6-16-14 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.:

Bill Menendez explains the value of teacher tenure to a principal.

Dear Sir, For twenty four years I was an elementary principal at one school. One of the reasons that we were an effective school was exactly what the nation seems so happy to dispose of, that being tenure rights. Over the years there were many instances when wonderful, intelligent people on the staff saved me from making huge mistakes simply by being willing to talk to me. Without tenure rights th

by Fred Klonsky / 17min hide  //  save

James Crandell. Hinsdale teachers and board posturing.

- James Crandell’s blog appears in the Darien Patch. Like everyone else, you’re probably getting weary of all the controversy taking place with the school board of Hinsdale High School District #86, the latest of which is the increasingly contentious contract negotiations between the board and the teachers’ union, the Hinsdale High School Teachers Association (HHSTA). Most recently, teachers marc

by Fred Klonsky / 23min 

Another ugly name on the Chicago skyline.

1 by Fred Klonsky / 48min 

The myth of tenure for life.

I received two comments from reader Joe Jeffrey this weekend regarding the suddenly hot topic of tenure. First, Joe writes: I suppose this will just convince everyone I’m a right-wing Republican, but I’ll ask it anyway: granted that teachers must be protected from unfair hiring & firing practices, such as being fired at the whim or personal feelings of a single principal, what is tenure is th

by Fred Klonsky / 32min hide  //  save

Ten minute drawing. Friends.

1 by Fred Klonsky / 2h 

6-15-14 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.: John Dillon. Lisa Madigan blames the unions.- John Dillon is a retired teacher, activist and publishes Pension Vocabulary. In the opening of A New Leaf, one of my favorite Walter Matthau films, an angry and non-repentant Matthau is castigating his financial advisor for a bounced check, one that has ma

by mike simpson / 9h 

6-16-14 Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL

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

Three Good Resources On Bloom’s Taxonomy

Here are three new additions to The Best Resources For Helping Teachers Use Bloom’s Taxonomy In The Classroom: Resource: Bloom’s Taxonomy for ELL Students. http://t.co/js7viCH52m #ELLCHAT — Judie Haynes (@judiehaynes) June 17, 2014 UNGOOGLEABLE QUESTIONS IN THE CLASSROOM, A FIRST STEP. http://t.co/xx7QinDJNe — edublogs (@edublogs) June 16, 2014 Also this @Larryferlazzo: “@edublogs: UNGOOGLEABLE

by Larry Ferlazzo / 54min hide  //  save

More Resources On World Refugee Day

World Refugee Day takes place on June 20th. Here are new additions to The Best Sites For Learning About World Refugee Day: World Refugee Day Videos comes from The UN. World Refugee Day 2014 also comes from the UN and has multimedia resources.

by Larry Ferlazzo / 1h 

This Is Great — Legendary Organizer Fred Ross, Sr. Selected For California Hall Of Fame

The California Hall Of Fame has just announced that legendary community organizer Fred Ross, Sr. will “will join 81 Californians previously inducted for exemplifying California’s spirit of innovation.” Ross, longtime mentor to Cesar Chavez and a legend in the community organizing community, certainly deserves the honor. He’s inspired countless organizers over the years, and my “holiday gift” to r

by Larry Ferlazzo / 1h 

Here Are Some Books I’ll Be Reading This Summer…

The above image shows some of the books I’ll be reading this summer. Look for interviews with a number of their authors at my Education Week Teacher column starting in July…

by Larry Ferlazzo / 36min 

The Best Fun Videos For English Language Learners In 2014 – Part One

I use short, funny video clips a lot when I’m teaching ELLs, and you can read in detail about how I use them in The Best Popular Movies/TV Shows For ESL/EFL (& How To Use Them). In short, there are many ways to use them that promote speaking, listening, writing and reading. I’ve posted quite a few of them during the first six months of this year, and I thought it would be useful to readers —

by Larry Ferlazzo / 5min hide  //  save

Monday’s New Resources On The World Cup

Here are today’s additions to The Best Sites For Learning About The 2014 World Cup In Brazil: Why do some people call it soccer? is from the History Channel. HOW WE PLAY THE GAME is a NY Times interactive. 2014 Brazil World Cup – Round-up 1 is an ELL lesson from Breaking News English. Slate has compiled a fun video collection of goal celebrations from The Cup.

by Larry Ferlazzo / 1h

Two Good Links About Curation

A lot has been written recently about the importance of “curation” in this age of information “overload.” In fact, I’ve previously posted The Best Posts & Articles About Curation. Here are two new additions to that list: Sue Waters has written a very helpful post, including lots of suggestions for web tools to use, at Curation: Creatively Filtering Content. A Boston Globe article, Information

by Larry Ferlazzo / 29min

6-15-14 Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL

Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL: Sunday’s World Cup ResourcesHere are today’s additions to The Best Sites For Learning About The 2014 World Cup In Brazil (some might not be visible on an RSS Reader): THE BEAUTIFUL BRANDED GAME: SEE THE 12 BEST 2014 WORLD CUP ADS is from Fast Company. 10 things non-soccer fans need to know about the World Cup is from Vox.by

by mike simpson / 9h 

Teachers' union leader blasts U.S. Education secretary over comments - Los Angeles Times

Teachers' union leader blasts U.S. Education secretary over comments - Los Angeles Times:

Teachers' union leader blasts U.S. Education secretary over comments

American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten sharply criticized U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan last week for his praise of a ruling by a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge deeming certain job protections for teachers in California as unconstitutional.

The ruling represents a major loss for the unions and a groundbreaking win by attorneys who argued that state laws governing teacher layoffs, tenure and dismissals harm students by making them more likely to suffer from ineffective instruction.

“You added to the polarization,” Weingarten wrote in a letter to Duncan. “And teachers across the country are wondering why the Secretary of Education thinks that stripping them of their due process is the way to help all children succeed.”

Weingarten was referring to a statement Duncan released after the verdict. Duncan had said the decision gives California the opportunity to build a new framework for the teaching profession that protects both the rights of teachers and students.

“The students who brought this lawsuit are, unfortunately, just nine out of millions of young people in America who are disadvantaged by laws, practices and systems that fail to identify and support our best teachers and match them with our neediest students," his statement said. "Today’s court decision is a mandate to fix these problems.”

If the preliminary ruling becomes final and is upheld on appeal, the effect will be sweeping across California and possiblyTeachers' union leader blasts U.S. Education secretary over comments - Los Angeles Times:

6-16-14 Schools Matter All Week

Schools Matter:

Charter School Strong-Arming Where No One Wants Charters: A Case Study

The Emerald Academy Charter School Application submitted to and approved by the Knox County Board of Education is signed by Steve Diggs, who is the Executive Director of the Emerald Youth Foundation (EYF), a Christian ministry with some of Knoxville’s and the State’s highest rollers onboard.  This effort represents a prime example of corporate missionaries being joined by Christian missionaries to

2 by Jim Horn / 59min 

Memphis: School Board Gets 360% Pay Raise and Indigent Juvenile Lawyers Get New Furniture

From the Daily News: And an ordinance that would raise the pay of Shelby County Schools board members from $4,200 a year to $15,000 a year, with $16,000 a year for the chairman, is on Monday’s agenda for third and final reading.  . . . Another resolution includes $190,258 in funding for furniture and installation for the new Public Defender Juvenile Defense Unit at 600 Adams Ave.

2 by Jim Horn / 16min 

What People Are Saying about Hoosier School Heist after the Dance Circus

By Doug Martin As I come off of my buzz from speaking to over 700 people as Dance Circus Ringmaster for the Nancy Sauer School of Theatrical Dancing's 60th Anniversary performances in Indiana (check out a few photos here: it was a great way to get the word out about corporate ed. reform to parents) and prepare for my talk at the IUPUI-Indiana Urban Schools Association's summer conference this week

6 by Doug Martin / 3h 

6-14-14 Schools Matter All Week

Schools Matter:  Schools Matter All WeekToxic Culture of EducationOrlando SentinelFrustrated Orange teacher decries 'toxic culture of education'By Leslie Postal, Orlando Sentinel6:26 PM EDT, June 12, 2014Fed up and fired up, algebra teacher Josh Katz this spring took to the stage for a 17-minute denouncement of what he called the "toxic culture of education" in Florida's public schools.S

by mike simpson / 13h 

6-16-14 @ THE CHALK FACE

@ THE CHALK FACE:

Those Nonsense Annual NCTQ Ratings Are Coming on June 17

On June 17, 2014, the so-called National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) will unleash upon the world its ratings of teacher training programs. Here is part of an announcement sent on June 9, 2014, to members of the press: Washington, DC – On Tuesday, June 17, the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) will release the […]

by deutsch29 / 10min 

What Will Weingarten Say in Connecticut on June 17?

Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy is no friend to public education. As education historian Diane Ravitch notes in December 2013: Malloy has abandoned his commitment to equality of education opportunity and now relies on high-stakes testing, evaluation of teachers by test scores, and ample funding to charter schools as the reforms that can take the place of […]

by deutsch29 / 32min 

The Very Disappointing Teacher Impact Numbers from Chetty

The Very Disappointing Teacher Impact Numbers from Chetty. via The Very Disappointing Teacher Impact Numbers from Chetty.

by plthomasedd / 13min 

Oklahoma City Families and Teachers Find Their VOICE

Until recently, I thought of VOICE as a handful of liberal Christians, spitting into the hot Oklahoma City wind. Similarly, I never expected a grassroots coalition of parents from across the state to stand up to the bubble-in testing mania. I realized last Sunday that VOICE has also become a force to be reckoned with. […]

by John Thompson / 27min 

George Saunders’s Allegory of Scarcity and Slack

George Saunders’s Allegory of Scarcity and Slack. via George Saunders’s Allegory of Scarcity and Slack.

1 by plthomasedd / 1h hide  //  save

“Click, Clack, Moo”: Why the 1% Always Wins

“Click, Clack, Moo”: Why the 1% Always Wins. via “Click, Clack, Moo”: Why the 1% Always Wins.

1 by plthomasedd / 1h 

All Week 6-15-14 @ THE CHALK FACE

@ THE CHALK FACE: To those focusing on tenure, you’re doing it wrongIf my social media accounts are any indication, I’m probably one of the last 1% of teachers with a week’s worth of school days remaining. It will take me a little more time, once graduations and all of these other special events are over this week, to fully digest and comment on the CA tenure […]by Shaun Johnson / 36min All Week 6

by mike simpson / 9h 

6-16-14 With A Brooklyn Accent: Love Letter to the BATS-

With A Brooklyn Accent:

For those who say Strong Unions are A Problem for the Nation

In the mid 1950's:35 percent of the US Labor Force was unionizedThe top 1 percent of earners made 9 percent of the incomeThe US was the most equal advanced nation in the world in terms of income distributionMillions of American families were moving out of crowded apartments intoprivate homesIn 201411 percent of the US Labor force is unionizedThe top 1 percent of earners makes 23 percent of the inc

by Mark Naison / 2h 

6-14-14 With A Brooklyn Accent: Love Letter to the BATS- On the First Anniversary of the Badass Teachers Association

With A Brooklyn Accent:Are Teachers and Teachers Unions Really to Blame for the Shrinking of the Middle Class?If the American Dream of upward mobility seems to be fading away, if in fact more people are falling out of the middle class than moving into it- is the explanation for this really "a failing public school system, filled  with incompetent teachers" which is what Billionaires and

by mike simpson / 13h