Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 9/18/15 #FightForDyett

CORPORATE ED REFORM

Seattle Schools Community Forum: As School Year Starts, Think about Student Data Privacy

Seattle Schools Community Forum: As School Year Starts, Think about Student Data Privacy: As School Year Starts, Think about Student Data PrivacyFrom a group I belong to (and you should, too), Student Privacy Matters:Five principles to protect student data privacyThe Parent Coalition for Student Privacy believes that the following five principles should be incorporated in any law or policy regardi

by mike simpson / 3min 

Who's Funding Kevin Johnson's Secret Government?

Who's Funding Kevin Johnson's Secret Government?: Who's Funding Kevin Johnson's Secret Government?It isn’t hard to see why nothing bad has ever quite touched Kevin Johnson, mayor of Sacramento, Calif., even as he’s authored a long series of lurid sex and corruption scandals, any one of which would have ended the career of a less fortunate man.Johnson is a youngish, attractive Democrat with a reput

by mike simpson / 2h 

CURMUDGUCATION: Duncan Still Oblivious

CURMUDGUCATION: Duncan Still Oblivious: Duncan Still ObliviousRiding along with Arne Duncan on the back-to-school bus tour, Alyson Klein had the opportunity to do a little Q & A with Arne Duncan. The discussion indicates that there are some things that Arne just doesn't get. I recommend reading the whole piece, but there are a few moments I'd like to zero in on.AccountabilityIn the midst of di

by mike simpson / 4h 

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Good riddance, Tim Cawley. Champion of privatization and disinvestment in neighborhood schools.

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Good riddance, Tim Cawley. Champion of privatization and disinvestment in neighborhood schools.: Good riddance, Tim Cawley. Champion of privatization and disinvestment in neighborhood schools.Good riddance to Tim Cawley, the very worst of Rahm's army of CPS bureaucrats who's gone from Number 2 honcho under Byrd-Bennett, to under the bus. I hope readers won't remember

by mike simpson / 5h 

Wait, What? Needs your help - Wait What?

Wait, What? Needs your help - Wait What?: Wait, What? Needs your helpWait, What? is dedicated to informing readers about the truth enveloping policy and politics in Connecticut. If you believe Wait, What? plays in important role, please donate so we can continue our mission.DONATE ON LINE TO WAIT, WHAT?Since January 2012, a total of 2,124 articles have been posted to Wait, What?  Together they hav

by mike simpson / 5h 

The NJ Standards Review Farce - Education Lessons From A Sparkly District

Education Lessons From A Sparkly District: The NJ Standards Review Farce: The NJ Standards Review FarceBack in the spring, Gov. Christie, quite out the blue, announced that he had concerns with Common Core State Standards (CCSS). I’m sure he took a lot of the reformy cheerleaders in the state by surprise. With that proclamation, he also announced yet another review committee to look at CCSS and tu

by mike simpson / 5h 

Fed rule changes for testing disabled children start Sept. 21 | Parents Across America

Fed rule changes for testing disabled children start Sept. 21 | Parents Across America: Fed rule changes for testing disabled children start Sept. 21Thanks to conversations with Dr. Gary Thompson, a noted Utah child psychologist who has spoken out against the Common Core, we have learned that new federal regulations go into effect on September 21, 2015, barring states from using alternative assess

by mike simpson / 6h 

9/18/2015 – Seattle Teachers’ Strike A Win For Social Justice

9/18/2015 – Seattle Teachers’ Strike A Win For Social Justice: Seattle Teachers’ Strike A Win For Social JusticeSeattle Teachers’ Strike A Win For Social JusticeBy Jeff Bryant“Striking teachers in Seattle appear to have been victorious in getting most of their demands met … Their demands for increased pay was just one item in a much more extensive list of demands that demonstrate how badly fans of

by mike simpson / 8h 

What Will Zuckerberg Learn from Newark? - Living in Dialogue

What Will Zuckerberg Learn from Newark? - Living in Dialogue: What Will Zuckerberg Learn from Newark? By John Thompson.Dale Russakoff’s 2014 New Yorker profile “Schooled” is a wonderful account of Mark Zuckerberg’s $100 million investment in Newark school reform, and how and why it failed. Perhaps the best new revelation in “Schooled” starts with the lesson Russakoff learned from a wealthy donor.

by mike simpson / 8h 

Children are more than test scores: Dear Secretary Duncan a message from the Walking Man

Children are more than test scores: Dear Secretary Duncan a message from the Walking Man: Dear Secretary Duncan a message from the Walking ManHello Secretary Duncan , my name is Dr. Jesse Patrick Turner, and I am a teacher who occupies the humanity of the spaces I teach. I am inspired by the young voices of those occupying my teaching space. I find magic in the faces I teach. I find hope living in

by mike simpson / 8h 

Schools Matter: School Board Member Lays Out Cost of Charter Expansion

Schools Matter: School Board Member Lays Out Cost of Charter Expansion: School Board Member Lays Out Cost of Charter ExpansionRecently the school board of Metro Nashville rejected three new charter applications.  Will Pinkston was one of those thoughtful and responsible school board members who voted with his constituents' interests in mind, rather than with the segregating ideologies of corporate

by mike simpson / 9h 

CTU sues CPS. AUSL schools show a pattern of racial discrimination. African American teachers were targeted. | Fred Klonsky

CTU sues CPS. AUSL schools show a pattern of racial discrimination. African American teachers were targeted. | Fred Klonsky: CTU sues CPS. AUSL schools show a pattern of racial discrimination. African American teachers were targeted.Wednesday, on behalf of the CTU and our members, another class action lawsuit was filed challenging the five turnarounds in 2013 and the ones from 2011 forward, includ

by mike simpson / 10h 

Another Former Supporter of Test-Based Accountability Confesses His Error | janresseger

Another Former Supporter of Test-Based Accountability Confesses His Error | janresseger: Another Former Supporter of Test-Based Accountability Confesses His ErrorAfter more than a decade of federal test-and-punish education policy, true believers in the schemes spun by corporate education reformers are reevaluating how it has all worked out since the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act.  One a

by mike simpson / 10h 

From finger guns to #IstandwithAhmed clock, zero-tolerance gone too far? | | Dallas Morning News

From finger guns to #IstandwithAhmed clock, zero-tolerance gone too far? | | Dallas Morning News: From finger guns to #IstandwithAhmed clock, zero-tolerance gone too far?The arrest and suspension of a teen boy taking his invention to school may have been more than anti-Muslim sentiments. Some juvenile justice experts say the zero-tolerance stance that often drives school discipline also played a c

by mike simpson / 11h 

Parents’ Hunger Strike Reveals Flaws in Chicago’s Education Reforms - Yahoo News

Parents’ Hunger Strike Reveals Flaws in Chicago’s Education Reforms - Yahoo News: Parents’ Hunger Strike Reveals Flaws in Chicago’s Education ReformsIt’s a drastic, painful, potentially fatal tactic associated with third-world political movements calling attention to brutal regimes, or history lessons about legendary protest leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi and Cesar Chavez.Related StoriesChicago to

by mike simpson / 11h 

The State of Teacher Diversity in American Education | Shanker Institute

The State of Teacher Diversity in American Education | Shanker Institute: The State of Teacher Diversity in American EducationTeacher Diversity in the U.S. is an area of concern. The teacher work force has gotten less ethnically and racially diverse and more female, a development which has had an adverse effect on students, particularly on males of color. It is an impediment to the broader goals o

by mike simpson / 11h 

Critics Of Charter Schools Say Ohio Supreme Court Ruling Raises Political Questions | WVXU

Critics Of Charter Schools Say Ohio Supreme Court Ruling Raises Political Questions | WVXU: Critics Of Charter Schools Say Ohio Supreme Court Ruling Raises Political QuestionsThe Ohio Supreme Court decision that nearly a hundred million dollars in equipment bought by charter school operators with tax money belongs to those operators and not to the schools has raised more anger against the industry

by mike simpson / 11h 

Another voucher school closes, stirring a simmering pot of issues | Milwaukee | Wisconsin Gazette

Another voucher school closes, stirring a simmering pot of issues | Milwaukee | Wisconsin Gazette - Smart, independent and revealing. News, opinion and entertainment coverage: Another voucher school closes, stirring a simmering pot of issuesJust nine days into the school year, a Milwaukee voucher school abruptly shut down, drawing renewed criticism from opponents of efforts to privatize Wisconsin’

by mike simpson / 11h 

Sacramento News & Review - The latest on Mayor Kevin Johnson's lawsuit against SN&R - Editor's Note - Opinions - September 17, 2015

Sacramento News & Review - The latest on Mayor Kevin Johnson's lawsuit against SN&R - Editor's Note - Opinions - September 17, 2015: The latest on Mayor Kevin Johnson's lawsuit against SN&RIt was strange when Kevin Johnson sued us earlier this summer. But in recent weeks, this K.J. lawsuit saga has become even more head-scratching.This latest weirdness began when city of Sacramento att

by mike simpson / 11h 

Louisiana Educator: Playing Political Games with PARCC Test Data

Louisiana Educator: Playing Political Games with PARCC Test Data: Playing Political Games with PARCC Test DataIn this latest pro-John White article, Will Sentell of The Advocate never seems to question why it should take until November for the student scores on the Common Core PARCC test to be reported to the schools and the general public. The LDOE has the data but apparently is just sitting on i

by mike simpson / 12h 

CURMUDGUCATION: Testing: The Circular Argument

CURMUDGUCATION: Testing: The Circular Argument: Testing: The Circular ArgumentThis morning, the indispensable Mercedes Schneider takes us on a trip to Massachusetts, where profiteers have captured many of the positions of power in the education world.Much has been said about commissioner Mitchell Chester, who heads up the fast-evaporating PARCC test consortium, but who will also recommend to the s

by mike simpson / 12h 

Who came up with these peculiar rules about preschools and child-care centers? - The Washington Post

Who came up with these peculiar rules about preschools and child-care centers? - The Washington Post: Who came up with these peculiar rules about preschools and child-care centers?Here are some eyebrow-raising licensing rules, regulations and other tidbits about day-care centers and preschools in various states. These were collected by Noodle, an education website that offers help to parents and s

by mike simpson / 12h 

Teaching History at Mission High School (Kristina Rizga) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

Teaching History at Mission High School (Kristina Rizga) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: Teaching History at Mission High School (Kristina Rizga)This is the third excerpt taken from Kristina Rizga’s new bookMission High. With her permission I have excerpted descriptions ofmath  and English lessons. In this post, Rizga describes a history lesson that Robert Roth, a long time

by mike simpson / 12h 

Parents, teachers, and students in the Milwaukee Public School District are holding “walk-ins” | The Progressive

The hidden education tradeoff: tax cuts now or real economic growth in the future | The Progressive: The hidden education tradeoff: tax cuts now or real economic growth in the futureParents in Milwaukee—as across the nation—know that their children’s futures depend on the quality of public education, and many of them are deeply upset about continuing cuts to public education funding. Parents, teac

by mike simpson / 12h 

YESTERDAY

Massachusetts, Roland Fryer, and a “Two-tiered System of Standardized Testing”? | deutsch29

Massachusetts, Roland Fryer, and a “Two-tiered System of Standardized Testing”? | deutsch29: Massachusetts, Roland Fryer, and a “Two-tiered System of Standardized Testing”?On November 17, 2015, the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) will vote on either the PARCC assessments or the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) as the statewide assessment system

by mike simpson / 20h 

CURMUDGUCATION: WSJ on Teacher Quality

CURMUDGUCATION: WSJ on Teacher Quality: WSJ on Teacher QualityEarlier this week the Wall Street Journal convened a trio of educational experts to discuss the question "How Do We Raise the Quality of Teachers."I'm not sure what got into them, exactly, but reporter Leslie Brody actually included a teacher in her trio of experts. In fact, not just a teacher, but New York teacher, activist a

by mike simpson / 21h 

The Eleventh Honeymoon | The Jose Vilson

The Eleventh Honeymoon | The Jose Vilson: The Eleventh Honeymoon11 years ago, I promised myself I would inspire, kick butt, and teach kids to the best of their abilities. Ten years ago, I eschewed all that and said I would be much stricter with them because they needed it. Nine years ago, I wanted to take pieces of my first two years and double down on my firm resolve. Eight years ago, I wanted to

by mike simpson / 21h 

Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 9/17/15 #FightForDyett

SPECIAL NITE CAP CORPORATE ED REFORMLawsuit: Schools failed to inform parents of right to opt out of tests | EdSourceLawsuit: Schools failed to inform parents of right to opt out of tests | EdSource: Lawsuit: Schools failed to inform parents of right to opt out of testsA bucket of forms to opt out children of Common Core-aligned tests sits at a protest in May 2015 at Yorba Linda High School.A pare

by mike simpson / 23h 

Seattle Schools Community Forum: As School Year Starts, Think about Student Data Privacy

Seattle Schools Community Forum: As School Year Starts, Think about Student Data Privacy:

As School Year Starts, Think about Student Data Privacy

From a group I belong to (and you should, too), Student Privacy Matters:

Five principles to protect student data privacy

The Parent Coalition for Student Privacy believes that the following five principles should be incorporated in any law or policy regarding the protection of personal student data in grades preK-12.  After   students reach age 18,  all these rights, including those related to notification and consent,  should devolve to them:

• Transparency: Parents must be notified by their children’s school or district in advance of any disclosure of personal student information to any persons, companies or organizations outside of the school or district.

All disclosures to third parties should also require publicly available contracts and privacy policies that specify  what types of data are to be disclosed for what purposes, and provide a date certain when the data will be destroyed.

•  No commercial uses: Selling of personal student data and;or use for marketing purposes should be banned.  NO advertising should be allowed on instructional software or websitesassigned to students by their schools, since ads are a distraction from learning and serve no legitimate educational purpose.

While some of the current bills ban “targeted” ads, others ban targeted ads except for those derived from a student’s one- time internet use.   But how can any parent know whether an ad displayed to their children was based on data-mining their child a single time or over a longer period?

•  Security protections:  At minimum, there must be encryption of personal data at motion and at rest, required training for all individuals with access to personal student data, audit logs, and Seattle Schools Community Forum: As School Year Starts, Think about Student Data Privacy:

Who's Funding Kevin Johnson's Secret Government?

Who's Funding Kevin Johnson's Secret Government?:

Who's Funding Kevin Johnson's Secret Government?

It isn’t hard to see why nothing bad has ever quite touched Kevin Johnson, mayor of Sacramento, Calif., even as he’s authored a long series of lurid sex and corruption scandals, any one of which would have ended the career of a less fortunate man.

Johnson is a youngish, attractive Democrat with a reputation as a national leader on education issues, a gift for making powerful friends, and a superficially impressive background—UC Berkeley, a long run as a top NBA star, a successful business career. He’s just the sort of politician a lot of people want to believe, and a lot of people have done so. His mayoralty will even soon be the subject of a laudatory entry in ESPN’s acclaimed 30 For 30 documentary series.

The scandals didn’t much matter in 2008, when he easily won election in the face of credible accusations that he’d molested teenage girls, defrauded the federal government of hundreds of thousands of dollars, and lorded over an empire of slum holdings. And they haven’t much mattered since, as he’s gone from success to success, his star rising ever higher in the Democratic Party firmament through most of his career.

As mayor, he’s incurred sexual harassment charges in the course of waging a bizarre war on an obscure non-profit organization; soaked taxpayers in his hometown for hundreds of millions of dollars to build a Who's Funding Kevin Johnson's Secret Government?:

CURMUDGUCATION: Duncan Still Oblivious

CURMUDGUCATION: Duncan Still Oblivious:

Duncan Still Oblivious

Riding along with Arne Duncan on the back-to-school bus tour, Alyson Klein had the opportunity to do a little Q & A with Arne Duncan. The discussion indicates that there are some things that Arne just doesn't get. I recommend reading the whole piece, but there are a few moments I'd like to zero in on.

Accountability

In the midst of discussing whether or not certain reporting categories may have masked or weakened accountability, Arne says this:

Accountability means different things to different folks. What we're asking for in the bill is not just data, which some would say is accountability, and not just transparency, which some would say is accountability, but actual action. And I think what we've been focused on the whole time with waivers is trying to transform low-performing schools.

So it's not real accountability until the big bosses tell you what you have to do next. It's a view of accountability that really tells us a lot about how Duncan sees the power dynamic. It's not just that the federal government is entitled to get whatever information they want to have, but that they are also entitled to tell the local entity what to do about any inadequacies that the feds diagnose.

Or to put it another way, in Duncan's vision of accountability, if a local district isn't getting results that the feds consider satisfactory, then that local district loses the right to local control.

This is one of the (many) ways in which the corporate management model doesn't fit democratic CURMUDGUCATION: Duncan Still Oblivious:

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Good riddance, Tim Cawley. Champion of privatization and disinvestment in neighborhood schools.

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Good riddance, Tim Cawley. Champion of privatization and disinvestment in neighborhood schools.:

Good riddance, Tim Cawley. Champion of privatization and disinvestment in neighborhood schools.

Good riddance to Tim Cawley, the very worst of Rahm's army of CPS bureaucrats who's gone from Number 2 honcho under Byrd-Bennett, to under the bus. I hope readers won't remember that I predicted his demise two years ago. Wishful thinking, I suppose. He's even outlasted the guy I thought would replace him back in 2013 -- Marine Col. Tim Tyrrell, who engineered the mass school closings.

It was Rahm who allowed Cawley to skirt the residency requirement, much to the chagrin of the CPS Inspector General. He commutes from Winnetka and was somehow given a special waiver while other staffers and teachers were fired for violating the residency rule.

More importantly, he was the architect of the privatization of school janitorial services, a scheme that has left hundreds of CPS staff without jobs and many Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Good riddance, Tim Cawley. Champion of privatization and disinvestment in neighborhood schools.:

Wait, What? Needs your help - Wait What?

Wait, What? Needs your help - Wait What?:

Wait, What? Needs your help

Wait, What? is dedicated to informing readers about the truth enveloping policy and politics in Connecticut. If you believe Wait, What? plays in important role, please donate so we can continue our mission.

DONATE ON LINE TO WAIT, WHAT?

Since January 2012, a total of 2,124 articles have been posted to Wait, What?  Together they have generated more than 1.8 million hits making the blog one of the most read commentary sites in Connecticut.

Dedicated to revealing the truth about the Corporate Education Reform Industry’s attack on public schools and holding elected officials accountable for their actions, What,What? has been the first to report on a variety of key issues and has provided vital background on some of the most critically important policy and political issues that  have arisen in recent years.

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The NJ Standards Review Farce - Education Lessons From A Sparkly District

Education Lessons From A Sparkly District: The NJ Standards Review Farce:

The NJ Standards Review Farce

Back in the spring, Gov. Christie, quite out the blue, announced that he had concerns with Common Core State Standards (CCSS). I’m sure he took a lot of the reformy cheerleaders in the state by surprise. With that proclamation, he also announced yet another review committee to look at CCSS and turn in a report by the end of the year.

A mad scramble ensued over the summer. The committee was quickly thrown together. The composition of the “stakeholders” was announced. As a parent who is very involved and watching closely, I am appalled by a few things.

First, SPAN was listed as the parent special education representative. Those who know me, know I have a very deep respect for SPAN. They do excellent work in this state. I have even had the great privilege of being recognized by them “For Demonstrating Community Leadership to Strengthen New Jersey Families.” In this case, however, I thought that giving the one special education parent spot to an organization, instead of a parent, was unfair. There are many special education parents in the state who would have made a great representative. Oddly, SPAN did not get the seat allotted to them. SEAC did – NJDOE run Special Education Advisory Council. Hmm…NJDOE advising NJDOE. No problem there, right? Here is the full list of Committee members.

I know I’m going to get flak for that comment about SEAC. Let me be really clear. The person appointed represents a dyslexia group that is part of SEAC, and you would only know that if you’re familiar with SEAC members. However, in the NJ education world where transparency is as clear as mud, this appointment was bad form. SPAN, too, would have been for the same reason.

Process matters.

Next was the seat to PTO. Parent Teacher Organization is any non-PTA group. That includes, PFA, PTO, HSA, and so on. I wondered what NJDOE thought the definition was and how were they going to contact all of those organizations in the state when there is no central office for Education Lessons From A Sparkly District: The NJ Standards Review Farce:

Fed rule changes for testing disabled children start Sept. 21 | Parents Across America

Fed rule changes for testing disabled children start Sept. 21 | Parents Across America:

Fed rule changes for testing disabled children start Sept. 21

Thanks to conversations with Dr. Gary Thompson, a noted Utah child psychologist who has spoken out against the Common Core, we have learned that new federal regulations go into effect on September 21, 2015, barring states from using alternative assessments for special education students, with the exception of a very restricted number of students they label “severely cognitively impaired.”

Dr. Thompson has shared his concerns about this change, which he says is based on “fraudulent and unethical use of psychology research.” He has written a powerful, detailed critique of the U.S. Department of Education’s rationale for this rule change, the “new research” that supposedly supports the idea that students with disabilities can perform at the same grade level as traditional students, and can be tested fairly on the same test used by traditional students, especially if his or her teacher is doing a good job and the tests used are from the “next generation” of tests (i.e. PARCC and SBACC). USDE states:

Nearly all States have developed and are administering new high-quality general assessments that are valid and reliable and measure students with disabilities’ knowledge and skills against college- and career-ready standards….we believe that alternate assessments based on modified academic achievement standards are no longer needed and, with high-quality instruction and appropriate accommodations, students with disabilities who took an alternate assessment based

- See more at: http://parentsacrossamerica.org/rule-testing-disabled-children-start-sept-21/#sthash.8aS9BOVG.dpuf