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Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Morning Wink 7-23-13 AM Posts #BATsACT #edreform #EDCHAT #P2


BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS



TODAY

The War on Public School Teachers New Unions, New Alliances, New Politics | DailyCensored.com - Breaking Censored News, World, Independent, Liberal News
The War on Public School Teachers New Unions, New Alliances, New Politics | DailyCensored.com - Breaking Censored News, World, Independent, Liberal News: The War on Public School Teachers New Unions, New Alliances, New PoliticsBy Danny Weil on July 23, 2013 2:16 pm / no commentsFrom:  the Bullet Socialist Project • E-Bulletin No. 854July 22, 2013Michael D. YatesMichael D. Yates is Associate Editor
by mike simpson / 7min 
1 | Beautifully Mashed-Up Photos Show The Glory And Wreckage Of Detroit | Co.Exist: World changing ideas and innovation
1 | Beautifully Mashed-Up Photos Show The Glory And Wreckage Of Detroit | Co.Exist: World changing ideas and innovation: Beautifully Mashed-Up Photos Show The Glory And Wreckage Of DetroitThe Detroit Now and Then project artfully combines vintage photos of the city with images of what’s there now, providing a poignant reminder of what the city was, what it is now and--maybe--what it could be again
by mike simpson / 18min 
Justice Department sues Florida over ‘deliberate indifference’ in treatment of disabled children | The Raw Story
Justice Department sues Florida over ‘deliberate indifference’ in treatment of disabled children | The Raw Story: Justice Department sues Florida over ‘deliberate indifference’ in treatment of disabled childrenThe U.S. Justice Department sued the state of Florida on Monday, accusing health officials of violating the Americans with Disabilities act by placing almost 200 handicapped minors in nursin
by mike simpson / 23min 
NYC Educator: Getting Rid of "Bad Teachers"
NYC Educator: Getting Rid of "Bad Teachers": Getting Rid of "Bad Teachers"That's what AFT President Randi Weingarten focused on in some sort of AFT gathering. I don't get invited to AFT gatherings in my lowly capacity as representative of the largest high school in Queens, but that's only because a prerequisite is to support whatever the union supports, like mayoral control and junk science evalua
by mike simpson / 24min 
Support Rolls in for ConnectEd | ED.gov Blog
Support Rolls in for ConnectEd | ED.gov Blog: Support Rolls in for ConnectEdPosted on July 23, 2013 by Cameron BrenchleySeal of ApprovalIn June, President Obama called on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to take the steps necessary to build high-speed digital connections to America’s schools and libraries, ensuring that 99 percent of American students can benefit from advances in teachi
by mike simpson / 35min 
School Finance 101: Gaming Adequacy by Creating a Veneer of Empirical Validity | School Finance 101
School Finance 101: Gaming Adequacy by Creating a Veneer of Empirical Validity | School Finance 101: School Finance 101: Gaming Adequacy by Creating a Veneer of Empirical ValidityPosted on July 23, 20130       Rate ThisThis post comes from a work in progress… and addresses games states play to validate their choices to spend less than might actually be needed in order to achieve desired outcome st
by mike simpson / 38min 
MIT technology trailblazer is a critic of computerized learning | Hechinger Report
MIT technology trailblazer is a critic of computerized learning | Hechinger Report: MIT technology trailblazer is a critic of computerized learningBy Jill BarshayMitchel Resnick is the LEGO Papert Professor of Learning Research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the head of the Lifelong Kindergarten group at the MIT Media Lab. His research group is best known for inventing two blockb
by mike simpson / 43min 
PARCC’s Convenient Release of Cost Analysis | Scathing Purple Musings
PARCC’s Convenient Release of Cost Analysis | Scathing Purple Musings: PARCC’s Convenient Release of Cost AnalysisPosted on July 23, 2013by Bob Sikes      Rate ThisPearson pushed back this week. Reeling from the news that Florida’s top two legislative leaders wanted out of the PARCC testing consortium that are part of Common Core Standards, Pearson, who was awarded the contract for PARCC, released
by mike simpson / 2h 
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 7-23-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Bruce Baker: One of the Dumbest Ways to Evaluate TeachersBruce Baker here examines a “graduate school” created by charter schools where their inexperienced teachers train new teachers how to produce high test scores. The model is a charter in New Jersey called North Star that gets great “growth scores” but has remarkably high attri
by mike simpson / 2h 
Missouri Education Watchdog: Education - It's A Funding Problem
Missouri Education Watchdog: Education - It's A Funding Problem: Education - It's A Funding ProblemBy now most people are familiar with the Melissa Harris-Perry video where she accused us of having an old fashioned notion of our children belonging to us, when in fact they belong to the collective.I believe MS. Harris-Perry has it wrong.  We have been treating our children as belonging to the colle
by mike simpson / 2h 
When in doubt, make sh*t up… - Wait, What?
When in doubt, make sh*t up… - Wait, What?: When in doubt, make sh*t up…The Hartford Courant editorial writers weighed in on the Paul Vallas debacle today with an editorial entitled, “Why Make It So Hard For Paul Vallas To Help Bridgeport Schools?”The most cursory review of their position reveals that they either failed to take the time to check the facts or worse, made up their own facts to fit t
by mike simpson / 2h 
How Common Core could affect every state — even those that reject it
How Common Core could affect every state — even those that reject it: How Common Core could affect every state — even those that reject itBy Valerie Strauss, Published: July 23 at 7:00 amE-mail the writer1CommentsMoreNot all states approved the Common Core State Standards, and some of those that did are now reconsidering whether to implement them. But it turns out that  the standards could wind up
by mike simpson / 2h 
Local math, science teachers up for Presidential Awards - LA Daily News
Local math, science teachers up for Presidential Awards - LA Daily News: Local math, science teachers up for Presidential AwardsBy Barbara Jones, Staff WriterPosted:   07/22/2013 08:20:47 PM PDTUpdated:   07/22/2013 08:24:18 PM PDT Michelle KatzTwo local educators are among five chosen statewide as California's finalists for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teachin
by mike simpson / 2h 
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: With Tim Tyson on Moral Monday in N.C.
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: With Tim Tyson on Moral Monday in N.C.: With Tim Tyson on Moral Monday in N.C.Tim TysonSusan and I stopped in and paid a visit with old friend Tim Tyson in Durham, N.C. yesterday. A professor at Duke University, Tim was on his way over to the Moral Monday protest in Raliegh. Susan Klonsky reports from Durham:Tim is a historian with a long view of the current wave of
by mike simpson / 2h 
Health Education: Building Knowledge and Skills for a Healthy Life | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights
Health Education: Building Knowledge and Skills for a Healthy Life | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights: Health Education: Building Knowledge and Skills for a Healthy LifeBy NEA Health Information Network on July 23, 2013By Nora Howley, Manager of Programs, NEA-Health Information NetworkIt is hard not to turn on the television, flip through the paper, or open the news app on your
by mike simpson / 2h 
A Dilemma for the Historian Who Gets Personal: Reconstructing Classroom Lessons (Part 2) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice
A Dilemma for the Historian Who Gets Personal: Reconstructing Classroom Lessons (Part 2) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: A Dilemma for the Historian Who Gets Personal: Reconstructing Classroom Lessons (Part 2)I was nervous that journalist Martin Mayer was coming to watch me teach (SeePart 1, “A Journalist Describes a History Lesson”). I had read his book The Schools when it
by mike simpson / 3h 
7-23-13 teacherken at Daily Kos
teacherken at Daily Kos: TUE JUL 23, 2013 AT 04:05 AM PDTAsking you to listen for 3:40 or sobyteacherken    1 Comments / 0 NewTo this:Some words of explanation from Jasiri X, whose work this is:I chose to remix Kanye’s song “Blood on the Leaves” because I felt like the sample he used from Billie Holiday’s “Strange Fruit” is even more relevant today. Whether it’s the over 500 murders last year in C
by mike simpson / 3h 
7-23-13 Schools Matter @ The Chalk Face
SCHOOLS MATTER @ THE CHALK FACE: Dear North Carolina ColleaguesYou know what I miss about North Carolina?  Go on, guess.  It’s what every former transplant says. I miss the ability to order sweet tea in any restaurant I go to and I miss BBQ pulled pork that actually has a smoky taste.  Syracuse just hasn’t found the charm in those two things yet. I […]by Kris Nielsen / 5h   7-22-13 Schools Matter
by mike simpson / 3h 

YESTERDAY

The Educated Reporter: Guest Post: Measuring Early Childhood Classroom Quality
The Educated Reporter: Guest Post: Measuring Early Childhood Classroom Quality: Guest Post: Measuring Early Childhood Classroom QualityThe American Educational Research Association (AERA) held its annual meeting in San Francisco in May, and we asked some of the journalists in attendance to cover a few of the sessions for us. Given that early childhood education is back on the front burner, it seem
by mike simpson / 10h 
Report Card: Federal judge denies bid to block Sacramento campus closures
Report Card: Federal judge denies bid to block Sacramento campus closures: Federal judge denies bid to block Sacramento campus closuresA federal judge on Monday denied a bid by parents seeking to prevent Sacramento City schools from closing seven elementary campuses, saying blocking the district was not warranted based on the evidence plaintiffs presented in court.U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. M
by mike simpson / 11h 
Remarks of AFT President Randi Weingarten - Reclaiming the Promise of Public Education
AFT - A Union of Professionals - Reclaiming the Promise of Public Education: Reclaiming the Promiseof Public EducationRemarks of AFT President Randi WeingartenTEACH ConferenceJuly 22, 2013I. Introduction: The year that wasThis year, there were many reminders of the role that educators play in the lives of America’s children.Take Rhonda Crosswhite, a sixth-grade teacher at Plaza Towers Elementary S
by mike simpson / 11h 
Teachers chief: Bad teachers should find new jobs - SFGate
Teachers chief: Bad teachers should find new jobs - SFGate: Teachers chief: Bad teachers should find new jobsBy PHILIP ELLIOTT, Associated PressUpdated 3:37 pm, Monday, July 22, 2013 WASHINGTON (AP) — Teachers who aren't up to snuff shouldn't be in classrooms and should find new professions, the head of the 1.5 million-member American Federation of Teachers said Monday.Randi Weingarten told a gath
by mike simpson / 11h 
Dallas ISD trustees unanimously approve to hire ex-U.S. Attorney Paul Coggins for district investigation | Education Blog
Dallas ISD trustees unanimously approve to hire ex-U.S. Attorney Paul Coggins for district investigation | Education Blog: Dallas ISD trustees unanimously approve to hire ex-U.S. Attorney Paul Coggins for district investigationBy Tawnell Hobbsthobbs@dallasnews.com8:40 pm on July 22, 2013 | Permalink1101Dallas ISD trustees hired former U.S. Attorney Paul Coggins on Monday to investigate allegations
by mike simpson / 12h 
District to release report on cheating investigation at 19 schools | Philadelphia Public School Notebook
District to release report on cheating investigation at 19 schools | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: District to release report on cheating investigation at 19 schoolsby Dale Mezzacappa on Jul 22 2013 Posted in Latest newshttp://unitedoptout.com/The Philadelphia School District plans to release a report on its investigation of adult cheating on standardized tests in 19 city schools that will
by mike simpson / 13h 
District to release report on cheating investigation at 19 schools | Philadelphia Public School Notebook
District to release report on cheating investigation at 19 schools | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: District to release report on cheating investigation at 19 schoolsby Dale Mezzacappa on Jul 22 2013 Posted in Latest news="" style="color: rgb(76, 153, 72); cursor: pointer; float: left; padding: 0px 2px;">Share on emailCOMMENTS (4)PRINTUnited Opt Out NationalThe Philadelphia School District p
by mike simpson / 13h 
England, America and Shakespeare: Education Reform Absurdity | Reclaim Reform
England, America and Shakespeare: Education Reform Absurdity | Reclaim Reform: England, America and Shakespeare: Education Reform AbsurdityPosted on July 22, 2013by kenprevitiEngland is undergoing the same corporate education reform takeover attempts that America is undergoing.Billionaires are making huge profits with high stakes testing and charters. Experienced and fully credentialed public scho
by mike simpson / 13h 
Finalists For National Teaching Award Named - Year 2013
Finalists For National Teaching Award Named - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education): State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Announces 2013Finalists for Prestigious National Teaching Award SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today nominated five outstanding secondary mathematics and science teachers as California finalists for the 2013 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mat
by mike simpson / 13h 
Diane in the Evening 7-22-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Connecticut Teacher On Vallas’ RecordA Connecticut teacher named Linda who comments frequently on the blog decided to research the record of Paul Vallas. This is her summary: “I have been keeping track for a while now…easy to goggle Vallas and Pelto, Ravitch, Mercedes Schneider, Philly Notebook, George Schmidt, substance news. http
by mike simpson / 14h 
Nikila Kakarla’s Student Voice Live! Experience - Student Voice
Student Voice: Nikila Kakarla’s Student Voice Live! Experience Repost from Daily Edventures.Being part of the Student Voice Live! conference in April was a highlight of my year so far — proof positive that the leaders of tomorrow understand the challenges facing education, and are more than prepared to meet them head-on. One of those future leaders, Nikila Kakarla, was not only instrumental in org
by mike simpson / 14h 
Nite Cap 7-22-13 #BATsACT #thankateacher #EDCHAT #P2
James Baldwin said it best: "For these are all our children, and we will profit by or pay for whatever they become."A BIG EDUCATION APE NITE CAPTODAYBlack Does Not Equal FearThis video is about changing the mindset of America. Black does not equal fear. In this video I ask "I am black, do you fear me?" to inspire people to realize their own possible bias. I reference President Obama and many thing
by mike simpson / 15h 
Black Does Not Equal Fear
This video is about changing the mindset of America. Black does not equal fear. In this video I ask "I am black, do you fear me?" to inspire people to realize their own possible bias. I reference President Obama and many things from the Zimmerman trial. Videographer : Javier Ruiz Music: prod. D.O.P.E.TranscriptI AM BLACKDO YOU FEAR ME?IS IT FROM WHAT YOUVE HEARDOR WHAT YOU SEE?I WEAR SWEAT SHIRTS,
by mike simpson / 16h 
10 Things You Can Do In School After The Trayvon Martin Tragedy - The Jose Vilson | The Jose Vilson
10 Things You Can Do In School After The Trayvon Martin Tragedy - The Jose Vilson | The Jose Vilson: 10 Things You Can Do In School After The Trayvon Martin Tragedyby JOSE VILSON on JULY 22, 2013Thanks to those of you who contributed awesome comments to my last post about Trayvon Martin. I’ve written some pieces (see here, here, and here) over the last few years about this topic, but by no means d
by mike simpson / 16h 
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools Announces Big Leadership Changes/Shifts
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools Announces Big Leadership Changes/Shifts: Seattle Schools Announces Big Leadership Changes/ShiftsFrom SPS(bold mine):With an increasing number and complexity of Seattle Public Schools’ capital projects underway to accommodate enrollment growth, safety upgrades and technology infrastructure, Superintendent Jose Banda announced today that he is making
by mike simpson / 16h 
What parents really think about school reform
What parents really think about school reform: What parents really think about school reformBy Valerie Strauss, Published: July 22 at 5:22 pmE-mail the writer1CommentsMoreSchool reformers like to talk about giving parents “choices” in public education because that’s what parents want. But a new national survey says that most parents with students in public schools want something different.  The tw
by mike simpson / 16h 
Georgia Drops Out of PARCC; Will Florida Soon Follow? | Scathing Purple Musings
Georgia Drops Out of PARCC; Will Florida Soon Follow? | Scathing Purple Musings: Georgia Drops Out of PARCC; Will Florida Soon Follow?Posted on July 22, 2013by Bob Sikes      Rate ThisFrom Wayne Washington in the Atlanta-Journal Constitution: Georgia leaders announced today that the state will not offer a new and expensive standardized test tied to the controversial set of national standards calle
by mike simpson / 17h 
Making the connections between Trayvon Martin and schooling in urban America | Philadelphia Public School Notebook
Making the connections between Trayvon Martin and schooling in urban America | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: Making the connections between Trayvon Martin and schooling in urban Americaby thenotebook on Jul 22 2013 Posted in Commentary="" style="color: rgb(76, 153, 72); cursor: pointer; float: left; padding: 0px 2px;">Share on emailCOMMENTS (0)PRINTThe death of Trayvon Martin and the acquit
by mike simpson / 18h 
First the Blueway: Now the Common Core school standards | Arkansas Blog
First the Blueway: Now the Common Core school standards | Arkansas Blog: First the Blueway: Now the Common Core school standardsPosted by Max Brantley on Mon, Jul 22, 2013 at 12:55 PMCOMMON CORE ADVOCATE: Education Commissioner Tom KimbrellThe legislature's education committees are meeting today and tomorrow and a hot topic is the Common Core standards, a bipartisan effort that arose from the stat
by mike simpson / 19h 
Improving Schools: The "Real World" Fallacy — Whole Child Education
Improving Schools: The "Real World" Fallacy — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOGImproving Schools: The “Real World” FallacyJuly 22, 2013 by Sean SladeFirst, if you haven't read Tom Whitby's post "The Big Lie in Education," do so. This post is a follow-up from what Whitby has eloquently started.While we are reflecting, refreshing, and recharging, lets reflect on what we are trying to teach
by mike simpson / 20h 
Cover Up at IS 162 in the Bronx? Let's Ask District 7 Superintedent Yolanda Torres southbronxschool.com
http://www.southbronxschool.com: Cover Up at IS 162 in the Bronx? Let's Ask District 7 Superintedent Yolanda TorresOn June 10, 2013, I wrote a post, "Where is the Bronx District Attorney When You Need Him?" I left a lot of details out, names, the school, the district, etc... Today, I am rewriting/rerunning that post but not holding anything back. Names, school, everything.These three miscreants ge
by mike simpson / 20h 
Weingarten: The promise of public education for all is ‘under assault’
Weingarten: The promise of public education for all is ‘under assault’: Weingarten: The promise of public education for all is ‘under assault’By Valerie Strauss, Published: July 22 at 1:00 pmE-mail the writerRandi WeingartenHere’s the text of the speech that American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten gave at the organization’s convention in Washington D.C. on Monday:This year, ther
by mike simpson / 20h 
Federal Cuts Force Impact-Aid Districts to Cut Staff, Close Schools - Politics K-12 - Education Week
Federal Cuts Force Impact-Aid Districts to Cut Staff, Close Schools - Politics K-12 - Education Week: Federal Cuts Force Impact-Aid Districts to Cut Staff, Close SchoolsBy Alyson Klein on July 22, 2013 1:24 PMIt's been almost five months since Congress slashed education spending through across-the-board cuts known as "sequestration," which were intended to force a still completely elusive, long-te
by mike simpson / 20h 
Common Core Assessment Sticker Shock | Truth in American Education
Common Core Assessment Sticker Shock | Truth in American Education: Common Core Assessment Sticker ShockFiled in Common Core Assessments by Shane Vander Hart on July 22, 2013 • 2 CommentsPolitico reports that a PARCC report to be released today guarantees Common Core testing will be more expensive than current state testing.  This just states something we already knew, but it’s nice for them to ad
by mike simpson / 21h 
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Education This Week
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Education This Week: Seattle Education This WeekI was mistaken when I previously said there were no district meetings until August.WednesdayAudit and Finance Committee meeting of the Whole from 4-5 pm.  The only agenda item is to debate any last issues on the budget for 2013-2014 and presumably move it forward to the Board meeting.Public Hearing on the 2013
by mike simpson / 21h 
Cali Education Headlines Monday, July 22, 2013
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy ordered to submit a succession planEducation HeadlinesMonday, July 22, 2013New 'Common Core' standards aim to help students think criticallySteven Oberlander asks his 35 fifth-graders to compute 20 percent of 80 and the students immediately begin tapping their answers into the wireless keyboards on their desks.
by mike simpson / 22h 
7-22-13 teacherken at Daily Kos
teacherken at Daily Kos: Dionne: After Trayvon, leading with love“In the jewelry store, they lock the case when I walk in,” the young African American man wrote. “In the shoe store, they help the white man who walks in after me. In the shopping mall they follow me. . . . Black male: Guilty until proven innocent.” “I have lost control of my emotions,” he declared. “Rage, Frustration, Anguish, Despo
by mike simpson / 22h 
Decision to pad school grades shows Bush-Scott split | Tampa Bay Times
Decision to pad school grades shows Bush-Scott split | Tampa Bay Times: Decision to pad school grades shows Bush-Scott splitTia Mitchell, Times/Herald Tallahassee BureauSunday, July 21, 2013 8:05pmFacebook40EmailShare64Print  35TALLAHASSEE — The state Board of Education's decision last week to inflate school grades for a second year was widely praised by parents and educators, but it also exposed
by mike simpson / 22h 
Teachers Don't Work Hard Enough? Think Again!
Teachers Don't Work Hard Enough? Think Again! [INFOGRAPHIC]:
by mike simpson / 23h 
Mother Crusader: Another Christie Crony Gets A Charter
Mother Crusader: Another Christie Crony Gets A Charter (And !SURPRISE! It's Managed By a Guy At The Center Of The BIGGEST Charter Failure In US History!): Another Christie Crony Gets A Charter (And !SURPRISE! It's Managed By a Guy At The Center Of The BIGGEST Charter Failure In US History!)The announcement of the six charters receiving final approval to open in September was four days off schedule
by mike simpson / 23h 
7-22-13 Ed Notes Online
Ed Notes Online: Newark's NEW Caucus on Chicago LayoffsSome of them were union activists, trying to make their public schools and their union better.... NEW CaucusThe Chicago layoff story while hiring Teach For America scabs (Mark Naison: Teach for America-Our Modern Day Pinkertons) is a declaration of nuclear war. RBE did a good job the other day in branding Rahm Emanuel a murderer (Rahm Emanuel'
by mike simpson / 23h 
Morning Wink 7-22-13 AM Posts #BATsACT #edreform #EDCHAT #P2
BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTSTODAYJersey Jazzman: Free Lunch "Fraud" Menu: Red HerringJersey Jazzman: Free Lunch "Fraud" Menu: Red Herring: Free Lunch "Fraud" Menu: Red HerringApparently, the greatest threat to the fiscal well-being of New Jersey is children who mightbe getting their school lunches for free [all emphases in this post mine]:More than 100 people – including 83 public em
by mike simpson / 23h



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The War on Public School Teachers New Unions, New Alliances, New Politics | DailyCensored.com - Breaking Censored News, World, Independent, Liberal News

The War on Public School Teachers New Unions, New Alliances, New Politics | DailyCensored.com - Breaking Censored News, World, Independent, Liberal News:

The War on Public School Teachers New Unions, New Alliances, New Politics

By  on July 23, 2013 2:16 pm / no comments

rulingclass

From:  the Bullet Socialist Project • E-Bulletin No. 854
July 22, 2013

Michael D. Yates

Michael D. Yates is Associate Editor of Monthly Review and Director of Monthly Review Press. This article appeared on his blog CheapMotels and a Hotplate.org.
The U.S. working-class was slow to respond to the hard times it faced during and after the Great Recession of 2007-2009. Finally, however, in February, 2011, workers in Wisconsin began the famous uprising that electrified the country, revolting in large numbers against Governor Scott Walker’s efforts to destroy the state’s public employee labour unions.
A few months later, the Occupy Wall Street movement, which supported many working-class efforts, spread from New York City to the rest of the nation and the world. Then, in September 2012, Chicago’s public school teachers struck, in defiance of Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s attempt to destroy the teachers’ union and put the city’s 
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1 | Beautifully Mashed-Up Photos Show The Glory And Wreckage Of Detroit | Co.Exist: World changing ideas and innovation

1 | Beautifully Mashed-Up Photos Show The Glory And Wreckage Of Detroit | Co.Exist: World changing ideas and innovation:

Beautifully Mashed-Up Photos Show The Glory And Wreckage Of Detroit


The Detroit Now and Then project artfully combines vintage photos of the city with images of what’s there now, providing a poignant reminder of what the city was, what it is now and--maybe--what it could be again.
10 Comments
Several years after the original Cass Tech High School in downtown Detroit was abandoned, a local photographer sifting through the ruins found decades of the school’s storied history in the chaos of what had been the yearbook room on the fourth floor. In a cabinet that had largely shielded the trove from water damage, he found boxes and boxes of loose photos and developed film taken throughout the school’s life.
Al--and this is not his real name--smuggled the images out over three or four trips and digitized them before turning over the originals to the school’s alumni association. The images show students, in black-and-white, seated in the library, or, more recently, mugging for the camera in full color in front of their lockers. Al later returned to the school with dozens of these photos and an “elderly” Canon camera in hand, trying 
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Justice Department sues Florida over ‘deliberate indifference’ in treatment of disabled children | The Raw Story

Justice Department sues Florida over ‘deliberate indifference’ in treatment of disabled children | The Raw Story:

Justice Department sues Florida over ‘deliberate indifference’ in treatment of disabled children


Justice Department sues Florida over placing disabled children in nursing homes [WFTV-TV]

The U.S. Justice Department sued the state of Florida on Monday, accusing health officials of violating the Americans with Disabilities act by placing almost 200 handicapped minors in nursing homes usually used for elderly residents, Mother Jones reported.
The lawsuit, (PDF) filed after an investigation that began in 2011, charges that the practice shows the state “acting with deliberate indifference to the suffering of frail and severely disabled children.”
Florida is the 12th state sued by the department over alleged mistreatment of physically or mentally disabled residents in the past four years. The Miami Herald reported that while the state has increased patient care payments to $550 per day for children placed in nursing homes, lawmakers also cut $6 million from a program allowing residents to get private health care at their homes.
“Unnecessary institutionalization denies children the full opportunity to develop and maintain 
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NYC Educator: Getting Rid of "Bad Teachers"

NYC Educator: Getting Rid of "Bad Teachers":

Getting Rid of "Bad Teachers"

That's what AFT President Randi Weingarten focused on in some sort of AFT gathering. I don't get invited to AFT gatherings in my lowly capacity as representative of the largest high school in Queens, but that's only because a prerequisite is to support whatever the union supports, like mayoral control and junk science evaluation. Better we send someone from a school with twelve teachers who really knows what's going on, to wit, do what you're told and shut the hell up about it.

Now no one actually wants bad teachers. No one wants bad weather, bad haircuts, or bad karma either, but there you go. But what is a bad teacher? Well, according to the new APPR, for which the union helped compose a state law, it's anyone whose students don't get sufficient test scores. Yet, according to brilliant math teacher Gary Rubinstein, who actually crunches the numbers, and Diane Ravitch, whose statue I keep on my car dashboard, judging teachers by test scores is junk science. This means teachers will be rated, continued, or fired based on junk science, essentially on a random basis next year.

Am I a bad teacher? Who knows? I'll just have to wait and see the test scores of my students. Since they don't actually 
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Support Rolls in for ConnectEd | ED.gov Blog

Support Rolls in for ConnectEd | ED.gov Blog:

Support Rolls in for ConnectEd

Posted on July 23, 2013 by Cameron Brenchley


Seal of Approval

In June, President Obama called on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to take the steps necessary to build high-speed digital connections to America’s schools and libraries, ensuring that 99 percent of American students can benefit from advances in teaching and learning. Improving our schools’ technology infrastructure—especially in rural and geographically-isolated communities—is necessary to unlock the power of technology to transform learning.
Student with deviceLast Friday, the FCC’s commissioners voted to move forward on the President’s challenge, and since then, a broad, diverse set of leaders from across the country spoke up in support of the FCC’s actions. Here is a collection of several of those statements:
Rep. Anna G. Eshoo (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Communications and Technology Subcommittee: I fully support the steps the FCC is taking to modernize the E-Rate program so that our schools and libraries can keep up with the digital demands of the 21st century. Expanding the speed of broadband, not just availability, is essential to this endeavor, and the proposed rulemaking will help advance America’s classrooms and libraries. We live in a world where broadband is a necessity, not a luxury, for the next generation to learn and compete.
Bob Wise, president of the Alliance for Excellent Education and former governor of West Virginia: By expanding high-speed internet in the nation’s schools and libraries, the federal government can ensure that teachers and students have access to tools that make learning more personalized and more engaging, making it possible for all students to reach their learning destinations.
Communications Workers of America (CWA): Our schools and libraries need much higher capacity networks to enable students to take advantage of the great potential of digital learning and new technological advances. Our goal should be at least 1 gibabit per second capacity to every school in our nation. Today’s FCC action is a good step forward.
American Library Association Executive Washington Office Director Emily Sheketoff: ALA has heard from dozens of our members sharing examples of what the E-rate program has enabled in our communities—particularly as it relates to meeting community employment, education and government online information and service needs. Library Internet access has been a lifeline and a virtual ladder for many Americans needing to stay afloat and move ahead in a time of economic turmoil and swift technological change. Now is the time to shift from making sure every library and school is connected to focusing on developing the telecommunications capacity desperately needed to support 21st-century digital learning needs.
Matthew M. Polka, American Cable Association (ACA) President and CEO: ACA applauds acting Chairwoman Clyburn and Commissioners Rosenworcel and Pai for initiating this serious review of the E-Rate program. ACA has many local service provider members that participate in the program and many others that are experienced voice and broadband providers whose participation could enhance the value of the program. That the program has been valuable for schools and libraries is unquestioned.  We now need to address flaws in the program and reorient it to deliver today’s essential high-speed broadband service.
Brian Lewis, CEO of the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE): ISTE recognizes the leadership of President Obama, Senator Rockefeller, and Commissioner Rosenworcel, and we thank them for their ardent support of high-speed broadband connectivity for all of our nation’s students. ISTE plans to file substantive comments on the E-Rate NPRM, and we urge all education and library stakeholders to do the same.
American Association of School Administrations (AASA): AASA looks forward to working with the FCC as we move forward with this rulemaking, and we are committed to the idea that the final conversation will include a permanent, significant increase to the E-Rate funding cap. The increased funding, in addition to accompanying programmatic changes, will bolster the long-term success of both the E-Rate program and the students, schools, and libraries it supports.
John Hill, Executive Director, National Rural Education Association: The National Rural Education Association supports efforts of the President to extend broadband service to all schools, especially rural schools. The expansion of broadband provides rural schools opportunities to access a wider variety of educational offerings and services. Furthermore, the expansion will give rural communities additional tools for economic development and telemedicine.
Ken Wasch, president of the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA): The E-Rate program has been a critical means for the nation’s schools and students to access the digital learning opportunities necessary for their success. SIIA applauds Acting Commissioner Clyburn and the Commission for their vote today to modernize and enhance the E-Rate program to better meet today’s needs and to better support our nation’s educational and economic competitiveness.
Learn more about President Obama’s plan for connecting all schools to the digital age.
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School Finance 101: Gaming Adequacy by Creating a Veneer of Empirical Validity | School Finance 101

School Finance 101: Gaming Adequacy by Creating a Veneer of Empirical Validity | School Finance 101:

School Finance 101: Gaming Adequacy by Creating a Veneer of Empirical Validity

Posted on July 23, 2013
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This post comes from a work in progress… and addresses games states play to validate their choices to spend less than might actually be needed in order to achieve desired outcome standards.  This post will be followed by another which reviews three major smokescreens commonly  used to argue that none of this matters anyway.
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Over the past two decades in particular, states and advocacy groups have engaged with greater frequency in attempting to define the amount of funding that would be necessary for achieving adequate educational outcomes. One might characterize the period as one of the rise of empiricism in school finance, which coincided with a shift in litigation strategies from emphasis on funding equity to emphasis on funding adequacy – specifically whether funding was adequate to either provide specific programs and services or to achieve specific measured educational outcomes.  In some cases, states have adopted their empirical strategy in response to judicial orders that the legislature comply with state constitutional mandate for the provision of an adequate education. In other cases, states have proactively set out to validate spending targets they know they can 


School Finance 101: Reformy Distractions, Diversions & Smokescreens from What’s Really Needed
This post is a follow up to the previous, and is based on work in progress. ===== We conclude with a discussion of three themes in the current political rhetoric regarding school finance that we see as creating significant barriers to substantive reforms. Three arguments in particular, are pervasive in the broader education reform debate, with implications for school funding equity and adequacy:
by schoolfinance101 / 19min
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MIT technology trailblazer is a critic of computerized learning | Hechinger Report

MIT technology trailblazer is a critic of computerized learning | Hechinger Report:

MIT technology trailblazer is a critic of computerized learning

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Mitchel Resnick is the LEGO Papert Professor of Learning Research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the head of the Lifelong Kindergarten group at the MIT Media Lab. His research group is best known for inventing two blockbuster educational technologies: the programmable bricks used in the LEGO Mindstorms robotics kits and Scratch, a computer programming language that allows children to create and share interactive stories, games and animations. The Hechinger Report talked to him about whether technology is changing education for better or worse.
mres-by-joi-high-resQuestion: Millions of kids around the world are using your simplified computer programming language, Scratch. I once read that Scratch accounts for 10 percent of all visits to MIT websites. What’s worked and what hasn’t?
Answer:  One of the reasons for Scratch’s success is that it’s really easy to mix together different animations, photographs and graphics. And you can share them in an online community and see what other people have created. In our mind, two of the most important aspects of any learning experience are creating and collaborating.
But the creating and the collaborating were in two separate worlds. You had to download the Scratch software and create on your own computer. Then, when you went online to the Scratch community 
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UPDATE: PARCC’s Convenient Release of Cost Analysis | Scathing Purple Musings

PARCC’s Convenient Release of Cost Analysis | Scathing Purple Musings:


The Florida Five: Common Core’s Republican Shills
From John O’Connor in StateImpact:  Five former Republican Party of Florida leaders have sent out an email asking state GOP members to support new education standards adopted by Florida and 44 other states. The letter is signed by state Sen. John Thrasher and four other former state party chairmen. When Florida has raised its standards in the past, Thrasher wrote in the email, it has resulted in b
by Bob Sikes / 1h 


PARCC’s Convenient Release of Cost Analysis

Posted on July 23, 2013by 

Pearson pushed back this week. Reeling from the news that Florida’s top two legislative leaders wanted out of the PARCC testing consortium that are part of Common Core Standards, Pearson, who was awarded the contract for PARCC, released a cost analysis of PARCC. And surprise! It costs less that FCAT. From Jeff Solochek in Gradebook:
When questioning the need to remain in the PARCC testing consortium, House Speaker Will Weatherford and Senate President Don Gaetz referred to concerns over cost.
“To date, the cost of the full implementation of PARCC assessment materials is indeterminate, let alone the costs for the technology and professional development infrastructure necessary to effectively administer a valid assessment program,” they wrote July 17 in a letter to commissioner Tony Bennett.
On Monday the consortium issued its cost estimate for its testing: $29.50 
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