12-19-13 Ms. Jablonski's Class Blog

Ms. Jablonski's Class Blog:

An Unequal Pledge

An anonymous family from Massachusetts is challenging the words "under God" in the pledge of allegiance in the state's highest court. The family, though they will probably lose due to the stubbornness of people about how mention of God isn't religious at all and it's just a traditional and patriotic word (HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA) or how America is a Christian nation (it's not, just to clarify),

by Chayce Davis / 33min 

I Don't Spy With My Little Eye...

The NSA collection of phone data has been deemed unconstitutional by Judge Richard Leon. The judge says that the Fourth Amendment is being violated as the collecting is an example of unreasonable search and seizure. At the moment however, the ruling is pending due to appeal, sadly.As everyone knows, the NSA has been violating the privacy of people all around the world for some time now. At last, s

by Chayce Davis / 47min 

Pedophile Leg

Children evacuated from swimming pool after prosthetic leg mistaken for pedophile An enitre class of 60 students were evacuated from a swimming pool after a prosthetic leg was mistaken for a peeping tom. "Teachers from Kings Hill Primary School in Kent spotted the leg poking out from a cubicle whilst taking their class of year 4 children swimming at Larkfield Leisure Centre." Upon invest

by Dennis Wu / 2h hide  //  save

What Immigrants Have to Say

The Pew Research Center has conducted two new surveys questioning Hispanics and Asian-Americans about their views on immigration. According to their responses, Hispanics and Asian-Americans are more concerned about not getting deported than gaining citizenship, but a large majority support a pathway to gaining citizenship. Although Democratic and Republican parties have gained support by Hispanics

by Lorenzo Bustos / 4min 

Quack Quack Quack

     One of Americas most favorite shows is now under pressure. Duck Dynasty's Phil Robertson is indefinatly suspended A &E due to his recent comments about homosexuals. In hopes to save the show, the network said,  "We are extremely disappointed to have read Phil Robertson's comments in GQ, which are based on his own personal beliefs and are not reflected in the series 'Duck Dynasty'&quo

by Loni Pooi / 10min 

Change the Mascot

Change the Mascot is a national campaign to end the use of the racial slur “Redskins” as the mascot and name of the NFL team in Washington, D.C. Launched by the Oneida Indian Nation, the campaign calls upon the NFL and Commissioner Roger Goodell to do the right thing and bring an end the use of the racial epithet. Senator Majority Leader Harry Reid has joined President Obama and House Minority Lea

1 by Ray LeBeau / 1h 

Transgender Student Law?

Have you heard about the Transgender Student Law? If not, KEEP READING!!!When students return from winter break, a new state transgender law is scheduled to go into effect and school leaders are training teachers on how to comply. Governor Jerry Brown signed AB12-66; giving transgender K through 12 students the choice of using whichever bathroom matches their gender identity and the option of pl

by Annedreah Santiag... / 1h 

Ukrainian Leader Tilts Toward Russia

Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, has complied to buy billions of government bonds and has cut the cost of gas sold to Ukraine. Many Ukrainians have protested over this new alliance with Russia, which has drawn them furthur with the European Union. Protesters have met in Kyiv's main square for almost a month. The Ukrainian President, Viktor Yanukovych is under a great amount of suspicion involv

by Jane Wagner / 36min 

New Mexico Supreme Court Rules Gay Marriage Constitutional

">The New Mexico Supreme Court  : On Thursday, The New Mexico Supreme Court declared gay marriage consitutional based on it being unconstitutional to deny a marriage license to gay and lesbian couples. From the ruling: Prohibiting same-gender marriages is not substantially related to the governmental interests advanced by the parties opposing same-gender marriage or to the purposes we have identif

by Jane Wagner / 3min 

12-18-13 Ms. Jablonski's Class Blog

Ms. Jablonski's Class Blog: Handguns and 3D printershttp://www.longisland.com/news/12-17-13/for-the-first-time-a-fully-operational-plastic-handgun-was-legally-made-using-a-3d-printer.htmlJust published today this article  reports the opinions of  politicians on the the manufacturing of plastic weaponry via the use of home 3D printers and the  bill to make them illegal. For those that do not  know

by mike simpson / 26min 

12-19-13 THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG Personalized Learning Starts with Personal Relationships — Whole Child Education

Personalized Learning Starts with Personal Relationships — Whole Child Education:

Personalized Learning Starts with Personal Relationships

December 19, 2013 by Whole Child Podcast

Download Podcast Now [Right-Click to Save]

How do we help each student succeed? One promising way is to personalize learning and put each student at the center of her learning experience. Broader than individualized or differentiated instruction, personalized learning is driven by the learner. Ensuring personalized learning for all students requires a shift in thinking about long-standing education practices, systems, and policies, as well as significant changes in the tools and resources. To address students' abilities, interests, styles, and performance, schools need to rethink curricula, instruction, and technology tools to support giving learners choices and schools flexibility.

In our last episode of the Whole Child Podcast, we discussed personalized learning in the 21st century global marketplace with professor Yong Zhao, author of the ASCD book Catching Up or Leading the Way: American Education in the Age of Globalization. In this episode, we take a look at personalizing learning on the ground and in schools and the importance of relationships in activating students to take charge of their learning. You'll hear from

• Jennifer Eldredge, a Spanish teacher at Oconomowoc High School whose district is a member of the regional Cooperative Educational Service Agency #1 which is committed to establishing personalized learning as the prevailing approach in southeastern Wisconsin.
• Andrew Miller, former classroom and online teacher and current educational consultant, ASCD Faculty member, National Faculty member at the Buck Institute for Education, and regular ASCD and Edutopiablogger.
• Beth Sanders, a high school social studies teacher at Tarrant High School in Alabama who is also the co-founder and co-director of Youth Converts Culture and was named an Apple Distinguished Educator Class of 2013 and 2013 Teacher of the Year for Tarrant City Schools.

How do you see the importance of personal relationships in engaging students? How does this method differ from differentiated instruction in the classroom?

12-18-13 THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG ED Pulse Poll Results: Which Attributes Best Reflect Personalized Learning? — Whole Child Education

ED Pulse Poll Results: Which Attributes Best Reflect Personalized Learning? — Whole Child Education:   ED Pulse Poll Results: Which Attributes Best Reflect Personalized Learning?December 18, 2013 by Kit Harris, ASCD ResearchASCD continually seeks to provide solutions to the challenges that face educators of all levels. Recently, theASCD SmartBrief ED Pulse poll asked readers about the attributes o

by mike simpson / 21h 

12-19-13 Seattle Schools Community Forum

Seattle Schools Community Forum:

Ed Reform - Who Are These People? Part One

A reader asked a simple question - who are the ed reformers? That's a more complicated question than it seems.  But let's break it down by who's who nationally, at the state level and in our city. Let me just say that there are education bloggers out there who have done the lion's share of work to compile this information so credit goes to them. The real top gun is, of course, the Gates Foundation

by Melissa Westbrook / 1h

Seattle Times and OSPI Sign Deal for SPS Student Data

I learned of this yesterday but was waiting.  KUOW has done a good job showing the issues around student data privacy.To note: - To be clear, SPS did NOT know this was happening and was not asked. - No data has been released as of today.- OSPI said the data it planned to give the Times is not available through a public records request. From the KUOW story:KUOW obtained a copy of the two-year agree

by Melissa Westbrook / 47min 

Seattle School Board Operations Committee - Could Be Interesting

The agenda for the Board's Operations Committee meeting was finally posted yesterday and now, updated today.  I'm hoping to see the new Board members there as this is the last committee meeting for the year and a good way to get up-to-speed.  What will they be talking about?a contract modification for a company called Brainbox Consulting.* 2014-2015 Transportation Service Standards.  This could be

by Melissa Westbrook / 3min 

he Times and Their Charter School Push

The Times continues its march towards becoming less of a newspaper and more of an mouthpiece for ed reform.Folks, I have personally heard from a number of Times' editors/writers who continue to claim that there is a solid wall between editorial and reporting.  That may be true in some areas but that is not true for education reporting especially on ed reform. What do they do?- they lean the report

by Melissa Westbrook / 17min 

What Mayor Bloomberg Had To Say

I had posted a link to a 5-part series at the New York Times that followed a young girl and her homeless family living in NYC.  It is devastating reading.Mayor Bloomberg weighed in.  Now, he has the biggest city in the country to run and I absolutely don't expect everything to work well particularly for the poor if only because that's not the way of the world.  But a certain level of sanitation an

by Melissa Westbrook / 4min

12-18-13 Seattle Schools Community Forum

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Washington State and Transparency in Public Records/MeetingsFrom Representative Gerry Pollet:I will be prime sponsor in House of AG Bob Ferguson's open government agenda bill (HB 2121).We've spent the past year collaborating and refining the bill to require that public officials take an on-line training to learn their obligations to the public to meet in open publi

by mike simpson / 22h 

12-19-13 The Answer Sheet

The Answer Sheet:

Pittsburgh school board drops $750,000 Teach For America contract

Here’s some education news that you don’t hear every day: The Pittsburgh school board is rescinding a $750,000 contract with Teach For America, and keeping open an elementary school slated to be shuttered. The board’s four new members, taking a new reform tact, drove the decision to drop the contract by a 6-2  vote with […]    

6 by Valerie Strauss / 19min 

Maryland takes on new Common Core role as ‘favor’ to Obama, Gov. O’Malley says

How’s this for messy? Top Maryland officials approved a contract making the state the “fiscal agent”  for one of two multi-state consortia developing  standardized tests aligned with the Common Core State Standards despite objections that the contract has no minority business participation and concerns about testing obsession. Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) acknowledged the lack of […]    

2 by Valerie Strauss / 26min 

12-18-13 The Answer Sheet

The Answer Sheet: What’s wrong with this headline?The New York Times  published a story on Hanna Skandera, New Mexico’s highly controversial education secretary-designate (she’s been “designate” for three years because Democrats refuse to hold a hearing to confirm her)  under this online headline: “A Push for Teacher Accountability Meets Resistance in New Mexico.” What’s wrong with this headline s

by mike simpson / 8h 

12-19-13 Ed Notes Online

Ed Notes Online:

Howard Schwach on John King Visit to Long Island and Parents' Objection to inBloom

Good to see my old editor at The Wave still battling the forces of evil.By Howard Schwach12/17/13http://liherald.com/valleystream/stories/State-school-boards-say-no-to-InBloom,51762A survey of more than 600 school board members across New York state found that 75 percent overwhelmingly oppose the education department’s plan to provide student data to a third-party vendor, according to the New York

by ed notes online / 35min 

12-18-13 Ed Notes Online

Ed Notes Online: More on de Blasio Chicago-based ConsultingA follow-up to our piece yesterday: DeBlasio Shadow Transition Includes Advice from Rahm EmanuelRBE at Perdido: De Blasio Uses Ed Deformer-Tied Consulting Group For Transition Team That story that Dana Rubenstein broke at Capital NY about Mayor-Elect Bill de Blasio using a Bloomberg-funded consultant group suggested by Rahm Emanuel to run

by mike simpson / 31min 

Millions of American Students Need to Learn English - Trevon Milliard - The Atlantic

Millions of American Students Need to Learn English - Trevon Milliard - The Atlantic:

Millions of American Students Need to Learn English

But only a fraction of teachers have received training to help English language learners.

 

Julie Jacobson/AP Photo

More than 5.3 million American public school students would struggle to understand this sentence. 

These students need to be taught the English language in addition to the usual material in math, science, and social studies. This presents a monumental challenge for educators nationwide, according to Patricia Gandara, a UCLA education professor whom President Barack Obama appointed to the Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics. She is also co-director of the 

Civil Rights Project at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Speaking at the Education Writers Association's National Seminar, held in May at Stanford University, Gandara referenced a nationwide survey given to teachers already trained for the growing number of English-language learners, commonly called ELLs.

“In the words of teachers themselves, they don’t feel qualified,” Gandara said.

About 40 percent of American teachers have ELL students in their classrooms, but only a third of these teachers have training for them. However, this training usually amounts to just four hours over five years, said Granada on Saturday

NYC Public School Parents: Assembly Letter to John King on inBloom and Student Privacy

NYC Public School Parents: Assembly Letter to John King on inBloom and Student Privacy:

Assembly Letter to John King on inBloom and Student Privacy

Fifty Assemblymembers sign a letter to Commissioner King, expressing their continuing concern with the the state's plan to share data with inBloom: "We do not believe the State Education Department should share this information with inBloom, especially at this time." 

Assembly Privacy Hearing Follow Up

UPDATE: School choice sounds great in theory—but who does the choosing? | Hechinger Report

School choice sounds great in theory—but who does the choosing? | Hechinger Report:

Top performing cities on NAEP test have the least poverty — but some poor cities do surprisingly well

Do cities with less poverty test better? Yes, but the correlation is not as tight as you might guess, according to 2013 test scores released Dec. 18, 2013. I put together a spreadsheet looking at the percentage of students who qualify for free and reduced priced lunch in each of the 21 urban school districts that volunteered to be part of a National Center for Education Statistics assessment (know

by Jill Barshay / 1min 

School choice sounds great in theory—but who does the choosing?

By Andre Perry

Say it ain’t so—public-school leaders in New Orleans tinkering with admissions rules to cherry-pick students? No way. These are open-enrollment public schools, aren’t they? Apparently, public schools in the highly decentralized environment of New Orleans are making independent choices. Two of the most historic high schools in the Crescent City, McDonogh 35 and Eleanor McMain Secondary School, enrolled about a quarter of their newly admitted ninth-grade classes after both schools declared that no seats remained.

Specifically, McDonogh 35 and McMain admitted more students after the Orleans Parish School Board allowed them to leave the centralized, anonymous system (OneApp, which was built to ensure a transparent and fair enrollment process) and after they told hundreds of families that no seats were available. Prior to Hurricane Katrina, both schools required students to attain certain test-scores to get in. Regardless of their past history, an injustice exists when students are denied available seats in public schools.

Neerav Kingsland, CEO of New Schools for New Orleans, and Caroline Roemer Shirley of the Louisiana Association of Public Charter Schools find fault with the much-maligned Orleans Parish School Board for allowing the schools to leave the OneApp process. But before casting blame on specific leaders, let’s examine what underlies the choice lobby.

“We need more choice!” is the rallying cry of a large faction in the current education-reform movement. Post-Katrina reform activists leveraged the lack of seats in a waterlogged district to advance a choice agenda.

Choice is certainly an important ideal. Charter groups co-signed and continuously support the 

UPDATE: FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Thursday, December 19, 2013

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team:

iPads in the classroom: Not a bust, but not yet a boon

Education Headlines

FCMAT provides links to California K-12 news stories as a service to the industry. However, some stories may not be accessible because of newspapers' subscription policies.

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Garces coaches file claim against Kern HS district, Central Section

Eight Garces football coaches, including head coach Jim Maples, are pursuing legal action against the Kern High School District, the Kern County Superintendent of Schools and the CIF Central Section.

Linden Unified has new leader

Linden Unified trustees hired Lisa Boje to be its next superintendent, ratifying a 21/2-year contract Wednesday.

Alisal school board gets through meeting - barely

It took two recesses and a silenced microphone but the Alisal Union School District Board of Trustees got through most of its meeting Wednesday night.

Long Beach school okays 3 percent raise for teachers

After five years without a raise, Long Beach Unified teachers have received a 3 percent pay bump.

Lawsuit alleges pervasive racism at Eureka City Schools

The American Civil Liberties Union filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday against Eureka City Schools, alleging pervasive and systemic racism and sexism in the district.

Funding approved to prepare Chico schools for Common Core

During a meeting when the board was one member short, the Chico Unified School District trustees approved a plan to spend $2.4 million to prepare for the academic Common Core, and rearranged their own leadership.

Los Al schools see first effects of Prop 30

The Los Alamitos Unified School District is set to receive a $2 million – or 3.9 percent – increase in state funding this fiscal year, according to the district’s latest budget estimate. It’s the district’s first estimate since it learned what it would receive in new revenue from Prop 30.

Long Beach Unified in the middle of Wi-Fi rollout

Long Beach Unified is taking a step toward that future with its $23 million project to have every classroom at its 84 schools outfitted with wireless technology by the end of the school year, enabling students and teachers to access the resources of the web from anywhere on campus.

Corona del Mar High students, tutor, accused of hacking computers

Students at Corona del Mar High School could face criminal charges after district officials say they hacked into the school’s computers to change grades and access tests, possibly with the help of a private tutor, according to a statement from the district.

Sweetwater trustee pleads guilty

Sweetwater school district trustee Arlie Ricasa will resign her seat from the school board after pleading guilty Wednesday to a misdemeanor charge of accepting gifts above state limits.

Latest revamp sought for Lincoln High

Principal Esther Omogbehin, whom students and teachers call “Dr. O,” will collaborate with San Diego Unified School District superintendent Cindy Marten to bring a middle college to Lincoln High School. It’s part of a broader turnaround effort for a campus that has been plagued with problems for decades.

Stanislaus County public schools expected to continue losing students

Stanislaus County public school enrollments have fallen since the recession began, and state demographers don’t expect student gains anytime soon.

Antioch school district settles student abuse case for $8 million

The Antioch school district announced Wednesday night it has settled with the families of eight kindergarten special education students over a teacher child abuse case and the failure of administrators to report abuse suspicions to the proper authorities

West Contra Costa board to vote Thursday on teachers' contract

West Contra Costa trustees will meet Thursday to ratify a collective bargaining agreement with the district's teachers' union expected to cost $1.5 million this year and $4.2 million in 2014-15.

iPads in the classroom: Not a bust, but not yet a boon

Mistakes made in Los Angeles are now being heeded nationally as a cautionary tale, with school districts halting technology rollouts until rules regarding the use of the devices are finalized and teachers get more training.

L.A. Unified slashes number of iPads deemed needed for student tests

Under pressure from an oversight panel, Los Angeles school officials have sharply reduced the number of iPads they say are needed to carry out new state standardized tests.

Baron: State’s largest urban districts post gains on national assessment

Three of California’s largest school districts showed gains on a national assessment of urban districts that also singled out Los Angeles and Fresno Unified for special recognition from U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Common Core is coming to Calaveras

Calaveras Unified School District students will be spending less time learning to select answers on multiple-choice tests and more time learning to think, collaborate and communicate in the coming year.

Sonora El buildings may be lost

Damage from the Nov. 25 fire at Sonora Elementary School will exceed $3 million in costs and will likely result in the school's F building being demolished, Sonora's fire chief said Monday.

California Connections Academy adds staff based on growth

A San Joaquin County virtual school has recently added eight new credentialed teachers to serve students in the Lodi and Galt area.

Exiting Orland school boss to get more than $247,000

According to a summation of the cash settlement, which along with the agreement was originally withheld by the district, von Kleist will receive $247,100.Chris von Kleist, recently exited Orland Unified School District superintendent, didn't leave his post with empty pockets.

Desert Sands Unified Wi-Fi funds OK'd

The Desert Sands Unified School District will use Common Core preparation funds to buy 6,000 Google Chromebooks and install wireless Internet at the six mid-valley schools that do not have it today.

Free lunches: Is it kids or parents who should be sweeping the... | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com

Free lunches: Is it kids or parents who should be sweeping the... | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com:

Free lunches: Is it kids or parents who should be sweeping the cafeteria floors?  

Previous Posts

• Early Christmas present for state: $51 million to expand child care for low-income families
  December 19, 2013
• NAEP: Some progress for Atlanta, but is it enough?
  December 18, 2013
• New state report: Maximize impact of digital learning
  December 18, 2013

By Maureen Downey

U.S. Rep Jack Kingston, R-Ga., has created a firestorm with his comment at a Jackson County Republican Party event that low-income kids earn their free lunch at school.

The Savannah Republican who's running for Senate said: "But one of the things I’ve talked to the secretary of agriculture about: Why don’t you have the kids pay a dime, pay a nickel to instill in them that there is, in fact, no such thing as a free lunch? Or maybe sweep the floor of the cafeteria -- and yes, I understand that that would be an administrative problem, and I understand that it would probably lose you money. But think what we would gain as a society in getting people -- getting the myth out of their head that there is such a thing as a free lunch," he said.

In response to the national outrage, Kingston’s spokesman Chris Crawford said, "It is sad that trying to have a productive conversation about instilling a strong work ethic in the next generation of Americans so quickly devolves into the usual name-calling partisan hysteria. Having worked from a young age himself, Congressman Kingston understands the value of hard work and the important role it plays in shaping young people."

I have been talking about this controversy via email with educators, some of whom think that charging kids something for the lunches might cut down on the waste. They contend that a lot of free and reduced lunches get thrown in the garbage. Having eaten lunch at school many times 

12-19-13 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):

Our Dystopia Is Now: The Circle

For twenty-first century readers and students, George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984 poses, I think, a temporal paradox. 1984, George Orwell Orwell’s “other world” appears simultaneously a horrifying totalitarian future possibility for humanity as well as a technological mutt of what someone in the past speculated about the future (consider the pneumatic tubes). As I read The Circle by Dave Eggers,

7 by plthomasedd / 33min 

12-18-13 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): 2014 Educators’ Agenda2014 Educators’ Agenda via 2014 Educators’ Agenda.1 by plthomasedd / 29min  12-17-13 the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindnessthe becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness (the public and scholarly writing by P. L. Thomas

by mike simpson / 48min