10-9-13 Perdido Street School

Perdido Street School:

Obama Reveals How Much He Despises Unionized Workers

Our pal @BarackObama compares GOP hardliners to striking workers who should be fired. Thanks a lot, Prez. http://t.co/bOU2rZZnvH— Arthur Goldstein (@TeacherArthurG) October 9, 2013And here is how Byron York writes that story up:President Obama again compared Republicans in Congress to workers going on strike, telling reporters Tuesday that GOP lawmakers had no more right to shut down the governmen

by reality-based edu... / 41min 

Utica Observer-Dispatch Covers The Problems Parents And Teachers Have With Common Core

We're starting to see more and more media pieces on Common Core opposition that do not marginalize critics as crazy people.Here's one from the Utica Observer-Dispatch: When Nathan Hanna’s sons in first and third grades come home from school, he gives them a 15 minute break. During that time, the Sauquoit parent looks at their homework, usually in worksheet form, then goes online and looks at the m

by reality-based edu... / 4min mark as read  //  save

The Harm The UFT Moratorium Resolution Does

A comment on this post: The resolution is worse than useless, since it gives the false impression, intended to pacify the membership, that the union leadership is protecting our interests in this matter, rather than co-managing the implementation of the Common Corporate Standards and Danielson checklists along with the so-called reformers. -- Michael FiorilloAs usual, Michael gets it exactly right

by reality-based edu... / 1h 

Cory Booker Still Has A Race On His Hands

This special election was supposed to be a Cory Booker blow-out:A new Quinnipiac poll in New Jersey finds Cory Booker (D) leading Steve Lonegan (R) by 12 points in the U.S. Senate race, 53% to 41%. Said pollster Maurice Carroll: "It's still not the predicted blow-out, but with a week to go, Newark Mayor Cory Booker hangs on to a nice, if not exactly comfortable, double-digit lead." Booke

by reality-based edu... / 14min 

Andrew Cuomo Wants To Disband The Moreland Commission To Hide His Own Corruption

Just as Sheriff Andy Cuomo disbanded the Committee To Save New York PAC rather than have to reveal who his corporate donors were, he is planning to disband his vaunted anti-corruption commission now that it has been revealed that he put the kibbosh on their investigating his own campaign donations:Gov. Andrew Cuomo's Moreland Act Commission is discussing the possibility of disbanding after recomme

by reality-based edu... / 2min 

UFT Leadership Still Doesnt Realize The Problem Is The Common Core

James Eterno writes at ICEUFT blog that the UFT Executive Board passed a resolution on Monday night calling for a moratorium on the high stakes part of the new ADVANCE teacher evaluation system.This moratorium call, btw, would be the same thing Randi Weingarten called for a while back.But the UFT Executive Board did not call for an end to the punitive and abusive Danielson observations, did not po

by reality-based edu... / 1h mark as read  //  save

Rookie Teacher John King Pontificates About Teachers "Who Are Getting Great Outcomes"

More nonsense from rookie teacher/NYSED Commissioner John King:“I think one challenge, when contract negotiations happen for the New York City UFT contract, will be to look at the question of professional development and how much time is set aside, how are costs covered, and those kinds of questions,” King said at the time.King reiterated that stance today. But asked after the panel what else he’d

by reality-based edu..

10-8-13 Perdido Street School

Perdido Street School: Andrew Cuomo Accused Of Corruption Cover-UpSheriff Andy is pointing fingers at all the crooks in Albany - but the crooks are pointing out he's a crook too:ALBANY — When Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo created the Commission to Investigate Public Corruption in early July, he promised a muscular response to bad behavior by legislators that included allegations of bribe taking, favor trad

by mike simpson / 10h 

Admissions Data: the key, missing data to exposing charters:

Admissions Data: the key, missing data to exposing charters

Finally, finally, finally…

The front door clear advantage awarded to charter schools by the Deformists in charge is city wide admissions. [The ejector seat advantage allows them to “counsel” ahem force out low performers.]  Charter schools can selectively admit from a disadvantaged demographic - not freely admit and act as a dictionary-definition neighborhood school.  They aren’t like a magnet school quite yet.  I like the term “privilege school” like “your attendance here isn’t a right it is a privilege.”

Here is an Alderman in Chicago who used a political moment - where UNO needed his support to obtain a zoning change - to extract a commitment that UNO would act more like a neighborhood school and less like a privilege school.  Now let’s see how it plays out.  I suspect The Friends of Juan (Rangel) was the determining admissions factor…not neighborhood address.  Joravsky won’t let this story go I’m sure.

Well, the last year hasn’t been so glorious for UNO. In February, Sun-Times reporter Dan Mihalopoulos began breaking stories showing that 

Privatization Proliferates: Vouchers, Charters, and Portfolio School Reform | janresseger

Privatization Proliferates: Vouchers, Charters, and Portfolio School Reform | janresseger:

Privatization Proliferates: Vouchers, Charters, and Portfolio School Reform

Posted on October 9, 2013 by janresseger

If you live in a small city, a rural area, or even a suburb you may not be watching the privatization of K-12 education in your own community.  But privatization is proliferating; just let us count the ways.  Two articles in the press this week and one new academic report will help.

Privatization is happening mainly in the poorest neighborhoods of our cities, places where test scores reflect the poverty of the children enrolled and where, as a condition for awarding Title I Race to the Top and School Improvement Grants, the federal government is pressing school districts and states to close public schools and open charter schools.  Privatization is also being driven by conservative politicians and political donors who allege that charter and voucher schools will serve children better and cost less.

Writing for PoliticoPro, reporter Stephanie Simon demonstrates that, Vouchers Don’t Do Much for Students. Vouchers and voucher-like tuition tax credit programs are now paying for 245,000 students in 16 states and the District of Columbia to attend private schools at public expense.  “Taxpayers across the U.S. will soon be spending $1 billion a year to help families pay private school tuition—and there’s little evidence that the investment yields academic gains.”  Tracking the oldest voucher programs in Wisconsin and Ohio, Simon demonstrates that students perform no better than their public school counterparts, and in Wisconsin, two-thirds of voucher students never attended the public schools but are receiving public vouchers to cover tuition at parochial or private schools. Simon quotes Wisconsin state legislator Sandy Pope: “The taxpayers are paying for a second, competing school system that doesn’t do as well as the one we already have.”  Simon also notes the many voucher schools across the U.S. that 

CHARTER SCHOOLS: A PRIVATIZING WEDGE Coalition for Public Education/Coalición por la Educación Pública

Coalition for Public Education/Coalición por la Educación Pública:

CHARTER SCHOOLS: 
A PRIVATIZING WEDGE

The Coalition for Public Education/Coalición por la Educación Publica's Stance on Charter Schools

The United States of (Non)Reading: The End of Civilization or a New Era? | toteachornototeach

The United States of (Non)Reading: The End of Civilization or a New Era? | toteachornototeach:

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The United States of (Non)Reading:
The End of Civilization or a New Era?

by Susan D. Blum

Just the other day one of my undergraduate assistants reported a friend’s boast that he had not read anything for school since fifth grade. A student at an excellent university, successful, “clever,” “smart,” he can write papers, take exams, participate in class or online discussions. Why would he have to read?

Students sometimes don’t buy the class books. Professors are shocked.

Several years ago a student told me that she regarded all assigned reading as “recommended,” even if the professors labeled it “required.” Were professors so dumb that they didn’t know that?

The idea of assigned reading, as the core activity of college students, is old. Students don’t see it as central; faculty do.

And though I used to, and sometimes still do, spend a lot of energy lamenting this, by taking a broader view of the nature of reading and writing, I have come to understand it and even to some extent accept it.

Student avoidance of reading is not an entirely new problem. When I was in graduate 

Lisa Nielsen: The Innovative Educator: Interested in #BYOD? Become a #ConnectedEducator! #CE13

Lisa Nielsen: The Innovative Educator: Interested in #BYOD? Become a #ConnectedEducator! #CE13:

Interested in #BYOD? Become a #ConnectedEducator! #CE13

This article originally appeared at Partners in Learning - 1:1 Hot Topics.

So, you’re interested in supporting bring your own device (BYOD) where you work Congratulations! You are not alone, but you will need support. There is no better way to support your students for real-world learning than providing settings they encounter in the real world. One of the best ways to get started and keep going is by developing your professional learning network of others who are also involved in this work.  

Here are some resources to do just that.  

Learning Community
Join a vibrant connected educators learning community for those interested in discovering what it means when we empower students to BYOD that meets all year long in a variety of platforms (Twitter, Facebook, Google). Those interested, can even earn 18 contact hours. Find out more at: http://connectededucators.org/cem2013/bring-your-own-device-byod-connected-educators-learning-community/

Twitter

• Chat
  #BYOTchat
  Online Twitter chat every Thursday from 9:00-10:00 PM (EST)
• Popular hashtags
  #BYOD #BYOT #BYOTchat
• People BYODList
  A list of educators who discuss BYOD / BYOT

Facebook

• BYOD / BYOT K-12 Page A place to celebrate your BYOD / BYOT success with the public.

LinkedIn

• K-12 BYOD A forum for EDU professionals to share their experience with safely and easily on-boarding student and

Special Late Nite Cap EXTRA 10-8-13 #EDCHAT #P2 #BATsACT #RealEdTalk

Nite Cap EXTRA

EXTRA EXTRA EXTRA EXTRA

The People of Wikileaks Versus Malala Yousafzai

Malala Yousafzai at the United Nations   This is why so-called liberals get me mad. Someone posting under the Twitter handle Wikileaks believes Chelsea [formerly known as Bradley] Manning should win the Nobel Peace Prize over “pro-war favorite” Malala Yousafzai. Specifically, they said: Why Guardian likely excluded Manning from 2013 Nobel Prize popular vote – he wins over pro-war favourite, Malala

11 by Jose Vilson / 1h 

Are you driving or drifting?

I have a post it on my computer that simply states, “Be intentional.” Did you know that every single day you’re choosing to either move forward or move backward? There really never is a standing still, especially in this field we call education. From the lessons you choose to deliver to the conversations you choose not to have…you’re either driving towards greatness or drifting away from it.   Ar

by Amber Teamann / 1h 

Strauss: Georgia Tech investigating 'rapebait' e-mail

Georgia Tech university officials are investigating reports that an undergraduate member sent an email to fellow fraternity members that provided a lewd, detailed guide on "luring rapebait." The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that that Georgia Tech officials gave the newspaper a statement that said: Read full article >>    

1 by Valerie Strauss / 24min 

Who are the 99%?

The House voted to reduce food stamp benefits (the program is now called SNAP actually, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, so you can sound odd while starving; it also uses a debit card system now, not actual stamps or coupons anymore.) In the U.S. forty-seven million people get SNAP. In Ohio, like most places, they pay out the whole state on the first of the month, millions of people, Pa

9 by Peter Van Buren / 1h 

Teacher or Parent: Does One Role Trump the Other?

"Teaching, like parenting, is a complex and challenging job that requires a certain amount of participation to fully understand the job. To fully understand what teaching entails, one has to do the job." Teacher, parent, and CTQ blogger Julie Hiltz shares about the learning curve of becoming a parent after becoming a teacher. See what other insights she shares by clicking and adding your

2 1h mark as read  //  save

Hip Hop Artist Makes Learning Science Fascinating

Bringing a popular form of artistic expression into the world of science classrooms makes the content relevant and stimulating for underprivileged students.

1 1h 

 

Malibu students relocated amid health concerns

Students in 11 middle school classrooms on the Malibu High School campus will be relocated to classrooms at the high school and a nearby elementary school after parents and teachers voiced concerns about potential contaminants in a building.

by By Matt Stevens / 37min

Vladovic Apologizes, Escapes Further Action Board — For Now

Richard Vladovic After a tense, four-hour closed meeting with his LA Unified Board colleagues, President Richard Vladovic opened a brief public session admitting that he had violated the district’s code of conduct and apologizing to employees he may have harmed. “I did get upset at people,” he said. “I did tell them things I shouldn’t have told them.” He said he has a “passion for the district, an

1 by Hillel Aron / 42min 

“The 21 Luckiest People In The Entire World” Is A Great GIF Collection For ELLs

The 21 Luckiest People In The Entire World is a pretty amazing GIF collection from BuzzFeed. Show these to English Language Learners and have them describe what they are watching, perhaps alternating with the Back-To-The-Screen exercise I use with videos (read about it here). I guarantee that you’ll have a highly-engaging lesson…

7 by Larry Ferlazzo / 36min 

New Jersey State Troopers schooled in Muslim culture

Questions about the veil and other facets of Islamic faith and culture are at the heart of the one-hour class, now a requirement for every New Jersey state trooper, that emerged from anxiety and acrimony following news last year that New York City detectives were spying on New Jersey Muslims.

3 by Liz Houlton / 30min 

How to teach students to hate human rights (and other subjects)…

As a teacher “implementing” Common Core, I’ve enjoyed reading the Burkins and Yaris blog. They’re writing is pretty accessible, and they are great at separating the wheat from the chaff with the standards. A recent post on their blog was pretty disheartening. Kim Yaris’ son had come home after a week of lessons on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in tears hating the lesson, and the docume

2 by alicemercer / 1h 

The Next Internet Radio Show

It's baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaackkkkk!!! Thursday nigh, 10/9/13, 9 PM EDT.  http://www.blogtalkradio.com/nyinternetradio/2013/10/11/new-york-education-show First guest the incomparable Gail Richmond of New York BadAss Teachers.  About Gail:Retired Music Teacher 34 years w/ Greenville Central School DistrictUnion President 12 yearsEducation ActivistSpeakerOccupied the USDOE with United Opt Out

by noreply@blogger.c... / 20min 

RttT Has Failed To Deliver | jointhefuture.org

As ODE prepares to dig through hundreds of Straight A Fund applications, Race-to-the-Top, it’s big brother in the dog-eat-dog world of funding schools through competitive grant making is looking like a big flop according to a new report published by the Economic Policy Institute. The report finds via RttT Has Failed To Deliver.The post RttT Has Failed To Deliver | jointhefuture.org appeared first

18 by admin / 21min 

Kansas Legislature Threatens Showdown With Court Over School Financing

As advocates of higher school funding brought their request to the State Supreme Court, the conservative Legislature vowed to defy any orders that it felt trampled on its sovereignty.    

50 by By JOHN ELIGON / 2min 

Amamantar puede ser más fácil con Obamacare

La cultura latina promueve el saludable hábito de amamantar a los bebés generalmente hasta su primer año, pero al llegar a los Estados Unidos las latinas encontramos más retador el mantener esta costumbre que tanto impacta nuestra salud, pero sobre todo la de nuestros hijos. Las razones de este cambio de comportamiento varían en cada caso. Van desde la barrera idiomática que le puede impedir a la

1 by Ruth Vasquez / 13min 

L.A. Unified: investigation into board president's behavior is confidential

; Credit: via vladovic.laschoolboard.org The Los Angeles Unified school district has concluded an investigation into complaints about its board president’s behavior, including an allegation of sexual harassment, but the district said the results are confidential. District employees complained that Richard Vladovic made offensive jokes, had angry outbursts, mocked a coworker’s sexual orientation a

by Annie Gilbertson / 11min 

Our First 2014 Internet Ad - One More Chance

October’s (2013) Best Tweets — Part Two

Every month I make a few short lists highlighting my choices of the best resources I shared through (and learned from) Twitter, but didn’t necessarily include them in posts here on my blog. I’ve already shared in earlier posts several new resources I found on Twitter — and where I gave credit to those from whom I learned about them. Those are not included again in this post. If you don’t use Twit

4 by Larry Ferlazzo / 7min