CORPORATE ED REFORM
California denied renewal of federal funding for charter schools | EdSource
California denied renewal of federal funding for charter schools | EdSource: California denied renewal of federal funding for charter schoolsCalifornia, which received $250 million in federal money over the last five years to foster the growth of charter schools, will get none of the $125 million that will be allocated in the next round of funding, the U.S. Department of Education announced Monday
Seattle Educators Score Major Victory for Students - NEA Today
Seattle Educators Score Major Victory for Students - NEA Today: Seattle Educators Score Major Victory for StudentsWhen members of the Seattle Education Association (SEA) ratified a new contract with the school district on September 20 ending a six-day strike, it was a victory not only for educators, but also a major win for students, public schools, and the communities they serve. The contract — a
Jersey Jazzman: Michael Vaughn of @edu_post Responds To My Criticisms
Jersey Jazzman: Michael Vaughn of @edu_post Responds To My Criticisms: Michael Vaughn of @edu_post Responds To My Criticisms Last week, I published a response to a piece by Michael Vaughn at Education Post (Vaughn is their Director of Communications). I found the piece to be, frankly, little more than a collection of reformy bromides. Vaughn responded to me personally via email and asked me to pos
Why Flint’s Water Crisis May Be a Boon for #EdReform | educarenow
Why Flint’s Water Crisis May Be a Boon for #EdReform | educarenow: Why Flint’s Water Crisis May Be a Boon for #EdReformLet me start with some background information.My home state of Michigan has a law that allows an Emergency Manager to be put in place. This Emergency Manager has dictatorial control. Decisions that were previously made by a democratically elected city council or school board are
Heal Our Schools, a documentary
HearOurTeachersHome: Heal Our Schools, a documentaryHeal Our Schools, a documentary researched, written and directed by Laurie Gabriel, is being produced with the mission of uncovering and solving the real problems of public education in America. This venture is different from other education documentaries in that it fully explores the experience and expertise of our most overlooked resource: teac
LCAP Parent Advisory Committee - Sacramento City Unified School District
LCAP Parent Advisory Committee - Sacramento City Unified School District: LCAP Parent Advisory CommitteeApplication for the 2015-16 school yearIn 2013-14, the state of California changed the way it funds school districts.The new model, called the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF), allows districts more freedom in how funds are spent but also requires the development of a Local Control and Accou
PDK/Gallup Poll - October highlights
PDK/Gallup Poll - October highlights: Make teaching more professionalAre Americans signaling that they want changes that would boost the professionalism of teaching?Americans want higher professional requirements for teachers and believe teacher pay is too low, but they don’t like tenure, according to the newest PDK/Gallup Poll of the Public’s Attitudes Toward the Public Schools.Public school pare
Former L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa endorses charter expansion effort - LA Times
Former L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa endorses charter expansion effort - LA Times: Former L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa endorses charter expansion effortFormer Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has endorsed a controversial effort to more than double the number of the city’s charter schools over the next eight years.Villaraigosa declared his support for the plan in an interview after an ed
Eli Broad's LAUSD? | OpEdNews
Article: Eli Broad's LAUSD? | OpEdNews: Eli Broad's LAUSD?"While working for two years as an accountant, Eli Broad saw his homebuilding clients making much more that he was, and he and Edythe's cousin's husband decided they, too, could build houses."-Broad FoundationThere are some who like to quietly give to charities, being careful not to draw too much attention to themselves. Eli Broad
U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan Announces 2015 National Blue Ribbon Schools | U.S. Department of Education
U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan Announces 2015 National Blue Ribbon Schools | U.S. Department of Education: U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan Announces 2015 National Blue Ribbon SchoolsU.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today recognized 335 schools as National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2015 based on their overall academic excellence or their progress in closing achievement gaps among st
José Luis Vilson: Stealing Possible | The Progressive
Stealing Possible | The Progressive: Stealing PossibleThe New York charter school group Families of Excellent Schools announced recently that rallying under the banner “Don’t Steal Possible,”on September 30, 2015 “over 10,000 parents, students, and educators are expected to demand an end to education inequality in Brooklyn's Cadman Plaza, followed by hundreds marching across the Brooklyn Bridge an
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Is Rahm looking for a war on special ed?
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Is Rahm looking for a war on special ed?: Is Rahm looking for a war on special ed?As the grandparent of a CPS student with special needs, my message to the mayor is -- if it's a battle you want, it's a battle you'll get.Our autocrat at City Hall appears bent on dismembering special education in Chicago by a thousand cuts. SpEd took its first major deep cut over the s
Another black face on a white education agenda isn't needed — justice is - The Hechinger Report
Another black face on a white education agenda isn't needed — justice is - The Hechinger Report: Another black face on a white education agenda isn’t needed — justice isBoth the current education reform lobby and their progressive opponents feel a certain kinship with the Black Lives Matter movement.They even send subtle and not so subtle overtures soliciting the group’s support.“I would argue we
Cuomo and Malloy – Deaf, Dumb and Blind about the Common Core Testing Opt-Out Movement - Wait What?
Cuomo and Malloy – Deaf, Dumb and Blind about the Common Core Testing Opt-Out Movement - Wait What?: Cuomo and Malloy – Deaf, Dumb and Blind about the Common Core Testing Opt-Out MovementWhen it comes to the Charter School and Corporate Education Reform Industry, Democrat Governors Andrew Cuomo and Dannel Malloy are twins separated at birth. Proponents of charter schools, the Common Core, the Com
Pennsylvania School Funding War Drags On | janresseger
Pennsylvania School Funding War Drags On | janresseger: Pennsylvania School Funding War Drags OnPennsylvania doesn’t yet have a state budget, something the state is required to have in place on June 30. A protracted, years-long, and politically contentious fight about inadequate and grossly inequitably distributed school funding is a primary reason for the impasse.A Republican-dominated state legi
CURMUDGUCATION: NY: Turning Screws on Opt Out
CURMUDGUCATION: NY: Turning Screws on Opt Out: NY: Turning Screws on Opt OutIf you are a struggling school in New York, congratulations-- you've been drafted to fight against the state's burgeoning opt out movement.As reported yesterday at Politico, one new requirement for struggling and persistently struggling schools to avoid a state takeover is to get their participation on the Big Standardized
Education Research Report: Usage of Policies and Practices Promoted by Race to the Top and School Improvement Grants
Education Research Report: Usage of Policies and Practices Promoted by Race to the Top and School Improvement Grants: Usage of Policies and Practices Promoted by Race to the Top and School Improvement GrantsThe American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 injected $7 billion into two of the Obama administration's signature competitive education grant programs: Race to the Top (RTT) and School Im
Portland Public Schools leader: LGBTQ training makes schools 'safe' for students (Q&A) | OregonLive.com
Portland Public Schools leader: LGBTQ training makes schools 'safe' for students (Q&A) | OregonLive.com: Portland Public Schools leader: LGBTQ training makes schools 'safe' for students (Q&A)(Faith Cathcart)Earlier this week, The Oregonian/OregonLive brought you the story of a transgender teacher in the Gresham-Barlow School District. Oregon and Washington have long barred employers from f
BESE Campaign News as of 9/28/15 | Crazy Crawfish's Blog
BESE Campaign News as of 9/28/15 | Crazy Crawfish's Blog: BESE Campaign News as of 9/28/15Big Education Ape: NPE Endorses Jason France, AKA Crazy Crawfish, for BESE – The Network For Public Education http://bit.ly/1TXoLG8I want to apologize to my regular readers of the blog. I have been remiss with my postings of late and there are a lot of great stories to write about. However one of the bigge
Common Core and Professional Development: Survey Results - Education Week
Common Core and Professional Development: Survey Results - Education Week: Common Core and Professional Development: Survey ResultsIn February 2015, the RAND Corp. surveyed its American Teacher Panel, a random selection of 1,129 K-12 teachers, on current professional-development needs, focusing on topics related to the Common Core State Standards. In all, 655 teachers responded; the results were w
The ‘moral and spiritual culture’ that elevates education - Yahoo News
The ‘moral and spiritual culture’ that elevates education - Yahoo News: The ‘moral and spiritual culture’ that elevates educationA Christian Science perspective: A response to revising American history curriculum. With school in the U.S. and elsewhere in full swing, it’s a good time to remember there’s more to education than just learning core facts and developing basic skills.The Monitor reported
This Is How Out of Control Testing Has Gotten in Schools - Yahoo News
This Is How Out of Control Testing Has Gotten in Schools - Yahoo News: This Is How Out of Control Testing Has Gotten in SchoolsFor anyone who doubts that education in the U.S. has become overrun by testing, consider this. My daughter's first day of kindergarten -- her very first introduction to elementary school -- consisted almost entirely of assessment. She was due at school at 9:30, and I picke
Clinton endorsement divides teachers union - POLITICO
Clinton endorsement divides teachers union - POLITICO: Clinton endorsement divides teachers unionState officials and rank-and-file members plan to protest upcoming vote to endorse Hillary Clinton.Top brass of the 3 million-strong National Education Association, the country's largest union, are recommending an endorsement of Hillary Clinton, according to an email obtained by POLITICO -- a move that
Charter Schools defend law that lets them set aside seats - WSJ
Teachers Union Criticizes Charter Perk - WSJ: Teachers Union Criticizes Charter PerkCharter Schools defend law that lets them set aside seats for employees’ childrenThe new ability of New York charter schools to set aside seats for employees’ children drew fire Monday from the United Federation of Teachers, which said such “nepotism” defied charters’ stated goals of serving the neediest children.A
Point: Charter schools need to be shut down in Washington | Crosscut
Point: Charter schools need to be shut down in Washington | Crosscut: Point: Charter schools need to be shut down in WashingtonLast month, the Washington Supreme Court ruled that charter schools in the state – which voters approved in 2012 – are unconstitutional, due to the fact they are not governed by elected boards and are therefore unaccountable to taxpayers. As Washington Attorney General Bob
What Boehner's Resignation Means for NCLB Rewrite - US News
What Boehner's Resignation Means for NCLB Rewrite - US News: Boehner's Resignation Could Upend NCLB RewriteThe House speaker was a principal architect of the No Child Left Behind Act.Congress is closer than it's ever been to overhauling the No Child Left Behind Act, the much-maligned and latest iteration of the federal K-12 law. But the announcement made last week by House Speaker John Boehner tha
Right Wing School Choice Fan Rep. Kevin McCarthy Could Be Next Speaker - Politics K-12 - Education Week
School Choice Fan Rep. Kevin McCarthy Could Be Next Speaker - Politics K-12 - Education Week: School Choice Fan Rep. Kevin McCarthy Could Be Next SpeakerSo Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio, the Speaker of the House, former education chairman, and a lead author of the No Child Left Behind Act, is out as of the end of the month—and Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., will almost certaintly replace him.McCarthy
How the GOP Turned on Common Core
How the GOP Turned on Common Core: How the GOP Turned on Common CoreChris Christie was for it before he was against it. So, for that matter, was Mike Huckabee. When the Common Core education standards were introduced in 2009 by the governors and school superintendents of 46 states, most of the would-be Republican nominees for president were for this voluntary approach to kids’ education. In 2013,
YESTERDAY
Guest Post: Deb Herbage on American Institutes for Research (AIR) | deutsch29
Guest Post: Deb Herbage on American Institutes for Research (AIR) | deutsch29: Guest Post: Deb Herbage on American Institutes for Research (AIR)Deb HerbageDeb Herbage (@DebHerbage) was born and raised in Massachusetts and worked for a Fortune 100 company for 20 years as a business analyst. She relocated to Trinity, Florida in 2007 with her husband and daughter. Deb is an outspoken advocate and ac
Seattle School Board Candidates’ Forum | Seattle Education
Seattle School Board Candidates’ Forum | Seattle Education: Seattle School Board Candidates’ ForumThe League of Women Voters and the Seattle Council PTSA invite you to aSeattle School Board Candidate’s ForumThursday, October 8, 2015 from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PMSeattle First Baptist Church1111 Harvard AvenueSeattle, 98122Seattle is the largest school district in the state, serving over 53,000 students a
Teach for America Deletes Educator Counter-Narratives; Educators Repost EVERY SINGLE ONE! | gadflyonthewallblog
Teach for America Deletes Educator Counter-Narratives; Educators Repost EVERY SINGLE ONE! | gadflyonthewallblog: Teach for America Deletes Educator Counter-Narratives; Educators Repost EVERY SINGLE ONE!On Sept. 23, Teach for America (TFA) published an article on its Website about the “Badass Women of Teach for America.”Many of the more than 56,000 members of the Badass Teachers Association (BATS)c
HOW CRAPPY IS EDUCATION NEWS IN CALIFORNIA? UP to $1.6 BILLION ON COMMON CORE AND NO ONE HAS HEARD OF IT!
Big Education Ape: USC Poll: Californians Don’t Know Much About Common Core http://bit.ly/1NXBWHnCalifornia. California’s Standardized Testing and Reporting Program, which began in 1998, tests students in grades 2–11 in English, math, science, social science, and history.Estimates suggest that it would cost California taxpayers $1.6 billion to replace the existing state standards with the Common C
Congratulations to Denisha Jones! - UNITED OPT OUT: The Movement to End Corporate Education Reform
Congratulations to Denisha Jones! - UNITED OPT OUT: The Movement to End Corporate Education Reform: Congratulations to Denisha Jones!We are honored to have Denisha Jones as one of our eight UOO administrators!Denisha Jones is an Assistant Professor in the School of Education at Howard University. She is a former early childhood teacher and preschool director. She received her PhD from Indiana Uni
The Washington Teacher: The Extinct Black Educator and the Death of Transparency in DC
The Washington Teacher: The Extinct Black Educator and the Death of Transparency in DC: The Extinct Black Educator and the Death of Transparency in DCBy Candi Peterson, WTU General Vice PresidentStatements or expressions of opinions herein 'do not' represent the views or official positions of DCPS, AFT, Washington Teachers' Union (WTU) or its members. Views are my own. Think back and try to rememb
Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 9/28/15
CORPORATE ED REFORMCURMUDGUCATION: USED: Accountability for Public Schools OnlyCURMUDGUCATION: USED: Accountability for Public Schools Only: USED: Accountability for Public Schools OnlyArne Duncan today held a press chat to announce that USED would be throwing more money ($157 million) at charter schools. Throwing money at public schools is, you may recall, anathema to reformsters, who are concern
