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Thursday, June 29, 2017

Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 6/29/17


Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 6/29/17
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Introversion in a Time of Loss | radical eyes for equity





5 resources to help LGBTQ youth | EdSource
by mike simpson / 10min
5 resources to help LGBTQ youth | EdSource : 5 resources to help LGBTQ youth Pride Month is coming to a close but creating safe and inclusive school environments for LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer/Questioning) students, and students with LGBTQ family members, is more than a single-month effort. According to a recent survey from research firm RTI International, LGBTQ students
Join us on June 30 for student data deletion day! | Parent Coalition for Student Privacy
by mike simpson / 2h
Join us on June 30 for student data deletion day! | Parent Coalition for Student Privacy : JOIN US ON JUNE 30 FOR STUDENT DATA DELETION DAY! As a parent I was always happy that my child started out with a clean slate each year. Right now schools & their vendors collect far too much personal data — and use them in ways that are non- transparent and vulnerable to breaches. Parents are justifiably f
State Budget with Increases for Education Funding - Year 2017 (CA Dept of Education)
by mike simpson / 2h
State Budget with Increases for Education Funding - Year 2017 (CA Dept of Education) : State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Praises New State Budget with Increases for Education Funding SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today thanked Governor Brown for signing a 2017–18 state budget that increases funding for kindergarten through twelfth grade public schools, after
All Things Education: In Virginia primary, Democrats get a lesson: Being progressive means supporting public schools
by mike simpson / 2h
All Things Education: In Virginia primary, Democrats get a lesson: Being progressive means supporting public schools : In Virginia primary, Democrats get a lesson: Being progressive means supporting public schools When I started my PhD program three years ago, I thought I would go on blogging and writing as I had been. However, I found it was not easy to continue the role of education blogger and
Schools Matter: IPS Ferebee Joins Billionaire Eli Broad Academy
by mike simpson / 2h
Schools Matter: IPS Ferebee Joins Billionaire Eli Broad Academy : IPS Ferebee Joins Billionaire Eli Broad Academy A few months ago, unknown to or unreported by the Indianapolis public media, IPS supt. Lewis Ferebee joined the school reform movement in a major way, landing a fellowship at the Broad Academy founded by California billionaire Eli Broad, a former Obama supporter and close friend of th
CURMUDGUCATION: Does Zuck Want To Be The Next Gates with Personalized Learning
by mike simpson / 2h
CURMUDGUCATION: Does Zuck Want To Be The Next Gates with Personalized Learning : Does Zuck Want To Be The Next Gates with Personalized Learning Here's lead from the EdWeek article : Pediatrician Priscilla Chan and Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg are gearing up to invest hundreds of millions of dollars a year in a new vision of “whole-child personalized learning,” with the aim of dramatic
Joan Kramer says "Don't Shelve Librarians" to LAUSD Board of Ed - YouTube
by mike simpson / 3h
Joan Kramer says "Don't Shelve Librarians" to LAUSD Board of Ed - YouTube : Joan Kramer says "Don't Shelve Librarians" to LAUSD Board of Ed Retired Librarian Joan Kramer speaks in defense of Libraries and Librarians. She talks about visiting the library at San Pedro Elementary where Board Member Monica Ratliff taught 5th grade, "where the entire school was involved in getting children to read". L
glen brown: Joan Kramer
by mike simpson / 3h
glen brown: Joan Kramer : Joan Kramer -Former Teacher Librarian/Coordinating Librarian/Coordinating Field Librarian at LA Unified School District; -Studied Elementary Teaching Credential at University of California, Berkeley; Studied Library Media at Cal State Long Beach; -Studied World Literature at UC Berkeley; -Went to Hollywood High School; -Lived in Los Angeles, California; -From Washington,
Uniting the Struggles for Liberation in New Orleans | Schott Foundation for Public Education
by mike simpson / 4h
Uniting the Struggles for Liberation in New Orleans | Schott Foundation for Public Education : Uniting the Struggles for Liberation in New Orleans BreakOUT! , a Schott partner in New Orleans dedicated to ending criminalization of LGBTQ youth, released the Vice to ICE Toolkit , a resource on organizing across intersections of identities, including race, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, co
Introversion in a Time of Loss | radical eyes for equity
by mike simpson / 4h
Introversion in a Time of Loss | radical eyes for equity : Introversion in a Time of Loss April is the cruellest month, breeding Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing Memory and desire, stirring Dull roots with spring rain. “The Waste Land,” T.S. Eliot June, not April, has been the cruellest month this year for me—my father’s death coming less than two weeks after my mother suffered a stroke. While
The Jeff Bryant Report – Trump Is Vulnerable On Education. Do Democrats Care?
by mike simpson / 4h
6/29/2017 – Trump Is Vulnerable On Education. Do Democrats Care? : The Jeff Bryant Report Trump Is Vulnerable On Education. Do Democrats Care? THIS WEEK: SCOTUS Okays Vouchers? … Vouchers Disappoint … TrumpCare Hurts Kids … CBC Dumps Trump … College Loan Fail TOP STORY Trump Is Vulnerable On Education. Do Democrats Care? By Jeff Bryant “A string of special election defeats has left Democrats bewi
Newly elected L.A. Unified board member Nick Melvoin hires a charter school advocate as his chief of staff - LA Times
by mike simpson / 4h
Newly elected L.A. Unified board member Nick Melvoin hires a charter school advocate as his chief of staff - LA Times : Newly elected L.A. Unified board member Nick Melvoin hires a charter school advocate as his chief of staff Incoming Los Angeles school member Nick Melvoin, who benefited from millions of dollars in campaign support from charter school backers, has hired a senior official with a
Homeschoolers Don’t Need Federal Help | The American Spectator
by mike simpson / 4h
Homeschoolers Don’t Need Federal Help | The American Spectator : Homeschoolers Don’t Need Federal Help For the first time in the 38-year history of the U.S. Department of Education, the secretary of Education recently hosted a delegation of homeschooling advocates and legal defenders. The cordial nature of the occasion was no surprise; Secretary Betsy DeVos was a friend of homeschooling during he
For-profit charter operator lobbies for workplace schools
by mike simpson / 4h
For-profit charter operator lobbies for workplace schools : For-profit charter operator lobbies for workplace schools RALEIGH - As profit-driven charter school management companies seek growth opportunities, one of the country’s largest for-profit firms is lobbying North Carolina legislators to create a new market for a type of school only rarely attempted. The North Carolina legislation, modeled
Koch brothers boost effort to bring education savings accounts, or ESAs, to Colorado
by mike simpson / 4h
Koch brothers boost effort to bring education savings accounts, or ESAs, to Colorado : An inside look at how the Koch brothers are flexing their political muscle to spread message of school choice, ESAs From Colorado Springs, the campaign for educational savings accounts – criticized for diverting money from public schools — is shaped to deploy nationwide COLORADO SPRINGS — In a nondescript offic
Can More Disinformation and Fresh Illusions Save Charter Schools? | Dissident Voice
by mike simpson / 4h
Can More Disinformation and Fresh Illusions Save Charter Schools? | Dissident Voice : Can More Disinformation and Fresh Illusions Save Charter Schools? These are some of the news headlines that appeared when searching for “charter schools” in GoogleNews in June 2017: Stop bashing charter schools. The Tennessean . Charter school parents to Legislature: Hands off. The Sacramento Bee . Here’s how ch
Be A Fan of Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
by mike simpson / 4h
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all : Be A Fan of Diane Ravitch's blog A site to discuss better education for all Phyllis Bush: Facing Cancer Head On, with Humor and Determination by dianeravitch / 3min My dear friend and ally, Phyllis Bush, started a blog to write about her experience with cancer, which she insists on calling cancer schmanzer. She is feeling better
Joan Kramer. | Fred Klonsky
by mike simpson / 4h
Joan Kramer. | Fred Klonsky : Joan Kramer. Yesterday I received news that I lost a friend I’ve known on and off since I was a teenager in Los Angeles. We all lost Joan Kramer, a teacher, librarian, advocate, activist, photographer of her beloved Silverlake, daughter of radicals, opponent of injustice. As just one sign off Joan’s influence, her Facebook page has hundreds of comments on her passing
Students Demand Right to Wear Native Regalia at Graduation
by mike simpson / 4h
Students Demand Right to Wear Native Regalia at Graduation : Students Demand Right to Wear Native Regalia at Graduation In 2015, Christian Titman, a Native American student at Clovis High School near Fresno, California and member of the Pit River Tribe, was denied his request to wear an eagle feather at his high school graduation ceremony. What’s more, he was told by district officials that if he
Mark Weber: What the Sweeney-Prieto Plan Needs Is a District-by-District Analysis - NJ Spotlight
by mike simpson / 4h
Opinion: What the Sweeney-Prieto Plan Needs Is a District-by-District Analysis - NJ Spotlight : What the Sweeney-Prieto Plan Needs Is a District-by-District Analysis Sweeney-Prieto may have good intentions, but its consequences could be dire for some districts Mark Weber Earlier this month, state Senate President Steve Sweeney and Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto reached an agreement on the alloca
Kentucky’s Republican governor just signed a bill allowing the Bible to be taught in public schools
by mike simpson / 4h
Kentucky’s Republican governor just signed a bill allowing the Bible to be taught in public schools : Kentucky’s Republican governor just signed a bill allowing the Bible to be taught in public schools Kentucky’s Republican Governor on Tuesday signed a new bill into law that will allow public schools to teach the Bible as part of their Social Studies curriculum. “The idea that we would not want t
Russ on Reading: School Choice Opponents and the Status Quo
by mike simpson / 4h
Russ on Reading: School Choice Opponents and the Status Quo : School Choice Opponents and the Status Quo I was pleased when my recent post, School Choice: An Ugly Idea , attracted a Twitter response from choice advocate, Peter Cunningham. Cunningham is the executive director of Education Post and a former Assistant Secretary of Education under Arne Duncan. Education Post, supported by Bloomberg P
NYC Educator: Summer Assignment--Wake the Sleeping Giant
by mike simpson / 4h
NYC Educator: Summer Assignment--Wake the Sleeping Giant : Summer Assignment--Wake the Sleeping Giant Congratulations to all my colleagues who've earned a break today. We have a few months off, and we need it. So go take a trip. Or go to the beach. Or stay home and do whatever makes you happy. Lots of principals will say you do that to return refueled and recharged. In September they'll all say h
Scaling Up “Successful” Reforms (Part 1) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice
by mike simpson / 4h
Scaling Up “Successful” Reforms (Part 1) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice : Scaling Up “Successful” Reforms Recently a journalist contacted me to discuss the closure of a Carpe Diem school in Indianapolis after five years and the jeopardy of the charter network’s expansion from its original Yuma (AZ) location (see here and here ; YouTube marketing video here ). We talked abou
Bring Your Gun to School – Courtesy of the Pennsylvania Senate | gadflyonthewallblog
by mike simpson / 4h
Bring Your Gun to School – Courtesy of the Pennsylvania Senate | gadflyonthewallblog : Bring Your Gun to School – Courtesy of the Pennsylvania Senate Next school year, I may be able to bring my gun to class. The Pennsylvania state Senate voted 28-22 today to allow school employees like me to start packing heat. Hooray! My class sizes will be larger because of almost $1 billion in budget cuts the
Standards Drive Curriculum | Truth in American Education
by mike simpson / 4h
Standards Drive Curriculum | Truth in American Education : Standards Drive Curriculum Teacher at Maxwell AFB Elementary/Middle School (Air Force photo/Kelly Deichert) I had an interesting conversation with a school superintendent in Northwest Iowa this week. He was adamant about his school district’s control over curriculum. It’s true in Iowa and most (if not all) states that state departments of
NY Court of Appeals Limits Plaintiffs' Claims in School Funding Suit - Education Law Prof Blog
by mike simpson / 4h
Education Law Prof Blog : NY Court of Appeals Limits Plaintiffs' Claims in School Funding Suit On Tuesday, the New York Court of Appeals dismissed most of the claims in two lawsuits that alleged that the state has failed to adequately fund New York City public schools and thus violated the state constitution's education article's requirement to provide schoolchildren with a "sound basic education

YESTERDAY

Hugs Good-Bye for LAUSD's Zimmer as Rival Garcia Tries to Upstage - LA Progressive
by mike simpson / 21h
Hugs Good-Bye for LAUSD's Zimmer as Rival Garcia Tries to Upstage - LA Progressive : Hugs Good-Bye for LAUSD’s Zimmer as Rival Garcia Tries to Upstage Hugs, tears, and applause at LAUSD headquarters this week when students, teachers, parents, counselors and administrators honored outgoing LAUSD School Board President Steve Zimmer, a champion of the arts, adult education, dual language immersion a
Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 6/28/17
by mike simpson / 1d
Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 6/28/17 Featured Post Florida Business Leaders Can’t Enjoy Luncheon Due to Dismal Reading Scores Survey contest and other details | Parents Across America by mike simpson / 29min 


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5 resources to help LGBTQ youth | EdSource

5 resources to help LGBTQ youth | EdSource:

5 resources to help LGBTQ youth




Pride Month is coming to a close but creating safe and inclusive school environments for LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer/Questioning) students, and students with LGBTQ family members, is more than a single-month effort.
According to a recent survey from research firm RTI International, LGBTQ students are two to three times more likely than their peers to be physically assaulted or threatened at school, and are “in urgent need of safe and tolerant environments.” But school personnel, who may be in a position to help, often “lack the knowledge and skills to advocate for them.” The Human Rights Campaign says inclusive schools are essential: “It’s simple: students who don’t feel safe can’t focus on learning. Once students feel like they belong, they thrive academically and socially.” The following are some of the many online training and education resources available for teachers and students.
  • The Anti-Defamation League offers a set of curricula and recommended books on topics such as marriage equality, LGBTQ history, transgender students, bullying and hate-crime prevention at no cost at this link. Resources include standards-based downloadable lesson plans organized by grade level. According to the Anti-Defamation League, LGBTQ history “is American history and should be integrated into the curriculum throughout the school year.”
  • The nonprofit LGBTQ education advocacy group GLSEN, which has chapters 5 resources to help LGBTQ youth | EdSource:
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Join us on June 30 for student data deletion day! | Parent Coalition for Student Privacy

Join us on June 30 for student data deletion day! | Parent Coalition for Student Privacy:

JOIN US ON JUNE 30 FOR STUDENT DATA DELETION DAY!


As a parent I was always happy that my child started out with a clean slate each year. Right now schools & their vendors collect far too much personal data — and use them in ways that are non- transparent and vulnerable to breaches.  Parents are justifiably fearful that negative incidents in their children’s past may enter into their “permanent record” and create damaging stereotypes that might bias their teachers against them, or be inserted into algorithms with discriminatory outcomes– creating self-fulfilling prophecies. This is why we support Bradley Shear’s brilliant concept of “data deletion” day — to urge schools to allow kids the freedom to create their own future, without being burdened by data that could be breached or used against them –or pin them down to the past. 
Check out Brad’s post below – reprinted from his must -read blog  — and feel free to use the template letter he designed to send to your children’s schools, urging them to delete any non-essential personal data for your child on June 30, and asking them to demand their vendors do the same.  –Leonie Haimson
Our K-12 public schools are collecting an enormous amount of data about our kids that will pre-determine whether their dream schools will give their applications a fair assessment and if prospective employers will give them a chance to interview for an opening.
The type and amount of data being accumulated and stored by our public schools and third-party vendors is staggering.  For example, some elementary schools deploy identification cards with RFID chips that track when and how many times our kids go to the bathroom, how long they spend inside a bathroom stall while taking care of their personal business, and how many times they go to the water fountain along with all of their daily movements in and within the school’s property. Other schools utilize biometric palm readers that scan our kids’ hand or fingerprints to track everything our kids buy in the school cafeteria. All of this cumulative data is a honey pot for colleges, employers, insurance companies, data brokers, cyber criminals, foreign governments, etc…
Every time our kids may be admonished for talking out of turn or texting in class they may receive a permanent demerit in Class Dojo.  In the near future, classrooms may be filled with cameras and other tracking technologies that also analyze our kids every interaction with their teachers and class mates. This is not some type of crazy prediction; in China, this Orwellian future is already a reality.
Multiple companies in the educational technology space have Join us on June 30 for student data deletion day! | Parent Coalition for Student Privacy: 
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State Budget with Increases for Education Funding - Year 2017 (CA Dept of Education)

State Budget with Increases for Education Funding - Year 2017 (CA Dept of Education):

State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Praises
New State Budget with Increases for Education Funding


 SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today thanked Governor Brown for signing a 2017–18 state budget that increases funding for kindergarten through twelfth grade public schools, after school programs, early education and child care, and teacher recruitment and training.

“The Legislature and Governor clearly showed their strong and ongoing support of high-quality public education in California,” Torlakson said. “When we invest more in our students, we help them succeed on their way to 21st century careers and college.
“This budget continues the strong growth in what I call the ‘California Way,’ where legislators, the Governor, education groups, the business community, and others are working closely together to keep improving our education system.”
The Legislature approved the budget on June 15, the date required by the State Constitution. Governor Brown’s signature on Tuesday means the new state funding plan starts on July 1.
California has the nation’s largest public school system with more than 6.2 million students at nearly 10,000 public schools.
Overall funding in Proposition 98—the voter-approved Constitutional guarantee for a minimum level of education funding—will go up to $74.5 billion, nearly $3 billion more than the current budget. The budget also includes:
  • More funding for early education and child care, including rate increases for care providers, cost-of-living adjustments, and $8 million to add nearly 3,000 full-day State Preschool slots starting March 2018.
  • $50 million more for the After School Education and Safety Program (ASES). Funding levels had been flat for several years despite increased enrollment and demand for more services. These expanded learning programs serve nearly 500,000 California students at almost 5,000 sites.
  • $2.5 million for Equity Performance and Improvement Team grants, which the California Department of Education (CDE) will distribute to help schools, districts, and county offices of education to improve learning for student groups such as English learners, African Americans, foster youth, and others whose test scores, graduation rates, and other measures lag behind statewide averages. Torlakson has strongly supported finding ways to close what is commonly called the “achievement gap.”
  • Funding for teacher preparation and professional development, including $25 million to help classified school employees such as school nutritionists and safety personnel become teachers; $11 million in grants to increase teacher retention and recruitment, particularly in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM); and $5 million in professional development for bilingual teachers. Demand for bilingual educators is expected to grow in the 2017–18 school year because California voters last year overwhelmingly approved Proposition 58 to remove outdated barriers to bilingual and multilingual learning.



Tom Torlakson — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5602, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100
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All Things Education: In Virginia primary, Democrats get a lesson: Being progressive means supporting public schools

All Things Education: In Virginia primary, Democrats get a lesson: Being progressive means supporting public schools:

In Virginia primary, Democrats get a lesson: Being progressive means supporting public schools


 When I started my PhD program three years ago, I thought I would go on blogging and writing as I had been.  However, I found it was not easy to continue the role of education blogger and activist while learning a new role as an apprentice education scholar, so for a while I didn't even try.

More recently, I have felt comfortable enough with both roles that I have returned to doing some more non-academic education writing and blogging again. I am now much more cautious about the claims I make in my non-academic writing but I also am able to write the non-academic pieces much more easily than I used to, meaning when I blog or do non-academic writing, I care more about the claims I am making but less about the style I am employing, especially since academic writing is so . . . formulaic.

Speaking of which, a recent piece of mine about the role of the issue of public education in the Virginia gubernatorial Democratic primary was published in The Progressive Magazine. Here's a piece of it but please read the whole thing:

Perhaps like so many Democrats, Perriello hasn’t spent much time getting to know the issue. I doubt he understood the damage the neo-liberal reform policies of the last decade have done to public schools or how anti-populist and anti-labor they were. His loss reflects a disconnect between public education All Things Education: In Virginia primary, Democrats get a lesson: Being progressive means supporting public schools:


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