Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 1/31/15

CORPORATE ED REFORM

Paradigms are Made for Shifting

Paradigms are Made for Shifting: Paradigms are Made for ShiftingDo we need a radical change in our thinking to survive on Earth?“A new type of thinking is essential if mankind is to survive and move toward higher levels.” – Albert Einstein, N.Y. Times, 1946Over the course of the last hundred years, Western scientists have given us a deeper view of the Universe, of Life & Nature as a creative a

by mike simpson / 4min 

New Jersey's Former Standards Are Better Than Common Core State Standards

Education Lessons From A Sparkly District: New Jersey's Former Standards Are Better Than Common Core State Standards: New Jersey's Former Standards Are Better Than Common Core State Standards Drs. Chris Tienken and Eunyoung Kim from Seton Hall University and Dr. Dario Sforza, a high school principal in East Rutherford, NJ, recently published, “A Comparison of Higher-Order Thinking Between the Comm

by mike simpson / 15min 

Hey CEOs! Get the Lead Out (of Flint)!

Hey CEOs! Get the Lead Out (of Flint)!: Hey CEOs! Get the Lead Out (of Flint)!What will the business philanthropists concerned about the education progress of our young people do about Flint?For over 30 years, politicians and big business decided public schools were failing and nothing would do other than CEOs of huge corporations and the states take over. They told us they wanted to close the ach

by mike simpson / 3h 

Oregon Save Our Schools: Oregon Teacher Evaluation Process

Oregon Save Our Schools: Oregon Teacher Evaluation Process: Oregon Teacher Evaluation ProcessFederal legislation replacing the No Child Left Behind act was recently passed. The new ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act) has some changes affecting teacher evaluation that we shouldn’t ignore.States now have the authority to decide about their evaluation systems. It is no longer federally required to use

by mike simpson / 3h 

My Criteria for a Model School by Mark Naison | Poetic Justice

My Criteria for a Model School by Mark Naison | Poetic Justice: My Criteria for a Model School by Mark Naison1. Children are loved and walk around the school with smiles on their faces.2. Teachers are respected and stay in their jobs for a long time.3. Parents are welcome in the school and are made to feel an integral part of the culture of the school.4. The culture and history of the community th

by mike simpson / 5h 

Education reform billionaire Paul Allen's Yacht destroys vital coral reef in Cayman Islands - Wait What?

Education reform billionaire Paul Allen's Yacht destroys vital coral reef in Cayman Islands - Wait What?:Education reform billionaire Paul Allen’s Yacht destroys vital coral reef in Cayman Islands Billionaire, Microsoft founder, college drop-out and charter school champion Paul Allen’s yacht, the MV Tatoosh, severely damaged 14,000 square feet of coral reef in the Cayman Island’s Coral Replenishme

by mike simpson / 6h 

CURMUDGUCATION: Detroit: Snitch or Be Fired

CURMUDGUCATION: Detroit: Snitch or Be Fired:Detroit: Snitch or Be FiredDetroit Public Schools Emergency Manager Darnell Earley (already famous as the emergency manager who poisoned the Flint water supply) has a problem on his hands.Well, actually, he has several problems, including crumbling, disgusting, unsafe schools. That's not the problem he's concerned about-- he's concerned about the teacher

by mike simpson / 7h 

New Mexico to Change its Teacher Evaluation System, But Not Really | VAMboozled!

New Mexico to Change its Teacher Evaluation System, But Not Really | VAMboozled!:New Mexico to Change its Teacher Evaluation System, But Not ReallyAs you all likely recall, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), joined by the Albuquerque Teachers Federation (ATF), last year, filed a “Lawsuit in New Mexico Challenging [the] State’s Teacher Evaluation System.” In December 2015, state District Ju

by mike simpson / 8h 

*Will Donald Trump Deport Me?* And Other Questions from My Nine-Year-Old Students | EduShyster

*Will Donald Trump Deport Me?* And Other Questions from My Nine-Year-Old Students | EduShyster: *Will Donald Trump Deport Me?* And Other Questions from My Nine-Year-Old StudentsA student teacher reflects on what her fourth grade students are learning from Donald Trump…By Mary Sypek *Ms. Sypek, what do you think of Donald Trump?* Karim asks. I quickly scramble around in my mind, trying to think of

by mike simpson / 8h 

Lois Weiner: Will Friedrichs derail teacher unions? | New Politics

Will Friedrichs derail teacher unions? | New Politics: Will Friedrichs derail teacher unions? Much has been written about the harm the Supreme Court will wreak on US labor if it overturns the right of public sector unions to charge nonmembers a fee equal to the cost of the union’s expenses in representing them. Pundits on the left and the right have predicted a cataclysm. Will it “decimate” labor?

by mike simpson / 9h 

This Week in Education Organizing - Jan. 29, 2016 | Alliance to Reclaim Our Schools

This Week in Education Organizing - Jan. 29, 2016 | Alliance to Reclaim Our Schools: This Week in Education Organizing - Jan. 29, 2016 The Alliance to Reclaim Our Schools Newsletter  January 29, 2016Welcome to our January 29 newsletter! As always, share the latest stories from your city or state with us on Twitter and Facebook. Don't forget to tell your friends and colleagues to sign up for our ne

by mike simpson / 9h 

The testing opt-out movement is growing, despite government efforts to kill it - The Washington Post

The testing opt-out movement is growing, despite government efforts to kill it - The Washington Post:The testing opt-out movement is growing, despite government efforts to kill itThe U.S. Education Department is warning states that they could be sanctioned if their public schools can’t force at least 95 percent of their students to take mandated standardized tests for “accountability” purposes. Th

by mike simpson / 9h 

Teach Your Children | Johnathan Chase | LinkedIn

Teach Your Children | Johnathan Chase | LinkedIn: Teach Your ChildrenThe opening of Graham Nash's 1970 song, "Teach Your Children" reminds the listener of the critical role of character development in K-12 education programs and the importance of acquiring a moral compass that will support and guide every learner during their self-directed academic, social, and emotional journey to adult

by mike simpson / 10h 

My Views about ESSA: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly | Diane Ravitch's blog

My Views about ESSA: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly | Diane Ravitch's blog: My Views about ESSA: The Good, the Bad, and the UglyIt was difficult for Congress to agree on a replacement for the failed No Child Left Behind. NCLB was supposed to be reauthorized in 2007, but it took eight long years to finally reach a bipartisan agreement.The good part about the Every Child Succeeds Act is that it spe

by mike simpson / 10h 

How to Become a “Good Teacher” – the becoming radical

How to Become a “Good Teacher” – the becoming radical: How to Become a “Good Teacher”Being me, it will not be white.But it will bea part of you, instructor.You are white—yet a part of me, as I am a part of you.“Theme for English B,” Langston HughesFor a very long time in the U.S., the conventional wisdom has been that good schools were the key to just about everything—each child’s future, the nati

by mike simpson / 10h 

The hairy hand of the SAT reaches far into your future - The Washington Post

The hairy hand of the SAT reaches far into your future - The Washington Post: The hairy hand of the SAT reaches far into your futureTest scores have consequences, some more than others. College admissions test scores are more far-reaching than many students might know.In Florida, for example, legislators have been spending millions of dollars to fund a program that gives bonuses to teachers with h

1 by mike simpson / 11h 

My readers respond to NEA/IEA Mark Kirk love. | Fred Klonsky

My readers respond to NEA/IEA Mark Kirk love. | Fred Klonsky: My readers respond to NEA/IEA Mark Kirk love. We learned Friday that the National Education Association and the Illinois Education Association awarded Illinois Republican Senator Mark Kirk an “A” grade.I expressed my disagreement, of course.As did many of this blog’s readers.A sample:Tim Furman wrote, “Kirk got the “Charter School Champ

by mike simpson / 11h 

The Opt-In Letter | lacetothetop

The Opt-In Letter | lacetothetop: The Opt-In Letter Dear Teacher,Take this damn letter and make damn sure that my child, _________, will opt-in to unlimited, rigorous testing. After reading Newsday, I know the only way to receive a high quality education is through more testing. Teachers, like you, are the morons who created the so-called “opt-out movement” to meet your union’s demands to keep tea

by mike simpson / 11h 

Sen. Hughes outraged at crumbling city schools

Sen. Hughes outraged at crumbling city schools: Sen. Hughes outraged at crumbling city schools(ALEJANDRO A. ALVAREZ / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)Pennsylvania state Sen. Vincent Hughes (center) tours Locke Elementary at 4550 Haverford Ave., Philadelphia on Friday morning, Jan. 29, 2016. He is looking into conditions of Philadelphia public school buildings. Also shown are principal Katherine Carter, (left)

by mike simpson / 11h 

Schools Enjoy Funding Boost, But Long-Term Costs and Recession Worries Loom | The California Report | KQED News

Schools Enjoy Funding Boost, But Long-Term Costs and Recession Worries Loom | The California Report | KQED News: Schools Enjoy Funding Boost, But Long-Term Costs and Recession Worries LoomVallejo High School teacher Lewis Brown starts his morning government class with a question of the day that takes advantage of newly assigned iPads.“Today is the one-year anniversary of the French magazine terror

by mike simpson / 11h 

YESTERDAY

Two Former New Orleans Charter Principals Exploited SPED Students for Money, Among Other Issues | deutsch29

Two Former New Orleans Charter Principals Exploited SPED Students for Money, Among Other Issues | deutsch29: Two Former New Orleans Charter Principals Exploited SPED Students for Money, Among Other IssuesThe Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) does not systematically and regularly audit its state-run schools. No entity does. In fact, the only way for an audit to happen is via whistleblowing–

by mike simpson / 21h 

Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 1/30/15

CORPORATE ED REFORMSacramento City Unified wants to cut benefits in exchange for higher raises | The Sacramento BeeSacramento City Unified wants to cut benefits in exchange for higher raises | The Sacramento Bee: Sacramento City Unified wants to cut benefits in exchange for higher raises The Sacramento City Unified School District and its teachers union generally agree that their teachers deserve

by mike simpson / 1d 

Paradigms are Made for Shifting

Paradigms are Made for Shifting:

Paradigms are Made for Shifting

Do we need a radical change in our thinking to survive on Earth?

“A new type of thinking is essential if mankind is to survive and move toward higher levels.” – Albert Einstein, N.Y. Times, 1946

Over the course of the last hundred years, Western scientists have given us a deeper view of the Universe, of Life & Nature as a creative and unified self-organizing process. Unfortunately, most modern societies are still operating with outdated ideas and assumptions, that do not reflect this new paradigm.

Albert Einstein understood this, as have many others. In order to survive as a species, it is essential that we shift paradigms, developing ways of thinking (and behaving) that are more aligned with how human life and Nature’s systems actually work.

Every “thing” that exists in our Universe is a dynamic complex system, interdependently connected to other systems, constantly moving and changing, less a static “thing” than an evolving and transforming creative process.

The universe is a dynamic complex system

Understanding our Relationship with the Cosmos

We see galaxies and hurricanes spinning, continents moving, societies changing, children growing, rivers flowing, artists creating, friendships forming, flowers unfolding. This is how Nature evolves, grows and changes, with everything connected interdependently, constantly transforming… atoms and molecules drifting together, then moving apart, re-organizing as if the whole Universe were alive.

Modern Systems Sciences are now converging on a unified understanding that helps us to recognize patterns, processes and principles that apply to a wide range of physical Paradigms are Made for Shifting:

New Jersey's Former Standards Are Better Than Common Core State Standards

Education Lessons From A Sparkly District: New Jersey's Former Standards Are Better Than Common Core State Standards:

New Jersey's Former Standards Are Better Than Common Core State Standards

 Drs. Chris Tienken and Eunyoung Kim from Seton Hall University and Dr. Dario Sforza, a high school principal in East Rutherford, NJ, recently published, “A Comparison of Higher-Order Thinking Between the Common Core State Standards and the 2009 New Jersey Content Standards in High School”. You can read their article in AASA Journal of Scholarship and Practice here. There has been "no qualitative analytical research…done to test the assumption that the CCSS are superior to previous state standards in the development of higher order thinking and creativity at he high school level.” 


For those of you unfamiliar with the history of the development of Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and why we and many other states bothered to adopt them has been written about by many people. Among the most in-depth research has been from Louisiana teacher and education researcher, Mercedes Schneider. Read here, here, here, here, and here.   

The basics of the Why are simple. Under NCLB, all students (yes, really, ALL) were required to be proficient in grade level reading and math by 2014. Of course, that’s not possible. It never should have been put into law. Congress should have fixed that long before the looming deadline for compliance. Epic failures all around. 

Essentially circumventing federal requirements, USDOE introduced waivers to NCLB. In exchange for adopting the Common Core State Standards, having testing aligned to those Education Lessons From A Sparkly District: New Jersey's Former Standards Are Better Than Common Core State Standards:

Hey CEOs! Get the Lead Out (of Flint)!

Hey CEOs! Get the Lead Out (of Flint)!:

Hey CEOs! Get the Lead Out (of Flint)!

What will the business philanthropists concerned about the education progress of our young people do about Flint?

For over 30 years, politicians and big business decided public schools were failing and nothing would do other than CEOs of huge corporations and the states take over. They told us they wanted to close the achievement gap in poor schools.

Well what about Flint’s children? If these wealthy individuals care so much, shouldn’t they be on the frontline?

Shouldn’t they be stepping up for the children who face learning disabilities—a likely outcome since they drank lead-tainted water?

Educators always tried to tell the wealthy CEOs it was the poverty holding children back—that teachers needed improved facilities and resources to do their jobs—and that poor Hey CEOs! Get the Lead Out (of Flint)!:

Oregon Save Our Schools: Oregon Teacher Evaluation Process

Oregon Save Our Schools: Oregon Teacher Evaluation Process:

Oregon Teacher Evaluation Process

Federal legislation replacing the No Child Left Behind act was recently passed. The new ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act) has some changes affecting teacher evaluation that we shouldn’t ignore.

States now have the authority to decide about their evaluation systems. It is no longer federally required to use standardized test scores in the teacher evaluation process. Unfortunately, legislation was passed in Oregon (Senate Bill 290) that led to rule making that requires tying test scores to evaluations. The Oregon Education Association (OEA) participated in the process from the beginning. It hasn’t turned out well and we need to admit it, and then do what we can to fix the situation. 

Most would agree that we were sold a bill of goods throughout the entire process of legislation and implementation of SB 290. Initially, teachers were led to believe that it would be a truly collaborative process and test scores weren’t even mentioned. Both teachers and administrators were to work on developing the evaluation system for both employee groups, but in most places teachers had very little input on the administrator evaluations. 

Then all of a sudden test scores entered the picture. ODE said that they would consider various options, and so too could individual districts decide how they were to be used. The state eventually made it clear that in the end, they would be choosing the option(s) for evaluation, to be used by all districts. The state did ultimately do so, and they told the individual districts that they must use a certain model. In addition, instead of districts being able to say how student learning and growth goals (SLGGs) Oregon Save Our Schools: Oregon Teacher Evaluation Process:

My Criteria for a Model School by Mark Naison | Poetic Justice

My Criteria for a Model School by Mark Naison | Poetic Justice:

My Criteria for a Model School by Mark Naison

1. Children are loved and walk around the school with smiles on their faces.
2. Teachers are respected and stay in their jobs for a long time.
3. Parents are welcome in the school and are made to feel an integral part of the culture of the school.
4. The culture and history of the community the school is located is honored in displays and in what is taught in classes.
5. Arts, physical education, recess and sports are NEVER sacrificed for higher test scores.
6. ELL and Special Needs students are treated withMy Criteria for a Model School by Mark Naison | Poetic Justice: