11-12-13 The Answer Sheet

The Answer Sheet:

All that bad information about the new NAEP scores

The 2013 math and reading scores for the National Assessment of Educational Progress were recently released and there has been a lot of loud reaction — both triumphant and defeatist — about the results. If you listen to D.C. public schools officials, a bump up in scores proves the results show how brilliant their school […]    

1 by Valerie Strauss / 1h 

Maryland teacher petitions to cancel state standardized test

A Maryland teacher has started a petition to cancel this year’s administration of the Maryland School Assessment test because the results will have no validity and it is “an irresponsible waste of taxpayer money and instructional time to administer this test.” Tiferet Ani from Blake High School in Montgomery County wrote in this on the move.org […]    

5 by Valerie Strauss / 22min 

Fraternity pledge loses testicle in hazing stunt

The nauseating fraternity/sorority stories  – many of them involving hazing — just keep on coming. The latest is from Wilmington College in Ohio, where three pledges of Gamma Phi Gamma who were taken to the basement of the fraternity, called “Gobbler House,” and subjected to a series of miserable exercises, including being blindfolded, told to […]    

8 by Valerie Strauss / 5h 

11-11-13 The Answer Sheet

The Answer Sheet: Why colleges shouldn’t check online life of applicantsYes, Jacob and Sophia and Emma and Mason and all you other students planning to apply to college some year soon: Your online life can affect your chances of getting into the school of your dreams — or any school at all. Fair or not. According to a new survey, more college admissions officers than […]    by Valerie Strauss / 4m

by mike simpson / 8h 

Shanker Blog » I Am Malala: A Book Review

Shanker Blog » I Am Malala: A Book Review:

I Am Malala: A Book Review

Posted by Randall Garton on November 12, 2013

In October, 2012, the Pakistani Taliban attempted to assassinate Malala Yousafzai, a teenager known throughout Pakistan for her outspoken advocacy of woman’s rights, especially a woman’s right to education. Standing up for women’s rights can be a risky business in countries such as Pakistan and Afghanistan, where violent Islamist extremists have a strong foothold. But these religious disputes were thought to be mainly an adult affair. Innocents suffered, to be sure, but only as a regrettable consequence of grownups’ attacks on each other. Few expected that even the Taliban would target a precocious schoolgirl – until Malala.

The attack triggered an international uproar. Malala was shot in the head while sitting in a school bus (two of her friends also were hit in the spray of gunfire). It was a survivable injury, but the critical care facilities she needed do not exist in Pakistan. After initial fumbles, Pakistani government officials scrambled to respond. Malala was whisked away to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, England. She recovered and, with her family, began a new life in exile, still under Taliban death threat. The teenager from Pakistan’s remote Swat Valley of is an international celebrity. She was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize and received the 2013 Andrei Sakharov Award. She has been made an honorary citizen of Canada. She has spoken at the United Nations and, recently, she met Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain.

And now, with the help of a skilled ghostwriter, Ms. Yousafzai has written a book: I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban.

It is a wonderful book that succeeds at multiple levels. It is a warm tale of a talented girl and her family, set against the complex and shifting events of Pakistani politics and the native Pashtun culture; it is a riveting and intense 

11-12-13 the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness (the public and scholarly writing by P. L. Thomas, Furman University)

the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness (the public and scholarly writing by P. L. Thomas, Furman University):

the everyday motion of artifacts: The 451 App

the everyday motion of artifacts: The 451 App (22 August 2022).

by plthomasedd / 15min 

Middletown Voice | Guest Blog: From Spellings to Duncan: Using NAEP as Policy Propaganda by Paul Thomas

Middletown Voice | Guest Blog: From Spellings to Duncan: Using NAEP as Policy Propaganda by Paul Thomas

by P. L. Thomas / 39min 

“Fahrenheit 451″ 60 Years Later: “Why do we need the things in books?”

“Sometimes writers write about a world that does not yet exist,” Neil Gaiman begins his Introduction to the 60th Anniversary Edition of Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451: This is a book of warning. It is a reminder that what we have is valuable, and that sometimes we take what we value for granted…. People think—wrongly—that speculative fiction is about predicting the future, but it isn’t; or if it is

30 by plthomasedd / 2h 

The Changing Dynamics of Public and Charter Schools in Philadelphia | Writing Workshop Fall 2013

The Changing Dynamics of Public and Charter Schools in Philadelphia | Writing Workshop Fall 2013

1 by P. L. Thomas / 3h  

11-11-13 the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness

the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness (the public and scholarly writing by P. L. Thomas, Furman University): The Poverty Trap: Slack, Not Grit, Creates Achievement | joaquin's dilemmasThe Poverty Trap: Slack, Not Grit, Creates Achievement | joaquin's dilemmas1 by P. L. Thomas / 1h mark as read  //  saveremnant 39: “Lou Reed was massively important to ‘Island of Misfit Toys’ kid

by mike simpson / 8h 

11-12-13 Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL

Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL:

New Multimedia On Typhoon Tragedy

Here are the newest additions to The Best Resources For Learning About Typhoon Haiyan: Here are some resources from The New York Times: Mapping the Destruction of Typhoon Haiyan is an interactive. Pictures of Typhoon Haiyan’s Wrath Here’s another video:

10 by Larry Ferlazzo / 2h

  

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

Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL: Quote Of The Day: “The Myth of Teachers Not Changing”The Myth of Teachers Not Changing is a new post by Larry Cuban. Here’s an excerpt:17 by Larry Ferlazzo / 1h mark as read  //  saveTeaching English With Lucha LibreMy latest New York Times post for English Language Learners uses the Mexican wrestling phenomenon called Luch

by mike simpson / 8h 

11-12-13 Fred Klonsky | Running for our pensions. | VOTE 4 Fred Klonsky

Fred Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacher who is just looking at the data.:

Stats.

  1.4 million page views. 10,000 comments. Best single day: 10,216 6,745 posts. 1,200 daily subscribers. Daily average the past seven days: 2,900  

by Fred Klonsky / 10min 

The in box. Progressive Reform Caucus to Call Votes on TIF Surplus Ordinance, Elected School Board Resolution.

CHICAGO (November 12, 2013)–The Chicago City Council Progressive Reform Caucus on Wednesday will invoke Rule 41  to allow an open debate and vote on the floor of the City Council for  two education-related ordinances that have been stalled in the Committee on Committees, Rules and Ethics for months. Under consideration is an ordinance, introduced by Progressive Caucus Co-Chair Ald. Bob Fioretti

by Fred Klonsky / 31min 

George Schmidt. “What counts on election day is who we walk the precincts for.”

George Schmidt publishes Substance News. I’m really loving these updates on Pat Quinn’s political suicide. Quinn’s slap in the face to the Chicago Teachers Union will prove as big a mistake as any of the others. On October 25, Quinn was at our LEAD (Legislators Educators Appreciation Dinner) where 2,000 CTU members and friends cheered him (although some actually booed even then). Obviously by that

by Fred Klonsky / 3min 

The in box. “Let’s get out of our denial.”

Drawing from my blog, June 13, 2013. Fred, We already know for sure Quinn/Vallas aren’t going to be good for public education, current teachers, retired teachers, ALL unions, and regular working families in Illinois. And we know for sure that Republicans won’t offer anyone better and probably worse than Quinn/Vallas. So why don’t all the unions–including SEIU, IFT, IEA, AFSCME and all others get

by Fred Klonsky / 1min 

Vallas is not Squeezy’s only union problem.

The Paul Vallas choice for lieutenant governor isn not Squeezy’s only union problem. The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) ponied up $2.5 million the last time Squeezy ran for governor. Remember he only won by around 30,000 votes. SEIU represents the six thousand Chicago Park District employees that are covered by SB 1523. Sun-Times: Under the plan carried by House Speaker Michael Madi

by Fred Klonsky / 12min 

Bev Johns from the CMS meeting in Springfield.

Teacher and Special Education advocate Bev Johns is attending the CMS meeting in Springfield today. She is sending me frequent reports from the meeting which I will repost during the day. Check back during the day for her latest comments. 9:02 AM: We arrived. Hard to find. Most people parked illegally in a lot that has a tow away sign. Janice Bonneville from CMS is here. Crowded already and it is

2 by Fred Klonsky / 49min

Life in Rahm’s Chicago. Who do you Trust?

In 2012 Rahm and Bill Clinton announced the creation of the Infrastructure Trust. They claimed it was a way to address the city’s decaying infrastructure using private sector money. Today the Infrastructure Trust will announce it’s first project: A $27 million plan to retrofit City Hall and some other public buildings and make them more energy efficient. Who could be against energy efficiency? Un

1 by Fred Klonsky / 7min 

Yolanda relief.

The videos are almost too painful to watch. I cannot imagine what is must be like to have family there and not know if they are dead or alive. If you can, make a donation to the typhoon Yolanda relief. I prefer to donate to smaller, on-the-ground organizations. But do what you can to which ever relief group you prefer.

3 by Fred Klonsky / 35min

11-11-13 Fred Klonsky | Running for our pensions. | VOTE 4 Fred Klonsky

Fred Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacher who is just looking at the data.: The in box. Benefits with strings attached.Patrick Yeagle, The Illinois Times A new package of health benefits for state retirees comes with a string attached: an audit to make sure every dependent on the new plans is eligible for coverage. But some retirees say the audit is skewed to kick people off

by mike simpson / 8h 

Does California’s New Testing Law Help or Hurt? | InterACT

Does California’s New Testing Law Help or Hurt? | InterACT:

Does California’s New Testing Law Help or Hurt?

NOVEMBER 12, 2013

tags: ab484, SF Chronicle, standardized testing

by David B. Cohen

Is an obsolete test an appropriate accountability tool?

About a week ago, the San Francisco Chronicle published a guest editorial by George Miller – Congressman, NCLB architect, and a “hero” to Democrats for Education Reform – and Russlyn Ali, former Assistant Secretary of Education for Civil Rights. I’ve met Ali briefly, after I spoke to commissioners of the U.S. Department of Education’s Equity and Excellence Commission. She’s done some fine work at the federal level, and has now left government to chair the Emerson Education Fund. While I can find plenty to admire in Ali’s overall commitment to education and civil rights, I disagree strongly with the main thrust of this editorial. In fact, I find it puzzling that a slight disruption in standardized testing has been met with such concern, as if California had abandoned a program that was working well, and wasn’t planning to resume massive amounts of testing in the near future.

Secretary of Education Arne Duncan (2011, photo by the author)

The trigger event was the passage of AB484, a bill that eliminated California’s existing standardized testing regimen a year before it was set to expire anyways, and set conditions to allow school districts a trial run with partial Common Core testing this year. The state’s decision creates a potential conflict with federal policy, and the 

Ed Reform Needs a Nixon-to-China Moment - Bridging Differences - Education Week

Ed Reform Needs a Nixon-to-China Moment - Bridging Differences - Education Week:

Ed Reform Needs a Nixon-to-China Moment

By Deborah Meier on November 12, 2013 8:31 AM

Today, Robert Pondiscio, the executive director of CitizenshipFirst, joins Deborah Meier on Bridging Differences. He will blog with her for the next month or more.

Thanks Deborah, for inviting me to blog with you at Bridging Differences.  I'm grateful to have the opportunity to engage with you here over the next few weeks. 

Let me tell you about two of my friends in education, Chris Lehmann and Doug Lemov.  I admire them both personally and professionally, although you could hardly imagine two more different characters.  Chris is the son of a labor lawyer who founded the Science Leadership Academy  (SLA), a progressive magnet high school in Philadelphia. Doug is revered in the world of so-called "No Excuses" charter schools.  I've been a big booster of his work, especially his book Teach Like a Champion.

Doug is as quiet as Chris is gregarious.  I sense they would bond over their love of sports, teaching, and kids, but as far as I know, they haven't met. They probably won't.  And that's a problem. 

Most of my post-classroom work, both at the Core Knowledge Foundation and atCitizenshipFirst, the civic education initiative I'm developing at Democracy Prep Public Schools

The Shriver Report – Advice for New Parents – Moms AND Dads

The Shriver Report – Advice for New Parents – Moms AND Dads:

Advice for New Parents – Moms AND Dads

THE GOOD MEN PROJECT | 11.12.2013

By Heather Gray

Last month, the Huffington Post tackled advice for newborn dads and they fumbled. Their tips included sideline jobs of parenting like learning the car seat and keeping the pantry stocked. Really? We are going to help new dads looking to be more involved by giving them handymen tasks?

Any dad looking for advice is looking to be involved. This list alienates by assigning new dads tasks that keep them from actively engaging in parenthood. If dads are coming to a parenting blog for advice, they are ready to raise the bar. It’s time parenting professionals get on board and support them.

Supporting dads means encouraging them to be involved and supporting their efforts in word and in action. Often times, it can be done by adding just one “and” to the advice given. Learn the car seat AND attend as many well-baby visits as possible. Assemble the breast pump AND take care of as many feedings as your schedule allows.

We will not succeed at parenting equality or in supporting involved

Women and Power: Imagining a New Way Forward

The intersection of care and career is a pain point for many women – and men – as more households are perpetually managing the juggle of raising children and working outside of the home. Debora Spar, President of Barnard College, and author of Wonder Women: Sex, Power and the Quest for Perfection, has been a leading force in igniting conversations around women and leadership.  She shared some of

3 by Cara Lemieux / 5h 

LA Unified board to vote on future of iPad program | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC

LA Unified board to vote on future of iPad program | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC:

LA Unified board to vote on future of iPad program

Annie Gilbertson | November 12th, 2013, 6:00am

Grant Slater/KPCC

Second graders Mark G. and Brandon C. play educational games on iPads at a charter school in Huntington Park.

The Los Angeles Unified School board will vote Tuesday on whether to put its controversial iPad program on hold - or move forward, although at a slower pace than originally planned.

Board of Education member Monica Ratliff has put forth a plan for vote that would allow more time to study best practices during the pilot project before putting the iPads in every school. She also asks the board to consider a laptop pilot for comparison.

But the superintendent and others on the board are pushing to move full speed ahead. Board member Monica Garcia is recommending the pilot of 30,000 devices be expanded immediately to full rollout of 650,000 iPads.

L.A. Unified is the second largest school district in the country behind New York. Its initiative to equip every student with a tablet is the largest in the nation.

The original plan was to use school construction bonds to finance the purchase of the devices and corresponding network upgrades - but as costs have grown, the plan has 

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Study war no more

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Study war no more:

Study war no more

There was no where to go, no channel to turn this past 3-day weekend, to escape the hyper-commercialized Veteran's Day war culture. College and NBA basketball teams playing in camouflage uniforms. But little was said about the growing veteran suicide epidemic -- 8,000 each year, 22 each day.

Fredy Guiterrez

While last night's Dolphin/Bucs game was turned into a military extravaganza, there was no break in the action to show 59-year-old vet Fredy Guiterrez out on the turnpike near the Ft. Lauderdale Airport, dangling his legs over the overpass with a rope around his neck.

According to the police who finally talked him down, Guiterrez has had difficulty getting help from the