11-8-13 The Answer Sheet - Common Core implementation called ‘worse’ than Healthcare.gov launch

Common Core implementation called ‘worse’ than Healthcare.gov launch:

Common Core implementation called ‘worse’ than Healthcare.gov launch

• BY VALERIE STRAUSS

• November 8 at 6:00 am

(Photo by Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg)

Whether you support the Common Core State Standards or don’t, it’s hard to argue that the implementation so far has been smooth. I’ve posted some pieces about just bad the implementation of the Common Core State Standards and related testing has been going  in New York (for example, here) but here’s a comparison that will make it easy to understand just how badly it has gone:

You think the Obamacare implementation is bad? The implementation of the Common Core is far worse.

That’s what American Federation of  Teachers Randi Weingarten said this week at a National Education Writers Association in Washington D.C., according to the online Capital publication — and it’s important to remember that she has been a supporter of the standards initiative.

Weingarten said that education officials in New York have done a terrible job helping

Starr, Alonso: Candidates for NYC schools chancellor?

Two education leaders in the greater Washington region — which for the purposes of this post includes Baltimore — are believed to be among those under considering to become the next chancellor of the largest school district in the country, New York City. Mayor-Elect Bill de Blasio has said he will hire someone who has […]    

1 by Valerie Strauss / 46min 

Where 4th graders are forced to take 33 standardized tests a year

When you hear people talk about the explosion of standardized testing in public education in the No Child Left Behind/Race to the Top era, it may be hard to understand just what that means to a student sitting in a classroom. This may help explain: Fourth graders in the Pittsburgh Public Schools will take 33 […]    

5 by Valerie Strauss / 5min 

Teacher: What I can’t do for students

We hear a lot about the responsibility of teachers in the effort to help students achieve, but what about students themselves? In this post, a public school teacher (who asked not to be identified because she fears she could be targeted by her bosses), writes about the complexities of her job and what frustrates her […]    

18 by Valerie Strauss / 4h 

11-7-13 The Answer Sheet - The biggest weakness of the Common Core Standards

The biggest weakness of the Common Core Standards: The biggest weakness of the Common Core StandardsBY VALERIE STRAUSSNovember 7 at 10:00 amHere’s a different look at the controversial Common Core State Standards, from Marion Brady, a veteran classroom teacher, who has written history and world culture textbooks (Prentice-Hall),  professional books, numerous  nationally distributed columns (many a

by mike simpson / 7h 

NYC Educator: Why a Second Language Is Important

NYC Educator: Why a Second Language Is Important:

Why a Second Language Is Important

I'm pretty lucky in that I teach English as a Second Language. Apart from the fact that my students are amazing, interesting, and unpredictable, they generally have an intrinsic motivation. If you want any sort of worthwhile future in the United States, you really have to learn English. If you're an aspiring dishwasher, I suppose you could do without it as long as your boss speaks your language. Otherwise, there just aren't a whole lot of options.

I'm also certified by NY State to teach Spanish, but I've rarely done it. I always think it must be very tough to make English-speaking high school kids want to learn another language, particularly if they're just dumped into the class for no special reason. We are not good language learners, and it's precisely because we live in a huge country and have to travel pretty far to need another language. Europe is different. England, for example, is just about the size of New York State.

So why do you need a second language? My wife and daughter found out the other day. There's a new gym 

Big Concerns Spur Big Turnout of Teachers at Annual NJEA Convention - NJ Spotlight

Big Concerns Spur Big Turnout of Teachers at Annual NJEA Convention - NJ Spotlight:

BIG CONCERNS SPUR BIG TURNOUT OF TEACHERS AT ANNUAL NJEA CONVENTION

JOHN MOONEY | NOVEMBER 8, 2013

Tougher evaluations, new standards and testing for students – and re-election of nemesis Gov. Chris Christie – among items on agenda

Maybe it was the pent-up energy from the year off due to Hurricane Sandy. The New Jersey Education Association's annual convention came back yesterday in full force with capacity-crowd workshops, a busy exhibition hall, and plenty of questions about coming changes in how teachers do their jobs.

The nation’s largest state convention for teachers drew more than 30,000 educators to the Atlantic City Convention Center, according to the union, which said it the event’s biggest turnout in at least a decade.

The exhibition hall was often near gridlock, and many workshops were turning away attendees for lack of space -- those dealing with coming mandates regarding teacher evaluation and new standards and testing were especially sought after.

One of the hottest tickets was a session led by Charlotte Danielson, the architect of a teacher-evaluation model being used in a majority of New Jersey school districts as part of the state’s new tenure-reform law, which aims to hold teachers more 

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Racing to the Top?

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Racing to the Top?:

Racing to the Top?

Socrates: "We're all mortal", even Diane. 

AMAZING DIANE RAVITCH, still blogging from her hospital bed. But she has to cancel her Chicago talk. First Free Church would have been packed to the rafters.

This week I realized that Socrates was right: All men are mortal. So are all women. I am going to take some time off and rest: Doctor’s order. And I will take better care of my health. I’m regretful about the reminder of my age and mortality, but I will be back. And we won’t give up.

Here's wishing her a speedy and complete recovery. I'm sending her some chicken soup.

CAN IT BE? -- Common Core implementation is worse than ObamaCare launch, says Weingarten.

#RACINGTOTHETOP -- Hey, have you heard the exciting news? NAEP math scores have rising almost 1% since 2011. Reading scores, not at all. Arne Duncan says, he "encouraged." At what?

LET US TEACH -- CTU Pres. Karen Lewis is calling on teachers and parents to take a stand against the testing mania.

“Why must our public school children be subjected to this battery of pointless 

How Do Teachers Teach in Turnaround Schools? | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

How Do Teachers Teach in Turnaround Schools? | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice:

How Do Teachers Teach in Turnaround Schools?

I posted this piece in August of 2009. I offer it again because the points I raise in it remain relevant today. Turning around a school means that federal, state, and local officials identify a low-performing school, remove staff, and new administrators and staff put certain policies in place that will get teachers to alter their lessons, develop strong relationships with their students, and raise test scores. I questioned the wisdom of that policy direction years ago when I wrote this post and continue to do so now.

Lots of stories from principals, parents, and students reveal practices that range from marvelous to malign. Individual teachers give us a sense of what happens in their classrooms. Rafe Esquith in LA writes about his lessons and his kids’ experiences in an elementary school; Sarah Fine, an English teacher in a D.C. charter school, tells of her successes and failures. But beyond stories and first-hand accounts, helpful as they are in giving us a peek into different classrooms, we know very little about the kinds of daily lessons that unfold across the grades and in academic subjects. We know especially little about classroom teaching in 

For the Record: Teach for America placement | catalyst-chicago.org

For the Record: Teach for America placement | catalyst-chicago.org:

For the Record: Teach for America placement

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As Teach for America's presence in Chicago grows, nearly 60 percent of teachers in the program are in charter schools.

By: Rebecca Harris / November 7, 2013

• 

The mass teacher layoffs this year that resulted from school closings and budget cuts have focused more attention on the district’s relationship with Teach for America and the growing presence of its teachers in CPS schools. 

Though some talk swirled in the broader school community that cheaper TFA teachers would replace laid-off veterans, those concerns appear to be for the most part unfounded. The majority of TFA teachers end up in charter schools and fewer than 10 percent land in schools run by Academy for Urban School Leadership. AUSL runs a majority of turnaround schools, where one can most easily make the argument that they are “replacing” seasoned teachers let go as part of the turnaround. 

About 24 percent end up in other schools. 

Though the number of TFA teachers remains small compared to the size of the district-wide teaching force, CPS is steadily increasing the numbers—and the size 

Monster (Teaching In The Era of Evaluations) - The Jose Vilson | The Jose Vilson

Monster (Teaching In The Era of Evaluations) - The Jose Vilson | The Jose Vilson:

Monster (Teaching In The Era of Evaluations)

by JOSE VILSON on NOVEMBER 7, 2013

in MR. VILSON

Lion Roar

The way I taught this year, you’d think I had a chip on my shoulder. I do, and now I own it.

The last two months, I revamped my whole teaching style, not because Charlotte Danielson or any other education expert told me to do it, but because I’m in my ninth year, and damnit, if I can’t do get ‘er done now, what am I doing with my life?

My portfolios come in solid greens and reds. I’ve now done four rounds of bulletin boards. My classrooms walls have drawings of the solar system from the students, scaled from calculations they did using scientific notation. I still do too much talking when it comes to the student dialogues, but I’ve also given them lots of leeway to struggle with their classwork and ask each other questions before they ask me. I wait longer when I ask a hard question and don’t allow the quicker students to blurt out the responses before I’ve given them enough time (and space) to give a solid response. I’m keeping my classroom open for the most part, and slowly people have come to visit.

All in all, I’m kicking butt, at least in the classroom.

Too often, it’s easy to look at all the troubles you’re going through and let all your blessings disintegrate in front of you, much to the pleasure of your doubters. It’s easy to look at yourself as less of a teacher when the visits don’t come, the pats on the back don’t happen, or the kids act

- See more at: http://thejosevilson.com/monster-teaching-era-evaluations/#sthash.RZVDX3E3.dpuf

Robben Island at 4360 Broadway southbronxschool.com

http://www.southbronxschool.com:

Robben Island at 4360 Broadway

As many of you know, I have been reassigned due to my blogging and exposing the day in and day out hypocrisy of the NYCDOE. I believe that this has been part of a vast conspiracy with my principal, Dr Alison Coviello; PhD and Principal at the center of the conspiracy. I don;t have any concrete evidence, but I believe that God shine a path to the truth.

Since September 3, 2013, I have been jailed at 4360 Broadway, Children's First Network 403 as my jailers. Today was the darkest day yet.

For two months I have been "stored" in the cafeteria on the 5th floor of 4360 Broadway. Yes, a cafeteria. Here is proof (over there on the left). See, it says cafeteria, but for some reason local custom (I am still studying these people) it is called a "conference room." But it does not look like any conference room I have ever seen (up above). In fact, this cafeteria/conference room is so special it has a copying machine that runs full throttle throughout the day and I get to suck in the fumes. 
 But all is not that bad. It could be worse. For instance, I have an activity to do in the 

4LAKids - L.A. UNIFIED LOSES ROUND IN EFFORT TO KEEP TEACHER RATINGS SECRET

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: L.A. UNIFIED LOSES ROUND IN EFFORT TO KEEP TEACHER RATINGS SECRET:

L.A. UNIFIED LOSES ROUND IN EFFORT TO KEEP TEACHER RATINGS SECRET

BY HOWARD BLUME, L.A. TIMES | HTTP://LAT.MS/17HNW26

November 7, 2013, 7:28 p.m.  ::  The Los Angeles Unified School District has lost a key round in a legal battle to keep the performance ratings of individual teachers confidential.
The 2^nd District Court of Appeal declined this week to consider the case after a lower court ordered the school system to turn over the information to the Los Angeles Times.
The newspaper had sought the ratings through a public records request. The school system withheld the information, citing the privacy rights of employees.
In August, L.A. County Superior Court Judge James C. Chalfant ruled that the ratings must be released because public interest in them outweighed any teacher privacy rights under the California Public Records Act.
L.A. Unified and United Teachers Los Angeles, the teachers union for the district, jointly asked Chalfant to delay the release until they could appeal the ruling. Chalfant granted that request. The appeals court's decision was dated Wednesday.
The teachers union and the district still could appeal the case to the state Supreme Court. Late Thursday, Sean Rossall, a spokesman for L.A. Unified, said the district was "in the process of evaluating all of the options before us and expect to have a decision on

LAUSD iPAD STATUS LOOKS GOOD, SCHOOL BOARD VOWS ‘WE ARE COMMITTED TO THIS. WE WILL MOVE FORWARD’

from the Huffington Post via the Los Angeles Daily News  |  By Barbara Jones and Brenda Gazzar  | http://huff.to/17hlf7e Posted: 11/06/2013 4:08 pm EST  ::  After taking a second, deeper look at Los Angeles Unified's controversial iPad project, school board members reiterated their support Tuesday for the plan to equip all 600,000 students with tablet computers while hearing about lessons

1 by smf / 25min 

On the latest D.C. NAEP Miracle | Gary Rubinstein's Blog

On the latest D.C. NAEP Miracle | Gary Rubinstein's Blog:

On the latest D.C. NAEP Miracle

by Gary Rubinstein

Today the results from the 2013 NAEP came out, and ‘reformers’ everywhere are celebrating the amazing gains by states with an aggressive reform agenda.  In 2011, the average national score for the four main NAEP tests (4th grade reading, 4th grade math, 8th grade reading, and 8th grade math) was about a 250, with the total of the four scores being 1006.  For 2013 the sum of these four scores, nationally, increased by 5 points to 1011.  But some states increased by more than 5 points, as shown on this graph that was shared often on Twitter.

This shows that the places with the greatest gains were D.C., Tennessee, and Indiana, three places that have embraced the corporate reform strategy of testing, closing down schools, and opening charters.  If this was the only data we had access to, it would seem to prove that “the 

Bad News from Me | Diane Ravitch's blog

Bad News from Me | Diane Ravitch's blog:

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 week. I will resume my schedule afterwards but try to pace myself. I will Skype when I can.

Lately, I have been worrying about who will carry the fight when I no longer can do it. It was as though I had a premonition of my health issues.

I suddenly realized that you will do it. You–teachers, principals, parents, students, administrators–will carry forward the struggle to gain respect, autonomy, and public confidence in our schools. You will fight for our children. You will stand up in every city, tow, village, snd hamlet. The blinders are off, and there is a genuine movement determined to speak out for our children, for the future of our society. You know what’s right, and you won’t slow down until every child gets an education we can all be proud of.

This week I realized that Socrates was right: All men are mortal. So are all women.

I am going to take some time off and rest: Doctor’s order. And I will take better care of my health. I’m regretful about the reminder of my age and mortality, but I will be back. And we won’t give up.

Diane Ravitch

Sue Peters: Newly Elected Seattle School Board Member | Seattle Education

Sue Peters: Newly Elected Seattle School Board Member | Seattle Education:

Sue Peters: Newly Elected Seattle School Board Member

This morning Suzanne Estey conceded the race and Sue Peters is now our newly elected School Board Director for District 4 in Seattle.

It really happened. David downed Goliath. The Goliath of $200,000 in PAC donations from a moneyed few as opposed to the $28,000 in donations from the rest of us that supported Sue’s campaign.

It was an exceptional job of campaigning by Sue, her campaign manager Kathy Smith, and everyone who made it to events handing out flyers, going door to door, talking to neighbors and friends, attending district meetings and supporting Sue in any way that was requested.

Now the real work begins.

Dora Taylor

2013 National Assessment of Educational Progress - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education)

2013 National Assessment of Educational Progress - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education):

California Students Make Major Gains in National Tests,
State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Announces

SACRAMENTO—California's eighth graders made the biggest gain in reading scores in the country last year, the 2013 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) shows, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson announced today.

Also known as the "Nation's Report Card," the NAEP test is an ongoing, nationally representative assessment designed to evaluate what American students in grades four and eight know and can do in a variety of subjects, including reading and science. It was established by Congress in 1969.

"The resilience and tenacity of our schools have seen them through some challenging years, and I'm glad to see this validation of the hard work of educators, students, and their families," Torlakson said. "These scores are another sign that we are moving in the right direction to prepare students for college and career, but we still have a lot of work to do to make sure every student graduates equipped to succeed." 

State Board of Education President Mike Kirst agreed, noting that California's scores climbed in nearly all the tested areas in addition to the grade eight reading jump.

"Literacy is at the core of a child's education, and it's remarkable to see such a major gain in scores in just one year," Kirst said. "We can all look forward to seeing where our students go from here as we continue to improve teaching and learning."

While California students continue to score a few points below other students nationwide, major gains have been made over the past decade. And while some gains were made this year in narrowing the gap between higher achieving students and African American and Hispanic students, a persistent achievement gap remained.

About 220 school districts and 740 schools in California participated in NAEP during the 2012-13 school year. NAEP results are reported for populations of students, not for individual students or schools. For complete state and national results, visit the NAEP Web site.

Grade Eight Reading Scores

California's average grade eight reading score climbed 7 points, from 255 to 262, from 2011 to 2013. Scores were also up for students of color, socioeconomically disadvantaged pupils, and children with disabilities. English learner scores were unchanged. There was no change in scores for higher achieving students and African American and Hispanic students. The average remains in the NAEP "basic" category.

Grade Eight Mathematics Scores

The average grade eight mathematics score of California was 276, up 3 points from 2011 to 2013. Scores were also up for all subgroups, including students of color, socioeconomically disadvantaged pupils, children with disabilities, and English learners. The gap in scores between higher achieving students and African American and Hispanic students narrowed slightly. The average remains in the NAEP basic category.

Grade Four Reading Scores

The average grade four reading score of California was 213, up 2 points from 2011 to 2013. California's score was in the NAEP basic range. There were modest improvements overall, with white and Hispanic students performing above the state average. The achievement gap widened slightly between higher achieving students and African American students. 

Grade Four Mathematics Scores

The average grade four mathematics score of California was 234, remaining relatively unchanged from 2011 to 2013. California's score was in the NAEP basic achievement level. There was a narrowing in scores between higher achieving students and Hispanic students. 

# # # #

Tom Torlakson — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5206, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100

With A Brooklyn Accent: Tennessee BAT Tales- Installment One

With A Brooklyn Accent: Tennessee BAT Tales- Installment One:

Tennessee BAT Tales- Installment One

Here is what is happening in Tennessee. For the past few years, working conditions for teachers and learning conditions for students have gotten progressively worse. The emphasis on testing is hurting our schools. Teachers and students are constantly preparing, taking, or reviewing tests. Many teachers are afraid to teach anything that “isn’t on the test.” 

Teacher evaluations and jobs are now tied to students’ test scores. Teachers are not even sure exactly how they are tied. Evaluations include TVAAS scores, and no one at the State level will disclose exactly HOW those scores are calculated. Scores are not only tied to teacher jobs, but also a student’s final grade. EOC’s ( End of Course Tests ) count for 25% of students’ grades in English. Teachers in a high-poverty school, that have a large number of students who speak English as a Second Language, are pretty much doomed. 

Students are burnt-out on tests. At some schools, the only grades that count on a student’s report card are test grades. Schools have adopted 

Our Children's Grim Future

Our children are being prepared, through relentless testing, now beginning as early as pre-K, for a world in which they are constantly going to be observed, monitored, evaluated, and measured in every dimension of their life, a world with little privacy, and shrinking opportunity. What is happening to their teachers is what awaits them in almost every occupation they choose to enter. If we don't r

2 by Mark Naison / 4h mark as read  //  save

YESTERDAY

The BATS, Diane Ravitch, and the DeBlasio Victory

Bill DeBlasio, a candidate who decisively rejected most of Michael Bloomberg's Corporate Education Reform agenda, has just won election as Mayor of NYC with a 49 Percentage Point Margin, the largest any mayor has achieved since 1985. Although Education was not the only area where Mr DeBlasio sought to sharply distinguish himself from his predecessor, opposition to excessive testing and school clos

15 by Mark Naison / 1d