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The pieces are all starting to come together. ..and the picture ain’t good | Crazy Crawfish’s Blog

MAY

14

2013

by Crazy Crawfish – Thanks to Lefty, Dave Lefkowith, John White’s data scam is starting to take on a clearer shape. I just got another document from good ole Lefty from another new vendor called Cambium Education and Sopris Learning. It appears John White is planning to provide all of our student data to yet another inBloom-like vendor ...

Break out the hip waders: Rep. Seabaugh’s surreptitious involvement in VAM ‘fix’ scheme gets deeper and deeper | Louisiana Voice

MAY

14

2013

by tomaswell – More information about the 14-minute telephone conversation between Louisiana Superintendent of Education John White and State Rep. Alan Seabaugh (R-Shreveport) is emerging that reveals a concerted but complicated effort by White to placate Seabaugh’s demand that evaluation scores be adjusted upward for three teachers at South Highlands Elementary School. Even as he ...

Online Charter School Hopes to Escape fromLimbo | New Jersey Spotlight

MAY

14

2013

by John Mooney – The nation’s largest online education company, K12 Inc., is once again registering kids and offering jobs to teachers for the debut of New Jersey’s first virtual charter school – all without knowing if the school will even open. Related Links Cyber Charter Challenge: How Does State Watch Over What It Can’t ...

Jersey Jazzman: Think-Tanky Thinking

MAY

14

2013

by Jersey Jazzman – And so now we come to the heart of the matter: the burden of proof. Because it’s one thing to play around with numbers and pose questions and even publish your musings; I do it all the time. That’s good clean fun and a great way to put off mowing the ...

“Don’t Believe the Hype” | EduShyster

MAY

14

2013

by Susan Altman who  attends Oxford University where she is pursuing a master’s degree in International and Comparative Education and Business Management.  –  Many of my classmates in business school assume that education reform is a good thing.  Accountability! Improvement!  Closing the Achievement gap! Usually they know some Teach for America alums (who are now lawyers), ...

Common Core [sic] Standards | Susan Ohanian.org

MAY

14

2013

by Susan Ohanian – I applaud the Hoosiers Against the Common Core for identifying themselves as “a single issue education advocacy group.” Too many people worry about what else Common Core opponents might believe in. Let’s join CCSS opponents in getting rid of the Common Core and then all go our separate ways. Here’s the ...

Dear Jennifer: Dissent is the Vibrancy of our Democracy | Cloaking Inequity

MAY

14

2013

by Julian Vesquez Helilig – First, I should say that most of the protest at the speech was silent. There were probably 20-30 people holding up signs that said “Not in my name.” Second, I should say that the boos that welcomed him were relegated to about 15-20 people out of perhaps 3,000 in attendance. ...

New TFAers read a Top 10 list on Letterman | Gary Rubinstein’s Blog

MAY

14

2013

by Gary Rubinstein – On Letterman the other day, the top 10 category was:  Top 10 reasons I’ve decided to become a teacher.  Reading the reasons were ten brand new 2013 corps members. So of course it is pretty ironic that out of all the perspective teachers in the country who could have been chosen ...

An Appeal to UTLA: Please Help Monica Ratliff | Diane Ravitch’s blog

MAY

14

2013

by Diane Ravitch – Dear UTLA Members: I am writing to urge you to throw your full support behind the candidacy of Monica Ratliff for the Los Angeles school board race. Monica deserves and needs your help. I know you endorsed both her and her opponent. I am calling on you to help your colleague. ...

Can We Agree to a New Approach to SchoolImprovement? – @ The Chalk Face knows Schools Matter

MAY

14

2013

by John Thompson – PBS’s first education TED talk began with the promise that it would not play the blame game. The great presentations that followed raise the question of what could be accomplished if they obeyed that policy, stopped pointing fingers, and promoted “win win” methods of school improvement. A previous post, “What if ...

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Missouri Education Watchdog: Senate Bill 210 Voted Unanimously Out of House Education Committee

Missouri Education Watchdog: Senate Bill 210 Voted Unanimously Out of House Education Committee:

Senate Bill 210 Voted Unanimously Out of House Education Committee

by Anngie

May 13, 2013 The House Education Committee held their hearing on senate bill 210 (Lamping-R). Representative Kurt Bahr led the bill in front of the committee and addressed questions for almost 20 minutes. Bill supporters were given approximately 25 minutes to testify including testimony from Anne Gassel, Gretchen Logue and Jerry Briehan.  When called, there was no official opposition to the bill. However, Commissioner Nicastro and other representatives from DESE were allowed to give informational testimony for another 35 minutes including time for questions from the committee. Some additional informational testimony was provided by those supporting the bill.

DESE's testimony did not address the bill which requires 2 subject reports, 8 congressional district meetings (with Commissioner Nicastro in attendance) completed by December 31, 2013 and a final report to the Senate and House by January 31, 2014. Instead, their testimony covered the usual talking points about common core - how they were fewer, clearer and more rigorous, and would produce career and college ready students.

Barbara Reys testified once again about the high quality of the common core math standards, noting that 

UPDATE: Missouri Common Core Transparency Bill Passes Out of Committee | Truth in American Education

Missouri Common Core Transparency Bill Passes Out of Committee | Truth in American Education:

Pennsylvania Senate Democrats Urge Slowdown of Common Core

by Shane Vander Hart

Via FYI by PLS – this is a subscription based website so I’m sharing quotes given by the Pennsylvania Senate Minority Leader, State Senator Jay Costa (D-Allegheny):

Sen. Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) said implementation of the Common Core Standards is another example of the Corbett Administration’s “quiet changes” that “lack legislative input.” He compared the roll out of the Common Core Standards with bonus depreciation and the attempt to privatize the management of the lottery system. “Now we’re here today to fight 

Missouri Common Core Transparency Bill Passes Out of Committee

by Shane Vander Hart

The Missouri House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee passed SB 210 out of committee on a 17-0 vote yesterday after a 2 hour-long public hearing which included 900 written witness statements by those who supported the bill and testimony by the Missouri Education Commissioner Chris Nicastro who I was told didn’t really address the content of the bill.

SB 210 requires the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to hold public hearings on the Common Core State Standards in every congressional district.  Prior to the first public hearings the department will be required to conduct and post a fiscal analysis of the Common Core State Standards cost on the state and local school districts.  They are also required to compile a report of what data will be collected and what entities will receive that information.

The bill also requires public notifications of the meetings, fiscal study and report on data collect by DESE and local school districts so parents can attend and have access to that information.  All hearings are to be conducted by December 31, 2013.  DESE is then to compile a report to be issued to the President Pro Tempore of the Missouri Senate, Speaker of the Missouri House of Representatives and the joint committee on education that summarizes public testimony on the Common Core State Standards.  This is due by January 31, 2014.

This bill is informational only so a repeal bill will still be needed.  Talking to Gretchen Logue of Missouri Education Watchdog I was informed that the bill is expected to pass out of the House Rules Committee (all bills 

FBI wants Lakewood school board's contracts, bills | The Asbury Park Press NJ | app.com

FBI wants Lakewood school board's contracts, bills | The Asbury Park Press NJ | app.com:

FBI wants Lakewood school board's contracts, bills

Subpoena issued for records back to '08 with special-ed provider

http://www.app.com/videonetwork/2379705053001/Fury-at-Lakewood-BOE-meeting

LAKEWOOD — The FBI has issued a subpoena to the Board of Education for contracts, bills and invoices dating back to 2008 with Catapult Learning, Catapult services and Ocean Health Initiatives, the board attorney announced during Monday night’s meeting.

Steve Edelstein, attorney for the school board, said the FBI’s subpoena also asked for invoices, board minutes, resolutions and agendas for the last five years. The subpoena requests all documents regarding the board’s interactions with Catapult Learning and Ocean Health Initiatives and includes current and former district employees involved with Catapult, Edelstein said.

Catapult Learning has a multimillion-dollar contract with the school board to provide special-education services at both public and private schools. Ocean Health Initiatives’ contract with the board could not be determined Monday; however, its website describes the company as providing “high quality, accessible and affordable family healthcare to the area’s residents regardless of insurance at our three locations in Lakewood, Toms River and Stafford.”

The standing-room-only board meeting began with the unexpected announcement and ended with four board members, Zecharia Greenspan, Jonathan Silver, Yizeriel Friedman and vice president Yechezkel Seitler, all trying to make a motion to remove Edelstein as the current board attorney, citing what they said were high legal fees. View the video above to see some of the proceedings from Monday night’s school board meeting.

The motion, however, failed, after Edelstein and Board President Carl Fink said it was out of order and inappropriate. Seitler, meanwhile

Next step in closing achievement gap: Moving more students... | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com

Next step in closing achievement gap: Moving more students... | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com:

Get Schooled: Next step in closing achievement gap: Moving more students beyond basic

 By Maureen Downey

In a new report on narrowing the achievement gap, Education Trust concludes, "If we are going to close America’s long-standing gaps in achievement, we need not only to bring up our low-performing low income students and students of color, but also to accelerate our middle and higher performers to even higher levels of achievement."

Writing in the forward of  "Breaking the Glass Ceiling of Achievement for Low-Income Students and Students of Color," Ed Trust President 

Monty Neill: Authentic Assessment as Part of a Testing Reform Campaign - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

Monty Neill: Authentic Assessment as Part of a Testing Reform Campaign - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher:

Monty Neill: Authentic Assessment as Part of a Testing Reform Campaign

by Anthony Cody

Guest post by Monty Neill.

Part two of a three post series.

The U.S. stands alone among economically developed nations in its excessive use of high-stakes standardized testing. While the U.S. mandates testing in grades 3-8 and once in high school, with some states or districts requiring more, other nations range from almost no testing (e.g., Finland and Wales) to testing in about three grades. In many nations, the focus is on essay questions, not multiple-choice, and multiple measures are common. Only the U.S. uses student test scores to judge schools and teachers. As a result, tests largely control curriculum and instruction, with harmful consequences and scant progress in general improvement or in closing inequitable learning outcomes.

Across the nation, a rebellion is brewing against testing overuse and misuse. But just saying "no" isn't enough. In fact, high-quality feedback from assessment is vital to teaching and learning. Students, teachers and parents need to know whether kids are making progress. Communities and taxpayers deserve to know if schools are 

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Tuesday, May 14, 2013

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team:

Fensterwald: School funding will be focus, source of contention, of Brown’s revised budget

Education Headlines

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Fensterwald: School funding will be focus, source of contention, of Brown’s revised budget

Democrats in the Legislature may find themselves at odds with Gov. Jerry Brown on two issues that will factor large when Brown reveals his revised state budget Tuesday: how to spend billions in unanticipated revenue and how to reshape Brown’s sweeping plan for funding K-12 education.

Nine San Fernando Valley schools seeking affiliated charter status

Nine more San Fernando Valley campuses would open this fall as charter schools if their applications are approved today by the Los Angeles Unified school board.

Salinas high school district teachers set to vote on contract

Teachers in the Salinas Union High School District will cast their ballots today on a new contract.

Suit accuses Compton school district of abuse, racial profiling

A group of parents and students have filed a federal lawsuit against the Compton school district alleging a pattern of abuse and racial profiling of Latinos by school police.

Parent trigger law invoked to kick out L.A. school's administrators

A group of parents appear ready to force the Los Angeles Unified School District to enact sweeping changes at their elementary school.

LAUSD board to vote on breakfast in the classroom, school police

The Los Angeles school board meeting is expected to draw more than 1,500 demonstrators Tuesday as members are scheduled to vote to continue funding the classroom breakfast program, an increase in the school police force and other budget items.

Brown's revised budget has more money as revenue beats estimate

With California income tax revenue running about $4.5 billion ahead of expectations through April, Gov. Jerry Brown finds himself today in an unusual position: Releasing a revised budget proposal highlighting better numbers, not worse.

Brown to propose $1B for new school standards

Gov. Jerry Brown will propose giving California school districts an additional $1 billion to implement new, more rigorous academic standards and boost funding for his K-12 funding overhaul by an additional $240 million in the revised budget he will propose Tuesday, administration officials told The Associated Press.

Monday, May 13, 2013

Azusa Unified board airs concerns over Rosedale development school

Before the housing bubble that led to the Great Recession and crippled construction, the fanfare of the Rosedale development wooed many interested buyers. One of the biggest selling points of the 1,250-home master-planned community was a brand-new school built specifically for the development.

Gaps appear present in 2nd set of Alisal USD credit card documents

A second set of Alisal Union School District Visa credit card statements, receipts and documents delivered Friday appears to pose more questions than they answer.

Contract talks continue with choice for Twin Rivers

Contract negotiations continue between a consulting company hired by the Twin Rivers Unified School District and Steve Martinez, whom the board selected to be the next superintendent, according to district officials.

In Defense Of (Gulp) Packets. Worksheets, Too. - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher

In Defense Of (Gulp) Packets. Worksheets, Too. - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher:

In Defense Of (Gulp) Packets. Worksheets, Too.

by Nancy Flanagan

When my son was in high school, his band teacher used "theory packets" as fill-in work for days when he was absent from the classroom or had something other than whole-group instruction on his personal agenda. These packets were the absolute worst kind of make-work: poor copies reproduced (without permission) from an old college-level music theory workbook, disconnected from the learning goals of regular class lessons, pretty much incomprehensible without prior knowledge and excruciatingly dull.
The best thing you could say about them was that they were--sort of--about music. The worst thing? That they soured students on deeper examination of the intriguingly complex natural and mathematical structures lying under the songs that were so fun to play. I'm not saying that high school students shouldn't learn musical theory--they absolutely should, in ways that would let them use theory as a tool in creating their own tunes, harmonies and rhythms. Mention "theory" to any one of my son's classmates, however--and they envision sitting around in small groups, furtively copying each others' meaningless answers just to be done.
The packets, however, were not the problem. It was the lack of instructional purpose behind them, and the rote, fill-in-the-blank/check-the-papers pedagogical approach. Any teenage garage band with a dozen music lessons between them, combined, conducts far more effective auto-didactic theory sessions every time they get together to play. It goes like this: Hey, dude--listen to this chord! Awesome!
I've been thinking about packets (and their progenitor, worksheets) and why educators speak of them in the

Bammy Awards Categories Education Commentator/Blogger Nancy Flanagan Nancy Flanagan ACADEMY NOMINEE HOT Academy Votes Community Votes Academy rating 5.0 Community rating 5.0 Submitted by Nominations Committee  How to vote | Vote Now Send Inquiry ABOUT NOMINEE Name of Nominee: Nancy Flanagan Nominees' website: http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/teacher_in_a_strange_land/ Nominee's Organization Ed Week Nominators affiliation to nominee: Colleague Tell us how he/she is making a difference: What always strikes me about Nancy is how honest and direct she is. She's not inclined to worry what others may think of her opinions (of which she has many!), which is why she's able to write such wonderful posts as "Ten Things Legislators Should Know and Do When Making Education Policy." (I'm particularly fond of her suggestions that they don't know education just because they went to school, and they should take the tests kids have to take.) Nancy brings that same forthrightness to her role as an on-air commentator on BAM Radio Network. The education world is fortunate to have her among its ranks.

GOP to Malloy: No Worries, we don’t want to win… - Wait, What?

GOP to Malloy: No Worries, we don’t want to win… - Wait, What?:

GOP to Malloy: No Worries, we don’t want to win…

by jonpelto

File this one under the headline; Connecticut Republicans reiterate dedication to snatching defeat out of the jaws of victory…

Faced with the reality that Governor Malloy has spent the last two years alienating just about everyone and every group that was part of the coalition that put him into the governor’s office, the Republicans could be facing an unprecedented opportunity to beat an incumbent governor.

It would take a history buff to recall when that last occurred in Connecticut.

So with that in mind, the Republican Party’s upcoming 35^th annual Prescott Bush Awards Dinner provided the Connecticut Republicans with a special chance to showcase the type of leadership they’d bring to the state if Connecticut voters elected a Republican governor in 2014.

Given that reality and the opportunity to invite any person in the nation to serve as thei