Education in Focus: A Moral Imperative | The White House

Education in Focus: A Moral Imperative | The White House

The White House Blog

Education in Focus: A Moral Imperative

Posted by Secretary Arne Duncan on March 05, 2010 at 05:10 PM EST

This week, we launched “Education in Focus” on Whitehouse.gov to shine a spotlight on what we are doing across the administration to improve our education system. And what a week it was:

• You joined Alma and Colin Powell, the President and myself in launching GradNation, an initiative to give more students the opportunity to go to college.
• You learned about the Race to the Top High School Commencement Challenge, which gives schools the opportunity to have the President speak at their graduation.
• You engaged in a live web chat with Melody Barnes and me about how the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act (SAFRA) can help students like you go to college.
• You heard from Dr. Jill Biden about the importance of community colleges. 
• You read about Secretary LaHood’s experience as a teacher and his involvement in Teach For America Week.
• You joined our web discussion around the question: What does a 21st century education mean to you?
• You read along with the First Lady as she commemorated Dr. Seuss’ birthday by reading “The Cat in the Hat” aloud at the Library of Congress.
• You learned about the Education Department’s Investment in Innovation as they launched their Open Innovation portal.

Though this feature comes to a close today, our work is not done. The urgency to improve our children’s schools has never been greater.

Whether you’re still a student or your days in the classroom have long been over, we all have a moral and economic imperative that requires us to act.  Go to www.ed.gov to learn more about what we are doing, and ways you can get involved.

Arne Duncan is Secretary of Education

Education - Everything you need to know about the world of education.

Education- Everything you need to know about the world of education.

Pr. George's schools fear loss of parent liaisons

Board of Education decision to eliminate 120 slots worries parents and school leaders

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Liaison Rosa Lorenzo works with Walter Rivera at Hyattsville Middle School. Lorenzo has been an employee there for eight years. (Linda Davidson-TWP)

Virginia colleges: Just say 'no' to Cuccinelli

Kenneth T. Cuccinelli II, the new attorney general of Virginia, had no actionable legal item that forced him to wade into the issue of sexual orientation on public college campuses.

But he was obviously itching to do it so badly that he sent Virginia's public colleges and universities a letter telling them they could no longer include gays and lesbians in anti-discriminatory employment policies. For schools that have such policies, his March 4 letter said, the language should be removed.

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Bill Perkins Opposes Charter Schools Popular in Harlem - NYTimes.com

Bill Perkins Opposes Charter Schools Popular in Harlem - NYTimes.com

When hundreds of parents went to Albany last month to rally forcharter schools, they were greeted by a parade of politicians offering encouragement and promises.

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Nathaniel Brooks for The New York Times

State Senator Bill Perkins says charter schools may have delivered more hype than results.

But when Bill Perkins, the state senator from Harlem who represents many of the parents, took the stage, they drowned him out with boos.

Some parents confronted him later in the vestibule outside the Senate chamber, demanding that he meet with them that afternoon and chanting “Move Bill, get out the way, get out the way,” before he could even speak.

As advocates of charter schools, including the Bloomberg administration, try to persuade legislators to lift the limit on the number of such schools in the state, no one is as likely to stand in their way as Mr. Perkins, whose district encompasses nearly 20 charter schools. Several more are planned next year.

Over the last decade, as charter schools have multiplied, Mr. Perkins has undergone a dramatic shift and emerged as their most outspoken critic in the Legislature, writing guest columns in newspapers and delivering impassioned speeches criticizing the “privatization” of public schools.

When officials of the city’s Department of Education announced last year that they planned to place a charter school inside the Public School 123 building in Harlem, Mr. Perkins was infuriated. With help from his chief of staff, several parents and teachers’ union representatives staged a protest there on the first day of school, holding signs that labeled charter schools as “separate and unequal.”

Mr. Perkins recently announced plans to hold public hearings on charter schools, to examine, among other things, the sources of their financing and “how much profit there is in not-for-profit” schools.

Why one-size-fits-all education doesn’t work - The Boston Globe

Why one-size-fits-all education doesn’t work - The Boston Globe
MASSACHUSETTS AND Rhode Island were two of the 16 finalists named this week in the Obama administration’s “Race to the Top’’ competition for a share of $4.3 billion in education “stimulus’’ funds. Those that made the cut have agreed to embrace policies favored by the administration, such as higher caps on charter schools and tying teachers’ raises to performance.

Central to the administration’s approach to education is its drive for uniform national standards in reading and mathematics. The White House announced that it intends to “require all states to adopt and certify that they have college- and career-ready standards . . . as a condition of qualifying for Title I funding.’’ Education Secretary Arne Duncan has reserved $350 million to assist states that consent to common curriculum standards; those that don’t will be barred from seeking Race to the Top grants.

The argument for national standards seems straightforward. The No Child Left Behind law enacted in 2002 required states to establish their own academic standards, but most of them - under pressure from teachers’ unions and school administrators’ associations - set the bar quite low. In a 2006 report, the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation concluded that most states’ standards were “mediocre-to-bad . . . They are generally vague, politicized, and awash in wrongheaded fads and nostrums. With a few exceptions, states have been incapable (or unwilling) to set clear, coherent standards.’’ The only way around the states’ aversion to high standards, the Obama administration and others have concluded, is to impose uniform national standards, using the federal purse as leverage.

But if the goal is to have more American students get a successful education, it is far from clear that imposing a single set of benchmarks from above is the best strategy for getting there.

For one thing, the political resistance to rigorous academic standards that has been so effective at the state level is likely to be effective at the national level. The teachers’ unions and administrators’ organizations that oppose higher performance mandates are at least as influential on Capitol Hill as they are in the statehouses. Neal McCluskey of the Cato Institute points out that the National Education Association, the American Federation of Teachers, the American Association of School Administrators, the National Association of Elementary School Principals, and the Council of Chief State School Officers all make their national headquarters in Washington, DC. Whether in the states or in Washington, McCluskey writes, “the political system is stacked against high 

School Turnarounds | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

School Turnarounds | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

evious edition

February 2010 Focus on School Turnarounds

Vol. 17 No. 4

Photo: Harvey Finkle

Stetson Middle School, at B and Allegheny, is one of seven potential Renaissance Schools that were already turned over to an external manager once before, in 2002.

See Also

Who's applying? Potential turnaround managers

Key dates

Schools on the list

Waiting for the Renaissance

by Bill Hangley Jr.

It’s nothing new for Janiece Jones to wonder about the future of her child’s school. 

“It was supposed to be closed down,” she said as she stood in front of the Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School in North Philadelphia. “[Then] they just said that someone was going to try and change the performance of the school.”

The first rumor didn’t come to pass. But the second just might, in potentially dramatic fashion.

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BUILDING A BETTER TEACHER - THE DAILY RIFF - Be Smarter. About Education.

BUILDING A BETTER TEACHER - THE DAILY RIFF - Be Smarter. About Education.

The New York Times Magazine Cover Story
Plus Extensive Reader Comments To
"Can Teachers Be Taught To Teach Better?"
Our Recommended Week-end Read.

For everyone concerned about the direction of education in this country, Elizabeth Green reports her must-read key findings for increasing teacher effectiveness, which is inarguably one of the most critical factors for student success.   Through her interviews with key reformers in the field, Green primarily zeroes in on "technique."

Two of her main featured interviewees are Doug Lemov, former teacher, principal, and currently charter school founder of Uncommon Schools, who focuses on deliberate techniques not necessarily subject to specific content, and Deborah Loewenberg Ball, an assistant professor in Math and former part-time elementary school teacher "whose class was a model for teachers in training" and relates technique to content understanding.

Both illustrate that there is much to do with regard to teacher training in this country with teachers admittedly unprepared in the art of specific techniques and actual apprentice-type training when they enter the real world of school.  

Below are a few excerpts with link to full NY Times article here:

Waldorf Curriculum - Overview of the Waldorf Method

Waldorf Curriculum - Overview of the Waldorf Method

Home | A Look at Waldorf Education | The How & Why | Photos | The Curriculum of the Steiner School | FREE RESOURCES Subscribe to this Site | Favorite Stores | Yahoo Groups | Blogs | Consultants | About the Contributors | Search | Contact Us

What is Waldorf? Frequently Asked Questions What About High School? The Main Lesson Book How Do Waldorf Teachers Train? Reading Steiner Meeting Other Waldorf Families The Waldorf Method What is Waldorf? a brief history what is Waldorf? why is Waldorf unique? some distinctive features Waldorf Education - an interview with Caroline Ostheimer Learning... Naturally - article by Barbara Bedingfield The Waldorf Method for preschool Getting Started with Waldorf The Wisdom of Waldorf: Education for the Future - article by Rahima Baldwin Dancy Association of Waldorf Schools of North America (AWSNA) website Rudolf Steiner & Anthroposophy biography and links to essays about Rudolf Steiner compiled by the Rudolf Steiner College FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) answered by River Song Waldorf School What is Waldorf education? What is unique about Waldorf education? How is it different from other alternatives (public schooling, Montessori, unschooling, etc.)? What is the curriculum at a Waldorf school like? How did Waldorf education get started? How many Waldorf schools are there? What is the philosophy behind Waldorf education? Why should I send my child to a Waldorf school? Who was Rudolf Steiner? How is reading taught in a Waldorf school? Why do Waldorf students wait until 2nd grade to begin learning to read? Why is so much emphasis put on festivals and ceremonies? What are Michaelmas, St. John's Day, etc.? Why do Waldorf Schools discourage TV watching? What is the annual tuition of a Waldorf school? What kind of training do Waldorf teachers have? Why do Waldorf students stay with the same teacher for 8 years? How are personality conflicts between students and teachers handled? Are Waldorf schools religious? How do Waldorf children fare when they transfer to "regular" schools? Is it true that once you start Waldorf schooling it is difficult to "make it" in public schools? What is anthroposophy? Where can one get more information on Anthroposophy on the Internet? How does Waldorf deal with kids that don't get it academically? How well do Waldorf graduates do on standard tests? How well do Waldorf high school graduates do in college? What is eurythmy? Is Waldorf education relevant to Special Needs children? The Whatcom Hills Waldorf School also has answers to frequently asked questions and an overview of the Waldorf curriculum throughout the grades in its parent handbook (pdf file). The Detroit Waldorf School has put together this wonderful list of festivals held at a Waldorf school, as well as their dates and how they are celebrated. What About High School? List of Waldorf High Schools A High School Curriculum Overview from the Washington Waldorf School Detailed High School Schedule from the Washington Waldorf School

Schools Matter: Bloomberg and Klein's Penal Pedagogy Model

Schools Matter: Bloomberg and Klein's Penal Pedagogy Model

Bloomberg and Klein's Penal Pedagogy Model

Bob Herbert in the NYTimes:

If you don’t think the police in New York City need to be reined in, consider the way the cops and their agents are treating youngsters in the city’s schools.

In March 2009, a girl and a boy in the sixth grade at the Hunts Point School in the Bronx were fooling around and each drew a line on the other’s desk with an erasable marker. The teacher told them to erase the lines, and the kids went to get tissues. This blew up into a major offense when school safety officers became involved.

The safety officers, who have been accused in many instances of mistreating children, are peace officers assigned to the schools. They wear uniforms, work for the New York Police Department and have the power to detain, search, handcuff and arrest students. They do not carry guns.

In this case, the officers seized the two pupils and handcuffed them. Before long, an armed police officer showed up to question the youngsters. The girl asked for her mother and began to cry. Tears were no defense in the minds of the brave New York City law enforcers surrounding this errant child. They were determined to keep the city safe from sixth graders armed with Magic Markers.

The children were transported in handcuffs to the local precinct.

Duncan News: It's Not How Much You Know But Who You Know, and a Visit to Robt. E. Lee High

America's chief reform schooler this week plans a visit to a high school in Alabama that has a history of opposing the national holiday honoring Dr. King:

The Associated Press
Saturday, March 6, 2010; 9:48 PM

MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- Alabama's Legislative Black Caucus on Saturday called on U.S. Education SecretaryArne Duncan to cancel a planned appearance at Robert E. Lee High School in Montgomery.

State Rep. Alvin Holmes said the school and its principal publicly opposed the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Selma-Montgomery march in 1965. Holmes said it was "insulting" to King and civil rights protesters that PresidentBarack Obama's top education aide was scheduled to appear at the school Monday.. . .

And Duncan tells Gotham Schools that, in the end, it is not what you know that will get you part of the $4.35 billion but, rather, who you know--or more specifically, who knows you:

School’s Shake-Up Is Embraced by the President - NYTimes.com

School’s Shake-Up Is Embraced by the President - NYTimes.com

A Rhode Island school board’s decision to fire the entire faculty of a poorly performing school, and President Obama’s endorsement of the action, has stirred a storm of reaction nationwide, with teachers condemning it as an insult and conservatives hailing it as a watershed moment of school accountability.

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Scholastic Magazine

Anthony J. Mullen, the national teacher of the year, said school accountability was important, but he suggested that it needed to be the right kind.

Related

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  Central Falls Journal: A Jumble of Strong Feelings After Vote on a Troubled School (February 25, 2010)

The decision by school authorities inCentral Falls to fire the 93 teachers and staff members has assumed special significance because hundreds of other school districts across the nation could face similarly hard choices in coming weeks, as a $3.5 billion federal school turnaround program kicks into gear.

While there is fierce disagreement over whether the firings were good or bad, there is widespread agreement that the decision would have lasting ripples on the nation’s education debate — especially because Mr. Obama seized on the move to show his eagerness to take bold action to improve failing schools filled with poor students.

“This is the first example of tough love under the Obama regime, and that’s what makes it significant,” said Michael J. Petrilli, a vice president at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute in Washington, an educational research and advocacy organization.

“I think it’s going to give some cover to other school boards and school superintendents around the country that want to do something similar,” Mr. Petrilli said. “They can say the president of the United States, Barack Obama, someone the teachers voted for, supports us here to take some radical actions to shake up our schools.”

In Boston on Thursday, another city moving to carry out the administration’s school-turnaround policy, officials announced that staff members at six underperforming schools 

EducationNews.org - A Global Leading News Source

EducationNews.org - A Global Leading News Source

R.I. School Shake-Up Is Embraced by the President
3.7.10 - Anthony J. Mullen, the national teacher of the year, said school accountability was important, but he
10 Dallas ISD high schools fail to make the grade time and again
3.7.10 - Where is the black outrage? Is it only all about job entitlement and not teaching children.......
Top home-school texts dismiss Darwin, evolution
3.7.10 - AP - Home-school mom Susan Mule wishes she hadn't taken a friend's advice and tried a textbook from a popular
Julai Steiny: Fun career software is 'Way to go'3.7.10 - Today we meet the team of trainers implementing WaytogoRI's career-exploration software at Westerly Middle School. Anthony, Kyle, Taylor, Justin, Jana and other eighth graders join me in a...
In Harlem, Epicenter for Charter Schools, a Senator Wars Against Them
When hundreds of parents went to Albany last month to rally for charter schools, they were greeted by a...
more articles....

Furlough proposal concerns teachers | clarionledger.com | The Clarion-Ledger

Furlough proposal concerns teachers | clarionledger.com | The Clarion-Ledger:

"School officials say furloughing teachers could help districts save money without cutting jobs.

But for teachers in a state that ranks near the bottom in pay, the proposal is disconcerting.

Richland teacher Bonnie Crapps called it a 'slippery slope.'

'Once you start furloughing, there's no telling where it will go,' Crapps said. 'This is people's livelihood. Some of these teachers have been teaching a long time.

'This is our career. Whether people believe it or not, a lot of money is tied up in our education.'

The state Senate on Wednesday passed a bill that would allow schools to furlough teachers up to five days over three years, including this fiscal year.

Teachers would be furloughed on days designated for training.

The bill moves back to the House, where it faces an uncertain fate. The House rejected a previous furlough proposal, but House Education Committee Chairman Cecil Brown, D-Jackson, says something has to give."

Inspections Find More Than 25% Of School Buses In Connecticut Unfit To Use - Courant.com

Inspections Find More Than 25% Of School Buses In Connecticut Unfit To Use - Courant.com
When a state inspector spotted a full-size school bus on the road with no brake lights, he ordered the Specialty Transportation Inc. vehicle back to the company's yard for a full examination.

Inside the gates, bus drivers were eager to see him.

"While in yard, several drivers approached me and advised that the company was not fixing defects," Sgt. Garfield Green wrote in his notes of the April 2008 inspection, in which he found 16 violations. "After inspecting the bus that I stopped, I can see where the concern may be valid."

A Courant analysis of nearly 30,000 school bus inspections in Connecticut magnifies that concern. Among larger school bus operators, Specialty had by far the worst maintenance record in the state in 2009, with inspectors declaring its buses unfit to carry students nearly seven out of 10 times. Specialty's buses on average had five times as many serious violations as buses statewide, and nearly 75 percent more on average than the large bus company with the second-worst record, Autumn Transportation, whose buses were taken off the road in six out of 10 inspections in 2009.

>> Click here to search inspections and violations for school buses in Connecticut.