ICYMI + Catch up with CURMUDGUCATION

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ICYMI + 
Catch up with CURMUDGUCATION

Here's some reading for your holiday weekend. May it be a good one.

Arizona Replaces Teachers with Persons

One more state institutes a warm body law as a way of filling more teaching positions

Washington State is Wealthy, But Doesn't Pay for Schools

Can you guess how much rich Washington residents pay in taxes? Can anybody guess why the legislature refuses to meet its own funding requirements for education?

The Charter School Free Riding Problem

Jersey Jazzman takes a look at a little-noted phenomenon: how public schools are doing the work of recruiting teachers for charter schools.

Ohio's Third Grade Guarantee

A very effective discussion of one more state's dumb idea about "guaranteeing" third grade readers

Florida Business Leaders Can’t Enjoy Luncheon Due to Dismal Reading Scores

Floridians are also sad about reading levels. Nancy Bailey has some suggestions about what they could do if they wanted to get serious.

How Black Girls Aren't Presumed To Be Innocent

One more study lays out our oddly groundless and ultimately destructive prejudices about black children.

2017: Business of Ed Tech So Far

Audrey Watters looks at how the ed-flavored tech sector is looking at the halfway point.

Idaho Charter Schools Underserve Minority and Poor Population

We don't talk a lot about Idaho, but they've got some of the same charter school issues we see everywhere else. 

 CURMUDGUCATION:

Catch up with CURMUDGUCATION

Alternative Certification Paths

3by Peter Greene / 20h

We need alternative paths to the classroom. Mind you, we don't need paths that are shortcuts. We don't need an alternative path that is just a five week long truncated training that wouldn't prepare a camp counselor for a summer with jumpy ten year olds. We don't need alternative paths used by charter operators to train people to fill their own charter openings with not-too-qualified bodies. And w

JUN 30

Why Your ESSA Plan Is Nonsense

17by Peter Greene / 1d

At EdWeek, Andrew Ujifusa offers an explanation. In " Here's Why You Can't Understand Your State's New Plan for Education " he points the finger at jargon and offers some rather fun analytics for education argle-bargle. The top four bits of balonial verbage are, in descending order, stakeholder, engagement, professional development, and needs assessment. Yes, this can only end well Ujifusa breaks

Ed Reform v 6.3 Accountability Lite

6by Peter Greene / 2d

Full disclosure-- I made the number 6.3 out of the air, because frankly I've lost track of the various versions of ed reform that we've seen. But we're definitely on to something new. The new ed reform has staked out a position against bureaucracy and paperwork. This conversation starts with a Rick Hess piece , which becomes a thing because Betsy DeVos decided to quote it in her address to charter

JUN 29

Does Zuck Want To Be The Next Gates with Personalized Learning

62by Peter Greene / 2d

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 dramatically expanding the scope and scale of efforts to provide every student with a customized education. The power couple's Big Initiative has announc

JUN 27

PA: Charter Transparency Fail

17by Peter Greene / 5d

Last night, my district's school board voted to raise taxes. They did it at a public meeting. I could have attended it easily (they meet just across the street from my home) as could any member of the public. I could also have commented on the budget situation, and I could have based my comments on having looked at the proposed budget, a document that has been available for at least a month. And i

JUN 26

Supremes Breaking Down Church State Wall

100+by Peter Greene / 5d

The basic question was minor. The implications are huge. The bottom line is that supporters of using public tax dollars to support private religious schools got some major support from the Supreme Court today. A church in Missouri wanted a shot at some public monies to resurface a playground. The state said no. The trip up through the levels of US courts began. Five years later, here we are. What

HYH: The "i" in School

17by Peter Greene / 6d

Personalized Learning continues to gather steam as a way to privatize and standardize education. And for educating yourself about the movement and what it really means, I'm here to recommend the latest edition of Jennifer Berkshire and Jack Schneider's podcast, Have You Heard. Berkshire and Schneider talk to guest Bill Fitzgerald about some of the more important aspects of this magical "algorithmi

JUN 25

Problems with Performance-Based Compensation

75by Peter Greene / 6d

Bellwether Education Partners want to overcome the obstacles standing in the way of performance-based compensation (aka "merit pay" aka "fun ways to reduce total personnel costs for a school district"). But if you want writer Jen Bolson Meer's fancy definition, that's "Performance-based compensation is an approach where some or all monetary compensation is related to how employee performance is a

ICYMI: What Day Is It Now Edition (6/25)

5by Peter Greene / 7d

I'm pretty sure that before this summer is over, I will miss one of these Sunday reading lists, because the three week old twins in my house exert some sort of time warping field. But today I'm on it. Here are some things to read from the 

CURMUDGUCATION:

PA Teachers Lead Fight Against "Reckless" Bill Allowing Guns in Schools | Common Dreams

PA Teachers Lead Fight Against "Reckless" Bill Allowing Guns in Schools | Common Dreams:

PA Teachers Lead Fight Against "Reckless" Bill Allowing Guns in Schools

State Senators vote to allow educators and school staff to carry guns to schools

Bring Your Gun to School – Courtesy of the Pennsylvania Senate | gadflyonthewallblog - http://wp.me/p4QD1W-2wb via @StevenSinger3

The gun control advocacy group Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America is leading the fight against a newly-passed bill in the Pennsylvania State Senate, which would allow teachers and other employees to carry firearms in public schools.

The bill passed with a vote of 28-22, with 26 Republicans and two Democrats supporting it. Fourteen Democrats and eight Republicans voted against the bill. The bill now heads to the state's House of Representatives.

The Pennsylvania chapter of Moms Demand Action, a group that works with Everytown for Gun Safety, denounced the lawmakers' "recklessness" in passing the bill. The chapter's leader, Deb Marteslo, noted Thursday that the legislation has been met with strong disapproval by the same teachers who would now be permitted to carry guns to school.

"The only people who should be armed in our schools are highly trained members of our law enforcement community or other security professionals. As a longtime educator in Orwigsburg and Camp Hill, I know that the overwhelming majority of my colleagues are opposed to this bill. Instead of heeding the advice of those of us in classrooms, however, state senators have sided with the national gun lobby."

Another educator, Steven Singer, also decried the bill online, noting that he'd prefer the state prioritize reducing class sizes with more funding for public schools, and regulating charter schools, rather than arming school staff.

He also drew attention to conservatives' hypocrisy on allowing guns in certain public and PA Teachers Lead Fight Against "Reckless" Bill Allowing Guns in Schools | Common Dreams:

Chinese Highlight of Dismal K–12 Enrollment Survey - Language Magazine

Chinese Highlight of Dismal K–12 Enrollment Survey - Language Magazine:

Chinese Highlight of Dismal K–12 Enrollment Survey

The recently released National K–12 Foreign Language Enrollment Survey Report shows that a total of 10.6 million U.S. students ranging from kindergarten to twelfth grade are studying a world language, accounting for only about 20% of U.S. school children.

As this is a first-of-its-kind comprehensive study of world language enrollments across the formal U.S. education system, it is not possible to determine if the figures indicate growth in world language enrollments, but it does offer a closer look at language education in the country’s primary and secondary schools, from which a baseline can be established.

The survey shows that Spanish is by far the most widely taught language in all 50 U.S. states and Washington, DC, with 7.36 million students, while 1.29 million studied French and nearly 331,000 were enrolled in German courses.

In U.S. high schools, Romance languages are taught most often, with 46% of those classes focusing on Spanish and another 21% on French. Chinese, German, and Latin are the only other world languages that account for more than 5% of the courses offered to U.S. secondary school students.

As many as 227,086 students have enrolled in Chinese language courses, which are now available in primary and secondary schools in Washington, DC, and every U.S. state except South Dakota, ranking as the fourth-most-widely taught foreign language in the country’s education system.

The soaring popularity of Chinese language learning across the U.S. is “remarkable” as one of the most interesting findings of the survey, Dr. Dan Davidson, president of American Councils for International Education, which implemented the survey, told China’s Xinhua news agency.

Of particular significance is the disparity of language-learning opportunity between different Chinese Highlight of Dismal K–12 Enrollment Survey - Language Magazine:

Florida public schools will lose nearly $100 million to charter schools | Blogs

Florida public schools will lose nearly $100 million to charter schools | Blogs:

Florida public schools will lose nearly $100 million to charter schools

Thanks to Gov. Rick Scott's freshly signed education bill, Florida public school districts are now set to lose a massive chunk of cash to charter schools next year. 

According to data requested by the Miami Herald and The Tampa Bay Times, a provision of SB 7069 will force Florida counties to share their local tax dollars with nearly 650 charter schools (many of which are for-profit) to the tune of an estimated $96.3 million. 

Florida has nearly a quarter-million charter school students, compared to 2.5 million public school students, reports the Herald.
This new sharing model will go into effect when the new budget year begins, which is Saturday, July 1.

Scott's bill also sets aside $419 million for various incentives, including helping encourage charter schools to relocate near struggling public schools, as well as get access to school construction funding generated by local property taxes.

Last month, Tallahassee Mayor and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum called the signing "another deeply painful decision by our state's leaders giving tax dollars away to for-profit charter school executives — instead of to our students."Florida public schools will lose nearly $100 million to charter schools | Blogs:

 

Joan Kramer's Story - The War Report

 Joan Kramer's Story:

Joan Kramer's Story

It is with immense saddness that The War Report has to inform all our followers that Joan Kramer passed away on Wednesday morning, June 28, 2017, losing her valiant battle with cancer. Joan was as much a part of The War Report as water was a part of her favorite pond, or reading was the passion of her life. 

Pleas e join our host Dr. James Avington Miller Jr. this Sunday when The War Report will celebrate Joan's life and begin to tell her story.

Sunday's show will present a short biography of Joan's life. Dr. Miller will then talk about her as WARRIOR-Knight for Education, Children, and Humanity.

He will also talk about what Joan meant to him, to me, and to The War Report she so loved.

The bulk of the show will be an opportunity for our listeners to call in and share their favorite Joan Kramer story and talk about what she meant to them.

I truly do not know how we will be able to go on without Joan to help us here at The War Report. For over 3 years she was the support behind the show. She edited and advised each and every show. She pitched in when James or I couldn't be on the air. She was faithful and true and we miss her.

But, in her memory, we go on - relentless just like Joan.

Here is her wonderful blog where she tells the stories of the historical personalities she loved. Please read these wonderful entries.

http://turtlelearning.blogspot.fr/

Please watch this amazing video of Joan figthing to preserve libraries in LA. At the end of the video she actually takes off her sweater to make a point - Don't Shelve the Librarians.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CC_DLLXXWIc

Here is a poem in her memory and for all the warriors - https://poeticjusticect.com/2017/07/01/a-poem-for-joan-kramer/

Please send us any videos or links you have of your favorite Joan stories.

We are our stories. Joan's life was and will always be a masterpiece.

Please call in on Sunday.

As Joan would shout from the mountain tops:

Silence is NOT an option.

RESISTANCE MATTERS

RESISTANCE IS NOT FUTILE

RESISTANCE IS THE HIGHEST FORM OF  

EXPRESSION OF DEMOCRACY

RESISTANCE IS SURVIVAL

Please click on the website below to listen live:

http://bbsradio.com/thewarreport

2:00 PM PDT

4:00 PM CDT

5:00 PM EDT

or

A direct listen-in line only

Station 1 - 716-748-0150 and 1-605-562-4102

To call-in and interact live

Station 1 888-627-6008 toll free

 Joan Kramer's Story:

Schools Matter: Why the Trump U Fraud Case Is Not Done

Schools Matter: Why the Trump U Fraud Case Is Not Done:

Why the Trump U Fraud Case Is Not Done

When Donald Trump's lawyers cut a deal to pay $25 million to keep the President of the United States from ending up in court on racketeering charges related to the systematic defrauding of thousands of Trump "University" students, the judgment promised that any plaintiffs who refused settlement could take their cases to court.  When the final court documents came down, however, the agreement ignored the stipulation to sue.

Long story short, one plaintiff, Sherri Simpson, has hired a top-notch legal team to take her case to court, as the original agreement guaranteed.  Clips from interviews with her attorneys, from Vox:

The $25 million pales compared to the $170 million he’d [Trump] incur if he lost a RICO trial for racketeering and fraud. And the court had already greenlighted the RICO claims for trial.

If the settlement stands, this means that our client Sherri Simpson and others like her who were defrauded by Trump could only get about one-seventh the value of their claims under this settlement. Plus, no public trial, no admission of wrongdoing, and no court order to prevent the same thing from happening again. . . .

 . . . . Because everyone (Trump, the lawyers, and the court) was in a big hurry to get the case settled after the election, they cut some corners. The main problem is that, as I mentioned earlier, they reneged on their promise to opt out or, in the words of the official notice, “to be excluded from any settlement.” . . . .

 . . . .In a nutshell: The Ninth Circuit will have to decide if it’s okay, under the due process clause of the US Constitution and the federal class-action rules, to do what the settlement did here: promise people you’re going to let them opt out of any settlement and then later renege on that promise. That’s the main issue. We also argue that class members should be able to see the terms of any settlement before they have to give up their claims forever. . . . .Schools Matter: Why the Trump U Fraud Case Is Not Done:

Oklahoma's 2016 Teacher Of The Year Leaves For Better Pay In Texas : NPR Ed : NPR

Oklahoma's 2016 Teacher Of The Year Leaves For Better Pay In Texas : NPR Ed : NPR:

Teacher Of The Year In Oklahoma Moves To Texas For The Money

About exactly a year ago we brought you the story of Shawn Sheehan, Oklahoma's 2016 Teacher of the Year.

At the time, he and about 40 other educators were running for office in the state, wanting to make a change because, as Sheehan puts it, lawmakers weren't prioritizing education. Funding for schools in the state has been cut tremendously over the past decade and teachers in Oklahoma are some of the lowest paid in the country.

"And unfortunately, it didn't go the way that we had wanted," he says.

Sheehan, a math teacher, didn't win that race. In the end, only five of the 40 educators actually took office.

Despite, he still hung on to hope that legislators this session would come up with enough funding to give teachers a raise.

Then, "things went south pretty quickly," Sheehan says. He held his breath while lawmakers duked it out, but in the end, there was no additional money for public schools, or their teachers.

Now he says he just can't make ends meet anymore teaching in Norman, Okla.

So, he's leaving for Texas.

Over the past few years, thousands of public school teachers in Oklahoma, like Sheehan, have left the state for better pay and less stress (fewer classes, smaller classes, less instruction time). It's gotten so bad that the state department of education has had to issue emergency teacher certifications to replace teachers as quickly as possible.

Across the state, textbooks are out of date, electives have been eliminated, and support positions are being terminated left and right.

"It feels good because I know I'm doing the right thing for my family, but it also feels sad."

Sheehan and his wife are both public school teachers. Supporting just two people, he says they could make the money work. Together they brought in about $3,600 a month. "So, after all bills are paid, we're sitting on about Oklahoma's 2016 Teacher Of The Year Leaves For Better Pay In Texas : NPR Ed : NPR: