2-2614 Scathing Purple Musings | Color me purple in Florida ALL Week

Scathing Purple Musings | Color me purple in Florida, red in Washington, dark sky-blue in Israel and public school in Education:

Appeals Committee Turns Down MacDill Charter Schools USA Facility – Will State Board Overrule?

If history is any indicator they will. From Sherri Ackerman in redefinED: A charter school sought by MacDill Air Force Base in Florida has lost the first round of an appeals process. The Florida Charter School Appeal Commission on Monday sided with the Hillsborough County School District, which had denied an application for the proposed school. The case will now go before the state Board of Educat

by Bob Sikes / 1h 

Anti-Common Core Bill Now Has Sponsor in Florida Senate

Northwest Florida Sen. Greg Evers (R-Milton) filed a senate version today of Rep. Debbie Mayfield (R-Vero Beach)  bill which prohibits the state BOE from implement  Common Core Standards. From Jeff Solochek in Gradebook: A week after the Florida Board of Education affirmed the state’s commitment to the Common Core State Standards, a state senator has submitted legislation aiming to stop the standa

by Bob Sikes / 6min 

Has Top FLDOE Numbers Cruncher Changed Her Tune On VAM?

The Florida Department of Education vigorously opposed the release of controversial VAM data. FlaglerLive quotes chief of staff Kathy Hebda on the release: Monday, the Department of Education released masses of data in compliance with the court order, but it did so under protest. “Because these data are intended to be used in conjunction with other information about classroom practice to form a co

by Bob Sikes / 3h hide  //  save

Key Florida Republican Superintendent Throws Cold Water On VAM

Pasco superintendent of schools is no ordinary superintendent. An elected official, Kurt Browning was Charlie Crist’s Secretary of State and was reappointed to the same position by Rick Scott before resigning to run for Pasco superintendent in 2012. He once served on a Jeb Bush task force while serving as Pasco supervisor of elections. Yesterday, he told Pasco county taxpayers to be cautious in ma

by Bob Sikes / 4h

2-25-14 Scathing Purple Musings | Color me purple in Florida ALL Week

Scathing Purple Musings | Color me purple in Florida, red in Washington, dark sky-blue in Israel and public school in Education: VAM Part of the “Systemic Dismantling of a Teachers Worth”The fall-out over the court-ordered release of VAM scores belonging to Florida teachers is just beginning. Joseph E. Joyner, the superintendent of schools in St. Johns County where the state’s best VAM scores came

by mike simpson / 8h

2-26-14 Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL

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

February’s Best Posts From This Blog

I regularly highlight my picks for the most useful posts for each month — not including “The Best…” lists. I also use some of them in a more extensive monthly newsletter I send-out. You can see older Best Posts of the Month at Websites Of The Month (more recent lists can be found here). Here are some of the posts I personally think are the best, and most helpful, ones I’ve written during this pas

by Larry Ferlazzo / 52min

“Why Do Teachers Leave High-Poverty Urban Schools?”

Why do teachers avoid, or leave, high poverty urban public schools and what can be done to improve the situation? is the latest “question-of-the-week” at my Education Week Teacher column. Feel free to leave your responses there or here in the comments….

by Larry Ferlazzo / 10min 

Another Study Demonstrates The Ineffectiveness Of Extrinsic Motivation, But Also Something More….

Yet another study has found that extrinsic motivation is not a effective in enhancing motivation. Since there is so much research showing this already, that’s not really big news. But it’s the details of this study that are particularly intriguing. Daniel Pink has written and spoken about research showing that extrinsic motivation is effective in enhancing mechanical work that doesn’t require cre

by Larry Ferlazzo / 8h hide  //  save

The “All-Time” Best Online Learning Games

I’ve been posting annual lists of the The Best Online Learning Games for a number of years. I thought it would be useful for readers, my students, and me to review them all and identify my choices for the “all-time” best ones. I’ve begun creating a number of these “All-Time” Best list, with The “All-Time” Best Ways To Create Online Content Easily & Quickly being the first ; The “All-Time” Bes

by Larry Ferlazzo / 10h  

2-25-14 Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL

Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL: Impressive Video On Ukrainian ProtestsHere’s how the New York Times describes this video: [It mixes] footage of the demonstrators with inspirational speeches on the importance of overcoming fear first spoken by Will Smith, in “After Earth,” and Sylvester Stallone, in “Rocky Balboa.” It was shared at the height of last week’

by mike simpson / 8h 

2-26-14 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.:

The dirty tricks of Toni Berrios and the regular Democrats.

  The dirty tricks of the regular Democrats have hit the fan in my 39th State Representative District. Democratic Party boss Joe Berrios’ daughter, Toni, is facing defeat in the March 18th primary at the hands of progressive Will Guzzardi. Last week the regular Dems sent out postcards and letters to the district’s voters claiming Guzzardi favored child molesters. This week they are sending out th

by Fred Klonsky / 1min hide  //  save

Joravsky post reminds me of my stalker Ben Velderman.

If you’re a long time reader of this blog you can hit the remote. If you play the drinking game that involves downing a shot when I post a picture of my stalker, Ben Velderman, get to the liquor cabinet. Chicago Reader columnist Ben Joravsky reports today on the difficulty of getting a response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request from Rahm Emanuel, the City of Chicago or the Chicago Pu

6 by Fred Klonsky / 22min 

Matt Farmer. Opt out letter.

  Matt Farmer and Karen Lewis in Springfield last week for teacher pension rights. From Matt Farmer: Here’s the text of the letter I sent to the principal of my youngest daughter’s school. (My oldest kiddo is years removed from the CPS experience.) Dear [Principal's name], Lisa and I have decided that Samantha will not sit for the ISAT examination next month. This letter serves as our official “o

by Fred Klonsky / 23min 

Karen Lewis. Standardized testing and the Eugenics movement.

- Karen GJ Lewis is the President of the Chicago Teachers Union and National Board Certified Teacher. Many people who are convinced that standardized tests are reliable and valid indicators of student learning are not only sadly mistaken, but they are often people who also support policies that harm children, teachers and schools. This is unfortunate for a variety of reasons, the least of which i

by Fred Klonsky / 9min hide  //  save

Teaching our students and keeping them safe.

The words of Sarah Chambers, who stood on the steps of Saucedo Academy yesterday afternoon. “We are not afraid.” Parents place their children in the care of teachers. They expect us to do what is best, to teach them and keep them safe and return their children to them safe. Yesterday morning 100% of the teachers chose to boycott the ISAT test. To teach them instead. And keep them safe. Trust me. F

by Fred Klonsky / 1h 

Ellen Gradman. Saucedo Academy melts the ISAT.

  Graphic: Ellen Gradman.

1 by Fred Klonsky / 1h

2-25-14 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.: Tony at the Red Line Tap.  “I don’t get it,” Tony sighed as I grabbed my seat at the bar. “Sean, my man.” I yelled to the kid in the back room. “A Cal’Arenys. Room temperature.” “I said, I don’t get it.” “I heard you, but I wanted my beer. Now. What don’t you get, Tony?” “Four-man bobsledding.  How is

by mike simpson / 8h

2-26-14 Ed Notes Online

Ed Notes Online:

Chicago: Saucedo teachers to announce ISAT test boycott!!

Chicago Teacher Union supports action. It is inconceivable that the UFT would do the same.Big news today of a teacher boycott at one school. More info to come...http://www.coreteachers.org/4pm-press-conference-saucedo-academy-teachers-to-boycott-isat/FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – February 25, 2014CONTACT:Sarah Chambers, Special Education Teacher at Saucedo(Ms. Chambers will be teaching throughout the da

by ed notes online / 0min 

The Lies Randi Tells on Twitter

Randi Weingarten ‏@rweingarten  @beth_dimino @pfh1964-be4 u criticize know the facts-@uft had a rank & file comm including all caucuses & got overwhelming support at DA mtgWhile New Action enthusiastically supported the UFT charters, ICE -- if I am not mistaken, a caucus in the UFT, opposed it with Michael Fiorillo leading the charge and in fact speaking against it at the DA. At a charter

by ed notes online / 22min 

2-25-14 Ed Notes Online

Ed Notes Online: A Decade of Cover-up at PS 106: Who Protected Marcella Sills?My column for The Wave, to be published Feb. 28, 2014. A Decade of Cover-up at PS 106: Who Protected Marcella Sills?By Norm ScottThe media seems to be enthralled over Marcella Sills’ magic disappearing act as principal of PS 106 in Far Rockaway ever since the NY Post reported the story a short time after Bill de Blasio a

by mike simpson / 8h 

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 2-26-14

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

Teachers: LA SCHOOLS’ ARTS+MUSIC EDUCATION BUDGET ‘A STEP IN THE WRONG DIRECTION’

●●smf: I would say half-as-much Arts Ed to twice-as-many students is two steps in two wrong directions! (When you multiply fractions you get less.) Mary Plummer, Education Reporter | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC http://bit.ly/1hg6pA7   Ken Scarboro/KPCC February 26th, 2014, 5:01am  ::  Los Angeles Unified School district is proposing to cut the

by smf / 26min 

Libraries Are Vital To Student Success

CSFDaily Titan Opinion By Michael Chen in the Cal State Fullerton Daily Titan | http://bit.ly/1o50Nci February 25, 2014  ::  The importance of libraries cannot be understated. Thousands of students across the state use libraries as a quiet haven to study, conduct research and to collaborate with their fellow classmates. Taking that away from any student would be devastating to their academic

by smf / 8h  

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 2-25-14

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: Two More Stories On The Closing/Destaffing Of Lausd Librariesfrom LAUSD IN THE NEWS /THE DISTRICT’S CLIPPING SERVICE Report: No Librarians At Half Of LAUSD Middle, Elementary School Libraries February 24, 2014 6:10 PM LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Budget cuts in the Los Angeles Unified School District have left about half of the 600 elementary and middle sc

by mike simpson / 5h 

The Quick and the Ed » CTE Teacher Evaluation: One Size Does Not Fit All

The Quick and the Ed » CTE Teacher Evaluation: One Size Does Not Fit All:

One size does not fit all when it comes to Career and Technical Education (CTE) teacher evaluation.

CTE teachers instruct in a number of fields (from health sciences and engineering to design and culinary services) and in a wide variety of settings (from typical middle or high school classrooms, to special in-school labs, to full technical high schools). Almost all states require that certified teachers, including CTE teachers, be included in evaluation systems. A dozen have state-level, CTE-specific evaluation policies or recommendations.

But measuring how CTE students are progressing for those teacher evaluations poses challenges. Standardized tests usually only provide information for teachers in grades 3 through 11, or just for math or English Language Arts teachers.  CTE teachers, like the majority of teachers, cannot then use standardized tests to assess their students’ progress or growth. For CTE, student growth may be better assessed through demonstrations of skill rather than written assessments.

Questions to consider when evaluating CTE teachers:  How well do general teacher evaluation frameworks work with CTE teachers and the often hands-on instruction they 

2-26-14 Perdido Street School

Perdido Street School:

Chancellor Farina Says Make Light Of The State Tests To Relieve Student Anxiety

Beth Fertig at NYC:As city teachers prepare for the second year of more difficult state exams, Chancellor Carmen Fariña urged them to lighten up a little. In her weekly email to principals, the chancellor acknowledged teachers and families might be stressed about the state assessments in April. Her advice? "A good way to ease these concerns, especially for younger students, is to share Judith

by reality-based edu... / 0min 

Governor Cuomo Says There Should Be A Superhero Named After Him

Try not to take a sip of any liquid while reading this:Super Mario, meet Super Andrew.Gov. Andrew Cuomo today suggested a new superhero based on his stint as governor, while taking a break from budget negotiations in Albany to announce a deal to film a new series based on the Marvel comics characters in New York.“It just occurred to me as I was sitting here, there’s a sequel here … I can see it: B

by reality-based edu... / 2h 

Eva Moskowitz Only Closes Success Academies When She Needs Kids For A Photo Op

Students at Success Academies don't get too many days off from school - except when Eva Moskowitz needs them for political reasons. New York City charter school leaders are planning a massive rally at the state Capitol next Tuesday, as they pivot their advocacy to Albany afer failing to make progress with the de Blasio administration.About 2,000 students and parents from New York City and upstate

1 by reality-based edu... / 2h 

2-25-14 Perdido Street School

Perdido Street School: Will Governor Cuomo Help His Charter School Allies?Eliza Shapiro at Capital NY:Operators of charter schools in New York City are looking to Albany for support after failing to gain traction on a series of core issues with local elected officials or the de Blasio administration....Charter groups are beginning to plan Capitol-based actions for the next few weeks and looking to

by mike simpson / 8h 

Community Schools Build Human Connection Lacking in Technocratic School “Reform” | janresseger

Community Schools Build Human Connection Lacking in Technocratic School “Reform” | janresseger:

Community Schools Build Human Connection Lacking in Technocratic School “Reform”

Posted on February 26, 2014 by janresseger

Child Trends, an education policy group that conducts research on strategies to improve the lives of children, has just released a new report  (summary) on what are most often calledcommunity schools.  These schools are known for their wrap-around social and enrichment services.  They are sometimes called community schools, sometimes lighted school houses, sometimes wraparound schools.  Child Trends calls these schools with integrated community supports.

According to the National Center for Community Schools, a division of New York City’s Children’s Aid Society, community schools are defined by three “interconnected support systems: a strong core instructional program designed to help all students meet high academic standards; expanded learning opportunities designed to enrich the learning environment for students and their families; and a full range of health, mental health and social services designed to promote children’s well-being and remove barriers to learning.” (Emphasis added.)

Community schools are open before and after school, on weekends, and during the summer with expanded learning experiences; they set out to engage the family in myriad ways. They are defined by formal partnerships with other agencies in the community that can operate in and around the school to improve learning, attendance, health, family engagement, enriched school climate and safer neighborhoods.

All community schools have a lead partner that coordinates the services that surround the 

How Schools Can Give Men the Skills They Need to Be Good Dads - Christine Gross-Loh - The Atlantic

How Schools Can Give Men the Skills They Need to Be Good Dads - Christine Gross-Loh - The Atlantic:

How Schools Can Give Men the Skills They Need to Be Good Dads

Apprenticeship programs have the potential to help young men get better jobs and develop relationship abilities.

Jason Cohn/Reuters

Young men are more likely to drop out of high school and are less likely to aspire to college than their female peers. Young men who are poor, live in a city, and are black or Latino are at even higher risk of unemployment and unplanned teen fatherhood than their peers in other demographics. As men’s earnings have stagnated, marriage has declined. It’s a vicious cycle: Being unmarried weakens men’s commitment to the work force, but a stagnation in earnings is contributing to the decline in marriage.

Robert Lerman—an economist at American University and fellow at the Urban Institute, a nonpartisan economic and social policy research center in Washington, D.C.—has a solution. He believes bringing apprentice-based learning to America’s schools would both raise earnings and give young men the skills they need to be good husbands and fathers. Put boys in a real-world situation outside the classroom, with skilled adults as mentors, Lerman says, and students have a chance to engage in on-the-job training in a wide range of fields from baking to boat-building, farming to architecture, public health to civil engineering. This is learning in context and it’s what young men (and women) crave: It feels immediate and real. It is not isolated or abstract; it is refreshingly relevant, and it is taking place in real time, in real space, and among adults who take young people seriously. Youth apprenticeship has an immediacy that