Jersey Jazzman: Campbell Brown: Queen of the Pearl Clutchers

Jersey Jazzman: Campbell Brown: Queen of the Pearl Clutchers:

Campbell Brown: Queen of the Pearl Clutchers

by Duke

The Reformy Ladies Sewing Circle and Pearl Clutching Society is apparently auditioning new members. Who better to join than the queen of teachers union bashers, Campbell Brown?

For example, the unions’ newest patron saint, education writer Diane Ravitch, wrote a post titled “The Hero Teachers of Newtown.” Just three days after the shooting, Ravitch described the teachers’ bravery not in individual terms, but by linking it to their union membership. The implication was clear: nonunion teachers would not have acted the same way. And if that weren’t enough, she used the dead to rant against teacher evaluations, tenure, and student testing. She also criticized Connecticut Gov. Dan Malloy for supporting charter schools, saying, “Let us hope Governor Malloy learned something these past few days about the role of public schools in their communities. Newtown does not need a charter school. What it needs now is healing.” What a creative 

An Urgent Message from Teaching Tolerance

An Urgent Message from Teaching Tolerance:

An Urgent Message from Teaching Tolerance

by Server

December 16, 2012


Dear Friend of Teaching Tolerance,


When the news about the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School broke on Friday, we quickly issued someadvice for teachers heading back to school on Monday. 

Sadly, we had that advice ready. In the wake of last summer’s shootings at the movie theater in Aurora, Colo. and at the Sikh Temple in Oak Creek, Wis., we had decided to write a magazine article exploring ways teachers could help students cope in the aftermath of violence. 

We knew that, sooner or later, another national tragedy would provoke classroom questions. And we also knew that too many of our students–in cities across the country like New Orleans, Chicago, St. Louis, Baltimore, Detroit, Newark and Oakland–face deadly violence in their neighborhoods.
The violence rarely happens in school, but wherever it happens, children are affected. Whether the violence is local or brought to children via the media, we know that teachers, counselors and principals stand alongside parents as the trusted adults who help children navigate the terrible news. 

On Friday, the violence happened in school, a place where each of you work every day and to which you will return tomorrow. Most of the victims are children, just like those you teach. Others were educators, like you, who died trying to protect their students. 

I’m 

Arm Teachers? « My Island View

Arm Teachers? « My Island View:

Arm Teachers?

by tomwhitby

I hate the fact that this country has been thrown into this discussion the way that it has. The events leading to this discussion were costly and horrific. As I have stated before we need to discuss the facts and not propaganda or demagogy. We should also examine the facts without emotion which, in light of events and the victims, seems an impossible task. Educators have now been thrust into the discussion as a result of so many schools being victimized. There is also a consideration by some to arm teachers.
In a recent discussion on BAM radio three education groups, a national teacher group, a national principal group, and a national superintendent group were asked about their position on arming teachers. The lens that we use must influence our opinions. The teachers’ group, whose members are closest to kids, was against it. The principals’ group, whose members are closest to the teachers, was against it. The superintendents’ group whose members are closest to outside forces of education supported it. These are groups and not individuals. I am sure 

NYC Educator: Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy!

NYC Educator: Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy!:

Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy!

by NYC Educator

 I opened my DOE email today to see the message below. You can imagine how thrilled I must have been.

It's very gratifying to know that I'm among the few, the proud, the elite, selected by my principal to grade the papers of abject strangers. It will be really exciting for me to contribute to the grades of kids I've never met, and likely never will.

Oddly, this message, though full of praise, neglects to mention the real reason I'm being shipped off to Bayside High School---I cannot be trusted to grade my own students. Those would be the kids I work with day in and day out, the kids whose papers I carry in my bag, the ones I spend hours correcting.

I can't be trusted to grade their papers because I'm prejudiced. I want them to do well. And NY State assumes I am fundamentally dishonest and will give them passing grades for no good reason. The letter should say, "Because you are a dishonest worthless piece of slime, we have determined you are not only unfit to design tests for your students, but also to grade them."

The actual letter reads like this:

Dear NYC EDUCATOR,

Congratulations!

        Your principal has selected you to score the Comprehensive English NYS Regents exam for the January 

Current US Public Education Kills Creativity Video Coalition for Public Education/Coalición por la Educación Pública

Coalition for Public Education/Coalición por la Educación Pública:

Current US Public Education Kills Creativity Video
 The Business Model of Public Education has no use for youthful creativity since it pursuesmore and more profits to help the 1% maintain and increase their wealth as they maintain the US masses' pursuit of ignoramousness... becoming real life "Dumb and Dumber" characters that do the gruntwork and bidding of the rich and superrich.


Popout

Common Core’s One Goal: To Create Common People | Truth in American Education

Common Core’s One Goal: To Create Common People | Truth in American Education:

Common Core’s One Goal: To Create Common People

by Shane Vander Hart

This is from a teacher in Indiana, Kris Nielsen, who was an avid supporter of the Common Core State Standards, he did a presentation on the Common Core for parents to ease their concerns.  Now he apologizes for that and says they should be concerned:

First, I want to offer you my apologies.  It wasn’t long after my presentation that I had a crushing realization that the entire thing (minus the hands-on stuff) was completely misguided.  I felt like a flip-flopper, but I’ve always valued the truth more than feeling good.  So, I’m here to clear the air.  The truth hurts and it should start scaring the hell out of you, because your children are your most precious gift and you will do anything to protect them.

The whole reason I was part of the team that put those presentations together was to ease your worry about the changes that were coming.  I’m here to retract everything I said.  You should be worried.  Very worried!

I was wrong.  The Common Core State Standards is a sham, the Smarter Balanced Assessment 

Opaqueness and Closed Government

by chascherrie

Jay P. Greene’s Blog “Head Start Manipulating Scumbags” starts off with an excellent video clip that has more global applicability than just addressing Head Start.
Popout
Jay P. Greene says:

I should repeat that the researchers have done an excellent job evaluating Head Start in this case.  It is the bureaucratic class at the Department of Health and Human Services who have cynically manipulated, delayed, and misreported this research.  The pending report is already delayed several years and has been around for a long time.  The decision to release it on the Friday afternoon before Christmas is completely calculated.

Does this sound familiar to you—“cynically manipulated, delayed, and misreported this research”?  When the 

Karen Lewis Keeps the Haters at Bay - The ITT List

Karen Lewis Keeps the Haters at Bay - The ITT List:

Karen Lewis Keeps the Haters at Bay

BY SARAH COBARRUBIAS

CTU president Karen Lewis chimed in to chide TFA vice president David Rosenberg for his Twitter attack against education historian Diane Ravitch. (Chicago Teachers Union / Flickr / Creative Commons.)

On Monday, education historian Diane Ravitch posted some thoughts on her blog concerning the heroism of the teachers of Sandy Hook Elementary, noting that they were unionized. Some, such as David Rosenberg, vice president of Teach for America, were incensed by the piece, but Chicago Teachers Union president Karen Lewis lept to Ravitch's defense, writing on Ravitch's blog:

Diane has been at the forefront of the desire to lift up the beleaguered profession of teaching in each and every post. She has drawn the connections between people who wouldn’t think of sending their children to public schools and their policies that are destroying the common good. Anyone who doesn’t know that in the marrow of their bones, doesn’t read her blog.

The Ravitch post that drew ire opened with heartwarming praise for the teachers who “reacted with astonishing courage to the unthinkable, the terrifying intrusion of a man intent on murdering them and their students. With no thought of their own safety, they defended their children.”

But that’s not what’s causing all the fuss. Ravitch changed tone toward the end:

Oh, and one other thing, all these dedicated teachers belonged to a union. The senior 

Who is leading us over what cliff? « Deborah Meier on Education

Who is leading us over what cliff? « Deborah Meier on Education:

Who is leading us over what cliff?

by debmeier

Ask any true blue/red revolutionary–left or right–and they’ll tell you that the trick is to act fast and furiously when you have a chance (there may be a short window before the opposition recoups). That mens moving fast on changes that are hard to undo. Who would of dreamed, even a decade ago, that so many public schools could be closed and so many charters could be fitted into existing public buildings, and that the contracts signed between teachers and management couldl be nullified, in fact if not on paper. The mechanism, Mayoral control backed solidly by the business community, and/or state take-over of municipalities. The Chicago Tribune has just exposed a secret plan to take over another 100 schools–to be announced in March for 2013-14. In NYC, more closings are proposed–I her rumors about how many. Ditto Detroit, Washington D.C. (where 30 more are being closed). Once students and teachers are removed from the scene, and either fired or sent elsewhere, it’s 

Ed Notes Online: Same Old PEP Except When PS 138 Principal Gives Tweed and Eva Tongue-Lashing Over Co-loco

Ed Notes Online: Same Old PEP Except When PS 138 Principal Gives Tweed and Eva Tongue-Lashing Over Co-loco:

Same Old PEP Except When PS 138 Principal Gives Tweed and Eva Tongue-Lashing Over Co-loco

by ed notes online

"Now you want to take my school and say Success Academy will give them choice when the choice is PS 138 ... I am a choice too."

There wasn't much different at the PEP yesterday other than a somewhat rare event -- the outrage of the principal of a school (PS 138) that has a good rep but us in an increasingly gentrifying zone and thus became a target for an Eva invasion. She was following Success clones who kept talking about the high achievement of their schools (which I am always skeptical about) as an excuse to give them the right to invade any place they deem propper knowing that their SUNY and DOE servants will hand over the plumpest real estate. I have a few more videos to show later from the meeting, including speeches from 2 contenders for Public Advocate, Tish James and Noah Gotbaum.


Popo

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Hey Wayne - You are Disingenious, Wrong and an Idiot

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Hey Wayne - You are Disingenious, Wrong and an Idiot:

Hey Wayne - You are Disingenious, Wrong and an Idiot

by Melissa Westbrook

I rarely call people names here.  Not useful and there are better ways to say you disagree with people in their professional lives.

But head of NRA, Wayne LaPierre - an idiot.  Here's what he is saying in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary school shootings:

•  "How can we possibly even guess how many, given our nation's refusal to create an active national database of the mentally ill?"  Wayne, your group doesn't even support an active national database of gun owners.

• All schools need armed security personnel.  He almost makes it sound like a jobs program.

• If there had been an armed person at Sandy Hook, 26 lives would have been saved (I note that 

SPS To Pay Out to Teacher Over Health Issues at Hale

by Melissa Westbrook

From the Times (and thanks to a reader tip!):

A former Seattle teacher has reached a $750,000 settlement from the public-school district that fired her seven years ago for not returning to work in a school building she said was harmful to her health.

The teacher, 14-year drama and language instructor Denise Frisino, sued Seattle Public Schools after the district fired her from Nathan Hale High School in 2005, according to court documents.

The lawsuit was initially thrown out by a King County judge, but an appeals court overturned that decision and the two parties settled on the eve of a scheduled new trial this fall. The settlement, finalized this week, did not 

Obama calls Idaho teacher's cellphone, asks her to help with math goals | OregonLive.com

Obama calls Idaho teacher's cellphone, asks her to help with math goals | OregonLive.com:

Obama calls Idaho teacher's cellphone, asks her to help with math goals

by The Associated Press

 IDAHO FALLS, Idaho — President Barack Obama has asked a high school math teacher in eastern Idaho to help with the math segment of the new national Common Core education standards.

Skyline High School instructor Julie Nawrocki tells the Post Register that she at first didn't recognize the president's voice when he called her Wednesday on her cellphone to make the request.

Nawrocki will head to Park City, Utah, this summer for three weeks to help develop the new testing standards and teaching strategies for schools in the 38 states, including Idaho, that are in the consortium.

Nawrocki had no idea the president would be calling other than a cryptic call earlier on 

Diane in the Evening 12-21-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

Diane Ravitch's blog:

The Baltimore Sun Joins the Honor Roll

by dianerav

So many news media have thoughtlessly or knowingly jumped on the bandwagon of corporate reform that it comes as a shock to encounter one saying simple truths.
Te Baltimore Sun wrote, in response to the massacre of innocent children and educators in Newtown, that it’s time to stop the vilification of our nation’s teachers and principals.
Today the Sun joins our honor roll of Merican education for writing in support of our nation’s educators in this time of sadness.
They wrote (read the link for the full, excellent editorial)
“We don’t know how many lives were saved by the alert and brave actions of the faculty and staff at Sandy Hook, 

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 12-21-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Katie Osgood Defends Karen Lewis by dianerav Karen Lewis spoke up on my behalf when a TFA officer denounced my post “The Hero Teachers of Newtown”) as “reprehensible. Lewis then became the object of attacks from outraged bloggers and tweeters saying that she literally accused TFA of murder. Lewis said no such thing. This was a fine example of the dark art of twisting words. Katie Osgood, who teaches children in a psychiatric hospital in Chicago and has her own blog, here defends Lewis: “Lewis was not spea... more »

Two Head Start reports find problems and some hope | HechingerEd Blog

Two Head Start reports find problems and some hope | HechingerEd Blog:

Two Head Start reports find problems and some hope

The benefits children reap from Head Start, the preschool program for low-income families, disappear almost completely by third grade. While social support for children in the program is high, academic supports are low. Nearly all of children in the program live near the poverty line, more than half do not live with their fathers, and a third have a parent who is unemployed. These are the findings from two separate reports released Friday by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), the federal agency that oversees the Head Start program.

Students at a Head Start center in Mississippi. (Photo by Sarah Garland)

On their face, the pair of reports seem to paint a depressing portrait of a program meant to help the most vulnerable children in the country. But amid the bad news, the researchers who compiled the reports –independent contractorscommissioned by ACF – also found a few glimmers of hope.

One of the studies, by the nonprofit Mathematica Policy Research, found that parents of children enrolled in Head Start became more engaged in teaching their children at home: They increased (slightly) the frequency that they told their children stories, played games, did arts and crafts and went to the library. The report also found that children in Head Start made significant academic progress during the year on 

Wait, What? They took that money too? - Wait, What?

Wait, What? They took that money too? - Wait, What?:

Wait, What? They took that money too?

by jonpelto

It was created in 2007 as a way to fund education technology programs in Connecticut public schools and help develop public oriented local and state cable programming.

Its short-form name was the State Account for Community Access and Educational Technology.  In fact, its official title was the “public, educational and governmental programming and education technology investment account.”

The account and its programs are funded by one of the taxes on your cable bill, and each year, the funds are legally deposited into a separate, non-lapsing account.

In fact, there is an extra 0. 25 percent gross earnings tax on your cable or satellite service bill.

Connecticut’s public utility regulators are required to put the funds into the separate account.  Then they must distribute half of the funds to local boards of education or o

Playing Politics in Woodbridge « PWC Education Reform Blog

Playing Politics in Woodbridge « PWC Education Reform Blog:

Playing Politics in Woodbridge

by pwceducationreform

As most of the you know, Denita Ramirez, who long served the residents of Woodbridge on the PWC School Board, resigned from the school board in November.  Shortly after she announced her resignation PWCS issued a press release stating that the election to replace Denita would be sometime in the Spring of 2013.  This struck me and several others as odd, so I contacted Mr James Fagan, the school division counsel, to understand why the election would be in the Spring and not the Fall.

Mr Fagan told me that date of the election had not been set.  He said the school division would be filing a petition for an election with the circuit court around December 14 2012 and that the court would issue a writ calling the election.  He said that the date of the election would be set by the circuit court of Prince William County based on the applicable section of The Code of Virginia (24.2-226).  That section states that the election must be held in no later than the next general election, either in November or May, “unless the vacancy occurs within 90 days of the next such general election in which event it shall be held promptly but no later than the second such general election.”

My not-an-attorney interpretation of that is, as Denita resigned on November 30 2012 which was after the November 2012 general elections and was not within 90 days of the November 2013 general election, then the election to fill Denita’s seat 

School Board Report for Dec 19, 2012

by pwceducationreform

School Board Report for December 18, 2012. The meeting began at 7:12 PM.  All members were present. Consent Agenda The consent agenda passed with a unanimous vote.  The following items were on the Consent Agenda. MOU with Crossroads Counseling Centers Impact statement on rezoning of John Marshall Commons Approval of minutes from the Dec 5 [...]

Unannounced Audits

by pwceducationreform

At the school board meeting on December 19 there was extensive discussion about unannounced audits, which are an integral part of the internal audit function.  The discussion was lead by school board member Lillie Jessie (Occoquan) who appeared to believe that unannounced audits were an extreme nuisance to a school Principal’s day and unnecessary as [...]

UPDATE: Illinois pensions. Alice Through the Looking Glass. « Fred Klonsky

Illinois pensions. Alice Through the Looking Glass. « Fred Klonsky:

Illinois pensions. Alice Through the Looking Glass.

by Fred Klonsky

I listened to Representative Kelly Cassidy on the Live from the Heartland radio show last Saturday morning (WLUW 88.76FM).
While I have no doubt that Cassidy considers herself a progressive Democrat and demonstrates that by her support for many progressive issues, she is simply on the wrong side of the pension issue.
And what is truly weird about it is how self-proclaimed progressive Democrats in Illinois act as mirror opposites

The ten minute drawing. The NRA.

by Fred Klonsky

Click on drawing to enlarge.

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Friday, December 21, 2012

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team:

Education Headlines

Friday, December 21, 2012

State dings Coast Unified School District over plan for English learners

The California Department of Education has upheld a parent’s claim that the Coast Unified School District hasn’t met all the legal requirements for providing a framework in which parents of English learner students can meet and confer.

Parents seek charter school in Orange Unified

The Orange Unified School District's Board of Education will hear the case for a new charter school next month from a group of parents who want their children to stay with a teacher for more than one year.

Cohen: A teacher’s advice to the Legislature in 2013

Looking ahead to the next legislative session, it appears likely we’ll have a replay of some of the education policy debates of 2012. Here are my recommendations for how the Legislature might avoid pitfalls and advance positive changes in education policy next year.

Frey: Districts use creative methods to counsel students

In an era of budget cutbacks and more pressure on students to perform, some districts and teachers are finding ways to stretch their dollars to provide mental health services for students.

Frey: California near bottom in number of school counselors

As a mourning nation focuses on the need for more mental health support for students, California has regularly ranked at or near the bottom among the states in the number of counselors per student.

Oakland school district mishandled federal money, state finds

The Oakland Unified School District failed to follow federal regulations in doling out taxpayer money to benefit local private schools and must pay some of it back, a state review has found.

Sacramento-area schools evaluate safety in wake of Connecticut shooting

The mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Conn., shook parents to the core. Locally it has meant more police officers on and near schools and a review of safety procedures at nearly every campus in the Sacramento region.

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Marine calls himself to duty as guard of California elementary school

Marine Sgt. Craig Pusley was on duty Wednesday. Desert camo fatigues, knees slightly bent, the young father stood a self-imposed watch at Hughson Elementary School. One man. No rifle. No pay. No breaks.

California teachers fund reviewing firearm holdings

The nation's largest teachers' pension fund announced Tuesday that it was reviewing its firearms holdings after determining that its investment in a gun maker was linked to one of the weapons used in last week's Connecticut school massacre.

Oakland school board election dispute remains unresolved

Two weeks after he is sworn in as an Oakland school board member, James Harris goes to court to defend his right to the seat. Harris defeated Oakland school board incumbent Alice Spearman by a 14-point margin in November, but the contest isn't over. Spearman has filed a legal challenge, arguing Harris isn't eligible to serve on the board because he lives in a part of Oakland that belongs to the San Leandro school district.

SI&A Cabinet Report – Ed Secretary Duncan proposes new accountability rules on grant money

SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources:

Ed Secretary Duncan proposes new accountability rules on grant money
By Tom Chorneau
Friday, December 21, 2012

In an effort to tighten up performance benchmarks that schools, districts and states may have to reach in exchange for federal funds, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan has proposed a new rule that would increase accountability while also giving grant recipients some new flexibility in meeting the mandates.

The proposed rule, released this week for a 28-day public comment period, would be included in Part 75 of the Education Department General Administrative Regulations – also known as EDGAR.

As currently drafted, the rule would give the education secretary authority to demand more information from grantees including project-specific performance measures, baseline data and targets.

The reason for the proposal, the department said in a memo, is to improve the likelihood that the collection of data from a grant program effectively reflects the outcome.

“Requiring this information improves the ability of the Department to measure program effectiveness under GPRA performance measures, clarifies that grantees will be required to report on their project-specific performance measures, and stresses that the extent to which grantees meet performance targets will be considered in making continuation grants,” the memo said.

The proposal comes as Duncan and the Obama administration embark on a second term, where criticism over much 

Ed Notes Online: Lisa Donlan Comments on Tweed Inability to Manage Schools: Is it Centralized Mayoral Control?

Ed Notes Online: Lisa Donlan Comments on Tweed Inability to Manage Schools: Is it Centralized Mayoral Control?:

Lisa Donlan Comments on Tweed Inability to Manage Schools: Is it Centralized Mayoral Control?

by ed notes online

No checks, no balances, no levers of power except for the mayor, his chancellor and the principals. The next Mayor had better tread carefully- the public school system is land mined w/ a dozen years of structural changes contradictory and uneven bad policy, and even worse implementation. --- Parent activist Lisa Donlan

Leonie posted this link: UFT calls off evaluation talks until city addresses rollout issues http://shar.es/h5LFc with this comment:

DOE can do nothing right acc to Mulgrew; many would agree.

You know I don't necessarily buy the "Tweed incompetence" argument, which the UFT often pushes. I think Tweedies are just not interested in making things work in many public schools other than to cover their ass in case something goes wrong.

They are much more focused on their political agenda of pushing privatization schemes. There is a form of intentional neglect, in essence to make many public schools in areas targeted by charters a less appetizing