Change the dynamic | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

Change the dynamic | Philadelphia Public School Notebook:

Change the dynamic

by thenotebook

Common sense dictates that the School District should be looking for opportunities to close crumbling schools that are half-empty and underperforming. In a cash-starved system with a shrinking population and aging facilities, we can’t afford not to.

Officials acknowledge that closing schools is painful but say that once we get through it, we’ll all be better off with a streamlined system – and the District will be poised to improve its fortunes. 

Unfortunately, reality does not match that narrative. Many of the schools on the closings list don’t neatly fit the crumbling, half-empty and low-performing profile. A dozen are more than two-thirds full. Several are high performers academically, and others are on an upswing. 

To families faced with losing their schools, officials have been unable to offer 

National Day of Action to Support Seattle MAP Test Boycott

National Day of Action to Support Seattle MAP Test Boycott:

National Day of Action to Support Seattle MAP Test Boycott

by Server

SOS Supports the National Day of Action to Support Seattle MAP Test Boycott

National Day of Action to Support Seattle MAP Test Boycott:

Originally Posted on February 2, 2013
- MEDIA ADVISORY –
“We demand quality assessment!”
Wear Red on Wed for Ed! Scrap the MAP!
*Join the event on Facebook!*

Supporters will hold meetings, press conferences, rallies, take photos, and wear red to show support
Contact: scrapthemap@yahoo.com
For more info, visit:
http://scrapthemap.wordpress.com/
What: Educators, Students, Parents and supporters of Public Education nation-wide will take action in support of Garfield High School teachers and all teachers in Seattle Public Schools refusing to administer the MAP test.
Teachers at Garfield High School and other Seattle Public Schools have gained national attention and support for their stand against the Measure of Academic Progress, for its invalidity, waste of time and resources and its scandalous arrival to Seattle. We call on supporters of public education nationwide to participate in actions in their locale to show their support for our effort to Scrap the MAP. Supporters will hold meetings, rallies, take photos, and wear red to show support on February 6th.
As the nation-wide day of protest grows, we will send updates to the media with all the cities and organizations who are participating.
When: Wednesday, February 6th, 2013
Where: All over the nation! In Seattle actions will take place at participating schools, including Garfield, Orca, Chief Sealth, and Center School.
Some of the prominent organizations and individuals that have expressed their support for the Seattle MAP test boycott: National Education Association (NEA) President Dennis Van Roekel, American Federation of Teachers (AFT), San Diego Education Association, UTLA Board of Directors, Parents Across America, Des Moines, Iowa Education Association, Diane Ravitch, Garfield High School PTSA, Garfield HS Associated Student Body, Dr. Wayne Au, Dexter Tang, President of Seattle Student Senate, Matt Damon & his mother Dr. Nancy Carlsson-Paige, Seattle Education Association (SEA), The SEA Substitute Association, and Social Equality Educators (SEE).

NYC Educator: It's Election Season

NYC Educator: It's Election Season:

It's Election Season

by NYC Educator

The UFT is getting ready to hold elections. The big mystery, supposedly, is who will win? Will it be Unity/ New Action, or upstart MORE? Well, it's not such a big mystery that no one has ever defeated Unity except Mike Shulman, or that Unity now co-sponsors him and New Action for a few seats on the UFT Executive Board. Nor is it a mystery that the overwhelming majority of chapter leaders are committed to support Unity/ New Action.

What I'd like to see is a discussion of issues rather than personalities and stereotypes. Will that be possible? Lately, when this blog takes a position against UFT leadership, I get responses calling me an egomaniac and comparing my viewpoint with Fox 

Pearson Looked for Test Graders on Texas Craigslist | Scathing Purple Musings

Pearson Looked for Test Graders on Texas Craigslist | Scathing Purple Musings:

Pearson Looked for Test Graders on Texas Craigslist

by Bob Sikes

You just can’t make this stuff up.

By now, many Texans are familiar with the backlash against the over-testing of our students in public schools. Most of this backlash has focused on the amount of tests being given and the amount of time, energy and resources being spent on “teaching to the test” as opposed to our students mastering and retaining the information.
Another issue has just surfaced that has caused significant concern about our testing and accountability system. Of all places, this concern arose on craigslist.org. If you aren’t familiar with craigslist, it is an online classified advertising service where you can buy and sell almost anything. But, that’s not the troubling part.
On November 29, 2012, Pearson Testing ran an advertisement in Austin looking for people to help 

UPDATE:Quote of the Decade - Jersey Jazzman: Michelle Rhee Can't Possibly Be This Stupid, Can She?

Jersey Jazzman: Michelle Rhee Can't Possibly Be This Stupid, Can She?:

Michelle Rhee Can't Possibly Be This Stupid, Can She?

by Duke

Oh, my sweet, sweet lord:

You offered thousands of dollars to teachers and principals who brought up their schools’ test scores. Did you ever consider that it would encourage some to cheat?  

Teachers have integrity. And if money was the motivating factor, they wouldn’t be in education.

Michelle, if money isn't a motivating factor for teachers, why would you 

Quote of the Decade

by Duke

I would so love to hear Bill Gates try to answer this:

“Any other profession that had that kind of turnover would look at working conditions, would look at salaries and other things surrounding the teaching environment,” said Joel Westheimer, university research chair and professor at the University of Ottawa’s faculty of education. “Instead, in education, we bring up talk about testing teachers and linking their pay to the students’ performance. I mean, can you imagine Microsoft suffering a crisis because there were not enough programmers going into the profession and leaving after the first five years? Would (the company’s) response be to increase salaries, recruit better people, change working conditions so that they could work in different places, have free soda and free lunches? Or would it test them?” [emphasis mine]

I take cold comfort in the knowledge that the Canadians are ruining the profession of teaching as badly as we Americans are.

Free soda for teachers?! We can't afford that!

National School Choice Week Finally OVER! CHOOSE REAL AMERICAN PUBLIC SCHOOLS! #EDREform #REALEDREform

National School Choice Week Finally OVER! CHOOSE REAL AMERICAN  PUBLIC SCHOOLS! REAL ED Reform

Highway to Hell - A Salute to National School Choice Week 

Got Choice? Ubetcha! 

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

Louisiana Educator: Another Stupid Education Study

Louisiana Educator: Another Stupid Education Study:

Another Stupid Education Study

by Michael Deshotels

Will Sentell, education reporter for the Baton Rouge Advocate has found another excuse to bash experienced teachers because of their suspicion of the new Value Added teacher evaluation systems. His article todayreports on a so called “study” conducted by a group called TEACH +PLUS. This study which consists of an unscientific survey of public school teachers' opinions about the importance and desirability of using student standardized testing as a major component of school and teacher accountability. As expected, the more experienced teachers are chastised for being suspicious of the new value added method for evaluating teachers while the new teachers seem to be enthusiastic about having their careers as teachers tied to student performance. Has it occurred to the reporter that maybe the experienced teachers know something about the 

After losing out on Race to the Top funds, DISD’s Miles says he needs more state money for reforms | Education Blog

After losing out on Race to the Top funds, DISD’s Miles says he needs more state money for reforms | Education Blog:

After losing out on Race to the Top funds, DISD’s Miles says he needs more state money for reforms

 0 0

 

comments (0)

By Matthew Haag
mhaag@dallasnews.com
11:40 am on February 3, 2013 | Permalink

During Dallas ISD Superintendent Mike Miles’ first six months on the job, he exerted great effort in securing federal funds to jumpstart his education reform plans for two school feeder groups. He wants to take Pinkston High School and Lincoln High School and the campuses that feed into them and build a network of community support around them. The plan mirrors the lauded Harlem Children’s Zone in New York City.

Miles authored a concept paper on his plan, expanded the district’s grants department and guided U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan through Pinkston in November to highlight the goals. Miles wanted $30 million in federal Race to the Top money — an Obama administration grant program that was previously only available to states. (Texas Gov. Rick Perry declined to participate in it.)

The district was named a finalist for the prize a day before Duncan arrived. But just a few weeks later,hopes were dashed when the Education Department announced the winners and DISD was left off. But 

Florence student suspended over picture of gun:

Florence student suspended over picture of gun

• Video
• Photo

Posted: 02/01/2013

•  By: Corey Rangel

FLORENCE, AZ -  A high school student in Florence said he has been suspended because of a picture of a gun.

Daniel McClaine Jr., a freshman at Poston Butte High School, said he saved the picture as his desktop background on his school-issued computer.

A teacher noticed it and turned him in.

The picture shows an AK-47 on top of a flag.

McClaine said the school initially suspended him for three days Friday.

Since the laptop belongs to the school, the district policy states students are prohibited from “sending or displaying offensive messages or pictures,” and cannot access, send, create or forward pictures that are considered

Read more: http://www.abc15.com/dpp/news/region_central_southern_az/florence/florence-student-suspended-over-picture-of-gun#ixzz2JrJfva4H

Daily Kos: Why Daily Kos is much more than a political site

Daily Kos: Why Daily Kos is much more than a political site:

Why Daily Kos is much more than a political site

by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken)

dedicated to electing more and better Democrats
It is clearly a community.
It is a place to which members turn to share with one another, both their joys and their tribulations.
It is a site where we offer one another support, advice, prayers and even love.
It is for many a place to which they turn to open their hearts and souls.
This has  been  very clear in the various quilt projects done by Sara R.
It is been very evident in the pass week, where among others we have heard of the health issues that have affected commonmass, Knotlookin, DarkSyde, and yours truly (on behalf of my wife Leaves on the Current)
These common human connections bind us together despite sometimes heated political differences with the tribe of Democrats, be they differences on primary candidates, guns, I-P. education, or any other of a myriad of 

Jersey Jazzman: Charter Schools: The New NCAA Farm System?

Jersey Jazzman: Charter Schools: The New NCAA Farm System?:

Charter Schools: The New NCAA Farm System?

by Duke

To me, one of the more interesting aspects of the charter school "movement" is how professional athletes have become involved. Tennis great Andre Agassi jumped in with little apparent regard for the educational outcomes of charters - he's all about the financials.

Football star Deion Sanders's Prime Prep Academy has been in the news with accusations about the school's safety and academic records. Prime Prep was also cited for recruiting violations for its football and basketball teams: the school withdrew from its league this past fall after public school coaches accused Prime Prep of recruiting away their star athletes.