UPDATE: Anger and frustration aimed at Hite and SRC at meeting | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

Anger and frustration aimed at Hite and SRC at meeting | Philadelphia Public School Notebook:

Funding schools with donations pits need against fairness

by Paul Jablow Sometime in the next couple of weeks, the Bornstein family, of Mill Valley, Calif. will receive a letter asking them to pay almost $2,500 to their public school district through a local foundation. The notice will come from Kiddo!, whose well-crafted website describes it as “made up of people like you who give generously to provide arts, technology, classroom and library aides, P.E.

2 by thenotebook / 2min 

Anger and frustration aimed at Hite and SRC at meeting

by thenotebook on Aug 23 2013 Posted in Latest news

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by Paul Jablow

Robin Dominick, her 2nd-grade daughter, Leah, at her side, told the School Reform Commission on Thursday night that she was worried about putting her child in a split-grade classroom.

“Can you tell her what to do when a 3rd grader bullies her, with no counselor and no aide?” asked Dominick, president of the Home and School Association at Powel School in Powelton Village.

Maureen Fratantoni, president of the Home and School Association at Nebinger Elementary School in South Philadelphia, pleaded for the rehiring of the school’s music teacher, Aaron Hoke, who was transferred.

North Philadelphia community activist Danita Bates, staring at Superintendent William Hite, asked, “When are you going to ask for the next 33 [school] closings?”

Doubt, anger, and frustration filled the packed room as speakers went beyond questioning how schools would open in the face of drastic budget cuts and repeatedly questioned how hard Hite and the SRC are really fighting for the system. An even bigger crowd had protested outside.

“Are you working for Philadelphia’s children?” asked Joan Taylor, a teacher at Middle Years Alternative School, “or are you working for a governor whose 

Countdown, Day 17: NCLB waiver frees up federal money, but it's no help in Philly

When Pennsylvania received its waiver from No Child Left Behind, school districts around the state gained flexibility in using once-restricted federal dollars. But Philadelphia was not so lucky. By law, districts were required to use 20 percent of their Title I money for Supplemental Education Services (SES) – generally, afterschool tutoring from private providers – and to transport students to be

14 by Dale Mezzacappa / 1h 

Philly teachers: We won't stop until we get fair schools funding

by Holly Otterbein for NewsWorks More than 1,000 Philadelphia teachers, parents, students and supporters marched through a rainstorm in Center City on Thursday to protest school budget cuts and thousands of layoffs. The peaceful crowd walked from the Comcast Center to City Hall, and eventually to the School District's headquarters, waving signs and chanting, "Hey, hey, ho, ho, Corbett has got to

3 by thenotebook / 5h 

“I Was There!” Teachers are Witness to History at the March on Washington | NEA Today

“I Was There!” Teachers are Witness to History at the March on Washington | NEA Today:

“I Was There!” Teachers are Witness to History at the March on Washington

August 23, 2013 by Rebeca Logan  
Filed under Featured News, Jobs, Minority Community Outreach,NEA, Social Issues, Top Stories, Uncategorized

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This picture was taken by Harry Klugel on the march from Selma to Montgomery. He took it with a school camera provided by his principal at Wheaton High School in Silver Spring, MD

In his first week as a high school teacher, Harry Klugel nervously asked his principal for a day off. It was August of 1963 and Klugel wanted to attend the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom where thousands were expected to gather around the call for civil rights and economic justice in a nation torn by racism and segregation.

Much to his surprise, the principal at Wheaton High School in Montgomery County, Maryland, less that a decade after being officially segregated, allowed him to go to the march because “He knew it would be a historic day, and I was one of his history teachers”.

And a historic day it was. Over 250,000 people gathered on the Mall in Washington to demand justice and equality for all, in what turned out to be largest civil rights march in history.

After a series of speeches from clergy, union and civil rights leaders, and musical performances by artists such as Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and Mahalia Jackson, the demonstration culminated with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech.

“I think the crowd felt that this was a history changing kind of event. That they were involved in something that was going to be in the history books.”

When segregation was the norm

That same morning, across the river in Alexandria, Virginia, Gwen Day Fuller and her family boarded a bus to head to Washington.

Fuller, an elementary school teacher who retired from Massachusetts, had grown up under the harshness of a segregated southern city, and had suffered directly the violence of racism. As a young girl she was once rushed to the hospital after being burned by a group of white men who threw firecrackers at her family.

“We had separate water fountains, separate bathrooms, separate swimming pools. We couldn’t go to the 

The Best Education Ideas in the World: Adventures on the Frontiers of Learning — Whole Child Education

The Best Education Ideas in the World: Adventures on the Frontiers of Learning — Whole Child Education:

THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG

The Best Education Ideas in the World: Adventures on the Frontiers of Learning

August 23, 2013 by ASCD Whole Child Bloggers

Post written by Jessica DuBois-Maahs, a Medill School of Journalism candidate at Northwestern University concentrating in finance reporting and interactive publishing and business reporter for MediaTec Publishing in Chicago, Ill.

Gary Stager has taught in classrooms all around the world, and he said the common thread that binds exceptional learning experiences together is hands-on project-based learning.

In his 2013 ASCD Annual Conference session, "The Best Education Ideas in the World: Adventures on the Frontiers of Learning," Stager showed attendees videos of elementary school students building robots and solving complex engineering problems while appearing to enjoy the process.

The audience members smiled and clapped as they watched a young Australian student use nothing but pipe cleaners, Legos, and her brain to build a toy ballerina that spun. In his presentation, Stager theorized that this type of project-based learning can propel modern curricula because students use critical thinking in multiple disciplines to create the end result.

How to Asses Project-Based Learning

"Less us, more them," Stager said. He repeated that phrase several times before outlining the four facets of what he considers a good prompt for a project-based assessment:

1. Teachers should use brevity when writing a prompt. A good gauge is to make sure it can fit on a sticky note.
2. The prompt should allow for ambiguity, which gives students a chance to exceed a teacher's expectations.
3. The project should be immune to a formal assessment. Instead, a teacher should use careful observation and sound judgment to quantify a student's grade.
4. The assessment should be minimally invasive, and teachers should not interrupt students' learning process to give them a grade.

Living in the Digital Age

"We are now in the golden age of technology," Stager told the audience as he pulled out a box of robotic toys and displayed them on a table. For the second half of his speech, Stager focused on the power of students making things, and he showed attendees how they can start implementing low-cost technology in their classrooms.

For example, instead of merely instructing kids to solve fractions, why not have the students create a computer program that will draw a representation of any fraction in the shape of a circle? According to Stager, using technology in this way integrates technology, engineering, and math, which helps students better understand the concept.

He challenged teachers to take a critical look at how curricula actually engage students and to throw away the "rule book." If a calculator can solve a simple math problem, he said, why not allow students to use it?

"If you make simple things easy to do, you make complexity possible," Stager said.

How Can 20th Century Teachers Lead 21st Century Learners?

For 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 closer look as research chronicles the widening gulf between the technology skills of teachers and the students who enter classrooms across the United States. While students often tend to be

by Rich McKinney / 1d 

ASCD Leaders on Reflection: Mary Beth Luttrell

A defining trait of leadership is a passion for success and continuous improvement. With progress comes new vistas and new goals, as well as new challenges to overcome in our never-ending quest for knowledge and excellence. Leaders envision a future, and great leaders shape that future. With that in mind, we asked ASCD leaders to share their thoughts on what reflection means to them as learners, t

by ASCD Whole Child ... / 1d 

Braving the Common Core Waters: Reflection as Our Raft

We, as educators across the United States, are spending precious time this summer reflecting upon the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and our professional practices. Some of us are just now dipping our toes into this new thinking, and others are comfortable wading out a bit further into the water. A number of educators are fully swimming in this transition, some even lifeguarding the waters as

by Celina Brennan / 1d 

ASCD Leaders on Reflection: Sue Kessler

A defining trait of leadership is a passion for success and continuous improvement. With progress comes new vistas and new goals, as well as new challenges to overcome in our never-ending quest for knowledge and excellence. Leaders envision a future, and great leaders shape that future. With that in mind, we asked ASCD leaders to share their thoughts on what reflection means to them as learners,

by ASCD Whole Child ... / 1d mark as read  //  save

Ain’t No Rocky Mountain High Enough

As a classroom teacher, it was easy to take the time to reflect in the summer. Even though I often did curriculum work, taught summer school, or other did education-related jobs between the end of June and late August, I also spent a good deal of down time with my family to decompress. To be honest, I needed it. Badly. Life as a middle school teacher was a thrill ride that is like no other job I'

by Kevin Scott / 1d 

8-23-13 Jersey Jazzman

Jersey Jazzman:

New Camden Super Appointment Rushed With NO Community Input!

This is incredible: The New Jersey State Board of Education has scheduled a special meeting Monday to vote on Gov. Christie's selection for Camden superintendent. Paymon Rouhanifard, 32, of New York, was announced Wednesday as Christie's pick for the next Camden school chief. The state board is expected approve the selection.  Since it is a state-run district, the state board will also set Rouha

36 by Duke / 2h mark as read  //  save

NJDOE Fail (Again): Camden Community Charter School

Camden's schools open this year on Monday, September 9 -- a little more than two weeks. But when Camden Community Charter School opens, there will be a huge black cloud over the campus: HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — State Auditor General Eugene DePasquale charged Wednesday that Pennsylvania's largest charter school - located in Chester - was improperly reimbursed $1.3 million for lease payments on its o

29 by Duke / 4h 

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

2 by mike simpson / 23h 

Portal:School boards and school board elections - Ballotpedia

Portal:School boards and school board elections - Ballotpedia:

Learn about school districts in your state School district news Decreased enrollment, school closures, and state takeover influencing Birmingham City School Board Elections Aug 20, 2013 by Alex Schaffer Birmingham, Alabama: On August 27, 25 candidates will be vying for nine seats on the Birmingham City School Board in the Birmingham City school district elections in Alabama.[1] Incumbents Carol E. Clarke, W. J. Maye Jr. and Phyllis F. Wyne will not be seeking re-election.[1] Incumbent Vice President Brian Giattina is unopposed, but the three remaining members of the "Gang of Five" coalition who attempted to oust Superintendent Witherspoon, Emanuel B. Ford, Virginia S. Volker and Tyrone H. Belcher, Sr., are all facing opposition in their re-election bids. Board President April Myers Williams and recent appointeeWardine T. Alexander will both be running against a pair of challengers. A significant decline in district enrollment has resulted in fiscal shortfalls, school closures and other turmoil in the district. On June 26, 2012, the Alabama Department of Education assumed control of Birmingham City Schools after the school board failed to pass a measure that would have cut hundreds of jobs over two years to bring the district into compliance with state law.[2] The discovery that schools in the district were operating without the mandated month of emergency reserve funds, which amounted to approximately $20 million, was another contributor to the state takeover.[3] The Alabama Department of Education appointed former State Superintendent Ed Richardson to oversee day-to-day operations of the school district.[4] Since the takeover, the school board has consolidated seven schools and six office buildings in an effort to save the district approximately $8 million.[3] Disagreements regarding building closure and staff layoff methods have led to clashes between school board members and Richardson, Birmingham City Schools Superintendent Craig Witherspoon, and Alabama State Superintendent of Education Tommy Bice. This on-going conflict has resulted in several lawsuits, including a suit filed by Board members Virginia Volker and Emanuel Ford and several others against Richardson, Bice and the State Board of Education. The plaintiffs allege that the defendants violated section 5 of the Voters Rights Act by overruling Birmingham City Board of Education votes.[5] The lawsuit followed a 5-3 vote by the school board to dismiss Superintendent Witherspoon from his position in violation of his contract, which was overruled by Richardson and Bice.[6] The district is also the defendant in another lawsuit, which was filed by 122 former employees who claim that their termination was illegal and who want to return to their former positions.[7] ↑ 1.0 1.1 Marissa Mitchell, ABC 23.com, "Qualifying candidates for Birmingham mayoral, city council, school board races," accessed August 13, 2013 ↑ Sherea Harris and Brianne Britzius, Fox 6 WBRC, "State will take over Birmingham schools starting Wednesday," June 26, 2012 ↑ 3.0 3.1 Evan Belanger, AL.com, "Birmingham schools intervention could stretch into fall 2014, education official says," June 27, 2013 ↑ Kyle Whitmire, Weld for Birmingham, "State to take over Birmingham schools after board rejects job cuts," June 26, 2012 ↑ Fox 6 WBRC, "School lobby, Birmingham BOE members file lawsuit against state board," February 14, 2013 ↑ Marie Leech, AL.com, "Birmingham school board decision to fire Superintendent Craig Witherspoon overturned (updated)," July 17, 2012 ↑ Kent Faulk, AL.com, "Birmingham and state school boards seek dismissal of lawsuit by 122 seeking their old jobs back," May 15, 2013 ...more news headlines

Welcome to School Boards and School Board Elections! The School Board Elections Project on Ballotpedia looks at the issues facing school districts, school boards and board members around the United States. This project also follows school board elections in America's largest school districts by enrollment. Election coverage 2013 2014 Comparing school districts