Friday, November 30, 2012

by Valerie Strauss

With the cost of college at record highs, the governors of Texas and Florida (Rick Perry and Rick Scott, respectively) have challenged their state's public higher education systems to come up with a bachelor's degree program that costs no more than $10,000. Perry put out the call in 2011, and 10 colleges that enroll about 10 percent of undergraduates at public universities in the state have responded ( though not the flagship University of Texas at Austin), according to this story in the Wall Street Journal. Scott just issued his challenge and a few schools have already responded, according to this story in the Orlando Sentinel. Does the proposal make sense? I asked Stephen Joel Trachtenberg, president of George Washington University from 1988 to 2007 and now a professor at the university's Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration, to make sense of the proposal.
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Michigan coalition opposes Race to Top finalist in letter to Obama, Duncan

Posted by Valerie Strauss on November 30, 2012 at 5:00 am

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A large coalition of Michigan parents, PTA leaders, K-12 teachers, professors and others — including the superintendent of Detroit Public Schools — sent a letter (see text below) to President Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan protesting the selection of a new education entity as a finalist in the latest edition of Race to the Top, the administration’s signature education initiative.

The U.S. Education Department this week announced 61 finalists in the latest Race to the Top edition, this one designed to award a total of nearly $400 million in federal funds to school districts that agree to implement specific school reforms. The list of finalists was

The Educated Reporter: In Case You Missed It: EWA's STEM Express, Webinar Replays Now Available

The Educated Reporter: In Case You Missed It: EWA's STEM Express, Webinar Replays Now Available:

In Case You Missed It: EWA's STEM Express, Webinar Replays Now Available

by Emily Richmond

The push toward STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education programs is one of the hottest topics on the table right now, and EWA wants to help you keep up to date. Our new Thursday STEM Express(TSE) is an ongoing digest of the latest news and opinion on this critical issue. You can find it -- along with a wealth of other terrific content -- at EdMedia Commons. I've written recently about federal efforts to improve theSTEM teacher workforce, and the ongoing struggle to increase girls' involvement.

Access to EMC is open to the public. To join the conversations and access all content, you need to be a member of EWA. To find out if you qualify (don't worry it's free!), click here.

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EWA's most recent webinar -- Giving Guidance: Counselors' Role in Student College & Career Readiness -- is now available online. Pat Martin, assistant vice president of the College Board National Office for School Counselor Advocacy, walks us through the second-annual survey of guidance counselors, who shared their views of their work and what needs to change for them to be more effective. We also heard from Peggy Hines, director

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Cruising the blogs

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Cruising the blogs:

Cruising the blogs

by Mike Klonsky

When it csomes to ed bloggers, some of my favorites can be found on NEPC's aptly-named Best of the Ed Blogs, including the likes of Ravitch, Ferlazzo, Thomas, Cuban, etal... In this post, Stanford prof, Larry Cubanwrestles with the progressive/traditional teaching duality when one of his students innocently describes him as a "traditional" teacher. He is and isn't.

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After reading Anthony Cody's favorable review of Lois Weiner's new book,"The Future of Our Schools, Teachers Unions and Social Justice", I ordered a copy from Haymarket Books for possible use in my winter quarter course.

“Education is growth" ― John Dewey

Another EdWeek (Teacher) blogger, Elena Aguilar offers advice to fellow teacher-coaches in her "Art of Coaching Teachers" blog. I'm a little put off (biased?) by the title and the patronizing tone it projects. It's not that I'm anti-coach. I am a high school basketball coach (among other things) and also direct the Small Schools Workshop where lots of "coaching" of willing teachers and principals has taken place over the years. I appreciate the teacher-as-coach metaphor and what it connotes in the way of

Its Time to Dismiss Florida Charter Schools’ Complaint About Fairness | Scathing Purple Musings

Its Time to Dismiss Florida Charter Schools’ Complaint About Fairness | Scathing Purple Musings:

Its Time to Dismiss Florida Charter Schools’ Complaint About Fairness

by Bob Sikes

The administrator for the Cape Coral Charter School Authority says all the right things and speaks with the right jargon to be believable in this morning’s guest column in the Fort Myers News Press. In an attempt to make the case for more taxpayer money going to charter schools like his, Lew Ford writes:

Here is the issue: A tax of 1.5 mills is levied on all Florida residents for the purposes of capital expenses for public schools. The tax used to be 2.0 mills in prior years. Districts use this money to pay for debt service on their buildings, facilities maintenance, and new construction. Florida Statute 1011.71 gives school districts the “discretion” to share this tax with charter schools. Lee County School District does not share this tax.
Most of our “Oasis” parents don’t even realize their taxes don’t support their children. They pay this

Thursday, November 29, 2012

School Tech Connect: The Culture Of Testing in Chicago

School Tech Connect: The Culture Of Testing in Chicago:

The Culture Of Testing in Chicago

by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman)

In a word, wow.

Raise Your Hand held the most remarkable forum tonight, called The Culture of Testing- Assessing the Assessments at CPS. I've been to a lot of forums in the past couple of years; this one was far and away the most... astonishing? poignant? I don't even know the word for what it was.

People from all over the city gathered to talk about an epidemic of testing that has gripped the students of CPS over the past couple of years. As a person working in schools for the better part of the past three decades, I can testify to the fact that the testing is out of control. And, it turns out that the poorer you are, the more you're impacted by it, which should come as a surprise to nobody and yet it still blows me away.

I'm wiped out tonight, but I'll have plenty of video of tonight's event over the next couple of days. I couldn't go to

Some Nights (What We Stand For) | The Jose Vilson

Some Nights (What We Stand For) | The Jose Vilson:

Some Nights (What We Stand For)

by Jose

fun., “Some Nights”

Some nights, I stay up cashing in my bad luck

Some nights, I call it a draw
Some nights, I wish that my lips could build a castle
Some nights, I wish they’d just fall off

But I still wake up, I still see your ghost

Oh Lord, I’m still not sure what I stand for oh
What do I stand for? What do I stand for?
Most nights, I don’t know anymore…

Dear You,
Confession: Some nights, I know why I do any of this, either.
Six years ago, I wondered if teaching actually made any sense for me. The constant bombardment by people who hadn’t been in the classroom in a while complaining about the unopened boxes in the classroom, my unorganized and hastily done bulletin board, and other nitpicky nonsense that wouldn’t help anyone as an educato.
The difference between an S and a U was all a matter of whether I acquiesced to their demands for a pretty classroom, never mind that students generally wanted to come to class because I cared more about making them feel welcome than whatever a checklist somewhere deep in a manual told us.
I didn’t believe, then, that teachers should only follow their hearts and minds when they taught. Yet, the students always made me feel like I was on the right track, and I just drew on my own intuition to address what I believed

Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 11-29-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

Nite Cap UPDATE

UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE

My Best Posts Over The Years — Volume One

by Larry Ferlazzo

I’ve been writing this blog for six or seven years. I thought readers might find it useful for me to dig back in the “archives” and highlight my choices for some of the best posts that appeared during that time.

This first collection — Volume One — comes from 2007 (and, in the case of some articles, even earlier):

The Best Of The Best — 2007: Here I brought together links to my first annual lists, along with highlighting the sites I ranked first in each category.

Intriguing Way To Learn Vocabulary: Trust me, you’ll want to try out the site I talk about in this post….

Another "Happy Coincidence" for NJ Charters!

by Duke

So the NJDOE releases a report that glowingly (and inappropriately) touts the "success" of New Jersey's charter schools on Tuesday morning. It took Education Commissioner Cerf 631 days to get around to making and releasing the report, which he promised "as quickly as is humanly possible."

But here's an amazing coincidence: the report just happened to be released on the same day the Camden school board reversed its previous vote and let a previously failed charter operator come back into the city:

It was the second time the board had voted on the plan, which previously fell a vote short. In a meeting held predominantly behind closed doors Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, the board reconsidered and approved the plan with just one dissenting vote.

But the resolution approving the measure left open some uncertainties. The board still

Institute for Democratic Education in America »

A Dear Professor

by Dana Bennis in Blog

A Life of Fire

by Scott Nine in Blog

The Purpose of Education

by James Boutin

"There has only ever been one purpose of education in any culture for any student: to prepare responsible adults."

I love this.

Popout

Education for the 99% »

When Was the Last Time You Read a Book?

by ClassroomStruggle

We published this article, written by two Oakland teachers, in our most recent newsletter. They were trying to capture a very real and very ironic problem for teachers: overworked as they are, how often do teachers get to teach themselves. If this resonates with you, teacher or not, please let us know in [...]

Parental Oversight (of OUSD)

by ClassroomStruggle

This article is written by a parent of a Special Education child in OUSD which we published in our most recent newsletter. As it shows Oakland parents have in-depth knowledge of how OUSD currently runs and how it could run better. We hope more parents write and we can start conversations from the bottom up [...]

The Nation on Rockaway and Occupy Sandy

by ed notes online

Great piece on Rockaway in The Nation.

I'm getting closer to finishing up the work I have to do to get closer to normal and I'm hoping to get over to Occupy Sandy at YANA out here to lend a hand. But at the rate they are going helping people they may be done before I am.

By the way -- rumor out there that Bloomberg came out by helicopter today and went to The Wave offices. Gotta do some checking on that.

The Nation: http://www.thenation.com/blog/171499/photoessay-sandy-ravaged-rockaways-one-month-out?rel=emailNation#

PHOTOESSAY: The Sandy-Ravaged Rockaways, One Month Out

Ayasha Guerin on November 28, 2012 - 4:02 PM ET

In the wake of one of the worst hurricanes to ever hit the East Coast, stories have surfaced about the phenomenal job Occupy Sandy has done to bring relief to some of the most affected sites in the New York area.

Poway schools boss ranks high in state pay

Poway Superintendent John Collins is not only the highest paid superintendent in San Diego County — his compensation package is third highest among California’s 25 largest school systems.

MORNING UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 11-29-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 10 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] J. Crew Raising $$$ for Rich Kids by dianerav J. Crew is raising money to help Teach for America, which has $300 million in assets and many high-level employees with six-figure salaries. Why don’t they use the proceeds to hire nurses and librarians for public schools in cities like Chicago, Philadelphia and Cleveland. Like, you know, poor kids? What Does the NJ Charter Report Overlook? by dianerav Count on Jersey Jazzman to catch the flaw in the CREDO study of charters in his home state. It purports to stu... more »

THE LOVE OF LEARNING « Teachers Fight Back

THE LOVE OF LEARNING « Teachers Fight Back:

THE LOVE OF LEARNING

by alkleen

I saw a large picture in an obscure local newspaper about an event that occurred 50 years ago on Nov. 14th, 1962. The picture showed the famous poet Robert Frost presenting his poetry to more than 10,000 people in the University of Detroit sports auditorium. This was the last large public reading by Frost before his death, on January 29, 1963. The picture was just amazing. The audience wasn’t just made up of university students, but people from all walks of life. The first thing that struck me was the odd sight of a jam-packed sports arena with no sporting event, graduation activity, or concert taking place. The stands were filled as well as the auditorium floor, TO LISTEN TO A POET ! Can you imagine such a scene today ? I can’t think of a poet alive today who could possibly command such an

Jersey Jazzman: "Reform Churn"

Jersey Jazzman: "Reform Churn":

"Reform Churn"

by Duke

These days, urban schools system change their "reforms" as often as I change my underwear:

Global Village had arrived in Newark with great fanfare just three years earlier. During its short life, it extended the school day for many children at the seven schools it served, provided eyeglasses to students who needed them, distributed books to build home libraries, and connected parents with a variety of social services, from mental health care to housing assistance.
Much like the highly publicized Harlem Children’s Zone, Global Village focused on the needs of entire families. It aimed to strengthen academics and help lift children in one of Newark’s toughest neighborhoods out of poverty.
The partnership between Newark public schools and NYU would be less expensive than

Recursos en español (Education Resources for Spanish Speakers)

Recursos en español (Education Resources for Spanish Speakers):

BIENVENIDOS
Recursos en español
Education Resources for Spanish Speakers

ENLACES

La Administración Anuncia Metas para Flexibilidad de La Ley NCLB

La Administración Anuncia Nuevas Medidas para Proteger a los Estudiantes de Programas Ineficaces

Carta Estimado Colega: Acceso Igualitario a la educación publica

PDF (131K)

Carta estimado colega: Violencia sexual Antecedentes, resumen, y hoja de datos

PDF (369K)

Conozca sus derechos: El Título IX Prohíbe el acoso sexual y la violencia sexual en la escuela

PDF (178K)

Un plan de Reforma

La Ley de Recuperación y Reinversión

Carrera a la Cima

Recursos Para La Familia

Poder de los Padres-una guía

PDF (6.6M)

No hay que aceptar las escuelas de bajo rendimiento

MSWord (45K) | PDF(1.9M)

Orientación para Combatir Acoso Escolar Señala Responsabilidad Local y Federal

Gracias por su interés en la educación. En el Departamento de Educación creemos firmemente que todos los niños pueden aprender y que la educación es el camino más seguro hacia la realización de su sueño.
El Departamento de Educación tiene como misión promover el alto rendimiento académico y la preparación de los estudiantes para la competitividad global al fomentar la excelencia en la educación y garantizar la igualdad de acceso.
El Departamento de Educación de los EE.UU.

Aquí obtendrá información acerca de todos los programas y servicios que ofrece el Departamento de Educación, podrá obtener información de contacto para su distrito local, estado y otras oficinas gubernamentales.

Educación Especial (IDEA)

Aquí encontrara información sobre servicios y programas para estudiantes discapacitados, publicaciones y referencias a otras organizaciones.

Ayuda Federal para Estudiantes

Contiene información acerca de cómo obtener ayuda financiera del gobierno federal, estatal y otras organizaciones para estudiar en la universidad.

Educación Para Adultos

Aquí encontrara información acerca de programas en su estado que le ayuden a aprender ingles o completar sus estudios secundarios.

Educación Universitaria

Para información acerca de universidades, acreditación o como evaluar su diploma de universidad extranjero diríjase a esta pagina.

Que Ningún Niño Se Quede Atrás (NCLB)

Para obtener información acerca de la ley Federal, incluye una guiá para padres, información acerca de la libre elección de escuelas, programas de tutoría, programas después de clases y mucho más.

Preguntas y Respuestas Frecuentes

Para mas informacion y respuestas visite esta pagina.

Para más información llame al 1-800-USA-LEARN (1-800-872-5327) o 202-401-2000.
Encuentre mas información del gobierno federal de los EE.UU en español, visitando la pagina: www.gobiernoUSA.gov.

Pass / Fail : LA Unified building 15 large campus clinics for students, public | 89.3 KPCC

Pass / Fail : LA Unified building 15 large campus clinics for students, public | 89.3 KPCC:

LA Unified building 15 large campus clinics for students, public

by Adolfo Guzman-Lopez

Students at Garfield High School in East Los Angeles will have access to health information and treatment at a new clinic on the campus. Credit: Kelley Weiss/CHCF Center for Health Reporting
L.A. Unified cut the ribbon Thursday on the latest of 15 on-campus clinics that’ll offer dental, mental, and sexual health services to the school’s students and neighbors.
The $1.6 million Wellness Center at Garfield High in East LA is the third clinic to open in two months. L.A. Unified is building the clinics with construction bond money and is contracting with non-profit health care providers to run the clinics.

L.A. Unified’s chief of student health, Rene Gonzalez, said Garfield High School’s former auto shop is a now a

Some call knowingly not telling the truth - lying… - Wait, What?

Some call knowingly not telling the truth - lying… - Wait, What?:

Some call knowingly not telling the truth – lying…

by jonpelto

Otherwise known as – When is $170 million really $123 million?

Or in this case – When Governor Malloy and his administration seek to mislead Connecticut’s media and citizens about his cuts to the Connecticut state budget.

The Facts:

Connecticut State Government is facing a $365 million budget deficit this year and a projected $1.1 billion dollar shortfall next year.

Yesterday, the Malloy administration released a list of $170 million in cuts that Governor Malloy had ordered. Malloy’s Budget Chief, Ben Barnes, along with Malloy’s chief advisor then spoke to the media about the cuts the Governor was making. .

Following these developments, the Harford Courant headline read: Malloy Orders $170 Million in Budget Cuts In Tough Economy. CT Newsjunkie reported “Malloy Rescinds

NYC Educator: The Evaluation Trap--What's the UFT Planning?

NYC Educator: The Evaluation Trap--What's the UFT Planning?:

The Evaluation Trap--What's the UFT Planning?

by NYC Educator

It's been a while since UFT President Michael Mulgrew went to Albany and negotiated a statewide evaluation system. Part of that agreement was that value-added testing would comprise 20%, 25%, 40%, or even 100% of a teacher rating. It depends who you ask, and perhaps also when you ask.

The debate over percentages does not much interest me. I'm firmly persuaded that the optimal percentage of VAM in a teacher rating is zero. UFT people I speak to say, well, what if you have a crazy principal who gives you a U for no reason? And yes I know there are principals like that. But I fail to see how diluting that crazy principal's rating with junk science by 20, 25, 40, or whatever percentage will help anything. Why aren't we talking about removing crazy principals rather than evaluating teachers out of work for no reason?

Here's the thing--a UFT rep came to my school last year and heard a whole lot of complaints about having gone

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Friday, November 30, 2012

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Nite Cap UPDATE

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