Shanker Blog » Our Not-So-College-Ready Annual Discussion Of SAT Results

Shanker Blog » Our Not-So-College-Ready Annual Discussion Of SAT Results:

Our Not-So-College-Ready Annual Discussion Of SAT Results

by Matthew Di Carlo

Every year, around this time, the College Board publicizes its SAT results, and hundreds of newspapers, blogs, and television stations run stories suggesting that trends in the aggregate scores are, by themselves, a meaningful indicator of U.S. school quality. They’re not.
Everyone knows that the vast majority of the students who take the SAT in a given year didn’t take the test the previous year – i.e., the data are cross-sectional. Everyone also knows that participation is voluntary (as is participation in the ACT test), and that the number of students taking the test has been increasing for many years and current test-takers have different measurable characteristics from their predecessors. That means we cannot use the raw results to draw strong conclusions about changes in the performance of the typical student, 

Charter schools amendment: It is “T-SPLOST of education.” | Get Schooled

Charter schools amendment: It is “T-SPLOST of education.” | Get Schooled:

Charter schools amendment: It is “T-SPLOST of education.”

by Maureen Downey

The print AJC ran a pro/con today on the charter schools amendment. The pro was the essay I posted last week by Virginia Galloway. Here is the con by local businessman Sean Murphy. (Later today, I will post a piece by two Georgia legislators in support of the amendment, Jan Jones and Alisha Thomas Morgan.)

By Sean Murphy:
I am a successful metro Atlanta business entrepreneur. My political preferences are irrelevant because Amendment 1 on the Nov. 6 ballot is opposed by people in all parties.
As a businessman and a parent, I oppose Amendment 1 – the school issue – because despite what the charter school association and the “families” for schools tell you, the reality is that Amendment 1 is about trust and truth.
The ballot question should ask whether you want your local school board, for whom you can vote, to make decisions about your schools; or do you want a small group of appointed people accountable to no one to make those decisions? There is not one thing in the enabling …

Presidential Proclamation -- Child Health Day, 2012 | The White House

Presidential Proclamation -- Child Health Day, 2012 | The White House:

Presidential Proclamation -- Child Health Day, 2012

CHILD HEALTH DAY, 2012

- - - - - - -

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

As a Nation, we share an obligation to ensure the health and well-being of our children. The youth of today will shape America's tomorrow, and on Child Health Day, we rededicate ourselves to providing our next generation with access to the quality health care and clean environment that will nurture their future success.

My Administration has made the health of our Nation's children a top priority. Because of the Affordable Care Act, insurance companies can no longer deny coverage to children with pre-existing conditions. The law also allows young adults to stay on their parents' health insurance plan until age 26, which has brought coverage to more than 3 million Americans. My Administration has also taken action to ensure all our children can attend schools that are safe, where we address bullying and end the myth that it is a simple rite of passage. And through First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! initiative, we are joining with parents, schools, and community leaders to address childhood obesity.

A safe environment in which our children can live and grow is also essential to their well-being. Because clean water is the foundation for healthy communities, we are working to reduce contaminants in our drinking water by updating standards and better protecting our water sources from pollution. We are also building on the successes of the Clean Air Act to improve our air quality and help decrease harmful toxins that can lead to acute bronchitis, asthma, cancer, and impaired development.

On Child Health Day, we are reminded that by giving our children a healthy start in life, we put them and our Nation on the path to a successful future. As we mark this important occasion, let us reaffirm our commitment to meeting that most fundamental responsibility.

The Congress, by a joint resolution approved May 18, 1928, as amended (36 U.S.C. 105), has called for the designation of the first Monday in October as Child Health Day and has requested the President to issue a proclamation in observance of this day.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim Monday, October 1, 2012, as Child Health Day. I call upon families, child health professionals, faith-based and community organizations, and all levels of government to help ensure America's children stay healthy.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand twelve, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-seventh.

BARACK OBAMA

Making Children a Greater National Priority in the Federal Budget

http://www.childrensbudget.org/

http://www.childrensbudget.org/

Modern School: New SARS-Like Virus Discovered in Arabia as Hajj Approaches

Modern School: New SARS-Like Virus Discovered in Arabia as Hajj Approaches:

New SARS-Like Virus Discovered in Arabia as Hajj Approaches

by Michael Dunn

Corona Virus, electron micrograph, Wikipedia

The most dangerous infectious diseases are those that have both high mortality and morbidity rates—that is, they are both highly infectious and deadly. The most infectious diseases are generally spread easily from person to person through the air (e.g., common cold, influenza) and their proliferation is facilitated by crowded living conditions, as exist in slums and pilgrimages, like the annual Hajj, which will soon be under way in Saudi Arabia.

It is therefore alarming that a new SARS-like virus has turned up in Saudi Arabia. It has already killed at least one resident and left a visitor from Qatar in critical condition, according to the

Voices: “Reform” group resorts to intimidation | EdNewsColorado

Voices: “Reform” group resorts to intimidation | EdNewsColorado:

Voices: “Reform” group resorts to intimidation

Written by Jed Walker on Oct 1st, 2012. | Copyright © EdNewsColorado.org

Dougco parent Jed Walker wants to know why a parent group that supports Dougco’s school board filed an open-records request to get all emails sent by 19 people who question the board.

Recently, supporters of the Douglas County School District Board of Education upped the ante in their battle to support the school board.  A group, called Parent Led Reform, requested email records of community members who have been vocal in their opposition to the direction of the board.

These requests were made via the Colorado Open Records Act, or CORA. The organization did not provide the reason they wanted these emails. Parent Led Reform later claimed it had found a “significant number of possible violations” but has yet to provide tangible evidence.

It was standing-room-only at a Dougco board meeting earlier this month. EdNews file photo.

I see the request by Parent Led Reform not as an attempt to find wrongdoers but as an attempt to intimidate and silence people who do not approve of the board’s attempts to violate Colorado law with its support of a voucher program and hold back money 

Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee: Continues to Bash teachers - Commentary - Charleston Daily Mail - West Virginia News and Sports -

Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee: Continues to Bash teachers   - Commentary - Charleston Daily Mail - West Virginia News and Sports -:

Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee: Continues to Bash teachers

I'm a Democrat because I believe in the party's basic principles, particularly the idea that we have to look after one another and stand up for those who need help.
I believe in fighting for the civil rights of all Americans, especially children and those facing injustices. That's why I was heartened to see Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel advocating for the rights of kids in his standoff with the Chicago Teachers Union.
Although his stance made perfect sense to me, it surprised many political observers. After all, Emanuel is a favorite within the Democratic Party, and teachers unions have long been allied with the party.
Emanuel went head to head with the union to get a better contract for the city's schoolchildren.
In the process, he underscored a transformation in the Democratic Party.
Increasingly, those who side with unions at any cost appear to be in the minority, while more 

A surprising candidate for Florida education chief - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

A surprising candidate for Florida education chief - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post:

A surprising candidate for Florida education chief

By Valerie Strauss

Last December I published a post about a school board member in Florida who decided to take one of the standardized tests that students
(bigstock)are forced to take. He wasn’t allowed to take the exact test so a similar one was created for him. He took math and reading tests with questions for 10th graders — and flunked.

That man is Rick Roach, who is in his fourth four-year term representing District 3 on the Board of Education in Orange County, Fla., a public school system with 180,000 students.

Since his testing experiment, Roach has been vocal about the many problems with the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, and is a member of the Central Florida School Board Coalition, which released a white paper a few months ago that concluded that the FCAT is being 

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 10-1-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

Diane Ravitch's blog:

Edushyster Does Charter Math

by dianerav

Edushyster noticed a strange phenomenon.
A charter school received a $1.5 million grant to close the achievement gap.
Edushyster noticed that its first class had 47 students. But 17 eventually graduated.
Then it was explained.
This is called success by attrition. It is usually associated with miracle schools, where 100% of the students graduate (of those that make it to senior year). For more on miracle schools, check Gary Rubinstein’s blog.

A Remarkable Investigative Reporter

by dianerav

Stephanie Simon of Reuters has written one blockbuster story after another. She has done the digging and investigation that make her stories genuinely valuable. In education, as more newspapers cut back their in-depth education reporting, this kind of investigative journalism is becoming increasingly rare.
She wrote stunning articles about the privatization 

My Recent Articles about Corporate Reform

by dianerav

Recently, a newly elected member of a school board asked me to suggest background reading. So I put together a list of the reviews I have written for the New York Review of Books in the past two years. When I get some time, I will suggest a reading list of books.
I think you will enjoy them.
**********************************
This is a review of Steven Brill’s book “Class Warfare” and Janet Mayer’s “As Bad As They Say.”
**********************************
This is a review of

A Teacher Writes to President Oama

by dianerav

Dear Mr. President,
I have received your daily emails and phone calls – please take me off your lists.
I gave you some money in May, even though I didn’t want to – your phone volunteers are very persuasive!
I voted for you in 2008, and I will again in November.
What choice do I have? The alternative isn’t better, and probably worse overall. Though, I will vote for you 

Principals Give Flunking Grade to NY Teacher Evaluation Scheme

by dianerav

New York had the bad luck to win $700 million in Race to the Top funding.
The politicians thought it would help balance the budget, not realizing that the grant would not be available to plug budget holes.
Now we know that principals think the costly, time-wasting evaluation system is useless. Eighty percent find it 

How About a Letter to the President?

by dianerav

Linda in Connecticut is one of the regular commenters on the blog and also one of the wittiest. She often makes me laugh out loud.
But her last comment was serious, and other readers responded positively. She said we should write a letter to the President. And she wrote a draft indicating what she thought it should contain.
Here’s the thing. President Obama is preferable to Mitt Romney, who would dismantle public education without a 

A Charter Teacher Tells What Happened

by dianerav

In response to an earlier post about the lack of accountability for charters, a teacher wrote to describe her experience in a charter school in Pennsylvania. Most important in her story is the last line:
From 2009-2011 I worked for a Philadelphia charter school that exemplifies the problems Bill White is talking about, a problem leaders like Ackerman were enforcing before Corbett assumed his role. When I entered the Philadelphia school system in 2009, the district’s messaging under Arlene Ackerman seemed to be: if public schools are the problem, charter schools are the answer.

Governor signs off on bill ensuring free public education | EdSource Today

Governor signs off on bill ensuring free public education | EdSource Today:

Governor signs off on bill ensuring free public education

October 1st, 2012 | Add a Comment | 
By Kathryn Baron

Share on twitterShare on facebookShare on emailShare on google_plusone

More Sharing Services

Gov. Jerry Brown has approved legislation that settles a lawsuit over public schools illegally charging students for educational activities and materials such as textbooks, exams, and field trips.

Assemblymember Ricardo Lara (D-South Gate)

AB 1575, introduced by Assemblymember Ricardo Lara (D-South Gate), resolves Jane Doe and Jason Roe v. The State of California. The class action lawsuit, filed by the ACLU in Sept. 2010, accused state education officials of operating by “winks and nods” as “public school districts blatantly violated the free school guarantee” in the State Constitution.

That refers to Article IX, Sec. 5 of California’s Constitution, which states: “The Legislature shall provide for a system of common schools by which a free school shall be kept up and supported in each district at least six months in every year, after the first year in which a school has been established.”

In the legal depositions, students described being singled out and 

School Tech Connect: Life in Rogers Park

School Tech Connect: Life in Rogers Park:

Life in Rogers Park

by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman)

For the second time in a calendar year, I've had to faceplant myself onto the floor to avoid gunfire. Last night, it was right outside the house--- the shells were literally scattered across my front yard. I usually count the shots, but last night after about ten, I realized this wasn't a little pistol fight; it sounded more like a combat zone.

I live on the first floor, so the chances of stray gunfire making its way into my apartment are pretty significant. It now seems like a terrible tradeoff for the luxury of not climbing stairs. 

The whole thing came as such a disappointment, given that the mayor of Chicago has flat-out told the gang 

solidaridad: Daily Kos: American Center for School Choice Versus The John Birch Society

solidaridad: Daily Kos: American Center for School Choice Versus The John Birch Society:

Daily Kos: American Center for School Choice Versus The John Birch Society

by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene

The so-called "Parent Trigger" is an American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) template law written primarily by right-wingers Bill Lucia of EdVoice and Ben Austin of Green Dot School Corporation. DFER Corporate school privatizer Gloria Romero, who signed her name on that bill that was snuck through the California legislature in a desperate attempt to win Race to the Trough bribe dollars, recently took offense to the fact that many people are starting to learn the reactionary origins of charter trigger laws. Romero recently penned a ridiculous attack on the distinguished Professor Diane Ravitch. Since Romero is a pariah even in her own 

Two Thumbs Up for Won’t Back Down | Re:education in Baltimore

Two Thumbs Up for Won’t Back Down | Re:education in Baltimore:

Two Thumbs Up for Won’t Back Down

by Edit Barry

The latest film from Walden Media and 20th Century Fox shows American audiences how to stage a parent revolution.

Won’t Back Down is a new feature film starring Oscar-nominated actresses Maggie Gyllenhaal and Viola Davis as two moms, Jaime and Nona, who take over their F-grade public elementary school. The school has a mathematical problem: Eighty percent of graduates can’t read. It’s personal for Jaime, whose 8-year-old daughter, Malia, is a walking statistic. The film opens with Malia’s anguished attempt to sound out a command: “Put the story in order.”
Okay.

1. Choose an American city with a troubled public school system. Make it Pittsburgh

NYC Educator: Filling That Last Few Minutes

NYC Educator: Filling That Last Few Minutes:

Filling That Last Few Minutes

by NYC Educator

My wife steadfastly refuses to drive on parkways. I'm trying to persuade her otherwise, and I was driving her around giving her instructions. "You know, you turn here, wait for the car, and, umm.... then you get on."

My daughter, in the back seat, said, "You know what you sound like? You sound like a teacher who finished the class early and is trying to fill up the last few minutes."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"You're improvising," she said. "You have no idea what you're talking about and you're just making it up as you go along."

I was shocked. She was right, of course. I really had 

Fine Print: State Control of Newark Schools in Court - NJ Spotlight

Fine Print: State Control of Newark Schools in Court - NJ Spotlight:

Fine Print: State Control of Newark Schools in Court

Advocates of home rule for Newark schools take their case to Appellate Court

 print | email | share

By John Mooney, October 1, 2012 in Education |Post a Comment

What it is: The first legal briefs have been filed in the appeal of the Christie administration’s recent decision to retain control of New Jersey’s largest school district. Appellants contend that the administration manipulated the process that would have started shifting the schools back to local oversight. The state has moved to dismiss the appeal outright, at this point on mostly technical grounds.

Related Links

Newark Appellant Brief

State Argument for Dismissal

Coalition for Effective Newark Public Schools (CENPS)

What it means: The challenge before the state appellate court sets the stage for the legal system to weigh in on an explosive situation that the political system has failed to resolve for the past decade. The court battle comes at a time when the district is in the national spotlight for its school reform efforts being guided by the state, as well as the $100 million gift from Facebook founder mark Zuckerberg.

The appellants’ argument: The brief filed this week by the Education Law Center, the 

The Educated Reporter: 'Deferred Action' Program For Immigrant Students Slows Amid Concerns

The Educated Reporter: 'Deferred Action' Program For Immigrant Students Slows Amid Concerns:

'Deferred Action' Program For Immigrant Students Slows Amid Concerns

by Emily Richmond

The Wall St. Journal's Miriam Jordan had an interesting story about a slowdown in applications for President Obama's controversial "deferred action" program for immigrant students. Apparently uncertainty about how much information applicants must share with immigration authorities, as well as concerns about the outcome of the presidential election, is making some people reluctant to apply.

The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program offers a means of obtaining a legal two-year permit to work or attend school, and is not a pathway to citizenship. To qualify, individuals must be 30 years old or younger, and have lived continuously in the U.S. since June 15, 2007. They must also have stayed out of trouble with no record of serious crimes. 

CAN WE THRIVE AS A SOCIETY? WHERE DOES LAUSD FIT IN? - Perdaily.com

CAN WE THRIVE AS A SOCIETY? WHERE DOES LAUSD FIT IN? - Perdaily.com:

CAN WE THRIVE AS A SOCIETY? WHERE DOES LAUSD FIT IN?

by Leonard Isenberg

(For a national view of public education reform see the end of this blog post)


Writing a blog on the purposeful failing of public education at the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) and elsewhere in this country tends to make one myopic to what is going on elsewhere in our society and around the world. To remedy this occupational hazard, I suggest you take a 

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES:

WEEKEND QUOTABLES

by Mike Klonsky

On Sunday afternoon, nearly 1,000 people, practically all of them African American, answered Ed Gardner’s call to rally at 95th and Western to protest the continued lack of black workers on construction sites in Chicago.|

Mary Mitchell

They were young and old, teachers and parents, churchgoers and hell-raisers, politicians and their bashers marching alongside the well-to-do and those not doing so well. Protesters converged from both directions on Western — at times spilling out into the street and stopping traffic between 95th and 91st and Western, chanting: “If we don’t work. No one works.”  -- Sun-Times