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Wednesday, September 24, 2014

1 teacher reminds us voices have power | The Edvocate Blog

1 teacher reminds us voices have power | The Edvocate Blog:





1 teacher reminds us voices have power



 SUPER TEACHER fb845-7cak9xppi
My Word by Kathleen Oropeza, The Orlando Sentinel
Real heroes don’t seek glory. Seldom rich, they’re the first to give. They see potential in the most challenging personality. They heal hearts and inspire greatness. They move silently among us, putting others first. That’s what Alachua County kindergarten teacher Susan Bowles did when she told parents she would not administer the Florida Assessments for Instruction in Reading test, stress out her 5-year-old students or lose three precious weeks of instruction time.
All eyes turned to see Bowles, a 26-year veteran, standing tall for teaching, willing to be fired for the sake of the children she loves. No snarky comebacks from the testing lobby this time. Frozen by truth, the Florida Department of Education suspended the K-2 FAIR test for the year, blaming computer glitches.
Seizing opportunity, Gov. Rick Scott called for a “thorough investigation of all standardized tests,” forgetting that he’s the one who signed SB 736 into a law mandating assessment tests for every K-12 course. Scott did not attend his own 2013 Education Accountability Summit on standardized testing. The result was that no new input was considered. Instead reformers stood in line to stridently oppose any change to Florida’s high-stakes misery. No heroes there.
The truth is that Bowles shut the FAIR test down by putting children first. She explained her decision to refuse to administer the test, stating that it “provides nothing significantly superior to what a typical kindergarten teacher would observe in her students.”
Deferring to Bowles, Florida Commissioner of Education Pam Stewart decided that in lieu of the suspended FAIR test, basic observations would suffice.
Florida politicians have spent 15 years denigrating professional educators by 1 teacher reminds us voices have power | The Edvocate Blog:
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9-24-14 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):






Just in: LAUSD Board calls closed-door meeting to discuss Deasy
Just in: LAUSD Board calls closed-door meeting to discuss Deasy LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy The LA Unified school board has scheduled a last-minute closed-door meeting next week to discuss its top employee, superintendent John Deasy. Sources tell LA School Report that the meeting was called to give the seven school board members a chance to discuss what criteria they would like to include in t
28 by Jamie Alter Lynto... / 32min 


As work on MiSiS continues, LAUSD is creating MiSiS 2.0
As work on MiSiS continues, LAUSD is creating MiSiS 2.0 Ron Chandler, LAUSD’s Chief information officer While LA Unified is still wrestling with the final kinks in MiSiS, it is already developing MiSiS 2.0. “This time we’re involving users in the conversation early on,” Ron Chandler, the district’s Chief Information Officer, told the school board’s Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment Committee
2 by Vanessa Romo / 1min 


Winding path to teaching leads Garfield teacher to Yale award
Winding path to teaching leads Garfield teacher to Yale award Garfield Senior High School teacher Kevin Murchie As a boy, Kevin Murchie saw the award-winning film “Stand and Deliver,” the true story of Jaime Escalante, the Garfield Senior High math teacher who inspired his Latino students to overcome gang violence and poverty in east Los Angeles. A Caucasian boy growing up in the upper class commu
2 by Craig Clough / 19min hide  //  save
Morning Read: Charter boundary restrictions struck down by Gov
Morning Read: Charter boundary restrictions struck down by Gov Brown shoots down charter boundary restriction An attempt by the Legislature to limit a charter school’s ability to locate outside the borders of its authorizing school district has been struck down by Gov. Jerry Brown. S&I Cabinet Report Newport schools considering ‘snow days’ during heat waves After an oppressive heat wave left
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9-23-14 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: Deasy faces board review as controversies aboundMorning Read: Deasy faces board review as controversies abound Amid controversies, school board to weigh superintendent’s performance After weathering a solid year of criticism for his controversial iPad program, taking a high-profile position
1 by mike simpson / 22h 




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50 School Districts with Highest Average Teacher Salaries - Top Masters in Education | Your Guide to Masters in Education Degrees

Top Masters in Education | Your Guide to Masters in Education Degrees:




Welcome to TopMastersInEducation.com! If you’re looking for information on the best Masters in Education degree programs then you’ve come to the right place. Here you will find expert advice and thoughtful evaluations of the top education schools and teachers colleges. Discover where you can earn the Masters in Education that will help you influence the learning outcomes of future generations and advance your career in educational leadership today!



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4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 9-24-14

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit:









DELAYED EVACUATION OF SCHOOL NEAR PORT OF L.A. ANGERS PARENTS + smf’s 2¢

By Ruben Vives, Veronica Rocha |  http://lat.ms/1xfDKo5 Los Angeles fire crews battle a wharf fire at the Port of L.A. where pylons soaked with creosote burned prompting concerns about air quality in the area. Sept 23, 12:11 PM  ::  Potentially hazardous smoke from the stubborn fire at the Port of Los Angeles prompted air quality advisories and the evacuation of one elementary school
5 by smf / 59min 


4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 9-23-14
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: LAUSD TITLE 1 MONEY IN JEOPARDY OVER ENDURING MiSiS GLITCHESOnly 40% of students at one school have renewed meal applications, down from 76% last year by Vanessa Romo, LA School Report | http://bit.ly/1pbMqUp Posted on September 22, 2014 4:10 pm  ::  The deadline for LA Unified students’ receiving free and reduced priced lunch is (today, Tuesday Sept 23
1 by mike simpson / 19h 






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Does Governor Brown Plan to Expand? Brown shoots down charter boundary restriction :: SI&A Cabinet Report :: The Essential Resource for Superintendents and the Cabinet

Brown shoots down charter boundary restriction :: SI&A Cabinet Report :: The Essential Resource for Superintendents and the Cabinet:



Brown shoots down charter boundary restriction
Governor's charter schools in Oakland reap big donations - Los Angeles Times http://lat.ms/ZdkSYP


Brown shoots down charter boundary restriction

by Kimberly Beltran

(Calif.) An attempt by the Legislature to limit a charter school’s ability to locate outside the borders of its authorizing school district has been struck down by Gov. Jerry Brown.
The governor also rejected legislation that would have added two seats to the state panel created to monitor school accountability plans under his new education finance system.
SB 1263 by Sen. Fran Pavley, D-Calabasas, would have closed a legal loophole that allows a charter school to operate, under certain circumstances, a single facility outside the geographic boundaries of the school district that approved its charter petition.
The problem, said legislators, is that a charter operating outside its authorizing-district boundaries can have unexpected impacts on the host district, which has little to no authority over the school.
Under Pavley’s proposal, a charter school planning to operate outside the boundaries of its authorizing district would need written approval from the district where it intends to locate.
While admitting that a solution is needed to curb abuse of the law, Brown said he would not sign the bill given the impact it would have on some existing charter schools. He also said he has “assembled a team” to look into the issue.
“Unfortunately, it appears that some districts and charter schools have gone against the spirit of the law and the exemption has instead become the rule,” Brown wrote. “While this bill attempts to solve a real problem, I am not comfortable with the retroactive language that could force existing charter schools to change locations.”
Under the Pavley bill, charter schools operating outside the boundaries of their home district could continue to do so only if they met two criteria: That the charter school was authorized before April 1, 2013, to locate at that facility, and that the charter school operated that facility with pupils enrolled Brown shoots down charter boundary restriction :: SI&A Cabinet Report :: The Essential Resource for Superintendents and the Cabinet:




Villain of autism-vaccine saga loses long-shot libel bid
(Texas) The British medical researcher known for a tainted research paper linking autism with public health vaccines may have come to the end of a long legal effort aimed at clearing his name.
by Tom Chorneau / 9min 
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Time out from the MAP, the MSP, Amplify and the SBAC Common Core tests. Am I missing any? | Seattle Education

Time out from the MAP, the MSP, Amplify and the SBAC Common Core tests. Am I missing any? | Seattle Education:



Time out from the MAP, the MSP, Amplify and the SBAC Common Core tests. Am I missing any?

This infographic is brought to you by topeducationdegrees.org:
Standardized Testing
Source: TopEducationDegrees.org
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Smoke, Mirrors, and Pension ‘Reform’ | NEA Today

Smoke, Mirrors, and Pension ‘Reform’ | NEA Today:



Smoke, Mirrors, and Pension ‘Reform’

September 24, 2014 by twalker  
Filed under Featured News, Top Stories
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By Mary Ellen Flannery
Public pensions are under attack across the U.S. From Arizona to Florida, state governors and legislators have been moving to cut pension benefits for retired teachers and other public employees, and enroll new workers in 401K-style “defined contribution” funds instead of traditional, secure “defined benefit” pensions.
But a close look at the numbers shows that pensions aren’t the real problem in these states. Yes, some pension systems are underfunded, either because politicians diverted their required contributions or because investments went sour during the recession. But the real problem, according to a report from “Good Jobs First,” a national policy resource center, is the huge amount of money that states are throwing away on corporate tax cuts, loopholes, and subsidies.
Consider Michigan, where state pension costs add up to about $586 million per year, while the annual cost of Gov. Rick Snyder’s giveaways to corporations near $1.9 billion. Or Florida, where pensions cost the state about $900 million per year, and, thanks to Gov. Rick Scott, wealthy corporations get away with a whopping$3.8 billion. (For additional state figures, visit goodjobsfirst.org.)
The Plot Against Pensions
If you think this just a coincidence, you’re just plain wrong. Rightwing activists, with very deep pockets, are behind these attacks on workers. In Florida, Americans for Prosperity, a group funded by the billionaire Koch brothers, teamed up with lawmakers this spring in an attempt to overhaul that state’s pension fund and protect their own financial interests. ““If the Koch brothers have come into Florida and want to influence how we do our pension system, the only reason I see that they are doing it is for monetary benefit,” explained retired teacher Phyllis Compton. Thanks to the efforts of the unions, the pension-gutting bill was defeated in the final hours of the legislative session.
A recent report from the Institute for America’s Future, called “The Plot Against Pensions,” shows clearly that the Pew Charitable Trusts and the Laura and John Arnold Foundation are working in tandem, especially in Arizona, Kentucky, and Rhode Island, to “manufacture the perception of crisis and press for cuts to guaranteed retirement income.” The Arnold Foundation, which was started by an Enron billionaire, also gave millions of dollars to pay for the one-sided PBS series, “The Pension Peril.” (The good news is that earlier this year PBS returned Arnold’s money and pulled the series when Arnold’s motives came to light.)
NEA believes strongly that retirement security shouldn’t be for wealthy people only. We know public employees have faithfully contributed their fair share to their pensions — typically 8 to 10 percent of their paychecks — and we understand that an insecure 401K-style plan is no substitute for a pension. In addition, one-third of teachers are not covered by Social Security so their pension is their only source of retirement income. (For more about NEA’s positions on educators’ pensions and additional resources, see Smoke, Mirrors, and Pension ‘Reform’ | NEA Today:

Back to School in Illinois!
Lily was in Illinois on September 22 for NEA’s 2014 Back to School Tour. She saw examples of great ELL and STEM programs, met with ESP members, and talked to media about Voter Registration Day. [View the story "NEA Back to School 2014: Illinois" on Storify]
1 by Lily's Blackboard / 1h hide  //  save

SEP 22

The Philadelphia Enquirer: NEA Leader Criticizes Charter Schools, Testing
“All they want to see is did you move the needle on a test score? People are just fed up, and they’re all saying, ‘Enough is enough,’ as loudly as they can and they’re saying . . . we’re actually going to do what’s right for the kids regardless of what you want to obsess about on the test. We will proceed until apprehended.” Read news coverage of Lily’s visit to Camden, New Jersey
6 by Lily / 1d 
Our First Rabble Rousers-Agitadores Book Signing!
Have you heard of the book Rabble Rousers- Agitadores? It chronicles ordinary people who dared to dream. They used their voices, commitment and passion to organize communities to fight injustice. My first book signing! From one rabble rouser to another with one of our wonderful NEA member from AL #dreamers pic.twitter.com/pJMRxbmu1E — Lily Eskelsen García (@Lily_NEA) September 19, 2014 Get your c
by Lily's Blackboard / 1d 
Students lose at expense of taxpayer-funded vouchers
Like millions of our colleagues, we became teachers so we could make a difference in the lives of our students. Whether it was a school in the suburbs of Salt Lake City or in the middle of Racine, what we wanted for our students was to teach them, to inspire them, to help them become our nation’s leaders, healers, innovators — and maybe even teachers. It’s through that lens we look at every press
23 by Lily's Blackboard / 2d 
Cyberbullying Increases in Middle School
As kids transition from elementary to middle school, they are increasingly the targets of cyberbullies, according to a recent study. But the researchers studying U.S schoolkids in grades 5 through 8 found that verbal and physical bullying declines as students get older. Because bullying patterns vary, bullying intervention and prevention strategies must address all types of bullying as well as dif
by twalker / 1h hide  //  save
Games in the Classroom: Overcoming the Obstacles
Ev en for educators who are excited about using games in the classroom, questions inevitably come up around the very real obstacles to implementation, and strategies for overcoming them. A recent survey from the Games and Learning Publishing Council asked 700 teachers to identify and rank the major barriers to using games in the classroom. Here are the top 10 obstacles they list and ideas about ho
by twalker / 1h 

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Dana Goldstein Explains How Teachers Became America's Most Embattled Profession | John Thompson

Dana Goldstein Explains How Teachers Became America's Most Embattled Profession | John Thompson:



Dana Goldstein Explains How Teachers Became America's Most Embattled Profession







 As promised, Dana Goldstein's thoroughly researched The Teacher Wars is more analytic than opinionated. Goldstein's objective narrative of assaults on the teaching profession lets the historical record take the place of commentary.

However, Goldstein's subtitle, "A History of America's Most Embattled Profession," recalls Babe Ruth's alleged prediction of where he would hit a homerun. She must have known the risks of such an unambiguous foreshadowing of her thesis. Had she failed to deliver an impeccably accurate and thoughtful historical analysis, deep-pocketed reformers would have assailed her as they have teachers. But, Goldstein hits the home run that her title predicted.
I was a professional historian, specializing in grassroots socialism during the Progressive era, before switching careers and becoming an inner-city teacher. So, I was looking forward to a refresher course on education history. I had no idea, however, that The Teacher Wars would teach me so much about my adopted profession, or how Goldstein's narrative would illuminate so many other social and economic dynamics.
The similarities between today's data-driven reformers and the "scientific management" of the early 20th century have always been obvious. Today's version of "Taylorism" often seems like a parody of the time and motion studies that sought to speed up the Model T assembly line. Contemporary reformers' top-down attempts to control teachers often seem like an unfunny version of Cheaper by the Dozen or, perhaps, an effort to treat teachers like Lucy in I Love Lucy's classic episode where the chocolate candy conveyor belt accelerates out of control. But, Goldstein recalls numerous other social movements that anticipated today's effort to micromanage the teaching profession.
Before reading Goldstein, for instance, I'd mostly missed the parallels between the absolute certainty of today's reformer warriors and 19th-century American Calvinists. The contemporary "teacher quality" movement bears a striking resemblance to the mid-1800s search for the "'motherteacher' ideal." It also embodies the complete certainty of so many reformers in the righteousness of their cause and the moral bankruptcy of those who believe differently.
Goldstein also makes two cogent points about the commonplace, moralizing attacks on male teachers during the 19th century. First, there was an economic motive for disparaging male teachers, and replacing them with less expensive female teachers. Second, teachers like Washington's Irving's fictional Ichabod Crane "may have been less cruel or stupid than frustrated."
Goldstein continues the second theme for the rest of her book. When describing controversy after controversy, she explains the role of a lack of resources in undermining educators' constructive efforts. Teachers and the education profession, not a lack of capacity for accomplishing their goals, were repeatedly blamed for inevitable failures.
Along with Elizabeth Green's Building a Better Teacher, Goldstein's The Teacher Wars offers a corrective against the reformers' repeated claims that progressive education reforms produced a history of failure. To take just one example, she Dana Goldstein Explains How Teachers Became America's Most Embattled Profession | John Thompson:
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