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Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Nite Cap 7-15-14 #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #AFT14



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 CAP




NEA elects Latina to leadership at annual meeting « NewsTaco
NEA elects Latina to leadership at annual meeting « NewsTaco:  Delegates make history by voting for new leadership team to head nation’s largest unionDENVER – July 04, 2014 -Students across this country will have a historic new team advocating for their interests and the empowerment of the educators dedicated to their success this coming school year. Delegates attending the National Education Asso
7-15-14 Schools Matter All Week
Schools Matter: Doug Martin's Letter to Gordon Hendry and the Indiana State Board of EdBy Doug Martin Once again the Indy Star has given space to complete unreality, this time by you, Gordon Hendry, the new state board of education member all goo-goo eyed over your neoliberal heroes Bill Clinton and Bart Peterson. In fact, your piece, in many ways, is an attempt for Mike Pence and the state board
7-15-14 @ The Chalk Face
@ THE CHALK FACE: About the radio showJoin Drs. Shaun Johnson and Tim Slekar LIVE Sundays at 6PM EST and Wednesdays at 7PM EST on Blog Talk Radio for progressive, pro-public education talk radio. Call in to speak live with Tim and Shaun during the show, (805) 727-7111. You can also listen to our Monday "Sunday-Replay" at 7PM EST, and re-broadcasts of the archives every Tuesday and Thursd
7-15-14 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): “Gravity”: The Unbearable Lightness of Being a WomanIn the film Gravity, Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) fulfills what appears to be a prerequisite for women in films: She undresses alone: Sandra Bullock, Gravity As a science fiction film fan, I immediately thought of Sigour
Karen Lewis inches closer to run — crafting exploratory committee | Early & Often
Karen Lewis inches closer to run — crafting exploratory committee | Early & Often: CTU President Karen Lewis talks to reporters in March. File Photo. | Rich Hein/Sun-TimesKaren Lewis inches closer to run — crafting exploratory committeeTUE, 07/15/2014 - 12:51AMKaren Lewis’ potential bid for Chicago Mayor has moved beyond just a thought — it’s  an “organic,” growing movement, the fiery Chicago
7-15-14 The Whole Child Blog — Education Support Professionals: Meeting the Needs of the Whole Student
The Whole Child Blog — Whole Child Education: Education Support Professionals: Meeting the Needs of the Whole StudentJean G. Fay has no typical workday. Whether it's working one-on-one with a child with special needs, helping out in the cafeteria at lunchtime, sewing costumes for the school musical, or leading 40 2nd graders in the Crocker Farm Elementary hip-hop crew, she does it all! Jean is als
Marie Corfield: More on Christie's Executive Order, AchieveNJ & PARCC
Marie Corfield: More on Christie's Executive Order, AchieveNJ & PARCC: More on Christie's Executive Order, AchieveNJ & PARCCKeeping this short and sweet because Ani McHugh (aka. TeacherBiz) and Jersey Jazzman both wrote excellent analyses of all that transpired in the life of A3081/S2541. Let's cut to the chase. Here's what the weights in educator evaluations will look like next year: In a
7-15-14 Seattle Schools Community Forum
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Who Was Using What Math (and how did Principals feel about the Math Adoption)?I'm not sure this information will answer all questions, but I did put in a public disclosure request from SPS on the issue of what schools had been using enVision.  Here's the feedback I received on June 23rd.  (It is not complete as they are still trying to see if there were any MOU/agr
A battle won in the war on teacher tenure :: SI&A Cabinet Report :: The Essential Resource for Superintendents and the Cabinet
A battle won in the war on teacher tenure :: SI&A Cabinet Report :: The Essential Resource for Superintendents and the Cabinet: JULY 15, 2014A battle won in the war on teacher tenureby Alisha Kirby(N.C.) Teachers in North Carolina won a battle in an ongoing war over job protections as legislative leaders gave up – at least for now – a proposal to eliminate tenure in exchange for an 11 percent
‘We Will Not Be Silent!’ | NEA Today
‘We Will Not Be Silent!’ | NEA Today: ‘We Will Not Be Silent!’At the 2014 NEA Representative Assembly (RA), held in July in Denver, Colo., nearly 7,000 delegates bid a warm farewell to outgoing NEA President Dennis Van Roekel and elected an historic trio of women— Lily Eskelsen García, president; Rebecca  “Becky” Pringle, vice president; and Princess Moss, secretary-treasurer—to lead them through
A Move to SacTown in Song, This time it’s for REAL: A Playlist | Cloaking Inequity
A Move to SacTown in Song, This time it’s for REAL: A Playlist | Cloaking Inequity: A Move to SacTown in Song, This time it’s for REAL: A PlaylistWell I’m going out west where I belong.I apologize for the thin posting on Cloaking Inequity the past two weeks. Summer is a busy time as I wrap up peer-reviewed articles, teach two methods classes for the new UT-Austin Superintendency cohort, personal a
7-15-14 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): Morning Read: Pension fund for CA teachers looking upCalSTRS reports a big year of earnings Riding the wave of record high stock prices on Wall Street, the fund providing pension benefits for California teachers and school administrators reported Monday that it earned a return of 18.66 percent on its asse
Seattle University Students Stand Behind Their Faculty
Seattle University Students Stand Behind Their Faculty: Seattle University Students Stand Behind Their Faculty In late May and early June, instructors at Seattle University casted ballots on whether they wanted to unionize. Since then, not a single ballot has been counted. Instead, administrative efforts have invalidated the vote and put the faculty’s unionization status in limbo.Seattle Universit
Staples, Postal Service to End Program to Set Up Post Offices - WSJ
Staples, Postal Service to End Program to Set Up Post Offices - WSJ: Staples, Postal Service to End Plan for Mini Post Offices in StoresTeachers Union Had Called for Store Boycott Amid Growing Criticism From LaborStaples Inc. SPLS +0.54% and the U.S. Postal Service said Monday they will end a pilot program to set up mini post offices in the company's retail outlets, days after one of the nation's
Morning Wink 7-15-14 AM Posts #edchat #edreform
BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTSLISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 7-15-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for allDiane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Jeanne Kaplan: Why Teachers Are Sick of DuncanJeanne Kaplan served on the Denver school board for years and watched with a heavy heart as fake “reformers” took over Denver and Colorado. Now Colo
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 7-15-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Jeanne Kaplan: Why Teachers Are Sick of DuncanJeanne Kaplan served on the Denver school board for years and watched with a heavy heart as fake “reformers” took over Denver and Colorado. Now Colorado has the most punitive teacher evaluation law in the nation, thanks to Arne Duncan and Colorado’s State Senator Michael Johnston. When
7-15-14 Ed Notes Online
Ed Notes Online: Aft report: My Last Red-Eye - It's 2 AM and I'm Still Not EX-LAXThe AFT convention has reached its high point. It's the middle of the night and I'm surrounded by hordes of Unity Caucus delegates stranded from 2 fucked up Delta red-eyes. It's like an endless nightmare. I call the question but they are still here. On checking into security with my priority check-in - let's see - at
7-15-14 With A Brooklyn Accent
With A Brooklyn Accent: Teacher Temps and Computer Tenders Can't Move Children Out of PovertyOne of the things I am most worried about in the rush to on line learning and disposable teacher temps is the elimination of relationship building and mentoring, which in my experience, is key in having education move people out of poverty and promote upward mobility.When you grow up poor, there are many s
7-15-14 Wait What? - Jonathan Pelto: Gubernatorial Candidate and A Really Nice Guy
Wait What?:   Wait What? Why students leave high school (By Wendy Lecker)Wendy Lecker’s latest commentary piece for the Stamford Advocate and Hearst Media Group pushes aside the rhetoric coming from the corporate education reform industry and its allies like Governor Dannel “Dan” Malloy and his Commissioner of Education, Stefan Pryor. Instead Lecker lays out the real issues about graduation rates
7-15-14 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.: Don’t use Staples.As a state-wide elected delegate to the NEA RA I get reimbursed for most of my expenses. I have to fill out forms and provide receipts as it is carefully monitored by the IRS. And who knows? Maybe the NSA too. Rather than make copies of the forms at home, I normally go to the neighbo
7-15-14 Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL
Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL: New Study Reinforces Previous Ones Showing SEL Lessons Need To Be Short & Simple© 2013 elPadawan, Flickr | CC-BY-SA | via Wylio As regular readers of this blog and my books know, I’m an advocate of teaching Social Emotional Learning skills — and that I think they need to be simple so that individual teachers can integra
7-15-14 Jersey Jazzman
Jersey Jazzman: Christie's Last Teacher Evaluation Panel Was a DisasterBig news today in the New Jersey education policy world:Following several days of intensive discussion last week, agreement was reached on several key issues related to standardized testing and its ultimate role in teacher evaluation.  NJEA was at the center of conversations with legislators, the Christie administration and the
7-15-14 Perdido Street School
Perdido Street School: Why I Want Arne Duncan And John King To Remain In PowerThe NEA has called for Secretary of Education Privatization Arne Duncan's ouster.The AFT put him on some kind of improvement plan (a lame way of saying they were calling for his ouster without actually calling for his ouster.)Many rank-and-file teachers across the country have called for Duncan to step down or be fired.B
The Evolution of Denial in Atlanta Test-Score Cheating Scandal | janresseger
The Evolution of Denial in Atlanta Test-Score Cheating Scandal | janresseger: The Evolution of Denial in Atlanta Test-Score Cheating ScandalPosted on July 15, 2014 by janressegerRachel Aviv’s extraordinary New Yorker magazine essay, Wrong Answer, traces the evolution of the Atlanta Public Schools standardized test cheating scandal.  Aviv describes how school administrators, driven by the Adequate
Art and Public Space | Bill Ayers
Art and Public Space | Bill Ayers: Art and Public SpaceWhat does it mean to be human today, trudging into the 21st Century?How can we act ethically in our hurried and bewildering world?How did we get here, and where do we want to go?Is there a Public Space? In fact, is there a Public?What is our diagram of the known world, and how might things be otherwise?What kind of society do we want to inhabi
NYC Educator: Does AFT Merit a Member Boycott?
NYC Educator: Does AFT Merit a Member Boycott?: Does AFT Merit a Member Boycott?AFT reps, not a single one of whom represents me or my school, took time out to assemble at a local Staples to protest their use of private workers to replace US Post Office workers. The President of NYSUT cut her Staples card in half to show she meant business. After all, we value union, and we don't want unqualified
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Events of past two weeks gives us hope
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Events of past two weeks gives us hope: Events of past two weeks gives us hopeDonna Brazile“The very premise of ‘market-driven education reform’ rests on the fallacy that the public school system is in crisis, and that the only solution is to let the market pick winners and losers.” -- Donna BrazileWow! What an amazing couple of weeks this has been.It started with th
Willing to die for justice? Comparing post-Katrina student activism to Freedom Summer | Hechinger Report
Willing to die for justice? Comparing post-Katrina student activism to Freedom Summer | Hechinger Report: Willing to die for justice? Comparing post-Katrina student activism to Freedom SummerBy Andre PerryTwo of the most significant student movements in the United States occurred in Jackson, Mississippi and New Orleans – separated by less than a three hours’ drive and fifty years. En masse, high s

YESTERDAY

SELLOUT: Why the NJEA’s testing compromise with Christie was a mistake | Bob Braun's Ledger
SELLOUT: Why the NJEA’s testing compromise with Christie was a mistake | Bob Braun's Ledger: SELLOUT: Why the NJEA’s testing compromise with Christie was a mistakeRemember?                   The problem with the compromise reached between the Christie Administration and the New Jersey Education Association (NJEA) over the uses of high-stakes testing is this: The teachers’ union, rightly concerned
With 8 weeks until school starts, Sacramento charter starts from scratch - Education - The Sacramento Bee
With 8 weeks until school starts, Sacramento charter starts from scratch - Education - The Sacramento Bee: With 8 weeks until school starts, Sacramento charter starts from scratchBy Loretta Kalblkalb@sacbee.comPublished: Monday, Jul. 14, 2014 - 5:54 pmLast Modified: Monday, Jul. 14, 2014 - 6:56 pmThe paint is fresh. The rooms are clean. All that’s needed at fledgling New Joseph Bonnheim Community 
Arne Duncan flubbed on Common Core, and then he made it worse - LA Times
Arne Duncan flubbed on Common Core, and then he made it worse - LA Times: Opinion Arne Duncan flubbed on Common Core, and then he made it worseRandi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, speaks at its convention over the weekend in Los Angeles. (Los Angeles Times)By KARIN KLEINcontact the reporterThe scaffolding of support for the Common Core curriculum standards continues,
Teachers of Color Caught In The Windmill (On Real Equity) - The Jose Vilson
Teachers of Color Caught In The Windmill (On Real Equity) - The Jose Vilson: Teachers of Color Caught In The Windmill (On Real Equity)Last week, I delved a little deeper into this issue of teachers of color, hoping to sow some of the prevailing narratives up and construct something more cogent.Yet, when it comes down to it, the lack of teachers of color is a symptom and not a cause of the educatio
Free Minds/Free People | Bill Ayers
Free Minds/Free People | Bill Ayers: Free Minds/Free PeopleBernardine and I met up with our old pal Jeff Jones, jumped in the car and headed off to the Oregon Country Fair outside Eugene where we’d been asked to speak about the political moment we were living through—Occupy your Imagination; Free Minds/Free People. It was a Blues Brothers road trip—we were on a mission from God.The Fair was an ins
Nite Cap 7-14-14 #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #AFT14
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 CAPCharter Renewals FAQs Section 11 - Resources (CA Dept of Education)Charter Renewals FAQs Section 11 - Resources (CA Dept of Education): Charter Renewals FAQs Section 11Frequently asked questions (FAQ) regarding academic performance determinations





NEA elects Latina to leadership at annual meeting « NewsTaco

NEA elects Latina to leadership at annual meeting « NewsTaco:





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 Delegates make history by voting for new leadership team to head nation’s largest union

DENVER – July 04, 2014 -
Students across this country will have a historic new team advocating for their interests and the empowerment of the educators dedicated to their success this coming school year. Delegates attending the National Education Association’s 152nd Annual Meeting and 93rd Representative Assembly, meeting this week in Denver, elected new officers and executive committee members to lead the nation’s largest union, representing nearly 3 million educators. NEA’s new officers include a former state teacher of the year and elementary school teacher from North Salt Lake, Utah; a physical science teacher from Harrisburg, Pa.; and an elementary school music teacher from Louisa County, Va.
Lily Eskelsen García, a former Utah Teacher of the Year who started her 20-year career in education as a lunch lady before becoming an elementary teacher who worked with homeless children, was elected to head NEA. Eskelsen García previously served two three-year terms as NEA vice president and was named by President Obama to serve as a commissioner on the White House Commission on Education Excellence for Hispanics. An outspoken advocate for preserving and promoting public education for every student, she has been a vocal critic of high stakes testing and other policies that detract from student learning and exacerbate inequity in our education system.
“We must measure what matters and put students’ needs at the center of the system once again. We can no longer allow politicians who have never stepped into a classroom define what it means to teach and learn,” said Eskelsen García. “At a time when nearly 50 percent of public school children live in low-income families, our country must refocus its priorities on the needs of the whole child and bridge the gaps that have only grown over the last decade. We know what is at stake, and it is why we are educators. It is why we are fearless and why we will not be silent.”
After teaching only nine years, Eskelsen García was named her state’s top teacher. The daughter of an immigrant, she is one of the nation’s top Hispanic educators and used her leadership position to speak up on behalf of DREAMers seeking a path to U.S. citizenship and has been a vocal opponent of policies driven by the standardized testing mania. Her trajectory led to NEA, where she was elected an executive committee member in 1996 and secretary-treasurer in 2002; she was elected NEA vice president in 2008, and has been an outspoken advocate for the teaching profession, students, and learning. She also served as president of the Utah Education Association, an affiliate of NEA.
Delegates also elected Rebecca S. “Becky” Pringle, a middle school physical science teacher from Harrisburg, Pa., as NEA vice president. Pringle, now one of the highest-ranking African-American female leaders in the labor movement, has served since 2008 as NEA secretary-treasurer. She oversaw the fiscal NEA elects Latina to leadership at annual meeting « NewsTaco:

7-15-14 Schools Matter All Week

Schools Matter:






Ravitch Lashes Out at Union Misleadership Critique
"Hope. It is the only thing stronger than fear. A little hope is effective. A lot of hope is dangerous. Spark is fine, as long as it's contained."--President Snow, The Hunger Games  When Diane Ravitch spoke at the National Association of School Psychologists in February 2012, her hefty speaking fee was paid for by none other than Pearson.  Yes, that Pearson.  When challenged on one of th

Picket the Koch Heads Education Privatization Meeting in Nashville July 22
The Badass Teacher of Tennessee need to saddle up, along with any other folks in Tennessee that care about public education.  6 PM at the Renaissance Hotel July 22.  If you need pamphlet ideas or one page handouts, let me know.  Can't be there--teaching that week.  Be sure to contact the TV stations for coverage.From Joey Garrison:A group led by one of the conservative Koch brothers, increasingly


Doug Martin's Letter to Gordon Hendry and the Indiana State Board of Ed
By Doug Martin Once again the Indy Star has given space to complete unreality, this time by you, Gordon Hendry, the new state board of education member all goo-goo eyed over your neoliberal heroes Bill Clinton and Bart Peterson. In fact, your piece, in many ways, is an attempt for Mike Pence and the state board to do damage control over a recent Journal and Courier guest editorial by Dr. Lynn Ne

7-13-14 Schools Matter All Week
Schools Matter: Compelling evidenceSent to the Wall Street Journal, July 13, 2014In "Test scores may move, learning doesn't" (July 12), Jo Craven McGinty says that there is "compelling evidence"  that the US education system is inadequate, because American students "score below average in math and average in reading and science" when compared to other countries on int

7-15-14 @ The Chalk Face

@ THE CHALK FACE:



About the radio show
Join Drs. Shaun Johnson and Tim Slekar 
LIVE Sundays at 6PM EST and Wednesdays at 7PM EST 
on Blog Talk Radio for progressive, pro-public education talk radio. 

Call in to speak live with Tim and Shaun during the show, (805) 727-7111. 
You can also listen to our Monday "Sunday-Replay" at 7PM EST, and re-broadcasts of the archives every Tuesday and Thursday at 7PM EST.
Visit the @ the Chalk Face radio main page for more information on the show and syndication.







Debating Common Core Is Proof that Educators Have Lost

Debating Common Core Is Proof that Educators Have Lost. via Debating Common Core Is Proof that Educators Have Lost.


7-14-14 @ The Chalk Face
@ THE CHALK FACE: About the radio showJoin Drs. Shaun Johnson and Tim Slekar LIVE Sundays at 6PM EST and Wednesdays at 7PM EST on Blog Talk Radio for progressive, pro-public education talk radio. Call in to speak live with Tim and Shaun during the show, (805) 727-7111. You can also listen to our Monday "Sunday-Replay" at 7PM EST, and re-broadcasts of the archives every Tuesday and Thursd


7-15-14 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):






“Gravity”: The Unbearable Lightness of Being a Woman
In the film Gravity, Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) fulfills what appears to be a prerequisite for women in films: She undresses alone: Sandra Bullock, Gravity As a science fiction film fan, I immediately thought of Sigourney Weaver in Alien: Sigourney Weaver, Alien At the end of the film, when Ryan Stone crawls out of the water, again in her underwear, I was by then struck as well by Stone’s cropped






7-14-14 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): Debating Common Core Is Proof that Educators Have LostRecently, many within and among the AFT and NEA communities have been applauding that summer conventions have devoted time to debating the Common Core, some going as far as hailing that debate as proof of democracy in