#StuVoice Twitter Chat 2.10 – #StuVoice in the Classroom Student Voice

Student Voice:



#StuVoice Twitter Chat 2.10 – #StuVoice in the Classroom 





 

Join us this Monday, February 10th to hear about the power of Student Voices in the classroom! We will be joined by teachers who have each implemented an environment where student voices are valued and heard, and we will be talking with them about how to create and maintain such an environment. We will talk about what challenges they face compared to a typical classroom setting, and how students and teachers can get involved to foster Student Voices in their own classrooms.

- See more at: http://stuvoice.org/blog/2014/02/06/stuvoice-twitter-chat-2-10-stuvoice-in-the-classroom/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=stuvoice-twitter-chat-2-10-stuvoice-in-the-classroom&utm_reader=feedly#sthash.7yPvp2HW.dpuf

A day of Common Core training | Seattle Education

A day of Common Core training | Seattle Education:

A day of Common Core training

To follow is an excerpt of a post written by a teacher who experienced a day of training for the Common Core Standards (CCS).

We began the pivot toward the actual point of the by re-affirming that how we teach should be how we assess. Don’t do a project and then give a test– use the project as the actual assessment. Not for the last time today, I could see that if you squint your eyes and look at the good parts of CCSS (what I like to call “things good teachers already do”) it provides, all on its own, a pretty strong indictment of the high stakes testing program that is its conjoined twin.

Training Day- CCS, DOK, MOUSE

Today the state of Pennsylvania provided me with some CCSS training (well, not exactly, but we’ll get to that). This blog post will probably be on the long side and perhaps not as entertaining, but for those of you who are wondering what some of this stuff looks like up close, let me give you a look. Today’s training is:

Depth of Knowledge through Performance Tasks (presented in partnership with the Common Core Institute) 

Training today involved about seventy teachers and administrators at the Intermediate Unit office (in PA, there are regional field offices for the PA DOE) in the Hemlock Room. Yes, just like the poison you drink if you’re an ancient Greek philosopher who 

2-6-14 LA School Report - What's Really Going on Inside LAUSD

LA School Report - What's Really Going on Inside LAUSD (Los Angeles Unified School District):

Vergara trial turns another focus onto LA Unified teachers

Thomas Kane A Harvard professor of education and economics provided the Vergara plaintiffs powerful testimony today when he told the court that schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District have ineffective teachers and a disproportionate number of them are assigned to minority and low income students. The opinions of Thomas Kane went to the heart of the plaintiffs’ case in Vergara v Californ

by Mark Harris / 29min 

UTLA tax return offers glimpse behind the curtain

image: UTLA.net The latest IRS tax filing for UTLA, the nation’s second largest teachers union, was made public this week on its website, providing a look into the financial health of the powerful union. For the year ending August, 2012 (the most recent available), the union reported a 2.5 percent drop in total revenue, and a 4 percent drop in membership dues. While salaries remained about the sam

14min hide  //  save

The pathway to LA Unified’s Parent Advisory Committee

via the LAUSD Parent Community Student Services Branch With new education tax dollars coming in, LAUSD is quickly assembling a 47-member Parent Advisory Committee as part of its Local Control Accountability Plan, which represents the district’s spending priorities. For parents there’s a two-step process for participating. A local School Site Council identifies interested parents as  potential cand

3 by Chase Niesner / 7min 

Commentary: Vergara case is chance to break impasse in 3 steps

By Mike Stryer and Arielle Zurzolo While the judge’s ruling in the Vergara vs. California case about educational equity remains weeks away, one verdict is already in: California suffers from a toxic polarization on educational issues that harms both students and the teaching profession. Ironically, though, the case may provide a unique window for unprecedented collaboration around teacher quality

2 by Guest Contributor / 50min 

Schools failing to protect students from abuse, US says

Via EdSource | By Jane Meredith Adams The failure of U.S. schools to protect students from sexual abuse by school personnel is a story of district cover-ups, lack of training, incomplete teacher background checks and little guidance from the U.S. Department of Education, according to a new federal report. The U.S. Government Accountability Office said the nation’s K-12 schools lack a systemic appr

3min hide  //  save

Morning Read: Brown wants new fees on prep programs

Brown calls for new fees on teacher preparation review Still struggling to find a fiscal footing in the wake of the recession, the Commission on Teacher Credentialing would be granted additional authority to impose fees on educator preparation programs under a proposal from the Brown administration. The agency, which serves as the state’s standards board for teacher certification and professional

3min 

2-5-14 LA School Report - What's Really Going on Inside LAUSD

LA School Report - What's Really Going on Inside LAUSD (Los Angeles Unified School District): Morning Read: State Controller wants to post public school salariesController seeks pay data from all California public schools State Controller John Chiang has asked every public school district in the state to provide salary and benefit information for all employees and elected officials so that it can

by mike simpson / 21h 

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 2-6-14

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit:

Adults Behaving Badly: Zero-tolerance wins/Restorative justice loses/Justice undone/Kids are expelled - ADMINISTRATOR QUITS, SAYS O.C. DISTRICT FUMBLED CHEATING SCANDAL

Jane Garland says 11 expelled students were arbitrarily selected, and some knew of a scheme to hack into the Newport-Mesa Unified School District's computers but didn't participate. By Christopher Goffard, LA Times | http://lat.ms/1g6Gatm February 5, 2014, 9:23 p.m. :: Deepening the intrigue in a cheating scandal that has shaken one of the state's top schools, an administrator for a coastal

by smf / 12min hide  //  save

Lausd Employees Take To Facebook To Voice Anger Over Lack Of Repairs

One teacher says the Facebook page shines a light on the poor conditions of the schools at a time when $1 billion is being spent on iPads By Christina Cocca and Robert Kovacik, KNBC  News | http://bit.ly/1eYlG3P Thursday, Feb 6, 2014  |  Updated 1:50 AM PST  ::  Los Angeles Unified School District workers have taken to social media to showcase their anger over crumbling buildings and insect

by smf / 39min 

ABUSE CHARGES DROPPED AGAIST SECOND MIRAMONTE TEACHER + smf’s 2¢

Prosecutors dismiss the case after the girl who alleged the abuse declined to testify against Martin Springer. L.A. Unified stands by its decision to fire Springer and pay $3 million in settlements. By Alan Zarembo and Howard Blume | LA Times | http://lat.ms/1iv2P4G   February 5, 2014, 7:33 p.m.  ::  Los Angeles County prosecutors have dropped their case against a Miramonte Elementary

1 by smf / 1h 

Deasy Addresses “School Choice Week” Photo-Op Event At Union Station

by smf for 4LAKidsNews from the NSCW Facebook Page. How many kids do you see who should’ve been in school? 6 Feb 2014  :: A week ago  Dr. John Deasy, the superintendent of Los Angeles Unified School District took time from his busy schedule running the nation’s second largest school district and testifying for the plaintiffs in the Vergara v. California lawsuit (the plaintiffs allege that

1 by smf / 47min 

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 2-5-14

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: Anonymous L.A. School Employees Turn To Facebook To Spotlight Needed RepairsAnnie Gilbertson| Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC http://bit.ly/1cQSzTk   Repairs Not iPads/Facebook | A photo posted on a Facebook group called "repairs not iPads." February 4th, 2014, 6:30am  ::  Los Angeles Unified School District staff have taken to Facebook to put a spotl

by mike simpson / 22h 

2-6-14 @ The Chalk Face

@ THE CHALK FACE:

Update on Common Core Status in the States: Part One

With many states beginning their legislative sessions, issues surrounding the fate of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are front and center in statehouses across the country. Below is the first installment of updates on the issue of CCSS. Given the volume of information, I will likely have to break the information into three posts. […]

by deutsch29 / 4min

Teflon, Fatalism, and Accountability

Teflon, Fatalism, and Accountability. via Teflon, Fatalism, and Accountability.

1 by plthomasedd / 22min 

2-5-14 @ The Chalk Face

@ THE CHALK FACE: The Moratorium Miracle: Delaying PARCC Can Actually Help Save ItToday I read two articles regarding testing and the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). After reading both, I am left with the same thought: The events detailed in both articles promote CCSS survival– and by extension– PARCC survival. The first is this press release regarding the Partnership for the Assessment of Rea

by mike simpson / 27min 

2-6-14 the becoming radical | Teflon, Fatalism, and Accountability

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

English in the American Scene (1941)

English in the American Scene (1941).

1 by plthomasedd / 12min

Teflon, Fatalism, and Accountability

One legacy of Ronald Reagan’s presidency is his being tagged the Teflon president, as Patricia Schroeder explained: As a young congresswoman, I got the idea of calling President Reagan the “Teflon president” while fixing eggs for my kids. He had a Teflon coat like the pan. Why was Reagan so blame-free? The answer can be found in the label that did stick to him — “The Great Communicator.” Reagan’s

9 by plthomasedd / 21min 

2-4-14 the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness by P. L. Thomas, EdD

the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness (the public and scholarly writing by P. L. Thomas, Furman University): From Failing to Killing Writing: Computer-Based GradingIn Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises, Bill and Mike discuss Mike’s bankruptcy: “How did you go bankrupt?” Bill asked. “Two ways,” Mike said. “Gradually and then suddenly.” Someday soon, two teachers of writing wi

by mike simpson / 16min 

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Thursday, February 6, 2014

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team:

Brown calls for new fees on teacher preparation review

Education Headlines

Thursday, February 6, 2014

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.

Lodi Unified School District officials approve raises for teachers

Lodi Unified School District has agreed to give teachers raises and cancel furlough days.

Burglars vandalize, steal laptops and balls from Chapman School

Teachers and students arrived Monday at Chapman School to find it had been burglarized and vandalized while they were away.

Indio High School TB testing: Second round set as precaution

About 120 Indio High School students and some staff members had a second round of testing for tuberculosis Tuesday, according to the Riverside County Department of Public Health. Students were last examined in December after one of them tested positive for tuberculosis.

Desert Sands school district offers classified staff a raise

After several years of dwindling salaries, the Desert Sands Unified School District has offered a 5 percent raise and an $800 bonus to about 1,000 custodians, cafeteria workers, bus drivers and other classified employees.

Alpine teachers reject tentative pact

In a vote taken Tuesday and Wednesday by secret ballot and announced Wednesday afternoon, members of the Alpine Teachers Association rejected a proposed contract settlement with the Alpine Union School District.

Abuse charges dropped against Miramonte teacher

Prosecutors dismiss the case after the girl who alleged the abuse declined to testify against Martin Springer. The Los Angeles Unified School District stands by its decision to fire Springer and pay $3 million in settlements.

PETA apologizes to Woodland Hills school after graphic materials distributed to children

Following a dust-up over graphic animal cruelty images distributed to elementary-school students in Woodland Hills last week, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has issued a public apology to the school’s principal, pledging to “mend fences.”

Adams: Schools failing to protect students from sexual abuse by school personnel, federal report says

The failure of U.S. schools to protect students from sexual abuse by school personnel is a story of district cover-ups, lack of training, incomplete teacher background checks and little guidance from the U.S. Department of Education, according to a new federal report.

Cheating scandal: Newport-Mesa official resigns to protest expulsions

An administrator for the Newport-Mesa Unified School District resigned Wednesday after alleging the school district badly mishandled a computer-hacking scandal that resulted in the expulsion of 11 students.

LAUSD will pursue firing of Miramonte teacher after charges dropped

The Los Angeles Unified School District said it would not reverse its decision to fire former Miramonte Elementary teacher Martin Springer after charges against him were dropped Wednesday, officials said.

Brown calls for new fees on teacher preparation review

Still struggling to find a fiscal footing in the wake of the recession, the Commission on Teacher Credentialing would be granted additional authority to impose fees on educator preparation programs under a proposal from the Brown administration.

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

San Joaquin suspension up; question is, by how much?

School discipline statistics released by the California Department of Education last week show that San Joaquin County suspensions increased by 0.5 percent from 2011-12 to 2012-13, and that expulsions decreased significantly.

EdSource: Q&A - The uncommon challenge of Common Core

If you’re like most people, you probably still have some questions: If you’re a teacher, what will the Common Core Standards do to your lesson plans? If you’re a parent, how will this affect your kid? And if you’re a student: Like, what tests are you going to have to take?

Police send evidence in Corona del Mar cheating case to lab

Police have not located the tutor accused of being a central figure in the Corona del Mar High hacking scheme, but detectives have submitted evidence gathered during a search of the man’s Irvine home to an FBI crime lab for analysis, officials said.

LBUSD looks to cut Jordan's international baccalaureate program

Carlos Montes was among about a dozen students, teachers and alumni who addressed the Long Beach Unified School Board Tuesday night asking that they not eliminate the International Baccalaureate program, which has been at the school for decades.

Cortez Quinn ends self-imposed leave, attends Twin Rivers board meeting

Cortez Quinn walked into the Twin Rivers Unified School District board room Tuesday night, camera crews chasing behind him, before joining the rest of the school board last night. Quinn had been on a self-imposed 90-day leave from his board seat since shortly after his arrest Nov. 6 for allegedly accepting illegal loans from a school employee, falsifying a paternity test and using it in court to deny paternity.

Civil Rights Hero James Meredith Issues the American Child's Education Bill of Rights - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

Civil Rights Hero James Meredith Issues the American Child's Education Bill of Rights - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher:

Civil Rights Hero James Meredith Issues the American Child's Education Bill of Rights

By Anthony Cody on February 6, 2014 10:30 AM

A while back I shared  a review of James Meredith's memoir, A Mission From God: A Memoir And A Challenge For America.

For those too young to remember, in 1962 Meredith became the first black student to graduate from the University of Mississippi. In 1966 he was shot while leading the March Against Fear, an effort to register African Americans to vote. He recovered from his wounds to complete the march, which became one of the biggest marches in civil rights history, and he went on to earn a law degree at Columbia University.

This year, Meredith has offered a fresh call to conscience, through his Educational Bill of Rights for America's Children. But this icon of the civil rights movement is charting a very different path from that of the corporate-led "education reform."  Although he is now 80 years old, Meredith drives his grandchildren to public school every day in Jackson, Mississippi. His Bill of Rights shows he has a close eye 21st century education.

A release from James Meredith does not pull any punches.

 Our schools are being destroyed by politics, profit, greed and lies. Instead of evidence-based practices, money has become the engine of education policy, and our schools are being hijacked by politicians, non-educators and for-profit operators. Parents, teachers, citizens and 

Trust Minnesotans, not outside franchises, on school reform | Star Tribune

Trust Minnesotans, not outside franchises, on school reform | Star Tribune:

Trust Minnesotans, not outside franchises, on school reform

• Article by: DENISE SPECHT 
• Updated: February 5, 2014 - 6:31 PM

A dogmatic bunch, including the controversial Michelle Rhee, will make presentations at an event in St. Paul on Thursday.

Rhee-lated $tory: Michelle Rhee answers Ravitch in New Book

al$o $ee Rhee-lated $tory: Excerpts from "Rhee The Art of the Deal" a new $tory about Corporate Education Reform and the Woman that make$ it Happen!

 I was on the Red Lake Indian Reservation last week for the fourth of Education Minnesota’s community conversations on teacher quality. The drive back to the Twin Cities gave me a chance to think about the two approaches to education reform playing out in our state.

The 70,000 educators in our union believe the first step toward meeting the changing needs of our students is to listen to parents, students, community members and front-line educators. So Education Minnesota has hosted meetings in Rochester, Brooklyn Center, St. Paul and Red Lake, with more planned in Willmar and Duluth.

We schedule these meetings in local buildings, in the evening, when it’s more convenient for busy parents and students. Admission is free, and so are the snacks. We don’t lecture — we listen and take notes. We will collect everyone’s thoughts and present them this spring. With luck, we will persuade lawmakers and school board members to turn those ideas into policies.

The other reform approach will be on display Thursday morning at a riverfront hotel in St. Paul. This approach treats education policy like fast food — sold by national franchises and consumed by those who can pay. Several national advocacy groups, including StudentsFirst and the National Council on Teacher Quality, are scheduled to present at an event sponsored by the Minnesota Chamber of