Morning Wink 7-25-14 AM Posts #edchat #edreform

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 7-25-14 Diane Ravitch's blog #thankateacher #EDCHAT #P2

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Another Super-Hot Los Angeles School Board RaceIn District 1 in Los Angeles, a well-funded, politically-connected candidate–Alex Johnson– squares off against an underfunded, highly qualified educator–George McKenna. McKenna won 44% of the vote in the primary to Johnson’s 26%. The run-off is August 12. But Johnson has raised almost

by mike simpson / 2min 

7-25-14 Fred Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacher

Fred Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacher who is just looking at the data.: We’ve been following events in Hinsdale. Here is the latest from the teachers.Photo: @studentsforD86 Hinsdale High School 86 is in Chicago’s western suburbs. This summer I have been following the bargaining between the teachers union, HHSTA, and the Hinsdale board. The Hinsdale board, headed by Dr. Sk

by mike simpson / 6min 

7-25-14 Wait What? - Jonathan Pelto: Gubernatorial Candidate and A Really Nice Guy

Wait What?: Wait What? What is this race for Governor all about – take a look at the new article from In These TimesI recently conducted an interview with Cole Stangler, a reporter for “In These Times.” Although not everyone reads “In These Times,” they should. Kurt Vonnegut once said, “If it weren’t for In These Times, I’d be a man without a country.” In These Times was created by author and hist

by mike simpson / 8min 

7-25-14 Answer Sheet

Answer Sheet: Five U.S. innovations that helped Finland’s schools improve but that American reformers now ignoreFinnish educator and scholar Pasi Sahlberg is one of the world’s leading experts on school reform and educational practices. The author of the best-selling “Finnish Lessons: What Can the World Learn About Educational Change in Finland?”and a former director general of Finland’s Center fo

by mike simpson / 10min 

7-25-14 Schools Matter

Schools Matter: Behning's Corporate School Money Still Flowingby Doug Martin (See the important note at the end of this article. Patrick Lockhart is running against Behning, and needs your support.  Here is his facebook page.  Spread it wide.  It is time to take this to a truly grassroots level.  Pass this article on to your neighbors, your community members and leaders and to the people in Lockha

by mike simpson / 11min 

7-25-14 Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL

Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL: Videos: “Forward Thinking Transfer Of Learning” With James Bond© 2011 Johan Oomen, Flickr | CC-BY-SA | via Wylio I promise – this will be my last Transfer of Learning post for the day! Two kinds of transfers of learning are called “backward-reaching” and “forward-thinking.” In “backward-reaching,” you’re applying what you h

by mike simpson / 13min 

7-25-14 @ 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

by mike simpson / 15min 

7-22-14 With A Brooklyn Accent: BATS- Finding a Teacher Voice

With A Brooklyn Accent: BATS- Finding a Teacher VoiceIf there is a single contribution that BATS has made in the one year of its existence, it is to show the powers that be that public school teachers- in all their diversity and variety-- are not a silent, compliant group who can be demonized, standardized, scripted, deprived of due process, and forced to commit professional malpractice at the exp

by mike simpson / 17min 

7-25-14 The Whole Child Blog — What Happens When You Believe

The Whole Child Blog — Whole Child Education: What Happens When You BelieveI was recently asked if I remember teachers or educators that made a difference in my life and learning and how they inspired me. Yes, for a while I was that "middle" kid. I was your student who came diligently every day to class, completes their work, and if given the choice, would have been perfectly happy blend

by mike simpson / 19min 

7-25-14 Curmudgucation

CURMUDGUCATION: How Much Money Is Tenure Worth?Economist Allison Schrager is quoted over at Yahoo putting forth the idea that tenure is worth cold hard cash.Certainly this is not the first time the idea has been introduced. She Who Will Not Be Named tried in DC to introduce a plan to have a non-tenure big-buck track. This failed to get traction, perhaps because it's hard not to see trading tenure

by mike simpson / 21min 

7-25-14 Perdido Street School Week

Perdido Street School: Governor Cuomo Remains In Hiding For A Third Straight DayState of Politics:Gov. Andrew Cuomo is in New York City, with nothing public planned.When will the governor face the public and explain himself on the Moreland/NY Times story?He kept out of sight yesterday too, instead issuing press release after press release about everything in the world except Moreland. Is he going

by mike simpson / 23min 

Teacher quality and test scores: Recent studies raise questions | Education Lab Blog | Seattle Times

Teacher quality and test scores: Recent studies raise questions | Education Lab Blog | Seattle Times: Teacher quality and test scores: Recent studies raise questionsPosted by Linda ShawAs we reported earlier this week, the standoff continues between our state and the feds over the use of student test scores in teacher evaluations.The U.S. Department of Education continues to insist that test score

by mike simpson / 28min 

Russ on Reading: Hope, Poverty, and Grit

Russ on Reading: Hope, Poverty, and Grit: Hope, Poverty, and GritCalling on our political leaders and plutocrats to show some grit.When I was a kid “grit” was the stuff that was left in the bottom of the bath tub after I showered following a full day spent on a dusty baseball field. “Grit” was also the stuff in the Lava soap my auto mechanic father used to get the grease off his hands at the end o

by mike simpson / 32min 

7/24/2014 – Education ‘Reform’ Loses The Netroots

7/24/2014 – Education ‘Reform’ Loses The Netroots: 7/24/2014 – Education ‘Reform’ Loses The NetrootsJuly 24, 2014 SubscribeTHIS WEEK: Voters Overwhelmingly Want Pre-K Expansion … Teacher Dropout Crisis … Segregation Feeds Tea Party … Jeb Bush Policies Hit Obstacles … Choice Is About SortingTOP STORYEducation ‘Reform’ Loses The NetrootsBy Jeff Bryant“At this year’s Netroots Nation conference … thos

by mike simpson / 37min 

Jeff Bryant Thinks Campbell Brown Is Replacing Michelle Rhee as Face of Attacks on Teachers | janresseger

Jeff Bryant Thinks Campbell Brown Is Replacing Michelle Rhee as Face of Attacks on Teachers | janresseger: Jeff Bryant Thinks Campbell Brown Is Replacing Michelle Rhee as Face of Attacks on TeachersPosted on July 25, 2014 by janressegerIn a blockbuster story at Salon.com, Jeff Bryant threads together the two key school “deformer” stories of the past week.  Michelle Rhee’s star seems to be fading e

by mike simpson / 46min 

empathyeducates - On the Journey For Justice Newark Parents Cheer Federal Investigation Into Controversial School Plan

empathyeducates: On the Journey For Justice Newark Parents Cheer Federal Investigation Into Controversial School PlanParents and advocates gather at Newark City Hall after U.S. Department of Education opened a civil rights investigation into the city’s school reorganization plan. By Peggy McGlone | Originally Published at New Jersey Dot Com. – The Star-Ledger. July 24, 2014 at 6:00 AM, updated Jul

by mike simpson / 49min 

The D-List Reformer Does Disruption | EduShyster

The D-List Reformer Does Disruption | EduShyster: The D-List Reformer Does Disruption *Disruption*: everything that’s wrong with the education reform movement in a single conceptBy *The 49er*Today’s installment of Confessions of a D-List Reformer is brought to you by the letter *D,* as in *disruption.* Attend any kind of education reform event these days and you will hear this word constantly. In

by mike simpson / 51min 

NYC Educator: If NYSED Were a Teacher...

NYC Educator: If NYSED Were a Teacher...: If NYSED Were a Teacher...Here is the rub:  If the New York State Education Department were a teacher, parents would be on the phone and NYSED would soon be called down to the principal's office.  In the hands of an apt administrator, NYSED would be sternly advised to change or denied tenure.  As it works out though, parents protest in great numbers (i.e.,

by mike simpson / 53min 

Gates Funded, Moi? Thanks For Your Support. We'll Take It From Here : NPR Ed : NPR

Thanks For Your Support. We'll Take It From Here : NPR Ed : NPR: Thanks For Your Support. We'll Take It From HereOne of the questions we're most frequently asked on the NPR Ed team is, essentially, "Don't you guys get a lot of money from the Gates Foundation?"The answer is, of course, yes.What that question is often implying is: "Aren't you guys just a mouthpiece for the Gates Found

by mike simpson / 54min 

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: On Patti Vasquez Show last night

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: On Patti Vasquez Show last night: On Patti Vasquez Show last nightPatti Vasquez and Pete Lee on WGN last nightSpecial thanks to WGN'sPatti Vasquez for having me on her show last night. ComedianPete Lee was Patti's co-host and we had a friendly and far-ranging discussion on ed issues. Patti and Pete are both very funny, but serious when it comes to schooling and other

by mike simpson / 1h 

AFT, NEA Agendas Converge Amid External, Internal Pressure - Education Week

AFT, NEA Agendas Converge Amid External, Internal Pressure - Education Week: AFT, NEA Agendas Converge Amid External, Internal PressureBy Stephen Sawchuk and Liana HeitinWhat may end up being a new era for the teachers’ unions began, fittingly, with a marriage.American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten was a guest of honor at incoming National Education Association President Lily E

by mike simpson / 1h 

YESTERDAY

Feds back English learner lawsuit against state | EdSource

Feds back English learner lawsuit against state | EdSource: Feds back English learner lawsuit against stateCREDIT: ACLU OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIAMark Rosenbaum, chief counsel of the ACLU of Southern California, speaks at a press conference in Los Angeles regarding a lawsuit filed in 2010, Reed v. California, challenging teacher layoffs in Los Angeles Unified. The current case involves the unmet needs

by mike simpson / 8h 

Sam Pirozzolo Cries Tears of a Clown southbronxschool

http://www.southbronxschool.com: Sam Pirozzolo Cries Tears of a ClownEveryone loves a clown, right?Sam Pirozzolo is giving clowns a bad name.But we here at SBSB appreciate Sam and the material he gives us. It's just too easy, like fishing for a whale in a barrel.Sam must have been bursting with pride this morning when his handler, Mona Davids, posted this tweet with a link to a Facebook conversati

by mike simpson / 11h 

State Schools Chief Announces 2014 Finalists for Prestigious National Teaching Award | Crown City News

State Schools Chief Announces 2014 Finalists for Prestigious National Teaching Award | Crown City News: State Schools Chief Announces 2014 Finalists for Prestigious National Teaching Award0 Comments July 23, 2014 • 5:39 pm Written by eburgos Tags: education, finalists, subjects, teachers, teaching awardState Schools Chief Announces 2014 Finalists for Prestigious National Teaching AwardState Superi

by mike simpson / 11h 

BESE President Roemer Might Have to Sue for the Right to Sue Jindal | deutsch29

BESE President Roemer Might Have to Sue for the Right to Sue Jindal | deutsch29: BESE President Roemer Might Have to Sue for the Right to Sue JindalJuly 24, 2014So, I thought that there might be more lawsuits to add to the two that were filed on July 21 and 22, one against the Louisiana State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) by 17 lawmakers regarding the slighting of proper proce

by mike simpson / 11h 

Kimble's Corner: On the Border with Rick and Louie

Kimble's Corner: On the Border with Rick and Louie:On the Border with Rick and LouieWhen something important like the border crisis comes along, I don't believe in patience.  I certainly didn't believe in waiting until Congress has the month of August off to do something about the problem.   Yesterday, I joined fellow Congressman Louie Gohmert and Texas Governor Rick Perry for a morning patrol of

by mike simpson / 11h 

PISA Envy | WagTheDog

PISA Envy | WagTheDog:PISA Envy Tests confirm…ed reformers are suffering from impaired judgement and diminished critical thinking skills due to an acute case of PISA envy.Ed reformers should reconsider their admiration for education systems that prepare young people to live and work in closed societies that don’t value creativity, freedom of expression, and independent thinking.In a free and open

by mike simpson / 11h 

If You Thought I Was Perfect, You Weren’t Paying Attention | Connected Principals

If You Thought I Was Perfect, You Weren’t Paying Attention | Connected Principals: If You Thought I Was Perfect, You Weren’t Paying Attentionby sblankenship • July 25, 2014 • 0 CommentsDid you know that great teachers feel slightly disappointed and somewhat unappreciated with a perfect evaluation? Take a look at the following quotes.“I want to be better. Telling me how great the lesson was does no

by mike simpson / 13h 

New database details pay of California public school employees - LA Times

New database details pay of California public school employees - LA Times: New database details pay of California public school employeesLast year, James Hammond, the superintendent of the Montclair-Ontario Unified School District in the Inland Empire, was paid $492,077. Jonathan Eagan, the principal of a junior high school in the Bay Area city of Martinez made $279,669.And 31 custodians at Califo

by mike simpson / 15h 

Nite Cap 7-24-14 #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT

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 CAPMike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Budget vote: Another reason to get rid of mayoral control of the schoolsMike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Budget vote: Another reason to get rid of mayoral control of the schools: Budget vote: Another reason to get rid

by mike simpson / 16h 

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Budget vote: Another reason to get rid of mayoral control of the schools

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Budget vote: Another reason to get rid of mayoral control of the schools: Budget vote: Another reason to get rid of mayoral control of the schoolsWGN'S WALTER "SKIPPY" JACOBSON says he's seen everything now that the board has decided to hire more press secretaries as a way of dealing with the current fiscal crisis at CPS. Note to "Skippy: All the king'

by mike simpson / 17h 

Common Core: What it is, what it isn't and why it's political | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

Common Core: What it is, what it isn't and why it's political | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: Common Core: What it is, what it isn't and why it's politicalBy Laura Waters for NewsWorks on Jul 24, 2014 03:39 PMShare on emailMore Sharing ServicesCOMMENTS (2)PRINTPhoto: Image from CCSS videoCommon Core is designed to eliminate the varying standards from state-to-state. What a week for adversar

by mike simpson / 17h 

Educators Defeat Attempt to Strip Teacher Licenses Over Test Scores | NEA Today

Educators Defeat Attempt to Strip Teacher Licenses Over Test Scores | NEA Today: Educators Defeat Attempt to Strip Teacher Licenses Over Test ScoresJuly 24, 2014 by twalker   By Luke TowlerSchool districts continue to make high-stakes decisions about teacher performance based on how well students perform on state mandated tests, despite mounting opposition across the nation. Yet no state has tied

by mike simpson / 17h 

Magnolia Charter troubles in LAUSD highlight larger concerns

Magnolia Charter troubles in LAUSD highlight larger concerns: Magnolia Charter troubles in LAUSD highlight larger concernsTroubles encountered by the charter school operator, Magnolia Public Schools (MPS),at two of its eight charters in the LA Unified School District highlight a murky governance issue that legislatures in California and elsewhere have been slow to address.Should a parent company o

by mike simpson / 19h 

Michelle Rhee’s High-Priced PR | Taking Note

Michelle Rhee’s High-Priced PR | Taking Note: Michelle Rhee’s High-Priced PRby JOHN MERROW on 24. JUL, 2014 in 2014 BLOGS, MICHELLE RHEEIn just one year[1] Michelle Rhee spent about $2 million to buy the public relations services of Anita Dunn [2] and SKDKnickerbocker.  It’s a continuing relationship that goes back to early in Rhee’s Chancellorship in Washington, and it’s probably the best money R

by mike simpson / 20h 

7-24-14 Seattle Schools Community Forum

Seattle Schools Community Forum: A Thoughtful Post about Native American Students by Our New SuperintendentI was just browsing the web, looking up Larry Nyland's background.  His LinkedIn page has a very long list of accomplishments and awards.  Impressive.At the state level I have had the opportunity to serve as: - Superintendent representative on the Washington State Educational Coordinating Cou

by mike simpson / 20h 

To Fight for Public Schools Is to Fight for Democracy | Diane Ravitch

To Fight for Public Schools Is to Fight for Democracy | Diane Ravitch: To Fight for Public Schools Is to Fight for DemocracyFriends, when a small group of parents and educators formed the Network for Public Education in 2013, we had a singular goal: to mobilize the allies of public education against the powerful forces supporting privatization and high-stakes testing. To advance that goal, we hope

by mike simpson / 21h 

BATs Descend on DOE Will Sec Duncan Be There?- Badass Teachers Association

Badass Teachers Association: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  July 20, 2014More Information Contact:Marla Kilfoyle, General Manager, BATsMelissa Tomlinson, Asst. General Manager, BATscontact.batmanager@gmail.comBadass Teachers’ Association -  http://www.badassteacher.org/The Badass Teachers’ Association (BAT), an activist organization of over 50,000 teachers, will be holding a rally in Washington D.C. to p

by mike simpson / 22h 

7-24-14 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): Morning Read: Judges rule against LAT on teacher IDsMorning Read: Judges rule against LAT on teacher IDs Judges rule against letting public see LAUSD teachers’ performance The public has no right to know the names of Los Angeles Unified School District teachers in connection with their job performance rat

by mike simpson / 22h 

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 7-24-14

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN JOHNSON AND McKENNAWritten by The Red Queen in L.A. in her blog | http://bit.ly/1jXu8JB "The most curious part of the thing was, that the trees and the other things round them never changed their places at all: however fast they went, they never seemed to pass anything." Thursday,  24 Jul 2014  ::  DID YOU KNOW THERE’S A

by mike simpson / 22h 

7-24-14 @ 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

by mike simpson / 22h 

How We Won School Discipline Reform in Massachusetts | National Opportunity to Learn Campaign | Education Reform for Equity and Opportunity

How We Won School Discipline Reform in Massachusetts | National Opportunity to Learn Campaign | Education Reform for Equity and Opportunity: How We Won School Discipline Reform in MassachusettsPosted on: Wednesday July 23rd, 2014By Tom Mela, Massachusetts Advocates for ChildrenThis guest post was written by Tom Mela, Senior Project Director at Massachusetts Advcoates for Children (MAC). Left to ri

by mike simpson / 22h 

Judges rule against letting public see LAUSD teachers' performance - LA Times

Judges rule against letting public see LAUSD teachers' performance - LA Times: Judges rule against letting public see LAUSD teachers' performanceL.A.Unified Supt. John Deasy contended that releasing names would lead to resentment and jealousy among teachers, spur "unhealthy" comparisons among staff, cause some instructors to leave the nation's second-largest school system, and interfere

by mike simpson / 22h 

Why Neo-Plessyism Failed to Improve Chicago Schools | John Thompson

Why Neo-Plessyism Failed to Improve Chicago Schools | John Thompson: Why Neo-Plessyism Failed to Improve Chicago SchoolsThe market-driven school reform movement intentionally uses test, punish, choice, and no-holds-barred competition to sort and separate students and educators. They scoff at the social science that explains the need for trusting relationships and diversity in schools, as they use

by mike simpson / 23h 

Education “reform’s” new Ann Coulter: A reeling Michelle Rhee passes the lead to Campbell Brown - Salon.com

Education “reform’s” new Ann Coulter: A reeling Michelle Rhee passes the lead to Campbell Brown - Salon.com: Michelle Rhee passes the lead to Campbell BrownExclusive: As Rhee's efforts flounder, new links emerge between a group she founded and a new face, Campbell BrownJEFF BRYANT Share 550   216    0    TOPICS: MICHELLE RHEE, ANN COULTER, CAMPBELL BROWN, EDUCATION, EDUCATION REFORM, EDITOR'S PICK

by mike simpson / 23h 

Morning Wink 7-24-14 AM Posts #edchat #edreform

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTSLISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 7-24-14 Diane Ravitch's blog #thankateacher #EDCHAT #P2Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: FAIRTEST: The Weekly Round-Up on Resistance to TestingParents, educators, students and activists in many communities are using the “quiet” summer months to plan campaigns that will build the assessment reform mov

by mike simpson / 23h 

2nd Banana 7-19-14 Recap of Last Week's Best Post 

2nd Banana 7-12-14 Recap of Last Week's Best Post 

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

2nd Banana 6-28-14 Recap of Last Week's Best Post

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

Nite Cap 7-24-14

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Nite Cap 7-21-14 

No Nite Cap 7-20-14

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LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 7-25-14 Diane Ravitch's blog #thankateacher #EDCHAT #P2

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

Nominee for New London, Connecticut, Superintendent Job Will Not Step Down

Jon Lender of the Hartford Courant, who has broken story after story about sham practices in the state’s charter industry, describes the process of trying to verify the “doctorate” of Terrence Carter, the nominee for superintendent of the New London schools. The search firm hired by the school board seems to have conducted its research via Google. Despite the damaging stories about his educationa

1 by dianeravitch / 55min 

Michael Klonsky on the Charade in Rahm’s Chicago

Michael Klonsky covered the crucial Board of Education meeting about the budget for Chicago schools and says it demonstrated why mayoral control is a failure. The board decided that one way to deal with the fiscal crisis is to hire more press secretaries! “The budget once again cuts funding for neighborhood schools and programs serving kids with special needs, while funneling millions more into th

3 by dianeravitch / 37min 

Wendy Lecker on Charlatans in Connecticut

Just when you think things can’t get worse in Connecticut, another “reform” scandal pops up. Civil rights attorney Wendy Lecker writes here about the clear pattern of hiring unqualified people to run impoverished districts. Their modes opera do: cut services, bring in Teach for America, install unproven programs. She writes: “It is becoming painfully clear that in Connecticut, the refrain that

3 by dianeravitch / 54min 

Los Angeles Judge Keeps Gulen Charters Open During Investigation

A judge in Los Angeles halted school officials’ efforts to close two Gulen related schools despite claims of millions of dollars missing. The schools have high test scores. The investigation continues.

by dianeravitch / 1h 

As The Koch Brothers Lobby for Vouchers in Tennessee, a Parent Joins the Honor Roll

The Koch brothers arranged a panel discussion about vouchers and why they are beyond wonderful. It wasn’t a debate. All four members of the panel supported vouchers. No one was there to say that voucher schools have never outperformed public schools, that voucher schools promote segregation, and that voucher schools divert money from public schools. The controversial Steve Perry from Connecticut,

10 by dianeravitch / 26min 

Mercedes Schneider Explains the Louisiana Circus

Well, I gave you an update on the latest episode in the Louisiana battle over Common Core. But of course I don’t know as much as Mercedes Schneider, who teaches in the state and stays abreast of the latest news and gossip. So here is the scoop, from the inside. Who will sue whom? What tests will be used? Will the governor beat the superintendent that he once loved and the board he appointed?

by dianeravitch / 23min 

Michael Deshotels: Why I Oppose the Common Core Standards

Advocates of the Common Core standards have promoted the myth that only the agitated and uninformed extremists oppose the standards. But this is not true. Michael Deshotels is a respected veteran educator in Louisiana who explains here why he opposes the Common Core and the related high-stakes testing. This is the heart of his dissent: “Many educators who have carefully studied the Common Core St

by dianeravitch / 7min 

Another Super-Hot Los Angeles School Board Race

In District 1 in Los Angeles, a well-funded, politically-connected candidate–Alex Johnson– squares off against an underfunded, highly qualified educator–George McKenna. McKenna won 44% of the vote in the primary to Johnson’s 26%. The run-off is August 12. But Johnson has raised almost eight times as much as McKenna in individual contributions ($48,000) to less than $6,500 for McKenna. In addition,

3 by dianeravitch / 39min hide  //  save

How to Spin the Charter Message and What Subjects to Avoid

Someone sent EduShyster a copy of a pamphlet about how to put a positive message on privately managed charter schools. The message is, of course, upbeat and positive. But it is not honest. There is no confronting the number of charter schools that are low-performing or the number that close. Nothing is said about charter schools that are run for-profit, squeezing out dollars from the classroom to

4 by dianeravitch / 1h 

Paul Horton Writes a Letter to President Obama

The following letter appeared as a guest post on Anthony Cody’s blog: Paul Horton’s Open Letter to President Obama: Listen to Committed Dear Mr. President, Like thousands of experienced classroom teachers throughout our great country, I am very concerned about how you decided to go the way that you did with your Education policies. I was recently told by a close friend of the yours that “Arne’s

13 by dianeravitch / 2h 

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 7-24-14 Diane Ravitch's blog #thankateacher #EDCHAT #P2

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: FAIRTEST: The Weekly Round-Up on Resistance to TestingParents, educators, students and activists in many communities are using the “quiet” summer months to plan campaigns that will build the assessment reform movement’s power once schools reopen. Across the country, more and more media outlets are reporting on the impact grassroots

by mike simpson / 7h 

7-25-14 Fred Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacher

Fred Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacher who is just looking at the data.:

Ten minute drawing. Chicago Transit Authority.

by Fred Klonsky / 33min 

Ventra cards. Treating the elderly and the disabled like crap. A Rahm idea.

Rahm/Ventra rant. When I use my senior reduced fare ventra card, I have always just kept it in my wallet and the scanner reads it and says, “go.” Suddenly a Ventra charge started appearing on my Mastercard bill. Because my Ventra card wasn’t working. Interesting that you don’t actually need a Ventra card. Apparently, a Mastercard with a chip works just as well, but I was being charged regular, no

by Fred Klonsky / 49min 

We’ve been following events in Hinsdale. Here is the latest from the teachers.

Photo: @studentsforD86 Hinsdale High School 86 is in Chicago’s western suburbs. This summer I have been following the bargaining between the teachers union, HHSTA, and the Hinsdale board. The Hinsdale board, headed by Dr. Skoda, has mounted a full court press against the teachers union. The HHSTA will not be goaded into any job action that doesn’t serve the interests of their members and their co

by Fred Klonsky / 2min hide  //  save

Chicago’s AUSL alum, “Dr.” Terrence P. Carter isn’t done with New London, Connecticut quite yet.

Photo: Hartford Courant. Bill McCoy (L) has a brief advisory meeting with his client Terrence P. Carter after Carter exited an executive meeting of the New London Board of Education. Yesterday morning those who care about ethics and quality education in New London, Connecticut thought they were finished with the phony doctor, Terrence P. Carter. Carter, as we have reported here all week, had appl

by Fred Klonsky / 19min

7-24-14 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.: “Doctor” Carter blames his secretary. And the Chicago, AUSL connection.Each day. This guy has given me blog posts for a week. This is the story of Terrence P. Carter and the New London, Connecticut school system. Carter was about to be hired to be the new superintendent when the real reporters at the

by mike simpson / 7h