11-7-13 Wait What?

Wait What?:

Capital Prep’s Steve Perry goes on the offensive?

Faced with growing criticism about his excessive absenteeism and the list of failures at Capital Preparatory Magnet School, it would appear that Steve Perry has decided to “go on the offensive” by attacking his critics. In a wild and bizarre burst of tweets, Perry hurled the following insults over the course of an hour or […]The post Capital Prep’s Steve Perry goes on the offensive? appeared first

5 by jonpelto / 1min 

When illegally clear cutting state forest always carry your “get out of jail free” card…

… Or, at the very least, make sure you have really, really good political connections. Zachary Janowski, the Investigative journalist for the Raising Hale Website, has authored another “must read” article.  This one entitled “Environmental group sues state for going easy on wind-power company that cut down trees in state forest.” According to Janowski; “A […]The post When illegally clear cutting s

7 by jonpelto / 40min 

Wait, it’s not cheating if the students don’t know you are changing their answers right?

Some Hartford school officials have apparently joined the ranks of those who have engaged in cheating to make their students’ standardized test scores look better. The Hartford Courant has the latest news in a story entitled “Investigators Confirm Test-Tampering At Hartford School.” Major cheating scandals have already rocked Atlanta and Washington, D.C. Hartford is just […]The post Wait, it’s not

6 by jonpelto / 10min

Steve Perry Tworking (Tweeting while working) on teachers and unions

State and local laws, ordinances, regulations and work rules prohibit public employees from engaging in politics while at work. Public employees have lost their jobs for violating these policies. Steve Perry is the principal of Capital Preparatory Magnet School in Harford, Connecticut. As a public employee, Perry is collected a six figure, taxpayer funded salary. […]The post Steve Perry Tworking (

3 by jonpelto / 46min  

11-6-13 Wait What?

Wait What?: Malloy/Finch/Vallas lose in Bridgeport but questions remain about role of State Democratic PartyAs reported in today’s Connecticut Post article, “City school board tips away from Finch,” thanks to broad support from Bridgeport voters, Democrats and Working Family Party members opposed to Bridgeport’s faux superintendent of schools, Paul Vallas, and the corporate education reforms being

by mike simpson / 9h 

11-7-13 Schools Matter

Schools Matter:

Has Corporate Education "Reform" Earned Another 25 Years to Complete the Resegregation and Privatization Agendas? Part I

With a series of conservative SCOTUS decisions beginning with the Nixon Court, and with a particular hostility by the Reaganites toward the equity and equality agenda that grew from the War on Poverty in 1960s, the resegregation of public schoolsOriginal chart by Orfield & Lee, 2006took hold in earnest in 1988, and it has continued unabated since then (click chart to enlarge).  It is not

3 by Jim Horn / 34min 

Gates, Bloomberg, and Corporate Welfare Are Losers in Colorado Vote

With support from major plutocrats who own the U. S. Department of Education and most state departments of education, the plan to turn Colorado’s PreK-12 urban schools into segregated corporate reform schools has gone down in flames with a overwhelming rejection by Colorado voters, 65-35.  For a measure to aid education to be paid for with a tax increase, voters have to know that there is som

2 by Jim Horn / 17min 

Union Leadership as Political Sleight of Hand

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is nearly stereotypical as a bully, so much so that if he weren't in a position of power, he would be a walking satire of himself.When he yelled at a female teacher recently, reasonable people across the U.S. responded with disgust, as Jersey Jazzman did:Some think this misogyny is part of Christie's "Jersey-style" charm. Let me tell you something: I was bo

1 by P. L. Thomas / 2min 

Arne's approach to education in high-poverty situations

Sent to the Miami Herald, Nov 5.Arne Duncan's reaction to the high poverty (80%) and resulting (and well-documented) "deplorable conditions" in schools in Haiti was to recommend "clear data systems" in order to keep track of enrollment and student progress ("US Education secretary visits Haiti classrooms," Nov 5).Next he will recommend that fire departments invest in

1 by skrashen / 2h 

11-6-13 Schools Matter

Schools Matter: Now Posted Online: Doug Martin on Douglas Storm's WFHB Radio Show: Muckraking Education PoliticsIn case you missed it last night, here is the link to listen to Doug Martin and Douglas Storm discussing the corporate takeover of public schools last night on WFHB radio in Bloomington, Indiana: http://wfhb.org/news/interchange/interchange-doug-martin-muckraking-education-politcs/  This

by mike simpson / 9h

11*7*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:

November’s (2013) Best Tweets — Part One

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

3 by Larry Ferlazzo / 13min mark as read  //  save

Video: Multiple Optical Illusions In One Short Video

I’ve written in my New York Times column about how I use optical illusions with English Language Learners, and I certainly use them when teaching perception in my Theory of Knowledge class. You can many that I’ve previously posted here. Here’s a new neat one created by Honda and puts many different illusions into one short video:

11 by Larry Ferlazzo / 54min 

The Best Ways To Modify The Picture Word Inductive Model For ELLs

As regular readers know, I’m a huge fan of using the Picture Word Inductive Model (PWIM) as a primary instructional strategy for Beginning English Language Learners. I’ve described it in my books as an: “inductive learning process where students first brainstorm twenty words related to a picture, then put those words into categories and add new ones that fit those categories. Next they complete a

3 by Larry Ferlazzo / 20min 

The Best Sites For Learning About France

We’re just beginning a unit on France in my ELL Geography class. I have a number of related resources in The Best Geography Sites For Learning About Europe, but wanted to supplement it with this more specialized list: France Geography is from KidPort. France Facts World Fact Book — France Global Trek France is from Scholastic. National Geographic For Kids — France France Homework Links France: A

4 by Larry Ferlazzo / 21min 

The Best Ways To Use Mistakes When Teaching Writing

This is sort of an odd “The Best…” list. I’ve written a lot in this blog and in my books about using student mistakes as an opportunity and not as a problem, and have an extremely long The Best Posts, Articles & Videos About Learning From Mistakes & Failures list. This list, however, has a different take on the subject. I’ve only got three related resources now, but I’m hoping readers wil

14 by Larry Ferlazzo / 1h 

11-6-13 Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL

Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL: Infographic: “National Teacher’s day around the world”I’m adding this infographic to The Best Resources To Learn About World Teachers Day: Explore more infographics like this one on the web’s largest information design community – Visually.11 by Larry Ferlazzo / 2h Literably Is An Excellent Reading Site — If Used With Cauti

by mike simpson / 9h

11-7-13 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.:

Wishing Diane a speedy recovery.

Bad News from Me Dear Friends, I wanted to share some not very good news about my health. This week, my hyperactivity and age caught up with me. It turns out I am not Wonder Woman but mortal me. I have been in a hospital for teo days in Brooklyn, where they determined I have blood clots in one leg and walking pneumonia. Doctors’ orders: rest. That means I cannot fly to Chicago or Madison this wee

by Fred Klonsky / 27min 

The in box. Ingram meeting provides little in the way of answers to our Medicare Advantage questions.

Fred, I talked with two friends who attended yesterday’s meeting at Andrew High School in Tinley Park that was hosted by Dick Ingram. According to my friends, the place was packed to the max. They were both frustrated by the inability to get answers to some general concerns and specific questions. They were encouraged to contact CMS for those issues even though several other people stated at the

by Fred Klonsky / 1h mark as read  //  save

Illinois veto session ends. No pension action. But retiree health insurance remains a confusing mess.

The Illinois General Assembly adjourned today taking no action on pensions. Here is the IEA statement: End of session report – Nov. 7, 2013 November 7, 2013 By IEA Government Relations Legislative Update – Nov 7 2013 Lawmakers have adjourned and are not scheduled to return to Springfield this year. IEA Director of Government Relations Jim Reed reports that while no pension bills impacting IEA me

1 by Fred Klonsky / 1h 

Note to IEA Retired members on voting.

When casting your IEA Retired ballot be careful to follow the directions exactly. Otherwise your vote will be discarded. After marking the ballot it must be placed in the smaller envelope that has the directions but no name on it. Place that envelope in the one marked, IEA RA RETIRED DELEGATE BALLOT RETURN ENVELOPE. IEA does this so that who you vote for will remain a secret once the smaller envel

by Fred Klonsky / 2h 

Know your fingerprinted: Peggy Critchfield.

  Peggy Critchfield, President of Accurate Biometrics. A little more about the $650,000 contract that CPS, allegedly without bothering with board approval, gave to Accurate Biometrics. Accurate Biometrics will set up four locations where every CPS parent volunteer will be required to go to get fingerprinted. A condition of the contract with Accurate Biometrics is that they will hold all the data

by Fred Klonsky / 0min 

Running for our pensions.

Trying to get recognized at an IEA Representative Assembly. I’ve never campaigned to be a delegate to the IEA Representative Assembly before, although I have been a delegate for all but one of the last twenty or so. My old local, the Park Ridge Education Association, could send five delegates. And frankly it was good if most years we had five people willing to spend three days in a large hotel co

1 by Fred Klonsky / 12min 

Life in Rahm’s Chicago. Every CPS parent volunteer will be fingerprinted.

Data driven? All the research suggests that the greater the parental involvement in their children’s school the better the students perform. So CPS is requiring every parent school volunteer to be fingerprinted. And local neighborhood parents will need to travel to one of four distant locations to go through the fingerprinting process. Accurate Biometrics will be paid $650,000 a year through 2014

1 by Fred Klonsky / 16min

11-6-13 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.: Bridgeport voters fire Paul Vallas.  Bridgeport, Connecticut school superintendent, Paul Vallas. Before Arne Duncan there was Paul Vallas. When Chicago’s Mayor Richard Daley the second was handed mayoral control of the public schools, he handed them over to Paul Vallas. When Vallas’ vision of corporat

by mike simpson / 9h 

11-7-13 Ed Notes Online

Ed Notes Online:

New Haven Teachers Union Sells Out - Again - With Old Joel Klein Buddy Garth Harries

"Ciararella, who won reelection unopposed after the last contract..."? Seriously? Are we seriously at the level of discussion where these changes can occur in a New Haven and leadership doesn't even get challenged at the very next election?.... JG Posted to MORE-NewsHarries said Cicarella’s list is “an accurate description of a negotiation position.” But it was a negotiation tactic, he s

1 by ed notes online / 16min 

Portelos Hearing Continues Today/ Don't Tread on Educators Forum Next Week

I'm just running out to make the hearing and also want to alert everyone to the event Francesco is putting together next Thursday at 6PM in Elmhurst.While I am agreeing to not report details of the testimony at the hearing I will still blog about the atmosphere, who is in the room, who is testifying and any idiot things the DOE lawyers do. One of the major demands we need to make on de Blasio is t

4 by ed notes online / 41min 

Vido: Funeral for 168 Schools Chosed Under Bloomberg

http://youtu.be/USnAoe3vgEU

by ed notes online / 7h 

Will de Blasio Make Randi's Folly - er - the UFT Charter - Pay The Damn Rent?

Eva Moskowitz is viewed as a big loser in the election and the UFT even though they jumped on the bandwagon late is viewed as a winner. But what of the charters occupying public school space - given to the UFT by the way by their pal Kathy Cashin when she ran Region 5 (Dist. 19, 23 and 27)? My guess is that it is no longer politically tenable for the UFT to get free space if deB makes Eva pay.DeB

1 by ed notes online / 7h 

Time Out For Fun: Peter Lugers, Rockaway Ferry and My Backyard Project

I just can't stand to throw anything away – unless I'm blessed by a massive hurricane that floods my entire basement to the ceiling and leaves 5 feet of water in my house. I am wiping pics off my phone and what better place to store them than at ednotes?Peter LugerEvery year we celebrate my wife's cousin's birthday with steaks at Peter Luger in Williamsburg, which by the way is a few blocks from P

1 by ed notes online / 7h 

11-6-13 Ed Notes Online

Ed Notes Online: Turn on, Tune in, Opt Out: Change the Stakes Featured in Article in The NationDiana Zavala says parents are taking the reins of school governance, but with one key difference from administrators: “You can’t fire us.”... The Nation  Wooo hooo. Our awesome parent activists make the big time. Now I'm definitely going to the CTS steering committee meeting this afternoon at the very le

by mike simpson / 9h