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Friday, August 23, 2013

Morning Wink 8-23-13 AM Posts #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2 #Cheats4Change

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS



TODAY

How sequestration Head Start cuts ripple through a community | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC
How sequestration Head Start cuts ripple through a community | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC: How sequestration Head Start cuts ripple through a communityDeepa Fernandes | August 23rd, 2013, 6:00amSLIDESHOW1 of 16Grant Slater/KPCCMaggie Simpson sings a song about animals with her three young daughters. Her two daughters that are old enough have gone to Head Start programs that are being threatened by se
NYC Educator: To Endorse or Not to Endorse?
NYC Educator: To Endorse or Not to Endorse?: To Endorse or Not to Endorse?That is the question for the UFT. With apologies to the Immortal Bard:Whether 'tis Nobler in the mind to sufferThe Slings and Arrows of outrageous accusations,Or to take Arms against reformy advocates,And by opposing end them: while we come to life, wake up...Was it a good idea for the UFT to endorse Thompson when it did? At
8-23-13 Ed Notes Online
Ed Notes Online: Political Tidbits: Norm in The Wave, August 23, 20131 by ed notes online / 20min Lamenting left attack on de Blasio from the differing left prespectivesWe know that the 1%, charter slugs and many others, including the Merryl Tisch/UFT, are jumping on de Blasio for obvious reasons.These comments popped up on ICE-Mail. First an attack from the right.I guess people are afraid of him
8-23-13 Perdido Street School
Perdido Street School: Time To Sue Arne Duncan And The USDOEFrom Politico:An unprecedented set of recent Education Department decisions about No Child Left Behind waivers is at the least an overreach and at the very worst illegal, a chorus of critics say.Last week, the department declared NCLB waivers for Kansas, Oregon and Washington state “high-risk” because each state has more work to do in tyi
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 8-23-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: A Hero Superintendent in Long Island Says: “To Hell with These Scores. They Do Not Matter”William Johnson is the superintendent of public schools in Rockville Centre, Long Island, New York. He is an experienced educator. He can tell the difference between education and miseducation. For his willingness to speak truth to power, to d
Investigation of Dallas ISD Superintendent Mike Miles incomplete, written report expected after Labor Day | Education Blog
Investigation of Dallas ISD Superintendent Mike Miles incomplete, written report expected after Labor Day | Education Blog: Investigation of Dallas ISD Superintendent Mike Miles incomplete, written report expected after Labor DayBy Tawnell Hobbsthobbs@dallasnews.com11:36 pm on August 22, 2013 | PermalinkAn investigation into Dallas ISD Superintendent Mike Miles’ handling of a contract award is inc
Key education bills await action as session deadline looms | EdSource Today
Key education bills await action as session deadline looms | EdSource Today: Key education bills await action as session deadline loomsAugust 23rd, 2013 | Add a Comment | By EdSource staffWhatever education bills the Legislature passes in the next four weeks will pale in importance compared to its monumental achievement of 2013, the Local Control Funding Formula, Gov. Jerry Brown’s sweeping school
8-23-13 Fred Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacher who is just looking at the data.
Fred Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacher who is just looking at the data.: The in boxFrom the pen of Ellen Gradman.  An Ellen Gradman graphic.1 by Fred Klonsky / 1h Schools close. Teachers fired.CPS principals receive a Rauner bonus. “Take your spouse to the Four Seasons,” says the Mayor.  CPS principals receive bonuses paid for by millionaire Bruce Rauner. The first thing r
8-23-13 teacherken at Daily Kos
teacherken at Daily Kos: Don't worry, I haven't vanishedeven though I have not even been posting comments. This is teacher prep week at my new school. I have had tons of meetings. I have had tos et up my classroom, which was somewhat interfered with because my room was one of four places for the rotations for professional development rotations on Monday morning and this morning. I hope to post a b
8-23-13 The Answer Sheet ‘Perfect storm’ threatens Philadelphia schools
The Answer Sheet: ‘Perfect storm’ threatens Philadelphia schoolsThe Philadelphia public school system is in a financial and leadership crisis so severe that writer Aaron Kase said in this article on Salon.com that the district is in its “death throes.” While that may be premature, there is no … Continue reading →    13 by Valerie Strauss / 1h Six ways the arts help prepare kids succeed in lifeHere
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: The "perfect storm" hits Philly
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: The "perfect storm" hits Philly: The "perfect storm" hits PhillyIn mid afternoon, more than 1,000 protesters, many in red T-shirts and carrying signs and banners, marched from the Comcast Center at 17th Street and John F. Kennedy Boulevard to the district's offices on North Broad Street.Philadelphia streets were a sea of red yesterday as red-shirted teachers, parents
Schooling in the Ownership Society: James Meredith: The civil rights issue of our time...
Schooling in the Ownership Society: James Meredith: The civil rights issue of our time...: James Meredith: The civil rights issue of our time...Accompanied by U.S. marshals and surrounded by jeering crowds, James Meredith enrolled as the first African-American student at the University of Mississippi in 1962.“The civil rights issue of our time is to stop unproven co-called education reforms from t

YESTERDAY

Activists call for CPS boycott Wednesday - Chicago Sun-Times
Activists call for CPS boycott Wednesday - Chicago Sun-Times: Activists call for CPS boycott WednesdayBY LAUREN FITZPATRICK Education Reporter August 22, 2013 6:20PM00Share1622At City Hall on Thursday, Jitu Brown (left), of the Kenwood Oakland Community Organization, and Parrish Brown, a senior at Dyett High School and the group's youth leader, call for a boycott of Chicago Public Schools on Aug.
China Enters “Testing-free” Zone: The New Ten Commandments of Education Reform
Education in the Age of Globalization » Blog Archive » China Enters “Testing-free” Zone: The New Ten Commandments of Education Reform: China Enters “Testing-free” Zone: The New Ten Commandments of Education Reform22 AUGUST 2013 1,462 ONE COMMENTNo standardized tests, no written homework, no tracking. These are some of the new actions China is taking to lessen student academic burden. The Chinese M
The NC Supt. Responds to the Lt. Gov.'s Questions About the Common Core | Truth in American Education
The NC Supt. Responds to the Lt. Gov.'s Questions About the Common Core | Truth in American Education: The NC Supt. Responds to the Lt. Gov.’s Questions About the Common CoreFiled in CCSS Content, CCSS Implementation, CCSS State Costs, Common Core State Standards bychascherrie on August 22, 2013 • 0 Comments…or does she? On July 18, I posted a video in a post titled NC Lt. Gov. Forest Expresses Co
The Educated Reporter: Follow-Up Friday: Understanding Education Polls, Obama's New Push for College Affordability
The Educated Reporter: Follow-Up Friday: Understanding Education Polls, Obama's New Push for College Affordability: Follow-Up Friday: Understanding Education Polls, Obama's New Push for College AffordabilityThis was a crowded week for education polls, with findings from three of them being released in a span of as many days. You can read my advice for reporters in weighing opinion data, and also c
Mother Crusader: The False Choice of School Choice; Philadelphia Public Schools Crushed By Debt And Charters
Mother Crusader: The False Choice of School Choice; Philadelphia Public Schools Crushed By Debt And Charters: The False Choice of School Choice; Philadelphia Public Schools Crushed By Debt And ChartersI drove through Philadelphia twice today on my way to pick up my girls from a visit with my aunt in Maryland. (Why yes, that IS a lot of driving for one day...)And as I drove through Philly the first
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: CTU MEMBERS JOIN MARCH ON D.C.
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: CTU MEMBERS JOIN MARCH ON D.C.: CTU MEMBERS JOIN MARCH ON D.C.FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                            CONTACT: Stephanie GadlinAugust 22, 2013                                                                                                 (312) 329-6250CHICAGO UNION MEMBERS JOIN NATIONAL MARCH ON WASHINGTON TO
Transcript: Obama’s remarks on college affordability plan
Transcript: Obama’s remarks on college affordability plan: Transcript: Obama’s remarks on college affordability planBy Valerie Strauss, Published: August 23 at 12:15 amE-mail the writer1CommentsMore(By Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images)Here are remarks that President Obama made on Thursday when  announcing his new college affordability plan at the State University of New York in Buffalo. This transcrip
THE PERIMETER PRIMATE: Gulen charter school enrollment in 2012-2013
THE PERIMETER PRIMATE: Gulen charter school enrollment in 2012-2013: Gulen charter school enrollment in 2012-2013The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools describes itself as “the leading national nonprofit organization committed to advancing the charter school movement.” It closely tracks the charter school market share.In 2012-2013, Gulen charter school enrollment was 59,953 students. The
Nite Cap 8-22-13 #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2 #Cheats4Change
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 CAPTODAYPCSGP Regional Assignments - Administration & SupportPCSGP Regional Assignments - Administration & Support (CA Dept of Education): PCSGP Regional AssignmentsRegional Assignments for Education Programs Consultants for Public Charter School Gran
PCSGP Regional Assignments - Administration & Support
PCSGP Regional Assignments - Administration & Support (CA Dept of Education): PCSGP Regional AssignmentsRegional Assignments for Education Programs Consultants for Public Charter School Grant Program subgrantees, with contact information. Charter Schools Division - (CA Dept of Education).Note: This page may need to be printed in landscape view.County CodeCounty NamePublic Charter Schools Grant
Legislature approves ACCJC audit | Visalia Times-Delta and Tulare Advance-Register | visaliatimesdelta.com
Legislature approves ACCJC audit | Visalia Times-Delta and Tulare Advance-Register | visaliatimesdelta.com: Legislature approves ACCJC auditThe Joint Legislature Audit Committee approved an audit on Wednesday to analyze the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, states a news release.The audit was requested by Sen. Jim Beall, D-San Jose, and Sen. Jim Nielsen, R-Gerber. It is mea
Charter school debate with PAA affiliate HispanEduca’s Lourdes Perez! | Parents Across America
Charter school debate with PAA affiliate HispanEduca’s Lourdes Perez! | Parents Across America: Charter school debate with PAA affiliate HispanEduca’s Lourdes Perez!New affiliate member Lourdes Perez, leader of PAA Florida-based affiliate HispanEduca, shared the transcript of an Education Week webinar she recently participated in on the topic of facilities funding for charter schools.The discussio
8-22-13 Fred Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacher who is just looking at the data.
Fred Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacher who is just looking at the data.: The in boxSun-Times, Civic Committee and the Civic Federation: More blame the teacher pensions.  The Civic Federation’s Larry Msall. If ever there was a time for every public and private employee to stand in defense of Illinois teacher pensions, the Sun-Times made it clear, today is the day. Teacher P
Even In Birthplace of Charter Schools, the Grand Experiment Is At Risk | TIME.com
Even In Birthplace of Charter Schools, the Grand Experiment Is At Risk | TIME.com: Even In Birthplace of Charter Schools, the Grand Experiment Is At RiskTwo decades after the first charter school law passed in Minnesota, the movement is still struggling to reconcile innovation with accountabilityBy Sarah Butrymowicz / The Hechinger ReportAug. 22, 2013Add a Comment   inShareRead LaterEmail  PrintSh
Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee and the “Parent Trigger” | The Georgetown Public Policy Review
Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee and the “Parent Trigger” | The Georgetown Public Policy Review: Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee and the “Parent Trigger”Posted on January 24, 2011 by Georgetown Public Policy Review in Education // 0 Commentsby Scott BaumgartnerWhen Michelle Rhee’s organization Students First released its policy agenda last week, it tracked closely with many of the things she
PAA founding member Helen Gym on PDK/Gallup poll parent results | Parents Across America
PAA founding member Helen Gym on PDK/Gallup poll parent results | Parents Across America: PAA founding member Helen Gym on PDK/Gallup poll parent results  PAA founding member Helen Gym, of Philadelphia’s Parents United for Public Education, was an analyst and commenter for the newest Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup poll showing some of the strongest public support in decades for public schools and teacher
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Rahm's press corps reduced to doing damage control
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Rahm's press corps reduced to doing damage control: Rahm's press corps reduced to doing damage controlMy favorite S-T headline. But just who is EVERBODY anyway?"If you want to throw something at the cameras, go ahead, have at it. You let ‘em know the City of Chicago is on watch for the children of Chicago.” -- Rahm EmanuelThe mayor's war chest is overstuffed with mon
Diane in the Evening 8-22-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Obama Proposes NCLB for Higher EducationPresident Obama proposed a plan to rate colleges much as schools are rated now. Their federal assistance would be based on performance indicators. This is supposed to save money but 75% of college instructors are already adjuncts, working for peanuts. More likely, the President loves Big Data
Torlakson Video - Hot Topics
Torlakson Video - Hot Topics (CA Dept of Education): Torlakson VideoState Superintendent of Public Instruction Torlakson videotaped update.On August 22, 2013, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson released a video on the next steps in theTransition to Assessments Based on the Common Core State Standards in California .TextNARRATOR: California's public schools are hard at work ma
How Can 20th Century Teachers Lead 21st Century Learners? — Whole Child Education
How Can 20th Century Teachers Lead 21st Century Learners? — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOGHow Can 20th Century Teachers Lead 21st Century Learners?August 22, 2013 by Rich McKinneyFor years, school researchers have pointed to the digital divide between students from disparate socioeconomic groups as a major problem in public education. But now a different digital divide is receiving a
Schooling in the Ownership Society: Union busting behind Rahm's privatization of Midway
Schooling in the Ownership Society: Union busting behind Rahm's privatization of Midway: Union busting behind Rahm's privatization of MidwayI don't agree. A story in today's Sun-Times reveals some of the real reasons behind Rahm Emanuel'sassault on public space and public decision making. Reporter Fran Spielman's story is all about the planned privatization of Midway Airport. But it could just as
8-22-13 Seattle Schools Community Forum
Seattle Schools Community Forum: The Role of the BoardThe annual Board Evaluation, presented on July 3, 2013 made it clear that the Board would focus, over the coming six months, on defining the role of the Board. Two of those six months have passed, but I haven't seen any greater clarity on the role of the Board nor any overt effort to reach consensus on it. But Seattle isn't the only Board seeki
How Can 20th Century Teachers Lead 21st Century Learners? — Whole Child Education
How Can 20th Century Teachers Lead 21st Century Learners? — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOGHow Can 20th Century Teachers Lead 21st Century Learners?August 22, 2013 by Rich McKinneyFor years, school researchers have pointed to the digital divide between students from disparate socioeconomic groups as a major problem in public education. But now a different digital divide is receiving a
The Opposite of Spoiled: The Right Way to Teach Kids About Money | toteachornototeach
The Opposite of Spoiled: The Right Way to Teach Kids About Money | toteachornototeach: The Opposite of Spoiled:The Right Way to Teach Kids About Money    by J.D. RothWhat’s the best way to teach kids about money?That question has haunted folks for decades — maybe centuries. There are dozens of financial literacy programs in the United States right now, but none of them seems to be effective. Why i
Charles Blow Is Wrong About the Common Core | Diane Ravitch
Charles Blow Is Wrong About the Common Core | Diane Ravitch: Charles Blow Is Wrong About the Common CoreCharles Blow is one of the columnists in the New York Times that I usually count on to challenge the conventional wisdom and to speak up for the powerless.Sadly, in this column, he parrots the conventional wisdom and voices the opinions of the elites.Imagine, he calls the Broad Foundation a "ref
Cali Education Headlines Thursday, August 22, 2013
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: Hoping for a visit from the money fairy Southern California charter school leader running for state superintendent | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCCEducation HeadlinesThursday, August 22, 2013Survey suggests Conejo Valley voters would support school bondA survey of Conejo Valley voters has found modest support for a $229 million school bond measure t
8-22-13 Jersey Jazzman New Jersey's Shameful Superintendent Double Standard
Jersey Jazzman: New Jersey's Shameful Superintendent Double StandardIf you're like me, you're probably still stunned that Chris Christie recklessly put the future of Camden's schools into the hands of a 32-year-old with a grand total of six years of education experience, no advanced degrees of any kind, and no experience running a school, let alone a district. You'd think that the spectacular fail
Morning Wink 8-22-13 AM Posts #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2 #Cheats4Change
BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTSTODAYFeds cite CA schools over potential supplanting of Title III money SI&A Cabinet Report – News & ResourcesSI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources:  Print this articleFeds cite CA schools over potential supplanting of Title III moneyBy Tom ChorneauThursday, August 22, 2013Regulators from the U.S. Department of Education have flagged Calif





How sequestration Head Start cuts ripple through a community | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC

How sequestration Head Start cuts ripple through a community | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC:

How sequestration Head Start cuts ripple through a community

SLIDESHOW
1 of 16
Head Start Cuts Pomona

Grant Slater/KPCC

Maggie Simpson sings a song about animals with her three young daughters. Her two daughters that are old enough have gone to Head Start programs that are being threatened by sequestration cuts.

It’s day three of Jenaveve Cardenas’ educational career and the four-year-old clings to her mother’s leg, sobbing.
Cardenas attends the Head Start program at Washington Elementary in Pomona. Her mother, Magdalena Simpson, wiped her daughter’s tears and promised she’d be back soon.
Outside the classroom, Simpson laughs: “She’s crying, but I’m just glad she got a place in the class!”
Like most Head Start providers, Pomona Unified has had to make tough choices to deal with the 5.27 percent across-the-board sequester cuts handed down by the federal government.
Across California, more than 5,000 three- and four-year-olds don’t have a seat in a Head Start preschool this year. Nationwide, according to the Obama Administration, 57,200 children will miss out.
Keesha Woods, who runs Head Start programming for the Los Angeles County Office of Education, said parents are panicked.
One mother called her office and said: “I was depending on my three year old getting in, so now I’m going to have to quit my job,” Woods recalls.
Even after losing 900 slots, almost 21,000 children receive will receive free Head Start programs through the county office.
She said many providers have trimmed administrative staff to preserve as many seats 

NYC Educator: To Endorse or Not to Endorse?

NYC Educator: To Endorse or Not to Endorse?:

To Endorse or Not to Endorse?

That is the question for the UFT. With apologies to the Immortal Bard:

Whether 'tis Nobler in the mind to suffer
The Slings and Arrows of outrageous accusations,
Or to take Arms against reformy advocates,
And by opposing end them: while we come to life, wake up...
Was it a good idea for the UFT to endorse Thompson when it did? At the time, I thought so. It appeared Quinn was a 500-pound gorilla, Wiener was poised to enable yet another GOP win, and that de Blasio and Liu were swirling the bowl. 

But when Carlos Danger did his amazing self-destruction routine, it looked like de Blasio had a chance. Unlike Thompson, de Blasio had never told the Daily News he approved of Bloomberg giving all city workers, except teachers, an 8% raise. Considering that, Thompson's ties to Meryl Tisch, and his flip-flopping on stop and frisk, I declined to work for Thompson against de Blasio.

One of the arguments the UFT rep imploring me to work for Thompson offered was that one could not simply look at the polls. One must look deeply. After all, Thompson was sorely underestimated in the polls four years ago. This was certainly true. I can't help but recall another UFT rep telling me we could only move the polls five points, and that's why we weren't endorsing Thompson against Emperor Bloomberg. Months later, when Thompson lost by precisely five points, a more senior UFT official informed us we could only have moved the needle three points.

I began to thing the UFT did not look so deeply at polls either. And this leads me to wonder whether, given the 

8-23-13 Ed Notes Online

Ed Notes Online:






Common Bore Hysteria: Branding Common Core as Right Wing Conspiracy While Ignoring the Left
I have read the Times consistently my entire adult life and I do not recall a single instance in which two writers [Bill Keller, Paul Krugman] wrote essentially the same article two days in a row on the same subject... Raging HorsePort Jefferson rally last Sat.Our pal, Raging Horse (another great MORE member blogger) has followed up other great bloggers on the NY Times hysteria over defending CC (


Political Tidbits: Norm in The Wave, August 23, 2013
Lamenting left attack on de Blasio from the differing left prespectives
We know that the 1%, charter slugs and many others, including the Merryl Tisch/UFT, are jumping on de Blasio for obvious reasons.These comments popped up on ICE-Mail. First an attack from the right.I guess people are afraid of him Click here: De Blasio downtown fund-raising galas eyed as illegal campaign contributions - NY Daily News Then this lament about the left attack on de Blasio: Here's t
EIA Reports: Weingarten Attacks “Austerity-Mongers” in Speech at Jamaica Resort
Weingarten chose an unfortunate time and place to go after the heartless money-grubbers. The biggest issue currently facing the 24,000-member Jamaica Teachers Association is the disappearance and apparent embezzlement of at least $52 million from its accounts.  ... Educational Intelligence AgencyThe big Weingarten stories are her comments on St. Louis (where she wants to help fire "bad" teachers)
NPE: News on Diane's Book, CPS Bulldozes La Casita in the Night, More States Starting to Question Common Core
Volume 1, Issue: #21August 22, 2013 Inside NPE News Diane's New Book Opens Heated DialogueCPS Destroys La Casita Under Cover of NightPhilly Gets Grant for Schools to Start On TimeStates Line Up to Question the Common CoreTennessee Ties Teacher Licensing to EvaluationsTell NPE Your StoryAs the summer comes to an end, it's the perfect time to reflect on your summer experiences in the fig
Brian D'Agostino in DN: Mike’s school management muddle: Choice vs. centralization—a contradiction
I've known Brian for about a decade.  I know his story and that of people in his family. He's seen the bad and the ugly of Bloomberg's management of the school system. I so believe there's some good  - which I believe an archeologist one day may find vestiges of one day.http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/mike-school-management-muddle-article-1.1433726Mike’s school management muddle:Choice vs. cent
Christine Quinn's campaign events are "EMBARGOED UNTIL DATE AND TIME OF EVENT"
Why Is Christine Quinn Hiding Public Appearances from the Public? Every morning I receive an email from Azi Paybarah with the best coverage of NYC politics at Capital New York.And he always lists the campaign appearances of all the candidates.Except Christine Quinn where this appears.Christine Quinn's campaign events are "EMBARGOED UNTIL DATE AND TIME OF EVENT" Which means the press knows but are

8-21-13 Ed Notes Online
Ed Notes Online:  Jumping All Over Paul Krugman on Common CoreIs it my fault that the other day I challenged Krugman to bring his sensible analysis to education issues (Howler Howls at Krugman and Press Corps)? I compared him so favorably to his  nincompoop NY Times fellow columnists Brooks and Kristof? Ooops! Krugman must have heard me, but his sensibility deserted him.The blogging crew is out in

8-23-13 Perdido Street School

Perdido Street School:




De Blasio - A Public School Parent Who Could Be Mayor
Dana Rubenstein at Capital NY:De Blasio pointed out that if he wins, he will become the first mayor in the city's history with children in public school.It's not a claim I could substantiate. I can say with certainly, however, that he would be the first mayor with a child in public school at the time he was mayor in at least 50 years.(Abe Beame sent his children to public school, but they graduate

Where Was Merryl Tisch During The Bloomberg Years?
The Daily News today:The next mayor can expect city students’ test scores to rise, a top state education official predicted Thursday, while also cautioning they shouldn’t be the sole indicator of whether education reforms are working. Tisch noted scores inevitably rise as schools get familiar with a new exam. She also urged the public to evaluate the city’s education policies on other criteria — i

The UFT Will Get A Second Chance At The Endorsement - They Can Still Make Things Right
NYC Educator wonders if the UFT blew the chance to have a big impact on the mayor's race by endorsing Bill Thompson back in June before it was clear how the race was going to shake out.He has a point.The UFT endorsed back in June because the leadership wanted to run the endorsement by the Delegate's Assembly to get their rubber stamp approval before summer break.The UFT leadership claimed the Thom


Time To Sue Arne Duncan And The USDOE
From Politico:An unprecedented set of recent Education Department decisions about No Child Left Behind waivers is at the least an overreach and at the very worst illegal, a chorus of critics say.Last week, the department declared NCLB waivers for Kansas, Oregon and Washington state “high-risk” because each state has more work to do in tying student growth to teacher evaluations – a major requireme
8-22-13 Perdido Street School
Perdido Street School: DFER's Ally With Tea Party To Bring Charter Schools To KentuckyOne of the arguments we have heard from education reform groups like Democrats For Education Reform for why progressive educators shouldn't ally with right wing Tea Party types in a common cause against Common Core is that right wing Tea Party types hold views in anathema to progressives on other issues - from vo

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 8-23-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

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

Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch



NC Gov Gives $$$$ to Young Aides, $0 for Teachers
It pays to be on the governor’s campaign staff in North Carolina. Governor McCrory gave jobs paying more than $80,000 to two of his 20-something helpers, barely out of college. Each of the kids got a raise of $22,000-23,000 after a few months in state government. Teachers must work 15 years to make $40,000. Teachers in North Carolina are among the worst paid in the nation. Teachers got no raises.

NEPC Urges Caution on CREDO Study of NOLA Charters
The National Education Policy Center urges caution when reading the CREDO study of charter schools in New Orleans. Governor Bobby Jindal has already taken CREDO as evidence for the success of privatization. NEPC says not so fast. In addition to technical issues in the study, the critics make the following observations: “Even setting aside these concerns, the effect sizes reported for New Orleans—

Gary Rubinstein: No Excuses for Democracy Prep
Gary Rubinstein here analyzes the unimpressive showing by Democracy Prep on the recent disastrous Common Core tests in New York State. He takes apart the effort by Mike Petrilli of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute to rationalize the poor performance of the much-ballyhooed charter chain. Gary writes, “The hardest thing about trying to have an intellectual debate with ‘reformers’ is every time they

A Hero Superintendent in Long Island Says: “To Hell with These Scores. They Do Not Matter”
William Johnson is the superintendent of public schools in Rockville Centre, Long Island, New York. He is an experienced educator. He can tell the difference between education and miseducation. For his willingness to speak truth to power, to defend the children and staff in his care, he is a hero of American public education. When he saw the scores generated by New York’s Common Core tests, he ble
Are You As Smart As a First-Grader?
This is only a portion of the English language arts curriculum for first grade in New York State, aligned to the Common Core standards. Many children in first grade have not yet learned to read, but they will be expected to understand and explain facts and concepts that belong in sixth or seventh or eighth or ninth or tenth or eleventh or twelfth grades. Six-year-olds may have trouble pronouncing

Diane in the Evening 8-22-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Obama Proposes NCLB for Higher EducationPresident Obama proposed a plan to rate colleges much as schools are rated now. Their federal assistance would be based on performance indicators. This is supposed to save money but 75% of college instructors are already adjuncts, working for peanuts. More likely, the President loves Big Data



Investigation of Dallas ISD Superintendent Mike Miles incomplete, written report expected after Labor Day | Education Blog

Investigation of Dallas ISD Superintendent Mike Miles incomplete, written report expected after Labor Day | Education Blog:

Investigation of Dallas ISD Superintendent Mike Miles incomplete, written report expected after Labor Day

An investigation into Dallas ISD Superintendent Mike Miles’ handling of a contract award is incomplete and a written report is expected after Labor Day, board President Eric Cowan said Thursday.
Dallas school trustees spent nearly three hours in closed session receiving a verbal report on findings by independent investigator Paul Coggins, a former U.S. Attorney hired by trustees after concerns emerged that Miles had interfered with an internal investigation.
Cowan said no statement would be made while the investigation was ongoing.
Trustees had unanimously approved Coggins’ hiring on July 22 with costs not to exceed $100,000. He was to complete the work within 30 days.
Rebecca Rodriguez, former DISD communications chief, brought concerns about the contract process for parent education services to district investigators. She alleged that Miles interfered with the contract process in favor of a specific vendor and bullied her. Her department was overseeing the proposal.
Rodriguez abruptly resigned after 3 ½ months on the job and received four months of severance pay and benefits. A settlement agreement has kept her from speaking publicly on the allegations.
Miles has denied Rodriguez’s allegations. He has said in a statement that it’s his “responsibility to 
Dallas ISD trustees in closed-door meeting to discuss investigation of Superintendent Mike Miles
Dallas ISD supporters held a school supply drive and rally outside district headquarters on Thursday, just hours before trustees began hearing findings of an internal investigation into Superintendent Mike Miles’ handling of a contract award. Parents, students, community members and educators came together for the “Rally for Greatness.” The intent was to ensure students have supplies they need t

Key education bills await action as session deadline looms | EdSource Today

Key education bills await action as session deadline looms | EdSource Today:


Whatever education bills the Legislature passes in the next four weeks will pale in importance compared to its monumental achievement of 2013, the Local Control Funding Formula, Gov. Jerry Brown’s sweeping school finance and accountability plan that legislators enacted as part of the state budget in June.
But key bills do await action, as legislators head toward the end of session on Sept. 13Chief among them is a decision on what state standardized tests to discontinue this year, which to suspend and resume later, and which to continue. The proposed changes are in Assembly Bill 484, which Assemblywoman Susan Bonilla, D-Concord, is sponsoring on behalf of State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson.
California’s adoption of the Common Core State Standards and new English Language Development Standards for English learners and likely adoption of the Next Generation Science Standards by the State Board of Education in November are prompting a more comprehensive look at assessments. The new Common Core tests will be introduced in spring 2015, replacing California Standards Tests in English language arts and math in grades 3-8 and 11. Torlakson has proposed suspending many state tests in order to save money and allow schools to focus their attention on the new standards. Legislators must decide what to do in the future with end-of-subject high school tests, and when to create new tests for English learners and students with disabilities