4-29-13 Curmudgucation Week

CURMUDGUCATION:

Malloy: I Didn't Bring That Ugly Girl to the Prom

Connecticut Governor Dannel P. Malloy has joined the parade of politicians working to backpedal like a boss away from the Common Core.On the CTMonitor site, Jacqueline Rabe Thomas recaps Malloy's Monday interview on NPR.Malloy does his best to create fear and trepidation for anybody considering an opt-out for testing, and his best includes raising the specter of the feds cracking down. "If to

1 by Peter Greene / 30min 

The New Enemies List

The Tea Party threat is over. Well, over-ish.I've been writing about this in the context of other topics, but I believe it deserves its own attention. Over the past ten days, the narrative about the Enemies of the Core has shifted.On April 21, The Daily Beast attributed attacks on the Core to "an unholy alliance between the Tea Party and the teachers' unions." That article got some play

5 by Peter Greene / 2h hide  //  save

Petrelli Warns of the Day After

Fordham has deployed the Damage Control team of Michael Petrelli  to put up an article at the Governing website. Petrelli and his sidekick Michael Brickman (who, sadly, did not even get his picture on this article for which he's billed as co-writer) have a warning for Common Core foes:Like a dog that finally catches the bus he'd been chasing forever, what happens when opponents of the Common Core

4 by Peter Greene / 2h 

4-28-13 Curmudgucation Week

CURMUDGUCATION: The Gates Wants Us To Take a StandOver at Inside Higher Ed, Dan Greenstein and Vicki Phillips are making yet another pitch for the Core on behalf of the Gates Foundation (Greenstein is director of postsecondary success and Pillips is director of education).  I would love to tell you that they have shiny new talking points to offer, but no-- it's the same old fluffernuttery. Here's

by mike simpson / 8h 

4-29-14 Perdido Street School

Perdido Street School:

Tell Me Again Why Eva Moskowitz Can't Pay Rent?

Eliza Shapiro at Capital NY:The Success Academy charter school network raised more than $7 million at a spring dinner headlined by former Florida governor Jeb Bush last night, according to a report in Business Insider. About 750 people attended the second annual spring benefit at Cipriani 42nd Street, which a spokesperson said was intended to be closed to the press.The attendees included board mem

by reality-based edu... / 0min 

Clueless Elwood District Officials Double Down On Decision To Cancel Kindergarten Show

More educrats who ought to be forcibly removed from office and hit with a restraining order to stay away from anyone under the age of 18:Elwood school officials Monday night stood behind the principal's decision to cancel a traditional Harley Avenue Primary School kindergarten event due to scheduling constraints. "I believe we made the right decision for the right reason," Superintendent

by reality-based edu... / 13min hide  //  save

King, Tisch And The Regents Still Don't Get It

The Board of Regents held a meeting yesterday and other than Regents Betty Rosa and Kathleen Cashin raising questions about the current reform agenda policies, it was pretty much full speed ahead for reform as King, Tisch and at least one other Regent staunchly defended the Common Core tests:Regents chancellor Merryl Tisch and education commissioner John King defended the tests. King explained tha

by reality-based edu... / 2h 

4-28-14 Perdido Street School

Perdido Street School: Daily News Says New UFT Contract Will Add Time To Teachers Schedule For "Professional Development"Here is what the News says may happen: The city is closing in on a multiyear contract with the teachers union that could include significant retroactive raises, sources said. One deal being discussed with the United Federation of Teachers would give them retroactive ra

by mike simpson / 10h 

On “Dropout Factories” & (Fraudulant) Graduation Rates in NJ | School Finance 101

On “Dropout Factories” & (Fraudulant) Graduation Rates in NJ | School Finance 101:

On “Dropout Factories” & (Fraudulant) Graduation Rates in NJ

Posted on April 29, 2014

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This NJ Star Ledger piece the other day reminded me of an issue I’ve been wanting to check out for some time now. I’m skeptical of graduation rates as a measure of student outcomes to begin with, because, of course, graduation can be strongly influenced by local norms and practices. As such, it’s really hard to validly compare graduation rates from one place to another or even over time, as graduation standards may change. Notably, arbitrary assignment of “passing” cut scores on high stakes assessment isn’t particularly helpful and can be quite harmful. But I digress.

What piqued my interest a while back was the apparent disconnect between cohort attrition measures from 9th to 12th grade, or 10th to 12th grade, and reported graduation rates. Indeed, these are two different things. BUT, it seems strange for example that North Star Academy in Newark could report a 100% graduation rate! and .3% dropout rate! while having approximately50% attrition rate between grades 5 and 12! How can you lose half your kids over time and still have 100% graduation and effectively no dropouts. Of course the answer is that none of these are dropouts, but rather they are voluntary transfers (with no follow up to determine where they’ve gone or what happened to them).

In any case, it seemed at best, a bit disingenuous and at worst, outright fraudulent for North Star to present itself as near perfect, when a deeper dive into the data (something North Star’s own data driven leaders fail to ever report) suggest otherwise.

Here, I quickly explore the significance of this issue across charter and district schools statewide.

First, let’s look at 2013 graduation rates and the 2012-13 fall enrollment cohorts as seniors relative to themselves as freshman.

As the key indicates, orange dots are district cohort ratios – representing the senior class of 2013 as a percent of who they were as a freshman class of 2009-10. Green dots are graduation rates for all of the same district schools. Blue circles are reported graduation rates for charters and red On “Dropout Factories” & (Fraudulant) Graduation Rates in NJ | School Finance 101:

Shanker Blog » "Show Me What Democracy Looks Like"

Shanker Blog » "Show Me What Democracy Looks Like":

“Show Me What Democracy Looks Like”

Posted by John McCrann on April 29, 2014

Our guest author today is John McCrann, a Math teacher and experiential educator at Harvest Collegiate High School in New York City. John is a member of the America Achieves Fellowship, Youth Opportunities Program, and Teacher Leader Study Group. He tweets at @JohnTroutMcCran.

New York City’s third through eighth graders are in the middle of state tests, and many of our city’s citizens have taken strong positions on the value (or lack thereof) of these assessments.  The protests, arguments and activism surrounding these tests remind me of a day when I was a substitute civics teacher during summer school.  “I need help,” Charlotte said as she approached my desk, “what is democracy?”

On that day, my mind flashed to a scene I witnessed outside the White House in the spring of 2003.  On one side of the fence, protestors shouted: “Show me what democracy looks like! This is what democracy looks like!”  On the other side worked an administration who had invaded another country in an effort to “expand democracy.” Passionate, bright people on both sides of that fence believed in the idea that Charlotte was asking about, but came to very different conclusions about how to enact the concept. 

At my school, Harvest Collegiate High School, we teach about democracy every day, yet a large portion of what we do is dictated by state standardized tests, which are undemocratic; a small group of people make decisions that control many citizens (including students, teachers, and families).

Last spring, I developed assessments with a group of teachers, state DoE officials, coaches from the Institute for Student Achievement and the union. We created a series of Common Core-aligned performance tasks for math classes across the city, in accordance with the city’s new teacher evaluation system.  We began by thinking deeply about each math discipline, reading texts by leading thinkers in math education (such as Driscoll and Wu), debating, and changing the language of certain items to meet our students’ needs.  We brought the tasks to students in our classes and shared their work and feedback with the group to use as evidence as we continued to improve it.  A group of stakeholders from various backgrounds reading, working, arguing, and thinking together: “this is what Shanker Blog » "Show Me What Democracy Looks Like":

PARCC Offers "Three Answers to Rick Hess's Questions" :: Frederick M. Hess

PARCC Offers "Three Answers to Rick Hess's Questions" :: Frederick M. Hess:

PARCC Offers "Three Answers to Rick Hess's Questions"

by Frederick M. Hess  •  Apr 29, 2014 at 9:00 am
Cross-posted from Education Week

A few weeks ago, I asked three questions about how confident we should be that the results of the new, quasi-national, computer-assisted Common Core tests will be valid and reliable enough to support stuff like teacher evaluation and school accountability. These are questions that I'd been publicly asking for several years with little result. I'm pleased to report that, in the last couple days, I've received serious responses from thoughtful executives at PARCC and SBAC. Today I'll be publishing a response from PARCC's Jeff Nellhaus and tomorrow I'll publish one from SBAC's Joe Willhoft. As I'll discuss briefly on Thursday, the responses don't fully satisfy me--I'm eager to ask follow-up questions and seek a few clarifications. But my primary aim was a more transparent discussion about how the Common Core effort is supposed to play out. As I've often said, we know vastly less than we should on this score. For that reason, I want to extend my appreciation to Jeff and Joe for their constructive, reasoned responses. Here's what Jeff Nellhaus, PARCC's director of policy, research, and design, had to say:

By Jeff Nellhaus

In his March 26 blog post, "Three Practical Questions About PARCC & SBAC Testing," Rick Hess raises legitimate questions about how variation in the testing conditions will impact the validity and reliability of the results of PARCC and Smarter Balanced assessments. He asks how the PARCC and Smarter Balanced states can assure educators and policymakers that test results are valid and comparable given the variety of testing devices and testing conditions, and the long testing window.

As Director of Policy, Research and Design for PARCC, I take these questions seriously. The assessments have been designed to provide teachers, students, and parents important information about where students are on the road to academic success and readiness for college and careers, and provide information teachers can use to focus (or readjust) instruction to support student learning. But they will also be used in states to determine the extent to which schools and districts are improving student performance, promotion and high PARCC Offers "Three Answers to Rick Hess's Questions" :: Frederick M. Hess:

NYC Educator: Teachers' Message to Cuomo--Leave Moskowitz, the Tax Cap, and the GEA, Take the Cannoli

NYC Educator: Teachers' Message to Cuomo--Leave Moskowitz, the Tax Cap, and the GEA, Take the Cannoli:

Teachers' Message to Cuomo--Leave Moskowitz, the Tax Cap, and the GEA, Take the Cannoli

Yesterday I went to Holbrook, NY, to join hundreds of Long Island teachers. We decided to greet Governor Cuomo at Villa Lombardi's, where he was joining a bunch of his BFFs for some manicotti, or whatever it is he eats when Sandra Lee isn't opening a nice can of sweet potatoes with vanilla extract. The anger was palpable.

There were two parking lots. Apparently those who bought the thousand dollar a plate dishes got the one by the main catering hall
. As they came in, they received messages from the crowd like, "Shame on you!" or, "Don't do it!" Of course, these were Very Important People, and they didn't take our advice. After all, if they did, who would explain to the Governor the importance of giving away NYC to Eva Moskowitz, despite the overwhelming mandate of city voters to slow down her progress?

Eventually the main parking lot was insufficient, and a bunch of us were moved by the cops so as to enable the opening of the one across the street. One of Andy's pals actually had to drive from one side of the street to the other. This particular Very Important Person saw fit to stop in the middle of the street, with his car blocking traffic both ways during a huge rally, and discuss the vicissitudes of life with the very busy police officers trying to direct traffic. I don't often get to see people who feel quite this entitled, but this genius prattled on until the police made him move.

The people in the overflow parking lot were not quite so lucky as the thousand-dollar a plate crowd. They had to endure the taunts and shouts of the crowd on their walk of shame from one side of the street to another. None of us actually saw Governor Cuomo enter, though the police assured us he was there. Perhaps he arrived in the back of one of the multitudinous SUVs with darkened windows. It's hard to say. Most of his BFFs seem to prefer Audis, though I saw a lot of Lexus and Mercedes, but there was one Hyundai, I kid you not, and this one arrived without even a chauffeur.

For some reason, UFT did not see fit to send anyone, and they certainly didn't send me either. Someone invited me on Facebook, in fact. I'm really glad I went. The feelings for the governor were palpable out NYC Educator: Teachers' Message to Cuomo--Leave Moskowitz, the Tax Cap, and the GEA, Take the Cannoli:

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: YESTERDAY'S CLASS -- Malcolm London, Schuette, Rocketship...

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: YESTERDAY'S CLASS -- Malcolm London, Schuette, Rocketship...:

YESTERDAY'S CLASS -- Malcolm London, Schuette, Rocketship...

THANKS MALCOLM...Thanks to brilliant, young Chicago poet/activist/educator Malcolm X London from Young Chicago Authors for his guest lecture in my class yesterday. My students, all aspiring teachers, were bowled over as Malcolm recounted his experiences as a Chicago high school student and then read two of his latest epic poems. If you're not familiar with his work, High School Training Ground, performed here at his TED talk, is a good place to start.

SCHUETTE...The students have all expressed righteous revulsion and indignation at the racist spews of Cliven Bundy and Donald Sterling. But only a couple were aware enough of the biggest blow against racial equality, the one that will likely impact the lives of millions of students and their families, to recognize the name, Schuette. The Supreme Court's decision, which has pretty much flown under the media radar -- both mainstream and social media -- has opened the door for states, both red and blue, to end affirmative action programs in hiring and college admissions. It's being called this court's Plessy v. Ferguson.

A comment or two from the President and his education chief would certainly help bring some awareness to the Schuette decision and not leave his own Court appointee, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, hanging in the wind. But  don't expect a peep out of either of them.

ROCKETSHIP... "The fact that what's considered the gold standard for poor students in Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: YESTERDAY'S CLASS -- Malcolm London, Schuette, Rocketship...:

Choosing Democracy: Sacramento : end of the imposed Core Waiver

Choosing Democracy: Sacramento : end of the imposed Core Waiver:

Sacramento : end of the imposed Core Waiver

Don't believe what the Sacramento Bee Editorial Board says, 

SCTA, along with many community groups, has been consistently opposed to the NCLB waiver as submitted by our former Superintendent and the California Office to Reform Education with no true input from stakeholders.  While the waiver did bring some flexibility in how the district could spend supplemental education service funds, the cost of the waiver and some of the requirements established within the application were detrimental to our schools and the students they serve. The way the application process was handled by those involved was unacceptable to our members and the community, which is one of the reasons why we have steadfastly opposed the waiver and those behind it. We would like to thank the Black Parallel School Board, Hmong Innovating Politics, the Sacramento Coalition to Save Public Education, SEIU 1021 and the countless parents, community members and student advocates who have helped bring the waiver to light.  We believe that in working collaboratively with the district and the community, we can make many of the more positive initiatives contained within the application a reality without the loss of local control to the unelected California Office to Reform Education.

We applaud the district’s decision not to seek a renewal of the waiver and look forward to working with them without this divisive topic hanging over all our conversations. SCTA continues to be committed to working with the district to implement the Common Core State Standards to ensure the rigorous learning expectations at all grade levels are met.  Our hope is that in moving forward with the waiver behind us we can tackle many of the initiatives important to both the district and teachers. This important step is what we think is needed to change the conversation and improve relations.  We are committed to doing our part in re-building the trust and working together to build a collaborative culture between district leadership, our members and the community we serve.

 April 9, 2014. 

Elect Respect Community Brunch and Fundraiser: Join Jesse Hagopian and the Seattle Education Association Respect Slate members this Sunday | Seattle Education

Elect Respect Community Brunch and Fundraiser: Join Jesse Hagopian and the Seattle Education Association Respect Slate members this Sunday | Seattle Education:

Elect Respect Community Brunch and Fundraiser: Join Jesse Hagopian and the Seattle Education Association Respect Slate members this Sunday

Elect Respect Community Brunch and Fundraiser

Join Jesse Hagopian and the Seattle Education Association Respect Slate members for brunch

Sunday, May 4th at 1:00 PM
in the home of a Seattle School parent

RSVP here and the address and directions will be provided to you.

Jesse Hagopian and the Respect Slate are in the midst of a campaign that will determine the direction of the Seattle Education Association (SEA). They need our support to turn the Union into an organization that fights for the interests of students, teachers, and parents alike.

City Council Member Nick Licata, School Board Director Sue Peters and Real Change Director Tim Harris support Garfield High School history teacher, Jesse Hagopian, for Elect Respect Community Brunch and Fundraiser: Join Jesse Hagopian and the Seattle Education Association Respect Slate members this Sunday | Seattle Education:

NYC Public School Parents: Resolution opposed to the provisions in the NYS budget giving preferences to charter schools for free public space

NYC Public School Parents: Resolution opposed to the provisions in the NYS budget giving preferences to charter schools for free public space:

Resolution opposed to the provisions in the NYS budget giving preferences to charter schools for free public space

This resolution has been approved by  Community Education Councils in District 1 in Manhattan, District 20 in Brooklyn and District 30 in Queens.  Please let us know if your CEC has approved it as well by emailing us at info@classsizematters.org 

Resolution Opposing Provisions in the NY State Budget for 2014-2015 Requiring the Department of Education Provide Space at Public Expense of Charter Schools

WHEREAS Charter Schools in New York City frequently displace public school students from existing school facilities and create overcrowded conditions; and

WHEREAS Charter Schools in New York City have been shown by the City’s Independent Budget Office to receive more public funding per pupil than public schools; and

WHEREAS Charter Schools in New York City have spent over  5 million dollars in fees to public relations and advertising firms in their campaign to demand public space; and

WHEREAS Charter Schools in New York City receive backing from wealthy investors who benefit from federal tax credits valued at millions of dollars under the Federal New Markets program; and

WHEREAS Charter Schools have resources and the means to find their own facilities outside of the Department of Education’s building inventory;

WHEREAS the New York State Budget for 2014-2015 requires that New York City’s Department of Education provide space at no cost to Charter Schools, thereby severely curtailing local control of city schools and placing public school students at a distinct and unfair disadvantage; and

THEREFORE, be it resolved that Community Education Council 1 is opposed to these provisions;

THEREFORE, be it resolved that Community Education Council 1 hereby calls upon the Senate  to introduce new legislation rescinding the provisions requiring the Department of Education to provide free space to Charter Schools, thereby restoring local control of city schools ; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Community Education Council 1 hereby calls upon Governor Cuomo to allow the Mayor to oversee the usage of NYC public school space in accordance with the State Education Law of mayoral control.

Unanimously approved on April 23, 2014

Bush and Rhee Endorse a Book– Fortunately, Not Mine | deutsch29

Bush and Rhee Endorse a Book– Fortunately, Not Mine | deutsch29:

Bush and Rhee Endorse a Book– Fortunately, Not Mine

April 28, 2014

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!

As I announced on April 27, 2014, my book on key individuals and organizations exploiting public education is now published:

A Chronicle of Echoes: Who’s Who in the Implosion of American Public Education.

Harvard professor and senior fellow at the Hoover Institute Paul Peterson and two others also have a book coming out; it entitled, Teachers versus the Public (nice, huh?). Based upon information from a PR email dated 04-28-14, it is obvious that Petersen’s et al. book aims to prove that teachers (and their unions) are an impediment to publicly-desired “reforms” such as merit pay (i.e., teacher pay based upon student test scores), vouchers and charters.

If only those self-interested teachers were somehow brought into check, then “popular school reform proposals” would be rid of an “obstacle.”

In what Peterson’s et al. PR people seem to believe a selling point, they offer two endorsements for the teacher-blaming book: former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, and former DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee.

Well. I am a public school teacher, and I can assure Peterson– and Bush and Rhee– that I intend to be quite the “impediment” to so-called “reforms” designed to privatize public education.

Time to put some of my book, Chronicle of Echoes, to good use.

Here is an excerpt from one of my chapters on Bush and his connection to the Hoover Bush and Rhee Endorse a Book– Fortunately, Not Mine | deutsch29:

The Maiming of a Teacher's Career in Queens.southbronxschool.com

http://www.southbronxschool.com:

The Maiming of a Teacher's Career in Queens

This is from the files of you can't make this sh** up.

The following anectodals are from a teacher at MS 72, District 28 in Queens. The principal is
Omotayo Cineus, late of the (Yep! You guessed it! the Leadership Academy).

The Crack Team received these anectodals this afternoon and immediately were repulsed at what this teacher at MS 72 has endured over the years. The lack of support and day in and day out harassment is more than anyone can endure.

We decided to only change the names of both students and staff but decided not to redact any of the foul language used. We here at SBSB felt that if we redacted the language the impact would lessen. We want our readers to be as shocked an appalled as we are.

October 30, 2013 - Mary Tyler Moore had been taunting and mocking me since the beginning of the period. She was upset and informing me that I was “on her last nerve” because I had changed her seat upon her return from an in-house suspension.  She refused to take her new seat.  I decided to continue teaching and call her mom later in the day.  She taunted me constantly with threats like, “I’m gonna kick your white ass”, and “Damn racist teacher startin’ shit”. She got up and went to the front of the room and ranted, “School can’t do nothin”. I can do whatever I want to this damn bitch and school can’t do SHIT! I’ma KID and I’m goin’ to another school so I am DONE with this bitch and her white ass!” http://www.southbronxschool.com:

Geaux Teacher!: Real Teacher Challenges Incumbent for BESE

Geaux Teacher!: Real Teacher Challenges Incumbent for BESE:

Real Teacher Challenges Incumbent for BESE

 Board of Elementary and Secondary Education member Holly Boffy, who was the state teacher of the year in 2010, could have another distinguished former educator challenging her next year.

So far it’s the most substantive BESE face-off threatened for next year’s fall ballot, but the board’s president, Chas Roemer, has also fielded a challenge from Jason France of Baton Rouge, who blogs under the pseudonym “Crazy Crawfish” and is a featured writer at the National Education Policy Center.
Melinda Mangham, twice named a White House Distinguished Teacher while teaching senior English at Lafayette High School, told LaPolitics she is considering opposing Boffy in 2015.

Photo by Robin May	Photo by Terri Fensel
Holly Boffy	Melinda Mangham

Mangham says she objects to the influence Gov. Bobby Jindal and business allies exerted on new board members by bankrolling their 2011 election campaigns.

“I understand raising money, but not when it is so controlled,” she says. “Holly Boffy is totally controlled.”

Weighing in on Common Core standards, she says, “Teachers are not opposed to high standards. We always have had standards and they change them on us every few years. The objection teachers have is the implementation of it.”

Mangham realizes that fundraising will be a major challenge, though she is no rookie, having been through election campaigns with her late husband, attorney Mickey Mangham.


“People are calling me and asking if I would consider [running]," Mangham says. "But I know I can’t raise money to compete with Lane Grigsby,” a Baton Rouge contractor who contributed heavily to the 2011 candidates backed by Jindal.

“She’s got a good heart,” Grigsby says of Mangham, while noting that he will continue backing Boffy. “We have just begun to fight,” he says. “I am not one to quit now and throw everything away.”
He now sees Jindal, who has backed off his support of Common Core, as the problem, not the BESE members, saying, “If the governor decided to turn tail, it’s up to those of us who toed the mark.”  

[Editor’s Note: This news organization has honored both Mangham and Boffy with its women’s awards, an annual project of our business pub ABiz. Read those stories about Mangham here and Boffy here.]

Louisiana Educator: Attempts by Big Business to Ban Payroll Dues Deduction

Louisiana Educator: Attempts by Big Business to Ban Payroll Dues Deduction:

Attempts by Big Business to Ban Payroll Dues Deduction

LABI (The Louisiana Association of Business and Industry) was not satisfied with promoting the raiding of our public MFP funds by charter schools and voucher schools; big business was not satisfied with stripping most teachers of due process rights and rating teachers using a seriously flawed VAM system; LABI was not quite satisfied with stripping teachers of all job seniority rights; and it was not enough to exempt teachers in charter schools from professional training, subsistituting minimal training in test prep. LABI was especially incensed that the teacher professional organizations/unions had the nerve to successfully challenge the many unconstitutional provisions in Act 1 and Act 2 and the denial of teacher due process.

LABI felt that the best way to punish and weaken teachers and their unions was by removing each teacher's right to have their association or union dues paid using the payroll deduction system. So this Wednesday, April 30, several bills will be debated in the House Labor and Industrial Relations Committee that would prohibit payroll deduction for teacher union dues.

Here is a report from chief LAE chief lobbist, Shane Riddle, about this latest attack on the teaching profession. This report is on HB 172, 451, and 1059:

"These bills would take away your right to have your professional association membership fees deducted from your paycheck and take away your right to Louisiana Educator: Attempts by Big Business to Ban Payroll Dues Deduction:

Update on HB 703

House Bill 703 is still on the House floor awaiting debate. It is now scheduled for debate on Wednesday, April 30. See the reports below the next section for a good description of the need for this legislation. Please ask all legislators to vote "yes" for HB 703.

by Michael Deshotels / 40min