blinking, under pressure from the Obama campaign to settle the strike so it doesn’t interfere with the election.
Update: Rahm thanks both Obama and Romney for supporting him against the Chicago Teachers.
Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers, smacked Rahm Emanuel around last night on Bloomberg TV for his perceived mishandling of the Chicago teacher’s strike.
Al Hunt asked her if things would be different under former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley. Replied Weingarten:

“I think that Mayor Emanuel did a lot of poking in the eye that he ought not to have done. He ended up taking away a raise, trying to unilaterally implement a longer school day and doing a lot of poking in the eye…I think what we’re seeing, unfortunately, is 15 years of lots of reform go amok. So I’m not going to do the kind of compare and contrast between Daly and Emanuel. But what I am going to say is that I’ve watched in Chicago people being really frustrated that they don’t have the tools they need to do their job.”

Weingarten’s assessment of Rahm’s performance is charitable compared to others, who have accused the Chicago Mayor of taking badly needed money meant to repair inner city schools and funneling it to his billionaire political cronies like Penny Pritzker and Hyatt Hotels.
Paul Street rips into Rahm for waging a war on inner city children, calling his proposals “noxious” and “neo-

YouTube Launches ‘American Idol’ Search For The Best Teachers | TechCrunch

YouTube Launches ‘American Idol’ Search For The Best Teachers | TechCrunch:

YouTube Launches ‘American Idol’ Search For The Best Teachers

GREGORY FERENSTEIN

posted yesterday

8 Comments

YouTube is looking to give some much-needed celebrity status to the most engaging teachers in the world. They’re conducting an Internet-wide competition of the best video lessons, which will be judged by an all-star panel of online educators, such as Sal Khan of Khan Academy. “The rise of online educational videos is giving learners access to the world’s greatest thinkers and teachers, leveling the playing field for all,” explains the YouTube blog announcement. “We believe that inspiring online educators can come from all walks of life, and we want to find the next generation of educational YouTube stars.”

Google’s original $300 million foray into original content was all about unearthing the next 

Meet the Founders: Caroline Grannan | Parents Across America

Meet the Founders: Caroline Grannan | Parents Across America:

Meet the Founders: Caroline Grannan

by pagrundy

Third in a series of profiles of PAA’s founding members.

Caroline Grannan, PAA’s Parent Trigger expert, got her start in education reform research more than a decade ago, in the dark days when Google searches hadn’t yet been developed and building a website required a programming expert. Her first focus was Edison Schools, Inc., a for-profit, NASDAQ-traded charter management company that claimed to bring “the efficiencies of the private sector” to public education. “It was really getting hailed as the next big thing,” she explained.

Back in 2001, the San Francisco school board became dissatisfied with its Edison school, and began moving to end the contract. The company fought back, creating a national furor that maligned the San Francisco school board members, especially Jill Wynns, a friend of Caroline’s who is an outspoken critic of education “reform” fads and is now president of the California School Boards Assocation.

Caroline and fellow parent activist Dana Woldow began to scrutinize Edison’s record, hunting down numbers and then crunching them to determine whether Edison schools were working the miracles they claimed. They