Educators and Guns | Taking Note

Educators and Guns | Taking Note:

Educators and Guns

by John Merrow

Too many public educators are failing to seize the opportunity to lead on what is arguably the critical issue of our time--the health and safety of our children.

“I couldn’t sleep,” Larry Schall said. He and his wife had watched the memorial service from Newtown the Sunday after the massacre and had heard President Obama talking about the young children who had been murdered.

He lay awake for hours, he told me. “At about 2 in the morning I gave up on sleep and went downstairs and wrote a letter,” he said. The next day he shared it with a good friend, and later in the day their edited version became an open letter to other college and university presidents.

Larry is Lawrence Schall, the president of Oglethorpe University in Georgia, and his co-author is Elizabeth Kiss, the president of Agnes Scott College, also in Georgia, two leaders and two institutions that you may not have heard of before Newtown.

The letter specifies the following measures:

• Ensuring the safety of our communities by opposing legislation allowing guns on our campuses 

Mother Crusader: CREDO Study "Reinforces The Essence" Of "One Million LI(v)ES" Campaign To Close Schools

Mother Crusader: CREDO Study "Reinforces The Essence" Of "One Million LI(v)ES" Campaign To Close Schools:

CREDO Study "Reinforces The Essence" Of "One Million LI(v)ES" Campaign To Close Schools

by darciecima

When we last left Macke Raymond and her jolly band of "researchers" they were busy drawing dubious conclusions about New Jersey charter schools that didn't seem to match up with their actual data.  We uncovered that it was fairly likely, despite Commissioner Cerf's assertions that CREDO was not "part of the bandwagon" that the key players at CREDO were in fact little more than a bunch of ideologues masquerading as researchers.  We tied it all up with a bow and demonstrated that for years Raymond Macke, CREDO's research director, has been leading the "war" against public education for almost a decade.

So in 2005 Raymond studied the "emergence of markets in industries dominated by monopolies" and now she studies "the effectiveness of public charter schools." 

To me, the question then becomes, is her current research really about "effectiveness" or is it a way to ensure that the charter market continues to "emerge."  This is certainly the goal of her funders. 

There is no way to read Raymond's speech at the Chartering 2.0 Leadership Summit and not question wether the dubious conclusions drawn from her research are nothing more than a weapon in the arsenal of charter advocates to win the "war" she describes.

In 2005 Raymond stated that to win, charter advocates must demonstrate 

Inside My Interview with Bill Gates - Dana Goldstein

Inside My Interview with Bill Gates - Dana Goldstein:

Inside My Interview with Bill Gates

by Dana Goldstein

Yesterday I got to meet and interview Bill Gates, along with five other writers and reporters. We sat around a conference table at a midtown Manhattan hotel. Gates, wearing a totally unassuming gray suit and sipping Diet Coke out of a glass bottle, was business like and to the point. His passion flared up a few times during the hour-long coversation. He vehemently pushed back against economist and blogger Tyler Cowen's suggestion that macroeconomic and population growth, as well as better roads and other infrastructure, could bring faster humanitarian relief to Africa than more direct health interventions like vaccinations or contraceptives, which the Gates Foundation funds. Discussing the bleak living conditions in the Central African Republic and Yemen, Gates said, "If you don't invest in health there, you're a cold-hearted bastard." In a rare personal comment, he discussed how one of his daugthers was moved by video footage of a child survivor of polio limping down a dirt road. "What did you do to help her," she asked her dad -- a receptive comment, since Gates said he feels growing concern about the survivors of once-deadly childhood diseases like malaria and polio, who often arrive at school with cognitive delays that make it difficult to learn. 
On education, I think a few of Gates' comments broke news. He hinted that his Fondation may soon invest 

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Will Common Core kill early childhood education?

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Will Common Core kill early childhood education?:

Will Common Core kill early childhood education?

by Mike Klonsky

Here's my other problem with Common Core Standards -- besides the testing madness associated with it. In the hands of ed bureaucrats, corporate reformers and Pearson testing profiteers CCS could very well mean death to good early childhood education. Case in point -- New York City schools under the rule of Mayor Bloomberg.

Susan Edelman, writing in Monday's N.Y. Post ("Playtime’s over, kindergartners") reports:

The city has adopted national standards called the Common Core, which dramatically raise the bar on what kids in grades K through 12 should know. The jargon is new, too. Teachers rate each student’s performance as “novice,” “apprentice,” “practitioner” or “expert.” In a kindergarten class in Red Hook, Brooklyn, three children broke down and sobbed on separate days last week, another teacher told The Post.

When one girl cried, “I can’t do it,” classmates rubbed her back, telling her, “That’s OK.” “This is 

Who’s really behind School Choice Week? (Pt. 1) - United for Public Schools

Who’s really behind School Choice Week? (Pt. 1) - United for Public Schools:

Who’s really behind School Choice Week? (Pt. 1)

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Posted by admin | January 31, 2013 | Category: actions, corporate agenda |Write Comment

This is the first post in a three-part series. Click here for a share-able image of this information.

School Choice Week 2013 is now in full swing. If you’ve seen the ads and other materials, and are wondering how and where all of it came from, you’re not alone.

There are many small schools and a few individuals signed up as partners orendorsers of School Choice Week, but the real muscle behind this “movement” comes from a small group of wealthy funders, think tanks and lobbying organizations that have very different financial and ideological interests from the communities they claim to want to help. Follow these posts to learn more.

1. The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)

Now infamous for their connection to the “Shoot First” and other gun laws that cost unarmed teenagers like Trayvon Martin and Jordan Davis their lives, ALEC’s influence over the other public policies that affect our lives is being increasingly scrutinized. Read and share the infographic below to better understand ALEC’s role in public policy.

Relevant Links:

• ALEC’s Education Task Force: Members, agenda and more (via SourceWatch)
• ALEC Exposed (via The Nation)

Highway to Hell - A Salute to National School Choice Week #EDREform

http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com

Got Choice? Ubetcha! 

Celebrating National School Choice Week

National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) Group: 1 in 5 charter schools not doing well enough to stay open

A group that oversees more than half of the nation's 5,600 charter schools said
 as many as one in five U.S. charter schools should be shut down because of 
poor academic performance. 
http://seattletimes.com/html/nationworld/2019784379_charterschools29.html

CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS WEBSITE

CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS

A compilation of news articles about charter schools which have been charged with, or are highly suspected of, tampering with admissions, grades, attendance and testing; misuse of funds and embezzlement; engaging in nepotism and conflicts of interest; engaging in complicated and shady real estate deals; and/or have been engaging in other questionable, unethical, borderline-legal, or illegal activities. This is also a record of charter school instability and other unsavory tidbits.

Couldn't Find Your Own Special Charter School Scandal
Just Type the name of your city or charter school in the box below

  

CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS

If you don't find yours today

Keep checking

CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS

Be sure to check out two other Great blogs:

-THE BROAD REPORT (as in Eli) 

-THE PERIMETER PRIMATE

TRAVESTY: 7-year old boy arrested, handcuffed to a pipe and interrogated for 10 hours after being falsely accused of stealing $5 - Advancement Project

Advancement Project:

Advancement Project is a next generation, multi-racial civil rights organization. Rooted in the great human rights struggles for equality and justice, we exist to fulfill America's promise of a caring, inclusive and just democracy. We use innovative tools and strategies to strengthen social movements and achieve high impact policy change.

January 31, 2013

Contact: Rich Robinson, Advancement Project, 202-728-9557 or rrobinson@advancementprojecr.org

TRAVESTY: 7-year old boy arrested, handcuffed to a pipe and interrogated for 10 hours after being falsely accused of stealing $5

WASHINGTON – Following Columbine, our country witnessed a national embrace of harsh zero-tolerance policies and a rush to place armed officers in schools across the country. In far too many schools, officers become heavily involved in the school discipline process, leading to the rise of extreme school disciplinary measures, including arresting and locking up students. Just recently we learned of the harrowing story of a 7-year-old New York boy who was arrested, handcuffed to a metal pipe and interrogated for 10 horrifying hours for allegedly stealing $5.

“There is no moral, logical or rational explanation for such a drastic approach,” said Advancement Project Co-Director Judith Browne Dianis. “An exaggerated response such as this one wreaks havoc on a child’s mental and emotional well-being, and leads to children being pushed into the criminal justice system and out of school.”

Unfortunately, the situation in New York is not an isolated occurrence. The State of Florida leads the nation with the highest documented number of school-related arrests. Roughly 13,870 Florida students were arrested and referred to law enforcement during the 2011-2012 school-year alone. 

“If we do not think carefully about placing more police in schools, we’ll needlessly lose a generation of children; not to drugs or crime but to a school discipline system that is set up to guarantee their demise,” Browne Dianis concluded.

For more information on Advancement Project’s work to address the over-criminalization of our children, please contact us at 202-728-9557.

# # #

Advancement Project is a next generation, multi-racial civil rights organization.  From its inception, Advancement Project has worked "on-the-ground," helping organized communities of color dismantle and reform unjust and inequitable policies that undermine the promise of democracy. It combines law, communications, policy and technology to create workable solutions and achieve systemic change. For more information, visit www.advancementproject.org

Next testing forum: DePaul, Feb 19th - Parents United for Responsible Education

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Next testing forum: DePaul, Feb 19th:

Next testing forum: DePaul, Feb 19th

by admin

If you think no one is concerned about the misuse and overuse of tests in CPS, you’re not paying attention!

DEPAUL COLLEGE OF EDUCATION WINTER FORUM

CHALLENGING HIGH STAKES TESTING

Tuesday, February 19, 5:30–7:30 • Student Center Room 120B

Standardized testing in public schools has grown rapidly since the passage of No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top. And testing is increasingly high stakes, used not only for student promotion and retention but also to evaluate teachers and to close schools. There is a growing national movement among educators, school administrators, and parents challenging the overuse and misuse of standardized testing. The Seattle High School teachers’ boycott of the MAP test is a recent example.

The panel will include:

• Dr. Greg Michie: 7th & 8th grade media literacy teacher, Seward Elementary Schools and Senior Research Associate, Concordia University
• Dr. Noah Sobe: Associate Professor, Department of Cultural and Educational Policy Studies, Loyola University, School of Education
• Madeline Kobayashi: 7th & 8th grade language arts teacher, Rogers Elem. School
• Michelle Gunderson: 4th grade teacher, Nettlehorst Elementary School
• Alejandra Frausto: Curriculum Coordinator, Rudy Lozano Leadership Academy

Issues they will address include:

• The overuse and misuse of standardized tests

• Impact of testing on students, curriculum and pedagogy

• Authentic, alternative assessment strategies

• Teacher and parent resistance: local and national efforts to change testing policies

Please note the COE Winter Forum on your calendar and share this announcement and

the attached flyer with your students. Two CPDUs are available. For more information,

contact Diane Horwitz: dhorwit1@depaul.edu

See Greg Michie’s piece in the Huffington Post:

Interview with Joshua Starr: Excellence is Not a Zero Sum Game - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

Interview with Joshua Starr: Excellence is Not a Zero Sum Game - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher:

Interview with Joshua Starr: Excellence is Not a Zero Sum Game

by Anthony Cody

I recently read of Joshua Starr, the Superintendent of Montgomery County Public Schools, in the state of Maryland. He has spoken out forcefully against the "insanity" of evaluating teachers using test scores, and refused to accept Race to the Top funding for this purpose. New York principal Carol Corbett Burris described here some of the reasons his schools have been succeeding. I asked him if he would share some thoughts with us.
What do you see as your greatest challenge in MCPS?
MCPS is widely considered to be one of the best large districts in the country. While we have been very successful under the current national education agenda (although we still have significant student achievement gaps), it is necessary to redesign our architecture to enable us to prepare our children for 2025 and beyond. We've traveled to the Moon, but now we have to go to Mars; the system that got us to the Moon won't get us to Mars. In order to make the necessary changes, we must have a culture that values risk-taking, innovation, information-sharing, appropriate autonomy and collaboration. Engendering that 

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Thursday, January 31, 2013

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team:

PPIC poll: Public would make schools taxes easier

Education Headlines

Thursday, January 31, 2013

Lodi Unified School District gains some school days

The Lodi Education Association has reached an understanding with Lodi Unified School District to restore five instructional days, with pay, to the 2013-14 calendar.

Natomas board OKs settlement over school site

A bad land deal that has plagued three Natomas Unified school boards and five superintendents has finally been resolved. But the district still took a big hit.cpy

School district optimistic about budget

Officials in Escondido’s K-8 district are optimistic for now about the budget outlook for next school year and beyond. The Escondido Union School District has healthy reserves, but the state’s economic recovery is fragile, Michael Taylor, assistant superintendent of business services, said this week following a school board budget workshop over the weekend. Locally, declining enrollment and deficit spending remain a concern, Taylor said.

Donnelly wants to arm some teachers

California teachers and other willing school employees would be trained to carry guns under legislation by Inland Assemblyman Tim Donnelly to allow districts to participate in a new School Marshals Program.

School district proceeds with capital appreciation bonds

Just days after state officials warned California school districts to avoid using capital appreciation bonds because of concerns over the high cost associated with them, the Temecula Valley Unified school board approved a plan to sell the controversial bonds.

GOP legislators propose California school districts arm teachers

Democratic legislators say bill that would allow districts to spend education funds to train teachers, administrators and janitors in gun use doesn't have a chance.

Baron: Californians upbeat on ed budget, poll finds

Californians are expressing a long-lost sentiment: optimism. A new survey by the Public Policy Institute of California found growing support for Gov. Brown, for his education finance proposal and for making it easier for local communities to pass parcel taxes to help fund their schools. Even support for the Legislature has climbed out of the dregs.

Controversial school bonds create ‘debt for the next generation’

The Napa Valley Unified School District is one of at least 1,350 school districts and government agencies across the nation that have turned to a controversial form of borrowing called capital appreciation bonds to finance major projects, a California Watch analysis shows. This form of borrowing has created billions of dollars in debt for taxpayers and hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue for financial advisers and underwriters.

PPIC poll: Public would make schools taxes easier

The latest survey from the Public Policy Institute of California contains some interesting data on gun control and immigration, but the most important finding in the survey – one that could impact public policy in a meaningful way — is the report that 57% of Californians support lowering to 55% the vote needed to pass local parcel taxes for public schools.

California tax revenue surges $5 billion above estimates

California is on track to collect $5 billion more in tax revenue this month than estimated in Governor Jerry Brown’s budget, and the state’s fiscal analyst’s office said it can’t say why, yet.

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Lowder gets 3-year contract extension by 4-3 vote

By the same narrow margin that won him the job seven months ago, Superintendent Steve Lowder received a contract extension, a raise and more job security at Tuesday night's Stockton Unified school board meeting.

Tustin Unified and city settle legal battle

After 35 months of wrangling, and at least $1.5 million paid to lawyers, the legal dispute between Tustin Unified and the city of Tustin ended as the trial was set to start. Officials have officially agreed to settle the disagreement.

San Ysidro legal bill tops $100K

The San Ysidro School District has spent more than $105,000 defending a lawsuit filed in April by a contractor who claims a solar-power deal was wrongly cancelled by public officials.

Mike Madigan’s regressive tax system. « Fred Klonsky

Mike Madigan’s regressive tax system. « Fred Klonsky:

Mike Madigan’s regressive tax system.

by Fred Klonsky

Chicago Magazine:

Illinois taxes the poorest 20 percent of its residents at a higher level than the national average; it’s one of the few states above 13 percent, 2.7 percent above the national average.

It’s above average for the middle class, as well: the national average for the middle 60 percent is 9.4 percent, so Illinois is 1.7 percent above the national average. Only Arkansas (11.2 percent), Hawaii (11.3 percent), and New York (11.2