Latest News and Comment from Education

Show All

Friday, September 6, 2013

Morning Wink 9-6-13 AM Posts #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2 #Cheats4Change


BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS


TODAY

Paul Horton: The New American Amnesia: Trouble in Gatopia II - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher
Paul Horton: The New American Amnesia: Trouble in Gatopia II - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Paul Horton: The New American Amnesia: Trouble in Gatopia IIBy Anthony Cody on September 6, 2013 9:55 AMGuest post by Paul Horton.The most effective way to destroy people is to deny and obliterate their own understanding of their own history.OrwellA lot of people I've been running into latel
by mike simpson / 15min 
9-6-13 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.: LIfe in Rahm’s Chicago. “I didn’t know about it until I read it in the papers,” says Emanuel.Indicted Chicago Comptroller Amer Ahmad. He was watching city pensions. Rahm claims he didn’t know a thing about the shady dealings of ex-city Comptroller Amer Ahmad until he read it in the newspapers. I guess
by mike simpson / 25min 
New York City's Public Education Challenges - Room for Debate - NYTimes.com
New York City's Public Education Challenges - Room for Debate - NYTimes.com: New York City’s Public Education ChallengesDEBATERSTesting and Choice Are DestructiveDIANE RAVITCH, AUTHOR, "REIGN OF ERROR"The new mayor’s goal should be a great education for all students, one that meets their needs and strengthens their families and communities.Let’s Have More AccountabilityGEOFFREY CANADA, HARLEM CHIL
by mike simpson / 45min 
‘Teach’ Premieres on CBS on Sept. 6 | NEA Today
‘Teach’ Premieres on CBS on Sept. 6 | NEA Today:  Teach’ Premieres on CBS on Sept. 6On Friday night, CBS will air “Teach,” Davis Guggenheim’s third documentary on education in America. It was the second, “Waiting for Superman,” that earned him the ire of public school teachers everywhere for its endorsement of charter schools and demonization of unions. It appears Guggenheim took the concerns of e
by mike simpson / 48min 
9-6-13 Jersey Jazzman
Jersey Jazzman: The Educational Racism of Chris ChristieYeah, I went there. But you tell me how else to honestly describe this:  Gov. Chris Christie plans to reappoint Newark School Superintendent Cami Anderson to another term. And if some in the city don’t like it, too bad. During a public appearance Wednesday at a school in Beach Haven, Christie was asked whether he and Education Commissioner Ch
by mike simpson / 54min 
Teachers: what would help you serve English learners? Federal government wants to know | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC
Teachers: what would help you serve English learners? Federal government wants to know | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC:  Head Start program for migrant farmworkers facing changes in growing seasonA young girl wakes up from a nap in the main class room at Encanto Migrant and Seasonal Headstart; Credit: Grant Slater/KPCC Luz Maria Hernandez struggled as she made the half-mile walk on a 94 degree day from
by mike simpson / 54min 
NYC Educator: Dog Bites Man
NYC Educator: Dog Bites Man: Dog Bites ManTeacher dissatisfaction with Bloomberg lackey Dennis Walcott is at 57%, and Gotham Schools calls it an all-time high. I can only marvel at the other 43%. It's entirely feasible to me that they were too paranoid to answer honestly. Teachers have repeatedly asked me whether or not the surveys could be traced to them. After all, they're numbered, and who know
by mike simpson / 1h 
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 9-6-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Can Teachers Be Trained Like Navy Seals?EduShyster has written a hilarious column about an interesting proposal. According to EduShyster, some very important hedge fund manager was upset by Motoko Rich’s article in the New York Times about the short (two-to-three year) “career” of charter teachers. He suggested that teachers should
by mike simpson / 2h 
9-6-13 Ed Notes Online
Ed Notes Online: IRS Investigates CWC Charters - Run by Eva Hubby Eric Grannis - Sign Petition to Stop Them From OpeningAs soon as their non-profit status was granted, CWCS quietly used their power over the local NY schools' trustees to push through exorbitant "licensing agreements" that will funnel more than $3 million of tax dollars away from the New York children they were intended for and into
by mike simpson / 2h 
9-6-13 teacherken at Daily Kos
teacherken at Daily Kos: an astonishing, horrifying failureis what Paul Krugman calls American economic policy since the failure of Lehman Brothers five years ago.  His column this morning, titled Years of Tragic Waste, is as blunt and to the point as Krugman usually is on issues like this.  As he says near the beginning of piece, Suddenly, we were looking at the possibility of real economic catas
by mike simpson / 2h 
Class matters: Schools increasing focus on intervention, understanding to stem chronic absenteeism at its roots | EdSource Today
Class matters: Schools increasing focus on intervention, understanding to stem chronic absenteeism at its roots | EdSource Today: Class matters: Schools increasing focus on intervention, understanding to stem chronic absenteeism at its rootsSeptember 6th, 2013 | Add a Comment | By Jane Meredith AdamsShare on twitterShare on facebookShare on emailShare on printMore Sharing ServicesA new national in
2 by mike simpson / 2h 
9-6-13 Perdido Street School
Perdido Street School: Who Are These Teachers Who Like Walcott?The NYCDOE survey results:In his second year as New York City schools chancellor, Dennis Walcott’s popularity fell to levels that rival the tumultuous 95-day tenure of his predecessor, Cathie Black. Fifty-seven percent of teachers said they were “unsatisfied or very unsatisfied” with Walcott, the highest disapproval rate for a chancell
by mike simpson / 2h 
9-6-13 Seattle Schools Community Forum
Seattle Schools Community Forum: "There Will Be Blood on your Hands"Yup, it got that incendiary at the Mann Building Taskforce meeting this afternoon.  Charlie and I attended along with Joanna Cullen, a long-time Central resident and public education advocate.I honestly hesitate to put this up but I am because pressure needs to come to bear to end this situation (at least at the Mann building - th
by mike simpson / 2h 
Mother Crusader: Chris Christie, Hell Bent On Destroying Public Education, Courts The Voucher Vote
Mother Crusader: Chris Christie, Hell Bent On Destroying Public Education, Courts The Voucher Vote: Chris Christie, Hell Bent On Destroying Public Education, Courts The Voucher VoteIs anyone actually surprised that Governor Christie is chomping at the bit to ram vouchers through the legislature in the lame-duck session after the election? (Which he arrogantly to assumes he will win...)“It will be
by mike simpson / 2h 
Technologies I Used in My Classroom in the 1950s: Recapturing How I Taught A Half-century Ago | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice
Technologies I Used in My Classroom in the 1950s: Recapturing How I Taught A Half-century Ago | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: Technologies I Used in My Classroom in the 1950s: Recapturing How I Taught A Half-century AgoWhen I began teaching U.S. and world history in 1956 at Glenville High School (Cleveland, Ohio), there were many technological aids that I had available and u
by mike simpson / 2h 
9-6-13 Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL
Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL: Resources For The Fall SeasonI’ve made some additions to The Best Sites For Images Of Fall Foliage (& For Teaching About The Season). Additional suggestions are welcome…3 by Larry Ferlazzo / 9min mark as read  //  saveFirst Draft: My Theory Of Knowledge Lesson About Syria Next Monday — Help Me Make It BetterThis is the
by mike simpson / 2h 
What’s missing from education policy debate
What’s missing from education policy debate: What’s missing from education policy debateBy Valerie Strauss, Published: September 6 at 4:00 amE-mail the writer4CommentsMoreReformers and policymakers talk a lot about how to recruit teachers with higher GPAs,  higher standards, better standardized tests, big data and more. In this post, Jack Schneider, an assistant professor of education at the Colle
by mike simpson / 2h 
Schooling in the Ownership Society: Rahm's Midway privatization deal crashes and burns. Where are the feds?
Schooling in the Ownership Society: Rahm's Midway privatization deal crashes and burns. Where are the feds?: Rahm's Midway privatization deal crashes and burns. Where are the feds?I don't think so...As if we needed another reason to dump mayoral control of the schools, look no further than the collapse of another corrupt City Hall boondoggle -- the privatization of Midway Airport.In my August 22nd
by mike simpson / 3h 
District defends teacher firing - Education - The Sacramento Bee
District defends teacher firing - Education - The Sacramento Bee: District defends teacher firingBy Andy Furilloafurillo@sacbee.comPublished: Friday, Sep. 6, 2013 - 12:00 am | Page 1BThe Sacramento City Unified School District has gone to court to uphold the firing of a veteran McClatchy High School teacher who got in a fight with a student during a physical education class.Jerry Glaviano said he
by mike simpson / 3h 
UTLA ACCUSES LAUSD OF RETALIATING AGAINST TEACHERS- WHO KNEW? - Perdaily.com
UTLA ACCUSES LAUSD OF RETALIATING AGAINST TEACHERS- WHO KNEW? - Perdaily.com: UTLA ACCUSES LAUSD OF RETALIATING AGAINST TEACHERS- WHO KNEW?(Mensaje se repite en Español) In a performance reminiscent of Claude Raines in Casablanca, United Teacher Los Angeles (UTLA) President Warren Fletcher came out today on KNX News Radio and seemed "SHOCKED."" When LAUSD maintains a culture in which teachers are
by mike simpson / 3h 

YESTERDAY

Girl calls out Michelle Rhee
Girl calls out Michelle Rhee CaliforniaFather·
2 by mike simpson / 10h 
Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 9-5-13 #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2
Nite Cap UPDATEUPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATECORPORATE ED REFORMLIVE: Google Hangout, School Climate and Social InclusionWatch the LIVE feed from the Google Hangout on School Climate and Social Inclusion here and don’t forget to tweet about it! Also, catch up on the Storify from Monday’s Twitter Chat here. 8 by Editor Admin / 1h He Is Kidding - Isn't He ?Maybe they could go to Newark Academy  instead
1 by mike simpson / 10h 
Gulen Charter Schools - Gulen charter schools
Gulen Charter Schools - Gulen charter schools: Introduction to Gulen charter schoolsby C.A.S.I.L.I.P.S. - Citizens Against Special Interest Lobbying in Public Schools  CASILIPS on Twitter, SlideshareNote that this website has two companion websites:A Guide to the Gulen Movement's Activities in the US      and     Gulen in the International PressWhat is a Gulen charter school?  A Gulen charter scho
by mike simpson / 12h 
Reflections on Amplify’s Common Knowledge Profit Potential | deutsch29
Reflections on Amplify’s Common Knowledge Profit Potential | deutsch29: Reflections on Amplify’s Common Knowledge Profit PotentialSeptember 5, 2013In this post, I would like to offer my response to this information included as part of Diane Ravitch’s post on my exchange with Common Knowledge (CK) founder E.D. Hirsch. Regarding my strong statements on Amplify’s profit motive, Hirsch writes the foll
by mike simpson / 14h 
Nite Cap 9-5-13 #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 CAPTODAYBill to change ‘willful defiance’ suspension practices is postponed | EdSource TodayBill to change ‘willful defiance’ suspension practices is postponed | EdSource Today: Bill to change ‘willful defiance’ suspension practices is postponedSeptember 5th,
1 by mike simpson / 16h 
Bill to change ‘willful defiance’ suspension practices is postponed | EdSource Today
Bill to change ‘willful defiance’ suspension practices is postponed | EdSource Today: Bill to change ‘willful defiance’ suspension practices is postponedSeptember 5th, 2013 | Add a Comment | By Susan FreyShare on twitterShare on facebookShare on emailShare on printMore Sharing ServicesAssemblyman Roger Dickinson, D-Sacramento, has tabled his bill that would change disciplinary practices in Califor
3 by mike simpson / 16h 
Diane in the Evening 9-5-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Parent: My Son Suffered Psychological AbuseThis is a story written by a mother who enrolled her son in Democracy Prep in Harlem. She is a Nigerian-born journalist. She contends that the school’s rigid discipline was excessive and that her son spent hours every day in detention. It is a harrowing story. No doubt, Democracy Prep has
by mike simpson / 18h 
An Open Letter to Arne Duncan from a DC 7th grader Student Voice
Student Voice: An Open Letter to Arne Duncan from a DC 7th graderDear Mr. Duncan,I’m writing you because I got my DC CAS results in the mail. See, I thought you might want to know what they were. I certainly don’t. I mean, the first thing I noticed in that packet was the paper. It’s fancy and green–a pretty light green, which sort of fades out when it gets to the end of the paper. I thought you mi
by mike simpson / 18h 
The Weekly Update: Charter schools, zero tolerance and minority students, the profiteering and scandals | Seattle Education
The Weekly Update: Charter schools, zero tolerance and minority students, the profiteering and scandals | Seattle Education: The Weekly Update: Charter schools, zero tolerance and minority students, the profiteering and scandalsFirst, a word from Noam Chomsky about our educational system. This was filmed at the Syracuse Peace Council’s 75th Anniversary event on May 11, 2011.And from Henry Giroux:W
by mike simpson / 18h 
No more “What Doesn’t Work” Clearinghouse? Parents United for Responsible Education
Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » No more “What Doesn’t Work” Clearinghouse?: No more “What Doesn’t Work” Clearinghouse?My old friend and neighbor John Easton, formerly of the Consortium on Chicago School Research and now Arne Duncan’s head of the Institute of Education Sciences, is actually trying to sort out effective education strategies from “guesses and hype” using ran
1 by mike simpson / 18h 
Christie to Newark: We run the school district | NJ.com
Christie to Newark: We run the school district | NJ.com: Christie to Newark: We run the school district
3 by mike simpson / 19h 
Diversity and Openness at the Bammy Awards, From Errol Smith - The Jose Vilson | The Jose Vilson
Diversity and Openness at the Bammy Awards, From Errol Smith - The Jose Vilson | The Jose Vilson: Diversity and Openness at the Bammy Awards, From Errol Smithby JOSE VILSON on SEPTEMBER 5, 2013An exchange flared by between Errol Smith, executive producer of the Bammy Awards in my post about race within the education reform movement. My point in highlighting the Bammys wasn’t to hate on it, but ass
by mike simpson / 19h 
New report reveals half of Asian American students in New York City schools have been bullied
New report reveals half of Asian American students in New York City schools have been bullied: NEW REPORT REVEALS HALF OF ASIAN AMERICAN STUDENTS IN NEW YORK CITY SCHOOLS HAVE BEEN BULLIEDAALDEF and Sikh Coalition release "snapshot" study of Asian American public school students.A new report on bullying of Asian American students in New York City reveals that half of all students surveyed have bee
by mike simpson / 19h 
#RealEdTalk If Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee wants an honest conversation about education, she should start with her own record.
If Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee wants an honest conversation about education, she should start with her own record.She misrepresented her record as a teacher. http://wapo.st/17OyrQjShe misrepresents her record as chancellor. She did no better than her predecessors (PDF) - http://ow.ly/oyPUJThe achievement gap actually got worse during Rhee's reign as chancellor - http://wapo.st/17OyrQjRhee l
3 by mike simpson / 20h 
Why I discourage Latino students from becoming teachers
Why I discourage Latino students from becoming teachers « NewsTaco: m becoming teachersSep 5, 2013NewsTacoNo comments yetEducation, Featurededucation, Latino Education,latino teachers, student teachers210 ViewsRelatedHigh School Graduation on Your Mind? Young Men Should also Remember To Register with Selective ServiceDaily Caller Uses Mariachi Photo To Represent Undocumented ImmigrantsFight Leukem
by mike simpson / 20h 
John Thompson: First Class; Education at DC's Dunbar High School - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher
John Thompson: First Class; Education at DC's Dunbar High School - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: John Thompson: First Class; Education at DC's Dunbar High SchoolBy Anthony Cody on September 5, 2013 11:26 AMGuest post by John Thompson.Alison Stewart's new book First Class tells the powerful story of how Washington D.C.'s Dunbar High School played an inspiring role in "a national move
by mike simpson / 21h 
Homework's benefits questioned in new study | OregonLive.com
Homework's benefits questioned in new study | OregonLive.com: Homework's benefits questioned in new studyA study published this summer, "Nonacademic Effects of Homework in Privileged, High-Performing High Schools," asserts that current homework practices in such schools "sustain students' advantage in competitive climates yet hinder learning, full engagement, and well-being."The study's three auth
by mike simpson / 21h 
On Education Polls And Confirmation Bias
Shanker Blog » On Education Polls And Confirmation Bias: On Education Polls And Confirmation BiasPosted by Morgan Polikoff on September 5, 2013Education PollsOur guest author today is Morgan Polikoff, Assistant Professor in the Rossier School of Education at the University of Southern California. A few weeks back, education policy wonks were hit with a set of opinion polls about education policy.
by mike simpson / 22h 
'Fat Letters' And Annual Weigh-Ins Questioned: Should Schools Measure And Report Students’ BMI?
'Fat Letters' And Annual Weigh-Ins Questioned: Should Schools Measure And Report Students’ BMI?: 'Fat Letters' And Annual Weigh-Ins Questioned: Should Schools Measure And Report Students’ BMI?By Susan Scutti | Sep 3, 2013 07:17 PM EDT (Robert Lawton, Creative Commons)  Schools in 19 states conduct annual weigh-ins, measuring students’ body mass index and then sending reports home to parents. Are t
by mike simpson / 22h 
The Common Core: A Poor Choice for States Coalition for Public Education/Coalición por la Educación Pública: The Common Core: A Poor Choice for States
Coalition for Public Education/Coalición por la Educación Pública: The Common Core: A Poor Choice for States: The Common Core: A Poor Choice for StatesThe Problem(s) with the Common Core State Standards FROM: http://heartland.orgNOTE: This is a critique of the Common Core coming from the Right. One of the major things it lacks is how the Common Core Standards will have a deepening negative impact
by mike simpson / 22h 
APS: How the school board's wishes are easily sidestepped | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com
APS: How the school board's wishes are easily sidestepped | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com: APS: How the school board's wishes are easily sidestepped COMMENT(10) 1 0 0 1View Larger A citizen activist says APS demonstrates the common disconnect between what the school board says and what the school chief does.Previous PostsDecatur parents alarmed over armed robberies after football game. System conside
by mike simpson / 22h 
Cal Education Headlines Thursday, September 5, 2013
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: Fensterwald: State Board adopts national K-12 Next Generation Science StandardsEducation HeadlinesThursday, September 5, 2013Schools count high-risk students to qualify for extra fundingSchools all over the state are seeking an accurate count of this school year's impoverished, foster and English learner students now that a new state funding
by mike simpson / 22h 
The Biggest “Game-Changer” in Education | Connected Principals
The Biggest “Game-Changer” in Education | Connected Principals: The Biggest “Game-Changer” in EducationSeptember 5, 2013By George Couroscc licensed ( BY ) flickr photo shared by Kate Ter HaarRecently, Jon Samuelson and I were having a conversation and he asked me, “What do you see as the big ‘game changer’ in education?”I hate this question (as I think Jon does as well).  You hear things like MOOC
by mike simpson / 23h 
Teachers, public employees and retirees have been chumped by… | Reclaim Reform
Teachers, public employees and retirees have been chumped by… | Reclaim Reform: Teachers, public employees and retirees have been chumped by…Posted on September 5, 2013by Ken Previti“In other words, if you are a liberal—a member of the Democratic ‘base’—you just got played,” writes Thomas Frank, columnist for Harper’s Magazine and a book reviewer for bookforum.com.In his review of the new book by
by mike simpson / 23h 
Why charter schools need better oversight
Why charter schools need better oversight: Why charter schools need better oversightBy Valerie Strauss, Published: September 5 at 11:00 amE-mail the writerCharter schools were designed to allow founders the freedom to design and run schools as they wish outside the traditional school system bureaucracy. Here’s a case for why some of that freedom needs to be reined in. This was written by Jeff Brya
by mike simpson / 23h 
Morning Wink 9-5-13 AM Posts #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2 #Cheats4Change
BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTSTODAYThe Education War – Who is winning? | Mr. D's NeighborhoodThe Education War – Who is winning? | Mr. D's Neighborhood: The Education War – Who is winning?The word “quagmire” gets thrown around pretty casually these days.Civil unrest.  “Nation building.” Revolutions. Economic crisis. Natural disasters.  The Q-word has been used repeatedly for so many of
2 by mike simpson / 23h



Posted by at

Paul Horton: The New American Amnesia: Trouble in Gatopia II - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

Paul Horton: The New American Amnesia: Trouble in Gatopia II - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher:

Paul Horton: The New American Amnesia: Trouble in Gatopia II

By Anthony Cody on September 6, 2013 9:55 AM


Guest post by Paul Horton.
The most effective way to destroy people is to deny and obliterate their own understanding of their own history.
Orwell

A lot of people I've been running into lately can't seem to remember important details about anything. I get stuck on spelling "the" sometimes and I reverse digits on my phone number a bunch. We all wonder why, even those of us under fifty and who haven't delivered kids, we seem to be loosing our memories.
A recent study (was it released today?) revealed that 9% of Americans take sleeping pills to get to sleep. Somebody a few years ago (10? 20?) said that we had become a Prozac nation, though I have heard (when?) that aluminum, not reading, and lack of exercise can also contribute to memory loss. And, of course, those sports that use the head as another appendage, football and soccer, do lots of damage, too.
But the sort of memory loss I want to talk about involves memory in the singular use. This kind of memory loss is the favorite subject of our nation's memory therapists otherwise known as historians. You know, those talking head guys on all of those PBS documentaries that are all 
Posted by at

9-6-13 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.:





This is real outrage, folks. And I’m not alone.
  Trotsky on Twitter? No. Paul Revere with a blog. Joe Williams, who shills for the corporate reform group Democrats for Education Reform, once threatened to kick my ass. Perhaps he felt I had crossed a red line. It seems Presidents and corporate school reformers can both act like 4th grade boys sometimes. No offense to 4th grade boys. In a recent post, Joe describes me, my brother and Shanker In
by Fred Klonsky / 7min 



Tuesday, September 17th is Constitution Day. “The pension clause.”
by Fred Klonsky / 0min 





LIfe in Rahm’s Chicago. “I didn’t know about it until I read it in the papers,” says Emanuel.
Indicted Chicago Comptroller Amer Ahmad. He was watching city pensions. Rahm claims he didn’t know a thing about the shady dealings of ex-city Comptroller Amer Ahmad until he read it in the newspapers. I guess now he knows some more this morning. The Tribune published a long investigative (I know. Right?) linking the Ohio laundryman Amer Ahmad and the Mayor’s Chief Financial Officer, Lois Scott.
by Fred Klonsky / 2min 


9-5-13 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 box. From Senator Dan Biss. What the pension committee is thinking.  Senator Dan Biss, pension bomber. September 4, 2013 Dear Friends, I am writing to update you on the progress of the pension conference committee. There are two topics that I would like to address: the timing of our work, and r
by mike simpson / 10h 

Posted by at

New York City's Public Education Challenges - Room for Debate - NYTimes.com

New York City's Public Education Challenges - Room for Debate - NYTimes.com:

New York City’s Public Education Challenges

DEBATERS

  • Diane Ravitch

    Testing and Choice Are Destructive

    DIANE RAVITCH, AUTHOR, "REIGN OF ERROR"
    The new mayor’s goal should be a great education for all students, one that meets their needs and strengthens their families and communities.
  • Geoffrey Canada

    Let’s Have More Accountability

    GEOFFREY CANADA, HARLEM CHILDREN'S ZONE
    The next mayor must not be afraid to continue controversial measures like closing failing schools, supporting charters and evaluating teachers.
  • Pedro Noguera

    Focus on Schools in Poor Communities

    PEDRO NOGUERA, SOCIOLOGIST, NEW YORK UNIVERSITY
    The next mayor will need to recognize that serving the needs of English-language learners cannot be treated as a minor issue.
  • Sol Stern

    Stop the Teacher Evaluations

    SOL STERN, MANHATTAN INSTITUTE
    The next New York mayor should suspend the test-based teacher rankings and focus on implementing the Common Core and new classroom curricula.

INTRODUCTION

André da Loba
The next mayor of New York City faces some tough challenges particularly when it comes to setting public education priorities. Should he or she abandon Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s fixation on testing and data-driven accountability, or expand school choice and close failing classrooms to give more options to families, especially English-language learners and those in low-income communities?
This is the fifth in a series of discussions on what awaits the next chief executive of New York.
READ THE DISCUSSION »
Posted by at

‘Teach’ Premieres on CBS on Sept. 6 | NEA Today

‘Teach’ Premieres on CBS on Sept. 6 | NEA Today:




 Teach’ Premieres on CBS on Sept. 6
On Friday night, CBS will air “Teach,” Davis Guggenheim’s third documentary on education in America. It was the second, “Waiting for Superman,” that earned him the ire of public school teachers everywhere for its endorsement of charter schools and demonization of unions. It appears Guggenheim took the concerns of educators to heart. “Teach,” a much-less combative film, focuses on an inspiring mess
by twalker / 3min 
How to Move Beyond Your First-Year Teaching Jitters
Arkansas teacher Justin Minkel compares the first year of teaching to “your first truly gruesome photo from a high school formal dance.” “Nervous and elated, underprepared and overwhelmed, I was stuck in my own point of view: How was the knot in my (ghastly) tie? How loudly was I talking?” he writes. “It took me a few months to flip that focus. What mattered, I eventually realized, were questions
by twalker / 3min 
Schools’ Choices in Tablets Grow
A recent study conducted by Harris Interactive for publisher Pearson showed that, while 44 percent of kids are using some kind of tablet for learning, 92 percent of kids surveyed believe that using a tablet in school will change how they learn in the future. And 90 percent of students said using a tablet makes learning more fun. Though the iPad gets most of the limelight, other tablet makers like
by twalker / 3min 
Posted by at

9-6-13 Jersey Jazzman

Jersey Jazzman:





More Merit Pay Flimflam From Newark
A commenter makes a very good point about the Newark merit pay scam program: 20% were rated below effective, which means (.2*3200) 640 teachers did not increase in step. Using the average step increment on the Universal guide 13-14, ($2652) this means they saved approximately $1,697,280. If the bonuses cost them 1.4 million then they are still $300,000 ahead of the game without spending any of th
7 by Duke / 15min 


The Educational Racism of Chris Christie
Yeah, I went there. But you tell me how else to honestly describe this:  Gov. Chris Christie plans to reappoint Newark School Superintendent Cami Anderson to another term. And if some in the city don’t like it, too bad. During a public appearance Wednesday at a school in Beach Haven, Christie was asked whether he and Education Commissioner Christopher Cerf plan to renew Anderson’s contract, giv
94 by Duke / 5min 



9-4-13 Jersey Jazzman
Jersey Jazzman: What the Newark Merit Pay Experiment Is Telling UsRight now, in the Newark, NJ school district, a grand merit pay experiment is underway. Understand that merit pay has never worked in schools and most likely won't work again in the Brick City. Still, the contract was negotiated and everyone signed off on it; merit pay is a reality in Newark for two more years, like it or not. We ma
by mike simpson / 10h 


Posted by at

Teachers: what would help you serve English learners? Federal government wants to know | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC

Teachers: what would help you serve English learners? Federal government wants to know | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC:



 Head Start program for migrant farmworkers facing changes in growing season
A young girl wakes up from a nap in the main class room at Encanto Migrant and Seasonal Headstart; Credit: Grant Slater/KPCC Luz Maria Hernandez struggled as she made the half-mile walk on a 94 degree day from her home to her children’s preschool. Not so much from the heat, but from the worry about how her family will survive once the Head Start program closes for the year. "We are suffering a lo
by Deepa Fernandes / 0min 
Bill would make new school standardized tests 'practice'; eliminate public reporting requirements
Many L.A. Unified students will be taking the new test on iPads.; Credit: by Lexie Flickinger via Flickr A bill that would jump start California's move to new standardized tests - and relax public reporting - is set to go before the state Senate next week. AB 484 would encourage school districts to offer the new exams, based on new standards called the Common Core. But the tests would be practice
11 by Annie Gilbertson / 0min 
The only frog dissections PETA wants in LA Unified schools are virtual ones
A screenshot from iPad app Frog Dissection, which PETA is offering to LAUSD for free as it argues for using the app over doing actual dissections.; Credit: Emantras With the Los Angeles Unified School District's push into iPads in schools, animal rights group PETA wants the district to stop dissecting real animals and instead dissect virtual ones. It's offering the district a free app to simulate
30 by Mike Roe / 0min mark as read  //  save
Teachers: what would help you serve English learners? Federal government wants to know
Second-grade teacher Vickie Boudouris goes over a worksheet in an English-learner summer school class at the Cordova Villa Elementary School in Rancho Cordova.; Credit: Rich Pedroncelli/AP The federal Department of Education wants to hear from teachers and administrators whose students are English learners on what help they need in educating that tough population. In a notice in the Federal Regis
by KPCC Staff / 0min 
Posted by at

NYC Educator: Dog Bites Man

NYC Educator: Dog Bites Man:

Dog Bites Man

Teacher dissatisfaction with Bloomberg lackey Dennis Walcott is at 57%, and Gotham Schools calls it an all-time high. I can only marvel at the other 43%. It's entirely feasible to me that they were too paranoid to answer honestly. Teachers have repeatedly asked me whether or not the surveys could be traced to them. After all, they're numbered, and who knows there aren't principals writing the numbers down, or even attributing poor results to individual teachers with no reasonable basis whatsoever?

After all, in this era of American education, reason is a quaint relic of the past. We judge teachers on junk science. We issue standards that have never been field-tested anywhere and NY Times columnists rave about their importance. We have insane ideologues running not only the NY City Department of education, but the national one as well.

Who's to say the leadership academy grads aren't hunched over in their offices, smoking cigarettes, and plotting revenge against those awful teachers who said those terrible things about not only Walcott, but also their exalted selves?

So maybe those 43% aren't paranoid after all, and are focused on the very real consequences of working in a system based on ideas that originated in the hind quarters of bull goose loony Bill Gates. There are, of course, 
Posted by at
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)