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Monday, February 17, 2014

Morning Wink 2-17-14 AM Posts #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2


BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS




LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH ALL WEEK LONG Diane Ravitch's blog 2-17-14 #thankateacher #EDCHAT #P2
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Alfie Kohn on Grit and Its MisusesDue to the success of Paul Tough’s book “How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character,” the corporate reformers seized on the idea that what is needed for academic success is not just strict discipline and constant test prep, but GRIT. Grit, meaning perseverance. As Alfi
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 2-17-14
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: Common Core Curriculum Now Has Critics On The Left“N0w?”  Really?  NYTimes now has reporters on the story! By AL BAKER, New York Times | http://nyti.ms/1eIoGkb   Kimberly Celifarco with one of her kindergarten students, Gerson Perez, 5, at Public School 253 in Brooklyn. Victor J. Blue for The New York Times FEB. 17, 2014 /page A1 ::  The Common Core has
2-17-14 @ The Chalk Face
@ THE CHALK FACE: A quick bite, using the new-new #commoncore math to calculate tips. Nicely done.Pretty funny!1 by Shaun Johnson / 3min All Week 2-16-14 @ THE CHALK FACE@ THE CHALK FACE: #Edreform is Omni Consumer Products #robocopI’m not too excited about the Robocop reboot. It seems like it lost the original’s wit, humor, and surprisingly serious commentary about a largely predicted dystopian f
Help! I need your advice. Should I apply to Teach For America? | Cloaking Inequity
Help! I need your advice. Should I apply to Teach For America? | Cloaking Inequity: Help! I need your advice. Should I apply to Teach For America?Teach For America (TFA) is soooo magnum sexy right now. For example, one of the “charities” that was sponsored during the past weekend’s NBA All-Star festivities was TFA. TFA was placed on a pedestal with the Wounded Warrior Project, UNICEF and the Ameri
2-17-14 Wait What?
Wait What?: Weekend Re-cap – The battle against the Common Core Smarter Balanced Assessment TestMore than 500 New York State principals slam Common Core testing frenzy While Stefan Pryor, Governor Malloy’s Commissioner of Education, and the Connecticut State Department of Education are instructing Connecticut superintendents and principals to mislead and lie to parents in an attempt to scare paren
2-17-14 The Answer Sheet
The Answer Sheet: The 2014 Presidents’ Day quizHere it is: the 2014 Presidents’ Day quiz. How much don’t you know? 1) Which president was the first to be born a U.S. citizen? a) James Madison b) Martin Van Buren c) John Quincy Adams d) Andrew Jackson 2) The Monroe Doctrine, introduced in 1823, declared that no European nation should from then on […]    2 by Valerie Strauss / 35min hide  //  saveVe
Ms. Jablonski's Class Blog 2-17-14
Ms. Jablonski's Class Blog: Obama decries Uganda anti-gay lawMany homosexuals in sub-Saharan African countries have been severely discriminated against or in most cases, they are thrown in jail. Lesbians, for example, have been "deliberately targeted for sexual violence." Since the colonial-era, homosexuality has been illegal under a law that criminalizes sex acts - being defined as &quo
2-17-14 Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL
Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL: Resources For International Mother Language DayFebruary 21st has been designated International Mother Language Day by UNESCO. You might be interested in The Best Resources For International Mother Language Day.by Larry Ferlazzo / 54min hide  //  saveThis Week’s Round-Up Of Useful Posts On Education PolicyHere are some recen
2-17-14 Fred Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacher
Fred Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacher who is just looking at the data.: Some IEA – Rauner history. A history of being pragmatic.. The Illinois Education Association and the Illinois Retired Teachers Association have a long and rocky history together. But since I have become active in both, I have argued for reconciliation and common efforts where our interests converge. A
2-17-14 Perdido Street School Week
Perdido Street School: Andrew Cuomo's Hypocrisy Over SUNYGovernor Cuomo announced the following plan yesterday: ALBANY -- Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said Sunday the state will expand the opportunity for inmates to get college degrees as a way to keep them from returning to prison and save tax dollars. Cuomo said the state pays $60,000 a year to keep a prisoner incarcerated and 40 percent return to priso
2-17-14 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): Professors as Public Intellectuals: A ReaderWith Professors, We Need You!, Nicholas Kristof makes a case for professors as public intellectuals: Professors today have a growing number of tools available to educate the public, from online courses to blogs to social media.
GoPublicSchool.com « An open discussion of public school issues. GoPublicSchool.com
GoPublicSchool.com « An open discussion of public school issues. GoPublicSchool.com:  Common Core now has critics on the left…Al Baker in The New York Times… “The Common Core has been applauded by education leaders and promoted by the Obama administration as a way to replace a hodgepodge of state standards with one set of rigorous learning goals. Though 45 states and the District of Columbia have
2-17-14 empathyeducates – Common Core Curriculum Now Has Critics on the Left
empathyeducates: Common Core Curriculum Now Has Critics on the LeftPhotograph; Kimberly Celifarco with one of her kindergarten students, Gerson Perez, 5, at Public School 253 in Brooklyn. Victor J. Blue for The New York Times By Al Baker | Originally Published at The New York Times. February The Common Core has been applauded by education leaders […]by empathy / 5h  2-16-14 empathyeducates – The S
Candidates piling on as deadline nears for LA school board special election | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC
Candidates piling on as deadline nears for LA school board special election | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC: Candidates piling on as deadline nears for LA school board special electionAdolfo Guzman-Lopez | February 17th, 2014, 5:45amMary Plummer/KPCCThe Los Angeles Unified school board discusses the district's arts education plan during a meeting Feb. 11, 2014.Eight candidates have thrown their hats in
Real Discipline in School - NYTimes.com
Real Discipline in School - NYTimes.com: Real Discipline in SchoolBy ROBERT K. ROSS and KENNETH H. ZIMMERMANFEB. 16, 2014 LAST month, Maryland became one of the first states to tackle the widespread injustice of overly harsh discipline policies in our schools, adopting regulations that require an end to practices that have doubled the number of out-of-school suspensions for African-American studen
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES: WEEKEND QUOTABLESJordan Davis' mother, Lucia McBath leaves the courtroom with her husband Curtis McBath.Ta-Nehisi CoatesThe most mendacious phrase in the American language is "black on black crime," which is uttered as though the same hands that drew red lines around the ghettoes of Chicago are not the same hands that drew red lines aroun
Jordan Russsell’s Mother Speaks Out Against “Stand Your Ground Law” | Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!
Jordan Russsell’s Mother Speaks Out Against “Stand Your Ground Law” | Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!: Jordan Russsell’s Mother Speaks Out Against “Stand Your Ground Law”Filed under: American Injustice,Racism,Trayvon Martin — millerlf @ 8:42 am Photo from the January 14 cover of Jet MagazineWords of Jordan’s Mother, Ms. Lucia McBath, at a hearing before the  United States Senate on “sta
Teachers as Trustees, Part 1 | InterACT
Teachers as Trustees, Part 1 | InterACT: Teachers as Trustees, Part 1FEBRUARY 17, 2014tags: Chiang, guest posts, school boardby ACT Guest Blog PostsChristopher Chiang (photo courtesy of the author)InterACT guest blog post by Christopher ChiangInterACT features many blog posts on the topic of teacher leadership, but this guest post is the first that provides the perspective of a teacher whose leade
Lessons from abroad: If Republicans controlled U.S. education policy? Australia offers a sneak peek | HechingerEd Blog
Lessons from abroad: If Republicans controlled U.S. education policy? Australia offers a sneak peek | HechingerEd Blog: Lessons from abroad: If Republicans controlled U.S. education policy? Australia offers a sneak peekWhat would happen if conservative ideas for improving education were given free reign in the United States? If Republicans take over the Senate and then the White House, a possibili
Redefining Honors in High School Starts With a Good Grilled Cheese Sandwich | Connected Principals
Redefining Honors in High School Starts With a Good Grilled Cheese Sandwich | Connected Principals: Redefining Honors in High School Starts With a Good Grilled Cheese Sandwichby Brian Stack • February 17, 2014 • 0 CommentsThis article was co-authored by Brian and his colleague Ellen Hume-Howard, the Curriculum Director of the Sanborn Regional School DistrictThe Need For Change: Brian’s “Uh-Huh Mom
Kansas City schools’ plight reflects larger issues urban districts face | Al Jazeera America
Kansas City schools’ plight reflects larger issues urban districts face | Al Jazeera America: Kansas City schools’ plight reflects larger issues urban districts faceby Diana Reese February 17, 2014 5:00AM ETMissouri considering takeover or privatization of public schools struggling with poverty, leadership instabilityTopics: Education Missouri PovertyA sign of Kansas City Public Schools' problems

YESTERDAY

solidaridad: Book Talk: Alfonso Gonzales presents 'Reform Without Justice'
solidaridad: Book Talk: Alfonso Gonzales presents 'Reform Without Justice': Book Talk: Alfonso Gonzales presents 'Reform Without Justice'Alfonso Gonzales (Lehman College, CUNY) discusses his new book, Reform Without Justice: Latino Migrant Politics and the Homeland Security State.Wednesday, February 19, 20143:00 PM - 5:00 PMHaines Hall 144CSRC LibraryUCLA Placed within the context of the past deca
2-16-14 empathyeducates – The School-To-Prison-Pipeline – It’s an Economic Decision
empathyeducates – The School-To-Prison-Pipeline – It’s an Economic Decision: The School-To-Prison-Pipeline – It’s an Economic DecisionPhotograph; In a frame grab from video obtained by The Associated Press, an inmate attacks fellow inmate Hanni Elabed at the privately-run Idaho Correctional Center just south of Boise, Idaho. Elabed suffered brain damage and persistent short-term memory loss after
Missouri Rally for Excellent Education This Tuesday | Truth in American Education
Missouri Rally for Excellent Education This Tuesday | Truth in American Education: Missouri Rally for Excellent Education This TuesdayFiled in Common Core State Standards, Education at State Level by Shane Vander Hart on February 17, 2014 • 0 Comments1Missouri Coalition Against Common Core will host a “Rally for Excellent Education” this Tuesday, February 18th.  Below is an email that was sent out
Defies Measurement Update | Crazy Crawfish's Blog
Defies Measurement Update | Crazy Crawfish's Blog: Defies Measurement UpdatePosted on February 16, 20140About a month ago I was lucky to receive a visit from the blog’s favorite videographer, Shannon Puckett.Here’s one of my last posts about her documentary project:http://crazycrawfish.wordpress.com/2013/10/11/defies-measurement-is-almost-funded/In addition to the interview she did with me about m
Calling for stable funding streams, Hite will attach a price tag to his new action plan | Philadelphia Public School Notebook
Calling for stable funding streams, Hite will attach a price tag to his new action plan | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: Calling for stable funding streams, Hite will attach a price tag to his new action planby Dale Mezzacappa on Feb 17 2014 Posted in Latest newsShare on emailMore Sharing ServicesCOMMENTS (0)PRINTSuperintendent William Hite, seeking to demonstrate that the District is moving
solidaridad: Dr. Stephen Krashen defends libraries at LAUSD Board Meeting
solidaridad: Dr. Stephen Krashen defends libraries at LAUSD Board Meeting: Dr. Stephen Krashen defends libraries at LAUSD Board MeetingDr. Krashen, Professor Emeritus of USC, and world renowned language acquisition expert speaks in support of more libraries and librarians in LAUSD. February 11, 2014.This is such important information that doesn't get disseminated because corporations can't make bi
It’s time for a twitter storm! #ResistTFA | Seattle Education
It’s time for a twitter storm! #ResistTFA | Seattle Education: It’s time for a twitter storm! #ResistTFAA movement is underfoot. Parents, teachers and students are pushing back against the machine that is Teach for America.From the Students Resisting Teach for America website:We would like to welcome you to the official website for the Students Resisting Teach for America campaign, hosted by Stude
Portland teachers strike: Portland-area House Democrats tell PPS and PAT to put extra funding toward reducing class sizes | OregonLive.com
Portland teachers strike: Portland-area House Democrats tell PPS and PAT to put extra funding toward reducing class sizes | OregonLive.com: Portland teachers strike: Portland-area House Democrats tell PPS and PAT to put extra funding toward reducing class sizesHouse Speaker Tina Kotek (D-Portland) and seven other Democratic representatives from the Portland area sent PPS and its teachers union a l
Common Core Curriculum Now Has Critics on the Left - NYTimes.com
Common Core Curriculum Now Has Critics on the Left - NYTimes.com: Common Core Curriculum Now Has Critics on the LeftLaunch media viewerFrom left, Carmen Mattimore, Kathleen Rusiecki, Evelyn Edwards and Nicole Senk attended a teacher training session last month on the Common Core at Public School 36 in the Bronx. Nicole Bengiveno/The New York TimesThe Common Core has been applauded by education lea
Baraka’s bus burned: Is it a street fight already? | Bob Braun's Ledger
Baraka’s bus burned: Is it a street fight already? | Bob Braun's Ledger: Baraka’s bus burned: Is it a street fight already?Pictures from Baraka’s websiteThe torching of Ras Baraka’s campaign bus is yet even more evidence of how ugly the mayoralty race will be in Newark for the next three months.  Stories planted in main-stream media about Baraka’s alleged support for a gang member were just the be
Ms. Jablonski's Class Blog 2-16-14
Ms. Jablonski's Class Blog: The Jordan Davis Killing: Race, Guns and the Law...Can We Please Talk About These Things?Once again, eyes this week were on a Florida jury in a case of the shooting death of an unarmed black teenage boy, 17-year-old Jordan Davis, by a defendant claiming innocence under Florida's self defense laws.  Davis was a passenger in an SUV parked at a convenience store.  Michael
Nite Cap 2-15-14 #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2
James Baldwin said it best: "For these are all our children, and we will profit by or pay for whatever they become."A BIG EDUCATION APE NITE CAPEducation rally at state capitol | KRQE News 13Education rally at state capitol | KRQE News 13: Education rally at state capitolBy Crystal GutierrezUpdated: Saturday, February 15, 2014, 10:24 pmPublished: Saturday, February 15, 2014, 7:44 pmSANTA
Education rally at state capitol | KRQE News 13
Education rally at state capitol | KRQE News 13: Education rally at state capitolBy Crystal GutierrezUpdated: Saturday, February 15, 2014, 10:24 pmPublished: Saturday, February 15, 2014, 7:44 pmSANTA FE (KRQE) – A massive rally outside the State Capitol took place today.Thousands of teachers and supporters called out the Governor and her plan for the education budget.President of the American Fede
My March Speaking Schedule | deutsch29
My March Speaking Schedule | deutsch29: My March Speaking ScheduleFebruary 16, 2014How cool is it to be able to write such a post title?I have two events in March, both out-of-state (i.e., not in Louisiana).First, I will be a panelist at the first Network for Public Education Conferencein Austin, Texas, on Saturday, March 1 and Sunday, March 2. I am scheduled to be on a couple panels. However, the
NYC Public School Parents: Videos of Interviews of candidates for the Board of Regents
NYC Public School Parents: Videos of Interviews of candidates for the Board of Regents: Videos of Interviews of candidates for the Board of RegentsNext month, four members of the board of Regents will finish their five year terms and are applyingto be re-appointed.  The Board of Regents appoint the Chancellor and are in charge of setting education policy for the state.  All four current members wh
Is Gates Money Going to Influence the National Board? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher
Is Gates Money Going to Influence the National Board? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Is Gates Money Going to Influence the National Board?By Anthony Cody on February 16, 2014 3:17 PMA billionaire by the name of Tom Perkins recently made headlines with his suggestion that since people like him pay more taxes, they ought to have more political power. His idea to make things more fair
Stephen Krashen Blog 2-16-14: Charters: Another point of view
SKrashen: Charters: Another point of view: Charters: Another point of viewSent to the Wall Street Journal, Feb. 16, 2014Mathew Kaminski's enthusiasm for Success Academy and for charters in general, ("Teachers Union Enemy No. 1", February 15) presents only part of the story.The high test scores achieved by Success Charter Schools in New York has been thoroughly discussed in a series of bl
‘Data walls’ in Massachusetts shame students with low test scores - Yahoo News
‘Data walls’ in Massachusetts shame students with low test scores - Yahoo News: Data walls’ in Massachusetts shame students with low test scores 2 hours agoView photo.‘Data walls’ in Massachusetts shame students with low test scoresAt least one psychopathically cruel person involved in the Holyoke, Mass. public school system thinks it is a good idea to use “data walls” to motivate students.A data
2-16-14 Perdido Street School Week
Perdido Street School: Life In Steven Fulop's Snow-Ridden Jersey CityMayor Steven Fulop's Jersey City government has issued a warning to Jersey City residents today Sunday, February 16th, 2014:The City is working to remove snow from corners and has implemented a snow removal plan to haul snow to vacant lots owned by the City, State and County. Today, with the snow from last night and the freezing
All Week @ The Answer Sheet 2-16-14
The Answer Sheet: Why Presidents’ Day is slightly strangeMost federal holidays are clear-cut. On the Fourth of July, for example, Americans celebrate the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. On the other hand, Presidents’ Day is a slightly strange holiday for three main reasons: *There is no universal agreement on the actual name of the holiday. * There is no universal agreement on
2-16-14 Seattle Schools Community Forum This Week
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools This WeekClosed.No Director Community meetings on Saturday, either.At the Rachel Maddow show, they have a section, This Week in God (which goes with our theme of Seattle Schools this Week) and here's a good one:Anti-evolution activists have pushed a variety of measures over the last several decades, hoping to either eliminate or water down science-c
John White’s Latest Course Choice Push Equals Large-scale, Free High School Labor | Crazy Crawfish's Blog
John White’s Latest Course Choice Push Equals Large-scale, Free High School Labor | Crazy Crawfish's Blog: Crazy Crawfish's BlogZesty Louisiana Education PoliticsJohn White’s Latest Course Choice Push Equals Large-scale, Free High School LaborPosted on February 16, 20140crazycrawfish:White is literally all over the chart with his latest industry and career path rollout. Now he appears to be pushin
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 2-16-14
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: REPAIRS NOT iPADS? The world is watching …and there’s an app for that!by smf for 4LAKids 16 Feb 2014  ::  The Repair Not iPads Facebook Page  [http://on.fb.me/1gr3YtW]  has grabbed the notice of the powers-that-be at a Beaudry; folks in the Facilities Services Division and LAUSD Maintenance & Operations are watching. Folks in Superintendent’s office
A Hand Up Is Not a Handout | Randi Weingarten
A Hand Up Is Not a Handout | Randi Weingarten: A Hand Up Is Not a HandoutRandi Weingarten Americans love the notion that we can all pull ourselves up by the bootstraps. Yet in this time when millions of jobs have vanished in the United States, supports for struggling Americans are crumbling, and education budgets have been squeezed and slashed, we need to focus on another enduring American ideal--
2-16-14 Wait What? All Week
Wait What?: The truth is that Capital Prep Steve Perry’s “school performance” comes up shortWhen it comes to the performance of Capital Prep Magnet School, Steve Perry is known for his rhetoric.  Perry says “his” students do better than students at traditional public schools.  However, by measure after measure, it turns out that his hyperbole is nothing but a lie. When Steve Perry is introduced at
3 Things We Should Stop Doing in Professional Development | Connected Principals
3 Things We Should Stop Doing in Professional Development | Connected Principals: 3 Things We Should Stop Doing in Professional Developmentby George Couros • February 16, 2014 • 1 CommentSpending the last week in Oslo, Norway, with the visionary Ann Michaelsen and other school leaders here, I have really thought about the way that we deliver professional development, and to be honest, some of the
2-16-14 Fred Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacher
Fred Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacher who is just looking at the data.: What will the people think of us if we tell them lies?In a post on the IEA’s Kirk Dillard endorsement, Glen Brown comments and quotes from something I wrote: “It’s a plan that will fail. In the 2010 Republican Primary there were about 750,000 voters in Illinois. We can expect roughly the same in March
2-16-14 Jersey Jazzman Jammin' All Week
Jersey Jazzman: Chris Cerf: Just Another Guy Walking Through The Revolving DoorIf you are at all surprised by this, you simply haven't been paying attention:    Amplify, the educational consulting company soon to be headed by state Education Commissioner Chris Cerf, has been working with the Jersey City school district, which is partly run by the state, as part of a pilot program since January.The
More on Conflicts of Interest When Philanthropists Sponsor the News | janresseger
More on Conflicts of Interest When Philanthropists Sponsor the News | janresseger: More on Conflicts of Interest When Philanthropists Sponsor the NewsPosted on February 16, 2014 by janresseger$3.5 millionYesterday this blog covered the story by David Sirota about the Public Broadcasting Service’s solicitation of a grant of $3.5 million from the Laura and John Arnold Foundation to pay for a series,
Morning Wink 2-16-14 AM Posts #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2
BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS2-16-14 Perdido Street School WeekPerdido Street School: UFT Stands For - Utterly Failing TeachersJames Eterno posts that he received the following note from a teacher passing along an administrator's demands to the staff for Danielson walk-throughs:Dear Staff,Please note that I will be looking at the following in a walk through tomorrow.Please have these




LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH Diane Ravitch's blog 2-17-14 #thankateacher #EDCHAT #P2

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all:








Jason Stanford: Sandy Kress Registers to Lobby for Amplify and Pre-K Testing
Everyone–well, almost everyone–seems to think that pre-K is a great idea that will help children develop vocabulary and learn the social skills to prepare for kindergarten. But, wait! Who knew that Race to the Top, round 2, included funding for pre-K testing? Jason Stanford, intrepid Texas journalist, noticed that Sandy Kress registered to lobby for Rupert Murdoch’s Amplify, the big for-profit ru


NC State Chancellor: We Don’t Have a Music Major
On my recent visit to North Carolina, I met any wonderful people who are working hard to change the state for the better. I saw Former Governor Hunt, who is well respected in the state. I visited the East Durham Children’s Initiative, a very ambitious effort to meet the needs of children and families in the poorest section of town. But the most shocking moment of my visit came at the leadership

Arizona Chief of Public Schools Makes Robo-Calls Promoting Private Schools
John Huppenthal, Arizona’s state superintendent of PUBLIC instruction, is taking part in a campaign to urge parents to take advantage of tax credits to send their child to private school. He is doing it with public dollars. But, as usual, follow the money. . This video contains the robo-call he has made so far to 50,000 parents, touting the virtues of private schools. Question: Why isn’t this man

David Greene Deconstructs the New York Times’ Bizarre Article about “Left” Opposition to Common Core
David Greene asks a logical question: Does the New York Times know its left from its right? This is a confused and confusing portrait of the vigorous, noisy, and numerous activists who are fighting Common Core and its testing and scripted modules in New York. The article leaves out the parent and educator groups across the state: the BATs, the Long Island parent opt-out groups, Leonie Haimson’s

Fear in the Classroom: Thank You, Bill and Eli
This was written by Kipp Dawson, an experienced teacher of English and social studies in middle school in Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh won a large grant from the Gates Foundation to apply its ideas about evaluating teachers by the test scores of their students. Things have not gone well, as Dawson reporters here, especially since the city schools have a Broad superintendent who is a true believer in tes

The Vergara Case: Is Harvard Prof Tom Kane the VAMboozler in Chief?
Audrey Amrein Beardsley of Arizona State Is one of our nation’s leading experts on matters related to value-added measurement. In this rarified but important field, Beardsley has a stellar advantage: she was a classroom teacher. Imagine that! She has been following the Vergara trial in Los Angeles closely. She writes here about the testimony of Harvard professor Tom Kane, who advises the Gates F
Long Island Resistance Condemns Regents’ Failure to Fix Common Core
New York parents, especially in the politically powerful suburbs of Long Island and Westchester-Putnam, are outraged by the failure of the New York Board of Regents to take more decisive steps to fix the Common Core. They want a thorough review of the standards by New York practitioners, and not those picked by CC-loving Commissioner John King. They want a true moratorium on the CC testing until

Illinois: PARCC Field Tests Begin, Not Auspiciously
A reader sends this comment: “It is starting in Illinois with the PARCC fled tests coming next month . Technology coordinators and classroom teachers have been trying the online sample field test questions and are appalled at how developmentally inappropriate the tasks and questions are for eight, nine, and ten year olds. I am all for rigor. Ask my students and their parents. Rigor does not mean
An Education Researcher Speaks Out Against War on Public Schools
Tim Slekar moved not long ago from Penn State-Altoona to Edgewood College in Wisconsin, a small Catholic liberal arts college. In both places, he has been a firebrand, fighting to restore common sense to the national dialogue and to promote respect for educators. Tim has made videos, podcasts, a radio show, run for school board (in Pennsylvania), and done whatever he could to draw attention to the


Alfie Kohn on Grit and Its Misuses
Due to the success of Paul Tough’s book “How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character,” the corporate reformers seized on the idea that what is needed for academic success is not just strict discipline and constant test prep, but GRIT. Grit, meaning perseverance. As Alfie Kohn writes, the original interest in noncognitive skills focused on emotional intelligence. He w
What Will Happen When Common Core Tests Go National
Experienced curriculum designer Robert Shepherd wrote the following prediction after reading this post: “The oligarchs who got together in a back room and decided that we were going to have a. invariant, top-down national standards, and b. these ridiculous new tests “have grown used to absolute power. They have grown used to implementing policy in their companies, for example, and having people ac
Mark Weber: The Mess That Cerf Leaves Behind in New Jersey
Mark Weber, who blogs as Jersey Jazzman, here describes the legacy of Chris Cerf’s three years as State Commissioner of Education in New Jersey. Cerf has announced that he is leaving to join Amplify, the education division of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation, which is headed by Cerf’s former boss Joel Klein. Cerf was deputy chancellor in New York City when Klein was chancellor. Together, they wil


LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH ALL WEEK LONG Diane Ravitch's blog 2-16-14 #thankateacher #EDCHAT #P2
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Why PBS/WNET Returned $3.5 Million to John Arnold’s FoundationInvestigative Journalist David Sirota wrote a brilliant series of articles about PBS taking $3.5 million about pension reform from the foundation of billionaire JohnArnold, a former Enron trader. After stonewalling, PBS decided there was a perception of conflict of inter


4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 2-17-14

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






ONE CHILD AT A TIME: Custom Learning in the Digital Age
This radio documentary was broadcast on KPCC/89,3  at 11AM on Feb 17th, President's Day.  You weren’t  the car with me – but I thought I’d share.  Any offering that contains scholarly references to Dr. Benjamin Bloom (of Bloom’s Taxonomy) and Dick Dale (of Dick Dale and the DelTones) can’t possibly be all bad! Transcript| http://bit.ly/1oKQrBs Stephen Smith: From APM, American
Video: DR. STEPHEN KRASHEN DEFENDS SCHOOL LIBRARIES AT LAUSD BOARD MEETING
Posted by Robert D. Skeels to solidaridad | http://bit.ly/1e2DSst Dr. Krashen, Professor Emeritus of USC, and world renowned language acquisition expert speaks in support of more libraries and librarians in LAUSD. February 11, 2014.

Susan Sontag And The Lausd Middle School Library Crisis
  BY Penka Skachkova The Blog/The Huffington Post | http://huff.to/N334cn   2/12/2014 9:39 am EST  ::  In her essay Pilgrimage in The New Yorker, Susan Sontag recalled that when she went to North Hollywood High School she was an avid reader, and as a teenager in Los Angeles even met one of her literary idols, Thomas Mann. Reading transformed her into becoming one of the most famous literati

Lao Report Supports Eliminating Dedicated Funding For Career Tech Programs
Report also recommends against  Gov. Brown’s proposal to set the percentage of Prop 98 funds reserved for the  Local Control Funding Formula. By Susan Frey  | EdSource Today http://bit.ly/1jL5MkX February 14th, 2014   ::  A new report by the Legislative Analyst’s Office supports Gov. Jerry Brown’s budget proposal to move two more categorical programs that support career
Proposed Initiative Would Give School Districts Back Their Property Taxes
By John Fensterwald | EdSource Today http://bit.ly/1oHxHTh February 14th, 2014   ::  The parent activists who formed Educate Our State say it’s time for the state to stop robbing Peter to pay Paul. Peter, in their view, being the schools and the theft being billions in property taxes.


Common Core Curriculum Now Has Critics On The Left
“N0w?”  Really?  NYTimes now has reporters on the story! By AL BAKER, New York Times | http://nyti.ms/1eIoGkb   Kimberly Celifarco with one of her kindergarten students, Gerson Perez, 5, at Public School 253 in Brooklyn. Victor J. Blue for The New York Times FEB. 17, 2014 /page A1 ::  The Common Core has been applauded by education leaders and promoted by the Obama administration as a
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 2-16-14
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: REPAIRS NOT iPADS? The world is watching …and there’s an app for that!by smf for 4LAKids 16 Feb 2014  ::  The Repair Not iPads Facebook Page  [http://on.fb.me/1gr3YtW]  has grabbed the notice of the powers-that-be at a Beaudry; folks in the Facilities Services Division and LAUSD Maintenance & Operations are watching. Folks in Superintendent’s office

2-17-14 @ THE CHALK FACE

@ THE CHALK FACE:




An Open Letter to Bill Gates and a Keynote Challenge
Dear Bill, You don’t know me. I have never applied for one of your fat, corporate-reform-promoting education grants. I am not even tempted to even though I have little money. You see, I am a career public school teacher, and I consider your money wielding a detriment to a healthy democratic society. You and other […]

Does The New York Times Know Its Left From Its Right?
Headline on Today’s (2/17/14) NYT front page:   ” Common Core Curriculum Now Has Critics on the Left”  or another version of ”All the news that fits, we print.” My initial reaction: Wow…finally they are opening their eyes to see how many Democrats and progressives in NYS and beyond have been fighting this fight for a […]


A quick bite, using the new-new #commoncore math to calculate tips. Nicely done.

Pretty funny!

All Week 2-16-14 @ THE CHALK FACE
@ THE CHALK FACE: #Edreform is Omni Consumer Products #robocopI’m not too excited about the Robocop reboot. It seems like it lost the original’s wit, humor, and surprisingly serious commentary about a largely predicted dystopian future. All right, enough serious talk about a movie with a car called the 6000 SUX. Although, very close to what soon became a reality: the SUV. But in honor […]1 by Shau


Help! I need your advice. Should I apply to Teach For America? | Cloaking Inequity

Help! I need your advice. Should I apply to Teach For America? | Cloaking Inequity:



Help! I need your advice. Should I apply to Teach For America?

You-may-not-believe-in-this-but-the-advice-is-great-Read-all-the-way-down-you-might-learn-something
Teach For America (TFA) is soooo magnum sexy right now. For example, one of the “charities” that was sponsored during the past weekend’s NBA All-Star festivities was TFA. TFA was placed on a pedestal with the Wounded Warrior Project, UNICEF and the American Heart Association. A colleague of mine texted during the game, “Since when did Teach For America become a charity”… For all of Cloaking Inequity’s posts on TFA go here. One of these charities is not like the other…


Well, Students United for Public Education— a new student led organization— has risen up to oppose TFA. One of members emailed me the following:
Students United for Public Education (SUPE / Stephanie Rivera, Hannah Nguyen, et. al.) are hosting a #ResistTFA Twitter Chat on Monday, February 17th at 8:30PM EST. The goal is to get #ResistTFA trending in advance of the final TFA application date this week. Please feel free to participate by Tweeting articles, POVs, etc. Also, if you could mention it in your blog and/or promote it via Facebook & Twitter throughout the day on Monday, that would be greatly appreciated, too.
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Students United for Public Education (SUPE) evolved out of the work of college students involved in defending public education from its attackers. In particular, SUPE was founded to fill a void in the 

2-17-14 Wait What?

Wait What?:









With 136,500 unemployed in CT, Hartford Board of Ed may give TFA $650,940 to recruit out-of-state inexperienced teachers
In an extraordinary statement about the fundamental lack of commitment to Connecticut citizens, the Hartford Board of Education will be meeting tomorrow, Tuesday, February 18, 2014 at 5:30 p.m. to authorize Superintendent Christina Kishimoto to extend the Hartford Board of Education’s contract with Teach for America, costing Connecticut and Hartford taxpayers an additional $650,940. The […]The pos

Weekend Re-cap – The battle against the Common Core Smarter Balanced Assessment Test

More than 500 New York State principals slam Common Core testing frenzy While Stefan Pryor, Governor Malloy’s Commissioner of Education, and the Connecticut State Department of Education are instructing Connecticut superintendents and principals to mislead and lie to parents in an attempt to scare parents from opting their children out of the standardized testing frenzy, […]The post Weekend Re-cap




2-16-14 Wait What? All Week
Wait What?: The truth is that Capital Prep Steve Perry’s “school performance” comes up shortWhen it comes to the performance of Capital Prep Magnet School, Steve Perry is known for his rhetoric.  Perry says “his” students do better than students at traditional public schools.  However, by measure after measure, it turns out that his hyperbole is nothing but a lie. When Steve Perry is introduced at