9-23-14 Schools Matter All Week

Schools Matter:

New NC Standards Commission Headed by IBM Offshoring Expert and Tea Party Darling

From WRAL:IBM executive Andre Peek of Wake County and longtime Forsyth County school board member Jeannie Metcalf were named co-chairmen of the commission.Jeannie Metcalf is Tea Party school board member.  Andre Peek's LinkedIn page has his expertise listed as Outsourcing/Offshoring (really!).What can go wrong?

2 by Jim Horn / 27min 

9-22-14 Schools Matter All Week

Schools Matter: Responding to "Why Poor Students Struggle"My response to this at the NYTimes:James Horn Cambridge, MA Pending ApprovalI think you might trust many of the souls to come along when you put some weight on their end of the economic tug of war that most poor college students are losing. The Ivy League's Raymond and Caitlin will always be who they are, as tangible examples of a

1 by mike simpson / 18min 

BRONX TALES | DCGEducator: Doing The Right Thing

BRONX TALES | DCGEducator: Doing The Right Thing:

BRONX TALES

Today, along with another former teacher, I did some storytelling to four classes of wealthy Westchester suburban high school students about growing up in the Bronx during the 50’s and 60’s…well I stretched it into the early 70’s as well. Unfortunately I realized I am now old enough for them to by grand kids. Damn, that smarts.

Don, a former health teacher, taught them about games we played on the street, ranging from stickball to flipping baseball cards, to skully. That was cool. The kids looked at him and me weirdly as he demonstrated some things and I demonstrated stoopball inside the classroom… (Good thing we didn’t have any Spaldeens).

When it got to be my turn, I relayed to these HS seniors odds and ends from my early days, from age 5 to 17. Those ranged from playing chicken with cars passing on the street, my dad being in one of them, and the common corporal punishment it led to; to walking home from my high school BRONX TALES | DCGEducator: Doing The Right Thing:

Unlocking Opportunity for African American Girls | National Opportunity to Learn Campaign | Education Reform for Equity and Opportunity

Unlocking Opportunity for African American Girls | National Opportunity to Learn Campaign | Education Reform for Equity and Opportunity:

Unlocking Opportunity for African American Girls

Posted on: Tuesday September 23rd, 2014

In the past year, President Obama's My Brother's Keeper Initiative has brought much needed attention to the issues facing young men of color in our nation's schools and communities and the need for systemic reforms to ensure these young men have equally opportunities to learn and succeed. 

But the initiative has also garnered significant criticism for its failure to include young women of color and to address the particular challenges they must contend with. An important newreport from the National Women's Law Center (NWLC) and the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund details the harmful impact of racial and gender barriers that girls face in school and how our nation can (and must) do better by our girls. 

Across the board, young women of color in this country must contend with fewer quality educational opportunities; pervasive racial and gender stereotypes that impact how they're treated in school; discriminatory discipline policies; high rates of expose to sexual harassment, violence and the juvenile justice system; and a lack of supports for girls who are pregnant or parenting while still in school. 

As NWLC points out, our failure to support these young women is particularly egregious given the role that women of color have played in some of the most prominent civil rights battles in our history: 

"Behind many of the most important battles for racial and gender equality in the United States — from school desegregation to sex discrimination — are African American girls. From the pioneers in school desegregation, such as Linda Brown and Barbara Johns, to the 

Unlocking Opportunity for African American Girls | National Opportunity to Learn Campaign | Education Reform for Equity and Opportunity:

If Public Schools Fail, Why Do Prestigious Universities Admit Their Students?:

If Public Schools Fail, Why Do Prestigious Universities Admit Their Students?

SEPTEMBER 23, 2014 BY NANCY BAILEY LEAVE A COMMENT

Whenever you hear about public schools today people use the word failure, others go so far as to call them dropout factories. So if they are so bad, if we really have such a crisis, why are some of our most prestigious universities still admitting the majority of their students from public schools?

Corporate reform enthusiasts are re-structuring preschool to graduation, making school harder than ever before, and they are basing all of their ideas on this mistaken notion that our public schools are failing. But they were not failing at all.

I was inspired to look into this after reading this beautiful article by Michael Winerip about interviewing high school senior candidates to get into Harvard. HERE. I don’t know if those he interviewed were from public schools, but I think it demonstrates how bright our students are today and they are college-ready. The article also does a nice job of  putting college in perspective. It is a great read and I highly recommend it.

Let’s look at the future classes of 2018.

Princeton University: 26,641 Applicants; 1,939 Admissions; 61% are from Public Schools.

Brown University: 30,432 Applied; 2,619 Admitted; 63% are from Public Schools; 37% are from Private or Parochial Schools.

Stanford University: 42,167 Applied; 2,145 Admitted; 60% are from Public Schools; 30% Private Schools; 10% International.

Vanderbilt University (Class of 2017) 31,099 Applied; 3,963 Admitted; 64% are from Public Schools; 36% are from Private Schools; < 1% Other.

California Institute of Technology: 6,525 Applied; 226 Admitted; 75% are from Public Schools.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology: 18,356 Applied; 1,447 Admitted; 69% are from Public Schools; 14% are from Independent Schools; 7% are from Religious If Public Schools Fail, Why Do Prestigious Universities Admit Their Students?:

9-23-14 Hemlock on the Rocks

Hemlock on the Rocks:

Padres molestos con LAUSD a causa de incendio en Wilmington - laopinion.com

http://www.laopinion.com/incendio-fire-wilmington-puerto-lausd&template=mobile_redesign Redacción de La OpiniónMuchos padres de familia decidieron sacar ayer a sus hijos de la escuela George De La Torre donde el humo de un incendio en el Puerto de Los Ángeles había hecho difícil estar afuera. Los padres están molestos ya que el LAUSD decidió mantener el plantel abierto, a pesar de que las aut

by Rene Diedrich / 49min hide  //  save

Parents for Safe Schools: LAUSD Gives Teacher Accommodation From Wi Fi (Microwave Sickness)

http://parentsforasafeschool.blogspot.com/2014/09/lausd-gives-teacher-accommodation-from.html?m=1 LAUSD Gives Teacher Accommodation From Wi Fi (Microwave Sickness) The Los Angeles Public School District (LAUSD) has officially accommodated a teacher who is sensitive to WiFi. This is the first accommodation that I've seen, and LAUSD is the second largest public school district in the US. From the a

by Rene Diedrich / 1h 

Amid iPad, attendance system controversies, school board to weigh superintendent's performance | 89.3 KPCC

http://www.scpr.org/blogs/education/2014/09/23/17330/amid-ipad-attendance-system-controversies-school-b/ After weathering a solid year of criticism for his controversial iPad program, taking a high-profile position in a case against teacher tenure and now dealing with the fallout of an irksome new attendance system, Los Angeles Unified School District superintendent John Deasy is about to face the

by Rene Diedrich / 1h 

Candidate in Next Year’s School Board election questions institutionalized bullying in the LAUSD

"The Vergara ruling has presented California schools with an opportunity to rectify a catastrophe. Now it will be my responsibility and privilege to ensure that L. A. Unified students have highly competent and effective teachers in their classrooms. This guarantee must be not to some students, or most students. It must be to every single student every single day."- John Deasy (1)The LAUS

by Rene Diedrich / 0min hide  //  save

AN LAUSD REALITY CHECK VIA Recycled Reform Propaganda

 rd

by Rene Diedrich / 14min 

Lawsuit challenges teachers’ compulsory dues | EdSource

by Rene Diedrich / 25min 

Punk Rockers get Educated

Do real punk rockers prefer school choice? Not when it's the major label or the big rock manager offering *choice.*By Hugo BurnhamEducation is the new punk rock. So says the t-shirt sold by my friend, an old punk rock drummer named Martin Atkins who has found, forced and finagled his way into higher education in the USA. As have I. *Higher* for us these days means education beyond K–12.Martin play

by Rene Diedrich / 33min 

Petition · Fire Superintendent John Deasy · Change.org

https://www.change.org/p/dr-richard-vladovic-fire-superintendent-john-deasywww.hemlockontherocks.com

by Rene Diedrich / 0min 

How Level of Education Impacts Your Health

Access to health care alone isn't the great equalizer you might think it is.Analyzing 2011 data among Kaiser Permanente of North California patients, researchers at the Virginia Commonwealth University Center on Society and Health found that even when people have access to the same kind of care, educational achievement still played a huge role in whether people are in good health.Self-reported hea

1 by Rene Diedrich / 39min 

For the first time, two school districts have won The Broad Prize for Urban Education, a prestigious annual award. The p...

For the first time, two school districts have won The Broad Prize for Urban Education, a prestigious annual award. The prize is given to large, urban districts that boast strong overall student performance and success in reducing achievement gaps among low-income and minority students.Gwinnett County Public Schools in Georgia and Orange County Public Schools in Florida were awarded the prize today

1 by Rene Diedrich / 44min 

Let's Make Nice: Anthony Cody on How the Dominate Narratove in Education has Shifted and Why

http://www.livingindialogue.com/money-attempts-shift-education-conversation-successes/In 2010, a stark image was broadcast around the nation. It showed a child seated at a school desk surrounded by absolute devastation and ruin. That image was used promote the movie, “Waiting For Superman.” The movie was boosted with a $2 million advertising grant from the Gates Foundation, and was further promote

1 by Rene Diedrich / 58min hide  //  save

Evaluating Deasy Under the Watchful Gaze of The Great & Mighty Broad part 1

When the chairman of charter school associations and vague allusions to the breakfast in the classroom program as an example of Deasy's compassionate commitment to students is the best LASR can come up with, it looks like Deasy may have a long way towards getting through the gauntlet of his upcoming evaluation . Don't be so sure. When it comes down  to it, this is mostly out of the public's hands.

1 by Rene Diedrich / 1h 

After early influx, lines dwindling at LA Unified's immigrant center

http://laschoolreport.com/early-influx-lines-dwindling-la-unifieds-immigrant-center-lausd/ After early influx, lines dwindling at LA Unified's immigrant center LA Unified's Immigrant Guidance Assessment & Placement Center saw long lines when it opened its doors in August, but concerns that the influx of students would be a problem for the district to handle appear unfounded. During its first

by Rene Diedrich / 1h 

Another challenger to Kayser enters LAUSD school board race

http://laschoolreport.com/another-challenger-to-kayser-enters-lausd-school-board-race/ Another challenger to Kayser enters LAUSD school board race Andrew Thomas, challenger to Bennett Kayser for the district 5 seat on the LA Unified school board Andrew Thomas came to the conclusion the LA Unified school board had grown too distant from issues at the school level. He tried one approach at improvin

by Rene Diedrich / 27min 

If some in LAUSD are uncomfortable, Deasy is doing something right | Roonte!

If some in LAUSD are uncomfortable, Deasy is doing something right | Roonte!

by Rene Diedrich / 30min 

9-21-14 Hemlock on the Rocks

Hemlock on the Rocks: Stuart G. of EXAMINER itemizes the outrage and recent News on LAUSDLAUSD is in all the headlines and it's all negative!None of it is about the schools, the students or their education.Everything is about what takes places at the downtown headquarters, the Superintendent, the school board, and the downtown administrators. The headlines below don’t even include MiSIS and its is

1 by mike simpson / 16h 

9-23-14 All NEW Living in Dialogue - Are the New Reform Cops the Same as the Old Cops?

Home - Living in Dialogue:

Opposition Researchers Target New Mexico Facebook Education Activist

By Anthony Cody. A New Mexico mother of four has been targeted by conservative political leaders unhappy with her education activism on Facebook and in her community. Kathy Korte serves on the Albuquerque school board, and is active in a grassroots organization called Stand4KidsNM, which has an active Facebook page here, and a website here. The group has been active for the past year, and in Octob

6 by Anthony Cody / 29min 

York, Pennsylvania, Community Rallies Against School Privatization

By Becky Pringle, Vice President, National Education Association. It has been three years since Governor Tom Corbett cut millions of dollars from York City public schools, creating a funding crisis that is still being felt  in the city’s schools today. David Meckley, Corbett’s hand-picked ‘chief recovery officer’ for the district, now wants to solve the schools’ financial challenges by handing ove

5 by Anthony Cody / 59min 

Are the New Reform Cops the Same as the Old Cops?

By John Thompson. The old test-driven, accountability-driven school reform movement is overextended, cut off, and heading for a catastrophic defeat – and they know it. That is why some of its most zealous crusaders are doubling down on anti-teacher legal campaigns. This is the accountability hawks’ last chance to prove that they were right all along in taking the Big Stick approach to school impro

6 by Anthony Cody / 2h 

9-22-14 All NEW Living in Dialogue - Chicago Teacher: Privatized Janitorial Services Mean Dirty Bathrooms and Classrooms

Home - Living in Dialogue: Chicago Teacher: Privatized Janitorial Services Mean Dirty Bathrooms and ClassroomsBy Michelle Gunderson. My friend who is a janitor in the Chicago Public Schools told me that he warned his daughters to only use the bathrooms at school if they have to. He said, “I know how impossible it is to get our schools clean right now. It just can’t be done with the cutbacks.” Can

1 by mike simpson / 18h