Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 11/21/15

CORPORATE ED REFORM

House-Senate Conference Committee Approves Framework to Improve K-12 Education

Press Releases | Press | Chairman's Newsroom | Chairman | The U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions: House-Senate Conference Committee Approves Framework to Improve K-12 EducationWASHINGTON, D.C. | November 19, 2015 - Today, the House-Senate conference committee reached agreement on a proposal to improve K-12 education and replace No Child Left Behind. The agreement repr

by mike simpson / 4h 

Remember Class Size? « pedagogyofthereformed

Remember Class Size? « pedagogyofthereformed: Remember Class Size?School districts don’t want small classes because that means more teachers, more space, and of course, more money.  Funding in public schools in in short supply these days between sky high consultant fees, expensive test prep programs and deliberate underfunding by state officials, so class size has slipped out of the conversation.M

by mike simpson / 5h 

Join thousands of CTU members and allies on Nov. 23 in Grant Park

November 23 Mass Rally: Date: Monday, Nov. 23 Location: Grant Park’s Butler Field Time: 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.  Click here to view bus locations. If we don’t come together and fight for good schools and a fair contract, we will lose many of the rights we currently have. If we allow CPS to continue to disrespect our profession, they will pile even more demands on our schools without adequate resour

by mike simpson / 5h 

Catching False Data: How Scientists Lies | Patch

Catching False Data: How Scientists Lies | Patch: Catching False Data: How Scientists LiesA pair of Stanford researchers has uncovered patterns in how scientists lie about their data.Even the best poker players have “tells” that give away when they’re bluffing with a weak hand. Scientists who commit fraud have similar, but even more subtle, tells, and a pair of Stanford researchers have cracked th

by mike simpson / 6h 

#TeachStrong? Brother, Here We Go Again… | Daniel Katz, Ph.D.

#TeachStrong? Brother, Here We Go Again… | Daniel Katz, Ph.D.: #TeachStrong? Brother, Here We Go Again…Education reformers in the 21st Century seem incapable of seeing any problem as something other than a marketing campaign.  Faced with growing grassroots opposition to the Common Core State Standards, the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, backed with fresh cash from the Gates Foundation, launched a #S

by mike simpson / 7h 

Battling Broad's charter attack in LA

Battling Broad's charter attack in LA | SocialistWorker.org: Battling Broad's charter attack in LAON THE heels of a big contract campaign that won a 10 percent raise, unprecedented caps on class sizes and other gains for our schools, the 31,000 members of United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) have another major battle on our hands over the future of public education in our city--a battle with nationa

by mike simpson / 8h 

CURMUDGUCATION: Resume Bombs

CURMUDGUCATION: Resume Bombs: Resume BombsHere's the problem. You can't build a resume with the following:I took over a program that was doing pretty well, so I just kept things humming along in the same general direction. I may have tweaked a few things here and there, but basically I just left well enough alone.No, to really put some beef on the old resume, you need a sentence that starts with &

by mike simpson / 8h 

Peg with Pen: Harassment Lawsuit Anyone?

Peg with Pen: Harassment Lawsuit Anyone?: Harassment Lawsuit Anyone?When your school is being destroyed by the dictatorial advice of fake teacher programs (Relay) aided and abetted by the Colorado Department of Education all under absolutely fear mongering mandates that force you into silence what is one to do? Do you stay quiet and simply let it all go down as they have planned? Or, do you speak

by mike simpson / 8h 

No Power like the Power of the People - Lily's Blackboard

No Power like the Power of the People - Lily's Blackboard: No Power like the Power of the PeopleMembers of Concerned Student 1950, University of Missouri’s Graduate Professional Council, faculty and student supporters gather at Mel Carnahan Quadrangle to rally in support of an ongoing protest to get UM System President Tim Wolfe to resign on Monday, Nov. 9, 2015. Tensions have been rising througho

by mike simpson / 8h 

Schools Matter: KIPP Administrator "choked and dragged" 16 Year Old Female Student in NOLA

Schools Matter: KIPP Administrator "choked and dragged" 16 Year Old Female Student in NOLA: KIPP Administrator "choked and dragged" 16 Year Old Female Student in NOLAA week after a St. Louis KIPP administrator was placed on leave, pending an investigation of abusing a kindergarten student whose head and neck showed clear signs of a physical assault, a New Orleans KIPP dean of s

by mike simpson / 8h 

John Thompson: The Gates Foundation Never Listens to Teachers, Unless They Endorse the Gates’ Experiments | Diane Ravitch's blog

John Thompson: The Gates Foundation Never Listens to Teachers, Unless They Endorse the Gates’ Experiments | Diane Ravitch's blog: The Gates Foundation Never Listens to Teachers, Unless They Endorse the Gates’ ExperimentsJohn Thompson reviews here the report by the Network for Public Education on 15 years of Gates’ experiments on the lives of other people’s children and teachers.“During the last fi

by mike simpson / 8h 

With A Brooklyn Accent: Terrifying Post On the Computerized Learning Future from a Teacher From a Southern State

With A Brooklyn Accent: Terrifying Post On the Computerized Learning Future from a Teacher From a Southern State: Terrifying Post On the Computerized Learning Future from a Teacher From a Southern StateI was recently at a training where the state superintendent of education .........., was speaking to the......... county teachers. She began her speech with trying to inspire and motivate us to prep

by mike simpson / 8h 

What You Need to Know About Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association

What You Need to Know About Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association: What You Need to Know About Friedrichs v. California Teachers AssociationWe've shared a lot this week about the upcoming Supreme Court case Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association, a case of major importance for working people. Here is a roundup of our recent stories about the case so you have the facts you need:9/11

by mike simpson / 9h 

The problem with standardized testing | KP | kokomoperspective.com

The problem with standardized testing | KP | kokomoperspective.com: The problem with standardized testingWe all want to know that our children are learning what they need to be successful members of our society, contributing to the economy, and advancing our state and nation. But the obsession our political leaders have developed with standardized testing has become an obstacle to our desires.In I

by mike simpson / 9h 

Latest anti-Johnson attack hits odd note | The Sacramento Bee

Latest anti-Johnson attack hits odd note | The Sacramento Bee: Latest anti-Johnson attack hits odd noteBY THE EDITORIAL BOARDThe Los Angeles-based Courage Campaign has agitated for some laudable causes. Its attempt to strong-arm Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson out of office is not one of them.On Thursday, the online advocacy group released a video ad that reiterates old sexual misconduct allegation

by mike simpson / 9h 

YESTERDAY

CURMUDGUCATION: St. Louis Schools Continue To Crumble

CURMUDGUCATION: St. Louis Schools Continue To Crumble: St. Louis Schools Continue To CrumbleSt. Louis teachers are currently caught at the epicenter of just about every kind of assault on public education going on these days.Their immediate concern is easy enough to spot. St. Louis teachers have remained frozen in time,sitting on the same step of the salary schedule for six years. In other words,

by mike simpson / 20h hide  //  save

Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 11/20/15

CORPORATE ED REFORMCURMUDGUCATION: 6 Guidelines for Extracurricular AdvisersCURMUDGUCATION: 6 Guidelines for Extracurricular Advisers: 6 Guidelines for Extracurricular AdvisersI have been an extracurricular activity adviser for as long as I've been a teacher. I have been the faculty adviser for class councils, student council, radio club, and a few school magazines. I have been the assistant direc

by mike simpson / 1d 

House-Senate Conference Committee Approves Framework to Improve K-12 Education

Press Releases | Press | Chairman's Newsroom | Chairman | The U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions:

House-Senate Conference Committee Approves Framework to Improve K-12 Education

WASHINGTON, D.C. | November 19, 2015 - Today, the House-Senate conference committee reached agreement on a proposal to improve K-12 education and replace No Child Left Behind. The agreement represents a compromise between the House-passed Student Success Act (H.R. 5) and the Senate-passed Every Child Achieves Act of 2015 (S. 1177). 

“No Child Left Behind has been failing students, parents, teachers, and state and local education leaders for far too long, and today we took an important step in replacing this flawed law,” said Education and the Workforce Committee Chairman John Kline (R-MN). “But there is still work to be done. We now have to turn this framework into a final bill for our House and Senate colleagues to review. I am confident that once they do, they will see it as an opportunity to replace a failed approach to education with a new approach that will reduce the federal role, restore local control, and empower parents. We will continue to work with all of our colleagues in the House as we move this important process forward.”

"The winners today are 50 million children and 3 million teachers in 100,000 public schools,” said Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN). “Our action would reverse the trend toward a national school board and restore to states, communities, and teachers the responsibility for improving student achievement. This is a bipartisan step forward to fix the No Child Left Behind law that everyone wants fixed. The United States Senate and House of Representatives should complete our work in December so that the president can sign it into law before the end of the year."

“With today's vote by the conference committee to reauthorize the ESEA, we have moved closer to advancing the principles of Brown v. Board of Education, which said that the opportunity for a public education 'is a right which must be made available to all on equal terms,'” said Education and the Workforce Committee Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA). “This agreement ensures that when achievement gaps are found, meaningful action will be taken to intervene and support the needs of students. It ensures that funds will continue to be directed to communities and give teachers and schools the resources they need to support all students. I look forward to the vote by the House and Senate that will send President Obama a bill that is indeed worthy of his signature.”

“Taking this next step to finally fix the broken No Child Left Behind law is great news for students, parents, teachers, and communities in my home state of Washington and across the country,” said Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. “I am proud that our agreement includes strong federal guardrails to ensure all students have access to a quality education, reduces reliance on high-stakes testing, makes strong investments to improve and expand access to preschool for our youngest learners, and so much more. I appreciate the hard work that so many Democrats and Republicans have put into this agreement, and I am optimistic that it can pass both chambers of Congress and get signed into law to help more students across the country get the chance to learn, grow, and thrive in the classroom and beyond.”

A summary of the framework approved by the conference committee can be found here.

The reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) is one step closer to becoming a reality.

On Thursday, November 19, a U.S. House and Senate joint conference committee fairly quickly negotiated language to reauthorize ESEA. 

A handful of amendments were discussed at yesterday’s markup prior to passing the bill. Seven easily passed with bipartisan support, one was withdrawn by its author, and only two were voted down. The amendments that passed would authorize a study to examine changes to formula funding through Title I, review early childhood education programs, establish limits on aggregate time spent on assessments, provide funding for educating teachers on the appropriate use of student data, provide for dual or concurrent enrollment for English language learners, integrate arts in STEM education, and offer funding flexibility to carry out dropout prevention and re-entry programs.

The bipartisan conference committee overwhelmingly passed (39-1) the conference report (or the negotiated bill). 

Continue to follow MSBA Capitol Connections, we will alert you as the bill makes it way to the House and Senate floors for a full vote.

The full report/bill language is expected to become public on November 30. The House could vote on the bill December 2–3 and the Senate could vote as early as December 7.

View the ESEA Framework as approved by the conference committee which includes NSBA commentary.  The most substantive change from the House-and Senate-passed ESEA bills is enhanced accountability that has bipartisan support.

Several amendments were added to the bill with bipartisan support: 

Title I Funding:  The House-Senate ESEA Conference Committee adopted an amendment by voice vote that was offered by Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-PA) that would authorize the Institute of Education Sciences to study the Title I funding formula and report back to Congress.  This amendment reflects “formula fairness” efforts by Rep. Thompson as well as Senators Richard Burr (R-NC) and Michael Bennet (D-CO), to reform the Title I funding mechanisms to reflect greater parity (or equitable distribution of funds among eligible students in urban, rural and suburban areas).
“When the money does not follow the intended population, that’s broken,” Sen. Burr stated.  “Title I money no longer follows poor kids where they live.  When a program isn’t accomplishing what it was intended for, it is broken.”
Early Childhood Education Programs:  Senator Mike Enzi (R-WY) offered an amendment that was approved by a voice vote to study federal investments in early childhood education that would yield useful information on how to make early education more efficient and effective.  In his remarks about the amendment, Sen. Enzi stated that he and the late Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA) worked several years ago to consolidate and improve federal support for early childhood programs, and that more efforts are needed to improve efficiency in this area.

Integrated Curricula:  Rep. Susan Bonamici (D-OR) introduced an amendment that would expand the list of allowable activities in Title IV Academic Enrichment Grants (formerly 21st Century Schools) to improve integration of STEM subjects and the arts, such as music and math, to support efforts for a “well-rounded education.”  Conferees approved the amendment by a voice vote.

Testing/Assessments:  Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) offered an amendment that was approved by a voice vote to streamline testing, “where federal requirements collide with district and state assessments.” The amendment clarifies that states and districts may set a targeted limit on testing and eliminate unnecessary and duplicative assessments.  The measure would limit the overall amount of time students spend taking assessments and allow states and districts the flexibility to address what Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN) referred to as “the problem of over-testing.”

Education Technology/Student Data Privacy:  Rep. Luke Messer (R-IN) raised an amendment regarding the use of technology to improve education outcomes while protecting student data.  The amendment, which was approved by a voice vote, would amend Title IIA under ESEA on “preparing, training and recruiting high quality teachers and principals” to allow the use of professional development funds for training on the appropriate use of data.

Dropout Prevention:  Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-FL) offered an amendment that was approved by a voice vote to increase dropout prevention efforts and offer greater support for student re-entry programs.  The amendment would allow districts to use existing funds under the new Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants program to address dropout prevention.
Dual and Concurrent Enrollment Programs: Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO) offered a measure to amend Title III on English Language Acquisition to facilitate opportunities for dual/concurrent enrollment as an allowable use of funds.  The measure would enhance the offering of community college courses to English Language Learners, allowing students to graduate in five years with a high school diploma and advanced credentials.  Rep. Polis stated that his amendment would provide more opportunities for such programs, giving students a “head start” on college completion.  Conferees approved the amendment by a voice vote.
Additional amendments were offered, but not approved: 

Authorized Funding Levels:  Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-WI) raised an amendment regarding the authorized funding levels in the proposed conference committee agreement, stating that they were “a little bit high.”  He cited additional reasons, including priorities for homeland security and international security (with the recent attack in France), as other priority areas within the federal budget.  Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA) objected to the measure, stating that “our student population is growing and needs are growing.”  Rep. Scott added that, “I think it is inappropriate, at this point, to try to restrict the possible appropriation … and limit that debate.”  House conferees approved the amendment by a vote of 9 to 8.  Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN) stated his opposition to the amendment, noting that the bill would authorize funding commensurate with the levels approved in the recent Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 and in the Budget Control Act of 2011.  Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) opposed the amendment as well, stating that, “Adopting this amendment would be a major step backward [from the Bipartisan Budget Act].”  Senate conferees did not agree to this amendment; and, it was not approved.

Teacher/Principal Evaluations:  Rep. Susan Davis (D-CA) offered an amendment that would direct the U.S. Department of Education to establish a clearinghouse of best practices for teacher and principal evaluations to help school districts learn about and exchange successful models of teacher and principal evaluation systems.  Rep. Todd Rokita (R-IN) and other House conferees objected to the amendment, asserting that teacher and principal evaluations should be managed at the discretion of states and school districts.  The amendment was not approved.

The following amendment was not voted on, but was discussed: 

Higher Education/Extension of Perkins Loan Program:  Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) introduced an amendment – but did not request a vote on this amendment – to extend the Perkins Loan program authorization for one-year, as it has recently expired.  In her remarks, she stated that the amendment is necessary and imminent to helping ensure that students can continue their education beyond high school.  “It’s critical that we not leave students and institutions in the lurch [while negotiating a reauthorization for the Higher Education Act],” Sen. Baldwin stated.

 Press Releases | Press | Chairman's Newsroom | Chairman | The U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions:

Remember Class Size? « pedagogyofthereformed

Remember Class Size? « pedagogyofthereformed:

Remember Class Size?

School districts don’t want small classes because that means more teachers, more space, and of course, more money.  Funding in public schools in in short supply these days between sky high consultant fees, expensive test prep programs and deliberate underfunding by state officials, so class size has slipped out of the conversation.

Moreover, for  top down reformer zealots, large class sizes are a-ok because they fit right in with military style, teacher centered classrooms in which students passively recite, chant and fill out the latest quiz.

Small classes, on the other hand, allow teachers to foster independence, freedom, community, and trust- all hallmarks of progressive education. In this way, class size has the power to shape the way we teach and the culture of our classrooms.

We educators know that authentic, meaningful teaching and learning happens in small communities of learners that know each other very well, in communities in which every child can feel heard, in which students can explore and experiment, and in which children can make decisions for themselves.

I see the difference class size can make every day. Last year, the first grade  classes at my school had between 18-22 students. We had a fabulous year. We were able to get messy and do amazing things. We built towers out of recycled materials,  we mixed liquids and made slime, we created animal puppets, we planted seeds in the school garden and designed roller coaster tracks for marbles.

This year, I am teaching many of the same students and I want everything we do to be as fun, hands-on and child friendly. The thing is, this year, the second grade classes all have between 27 and 30 students.  The difference is palpable. What felt calm now feels chaotic, and what felt manageable now feels utterly exhausting. Just getting through a greeting or transition takes an extraordinary amount of strategic management.

And the kids are suffering. Students who made tremendous progress last year are now falling behind, because in a class of 30, teachers don’t get to work with every student daily, or even weekly. Similarly, students with learning disabilities who were able to shine and Remember Class Size? « pedagogyofthereformed:

Join thousands of CTU members and allies on Nov. 23 in Grant Park

November 23 Mass Rally:

Date: Monday, Nov. 23 
Location: Grant Park’s Butler Field 
Time: 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.  

Click here to view bus locations. 

If we don’t come together and fight for good schools and a fair contract, we will lose many of the rights we currently have. If we allow CPS to continue to disrespect our profession, they will pile even more demands on our schools without adequate resources. Every year, they take more and more—enough is enough. We are fighting to save public education!

Join thousands of CTU members and allies on Nov. 23 in Grant Park to fight for the contract we need, and for the schools Chicago’s students deserve.

WEAR YOUR CTU RED!November 23 Mass Rally: