Saturday, May 7, 2011

School Tech Connect: Calling Things What They Really Are

Calling Things What They Really Are

by effacethefacade@yahoo.com (Tim)

I've been taking a couple of days off here, but I've also been trying to keep up with the CTU House of Delegates'heroic ixnaying of SB7, which Fred has been covering so well. In fact it is this particular comment over at Fred'sthat has struck me as the best, most concise expression of what's wrong with SB7. Tip o' the hat to Jim Cavallero. Go read the whole thing--- I'll wait.

Now, read Jessica Handy's brilliant reason why Chicago teachers should not enjoy equal protection under the law, which I saw here.

That's it. That's all they've got. The threat to

Peterson’s victory as new prez of Milwaukee teachers union. Good news. « Fred Klonsky's blog

Peterson’s victory as new prez of Milwaukee teachers union. Good news.

by Fred Klonsky

Bob Peterson has been elected as the new president of the Milwaukee teachers union, an NEA affiliate. Peterson is a long time Milwaukee teacher and public school activist, a founding member of Rethinking Schools.

Here’s a video from his election campaign with an endorsement from the wise Jonathan Kozol.

Popout

Daily Kos: So you want to make a difference for public education?

So you want to make a difference for public education?

by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken)

Have I got a deal for you. Today is a special day for the Save Our Schools March and National Call to Action Today is our 2nd one-day fundraiser, our money cascade, about which you can read at our Cause page

Your contributions to us are now tax-deductible, and we take PayPal.

And boy do we have lots of news.

You can read about our many endorsers, which is constantly expanding, and which now includes statewide teachers unions in Wisconsin, North Carolina, Colorado and Florida; many local teachers unions including Chicago; the National Council of Teachers of English; Matt Damon and his mom noted educator Nancy Carlsson-Paige. Read the list. It is impressive. Yes, I am listed, as are other members of the executive committee.

But yesterday we got some very interesting news, which I will share below the fold, even as I request you to support us, even with a nominal contribution. I willalsoexplain why we need your financial assistance.

So close– help put us over the top! :: Save Our Schools March and National Call to Action

So close– help put us over the top! As of 8:00 PM EDT, we are literally **FIVE DOLLARS** away from our goal of $2500! Now, when’s the next time you’ll get to be a hero by spending just five dollars? You know where the donate button is– show your love for public education and real ...

Halfway there! Let’s keep up the momentum! The "mercury" is having a bit of trouble keeping up [image: ;)] Quick update: We’re now halfway to our goal of $2500 for the day! Our sincerest thanks to all those who have already donated, and to everyone, please spread the word so we can keep ...

NYC Public School Parents: A disaster in the making: what will happen to class size if the mayor's cuts go through?

A disaster in the making: what will happen to class size if the mayor's cuts go through?

by Leonie Haimson

There's a good quote from Ann Kjellberg in today's NY Times about the mayor's proposed slash and burn budget cuts to schools: "We feel like pawns in his political struggles,” said Ann Kjellberg, a schools advocate and the mother of a fourth grader. “He said he needs $300 million to save these jobs, and $300 million seems like an amount you could find if you looked hard.”

However, we should keep in mind that the goal must be to avert the elimination of 6,000 plus teaching positions --not merely to prevent 4,000 layoffs; as it is this larger figure, eight percent of the teaching force, that has a direct effect on

SACRAMENTO PROGRESSIVE ALLIANCE: Noam Chomsky: My Reaction to Osama bin Laden’s Death

Noam Chomsky: My Reaction to Osama bin Laden’s Death

by Paul B

We might ask ourselves how we would be reacting if Iraqi commandos landed at George W. Bush’s compound, assassinated him, and dumped his body in the Atlantic.

By Noam Chomsky
Guernica (guernica.com), May 6, 2011

It’s increasingly clear that the operation was a planned assassination, multiply violating elementary norms of international law. There appears to have been no attempt to apprehend the unarmed victim, as presumably could have been done by 80 commandos facing virtually no opposition—except, they claim, from his wife, who lunged towards them. In societies that profess some respect for law, suspects are apprehended and brought to fair trial. I stress “suspects.” In April 2002, the head of the FBI, Robert Mueller, informed the press that after the most intensive investigation in history, the FBI could say no more than that it “believed” that the plot was hatched in Afghanistan, though implemented in the UAE and Germany. What they only believed

A member of the CTU House of Delegates explains his vote against SB7. « Fred Klonsky's blog

A member of the CTU House of Delegates explains his vote against SB7.

by Fred Klonsky

Jim Cavallero writes:

As a CPS teacher and CTU delegate I am proud that we took a stand last Wednesday night. I hope IFT, IEA and CTU stand together to get amendments put in. My real issue is this bill is titled as an education reform bill. That is inaccurate. If it is an education reform bill where is the language on reducing class size or ensuring students a well rounded curriculum as opposed to standardized test prep? There isn’t any in there. All teachers want education reform and we want to be a part of the process. This bill, however, is really about collective bargaining, teacher evaluation, seniority and tenure.
That’s ok but let’s call it what it really is. As teachers we should have the right to be treated fairly if

Will Teach for Food « State of Emergency

Will Teach for Food

by Leonard Feldman

A teacher’s sign at a recent Capitol rally makes the point with humor. The situation, though, is not a light one. More than $18 billion in cuts have decimated school programs and hurt students. Lawmakers need to pass the temporary tax extension now and a budget that protects schools. Without the tax extension, schools are likely to suffer another $4.1 billion in cuts.

Reasons #6 & #7 that I’m marching « Failing Schools

Reasons #6 & #7 that I’m marching

MAY 7, 2011

by Sabrina

I just shared a quick top 5 over at the Save Our Schools March Blog. But here are a couple more:

#6: Cutting Kids

The trend in education has been to build bigger accountability systems to monitor teachers and students through test scores while simultaneously cutting programs, services, and people. The result of this misappropriation of funding is that bureaucracies have more ways to complain about the problems they are NOT solving. It is a trap for educators and an unending bleeding of our children.
-Angela Engel, author, educator, mother, and all-around powerhouse

#7: Deflection, Duplicity, and Straight-up Hypocrisy

Between our frenemies in Washington, self-proclaimed student advocates who say

SB 830 Died! « Tangerine, Florida

SB 830 Died!

by 5redherrings

Just had to share the news put out this morning by FEA. It’s not all good but better than it could be.

FEA Frontline Report – Day 61 of the 2011 Legislative Session – Sine Die!
May 7, 2011
SB 830 Dies!
You last heard from us around 1:30 this morning, after Senate President Haridopolos instructed lawmakers that the Senate would reconvene at 10 a.m. Saturday morning. Things started unraveling when the Senate began killing House bills just after 10 p.m. Then the fight that brought the Senate to a screeching halt began. Just before midnight, to put and end to the House mischief making, Sen. John Thrasher made a motion that killed SB 830 – the Union Gag Bill – and several other bills still in play. The only bills left alive were budget related. When we left the FEA building
AFL-CIO Media Release Video: 2011 Florida Legislative Session
by 5redherrings
Legislative leaders have nothing to be proud of following the 2011 legislative session.

Why Is It Important For Students To Learn About Bloom’s Taxonomy? | Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day...

Why Is It Important For Students To Learn About Bloom’s Taxonomy?

by Larry Ferlazzo

1 person liked this

There are tons of resources available on Bloom’s Taxonomy (you can see some great stuff at The Best Resources For Helping Teachers Use Bloom’s Taxonomy In The Classroom) — much of it geared towards helping educators use it in developing their lesson plans.

In my newest book, though, in addition to talking about that aspect of Bloom’s Taxonomy, I include a detailed lesson plan for explicitly teaching what Bloom’s Taxonomy (revised) is to students.

My colleagues and I are actually using that lesson plan right now, and it’s been great to see students — without prompting from us — starting to incorporate what they are learning by using many of the question-stems found in

Modern School: Permanent War, Permanent Recession

Permanent War, Permanent Recession

by Michael Dunn

The British economy grew by only 0.5% in the first quarter of 2011 and contracted by 0.5% the quarter prior, the WSWS reported today, causing many to concede that Britain is teetering on the edge of a “double dip recession.” The situation in the U.S. was not much better, with anemic first quarter growth of only 1.8%, following a decline of 3.1% the previous quarter.

If these numbers don’t sound worrisome enough, consider that the average time an American worker stays unemployed is now 39 weeks—the longest period on record. This has been especially hard on youth (ages 16-24), whose jobless rate was 18.4% last year—also a record high. Or consider this: Real earnings in the UK have contracted in each of the past four years, something the British haven’t seen since the 1870s, with household incomes predicted to

Save Our Schools March -You Can Make a Difference - Copy / Paste by Peter Pappas

Save Our Schools March -You Can Make a Difference

by Peter Pappas

The Save Our Schools March and National Call to Action is holding a one-day fundraiser. Please consider making a tax-deductible gift today, as part of their day-long May 7th “Money Cascade” to support the March. They’ve set an initial goal of $2500.

I just made a quick $10 donation - will you match me?

Click here to go to their donation page via Paypal

Here's a one minute video about the effort and more information from Save Our Schools March

"The march is being held in response to recent destructive 'reform' efforts which have undermined our public educational system, demoralized teachers, and reduced the education of too many of our children to nothing more than test preparation. Something must be done – and it must be done now!
Please join people from all across America as they gather to participate in the Save Our Schools March on Saturday, July 30 in Washington, D.C.
The Save Our Schools March and National Call to Action is calling on Americans everywhere to demand:
Equitable funding for all public school communities.
An end to high stakes testing for student, teacher, and school evaluation.
Curriculum developed for and by local school communities.
Teacher and community leadership in forming public education policies."

Saturday coffee + Old school « Fred Klonsky's blog

Saturday coffee. « Fred Klonsky's blog

Saturday coffee.

by Fred Klonsky

A storm on the Prairie. PREA members meet with Park Ridge State Senator in front of the Capitol.

Is it good news this morning? Or bad news?

Will the IEA leadership be successful, as former District 207 union president, Jean Miller wrote, in throwing veteran and retired teachers under the bus? Or is their so-called reform train about to jump the tracks?

Or can I come up with some other metaphors?

Say. Can we convince people to stop using “uber” before it gets out of hand?

But that’s an issue for another day.

“Ain’t gridlock wonderful,” a veteran colleague wrote me yesterday when I

Old school.

by Fred Klonsky

Cheryl Crow.

US government lies about bin Laden: can you handle the documented truth??? | Dailycensored.com

US government lies about bin Laden: can you handle the documented truth???

by Carl_Herman

source: Carl Herman, Examiner.com As is true for you readers, I only have so much time to read, and less time to write, in my “hobby” for social justice. The following is a reprint of one of the sharpest minds I read, the author of Washington’s Blog. The article is stunningly brilliant; the author has my [...]

Staged death of bin Laden? War on Libya, US False Flags and Imperialism (Exclusive YWN Interview)

by Solomon Comissiong

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/your-world-news/2011/05/07/war-and-imperialism-in-central-asiaand-far-beyond Please listen to this show as we were joined by columnist, Stephen Lendman, who deconstructed the media and ongoing lies regarding the death date of bin Laden, the war on Libya, and the continuing false Flags. This is one of the most comprehensive interviews regarding this topics. He gave the analysis that the [...]

33% of the way there…let’s push! :: Save Our Schools March and National Call to Action

33% of the way there…let’s push!

by TeacherSabrina

IT'S TODAY! Please donate now.

My top five reasons for getting and staying involved with this March:

When the top assistant to the Secretary of Education pooh-poohs local solutions to educational problems because that’s “no way to grow a market” and salivates over the profit-making opportunities created by national standards, it’s time to MARCH!
When faulty measures are used to close or “reconstitute” schools, and even to justify direct attacks on citizens’ democratic rights (if you thought mayoral control was bad, wait until you see the Emergency Managers…), it’s time to MARCH!
Not to brag or anything, but have you SEEN our list of endorsers?? We are in very good company! I don’t know about you, but I’m certainly looking forward to marching with Matt Damon!
When the teachers, parents, and students who know and care the most about public education are treated as “special interests” in our own domain; and people who’ve spent virtually no time studying or practicing education, or even being inside of public schools are viewed as “experts” (who then try to ignore or minimize those of us who dare to publicly disagree with them), it’s time to MARCH!
I love public education, and am willing to do whatever it takes to defend and strengthen it.

Are you?

As of mid-day today, we are about a third of the way to our fundraising goal of $2500! Let’s keep this movement going and growing– please find the donate button on the right-hand side of every page of this site, and make a tax-deductible donation as soon as you can!

Afterwards, come on back here and share your top five reasons for standing up for public education. Together, we can make a difference!

Arne Duncan & The Real Fight for Social Justice - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher

Arne Duncan & The Real Fight for Social Justice

By Nancy Flanagan on May 7, 2011 9:47 AM | Leave a comment |

Exactly, two years ago, I wrote a blog about my personal hope that Arne Duncan would follow through on the exciting ideas he was preaching: Education as the ticket out of poverty. Public schooling as the civil rights issue of our generation. Genuine social justice.

Duncan was preaching to the choir, on that occasion--the State Teachers of the Year gala celebration--and the choir was reveling in the sermon. But the homily has worn thin, and the congregation is seeing through the rhetorical flourishes to the truth: the pastor has no credibility, and his talking points are false. During this week's oratory, members of the congregation began calling out the minister on his hypocrisy. Including--amazingly--one of the current State Teachers of the Year.

If we're truly in this school reform movement to strengthen civil rights and social

Daily Kos: Blackwater In-Law DeVos outlines "stealth" plot against Public Education

Blackwater In-Law DeVos outlines "stealth" plot against Public Education

byTroutfishing

472 66

PERMALINK	168 COMMENTS

"The DeVos family crusade to eradicate public education... [is] being marketed as a solution to save public schools, but the big donors are tied to right-wing think tanks that openly advocate, and strategize, the end of public education. How can vouchers improve public schools if the people mobilizing the movement intend to eradicate public education? Regardless of your personal stance on "school choice," it's important to know who is behind the voucher movement and the agenda they don't share with the public or advertise in their media campaigns." - from Rachel Tabachnick's report,Voucher Advocate Betsy DeVos, Right-Wing Think Tanks Behind Koch-Style Attack on PA Public Schools

Last weekend, while revisiting a 2007 Alternet story I did covering the war on public education,The link between Private Armies & Private Schools?, I discovered an astonishing video of a speech Amway fortune heir Richard DeVos gave on December 3, 2002, at the Heritage Foundation (which DeVos money funds.) Dick DeVos is brother-in-law to private mercenary

Race to Nowhere: Atlanta Panel Discussion - The Educator's PLN

Race to Nowhere: Atlanta Panel Discussion

Race to Nowhere: Atlanta Panel Discussion from Vicki Abeles onVimeo.

Panel discussion with Dr. Mark Crawford, moderator, and panelists Alfie Kohn, author, Homework Myth and Unconditional Parenting, Dr. James Wagner, President, Emory University, Dr. Pearl Kane, Klingenstein Center Chair, Teachers College, Columbia University and Vicki Abeles, Filmmaker

Latest News and Comment from Education

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Reasons #6 & #7 that I’m marching

Arne Duncan & The Real Fight for Social Justice

Race to Nowhere: Atlanta Panel Discussion