Friday, August 29, 2014

Morning Wink 8-29-14 AM Posts #edchat #edreform


BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS



How Duncan’s teacher reprieve aids students, Common Core, tests | The Hechinger Report
How Duncan’s teacher reprieve aids students, Common Core, tests | The Hechinger Report: How Duncan’s teacher reprieve aids students, Common Core, testsBy Sydney Morris and Evan StoneTest: It’s just a four-letter word for measuring skill, knowledge, intelligence, capacities, or aptitude.In public education lately, test has become another kind of four-letter word: one associated with stressed out st
by mike simpson / 7:23 AM UTC-7 
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 8-29-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Paul Horton: Why is the Obama Administration Making War on Teachers?Paul Horton here attempts to understand why the Obama administration is waging war on teachers. He reminds us of Central Falls, when the Obama administration supported firing the entire staff of the high school. He remembers when the administration was neutral duri
by mike simpson / 2min 
8-29-14 Engaging Parents In School… | Going Beyond Parent "Involvement"
Engaging Parents In School… | Going Beyond Parent "Involvement": This Is Interesting: Parents Help Decide Curriculum & Hire Teachers At Pennsylvania SchoolState College’s Delta Program middle school off to busy start is the headline of an article about a middle school in Pennsylvania begun by a local district to reduce loss of students to charters. Here’s an excerpt: Delta Director J
by mike simpson / 7min 
8-29-14 Schools Matter
Schools Matter: Common Rotten Coreby Jim Horn / 56min 8-28-14 Schools MatterSchools Matter: Little Eva Moves to Wall Streetfrom Juan Gonzalez at the Daily News:Eva Moskowitz, the firebrand chief of the city’s fastest growing charter chain, isn’t just backed by Wall Street, she’s officially moved there — with Wall Street-type salaries to boot.Last November, Moskowitz, who for years boasted of openi
by mike simpson / 10min 
The Answer Sheet 8-29-14
Answer Sheet: State education board slams Obama administration’s testing policiesVermont’s Board of Education recently passed a resolution on assessment and accountability in public education (see full text below) that slams some of the Obama administration’s key school reform policies. Adding its voice to the growing chorus of critics who have called on the Education Department to reduce its focu
by mike simpson / 12min 
8-29-14 Seattle Schools Community Forum
Seattle Schools Community Forum: No Internet for Your KidI regularly check the district's website for updates.  Here's the latest one (bold mine):All Seattle Public School students in grades K–12 will be able to access their personal email accounts from District computers beginning this fall. This change comes at the request of District principals with approval of senior leadership.SPS is not prov
by mike simpson / 14min 
8-29-14 Hemlock on the Rocks
Hemlock on the Rocks: 5 Lessons drawn from the LAUSD iPad fiasco | Opinion | Jewish Journalhttp://www.jewishjournal.com/opinion/article/5_lessons_drawn_from_the_lausd_ipad_fiasco 5 Lessons drawn from the LAUSD iPad fiasco iPad. Fileby Rene Diedrich / 4h JUST IN: Vergara ruling stands, judge rules in final review@media print { .original-url { display: none; } } h1.title { font: -apple-system-headli
by mike simpson / 17min 
Baraka “not satisfied” after meetings with Hespe, Anderson–and Christie disses him again | Bob Braun's Ledger
Baraka “not satisfied” after meetings with Hespe, Anderson–and Christie disses him again | Bob Braun's Ledger: Baraka “not satisfied” after meetings with Hespe, Anderson–and Christie disses him againRas Baraka–when he used to be angryNewark Mayor Ras Baraka says he and state Education Commissioner David Hespe agreed to give the “One Newark” plan  ten days from the opening of school to  resolve its
by mike simpson / 28min 
empathyeducates – Governor Bobby Jindal’s Commitment to Common Core Gone With The Wind
empathyeducates – Governor Bobby Jindal’s Commitment to Common Core Gone With The Wind: Governor Bobby Jindal’s Commitment to Common Core Gone With The WindRemember when the National Governors Association told us that Common Core was our friend? It was not that long ago. The year was 2010. Way back then a states-led effort to develop the Common Core State Standards was adopted. For near a year, st
by mike simpson / 31min 
LA schools iPads: Officials on bid committee got free tablets, resort trips | 89.3 KPCC
LA schools iPads: Officials on bid committee got free tablets, resort trips | 89.3 KPCC: LA schools iPads: Officials on bid committee got free tablets, resort tripsLos Angeles Unified officials who evaluated bids for its massive technology project received iPads from Pearson, met with a Pearson software executive and attended a weekend sales pitch for that software — all ahead of the public bid pr
by mike simpson / 35min 
NYC Educator: Ineffective City Teachers?
NYC Educator: Ineffective City Teachers?: Ineffective City Teachers?Capital NY has a piece about the relatively large percentage of city teachers rated ineffective. On first glance, one might conclude that teachers in upstate cities aren't as good as teachers elsewhere in the state. Doubtless talking heads and op-ed columnists around the state will gleefully come to that conclusion, and much of th
by mike simpson / 38min 

YESTERDAY

Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 8-28-14 #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2
Nite Cap UPDATEUPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATECORPORATE ED REFORMKeeping The Heart Of An EducatorI remember a story a good friend told me about her first year as an assistant principal. She worked with a teacher who frequently referred the same boy to the office for misbehavior. Although the boy (I’ll call him Billy) deserved the consequences he received, the teacher was convinced he was impossible to
by mike simpson / 10h 
A School Isn't About Teaching Subjects, It's About Teaching Children | Frank Breslin
A School Isn't About Teaching Subjects, It's About Teaching Children | Frank Breslin: A School Isn't About Teaching Subjects, It's About Teaching Children A school is a sacred place. It reveres every child as a being of infinite worth and dignity, whatever his or her ability.A school is about teaching children the skills they need to prevail in a world that makes it difficult to keep one's bearing
by mike simpson / 10h 
The Last Internationale—Brilliant Young Rebel Rockers! | Bill Ayers
The Last Internationale—Brilliant Young Rebel Rockers! | Bill Ayers: The Last Internationale—Brilliant Young Rebel Rockers!Shortly after the legendary rebel singer Pete Seeger passed from this world, a friend passed on to me We Will Reign from The Last Internationale—and life came back into balance. Sad to say so long to Pete who’d provided so many sweet harmonies for many, many righteous campaign
by mike simpson / 11h 
Former L.A. schools official Aquino defends conduct over iPads contract - LA Times
Former L.A. schools official Aquino defends conduct over iPads contract - LA Times: Former L.A. schools official Aquino defends conduct over iPads contractJaime Aquino, left, then-deputy superintendent of L.A. Unified School District, with a teacher at an iPad training session in 2013. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)By HOWARD BLUMEcontact the reporter The former Los Angeles schools official at the c
by mike simpson / 11h 
JUST IN: Vergara ruling stands, judge rules in final review
JUST IN: Vergara ruling stands, judge rules in final review: JUST IN: Vergara ruling stands, judge rules in final reviewPosted on August 28, 2014 6:41 pm by Michael JanofskyThe judge in Vergara vs. California today released his final review of the case, affirming his preliminary decision in June, that five state statures governing teacher employment rules violate the California constitution by den
by mike simpson / 12h 
Join the the Pre-Hoosier Kids #DeserveBetter Twitter Rally Conference Call | Truth in American Education
Join the the Pre-Hoosier Kids #DeserveBetter Twitter Rally Conference Call | Truth in American Education: Join the the Pre-Hoosier Kids #DeserveBetter Twitter Rally Conference CallFiled in Uncategorized by Shane Vander Hart on August 28, 2014 • 0 Comments377Women on the Wall will be live in Texas tomorrow morning before and during Governor Mike Pence’s workshop at the Defending the American Dream
by mike simpson / 12h 
8-28-14 @ 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 / 13h 
Video: My Six-minute WWL-TV Appearance Against Common Core | deutsch29
Video: My Six-minute WWL-TV Appearance Against Common Core | deutsch29: Video: My Six-minute WWL-TV Appearance Against Common CoreAugust 28, 2014On Saturday, August 23, 2014, I participated in a six-minute WWL-TV Eyewitness Morning News segment on the controversy surrounding the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in Louisiana. The link to the segment can be found at the end of this post.The segmen
by mike simpson / 14h 
LAO: State should revise mission of CDE :: SI&A Cabinet Report
LAO: State should revise mission of CDE :: SI&A Cabinet Report :: The Essential Resource for Superintendents and the Cabinet: AUGUST 28, 2014LAO: State should revise mission of CDEby Tom Chorneau(Calif.) Lawmakers should consider revising the mission of the California Department of Education from one of school district regulator to more of a collaborative, service-based organization, the non-p
by mike simpson / 14h 
The same poo-poo in new bags. | Reclaim Reform
The same poo-poo in new bags. | Reclaim Reform: The same poo-poo in new bags.Posted on August 28, 2014by Ken PrevitiWhen Common Core State Standards (tests, texts and all) are given new CCSS “aligned” coverings by the state, does it matter?Florida Gov. Rick Scott played the “save us from big government control” game even as the newly branded state education standards, texts, programs, tests, gradi
by mike simpson / 14h 
Nite Cap 8-28-14 #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 CAPWhy Are You Silenced When You Oppose Common Core? | Missouri Education WatchdogWhy Are You Silenced When You Oppose Common Core? | Missouri Education Watchdog: Why Are You Silenced When You Oppose Common Core?(click on graphic to enlarge)The abov
by mike simpson / 15h 
Why Are You Silenced When You Oppose Common Core? | Missouri Education Watchdog
Why Are You Silenced When You Oppose Common Core? | Missouri Education Watchdog: Why Are You Silenced When You Oppose Common Core?(click on graphic to enlarge)The above was tweeted on August 27, 2014 and references Orwell’s writings on the threats to freedom.  Do you find it astounding that Common Core proponents are extremely vitriolic in their marginalization of parents who speak out (or even as
by mike simpson / 15h 
NYC Public School Parents: An open letter about class sizes of 35-36 in 2nd grade at PS 85 in Queens
NYC Public School Parents: An open letter about class sizes of 35-36 in 2nd grade at PS 85 in Queens: An open letter about class sizes of 35-36 in 2nd grade at PS 85 in QueensClass sizes last year in the early grades have steadily grown and last year were the largest in 15 years.  Unfortunately, the de Blasio administration has done nothing to reverse this damaging trend  -- despite specific promi
by mike simpson / 15h 
Welcome to Lily's (new and improved) Blackboard - Lily's Blackboard
Welcome to Lily's (new and improved) Blackboard - Lily's Blackboard: Welcome to Lily’s (new and improved) BlackboardAugust 27, 2014 by LilyCategories: GeneralIf you have been following Lily’s Blackboard for the past few years, you will be happy to see all the new features. If this is your first time here, Welcome!!!Here are some of the exciting new features you will find on the new site:First and
by mike simpson / 16h 
Let’s Get Gov. Mike Pence’s Attention Tomorrow via Twitter | Truth in American Education
Let’s Get Gov. Mike Pence’s Attention Tomorrow via Twitter | Truth in American Education: Let’s Get Gov. Mike Pence’s Attention Tomorrow via TwitterFiled in Common Core State Standards by Shane Vander Hart on August 28, 2014 • 0 CommentsForecast: Twitter Storm Brewin'  @GovPenceINTime for another Twitter rally.  Governor Mike Pence (R-IN) will be in Dallas, TX tomorrow(8/29/14) at the Defending th
by mike simpson / 17h 
Judge: Texas School Finance System Unconstitutional | The Texas Tribune
Judge: Texas School Finance System Unconstitutional | The Texas Tribune: Judge: Texas School Finance System Unconstitutionalby Morgan SmithAug. 28, 20148Comments Comment Republish Email Tweet RecommendEnlargephoto by: Marjorie Kamys CoteraDistrict Court Judge John Dietz of Austin is shown in his courtroom on Feb. 4, 2013, before he ruled that the state's school finance system was unconstitutional.
by mike simpson / 17h 
What is #EdProdChat? | My Island View
What is #EdProdChat? | My Island View: What is #EdProdChat?August 28, 2014 by Tom Whitby @tomwhitbyAnyone who has ever attended a national state or even local Education Conference can tell you that there are vast numbers of education products out there. How do educators know what works and what doesn’t? Is there a way educators can share their product experience with others? How can educators talk
by mike simpson / 18h 
What Chumps Feel When Tricked, Cheated Or Deceived: iHad – redqueeninla
What Chumps Feel When Tricked, Cheated Or Deceived: iHad – redqueeninla: What Chumps Feel When Tricked, Cheated Or Deceived: iHadNew LAUSD iHAD 1.2B $$$ The Edu Revelations coming from west of downtown over on Beaudry are fast and furious, like the responses from all around. So fast is the news regarding Deasy’s ipads morphing in the media, that no sooner does one settle as a stakeholder on some s
by mike simpson / 18h 
8-28-14 Curmudgucation
CURMUDGUCATION: Mike Petrilli Interprets Reform Backlash (Part 1)This week Mike Petrilli took a stab at interpreting some of the pushback on reformster programs in what we can hope is a step in his journey to a more enlightened opinion. The column is actually an excerpt from a speech that he delivered to the Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce, which is interesting in that Chambers have not generall
by mike simpson / 19h 
Schooling in the Ownership Society: QUOTABLES FROM THE OWNERSHIP SOCIETY
Schooling in the Ownership Society: QUOTABLES FROM THE OWNERSHIP SOCIETY: QUOTABLES FROM THE OWNERSHIP SOCIETYKershnerChris Kershner, vice president of public policy and economic development for the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce“The business community is the consumer of the educational product. Students are the educational product. They are going through the education system so that they can be
by mike simpson / 19h 
“principally.” Single word at heart of regulatory debate | EdSource
Single word at heart of regulatory debate | EdSource:  CREDIT: JOHN FENSTERWALD/EDSOURCE TODAYSurrounded by other members of the student group Californians For Justice, Karla Rodriguez, a junior at James Lick High in San Jose, asks the East Side Union High School District school board to include students in the LCAP process during a meeting in May. The State Board of Education will consider amendi
by mike simpson / 19h 
Gene V Glass: Education in Two Worlds: Put a Hold on that Pultizer Prize Until We Answer a Couple of Questions
Gene V Glass: Education in Two Worlds: Put a Hold on that Pultizer Prize Until We Answer a Couple of Questions: Put a Hold on that Pultizer Prize Until We Answer a Couple of QuestionsA Phoenix newspaper, the East Valley Tribune, recently ran an article with the exciting title "BASIS Chandler ranks among world's best in international test."The BASIS charter school company is well known to
by mike simpson / 19h 
Arne Duncan’s “Back-to-School Conversation” |
Arne Duncan’s “Back-to-School Conversation” |: Arne Duncan’s “Back-to-School Conversation” Last week, Arne Duncan wrote a blog post titled, “A Back-to-School Conversation with Teachers and School Leaders.” This was subsequently reprinted on the official blog of the U.S. Department of Education, “Homeroom,” and also summarized/critiqued by Alan Singer on an Huffington Post-post titled, “Arne Duncan
by mike simpson / 20h 
Asean Johnson, Chicago 9-Year-Old, Youngest Speaker At March On Washington Anniversary (VIDEO)
Asean Johnson, Chicago 9-Year-Old, Youngest Speaker At March On Washington Anniversary (VIDEO): Asean Johnson, Chicago 9-Year-Old, Youngest Speaker At March On Washington Anniversary (VIDEO)Nine-year-old Chicago activist Asean Johnson took his Internet-winning show on the road over the weekend and captivated the massive crowd at the "Realize The Dream" rally honoring the 50th anniversary
by mike simpson / 20h 
8-28-14 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: LAUSD audit finds computers missing in actionMorning Read: LAUSD audit finds computers missing in action LA schools’ audit finds computers stolen, missing, unaccounted for An audit of the Los Angeles Unified School District’s computer inventory reveals 230 devices worth nearly $200,000 have
by mike simpson / 21h 
8-28-14 Ed Notes Online
Ed Notes Online: ICE Meeting Friday - ICE and MORE - A Lesson for New ActionAt the MORE meeting with New Action last October, we offered the ICE model to New Action as a way for their people to work within MORE for our common aims while keeping their caucus alive. They rejected that offer. ICE will be holding a rare meeting tomorrow. These meetings take place when people feel a need to talk to eac
by mike simpson / 21h 
Charter Schools Don’t Need An Ad Campaign; They Need Regulation
Charter Schools Don’t Need An Ad Campaign; They Need Regulation: Charter Schools Don’t Need An Ad Campaign; They Need Regulation This time of year, while classroom teachers and administrators in public schools are busy welcoming students back to a new school year and figuring out how they’re going to cope withdevastating financial constraints, advocates in the charter schools industry are propping
by mike simpson / 21h 
Two Takes: The Smartest Kids in the World
Two Takes: The Smartest Kids in the World: Two Takes: The Smartest Kids in the Worldby Gene Perry and John Thompson | August 28th, 2014 | Posted in Blog, Education | Comments (0)Early next month, the education advocacy group Stand for Children Oklahoma is hosting a lunch with keynote speaker Amanda Ripley, a journalist and author of the recent non-fiction book, “The Smartest Kids in the World and
by mike simpson / 21h 
US Sen. Baldwin (WI) & GA Leader Abrams Join DPE As Co-Chairs - Democrats For Public Education
US Sen. Baldwin (WI) & GA Leader Abrams Join DPE As Co-Chairs - Democrats For Public Education: US Sen. Baldwin (WI) & GA Leader Abrams Join DPE As Co-Chairs DPE Momentum & Support Continues To Grow(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – Today, Democrats For Public Education (DPE) announced U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (WI) and Georgia Assembly House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams as the latest co-chairs to
by mike simpson / 22h 
Americans' Satisfaction With Education System Increases
Americans' Satisfaction With Education System Increases: Americans' Satisfaction With Education System IncreasesIn 2014, 48% of Americans are satisfied with the quality of K-12 educationby Rebecca RiffkinWASHINGTON, D.C. -- As students return to school in the U.S., 48% of Americans are "completely" or "somewhat satisfied" with the quality of kindergarten through high school edu
by mike simpson / 22h 
The attack on bad teacher tenure laws is actually an attack on black professionals - The Washington Post
The attack on bad teacher tenure laws is actually an attack on black professionals - The Washington Post: The attack on bad teacher tenure laws is actually an attack on black professionalsBy Andre M. Perry August 28 at 6:00 AM Dr. Andre Perry is the founding dean of urban education at Davenport University in Grand Rapids, Mich. He is the author of The Garden Path: The Miseducation of a City.After
by mike simpson / 22h 
IN THE NEWS: DEASY SUSPENDS iPAD PROGRAM Schoolhouse Live
Schoolhouse Live: IN THE NEWS: DEASY SUSPENDS iPAD PROGRAMBesieged Los Angeles Unified Superintendent John Deasy suspends iPad program after emails reveal his negotiations with Pearson and Apple prior to the bidding process.  Read about it here, and check out the infographic below.
by mike simpson / 22h 
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 8-28-14
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: iPadGate: ARE JOHN DEASY’S DAYS NUMBERED? They should be after cozy iPad dealOpinion By Ted Rall, LA Times Editorial Cartoonist | http://lat.ms/1wI7HOh Aug  27, 3:38 PM  ::  It sounded like a great idea at the time: L.A. would give students a boost into the 21st century by putting tech directly into their hands. The Los Angeles Unified School District w
by mike simpson / 23h 
WTF? Holyoke Superintendent Dr. Sergio Paez Hands Out Trespassing Notice to President of the Holyoke Teachers Association - CNN iReport
Holyoke Superintendent Dr. Sergio Paez Hands Out Trespassing Notice to President of the Holyoke Teachers Association - CNN iReport: Holyoke Superintendent Dr. Sergio Paez Hands Out Trespassing Notice to President of the Holyoke Teachers AssociationBy busyboypro  |  Posted August 26, 2014  |  District of Columbia207 Share Agustin  Morales III, President of the Holyoke Teachers Association, was issu
by mike simpson / 1d 
Morning Wink 8-28-14 AM Posts #edchat #edreform
BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTSLISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 8-28-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for allDiane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: “The People Who Write These Tests Don’t Know You…”I received news from England that a letter written by Rachel Tomlinson, the head of Barrowford, a primary school in Lancashire, went viral. The
by mike simpson / 1d 





Posted by at

How Duncan’s teacher reprieve aids students, Common Core, tests | The Hechinger Report

How Duncan’s teacher reprieve aids students, Common Core, tests | The Hechinger Report:



How Duncan’s teacher reprieve aids students, Common Core, tests

By  and 
Test: It’s just a four-letter word for measuring skill, knowledge, intelligence, capacities, or aptitude.
In public education lately, test has become another kind of four-letter word: one associated with stressed out students, angry parents and teachers fearful of losing their jobs.
Testing has such a negative connotation that in New York City alone this year, nearly 2,000 families formally opted their children out of standardized tests.
Sydney Morris and Evan Stone
Sydney Morris and Evan Stone
If left to fester, this trend of anxiety and frustration will strip our schools and educators of one their most efficient tools. When done well, tests provide essential feedback about student performance and ability, helping educators focus their instruction and reflect on their practice.
In our own classrooms as public elementary school teachers, we strived to create a culture where tests were an opportunity to exhibit mastery, identify concepts that needed more instruction, and understand which students needed additional support.  We also saw them as an assessment of how well we were doing as teachers.
As educators, we believed in creating a culture of shared accountability — our students’ success was our success.
“By ‘taking a deep breath’ as Duncan has done and using the next year to improve the quality of the assessments, we can make ‘test’ just another four-letter word again.”
Unfortunately, the current testing climate has created outright fear and panic. Our organization has hosted conversations with thousands of educators around the country who share this sentiment and tell us it is caused not by a fundamental opposition to the use of tests, but by a confluence of numerous educational shifts at the same time.
Educators are beginning to teach to the new, more challengingCommon Core State Standards. Students are being measured on new tests aligned to these standards, and for the first time, teachers’ evaluations now include their students’ growth from these new tests. Many educators feel How Duncan’s teacher reprieve aids students, Common Core, tests | The Hechinger Report:
Posted by at

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 8-29-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

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






California: Torlakson Will Seek Appeal of Vergara Decision
Tom Torlakson, State Superintendent of Schools in California, issued a statement today declaring his decision to seek appellate review of the Vergara decision. Torlakson is a veteran educator. His opponent Marshall Tuck immediately attacked Torlakson. Tuck, a former investment banker, was active in the charter school movement. Tenure is not the only or the most important issue that divides them. T
by dianeravitch / 4min 

Jon Pelto: The End of His Campaign But Not His Advocacy for Education and Democracy
Jonathan Pelto will not be on the ballot in Connecticut as a Gubernatorial candidate. He did his best but did not collect enough signatures. He raised important issues, which should be raised by the media and the public during the campaign. That is the role of protest candidates. Thank you, Jon, for being a stalwart champion of children, teachers, and public education. Here is his statement: “Pe
by dianeravitch / 36min 

Texas Tribune: The Best Article on Texas School Funding Decision
Morgan Smith wrote the best article I have seen so far on the decision by Judge John Dietz ruling that school funding in Texas is inequitable and unconstitutional. This article includes links to the decision and findings. I repeat what the judge said last year because it is so simple yet eloquent as an explanation of our civic duty to our children. Note also that the judge ruled against the appea
by dianeravitch / 8min 

Peter Greene: Are Duncan’s Waivers Unconstitutional?
Peter Greene discovered an article in the Vanderbilt Law Review by University of South Carolina law professor Derek W. Black that argues that Arne Duncan’s waivers from NCLB are unconstitutional. Greene writes, quoting the article by Black: “Two of the most significant events in the history of public education occurred over the last year. First, after two centuries of local control and variation,
1 by dianeravitch / 4min 

Flash! Palm Beach County, Florida, Considers Opting Out of State Testing
Does Palm Beach County, Florida, have the nerve to follow the example set by Lee County, Florida, which voted last week to opt the entire district out of state testing? The Palm Beach County school board is weighing that decision, according to the Sun-Sentinel. “Palm Beach County School Board members want to opt out of state-required testing, a controversial move that could jeopardize funding, a
8 by dianeravitch / 24min hide  //  save
Annie Gilbertson: L.A. Officials on Tech Bid Committee Got Free iPads, Resort Trip
Annie Gilbertson of public radio KPCC in Los Angeles has another scoop. Officials who were on the committee to choose the winning bid for LAUSD’s huge technology purchase received free iPads and the cost of their trip to a meeting at a resort was underwritten by the Pearson Foundation. She writes: “Los Angeles Unified officials who evaluated bids for its massive technology project received iPads
3 by dianeravitch / 24min 

Duncan Punishes Oklahoma for Repealing Common Core Standards
Secretary of Education Arne Duncan decided to punish Oklahoma for revoking the Common Core standards, according to Caitlin Emma in Politico. Oklahoma will lose its federal waiver from the structures of No ChildLeft Behind, which mandates that all students in grades 3-8 must be proficient in math and reading by this year. Since this is in fact an impossible goal, all public schools in Oklahoma wil
9 by dianeravitch / 25min

Paul Horton: Why the War on Tenure is an Attack on the Black Middle Class
Paul Horton continues to provide a historical context for issues of our time. In this post, he shows how the birth and growth of the black middle class was integrally related to the union movement and public sector employment. Horton writes: “The biggest lifeline that middle class blacks could grasp was public sector employment. The last thirty years have seen an increase in the employment of bl
by dianeravitch / 7min 

Paul Horton: Why is the Obama Administration Making War on Teachers?
Paul Horton here attempts to understand why the Obama administration is waging war on teachers. He reminds us of Central Falls, when the Obama administration supported firing the entire staff of the high school. He remembers when the administration was neutral during the Chicago teachers’ strike, and Arne Duncan’s support for the noxious Vergara decision. He could have mentioned many other instanc
6 by dianeravitch / 17min hide  //  save
Paul Horton: A History That Must Not Be Forgotten
Paul Horton, who teaches history at the University of Chicago Lab School, took his son on a visit to the Delta. There they went to historical exhibits that were reminders if a brutal past. Reminders of slavery, the Ku Klux Klan, racial subjugation, and resistance to oppression. You won’t read this in the textbooks.
1 by dianeravitch / 1h 
Milwaukee: Ruth Conniff on the Disgrace of Voucher Schools
Last May, Ruth Conniff, editor of “The Progressive,” joined a group of other women on a tour of voucher schools in Milwaukee. The others included another journalist, a state legislator, and Milwaukee grandmothers Gail Hicks and Marva Herndon. “Herndon and Hicks formed a group called Women Committed to an Informed Community, also known as the “mad grandmas,” to bring attention to the voucher school
10 by dianeravitch / 2h 
Ohio: Will the Court Allow White Hat Management to Privatize Its Public Assets?
Another post by the tireless public school advocate Bill Phillis of the Ohio Coalition for Equity and Adequacy: Unconscionable, far-reaching consequences intrinsic in the White Hat Management company’s claims of private ownership of school assets purchased by public funds A lot of public school personnel in Ohio at this time are embroiled with the question of, “To have or not to have Common Core.
by dianeravitch / 3h 
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 8-28-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: “The People Who Write These Tests Don’t Know You…”I received news from England that a letter written by Rachel Tomlinson, the head of Barrowford, a primary school in Lancashire, went viral. The letter was a clone of one written by American teacher Kimberly Hurd Horst on her blog. No claims of plagiarism here. Maybe every principal
by mike simpson / 9h 
Posted by at

8-29-14 Engaging Parents In School… | Going Beyond Parent "Involvement"

Engaging Parents In School… | Going Beyond Parent "Involvement":





This Is Interesting: Parents Help Decide Curriculum & Hire Teachers At Pennsylvania School

State College’s Delta Program middle school off to busy start is the headline of an article about a middle school in Pennsylvania begun by a local district to reduce loss of students to charters. Here’s an excerpt: Delta Director Jon Downs said the alternative program for State College middle school students — the complement to the established secondary school — operates on a democratic model wher
2 by Larry Ferlazzo / 7h 


8-28-14 Engaging Parents In School… | Going Beyond Parent "Involvement"
Engaging Parents In School… | Going Beyond Parent "Involvement": “Teacher home visits ease kindergarteners’ fears of first day of school”Teacher home visits are certainly in the news these days! Here’s the latest article about what’s going on in Tulsa: Teacher home visits ease kindergarteners’ fears of first day of school. Here’s the final sentence in the story: “We’re really trying to f
by mike simpson / 9h 
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8-29-14 Schools Matter

Schools Matter:








PBS Higher Ed Series Reeks of Gates and Lumina
It's easy to understand how PBS and NPR can remain commercial free, once you accept the fact that they are heavily sponsored by billionaires and their foundations who get their commercials worked into the news stories, themselves.  Call it the latest in product placement.Over the past 8 years, NPR has received millions from the Gates Foundation to “to expand NPR education coverage and broaden its
2 by Jim Horn / 17min



Common Rotten Core
by Jim Horn / 56min 






8-28-14 Schools Matter
Schools Matter: Little Eva Moves to Wall Streetfrom Juan Gonzalez at the Daily News:Eva Moskowitz, the firebrand chief of the city’s fastest growing charter chain, isn’t just backed by Wall Street, she’s officially moved there — with Wall Street-type salaries to boot.Last November, Moskowitz, who for years boasted of opening her Success Academy Charter Schools in the city’s poorest neighborhoods,
by mike simpson / 9h 
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The Answer Sheet 8-29-14

Answer Sheet:







State education board slams Obama administration’s testing policies
Vermont’s Board of Education recently passed a resolution on assessment and accountability in public education (see full text below) that slams some of the Obama administration’s key school reform policies. Adding its voice to the growing chorus of critics who have called on the Education Department to reduce its focus on using standardized testing as […]
1 by Valerie Strauss / 12min hide  //  save
Does ‘restorative justice’ in campus sexual assault cases make sense?
Meg Mott, a professor of political theory at Marlboro College in Vermont, recent wrote a post published on this blog about how  many colleges are mishandling cases of sexual assault on campus. The issue has been getting attention, with with a bipartisan group of senators recently introducting legislation in Congress that would force school officials […]
1 by Valerie Strauss / 12min 
‘We have a message for you, Secretary Arne Duncan’
Earlier this year, Washington became the first state to lose its waiver from the most onerous parts of No Child Left Behind, flexibility that the U.S. Education Department had granted to a number of states that promised to implement specific school reforms acceptable to Education Secretary Arne Duncan. The reason given by the department was […]
21 by Valerie Strauss / 5h


The Answer Sheet 8-28-14
Answer Sheet: Assistant principal who secretly changed son’s grades gets $7,000 fineTeachers can lose their jobs if their students don’t do well enough on standardized tests. An assistant principal in New York City who secretly changed 11 of his own son’s test scores and class grades received a $7,000 fine but still remains employed by the Education Department. The New York Daily News explains in
by mike simpson / 9h 
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8-29-14 Seattle Schools Community Forum

Seattle Schools Community Forum:





Friday Open Thread
Boy do I like public disclosure laws because that story out of LA about the iPad debacle only gets better/worse.  I'll have another thread on that soon.Kids and Uzis - I'm not sure there is anything that could better demonstrate a lack of common sense.   Very funny story from the Scary Mommy blog about going back to school in the 1970s (some of us were doing that) and going back today.In a big &qu
by Melissa Westbrook / 3min 

No Internet for Your Kid
I regularly check the district's website for updates.  Here's the latest one (bold mine):All Seattle Public School students in grades K–12 will be able to access their personal email accounts from District computers beginning this fall. This change comes at the request of District principals with approval of senior leadership.SPS is not providing email accounts to students, nor is SPS recommending
2 by Melissa Westbrook / 7h 

8-28-14 Seattle Schools Community Forum
Seattle Schools Community Forum: School District in Florida Votes to Opt-Out of Common Core TestingIn what can only be called unbelievable courage, a school district in Florida, Lee County, has voted to opt the entire district out of Common Core testing. The school board vote was 3-2 with the superintendent warning, "This will hurt children."From News-Press:Throughout the tense three-hou
by mike simpson / 9h
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