Friday, December 3, 2010

HISD talks to students, removes computers from Pin Oak Middle School | School Zone | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

HISD talks to students, removes computers from Pin Oak Middle School

As we reported in today's paper, the Houston Independent School District confirmed that the recent hacking incident stemmed from a computer at Pin Oak Middle School. District officials said that only one student's records were viewed, but that the private data of other students, employees, vendors and job applicants was exposed.

This afternoon, HISD's chief middle school officer, Dallas Dance, told Pin Oak parents in a letter that "authorities have spoken with some Pin Oak students and have removed several computers from campus for analysis." The letter says no arrests have been made and says nothing about whether the students are suspects. HISD's chief financial officer, Melinda Garrett, told me Thursday that district officials did not know whether the hacking was done by

City and union officials are “in talks” over school closures | GothamSchools

City and union officials are “in talks” over school closures

by Anna Phillips

City officials have been holding on-again-off-again meetings with the teachers union to discuss the fate of the nearly 60 schools that could be closed or have their principals removed this year.

A source familiar with the meetings said they’ve been going on throughout the fall and have been spearheaded, on the DOE’s side, by Deputy Chancellor John White. A union official said part of the reason for the talks is that the city is eager to avoid another lawsuit like the one last year that barred the planned closure of 19 schools.

“I think they’re making a real attempt to avoid what led us to win that suit against them,” said the official. “I don’t think it’s any glasnost, there’s no kumbaya here. But they’re making an effort to avoid getting sued.”

City and union officials would not comment on the substance of the discussions. As early as next week, city officials will begin announcing which schools they plan to keep open, which will close, and which will undergo one of several “turnaround” models mandated by the federal government.

City officials are also trying to iron out an agreement with the principal’s union that will let them use the

This Week In Education: Reform: Is "Intellectual Elitism" Getting In The Way?

Reform: Is "Intellectual Elitism" Getting In The Way?

One of several conversations going on right now about the current political malaise involves the issue of elitism -- Democratic elitism, in particular (Democrats Have an 'Intellectual Elitism' Problem Atlantic Wire). Though not focused on education politics in particular, it's a relevant question to consider in light of recent setbacks and controversies (the departures of Rhee & Klein, the appointment of Cathie Black, the Waiting For Superman debacle). There's no doubt that education activists, especially the reformy kind, need to engage with teachers, parents, and other non-elites better than they have over the past couple of years. Right now it seems like they're being destroyed by

Ed Schools « School Finance 101

Ed Schools

by schoolfinance101

Ed schools seem to make an easy target in public policy debates over the quality of American public schooling and the American teacher workforce.

In many recent lopsided “ed school as the root of all evil” presentations, “Ed Schools,” are treated as some easily defined, static entity over time. In the book of reformyness (chapter 7, verse 2), “Ed Schools” necessarily consist of some static set of traditional higher education institutions – 4 year teachers colleges including regional state colleges and flagship universities – where a bunch of crusty old education professors spew meaningless theory at wide-eyed undergrads (who graduated at the bottom of their high school class) seeking that golden ticket to a job for life – with summers off.

In order to craft a clearly understandable (albeit entirely false) dichotomy of policy alternatives, pundits then present teachers who have obtained alternative certification as a group of individuals, nearly all of whom necessarily attended highly selective colleges and majored in something really, really rigorous and then received their certification through some more expeditious and clearly much more practical and useful fast-tracked option.

This was certainly the theme of a discussion (hashtag #edschools) at Thomas B. Fordham Institute actively tweeted the other day by Mike Petrilli and a few others. What I found most interesting was that no-one really challenged the assumptions that “ed schools” are some easily definable group of traditional higher education

Where is Cathie Black today? Her television appearances begin | GothamSchools

Where is Cathie Black today? Her television appearances begin

by Maura Walz

Cathie Black’s radio silence appears to be ending.

Today the chancellor appointee gave her first formal interview since Mayor Michael Bloomberg named her to the post more than three weeks ago. The appearance comes after criticism that the city has kept Black shielded from the public eye.

WABC 7 reporter Art McFarland accompanied Black on a visit to the Spruce Street School, an elementary school located at the Department of Education’s Tweed Courthouse headquarters. The DOE has already tweeteda photograph from the segment, which will air this evening.

A DOE spokeswoman did not respond to a query about whether other reporters will now have access to Ms. Black.

ABC didn’t get Black’s first sit-down. That honor goes to NBC’s “The Apprentice.” On an episode that aired two weeks ago, one contestant won a meeting with Black, but footage of the meeting wasn’t televised. Now it has

Elections Results UAW Local 2865 #UCDavis

UAW Local 2865

	UAW Local 2865 Representing Over 12,000 Academic Student Employees at UC

Elections Results

CONTRACT RATIFICATION VOTE
November 29-December 2, 2010

RESULTS
STATEWIDE TALLY
Y: 2421 – 62.4%
N: 1457 – 37.6%

CAMPUS TALLIES
Berkeley
Y: 203 – 21.2%
N: 755 – 78.8%
# of voters as % of ASEs on campus: 35%

Davis
Y: 139 – 58.9%
N: 97 – 41.1%
# of voters as % of ASEs on campus: 15%

Irvine
Y: 167 – 42.2%
N: 229 – 57.8%
# of voters as % of ASEs on campus: 28%

Los Angeles
Y: 674 – 87.8%
N: 94 – 12.2%
# of voters as % of ASEs on campus: 43%

Merced
Y: 24 – 100%
N: 0 – 0%
# of voters as % of ASEs on campus: 15%

Riverside
Y: 124 – 81.0%
N: 29 – 19.0%
# of voters as % of ASEs on campus: 15%

San Diego
Y: 633 – 95.3%
N: 31 – 4.7%
# of voters as % of ASEs on campus: 41%

Santa Barbara
Y: 437 – 92.6%
N: 35 – 7.4%
# of voters as % of ASEs on campus: 49%

Santa Cruz
Y: 20 – 9.7%
N: 187 – 90.3%
# of voters as % of ASEs on campus: 37%

solidaridad: Rhee, the Evil Princess of Privatization on Teabagger Transition Team

Rhee, the Evil Princess of Privatization on Teabagger Transition Team

by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene

Right wing reactionary Michelle Rhee is finally working with her own ilk — the racist Teabaggers! Corporate darling Rhee, along with a host of other far right ideologues will work on teabagger-white supremacist favorite Florida Governor-Elect Rick Scott's transition team.

That Rhee was immediately picked to head the education transition team of a teabagger/tea party politician should come as no surprise. Her ability to put the needs of corporations before communities, to call hard working people "special interests," and to make conditions favorable for the get rich quick schemesters in the charter-

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: SENIORITY RULES, BUT DO STUDENTS LOSE?

SENIORITY RULES, BUT DO STUDENTS LOSE?

EPISODE: KPCC AIRTALK WITH LARRY MANTLE FOR DECEMBER 3, 2010 | HTTP://BIT.LY/HXZM9C

smf: the LA Times is about to drop another shoe in its school reform jihad in Sunday's print edition. This is the first round in that next mixed-metaphorical attack: this time on teacher seniority / longevity / experience / educational attainment.

Once upon a time there were two newspapers in this town:
one had a database of student test scores sorted by who their teacher was that was obtained under the Freedom of Information Act and used it to evaluate teacher performance.
the other had a database of teachers and their salaries, also obtained under the Freedom of Information Act.
What if we were to compare the two, crunch the numbers and determine return-on-salary-investment by teachers? Would

Sacramento Press / Sacramento State Students go Ape-solutely Bananas for BORN FREE USA

Sacramento State Students go Ape-solutely Bananas for BORN FREE USA

by Kelsey Rubstello

Sacramento State Public Relations students and Will Travers, the Chief Executive Officer and founder of BORN FREE USA, will be training, stretching, lacing up their running shoes and donning their favorite animal costumes for the Kaiser Permanente MaraFUNrun & Fitness Walk on Sunday, Dec. 5, at 8 a.m.

The students and Travers are running the maraFUNrun for BORN FREE USA; a Sacramento- and Washington D.C.-based international wildlife nonprofit conservation and protection organization.

To help bring awareness to BORN FREE USA and its motto of “keeping wildlife in the wild,” the students and Travers will be running the 2.62 miles in BORN FREE USA gear and some will be participating dressed as monkeys, lions and bananas – oh my!

The Kaiser Permanente MaraFUNrun & Fitness Walk is part of the 28th Annual California International Marathon. The MaraFUNrun follows the last 2.62 miles of the marathon course, crossing the same finish line as the marathoners, and is held in the spirit of fun and fitness for youths and adults.

BORN FREE was originally founded in England in 1984 by Bill Travers and Virginal McKenna, stars of the 1968

Queens Teacher: Patrick Sullivan Shames Deformers...Again

Patrick Sullivan Shames Deformers... Again

by Queens Teacher

Popout

Patrick Sullivan: "There's one idea of education for their children and a totally different idea of education for everybody else's children. And that has to stop."

Well said, Patrick.

Plainfield school board leader catches heat for Facebook post - Herald News

Plainfield school board leader catches heat for Facebook post

by catherine ann velasco cvelasco@stmedianetwork.com Nov 22, 2010 10:38AM

PLAINFIELD — Plainfield school board President Stuart Bledsoe has told the teachers’ union to KMA — (Kiss My A**) — on his Facebook page after hearing that union members have allegedly campaigned against him during their meetings at the schools.

“Really after standing up for the APT (Association of Plainfield Teachers) the past three years they are going to go after me. KMA. Watch how much support you get in the future. Look at your leadership they will lead you exactly where they want you to go,” Bledsoe wrote on his Facebook page on Nov. 10.

A person on his Facebook page asked him what he meant.

Bledsoe replied, “It just means the APT can hold their breath if they think I will be going out on a limb for them in the future. They are on their own.”

Karie Beck, president of APT, took Bledsoe’s Facebook comments to Plainfield Superintendent John Harper last week, saying the union has concerns.

“Our concern is this is what is being posted on a public forum,” she said.

Beck also said she did not campaign during the union meeting, but informed members about the

The 400 page contract. « Fred Klonsky's blog

The 400 page contract.

by Fred Klonsky

Newsweek and Bill Gate's pal, Jonathan Alter.

In the Newsweek article by Jonathan Alter and Bill Gates, Gates attacks Diane Ravitch for being a defender of the status quo.

Much has been made of this stupid comment, and much more should be made of it.

But I also noticed that part of the criminal indictment Alter and Gates make against Ravitch is her alleged love of 400 page union contracts.

Some questions occur to me about this nonsense.

In this hypothetical 400 page contract, is everything in it put there by the teachers’ negotiators? Does nothing

Mayor and Sac City schools target parent engagement in new project - Sacramento City News - sacbee.com

Mayor and Sac City schools target parent engagement in new project

By Melody Gutierrez
mgutierrez@sacbee.com

Published: Friday, Dec. 3, 2010 - 9:49 am

Sacramento City Unified School District is partnering with Mayor Kevin Johnson's education nonprofit to promote parent engagement in city schools.

Stand Up for Sacramento Schools will focus on six schools identified by Sacramento City Unified as "priority schools." Those include Oak Ridge Elementary, Father Keith B. Kenny Elementary, Jedediah Smith Elementary, Fern Bacon Basic Middle, Will C. Wood Middle and Hiram W. Johnson High.

Stand Up Deputy Director Andrea Corso said many of the district's most successful schools require parent involvement. The partnership with the district will help encourage parents to become

The Answer Sheet - What is Michelle Rhee up to in Florida?

What is Michelle Rhee up to in Florida?

Michelle Rhee is the most nationally prominent figure to join Florida Gov.-elect Rick Scott’s education transition team, but she and the other 17 have something in common: They could all be on Jeb Bush’s Christmas card list. Bush has ties to virtually all members of the team, which is no surprise, since he has dominated Florida's politics for more than a decade, even after two terms as governor, which ended in 2007. Rhee, the former D.C. schools chancellor who became the national symbol for business-driven school reform, has now provided some details about her tenure on the transition team.

Schools Matter: Don't Miss...

Don't Miss...

by Kenneth Libby

"Reframing the Education Debate," by Pedro Noguera (via The Nation):

After two years, it has become clear that the education policies pursued by the Obama administration too closely resemble those of the Bush administration. They are leading us in the wrong direction and not producing the changes we need.

The vast number of parents and children throughout the country who rely on public schools are a natural constituency for the Democratic Party. So, too, are the 2.1 million teachers and administrators who draw their livelihoods from public education. Both groups are more likely to understand and support the need to direct public dollars not only to education but to healthcare and social welfare. They are also less likely to embrace the intolerance and fiscal conservatism of

Teachers’ Letters to Obama. Parents 4 democratic Schools

Parents 4 democratic Schools

Facebook | Teachers’ Letters to Obama.

Raising the Stakes

In a speech to the American Enterprise Institute last week Arne Duncan called for us to adjust to the “new normal” – larger class sizes, fewer resources, elimination of seniority protections. Last Spring our conversation with him went nowhere. We need to up the ante. Writing letters was not enough. A conference call with Duncan himself was not enough. Online teach-ins and roundtable discussions among ourselves were not enough. We need to raise the stakes. We need to show up in person, and raise our voices in the largest numbers we can muster.

One of the first letters I got last year was from Jesse Turner, who wrote about his mother would have him and his siblings walk around in their unheated apartment to stay warm. Jesse walked from Connecticut to Washington, DC, last summer, to protest NCLB and Race to the Top. When he got there, he met with others – and now plans are in the works to return to DC – in much larger numbers.

We are forming an alliance with other groups to mobilize the largest number of teachers possible for a march and conference in Washington, DC, from July 28 to 31. Please visit the discussion forum at Teachers’ Letters to Obama and share your thoughts and ideas as we begin to get ourselves organized.http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=166176941518&v=app_2373072738&ref=ts

Anthony Cody

Friday Reading List: TFA in Tenn., Rhee's New Gig, Mich. Evaluations - Teacher Beat - Education Week

Friday Reading List: TFA in Tenn., Rhee's New Gig, Mich. Evaluations

by Stephen Sawchuk

Some important stories for you to check out on this chilly winter Friday (here in the D.C. area, anyway):

•Tennessee officials have released a state report card on teacher preparation, the Memphis Commerical Appealreports. It finds that teachers trained and placed through the Teach For America program outperform every other training program in the state, with the exception of math teachers prepared at Vanderbilt University.

• EdWeek's Sean Cavanagh reports on former District of Columbia schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee's new gig: Helping to lead Fla. Gov.-elect Rick Scott's transition team for education.

• Though it's post-Race to the Top, Michigan legislators are now working on

A Twisted “History of Political Correctness” « Student Activism

A Twisted “History of Political Correctness”

by Angus Johnston

So yesterday on Twitter someone sent me a link to a video, and asked me whether I’d seen it. The video turned out to be The History of Political Correctness.

“The History of Political Correctness” is an oddity, even on its surface. It’s a cheaply produced 23-minute documentary hosted by a guy named William Lind. The video is festooned with stock footage of marching Nazis and long-haired hippies, and is dedicated to the theory that every left-liberal cultural development of the last half century — from political correctness and the student movements of the sixties to afrocentrism, gay pride, environmentalism, and sexual promiscuity — can be laid at the feet of the social theorists of the Frankfurt School.

This charmingly paranoid thesis is presented in over-the-top terms, as when Lind offers an introduction to the

The Answer Sheet - Was achievement gap understated?

Was achievement gap understated?

This post was written by Richard Innes, education analyst for the Bluegrass Institute for Public Policy Solutions. By Richard Innes I’m used to getting bad data from Kentucky’s educators, but this time it’s the National Center for Education Statistics that messed up. In a new set of web pages that accompanied the recent release of 12th grade National Assessment of Educational Progress reading and math scores from 2009, the NCES included a graph supposedly showing the proficiency gaps between whites, blacks and Hispanics for fourth grade math. The only problem is that NCES officials used the wrong numbers!

Michelle Rhee, Controversial Education Reformer, to Advise New Florida Governor

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No one thought former Washington, D.C., schools chancellor Michelle Rhee would be out of work for long. Rhee, who could not come to terms with the District's new mayor, has signed on with the education transition team of Florida Gov.-elect Rick Scott, a Republican.

Scott's office said the nationally "recognized education reformer" would help him find innovative ways to "create a new education system for a new economy," the Washington Post reported. Tall task, and the transition office did not spell out Rhee's responsibilities beyond advising. But she certainly ruffled feathers in Washington in her drive to improve one of the nation's worst school systems.

Education reformer Michelle Rhee to aid Florida governor-elect's transition

Education reformer Michelle Rhee to aid Florida governor-elect's transition

Rhee closed many schools and fired or laid off hundreds of teachers, but she also presided over rising test scores and won respect for her fearlessness in pursuing reform and rooting out deadwood in the system. Her impolitic

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