Morning Wink 6-26-14 AM Posts #edchat #edreform

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 6-26-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: John Thompson and Peter Greene Debate the Gates MoratoriumWhen the Gates Foundation proclaimed the need for a two-year moratorium on the stakes associated with Common Core testing, it created a lot of buzz. Was it a retreat? Was it a trick? We’re they trying to lull critics with a two-year delay? We’re they bowing to the outrage of

by mike simpson / 0min 

6-26-14 The Whole Child Blog — School Nutrition Environment and Services

The Whole Child Blog — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOGSchool Nutrition Environment and ServicesJune 26, 2014 by Learning and HealthNutrition is essential for student success. Healthy, active, and well-nourished children are more likely to attend school and are more prepared and motivated to learn. Although the primary responsibility of schools is to foster academic achievement, schools

by mike simpson / 2min 

6-26-14 Ed Notes Online

Ed Notes Online: No Change of Tone at John Dewey HS: Principal Kathleen Elvin - A Principal Heading for HellKathleen Elvin was sent into John Dewey HS as a closer a few years ago - to make sure to drive the final nail in Dewey's coffin and remove many of the teachers, mostly senior. But the UFT lawsuit stopped that process over the summer and Elvin had to switch gears.Mulgrew and the UFT/Unity clo

by mike simpson / 4min 

6-26-14 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.: Poll. Voting for a pension thief?Take Our Poll1 by Fred Klonsky / 58min hide  //  saveRocky Mountain High.The IEA has sent out memos to delegates attending the NEA RA in Denver regarding pot smoking. In 25 years of attending every RA but the one in LA, I have never been warned about dope. I have heard

by mike simpson / 7min 

6-26-14 Wait What? - Jonathan Pelto: Gubernatorial Candidate and A Really Nice Guy

Wait What?: Wait What? I met my political tracker….Following my speech to the Working Families Party last Saturday, I held an informal press conference outside the hall with members of the Connecticut media.  While a few of the reporters are relatively new to the state, I’ve known others for well over 30 years.  I have tremendous respect for the role real journalists play […] The post I met my pol

by mike simpson / 10min 

6-26-14 Answer Sheet

Answer Sheet: Standard & Poor’s rates outlook for charter school sector as ‘negative’Standard & Poor’s has issued a new report that extends its “negative” outlook for the charter school sector. Of 214 public charter school ratings done by the agency, 41, or 19 percent, are negative while only 4 — or 2 percent — are positive. Furthermore, it says, funding has not generally “returned to pre-

by mike simpson / 12min 

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 6-26-14

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: Contingent Approval Of The 2014-15 Lausd Arts Education Budgetby smf for 4LAKidsNews, from the office of Boardmember Zimmer At last Tuesday’s Board of Education meeting the following “not an amendment” to the Arts and Music Education Budget detail was offered by Boardmember Steve Zimmer and accepted by the superintendent and the Board of Education witho

by mike simpson / 15min 

6-26-14 @ The Chalk Face

@ THE CHALK FACE: The Troubling Realities of School SegregationI read this story twice and also read this blog to learn more about the situation and it has left me with many unanswered questions. But first let me see if I have the facts right regarding this troubling story: Two years ago the Normandy school district that is 97% black and poor was merged […]11 by denishanjones / 1h hide  //  saveOb

by mike simpson / 17min 

6-26-14 the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness (the public and scholarly writing by P. L. Thomas, Furman University)

the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness (the public and scholarly writing by P. L. Thomas, Furman University): Obama Education Agenda and the Tone-Deaf FolliesEarly and often, the Obama administration’s education agenda, headed by Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, has driven the public narrative about public schools, teachers, and students with a relentless claim that everythin

by mike simpson / 18min 

6-26-14 Curmudgucation

CURMUDGUCATION: Seven Trends in the Teacher Work ForceIn April, the Consortium for Policy Research in Education released a paper entitled "Seven Trends: the Transformation of the Teaching Force." What the title lacks in sass and flash it makes up for in accuracy, and although the most recent data are from 2012, it still makes for interesting reading. Let's look at the seven trends.Larger

by mike simpson / 19min 

6-26-14 Perdido Street School

Perdido Street School: LIRR Unions Do Not Take Kindly To Newest MTA Offer, Negotiation StrategyFrom the Daily News:The MTA’s decision to publicize its newest contract offer to LIRR workers — who are threatening a strike next month — has union leaders considering whether to ditch a new round of negotiations set for Friday.Anthony Simon, a spokesman for a coalition of Long Island Rail Road unions, w

by mike simpson / 21min 

Common Core: The tetherball of gubernatorial politics | Hechinger Report

Common Core: The tetherball of gubernatorial politics | Hechinger Report: Common Core: The tetherball of gubernatorial politicsWhat Jindal’s retreat on state standards means for our kidsBy Andre PerryLouisiana Governor Bobby Jindal wants to make the state the fourth, including Indiana, Oklahoma and South Carolina, to turn back Common Core implementation. Jindal adopted Common Core state standards,

by mike simpson / 28min 

Somebody Is BS'ing :: Frederick M. Hess

Somebody Is BS'ing :: Frederick M. Hess: Somebody Is BS'ingby Frederick M. Hess  •  Jun 26, 2014 at 10:05 amCross-posted from Education Week Print Send RSS ShareSome folks in positions of educational import are shading the truth, big time. How do I know this?Because I'm hearing two very different things that can't be reconciled. From state chiefs, I'm hearing complaints about overweening federal b

by mike simpson / 29min 

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Duncan a know-nothing when it comes to teaching kids with disabilities

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Duncan a know-nothing when it comes to teaching kids with disabilities: Duncan a know-nothing when it comes to teaching kids with disabilitiesArne Duncan seems bent on pushing standardized-testing madness and privatization into the area of special ed and the teaching of kids with disabilities. That's the only way I can interpret his announced "major shift"i

by mike simpson / 33min 

Louisiana Educator: The Most Powerful Predictor of Student Performance

Louisiana Educator: The Most Powerful Predictor of Student Performance: The Most Powerful Predictor of Student PerformanceThe public school accountability system in Louisiana as in most other states is based primarily upon student performance on standardized testing. Louisiana has gone so far as to give schools and school systems a letter grade for performance based primarily on student test perfo

by mike simpson / 40min 

My First Book “Review” |

My First Book “Review” |: My First Book “Review” I just came across the first external review of my new book, Rethinking Value-Added Models in Education on Amazon, and I thought I would share this review with you all in that I am happy to announce that it captures exactly what I meant to do with this book, particularly for those of you out there who are practitioners working within (and under) the

by mike simpson / 48min 

Head of the head of the class Why is the hiring of Sac city schools' new superintendent so messed up?

Sacramento News & Review - Head of the head of the class - Bites - Opinions - June 26, 2014: Head of the head of the classWhy is the hiring of Sac city schools' new superintendent so messed up?By Cosmo Garvin cosmog@newsreview.comThis article was published on 06.26.14.Sacramento city schools have all but offered the job of superintendent to José Banda, current chief of the Seattle city schools

by mike simpson / 56min 

D.C. Insiders Monetize Experience, Join Ex-CNN Anchor to Attack School Teachers | janresseger

D.C. Insiders Monetize Experience, Join Ex-CNN Anchor to Attack School Teachers | janresseger: D.C. Insiders Monetize Experience, Join Ex-CNN Anchor to Attack School TeachersPosted on June 26, 2014 by janressegerNot quite two years ago, the NY Times published what seemed to me a strange story.  Former CNN anchor, Campbell Brown had begun tweeting mean things about school teachers and attacking the

by mike simpson / 1h 

NYC Educator: The Last Day

NYC Educator: The Last Day: The Last DayTomorrow, vacation starts for me and most of my colleagues. I want to wish you all a happy and restful break. Despite the corporate-produced crap you read in the papers, your work is vital to all that we do. Remember that corporate reformers, despite their crocodile tears, don't give a damn about us or those we serve. No matter how creative and convoluted th

by mike simpson / 1h 

James Quail DOE ATR Supervisor Tries to Ruin a Career southbronxschool

http://www.southbronxschool.com: James Quail DOE ATR Supervisor Tries to Ruin a CareerAnother tale of abuse, but this time of an ATR.This ATR has asked to have his name changed so henceforth he will be known as Rod Gilbert. His ATR supervisor has not asked for his name to be changed because he is unaware of this blog post. His name is James Quail, a educational consultant and a support specialista

by mike simpson / 1h 

Shanker Blog » Challenging Content In The Early Grades: What's Not To Love?

Shanker Blog » Challenging Content In The Early Grades: What's Not To Love?: Challenging Content In The Early Grades: What’s Not To Love?Posted by Esther Quintero on June 26, 2014The latest issue of The Progress of Education Reform (released a few days ago by the Education Commission of the States) rounds up some recent research supporting the case that “all children need high quality early scienc

by mike simpson / 1h 

SKrashen: Summer Reading: Bring back the pleasure

SKrashen: Summer Reading: Bring back the pleasure: Summer Reading: Bring back the pleasureSent to the Wall Street Journal, June 25Summer Reading for Parents (June 25) shows how the common core is pushing publishers and parents in the wrong direction. None of these fads, all featured in the WSJ article, is supported by research, experience, or common sense: reward stickers,  restricting children to

by mike simpson / 1h 

MA Teachers Go Radical In Fight For Public Ed | PopularResistance.Org

MA Teachers Go Radical In Fight For Public Ed | PopularResistance.Org: MA Teachers Go Radical In Fight For Public EducationORGANIZE! EDUCATION, LABOR, TEACHERS, UNIONS By EduSchyster, www.edushyster.comJune 26th, 2014  Powered by TranslateBarbara Madeloni, newly elected president of the 110,000 member Massachusetts Teachers Association, says that fighting is winning.EduShyster: I’ve heard you desc

by mike simpson / 1h 

YESTERDAY

Rush-hour protest by teachers to target the Gates Foundation | Local News | The Seattle Times @EducatingGatesF

Rush-hour protest by teachers to target the Gates Foundation | Local News | The Seattle Times: Rush-hour protest by teachers to target the Gates FoundationTeachers who oppose the influence of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in education policy will hold a march and rally in Seattle starting at 5 p.m. Thursday at Westlake Park and proceeding to the foundation’s offices near Seattle Center. 

by mike simpson / 11h 

Education Defined by Bill Gates and Will Durant: also, please support the march on June 26 at the Gates Foundation in Seattle | Reclaim Reform

Education Defined by Bill Gates and Will Durant: also, please support the march on June 26 at the Gates Foundation in Seattle | Reclaim Reform: Education Defined by Bill Gates and Will Durant: also, please support the march on June 26 at the Gates Foundation in SeattlePosted on June 25, 2014by Ken PrevitiWe all want our children to be well educated. However, how is a good education defined and exp

by mike simpson / 11h 

LAUSD allots funds to schools with highest student need | EdSource

Highlighting Strategies for Student Success | EdSource: San Diego Unified board members OK accountability planThe San Diego Unified School District unanimously approved its spending and accountability plan Tuesday despite renewed calls from some community and parent advocates for more details about how the school system will spend state funds. California’s new funding formula requires each distric

by mike simpson / 11h 

Pando Daily fires David Sirota after hard-hitting stories on national pension thievery. | Reclaim Reform

Pando Daily fires David Sirota after hard-hitting stories on national pension thievery. | Reclaim Reform: Pando Daily fires David Sirota after hard-hitting stories on national pension thievery.Posted on June 25, 2014by Ken PrevitiKen Previti:David Sirota may be best known for his expose of Gov. Chris Christie, but active and retired teachers know him best for revealing the obscene profits made fro

by mike simpson / 15h 

Nite Cap 6-25-14 #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 CAP6-25-14 Wait What? - Jonathan Pelto: Gubernatorial Candidate and A Really Nice GuyWait What?: Wait What? Pelto to Malloy – Dump Pryor and Comer now before they do even more damage to public education in ConnecticutPelto to Malloy: Dump Pryor and

by mike simpson / 15h 

6-25-14 Wait What? - Jonathan Pelto: Gubernatorial Candidate and A Really Nice Guy

Wait What?: Wait What? Pelto to Malloy – Dump Pryor and Comer now before they do even more damage to public education in ConnecticutPelto to Malloy: Dump Pryor and Comer now before they do even more damage to public education in Connecticut: Jonathan Pelto, the Education and Democracy Party’s candidate for governor called on Governor Dannel “Dan” Malloy to fire Stefan Pryor, his Commissioner of Ed

by mike simpson / 16h 

SKrashen: Intensive Systematic Phonics, Tests of Reading Comprehension, and the Garan Effect

SKrashen: Intensive Systematic Phonics, Tests of Reading Comprehension, and the Garan Effect: Intensive Systematic Phonics, Tests of Reading Comprehension, and the Garan EffectAn article in the Guardian announced that a new study confirmed the positive effect of intensive systematic phonics. In my letter  to the Guardian(see below) I said that the study only confirmed what we already know: "I

by mike simpson / 17h 

6-24-14 The Whole Child Blog — Equity: The Driver for School Improvement?

The Whole Child Blog — Whole Child Education: Equity: The Driver for School Improvement?What will drive school improvement in the future? Some believe that it will be choice—ensuring that students have choice in what and how they learn; allowing teachers to have greater autonomy in the classroom; and, possibly, providing families expanded choice of schools. For others the key driver may be ensurin

by mike simpson / 18h 

Will Anyone Stop Charter School Corruption?

Will Anyone Stop Charter School Corruption?: Will Anyone Stop Charter School Corruption?When politicians and pundits take to the barricades to defend “wonderful charter schools,” is this what they’re thinking of?A recent article in a Minnesota newspaper reported about a change in state law that could imperil the existence of a charter school that serves a student body sorely in need of heroic effo

by mike simpson / 18h 

State policy in Newark: Racism. Face it. | Bob Braun's Ledger

State policy in Newark: Racism. Face it. | Bob Braun's Ledger: State policy in Newark: Racism. Face it.Cami to teachers: drop deadThe eighth-grade graduation ceremonies at the Hawthorne Avenue School this morning–the last of their kind–provided an island of sanity and goodwill in the ocean of madness that is state educational policy in Newark. One of the best-achieving schools, not just in the cit

by mike simpson / 19h 

6-25-14 With A Brooklyn Accent: The Staggering Amounts of Money Spent to Show Teachers and Teachers Unions are to Blame for Inequality

With A Brooklyn Accent: The Staggering Amounts of Money Spent to Show Teachers and Teachers Unions are to Blame for InequalityAs the wave of anti-tenure lawsuits are about to move from California to NY and other states where teachers unions are strong, it would be instructive to think about the staggering amounts of money very wealthy people have spent to demonize teachers unions, teachers and pub

by mike simpson / 19h 

LCFF Funding Snapshot Available - Year 2014 (CA Dept of Education)

LCFF Funding Snapshot Available - Year 2014 (CA Dept of Education): State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson UnveilsFirst Local Control Funding Formula CalculationsAlso unveils new LCFF Funding SnapshotSACRAMENTO—Local educational agencies can now see the highly anticipated first official calculations of $42 billion in school funding they will receive under the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF), State

by mike simpson / 20h 

6-25-14 Ed Notes Online

Ed Notes Online: Bryant Principal Namita Dwarka Gets Caught Playing the "Manipulate the Test" Game And LosesOh, the glory! RBE reported on this story at Perdido St:Just Make Every Student A Former ESL Student And You'll Magically Raise Your Test Scores! In case you missed this story in the NY Post:More than 100 teens in one teacher’s English classes were recently marked “FELL,” for “form

by mike simpson / 20h 

6-25-14 Curmudgucation

CURMUDGUCATION: What Should Arne Have SaidThere's been a pig-pile on Arne today over his ill-considered announcement of the DOE's new get-tough-on-states policy regarding students with disabilities (I know, because I was one of the first pigs on the pile).However. The answer that Arne came up with is stupid, but the question it addresses-- are all students with disabilities getting the educational

by mike simpson / 20h 

Vergara vs. California: Are the top 0.1% buying their version of education reform? - The Washington Post

Vergara vs. California: Are the top 0.1% buying their version of education reform? - The Washington Post: Vergara vs. California: Are the top 0.1% buying their version of education reform?On Tuesday, a California superior-court judge ruled that the state’s teacher tenure system discriminates against kids from low-income families. Based on testimony that one to three percent of California teachers

by mike simpson / 21h 

6-24-14 LA School Report - What's Really Going on Inside LAUSD

LA School Report - What's Really Going on Inside LAUSD (Los Angeles Unified School District): California’s services for disabled students ranks lowVia LA Times | Howard Blume California ranks in the bottom rung of states in the academic achievement of disabled students, according to new federal rankings released Tuesday. The new system rates only 18 states and U.S. territories as meeting federal s

by mike simpson / 21h 

We Party Patriots » Corporate Education Lobby Launches Pro-Charter School PR Blitz Following Damning MI Report

We Party Patriots » Corporate Education Lobby Launches Pro-Charter School PR Blitz Following Damning MI Report: Corporate Education Lobby Launches Pro-Charter School PR Blitz Following Damning MI Report   A new investigative report from the Detroit Free Press reveals a problem in Michigan found in many other states: Charter schools with little oversight and nearly no regulation underperforming to

by mike simpson / 21h 

6-25-14 Seattle Schools Community Forum Week

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Supreme Court Upholds Cell Phone PrivacyThis ruling may be a subject you might want to talk to your kids - especially teens - about at some point.In a 9-0 ruling, the Supreme Court today ruled that police must have a warrant to search the cellphones of people they arrest.  From the NY Times:The old rules, Chief Justice Roberts said, cannot be applied to “modern cel

by mike simpson / 22h 

Jindal says charters are a successful model. Really? | Missouri Education Watchdog

Jindal says charters are a successful model. Really? | Missouri Education Watchdog: Jindal says charters are a successful model. Really?inShareLast night I heard Governor Jindal speak about the education successes in his state, specifically in New Orleans where he said they were now 90% charters. He said it as if that was the accomplishment of a public directive, as if the public were clamoring fo

by mike simpson / 22h 

Reformers lose one to a veteran teacher - The Washington Post

Reformers lose one to a veteran teacher - The Washington Post: Reformers lose one to a veteran teacher There’s a new piece on The Washington Post’s Monkey Cage blog with this headline: “Vergara vs. California: Are the top 0.1% buying their version of education reform?” Anybody paying attention to school “reform” knows that the answer to that question is that some folks in that group are trying the

by mike simpson / 22h 

An Urban Teacher's Education: Faking Student Data

An Urban Teacher's Education: Faking Student Data: Faking Student DataThe Education Lab Blog at the Seattle Times today shares some of the stories of four teachers this past year using Washington's new TPEP evaluation system.Teachers are cited as saying that they found the student growth goals component of the evaluation to be something of a joke. "Teachers were literally joking (I hope) abou

by mike simpson / 23h 

NYC To Invest $52 Million in Community Schools | National Opportunity to Learn Campaign | Education Reform for Equity and Opportunity

NYC To Invest $52 Million in Community Schools | National Opportunity to Learn Campaign | Education Reform for Equity and Opportunity: NYC To Invest $52 Million in Community SchoolsPosted on: Wednesday June 25th, 2014One of best ways to turnaround a struggling school is to transform it into a "community school," a hub for all types of wraparound supports from medical services and tutorin

by mike simpson / 23h 

AFT - A Union of Professionals - Weingarten Announces $10 Billion Investment in Infrastructure and Workforce

AFT - A Union of Professionals - Weingarten Announces $10 Billion Investment in Infrastructure and Workforce: Weingarten Announces $10 Billion Investment in Infrastructure and WorkforcePartnership Fulfills Promise Two Years EarlyDENVER—Statement of American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten on the announcement that the $10 billion Investment and Training for American Infrastructure

by mike simpson / 23h 

Morning Wink 6-25-14 AM Posts #edchat #edreform

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTSLISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 6-25-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for allDiane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Peter Greene: Is This the “Stupidest Thing Ever to Come Out of the U.S. DOE?”Peter Greene writes that Arne Duncan has figured out why children with disabilities get lower test scores: Low expect

by mike simpson / 23h

2nd Banana 6-21-14 Recap of Last Week's Best Post 

2nd Banana 6-14-14 Recap of Last Week's Best Post

2nd Banana 6-7-14 Recap of Last Week's Best Post2nd Banana 5-31-14 Recap of Last Week's Best Post

2nd Banana 5-24-14 Recap of Last Week's Best Post

2nd Banana 5-17-14 Recap of Last Week's Best Post

Nite Cap 6-25-14

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Nite Cap 6-15-14Nite Cap 6-14-14

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 6-26-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

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

Connecticut: Charter Organization, Under Scrutiny Refuses to Release Information to Press

The FUSE (Family Urban Schools of Excellence) charter organization was shaken by two high-level resignations, following the departure of its CEO Michael Sharpe. Sharpe quit after the press revealed that he had served time in prison and had used the title “Dr.” Though he had never earned a doctorate. The Hartford Courant asked for information about FUSE’s finances, but got no response. FUSE runs t

by dianeravitch / 38min hide  //  save

Pennsylvania: Activists Holding a Sit-In in Governor Corbett’s Office to Protest Budget Cuts

A small group of activists is conducting a sit-in in Governor Tom Corbett’s office in Harrisburg to demand a restoration of $1 billion in budget cuts to public schools. Those of us who remember the 1960s recall that this tactic was frequently used by civil rights groups and anti-war activists to draw attention to their cause. It was effective in encouraging others to become involved and active.  

8 by dianeravitch / 44min 

Karen Lewis Denounces 1,150 Layoffs of Teachers and Other Staff

NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Stephanie Gadlin June 26, 2014 312/329-6250 EMANUEL CONTINUES ASSAULT ON CITY’S TEACHERS CHICAGO—Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) President Karen Lewis released the following statement regarding today’s announcement of 1,150 teacher and school support staff layoffs by Chicago Public Schools (CPS): “The decision by the mayor and his handpicked Board of Educa

4 by dianeravitch / 50min 

Breaking News: Jindal’s Lawyer Says Governor Has Right to Drop Common Core and PARCC

Stephanie Simon reports at politico.com that Governor Bobby Jindal’s lawyer advised him he has the right to withdraw Louisiana from the Common Core and the federally-funded PARCC tests. State Superintendent John White said in an interview that Jindal was wrong. He went even further and accused the governor of breaking the law: “State Superintendent John White has accused the governor of breaking

9 by dianeravitch / 26min 

School Board Rejects Rural Charter School in Tennessee

I posted about a week ago about efforts by members of Teach for America to open a charter school in rural Cheatham County in Tennessee. The Cheatham County school board voted to deny the application for the Cumberland Academy Charter School, 5-0, with one member absent.

by dianeravitch / 10min hide  //  save

Huppenthal Apologizes for Internet Comments and Weeps

John Huppenthal called a press conference to apologize for his outrageous comments on the Intermet, posted anonymously. He said he would not resign as he faces re-election. He broke down and cried. “”I’m here to renounce those blog comments,” Huppenthal told reporters. “They’re not what is in my mind, they don’t reflect the love that is in my heart.” A sample of the comments that don’t reflect wh

1 by dianeravitch / 17min 

What World Does the NY Times Editorial Board Live in?

Yesterday, the New York Times published an editorial vigorously agreeing with the Obama administration’s plan to give ratings to colleges and universities and agreeing with Education Trust that federal aid to colleges should be tied to those ratings. EdTrust was and remains one of the strongest supporters of NO Child Left Behind, having helped to write that abominable law. On principle, I oppose t

1 by dianeravitch / 6min 

Why Michigan Charter Law is Weak: Money

The Lansing (Michigan) State Journal explains why the charter law lacks teeth. The law permits conflict of interest, nepotism, self-dealing and other scams. Why? Charters are a $1 billion industry annually. Charter chains and founders hire lobbyists and give generously to politicians. The charter lobby has given $1.3 million since 2003. It plans to spend $1 million for pro-charter candidates in t

2 by dianeravitch / 14min h

Politico Reports: John White Blasts Governor Jindal

Stephanie Simon interviewed State Superintendent John White, who blasted Governor Bobby Jindal for dropping Common Core and PARCC testing. White said that Jindal was denying children their “civil rights.” Isn’t it weird how these privatizers like to use “civil rights” as a rhetorical weapon without any meaning? It used to refer to the right to attend a desegregated school, the right to vote, the r

by dianeravitch / 10min hide  //  save

The Shame of Philadelphia: The Slow Extinction of Public Education

The state-operated school district of Philadelphia bluntly admitted it could not afford to provide a sound basic education to the children of the district. It sought court approval for continuing to short-change the children of Philadelphia. The Education Law Center reports: “In March, Philadelphia’s state-operated school district filed an extraordinary legal complaint with the Pennsylvania Supr

9 by dianeravitch / 39min 

John Thompson and Peter Greene Debate the Gates Moratorium

When the Gates Foundation proclaimed the need for a two-year moratorium on the stakes associated with Common Core testing, it created a lot of buzz. Was it a retreat? Was it a trick? We’re they trying to lull critics with a two-year delay? We’re they bowing to the outrage of testing opponents? Of course, most curious of all is that everyone accepts that Bill Gates is in charge of American educatio

2 by dianeravitch / 57min hide  //  save

Why Was Amy Prime Re-Assigned?

Regular readers of this blog are familiar with the work of Amy Prime. (See here and here.)For the past ten years, she has taught second grade at Berg Elementary School in Newton, Iowa. she has written several articles about the problems and challenges of protecting children from the negative effects of test-centric reforms, some of which have been published in the local newspapers and reposted on

37 by dianeravitch / 1h 

Atlanta: Edward Johnson Denounces Vergara Decision

Ed Johnson is a longtime critic of test mania in Atlanta and in the nation. He was one of the few people who was not surprised when Atlanta’s nationally acclaimed superintendent Beverly Hall was ensnared in a cheating scandal. When test scores become the measure of everything, they assume far too much importance. In this letter by Ed Johnson (posted on Audrey Beardsley’s blog VAMboozled), Johnson

4 by dianeravitch / 2h 

Detroit Free Press: In Clash, University Protects For-Profit Charter Management vs. Board

When the board of Metro Charter Academy in Romulus, Michigan asked too many questions of the for-profit management company running the school, the university that authorized the charter stepped in to discipline the board. Grand Valley State University defended National Heritage Academies. According to the latest installment by the Detroit Free Press in its series about charter schools: “Some boa

3 by dianeravitch / 3h 

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 6-25-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Peter Greene: Is This the “Stupidest Thing Ever to Come Out of the U.S. DOE?”Peter Greene writes that Arne Duncan has figured out why children with disabilities get lower test scores: Low expectations. Greene writes: “In announcing a new emphasis and “major shift,” the US Department of Education will now demand that states show edu

by mike simpson / 8h 

6-26-14 The Whole Child Blog — School Nutrition Environment and Services

The Whole Child Blog — Whole Child Education:

THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG

School Nutrition Environment and Services

June 26, 2014 by Learning and Health

Nutrition is essential for student success. Healthy, active, and well-nourished children are more likely to attend school and are more prepared and motivated to learn. Although the primary responsibility of schools is to foster academic achievement, schools have an exceptional opportunity to guide children toward healthier lifestyles by creating a healthy nutrition environment.

The school environment should encourage all students to make healthy eating choices and be physically active throughout the school day. We know schools cannot be responsible for the health and safety of their students at all times (such as when students area at home or out in the community); however, schools can and should ensure that students learn the knowledge and skills needed to make healthy decisions. School leaders can help encourage this by helping students make healthy choices using policies and practices thatcreate a school environment that supports clear expectations for healthy behavior by faculty and staff, as well as students.

The goal of the new Whole School, Whole Community, and Whole Child (WSCC) model developed by ASCD and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is to support behaviors that enhance the health and well-being of students and staff through learning opportunities that help students acquire not only the knowledge, attitudes, and skills of a health-literate individual, but also the motivation to behave in healthy ways. The WSCC model will establish an environment within the school that extends to the family and community and enables, motivates, supports, and reinforces healthy behaviors. It will bring together schools and the resources of other public institutions, including voluntary health and youth-serving agencies, the medical profession, the faith community, and local governments—all of which are responsible for providing the community with assets to help children become healthy, happy, productive adult citizens.

RESOURCES

Reducing Junk Food Without Hurting the Bottom Line

To illustrate how schools and districts can implement strong nutrition standards for competitive foods without significant financial losses, the CDC supported a study by the Illinois Public Health Institute (IPHI) and the University of Illinois, Chicago (UIC) to examine eight school districts across the country. IPHI published The Whole Child Blog — Whole Child Education:

6-24-14 The Whole Child Blog — Equity: The Driver for School Improvement?

The Whole Child Blog — Whole Child Education: Equity: The Driver for School Improvement?What will drive school improvement in the future? Some believe that it will be choice—ensuring that students have choice in what and how they learn; allowing teachers to have greater autonomy in the classroom; and, possibly, providing families expanded choice of schools. For others the key driver may be ensurin

by mike simpson / 2h 

6-26-14 Ed Notes Online

Ed Notes Online:

Eterno on Final Graduation Jamaica HS Before Closing, Schirtzer Condemns Farina/UFT For Allowing It to Happen

With every passing day, despite the so-called change of tone, we see more evidence (here, here, here, here) for samples) of endorsement of Bloomberg's wrecking ball. James Eterno posted about this sad/happy day (for the final Jamaica HS grad class) at the ICE blog.... Today is a very emotional day for many people as Jamaica High School will hold its final graduation ceremony this evening.  I am su

by ed notes online / 25min 

No Change of Tone at John Dewey HS: Principal Kathleen Elvin - A Principal Heading for Hell

Kathleen Elvin was sent into John Dewey HS as a closer a few years ago - to make sure to drive the final nail in Dewey's coffin and remove many of the teachers, mostly senior. But the UFT lawsuit stopped that process over the summer and Elvin had to switch gears.Mulgrew and the UFT/Unity clones talk about the change of tone at Tweed. I pointed that the so-called change of tone is directed at union

by ed notes online / 13min 

6-25-14 Ed Notes Online

Ed Notes Online: Bryant Principal Namita Dwarka Gets Caught Playing the "Manipulate the Test" Game And LosesOh, the glory! RBE reported on this story at Perdido St:Just Make Every Student A Former ESL Student And You'll Magically Raise Your Test Scores! In case you missed this story in the NY Post:More than 100 teens in one teacher’s English classes were recently marked “FELL,” for “form

by mike simpson / 4h