Diane in the Evening 5-15-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all:

Fort Wayne: Besieged by Charters

by dianerav

A reader describes the situation in Fort Wayne, Indiana, a community with good public schools:
“Further to the point about GREAT home-grown administrators, Fort Wayne Community Schools has another bit of good news today: Two genuinely abysmal local charter schools lost their certification and their appeal today!
http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/education/two-fort-wayne-schools-lose-charter-contracts
(These are the folks who won’t scoop up one of our empty school buildings for $1/year, an available option that 

What Happens When Community College Students Take Online Courses?

by dianerav

A new report reviews the advent of online courses for community college students.
It was prepared by the Community College Research Center at Teachers College, Columbia University.
Online courses are popular because they seem to be a way to take courses at home, whenever it is convenient.
This is especially valuable for community college students because they are adults with 

EduShyster Discovers an Excellent Teacher-School Matching Service

by dianerav

EduShyster gets great tips!
In this post, she describes a dating service that matches teachers with just the right charter school.
What will they think of next?

Columnist: Tucson’s Top Charters Are Highly Selective

by dianerav

This year, once again, Tucson will bask in the knowledge that two of its charter schools–Basis and University High School– are among the top schools in the nation, according to the US News and World Report survey.
But, says, Tim Steller, these schools are atypical. He says that because the schools are so highly selective, the rankings don’t mean much.
He writes:
“Both Basis and UHS are selective – UHS formally so through an entrance exam and Basis informally so through high workloads that lead to attrition – meaning they end up with the students who perform highest at academics 

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 5-15-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] How Grassroots Groups in Texas Are Beating the Testing Lobby by dianerav In my list of categories on this blog, the words “Texas” and “testing” are side-by-side. One of the biggest stories in the nation today is how ordinary folks–moms, dads, and students–in Texas are slaying the monster that ate their education. Over the past 20-30 years, Texas became drunk on testing. The lobbyists for Pearson–headed by Sandy Kress, the architect of NCLB–made sure that Pearson... more »

Whiteboard Insider Results on Common Core | Truth in American Education

Whiteboard Insider Results on Common Core | Truth in American Education:

Whiteboard Insider Results on Common Core

by Shane Vander Hart

Whiteboard Advisors did a poll this month of “education insiders.”  They define an education insider as people who “influential leaders who are shaping federal education reform, including individuals who or are currently serving as key policy and political “insiders,” such as:

• Current and former White House and U.S. Department of Education leaders;
• Current and former Congressional staff;
• State education leaders including state school chiefs and former governors; and
• Leaders of major education organizations, think tanks and other key influentials

This month they were tracking measures, growing headwinds for Common Core, and prospects for administration policy proposals.

I wanted to highlight some of the findings related to the Common Core:

• 78% believe PARCC is on the wrong track, 74% believe Smarter Balanced is as well.
• 73% believe there will be 15 or fewer states involved in Smarter Balanced which is considerably, with a growing number believing there will 10 or fewer states.

IEA leaders slam Illinois Retired Teachers Association. IRTA leaders stand with retirees, the law and justice. | Fred Klonsky

IEA leaders slam Illinois Retired Teachers Association. IRTA leaders stand with retirees, the law and justice. | Fred Klonsky:

IEA leaders slam Illinois Retired Teachers Association. IRTA leaders stand with retirees, the law and justice.

by Fred Klonsky

I received these two letters today that I thought you would be interested in.

Dear IEA-Retired members,We know many of you are members of both IEA-Retired and IRTA. We ask for
your help in talking to your IRTA colleagues about the path they are taking
as it will jeopardize getting a fair and constitutional bill passed.
IRTA has come out saying that they will sue if SB2404 or SB1 becomes law.
Some IRTA members are telling their legislators to vote against 2404 but
others are telling them to vote yes on 2404. Both create concerns as to what
could occur.
Telling legislators to vote against SB2404 will ensure passage of SB1, a
bill that will devastate our members. If it passes and a court case ensues,
there is a strong possibility that the benefit changes will be implemented
while the courts decide. This means major cuts to COLAs for retirees.

Fighting school closings with a vote, in the streets and in the courts.

by Fred Klonsky

The breaking news that the Chicago Teachers Union will go to federal court on behalf of CPS parents to stop school closings has been expected for a while.
It comes on the eve of what will be two powerful events in the City in response to Rahm Emanuel’s plan to close 54 Chicago public schools.
Rahm’s planned closings represent the largest destruction of public schools in American history.
90% of the children who attend the targeted schools are African-American.
I would say that is a civil right violation.
Meanwhile the election for CTU leadership takes place Friday.
The incumbent slate headed by President Karen Lewis is being challenged by a rag-tag coalition of ex-reformers 

Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee and the Washington Post | Taking Note

Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee and the Washington Post | Taking Note:

Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee and the Washington Post

by John Merrow

The disturbing news of yet another testing scandal comes from Columbus, Ohio. Kudos to the Columbus Dispatch for its reporting on erasures and the ‘scrubbing’ of attendance records, and to the paper’s editorial pages for demanding action.

The paper’s editorial on May 7 quotes Secretary of Education Arne Duncan as follows: In a visit to Columbus last month, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan was emphatic that this district lacks strong leadership. “There’s been a lack of oversight and a lack of accountability.” Even more astonishing was Duncan’s statement the Columbus’ data-scrubbing scandal is in a league of its own, because it could involve not just proficiency-test manipulation, but also brazen grade-changing to increase the graduation rate. “I almost don’t know of another situation like this,” Duncan said.

Is there ‘another situation like this’ anywhere in America? Well, there’s Atlanta, of course, and El Paso, where the former superintendent is serving time. And then there’s the city that Secretary Duncan works in. I have documented here and here the extent of the problem and the inadequacy of the so-called investigations in Washington, DC.

I don’t know the details about El Paso, but in Atlanta, Columbus and Washington, many adults in powerful positions worked very hard to deny that anything was amiss, and–in Washington at least–still are.

Why is Washington in denial? Fear of Michelle Rhee’s wrath? An unwavering commitment to 2007’s 

UPDATE: Seattle Schools Community Forum: Odds and Ends

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Odds and Ends:

Give Big Day Going on Now

by Melissa Westbrook

Have you given to your favorite charity today?  Through the Seattle Foundation's Give Big Day you can see that donation increased (from their "stretch pool").  If you are going to donate sometime this year, make it now.  Lots of great supporters of public education on the list.

Why Do School Leaders Allow this to Happen?

by Melissa Westbrook

This comes from a reader whose child is at Washington.  I am appalled at the poor judgment on the part of these teachers. 

Why, in 2013, does anyone have to tell teachers and administrators that awards should ONLY be positive?  That they think - after the fact - that some "humorous" awards might even be the cause of bullying is deeply troubling.

Dear Senior Music Families,
We are sending this letter home to address what has become a concern to many. As a “fun activity” that was planned for the upcoming Senior Trip this weekend (May 17, 18, and 19), an “awards ceremony” was devised with varying types of awards that were to be created for serious effect, and for humorous effect.

It is our observation that some of the awards that were created are coming off as offensive to many. Please 

Odds and Ends

by Melissa Westbrook

 Friday is the deadline to file to run for any of the three Board positions on the ballot in November.  Director Patu has indicated she is going to run.  Director Smith-Blum seems to be on the fence.  Director DeBell, after eight hard years of service, is stepping down.  There is only one candidate registered so far and that is for DeBell's seat.

I hope that every single seat has at least two candidates.  It is vital to have the important conversations that only competition for a seat can bring.  As well, I do not like the idea of anyone just walking into office, unfettered.

Over at Publicola, they are asking legislative leaders about their budgets.  Here's part of what would be cut using the Senate's budget:

$9.5 million in health care savings (that includes cutting a federally mandated $8.7 million child autism care program);
$166 million in supposed (this makes Hunter apoplectic) "Overspending?!? Really?!?" on K-12 school 

Summer Meals Programs Help Stretch Summertime Food Budgets — Whole Child Education

Summer Meals Programs Help Stretch Summertime Food Budgets — Whole Child Education:

THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG

Summer Meals Programs Help Stretch Summertime Food Budgets

May 15, 2013 by ASCD Whole Child Bloggers

Post written by Kim Caldwell with the No Kid Hungry Center for Best Practices

Teachers, parents and kids tell us all the time that childhood hunger doesn't take a vacation during the summer months. That's because kids who normally get a lunch or breakfast at school lose access to those meals when class lets out for summer break. This loss of healthy school meals means for some families, summertime can be a time of financial uncertainty.

New findings by Share Our Strength's No Kid Hungry campaign show that low-income families find it harder to make ends meet during summer months. In our national survey of 1,200 low income families in the United States:

• 43 percent say that they find it harder to make ends meet during the summer.
• 32 percent report sometimes finding themselves without enough food during the summer months.
• Most low-income families (62 percent) report spending more on food during the summer months with an average increase of $300 more per month.

There is a solution. Free summer meals are available to kids and teens age 18 and under at thousands of 

"Second Chance for Neighborhood Schools" Sacramento City Unified School District

Second Chance for Neighborhood Schools

 "Second Chance for Neighborhood Schools"

Good morning,

Attached please find attached the "Second Chance for Neighborhood Schools" resolution. I am very appreciative of the DAC for voting its approval last night. On behalf of the DAC, I will have the honor of presenting it to our School Board this comingThursday May 16th at about 6:55 PM. It would be appreciated if folks would consider joining me in this presentation. Please send me an e-mail response or find me in the back of the meeting room at about 6:15 PM. I will wear a name tag :)

As has been done previously, a group could submit their public comment cards together and speak one after the other. This way the entire "Second Chance for Neighborhood Schools" resolution could be presented rather than a two minute summary. If you would like to add your particular story or comments to this group presentation, this would be most welcome. Just let me know so that we can keep the comment cards in a reasonable order.

If any of your affiliated groups are or may be able to join the DAC in endorsing the resolution, sharing this information after the presentation would be most helpful. I am asking that the resolution be placed on the next Board agenda for June 13th, the last day of this school year.

Per Board policy, I have been submitting requests to place a second look at school closures on the agenda in March, April and May. To date, contrary to policy, I have received no official response. Per Board policy the board can place the resolution on the next agenda.

Thanks for the consideration,

Leo Bennett-Cauchon (916 307-8525)

"Fight Back" Update:

1. A group of us continue to banner in support of the targeted seven schools each Thursday from 4:30 to 5:30. Please consider joining us at the Serna Center tomorrow. We consistently receive lots of supportive honks :)

2. A small group of us were able to have a productive discussion with State Senator Steinberg's district staff. We arrived at a consensus that the closure process was unnecessarily rushed and that fiscal justifications were problematic.

3. Governor's May Budget Revision is promising: Senator Steinberg: "... we no longer have to stare at enormous deficits and make agonizing decisions on which cuts will do the least harm to our children, to the poor, and to middle class families. ... It’s important that we also begin making up for some of the damage done to tens of thousands of Californians. ..."

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson:

" ... Californians want our schools back on solid financial ground, and Governor Brown's proposal represents another important step in the right direction. ... we must continue to work to see that all children, including our youngest and most vulnerable, benefit from California's recovery ..."

State Senator Leland Yee (San Francisco):

“Thanks to Governor Brown and the voters of California standing up for Prop 30 last year, our state’s economy is moving in the right direction. The Governor’s proposal puts much needed money back into our public schools. The children of California will be better served by this support. Their future, and ours, will be brighter as a result."

SECOND CHANCE FOR NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOL FACILITIES

WHEREAS, the Sacramento City Unified School District of Education (Board) has received documents and heard oral presentations, including presentations by the public, regarding the recommended "wise sizing" of school facilities at its regular meetings in March, April and May; and

WHEREAS, vigorous neighborhood opposition was expressed at community meetings held at the school sites for the proposed School Closures; and

WHEREAS, the proposed School Closures will decrease, District wide, the quality of the curricula and educational programs which are currently dispersed among most traditional neighborhoods to the detriment of the learning environment and supports for neighborhood students, especially those with the highest needs, of the Sacramento City Unified School District (District ) and

WHEREAS, the proposed School Closures serve to increase the ongoing costs of keeping open empty facilities and divert funding of the District's educational programs to busing, crossing guards, portable relocation as well as increasing any deficit gap caused by federal funding cuts, Average Daily Attendance (ADA) loss, and the loss of one-time federal funds and rising costs; and

WHEREAS, the proposed School Closures involve potentially significant walking safety risks; and

WHEREAS, the proposed School Closures have a significant effect on the environment by increasing the original design capacity for restrooms, cafeteria, playing fields and other common areas at the receiving schools by more than 25% or ten classrooms; and

WHEREAS, the District's enrollment, over the past three years has stabilized, including an increasing student population in the primary grades as documented by California Department of Education (CDE) reports; and

WHEREAS, the closures will have a cumulative impact and a significant effect on Hispanic and African American plurality neighborhoods; and

WHEREAS, Proposition 30, Governor Brown’s May Budget Revision, and the expanding economy have significantly improved funding for public education and thus disproportionate effects on Hispanic and African-American plurality schools can now be avoided; and

WHEREAS, effective ideas including dependent charters, school clustering and other options to School Closures have been generated by site transition teams but need equitable time for consideration;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Sacramento City Unified School District Board of Education hereby finds and determines as follows:

1. Adopts the foregoing recitals as true and correct and incorporates all determinations and findings therein by this reference.

2. Approves the neighborhood school recommendations, as presented to the Board, to keep Clayton B. Wire, Collis P. Huntington, Fruit Ridge, Joseph Bonnheim, Maple, Mark Hopkins and Washington open for the 2013-14 school year.

3. Finds that the recommendations are "categorically exempt" from the provisions of California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Public Resources Code section 21080.18 and section 15314 of the Guidelines.

4. Directs the Superintendent to create design teams for all district schools.

5. Further directs the Superintendent to take such further action as necessary to carry out this Resolution.

Letter to Obama: We need data on ‘highly qualified’ teachers:

Letter to Obama: We need data on ‘highly qualified’ teachers

By Valerie Strauss, Published: May 15, 2013 at 11:08 amE-mail the writer

Should students still learning how to be teachers be considered “highly qualified teachers“? Should new college graduates with only five weeks of teacher training (that’s what Teach For America gives its recruits before sending them into high-poverty schools) be considered highly qualified? Well, Congress, which was lobbied by Teach For America and other organizations, said “yes” a few years ago. Now a coalition of education organizations is writing to President Obama and other administration officials about the issue. Here’s the text of the letter. (Footnotes have been removed from the body of the letter and put at the end to make it easier to read.)

President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave
Washington, DC 20500

Re: SECTION 145 OF THE SEPTEMBER 2012 CONTINUING RESOLUTION—Public Law 112-175

Dear President Obama:

Ensuring the educational success of all students requires the equitable distribution of well-prepared and effective teachers in all schools. Yet in too many states and districts across the country, students with disabilities, English Learners, students of color, rural students and low-income children are being taught by teachers with little or no training. Last year, Congress included a provision in H.J. Res 117, which you signed into law, requiring the Secretary of Education to submit a report to Congress 

Monty Neill: Building Effective Campaigns for Testing Reform - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

Monty Neill: Building Effective Campaigns for Testing Reform - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher:

Monty Neill: Building Effective Campaigns for Testing Reform

by Anthony Cody

Guest post by Monty Neill.
Part three of a three part series. Read part one here and part two here.
It will take public education, incessant pressure, and massive public resistance to win reforms to our current damaging test policies. We need to define clear, widely supported goals. And we need to offer a compelling vision of effective alternatives to high-stakes testing.

In this post, I'll dig into some actions and tactics reformers can use. This is not a comprehensive list but some ideas to provoke more thinking about how to build winning campaigns.
Right now, resistance is growing but is far from mass. The most critical work to be done is to further educate, then organize and mobilize, parents, students, teachers and others in or close to schools.
School boards, parent and other groups can sponsor and publicize community forums to discuss testing and its consequences. Use these to network and organize, as well as inform. A school board hearing can be a great 

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Wednesday, May 15, 2013

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team:

Fensterwald Brown commits $1 billion for Common Core, sticks with funding formula

Education Headlines

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Fillmore schools chief expects more money for district next year

The Fillmore Unified School District would benefit from additional funding if legislators pass  Gov. Jerry Brown's revised California budget proposal, which calls for nearly $3 billion more for K-12 schools and community colleges.

San Juan district superintendent to be placed on administrative leave

San Juan Unified Superintendent Glynn Thompson will be placed on administrative leave while an investigation goes forward about whether he created a hostile work environment for some female administrators, trustees announced Tuesday night.

Parents rail against twerking punishments

Parents, residents and lawyers urged the San Diego school board Tuesday to reconsider the suspensions and sexual harassment charges that were handed down to 31 students at Scripps Ranch High School for their role in the now-infamous “twerking” video that was posted on YouTube last month.

Moraga schools to pay sex abuse victim

The Moraga School District has agreed to pay $2.85 million to a former student who accused a former science teacher of sexually abusing her, district officials said Tuesday.

Brown's budget gives education big boost

Over the next few years, California's public schools will reap billions of extra dollars in revenue as the state slowly emerges from the Great Recession.

LAUSD aviation school at Van Nuys Airport will continue thanks to $1-a-year lease

The embattled Los Angeles Unified aviation school at Van Nuys Airport will continue operating next year, thanks to a $1-a-year lease negotiated between the school district and the city.

Moraga school district settles sex abuse lawsuit for $2.85 million

The Moraga School District announced Tuesday night that its insurance company had reached a $2.85 million settlement with former student Kristen Cunnane in her civil suit against the district and three former administrators over sex abuse claims.

Upland Unified gets list of suggested cuts from employees

The suggestions were given to the district's fiscal advisor Michele McClowry last week. She has been assigned to the district by San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools to help officials make $9 million in cuts to the 2013-14 fiscal year budget.

6 charged with stealing SF school funds

Six current and former San Francisco Unified School District employees, including an ex-associate superintendent, are facing a total of 205 felony charges for allegedly misappropriating $15 million in public funds, prosecutors said Tuesday.

SCHOOL FUNDING: Different interpretations on governor’s plan

Gov. Jerry Brown’s Department of Finance and the California Department of Education are just down the street from each other, yet their interpretations of the governor’s plan to revamp school funding are far apart.

Frey: Governor tries to fix adult ed plan, but controversy remains

Backing away from his controversial plan to hand control of adult education over to community colleges, Gov. Jerry Brown is instead proposing that regional consortia, made up of community colleges and school districts, determine adult ed’s future. However, his new plan is also stirring controversy.

Gov. Jerry Brown sticks to controversial K-12 education funding plan, but adds accountability in May revision

After proposing a bold new education-funding plan in January aimed at helping schools better educate disadvantaged students, then facing push-back from his own party, Gov. Jerry Brown stuck to his guns in his May budget revision released Tuesday.

Fensterwald Brown commits $1 billion for Common Core, sticks with funding formula

Gov. Jerry Brown proposed Tuesday to direct all of the extra $2.8 billion in revenue that the state expects to receive this year to K-12 schools and community colleges, mostly for one-time uses, including $1 billion to implement the Common Core standards.

Walters: California school aid, safety net programs in budget conflict

From the onset, it was evident that by giving schools more money than politics and fiscal economics otherwise would have allocated, Proposition 98 would create conflict with other big-ticket spending categories, such as health and welfare services and prisons.The political and financial forces stemming from passage of Proposition 98 and of last year's tax increase coalesced Tuesday.

Governor's budget update means (slightly) bigger bucks for education

After years of punching new holes in their collective belt, Gov. Jerry Brown's latest budget revision gives more money to local schools, including funds to help ease the transition to a technology-dependent curriculum.

Gov. Jerry Brown takes cautious approach on California budget

Gov. Jerry Brown, dismissive of a surge in state tax revenue that stirred optimism at the Capitol, moved Tuesday to blunt appeals for increased spending, downgrading his budget proposal from January.

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

School's first grads tough it out

With his characteristic bombast, Principal Michael Hall stood before a group of freshmen in the new Stockton Early College Academy nearly four years ago and issued a guarantee that sounded almost like a threat. "This is the toughest school you'll ever go to," Hall warned. Hall himself may have had no idea just how right he would turn out to be.

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.

UPDATE: Governor attempts to prevent Common Core mutiny + New report: Can't judge pre-K to third grade teachers on how... | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com

New report: Can't judge pre-K to third grade teachers on how... | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com:

Get Schooled: Governor attempts to prevent Common Core mutiny by his GOP colleagues

By Maureen Downey

Apparently in an effort to stave off a repeal of the Common Core State Standards,  Gov. Nathan Deal signed an executive order today affirming state sovereignty  in education, prohibiting a federal curriculum to be imposed in Georgia and banning collection of identifiable student data for the feds.

The carefully worded order still allows Common Core to continue in Georgia since it is not a federal initiative, but it does attempt to placate the growing chorus of criticism that Common Core is a federal wolf in state's clothing.

 Will it work to prevent a GOP mutiny this weekend in Athens where the party is meeting? 

This statement from one of the chief critics suggests that Deal's order will not stop the effort to rid Georgia of  Common Core.

Sen. William Ligon (R-Brunswick) has released the following statement in response to Governor Nathan Deal’s Executive Order regarding Georgia’s Common Core Performance Standards:  (I did not 

Get Schooled: New report: Can't judge pre-K to third grade teachers on how kids perform in 5th grade

 By Maureen Downey

A new report from New America Foundation’s Early Education Initiative cautions against states and districts using the same method and measures to evaluate pre-k to third grade teachers as they are applying to teachers in older grades.

“An Ocean of Unknowns” does a good job surveying the changing teacher evaluation landscape and the increasing trend to link teacher evaluations with student performance. It addresses the haste with which these new evaluation plans are being developed and put into a place, a problem here in Georgia because of the deadlines attached to the state’s Race to the Top grant.

The 38-page report ought to be read by legislators and 

Coalition for Public Education/Coalición por la Educación Pública

Coalition for Public Education/Coalición por la Educación Pública: