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Saturday, May 30, 2015

Subscribe to Hoosier School Heist TV - YouTube

Hoosier School Heist TV - YouTube:

Subscribe to Hoosier School Heist TV - YouTube




Hoosier School Heist TV is Doug Martin's channel featuring videos of his book tour across Indiana speaking on the corporate takeover of public education. Order Hoosier School Heist at http://hoosierschoolheist.com/.
Follow Hoosier School Heist on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HoosierSchoolHeist
Tweet with Doug Martin at: https://twitter.com/DougMartinED



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Cheats for Change Group Expands and Shifts Membership - State EdWatch - Education Week

Chiefs for Change Group Expands and Shifts Membership - State EdWatch - Education Week:

Chiefs for Change Group Expands and Shifts Membership




Chiefs for Change isn't just for state education commissioners anymore.
That's the message the group sent yesterday when it added three new members, and for the first time expanded membership to include district-level leaders.
Until this week, Chiefs for Change, an offshoot of the Foundation for Excellence in Education, a reform group founded by former Fla. Gov. Jeb Bush, had always been made up of state superintendents. But that's a thing of the past, as evidenced by its three new additions: Chris Barbic, the head of the Tennessee Achievement School District; Dale Erquiaga, the Nevada state schools chief; and Mike Miles, the superintendent of the Dallas Independent School District.
Barbic and Miles represent the first time the organization has added K-12 officials who aren't state chiefs. Additionally, Deborah Gist, the Rhode Island schools superintendent, will remain with Chiefs for Change when she takes over the Tulsa schools this summer. 
The group, like the foundation begun by Gov. Bush, advocates for school choice, test-based teacher evaluations, and digital education. In March, the group announced that it would broaden its mission and start recruiting public school leaders from big cities as members, and that it would no longer receive funding from Bush's foundation.
As I wrote at the time, the group's membership had dipped from a high of nine members in 2012 to four before the announcement, although the group's chairman, Louisiana Superintendent John White, said that plans to shift Chiefs for Change's mission had been in the works for roughly a year.
White said that the group's new additions are "the start of an important broadening of our membership that recognizes that some of the best work in the nation to modernize schools at scale is occurring at the local level," White said in a statement announcing the additions of Barbic, Erquiaga, and Miles. 
Each of the three new members occupies distinct roles in K-12 administration. The Tennessee Achievement School District is a state-run entity that works with individual schools to improve their academic performance.
It hasn't been the smoothest sailing lately for Barbic and Erquiaga. Several charter operators have backed out of prior arrangements to begin working with schools in the Achievement School District. The ASD also began charging charter operators a fee for administrative expenses to make up for expired Race to the Top funds. Erquiaga, meanwhile, has had to grapple with big technology problems that have hamstrung the Smarter Balanced exam.Chiefs for Change Group Expands and Shifts Membership - State EdWatch - Education Week:
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Schooling in the Ownership Society: How Wall St. billionaires built charter movement in Conn. Bought a governor.

Schooling in the Ownership Society: How Wall St. billionaires built charter movement in Conn. Bought a governor.:

How Wall St. billionaires built charter movement in Conn. Bought a governor.

Gov. Malloy speaks at charter rally paid for by hedge-funders
The recent pro-charter school rally in Hartford was organized by ConnCAN and Families for Excellent Schools — two of the top lobbying spenders this year. Tax filings and donor reports reveal that both groups receive funding from people who spent on Connecticut Democratic campaigns in the past election cycle. Also, Democrats for Education Reform, a pro-charter school political action committee primarily funded by hedge fund managers contributed heavily to the campaigns. 

Gov. Malloy’s insistence on increasing funding for charter schools has more than a dozen Democratic legislators questioning whether they can support the next state budget if it means their neighborhood public schools are flat-funded or cut.

Malloy's campaign is already under state investigation for misuse of campaign funds. The State Elections Enforcement Commission has issued subpoenas to the Democratic State Central Committee as it investigates the committee using money from a federal fund to pay for a mailer benefiting Gov. Dannel Malloy’s re-election race.

The Hartford Courant's Jenny Wilson reports:
Wall Street billionaires who have invested heavily in the expansion of charter schools contributed more than $200,000 to Democrats in the 2013-14 election cycle, helping Gov. Dannel P. Malloy secure re-election.
The campaign contributors earned their fortunes as hedge fund Schooling in the Ownership Society: How Wall St. billionaires built charter movement in Conn. Bought a governor.:



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Student Personal Data Mining: Is Data Mining by a NGO Happening in Your School District?

Student Personal Data Mining: It’s Happening in Connecticut. Is Data Mining by a NGO Happening in Your School District? » Missouri Education Watchdog:

Student Personal Data Mining: It’s Happening in Connecticut. Is Data Mining by a NGO Happening in Your School District?

CCER
Should CCER change its description of its purpose? Should it read ‘utilize MOUs with individual school districts to data mine student’s personal data without parental knowledge and/or consent?’

 A story is emerging from Connecticut about a private education reform organization signing a MOU with an individual school district to data mine students for non-governmental organizations to use for product development and allow other organizations to access.  From The Connecticut Education Association and  Facts Speak for Themselves: Agreement Outlines Unique Student Data Required:
“CCER should apologize to the students and parents of Hamden for obtaining specific student information without their knowledge or approval,” said CEA’s Executive Director Mark Waxenberg. “CCER should also assure all Connecticut parents that in the future CCER will not attempt to gain access to and ownership of student records and information without parental knowledge and consent.”
In response to the Connecticut Council for Education Reform’s (CCER) statement this afternoon, Waxenberg offered the following facts and released the Memorandum of Understanding between Hamden and CCER regarding the release of student data.
“In order to underscore our earlier news release regarding the Hamden School District disclosing identifiable student data to CCER—without the knowledge of parents or students—we are sharing with the media the Memorandum of Understanding that details specific student data CCER requested from Hamden.
CCER requested, and in many cases mandated that it receive individual and specific student information across various files and categories beginning with an identifying number, birthday, student characteristics, demographic information, student types, and enrollment information, including the names and dates of schools students attended.
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Do Not Support HB 2214 (No Matter What WA State PTA Says) Seattle Schools Community Forum:

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Do Not Support HB 2214 (No Matter What WA State PTA Says):

Do Not Support HB 2214 (No Matter What WA State PTA Says)




As further proof that WA State PTA (and National) seem to be moving further and further into the ed reform camp, comes a message from WSPTA urging members to support HB 2214.

The first thing to know about HB 2114 is that one of its authors is Chad Magandez, ed reformer thru and thru.  He loves charters, is connected to LEV 

The second item to note is that this bill is pretty much a wolf in sheep's clothing.   While it says it reduces the number of tests for graduation, it really does this:

 If you read the bill, you will see it accelerates the SBAC test monopoly from 2019 to 2016 and it will severely harm the Opt Out Movement by imposing a fourth year of advanced math on anyone who opts out of the test in high school - giving Washington state the most draconian graduation requirements in the nation.
So not only does it speed up SBAC, it will NOT preserve a parent's right to refuse their student from taking test (and I see that in the House of Representatives, there IS a bill to preserve that right).

Tell WSPTA "no" to this one (and I think I would probably be right in guessing their support comes from their Board and not any membership vote). 

Please contact your legislative reps and tell them NO to 2214 andYES to 6122.

HB 6122 is a bill I have previously written about and support.  It has has no less than eleven sponsors and would do much to curtail this Seattle Schools Community Forum: Do Not Support HB 2214 (No Matter What WA State PTA Says):
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CURMUDGUCATION: Wisconsin's Assault on Public Education

CURMUDGUCATION: Wisconsin's Assault on Public Education:

Wisconsin's Assault on Public Education




Wisconsin's political leaders, including Governor Scott "Hoping To Be Ready For National Prime Time" Walker, are doing their best to really, truly dismantle public education. 

It's a challenging story to write about, because people who aren't following education these days think phrases like "dismantle public education" are hyperbole. They aren't. Wisconsin is on a path to do away with public education as we know it.

Teaching

Wisconsin has been doing its best to break the teaching profession. Walker made himself a national player four years ago by stripping all public sector unions of the power to collectively bargain. That has worked out just about as badly as could have been predicted; people are hired and fired based on, well, anything bosses feel like basing hiring and firing on this week. Wages are less than robust. It has led to teachers saying things like this from Sean Karsten, a thirty-two year old first year reading instructor:

I just look to keep improving my teaching in the best way I can and try to keep my nose out of the other stuff. 

Union membership has plummeted-- why spend money on dues for an organization that can't actually do anything when you need that money more for, say, food for your children?  But that means there's nobody to effectively stand up to Walker's newest proposal.

It emerged last January as a proposal for alternative certification. "Let's give people with life experience teaching jobs," said Walker. Since then, the legislature has been fleshing out the details, bringing us to the current point-- a proposal people who never graduated from high school could end up teaching high school. (You can see the whole history of the idea in AP releases here.)

Wisconsin would retain some standards-- to teach English, social studies, math or science you would have to have a bachelors degree. In something. Anything. And, weirdly enough, this would only apply grades 6 through 12. In Wisconsin, a first grade teacher would require a real teaching degree, but you could teach twelfth grade chemistry with a bachelors degree in art history.

Walker has been very successful selling the narrative of teachers being overpaid fancy-pants who think they're so special with their uppity college degrees while demanding to soak the taxpayers for upscale benefits far better than anything the cashier at the Pick'n'Save ever gets. This is just more of that-- after all, teaching is a job pretty much anybody would do, anyway. If this all happens, Wisconsin will have the distinction of being the first state in which Teach for American volunteers will be overqualified. In Walker's Wisconsin, anybody will be able to "be a teacher," even without an ivy league degree or five whole weeks of training.

Schools

Just yesterday, the legislature's budget writing committee approved a CURMUDGUCATION: Wisconsin's Assault on Public Education:
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Louisiana Educator: Great Facebook Page on how to "flip BESE" #flipbese

Louisiana Educator: Great Facebook Page on how to "flip BESE":

Great Facebook Page on how to "flip BESE"



OK readers, it's time to stop complaining about the harmful actions of BESE and start doing something about it!

I am asking all my readers who live in Louisiana to please go to the Flip BESE Facebook page and "like" this page so that you can be kept informed about important challenges to the present majority on BESE as we get closer to the BESE elections. The BESE elections of all 8 elected members occur on the same date as the elections for governor and members of the legislature. This effort is absolutely critical to the future of our public education system, to democratic control of our public education dollars, and to the future of a strong and productive teaching profession in Louisiana!

A terrific graphic for the Flip BESE site was developed by highly talented Amy Lemoine, a public school parent in the Lafayette area. Here is what motivated Amy to launch the web site:
"After watching the behavior of the current BESE members over the last few years, it became apparent that BESE would have to be turned upside down (flipped) in order to shake free from the current voting trends that have been very negative to our public education system. Louisiana needs BESE members who represent all parents, teachers, and students. We feel that the majority represent special interests and the reform movement, rather than the majority of their constituents."

Ms Lemoine envisions the following efforts:
"Come October, the members who occupy the eight elected BESE seats will be decided on in voting booths across the state. The candidates that we should avoid like the plague will likely have the high dollar supporters who will see to it that an abundance of commercials and signs are bought. The good guys need any help they can get to help get their name out there. My hope is that Flip BESE can be some of that needed help. We will share facts about current BESE members and the candidates that will be, in our opinion, the best hope to turn things around."

There are now three new announced candidates for BESE that would help to "Flip BESE" to give the parents, voters and educators excellent representation in making decisions that strengthen our public schools and support teaching as a profession. They are Lee Barrios for District 1, Jason France for District 6, and Michael Kremer for District 7. If you are not sure about your voting BESE district, the Flip BESE web site gives you a map that would allow you to find your district. As a very accurate alternative just go to the legilative web site here and fill in your address to get a precise ID of your BESE district as well as your Representative and Senatorial districts.

The candidates that have announced so far in the effort to flip BESE are:
Jason France, of Baton Rouge was the first to announce that he is running in District 6 against Chas Roemer. Jason is a former Department of Education employee who is extremely well informed about the management of education in Louisiana. Jason launched the Crazy Crawfish blog a couple of years ago which he has used effectively to expose some of the unethical actions of Superintendent John White in dealing with the often corrupt voucher schools and in showing favoritism in enforcing the VAM teacher evaluation system. Jason has also blogged in his role as a parent, demonstrating the serious flaws in the new Common Core standards. Jason was the first to announce his candidacy in an effort to change the emphasis of BESE from representing only the rich and powerful who want to privatize our education system for the benefit of corrupt "entrepreneurs" to representing the real stakeholders in public education: students, parents and taxpayers.
Lee Barrios, of St. Tammany Parish is a retired board certified teacher with experience in teaching gifted and talented is running in BESE District 1 against incumbent James Garvey . Ms Barrios is an activist who regularly attends BESE meeting and speaks in opposition to predatory charters and against the serious flaws in the Common Core standards. Lee is extremely well informed about the major issues facing BESE.
Michael Kremer, of Lafayette is a recently retired principal who served in St. Martin Parish. He is challenging Holly Boffy who has been a complete disappointment to the educators and parents of the 7th BESE district. Kremer who is a top notch professional educator submitted this excellent guest post on predatory charters for this blog a few months ago. Michael would also be great addition to BESE.

There are three currently elected members of BESE that have an excellent record of supporting public education and our professional educators. They are Mary Harris of District 1, Lottie Beebe of District 3, and Carolyn Hill of District 8.  I am asking our readers to consider supporting these highly dedicated members of BESE who have remained steadfast in their support of public schools and professional educators.

There are three other members of BESE that will be appointed by the new governor. You can only influence the selection of those members by choosing wisely in the election of Governor. (Note: I do want to make special mention of Jane Smith of Bossier, an appointee of Governor Jindal, who has been a refreshing voice of reason on BESE. Ms Smith has worked effectively with all factions for the good of public education) 

Please visit the Flip BESE website often to keep yourself and other voters informed about the efforts to restore BESE to the citizens and students of Louisiana!Louisiana Educator: Great Facebook Page on how to "flip BESE":


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A new style can help school reform in NY - am New York

A new style can help school reform in NY - am New York:

A new style can help school reform in NY




'Collaborative" is the word MaryEllen Elia and those who know her use to describe her leadership style. That will be an important trait, because the newly named commissioner of the state Education Department must now bring New York's warring factions to a treaty. Continued battling over education reform isn't helping anyone.
Elia, who starts work in early July, is returning to New York after leading the eighth-largest school district in the nation, Florida's Hillsborough County, which includes the city of Tampa and a large rural and suburban area. She is the current Florida superintendent of the year, chosen by her peers, and was one of four finalists last year for national superintendent of the year. She was recently fired by Hillsborough's county council after a decade thanks to a power struggle involving newly elected councilmembers, creating an uproar among her supporters there.
Elia spent almost two decades teaching in public schools in New York and Florida. One of her greatest triumphs in Florida was a set of "town hall" meetings that explained the Common Core, why the new standards were important and how the changes would work, something that's been ignored, then botched here.
She supports charter and magnet schools, and tough learning standards. She says teachers need to be evaluated, and that part of that evaluation must be the progress of students. But she also speaks passionately about teachers getting respect and admiration. She wants to lure the best candidates to college programs that better prepare them to teach, and get new teachers the mentoring they need.
She says troubled schools need strike teams that move in and address problems quickly and aggressively, something that's been lacking in New York City. Elia's passion and knowledge are obvious and welcome.
Now she will bring those qualities to a state where politicians are frozen by raging interest groups. Elia says the warring factions -- teachers unions and parents and reformers -- need to see that everyone can get a win, but no one can win it all. That's the strategy to pursue, and the path that will lead to triumph for the students.A new style can help school reform in NY - am New York:

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Documentary aims to 'bring back trust of teachers' - The Sun Herald

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.: Documentary aims to 'bring back trust of teachers' | Celebrities | The Sun Herald:

Documentary aims to 'bring back trust of teachers'
healourschools
COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. — Teaching a herd of sheep to move in one direction at the same time works. Similarly, teaching a herd of children to read a book, solve math problems and other lessons doesn't.
That's one of the messages conveyed in a new documentary a former Colorado Springs public school teacher created, directed and produced.
"Heal Our Schools" "illuminates the problems federal and corporate takeover have created in our schools and provides teacher-generated solutions." It will debut with screenings in Colorado Springs this weekend and June 13.
Laurie Gabriel, who taught music, drama, choir and orchestra for 27 years in public schools in Colorado, most recently in Colorado Springs School District 11, spent four years and a chunk of money creating the film.
She traveled the country talking to teachers, education policy analysts, authors and other education experts.
"It's getting more and more important that the general public understands what's going on in education, that kids and teachers are being left out, as profit-driven corporations have taken over testing," she said.
Her goal: "To bring back trust of teachers. We've been painted sometimes as not knowing what's best for the kids. We do, and we can work together with parents for the benefit of the kids."
Teachers, Gabriel said, are being left out of the decision-making processes in education to the point that "the silence of the teachers is deafening."
Teachers are being blamed for students not performing well on standardized tests, she said, and in many cases are being threatened with losing their jobs for speaking out against the system.
"I watched the profession deteriorate bit by bit, and it seemed like we teachers were helpless to do anything," Gabriel said. "I heard the same stories in the teachers' lounge and on Facebook and instead of swallowing it, I decided to tell the story."
Along with teachers and students talking about today's classroom environment and impediments to learning, the film includes commentary by high-profile personalities. Those include former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Education Diane Ravitch; Jonathan Kozol, an award-winning author onCOLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.: Documentary aims to 'bring back trust of teachers' | Celebrities | The Sun Herald: Read more here: http://www.sunherald.com/2015/05/30/6249123/documentary-aims-to-bring-back.html#storylink=cpy


 Heal Our Schools: documentary on teaching, testing, and more | Education Town Hall Forum: Archives, Announcements, ... http://bit.ly/1LPYR4F
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13 Reasons Why Grade Retention is Terrible, and 12 Better Solutions

13 Reasons Why Grade Retention is Terrible, and 12 Better Solutions:



Success and failure symbol represented by a forked road with a road sign representing Failing and another successfulness with arrows for turning in the direction that is chosen after facing the difficult dilemma.

13 Reasons Why Grade Retention is Terrible, and 12 Better Solutions

 BY  1 COMMENT
There are few education issues that anger me more than massive retention of third graders based on one test score! Mississippi recently became the latest state to embrace retention. It’s a huge mistake. Adults fail children by not assisting them with their learning problems. Why is massive school retention terrible?
  1. A retained student doesn’t learn as well as a promoted student. Research shows that students held back learn slower and gains don’t last. Students who are promoted make more growth especially if their learning problems are addressed.
  2. It is based on one test! There is a mistaken assumption that the test is a perfect measure of all a child knows. The questions are selected by a monolithic publishing company, like Pearson, who knows nothing else about the child.
  3. It’s hard to find research that supports retention. The American Psychological Association and the American Educational Research Association are just two organizations against using a single score to retain students. Researchers have combed through hundreds of studies and they indicate retention doesn’t work and is often harmful.
  4. Retained students often drop out of school later. The association between retention and dropping out of school is real. The older a student is when they are retained, the more likely it is they will drop out.
  5. Some children aren’t test-takers. Children, even gifted students, might dislike 13 Reasons Why Grade Retention is Terrible, and 12 Better Solutions:

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