Friday, April 2, 2021

THE TOP BANANA: TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES Friday, April 2, 2021 #REDFORED #tbats #openonlywhensafe #edchat #K12 #learning #edleadership #edtech #engchat #literacy #edreform

THE TOP BANANA
TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES

John Merrow: The “Learning Loss” Pandemic and Its Cures | Diane Ravitch's blog - https://wp.me/p2odLa-tZI via @dianeravitch

Daniel Laske, a ‘Social Justice Warrior,’ Dies at 21 - The New York Times - https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/01/obituaries/daniel-laske-dead-coronavirus.html on @nytimes

Workplace Fairness: Joe Biden Has a Golden Opportunity to Strengthen Public Education | National Education Policy Center - https://nepc.colorado.edu/node/10835 on @NEPCtweet

Thursday’s Must-Read Articles On School Reopening | Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... - https://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/?p=116606 on @Larryferlazzo

Education Research Report: Evaluating the Head Start Program for Disadvantaged Children - http://educationresearchreport.blogspot.com/

The Books Briefing: Beverly Cleary Saw Kids as They Are http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheAtlantic/~3/3GlFeOcuv_I/

Elementary-School Friendships Are, at Age 70, a ‘Plumb Line to the Past’ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheAtlantic/~3/TQnwdNflLRg/

Unions demand Biden cancel student debt for public service workers https://www.politico.com/news/2021/04/01/student-loan-debt-unions-478833

Randi Weingarten has a vision to get kids back to school — and strong words for Jews who say unions are the obstacle - Jewish Telegraphic Agency https://www.jta.org/2021/04/01/opinion/randi-weingarten-has-a-vision-to-get-kids-back-to-school-and-strong-words-for-jews-who-say-unions-are-the-obstacle#.YGc9a5ZmIPg.twitter via @jtanews

Mayor, end the stupid two-case rule: It makes no sense to shutter all schools, regardless of size, based on an arbitrary metric - New York Daily News - https://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/ny-oped-end-stupid-two-case-rule-20210402-hvab6gzccreirkkwdgmd66gwyy-story.html via @nydailynews

Fully fund programs for low-income students and students with disabilities https://educationvotes.nea.org/?p=49059#.YGc-g0upndc.twitter via @EdVotes

Cancel the student loan debt of teachers with 10 years of public service https://educationvotes.nea.org/?p=49058#.YGc-0Th3hV4.twitter via @EdVotes

‘Build back better’ includes public schools and campuses https://educationvotes.nea.org/?p=49057#.YGc-8Cg5VLk.twitter via @EdVotes

Undergraduate Students at Brown University Vote in Favor of Reparations for Students Who Descended From Slaves https://www.theroot.com/undergraduate-students-at-brown-university-vote-in-favo-1846600847

Behind The Lens episode 121: ‘But that’s not a quota’ https://thelensnola.org/2021/04/02/behind-the-lens-episode-121-but-thats-not-a-quota/

New Orleans school attendance rate improving, but one-third of students have missed 10 days of school or more https://thelensnola.org/2021/04/01/new-orleans-school-attendance-rate-improving-but-one-third-of-students-have-missed-10-days-or-school-or-more/

One weird trick to fix our broken child care system https://www.vox.com/the-goods/22360152/child-care-free-public-funding

Paterson schools delay reopening, officials cite rising COVID-19 cases https://www.njspotlight.com/video/paterson-schools-delay-reopening-officials-cite-rising-covid-19-cases/

Colleges Get Creative To Reach Students After Enrollment Plummets Due To COVID-19 https://www.npr.org/2021/04/02/983726230/colleges-get-creative-to-reach-students-after-enrollment-plummets-due-to-covid-1

Florida: Inside the Dark, Dirty Secrets of Florida’s Jeb Crow Schools of “Choice” | Diane Ravitch's blog - https://wp.me/p2odLa-tZy via @dianeravitch

How The Covid-19 Pandemic Hurt Community Colleges and Its Students https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/02/us/politics/covid-19-colleges.html

Radical Eyes for Equity: Correcting Course on Correctness in English/ELA | National Education Policy Center - https://nepc.colorado.edu/node/10836 on @NEPCtweet

Two sides of the same screen: Teachers in training learn remotely, then stream into local classrooms - https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/education/article/Two-sides-of-the-same-screen-Teachers-in-16070172.php#new_tab on @houstonchron

Bill to restore Chicago Teachers Union’s bargaining rights could become law soon - Chalkbeat Chicago - https://chicago.chalkbeat.org/2021/4/2/22363391/bill-to-restore-chicago-teachers-unions-bargaining-rights-could-become-law-soon#new_tab on chalkbeat

Teen cheerleader's Snapchat brings Supreme Court clash over schools and free speech - ABC News - https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/teen-cheerleaders-snapchat-brings-supreme-court-clash-schools/story?id=76396105#new_tab

Kids can attend any public school regardless of zip code, but educators are 'devastated' | KTUL - https://ktul.com/news/local/kids-can-attend-any-public-school-regardless-of-zip-code-but-educators-are-devastated#new_tab on @ktulnews

Alison Collins' lawsuit comes amid S.F. school district crisis. The real losers could be the students - https://www.sfchronicle.com/education/article/Alison-Collins-lawsuit-comes-amid-S-F-school-16071327.php#new_tab on @sfchronicle

Summer school changes amid COVID: Federal money may aid learning loss - https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2021/04/02/summer-school-changes-covid-federal-money-learning-loss/4808079001/#new_tab via @usatoday

Bill to boost school vouchers moving in NC House :: WRAL.com - https://www.wral.com/bill-to-boost-school-vouchers-moving-in-nc-house/19605558/#new_tab on @wral

Georgia legislature targets ‘learning pods,’ other school issues in passed bills - https://www.ajc.com/education/georgia-lawmakers-target-learning-pods-other-school-issues-in-passed-bills/KCXXCIFXQZFHJGAPQ2IV4I4XIU/#new_tab on @ajc

MN Dept. of Education names director of its new Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Center | kare11.com - https://www.kare11.com/article/news/education/dept-of-education-names-director-of-its-new-equity-diversity-and-inclusion-center/89-2db4f26c-fba0-4ffd-924a-e9cac9d869fe#new_tab on KARE11

Seattle schools, teachers union' reach agreement for in-person education for 6-12 grade | KOMO - https://komonews.com/news/local/seattle-schools-teachers-union-reach-agreement-for-in-person-education-for-6-12-grade#new_tab on @komonews

Parents sue Katy ISD for keeping mask mandate, after Gov. Greg Abbott lifted statewide requirement https://www.texastribune.org/2021/04/02/texas-katy-isd-mask-lawsuit/

Parents fighting, teachers crying: Grownup stress is hitting kids hard https://hechingerreport.org/parents-fighting-teachers-crying-grownup-stress-is-hitting-kids-hard/

Big Education Ape: A New Children’s Fund – Reducing Student Inequality Through Allegheny County Council | gadflyonthewallblog - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2021/04/a-new-childrens-fund-reducing-student.html

Penny’s Power Grab – Tennessee Education Report

by Mike Simpson / now

PENNY’S POWER GRAB L egislation that would give Commissioner of Education Penny Schwinn broad authority to fire a school system’s superintendent and remove the school board is advancing in the Tennessee General Assembly. Chalkbeat has more : A bill outlining reasons the state may take over a local school district cleared its first legislative hurdle Tuesday. Rep. Scott Cepicky, a Republican from

JEFF BRYANT: Biden Promised to End Standardized Testing in Schools—It Was Never Going to Be Easy | Ed Politics

by Mike Simpson / now

Biden Promised to End Standardized Testing in Schools—It Was Never Going to Be Easy | Ed Politics BIDEN PROMISED TO END STANDARDIZED TESTING IN SCHOOLS—IT WAS NEVER GOING TO BE EASY Barely a month after President Biden was inaugurated, educators and public school advocates reeled in dismay when his administration announced it would enforce the federal government’s mandate for annual standardized

Rhode Island: Teachers Demand End to State Takeover of Providence Schools | Diane Ravitch's blog

by Mike Simpson / now

Rhode Island: Teachers Demand End to State Takeover of Providence Schools Rhode Island is a mess. Two years ago, the state took control of the Providence public schools. The Governor, Gina Raymond, is a former hedge funder and not a friend of public schools. She loves charter schools and welcomed them to her state. She is now Biden’s Commerce Secretary and has been succeeded by her Lieutenant Go

CURMUDGUCATION: PA: Charters Argue To Keep Money They're Not Owed

by Mike Simpson / now

PA: Charters Argue To Keep Money They're Not Owed Governor Tom Wolf is once again trying to address Pennsylvania's lousy charter funding rules , but right-sizing charter funding would cut into charter profiteering, and so, the pushback is under way. A full package of the current talking points turned up in The Daily Signal , a right-wing website. This piece of commentary comes from Amber Norther

My Kids’ School Closed Again. So I Started Calling Experts. — ProPublica

by Mike Simpson / now

My Kids’ School Closed Again. So I Started Calling Experts. Many New York City public schools have been repeatedly closed because of two positive COVID-19 tests, even without evidence of in-school spread. Experts call it “crazy.” And it’s driving me nuts. Here is the minute I finally lost it: Sunday, March 21, at 9:34 p.m. That’s when my wife and I got an email saying our kids’ New York City pub

San Diego: Cindy Marten Is a Great Education Leader | Diane Ravitch's blog

by Mike Simpson / now

San Diego: Cindy Marten Is a Great Education Leader San Diego Superintendent Cindy Marten was tapped by the Biden administration to be Deputy Secretary of Education, the #2 job in the Department of Education. The corporate reform lobby was not happy with this choice, and they began making insidious charges that she was uniquely unqualified and didn’t care about equity. All of this was nonsense,

A VERY BUSY DAY Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... The latest news and resources in education since 2007 #REOPENSCHOOLSSAFELY #openonlywhensafe

by Mike Simpson / now

Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... | The latest news and resources in education since 2007 A VERY BUSY DAY Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... The latest news and resources in education since 2007 THIS WEEK IN EDUCATION Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... The latest news and resources in education since 2007 - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2021/03/this-week-in-education-larry-f

Teacher Tom: The Hallmark of a Master Player

by Mike Simpson / 2h

The Hallmark of a Master Playe r The girls were playing a game that involved being in the playhouse with periodic forays to the top of the concrete slide. "I'm sick!" "No, I'm sick too!" "Me too." They were huddled together, five of them. They had been playing together for the better part of an hour. "You can't be sick!" "Yes, I can be sick!" " I'm sick!" "We're all sick!" "Everybody can't be si

Does Education Secretary Cardona Recognize the Two Huge Problems with High-Stakes Testing? | janresseger

by Mike Simpson / 2h

Does Education Secretary Cardona Recognize the Two Huge Problems with High-Stakes Testing? Education Secretary Miguel Cardona insists that federally mandated standardized testing will go on as usual in this COVID-19 dominated year. While his decision feels particularly impractical, intrusive, complicated and disruptive in the midst of COVID-19, the decision is of much deeper concern for two reas

CURMUDGUCATION: RI: Another Dumb Bill For Protecting White Folks

by Mike Simpson / 2h

RI: Another Dumb Bill For Protecting White Folks Three Rhode Island representatives have proposed a bill to protect students in the state from what the legislators imagine, I suppose, what critical race theory or any of those other nasty anti-racist programs might be. The three legislators are: Rep. Patricia Morgan, who has also proposed that mail-in balloting be "tightened up," that the house c

Grassroots Education Network- March 2021 Newsletter - Network For Public Education

by Mike Simpson / 2h

Grassroots Education Network- March 2021 Newsletter The NPE Grassroots Education Network is a network of over 165 grassroots organizations nationwide who have joined together to preserve, promote, improve, and strengthen our public schools. If you know of a group that would like to join this powerful network, please go here to sign on. If you have any questions about the NPE Grassroots Education

Huge cash influx pouring into Kansas City school board races | The Kansas City Star

by Mike Simpson / 2h

‘Never seen this kind of money’: Big spending raises concern in KC school board races A newly formed nonprofit has already pumped thousands of dollars into two contested races for the Kansas City Public Schools board, raising suspicions about the group and the candidates vying for seats in Tuesday’s election. Blaque KC, short for Black Leaders Advancing Quality Urban Education, has spent $65,298

YESTERDAY

THE TOP BANANA: TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES Thursday, April 1, 2021 #REDFORED #tbats #openonlywhensafe #edchat #K12 #learning #edleadership #edtech #engchat #literacy #edreform

by Mike Simpson / 20h

Big Education Ape THE TOP BANANA TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES Some school districts to only give standardized tests to students whose parents request it - https://westchester.news12.com/some-school-districts-to-only-give-standardized-tests-to-students-whose-parents-request-it High

Big Education Ape

A New Children’s Fund – Reducing Student Inequality Through Allegheny County Council | gadflyonthewallblog

A New Children’s Fund – Reducing Student Inequality Through Allegheny County Council

Public schools are not funded fairly.

Every child does not receive equitable resources or even close to what they need.

The state and federal government provide some funding, but they leave it up to each neighborhood to take the brunt of the burden.

So the majority of funding comes from local tax revenues – rich communities give their kids more than enough and poor ones struggle to give them enough to even get by.

This means things like class size, access to tutoring and remediation, extracurricular activities, advanced placement courses, field trips, counseling, even access to a school nurse often depends on how rich of a community kids live in.

It’s a backward and barbaric way of supporting children – a kind of economic Darwinism that gives the richest kids the most advantages from the very start while holding back everyone else.

It doesn’t have to be this way, but don’t look to the state or federal government to fix it.

No matter who has been in power in the Oval Office or held majorities in Congress, national lawmakers don’t seem to care much about public schools unless it has to do CONTINUE READING: A New Children’s Fund – Reducing Student Inequality Through Allegheny County Council | gadflyonthewallblog

Penny’s Power Grab – Tennessee Education Report

PENNY’S POWER GRAB

Legislation that would give Commissioner of Education Penny Schwinn broad authority to fire a school system’s superintendent and remove the school board is advancing in the Tennessee General Assembly.

Chalkbeat has more:

A bill outlining reasons the state may take over a local school district cleared its first legislative hurdle Tuesday.
Rep. Scott Cepicky, a Republican from Maury County, said his proposal aims to strengthen Tennessee law by providing a clear process for when the state education commissioner should take control of a district, which could include firing the superintendent and replacing elected school board members.

It’s no surprise that Gov. Bill Lee, who has long expressed distrust of local school CONTINUE READING: Penny’s Power Grab – Tennessee Education Report

JEFF BRYANT: Biden Promised to End Standardized Testing in Schools—It Was Never Going to Be Easy | Ed Politics

Biden Promised to End Standardized Testing in Schools—It Was Never Going to Be Easy | Ed Politics

BIDEN PROMISED TO END STANDARDIZED TESTING IN SCHOOLS—IT WAS NEVER GOING TO BE EASY

Barely a month after President Biden was inaugurated, educators and public school advocates reeled in dismay when his administration announced it would enforce the federal government’s mandate for annual standardized testing in public schools. During the Democratic Party’s presidential primary, Biden had expressed strong opposition to the tests. In a video taken at a December 2019 forum for public school teachers, Biden, when asked, “Will you commit to ending the use of standardized testing in public schools,” replied, “Yes… You’re preaching to the choir.”

Although the decision was made before he took office, Miguel Cardona, Biden’s secretary of education, confirmed the Biden administration would not allow states to skip the exams.

So what happened to “the choir”?

It’s not like there was a groundswell from across the country to resume the tests.

Prior to the Biden administration’s announcement, Chalkbeat’s national correspondent Matt Barnum reported, “Several states, including California, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, and New York, [had] already asked for or said they planned to request a waiver from this year’s testing requirements entirely.” As of March 29, three states—Georgia, Oregon, and South Carolina—that had requested to offer alternatives to a statewide standardized test were denied, according to a later report by Barnum, but Colorado will be allowed to cut the number of tests it administers by half.

“The two national teachers’ unions—the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers—have urged that waivers be given,” Valerie Strauss reported for the Washington Post. “At least [11,000] people have signed a petition by the Center for Fair and Open Testing, a nonprofit organization known as FairTest, calling for waivers to be granted.”

A Backlash to the Biden Decision

The announcement on testing triggered an immediate backlash. “Critics reacted swiftly CONTINUE READING: Biden Promised to End Standardized Testing in Schools—It Was Never Going to Be Easy | Ed Politics

Rhode Island: Teachers Demand End to State Takeover of Providence Schools | Diane Ravitch's blog

Rhode Island: Teachers Demand End to State Takeover of Providence Schools

Rhode Island is a mess. Two years ago, the state took control of the Providence public schools. The Governor, Gina Raymond, is a former hedge funder and not a friend of public schools. She loves charter schools and welcomed them to her state. She is now Biden’s Commerce Secretary and has been succeeded by her Lieutenant Governor Dan McKee, who is also a privatizer. The relatively new State Commissioner is Angelica Infante Green, who comes from Teach for America and had a desk job in the New York State Education Department. She is a member of Jeb Bush’s Chiefs for Change. The Providence Teachers Union originally supported the state takeover, hoping that it would bring new resources to the schools. Instead, the takeover has meant disruption, turmoil, threats to teachers, and bitterness between the hard-charging, inexperienced State Commissioner and the teachers.

Mary Beth Calabro, the president of the Providence Teachers Union, has been a teacher for 24 years and president of the union for five years.

Less than two years later, and with the COVID-19 pandemic overshadowing nearly all of the takeover, CONTINUE READING: Rhode Island: Teachers Demand End to State Takeover of Providence Schools | Diane Ravitch's blog

CURMUDGUCATION: PA: Charters Argue To Keep Money They're Not Owed

PA: Charters Argue To Keep Money They're Not Owed

Governor Tom Wolf is once again trying to address Pennsylvania's lousy charter funding rules, but right-sizing charter funding would cut into charter profiteering, and so, the pushback is under way.

A full package of the current talking points turned up in The Daily Signal, a right-wing website. This piece of commentary comes from Amber Northern, a senior vp for research at the reformy Fordham Institute and Lenny McCallister, who, after a career as a media commentary guy, now holds down dual jobs as CEO of the Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools and as a senior fellow at the Commonwealth Foundation, a free market thinky tank with ties to ALEC.

The big hook they want to hang their argument on is a recent piece of research conducted for Fordham by Mark "Jersey Jazzman" Weber. For whatever reason, they choose not to link to that research, but you can find it here. Read that, and then read further insights about the research itself here, from Weber himself. The key finding that they would like you to notice is that when students leave a public school for charters, the per-pupil spending in the public school mostly goes up. This, they note, is "contrary to charter critics' preferred narrative" (thereby suggesting that this is a concern that charter critics made up, rather than a sincere concern).

However, what this charter critic has always said is that you can't run multiple school districts for the money that was CONTINUE READING: CURMUDGUCATION: PA: Charters Argue To Keep Money They're Not Owed

My Kids’ School Closed Again. So I Started Calling Experts. — ProPublica

My Kids’ School Closed Again. So I Started Calling Experts.

Many New York City public schools have been repeatedly closed because of two positive COVID-19 tests, even without evidence of in-school spread. Experts call it “crazy.” And it’s driving me nuts.

Here is the minute I finally lost it: Sunday, March 21, at 9:34 p.m.

That’s when my wife and I got an email saying our kids’ New York City public elementary school would be closed yet again. Testing had found two positive COVID-19 cases among nearly 700 students and staff.

It was the fifth time the school had closed since New York reopened schools in the fall. Each time has been the same: First, we get an email that testing has turned up one case. A few days later, we get a second email saying testing has found a second case and the whole school will be closed for a day while health officials investigate.

And then, every time, comes the coup de grâce form letter: “Subject: 10 Day Bldg Closure.” Per New York City policy, two unlinked cases result in the building being shuttered for 10 consecutive days.

The first time it happened, I didn’t wonder about the rationale. Everything has been crazy during COVID-19. And despite more than 25,000 deaths, New York City, with the country’s largest public school system by far, was way ahead of most other cities in opening up schools.

Then it happened again in January, again in February and twice in March. Let me be honest here: Something in me snapped with the last one. Our kids, a second grader and a fourth grader, had done five in-person school days since the previous 10-day shutdown and 19 total since the New Year. Everyone in our apartment was struggling.

I’m lucky enough to be able to work from home. But I couldn’t concentrate. Our kids needed help. And I just could not get my mind off the rule, which mandates closure for two cases regardless of the school’s size or if, as has happened in my school, the two cases are kids grades apart who never cross paths. What, I CONTINUE READING: My Kids’ School Closed Again. So I Started Calling Experts. — ProPublica

San Diego: Cindy Marten Is a Great Education Leader | Diane Ravitch's blog

San Diego: Cindy Marten Is a Great Education Leader

San Diego Superintendent Cindy Marten was tapped by the Biden administration to be Deputy Secretary of Education, the #2 job in the Department of Education. The corporate reform lobby was not happy with this choice, and they began making insidious charges that she was uniquely unqualified and didn’t care about equity. All of this was nonsense, of course.

When she was interviewed by the Senate committee, she showed herself to be the well-informed, knowledgeable, thoughtful educator that she is, and it appeared that even some Republican members of the committee were impressed.

The flimsy claims against her needed to be answered, and it was not her role to do it. Fortunately a San Diego business leader stepped up and dashed all the extremists’ attacks on her record.

Mel Katz wrote in the Voice of San Diego:

After President Joe Biden surprised San Diego with the exciting news that San Diego Unified Superintendent Cindy Marten had been chosen to help lead his CONTINUE READING: San Diego: Cindy Marten Is a Great Education Leader | Diane Ravitch's blog

Teacher Tom: The Hallmark of a Master Player

The Hallmark of a Master Player

The girls were playing a game that involved being in the playhouse with periodic forays to the top of the concrete slide.

"I'm sick!"

"No, I'm sick too!"

"Me too."

They were huddled together, five of them. They had been playing together for the better part of an hour.

"You can't be sick!"

"Yes, I can be sick!"

"I'm sick!"

"We're all sick!"

"Everybody can't be sick!"

There was a lot of bickering as they played. It hadn't started as a game of sickness, but from the moment they had declared the lilac leaves to be medicine, someone had been sick. It seemed that someone else had to remain healthy to CONTINUE READING: Teacher Tom: The Hallmark of a Master Player

Does Education Secretary Cardona Recognize the Two Huge Problems with High-Stakes Testing? | janresseger

Does Education Secretary Cardona Recognize the Two Huge Problems with High-Stakes Testing?

Education Secretary Miguel Cardona insists that federally mandated standardized testing will go on as usual in this COVID-19 dominated year. While his decision feels particularly impractical, intrusive, complicated and disruptive in the midst of COVID-19, the decision is of much deeper concern for two reasons.

This blog will take the holiday weekend off. Look for a new post on Wednesday, April 7.

One would like to think that Dr. Cardona is familiar with the huge debate that has consumed education experts and also many parents who have been opting out for years now. But when Dr. Cardona explained why testing must go on as usual, he didn’t even bother to offer a rationale that addresses any of the reasons experts have insisted he should cancel the tests once again this year. Instead he said we need the tests so that the Department of Education can ensure that federal investment goes to the school districts that need it most. That is such a lovely thought, and if tests were designed and used to gauge needed investment in the poorest communities, it would be wonderful.

But standardized tests, as mandated by No Child Left Behind and its successor, the Every Student Succeeds Act, were not designed to drive a system of test-and-invest. They are instead the very foundation of a maze of policies at the federal level—and now federally mandated across the states—to identify so-called “failing schools” and to punish them.

The first kind of damage caused by high-stakes testing is pedagogical. Standardized testing and its preparation have deeply affected what happens in the classroom itself. Dr. Cardona’s decision to insist on tests in this schoolyear will undermine what students need most when CONTINUE READING: Does Education Secretary Cardona Recognize the Two Huge Problems with High-Stakes Testing? | janresseger

Friday, April 2, 2021