Monday, October 24, 2011

The Real Reason Kids Are Missing From School « Cooperative Catalyst:The Real Reason Kids Are Missing From Schoolby John T. SpencerEducation Week posted a poll on Facebook regarding student absenteeism. The post does’t ask whether it should be a crime to miss school or whether compulsory schooling violates the rights of parents to raise their own children. It doesn’t ask whether the implementation of truancy laws has anything to do with the allocation of funds that schools get based upon ... more »

NYPD tells teachers, “No grading papers in public.” « Fred Klonsky's blog

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NYPD tells teachers, “No grading papers in public.” « Fred Klonsky's blog:NYPD tells teachers, “No grading papers in public.”by Fred KlonskyAnne and I are in New York for the weekend to see our kids and grand kids. Plus it is our 35th wedding anniversary. Naturally we want to spend some time at Occupy Wall Street.Liberty Park is jammed with people. Some have taken up permanent residence in sleeping backs and tents. Hundreds more fill the park every day with signs ... more »

I supported Charter Schools and All I got was this lousy T-shirt

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I supported Charter SchoolsandAll I got was this lousy T-shirtThey made millions...(That is why they can afford thoseFlashy T-Shirts)

Oakland school closures: Is a $2 million savings worth the cost? - Inside Bay Area #ows

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Oakland school closures: Is a $2 million savings worth the cost? - Inside Bay Area:Oakland school closures: Is a $2 million savings worth the cost?By Katy MurphyOakland TribunePosted: 10/23/2011 12:00:00 AM PDTUpdated: 10/23/2011 06:17:30 AM PDTClick photo to enlarge1234»The Oakland school district has no shortage of challenges to contend with, but its leaders lately have spent much of their time, energy and political capital on one contentious project: shrinking the school district down to a more manageable size.On Wednesday, the ... more »

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: TO TEST OR NOT TO TEST?

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4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: TO TEST OR NOT TO TEST?:TO TEST OR NOT TO TEST? BY JEFF MANGUM – POMERANDO NEWS | HTTP://BIT.LY/O13ER5Poway is a city of 50,000 located north of the city of San Diego and south of the city of Escondido in San Diego County.“I recently read an article about cheating on standardized tests — by teachers, not by students. This encapsulates much of what’s wrong with public education: Over emphasis on standardized ... more »

The Corporate Reform Movement and the Pushback | Seattle Education

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The Corporate Reform Movement and the Pushback | Seattle Education:The Corporate Reform Movement and the Pushbackby seattleducation2011Stan Karp of Rethinking Schools gave this talk at the Northwest Teachers for Social Justice conference held in Seattle on October 1, 2010.Look again at the issues the corporate reformers have made prominent features of school reform efforts in every state: rapid expansion of charters, closing low performing schools, more testing, elimination of tenure and seniority for teachers, and test-based teacher evaluation. If every ... more »

Schools Matter: Testing Support for TFA and KIPP: Whose Children Matter?

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Schools Matter: Testing Support for TFA and KIPP: Whose Children Matter?:Testing Support for TFA and KIPP: Whose Children Matter?by P. L. ThomasTesting Support for TFA and KIPP: Whose Children Matter?During the first years of the Obama administration, Secretary Arne Duncan has risen to the forefront of public debates about education reform, paralleling the growing public nature of that debate that includes the entrepreneur reformers such as Bill Gates and Geoffrey Canada along with a harbinger of things to come with ... more »

CA School Finance 101 Wrap-Up

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CA School Finance 101 Wrap-Up:CA School Finance 101 Wrap-Upby cynthiaAsk any parent casting an uneasy eye on state budget cuts and the ballooning class sizes, shrinking programs, and dwindling resources devoted to her child at the local neighborhood school, and you’re likely to find a high-quality curriculum and school funding worries at the top of her list of concerns.Note: I said “a high quality curriculum and school funding worries,” not “pensions,” “tenure,” or any number of things well-funded “ed reformers” ... more »

One Florida Charter School’s Curious Financial History | Scathing Purple Musings

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One Florida Charter School’s Curious Financial History | Scathing Purple Musings:One Florida Charter School’s Curious Financial Historyby Bob SikesA Florida Today story take a thorough look at Brevard county’s Imagine Charter School. The school received an “F” this past year and is in danger of being closed. Within the piece written by MacKenzie Ryan are details of the school’s financial history.Originally opened in 1998 as Milestones Community School, the school later combined with Stepping Stones and became River’s Edge Charter ... more »

Podcast: The “brutal work” of turnarounds | EdNewsColorado

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Podcast: The “brutal work” of turnarounds | EdNewsColorado:Podcast: The “brutal work” of turnaroundsWritten by EdNews staff on Oct 23rd, 2011. | Copyright © EdNewsColorado.orgNational education blogger Alexander Russo decided to write a book about the Green Dot Public Schoolstakeover and turnaround of Los Angeles’ troubled Locke High School because it was one of the most audacious efforts ever undertaken by a charter management organization.Russo’s book, “Stray Dogs, Saints, and Saviors” came out earlier this year. It gives the Locke turnaround ... more »

Official Google Reader Blog: Upcoming changes to Reader: a new look, new Google+ features, and some clean-up

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Official Google Reader Blog: Upcoming changes to Reader: a new look, new Google+ features, and some clean-up:Upcoming changes to Reader: a new look, new Google+ features, and some clean-upPosted by Alan Green, Software EngineerIn the next week, we’ll be making some highly requested changes to Google Reader. First, we’re going to introduce a brand new design (like many of Google’s other products) that we hope you love. Second, we’re going to bring Reader and Google+ closer together, so you can ... more »

Watching math videos for credit « JD2718

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Watching math videos for credit « JD2718:Watching math videos for creditby jd2718A question. For my freshmen algebra classes.I love the Vi Hart videos. I like that Vi looks like the VI at the bottom of some clocks, or like the VI in VI Lenin. But mostly I like how fast she talks and how much she makes fun of math class while talking about nothing but math (and interesting tangent) and how cleverly she drops in cultural references and bad ... more »

Education Nation Or Education Corporation? | Crooks and Liars

Education Nation Or Education Corporation? | Crooks and Liars:

Education Nation Or Education Corporation?

7 comments

By Cliff Schecter

Once again this past few weeks, the ongoing education debate in the United States occupied the headlines, bylines and cable news scrolls. NBC launched its second annual "Education Nation Summit", billed as a way "to engage the country in a solutions-focused conversation about the state of education in America".

Meanwhile, President Obama, approaching warp speed on the campaign trail to try to convince us he's actually the transformational guy from 2008 - as opposed to the chary chap we've found running our country since - made a fresh pitch in his weekly radio address for his version of education reform. Obama tied it to the economic future of our country, and discussed waivers to allow states to opt out of provisions of his predecessor's much-maligned legislation, the No Child Left Behind Act.

Of course, the problem is that we're not having an honest conversation about education in the US, because many of the broader trends degrading our overall political culture are also at work with this issue. Although some people really want to improve the system for our children, there are also those who see our schools as a way to bring about their vision of a 21st-century America - which sometimes looks a lot like 1984.

This whole cast of characters will seem familiar - much like that coffee stain you just can't get o

Shanker Blog » Do Americans Think Government Should Reduce Income Inequality?

Shanker Blog » Do Americans Think Government Should Reduce Income Inequality?:

Do Americans Think Government Should Reduce Income Inequality?

by Matthew Di Carlo

With all the recent coverage of Occupy Wall Street and President Obama’s jobs bill, we’ve heard a lot of polling results showing that a large plurality of Americans supports raising taxes on high earners, and that this support is strong among both Democrats and Republicans.

The campaign to raise taxes on high-income households is part of a larger ideological notion that reducing inequality by such means as taxation and welfare programs is a proper function of government. Supporters (e.g., Democrats) argue that progressive taxation helps to ensure that high earners pay their “fair share” in supporting the public resources, such as schools, roads and law enforcement, that is necessary (but not sufficient) for their success. Republicans, on the other hand, tend frame the issue directly in terms of government intrusion – the government is unfairly “picking winners and losers,” and stifling innovation and risk-taking. The assumption

NJ Spotlight | New Jersey Schools' Open Door Policy

NJ Spotlight | New Jersey Schools' Open Door Policy:

New Jersey Schools' Open Door Policy
With the state's Interdistrict School Choice program, Garden State students can become traveling scholars

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By John Mooney, October 24 in Education |Post a Comment

With 70 New Jersey school districts now opening their doors to outside students, nearly 2,000 students chose to leave their hometowns for their education this fall, according to preliminary figures from the state.

For the schools, it's an opportunity to fill seats and pick up extra money from the state -- as much as $11,500 per student. For the students, it's a chance to participate in programs not offered by their own schools.

The biggest takers continue to be the dozen districts that have pioneered New Jersey's Interdistrict Public School Choice program for the past decade, with 275 students from across Bergen County attending Englewood's high school academies and close to 200 attending Folsom's lone elementary school.

Hechinger Report | New era of teacher evaluations commences in Florida

Hechinger Report | New era of teacher evaluations commences in Florida:

New era of teacher evaluations commences in Florida

by Sarah Butrymowicz

MANATEE, Fla.—About 70 percent of Principal Doug DuPouy’s teachers at Orange Ridge/Bullock Elementary School spent an entire year in the classroom without being formally observed by an administrator.

Now, that’s changed.

Starting this year, DuPouy or Assistant Principal Greg Sanders, will formally observe each teacher in his or her classroom at least once a year, all as part of Manatee County School District’s revamped teacher-evaluation system.

Teacher evaluations

This story is part of a series by The Hechinger Report and newspapers in Florida. The first installment appeared

Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… - The Best Posts & Articles On Recent Study About Student Anxiety

Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… - The Best Posts & Articles On Recent Study About Student Anxiety:

The Best Posts & Articles On Recent Study About Student Anxiety

by Larry Ferlazzo

Earlier this month, and earlier this year, Professor Sian Beilock released two widely publicized studies — one on the causes of math anxiety among students and the other a related one on “choking” under pressure. The both included potential interventions, including “taking 10 minutes before a high-stakes situation to write about goals and worries.”

I thought it might be useful to bring together a few posts on the studies, since anxiety and stress among

Benefits To Attending College

by Larry Ferlazzo

More Research Showing Why Inductive Learning Works

by Larry Ferlazzo

1 person liked this

The Mind Hacks blog revisits an older study that restates why inductive learning, student autonomy, and choiceworks in the classroom.

The blog also has a useful chart. It’s worth checking-out but, in summary, it discusses findings that students will

English learners still far behind using English-only methods | California Watch

Los resultados de lectura de los estudiantes jóvenes descienden en los programas de inmersión en inglés

by Sarah Garland

Sarah Garland

Esta nota fue producida como parte de un trabajo en colaboración entre California Watch, parte del Centro para Información de Investigaciones, un centro independiente y sin fines de lucro, y The Hechinger Report, una agencia de noticias sobre educación no partidaria y sin fines de lucro que está afiliada a Teachers Collage, Columbia University.

Esta nota fue editada por Denise Zapata. Fue corregida por Nikki Frick.

woodleywonderworks/ Flickr

BALDWIN PARK – El fin del día escolar en la clase de kindergarten de Patty Sánchez en la Escuela Primaria

English learners still far behind using English-only methods

by Sarah Garland

Sarah Garland

This story was produced as part of a collaboration between California Watch, part of the independent, nonprofit Center for Investigative Reporting, and The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, nonpartisan education-news outlet affiliated with Teachers College, Columbia University.

This story was edited by Denise Zapata. It was copy edited by Nikki Frick.

Sarah Garland/California WatchPatty Sanchez gets ready to read a story in Spanish to kindergartners at Geddes Elementary School in Baldwin Park, which adopted a dual-language education program seven years ago.

BALDWIN PARK – The end of the school day in Patty Sanchez’s kindergarten class at Geddes Elementary School is not so different from other kindergarten classes around the state. Children gather on a rug as Sanchez holds up a storybook about a coyote and a turtle and reads out loud.

For unrecognized minority, temple brings sense of community

by Patricia Leigh Brown

Patricia Leigh Brown

Patricia Leigh Brown/California WatchKouichoy Saechao (right), chairman of the Lao Iu Mien Culture Association; Lai Chow Saephan (left); and Chaylium Saechao wear traditional garments at the King Pan festival in September.

To watch elderly women in hand-embroidered robes sip coconut drinks while sharing news is to marvel that there is yet to be a category for “Iu Mien” in the U.S. Census.

The feeling of being an unacknowledged minority within an Asian minority was a major impetus behind the building of the King Pan Community Center and Temple, a hidden Oakland treasure and center of Iu Mien life

Save Seattle Schools Community Blog: The Low Tech Take on Education

9:06 PM (8 hours ago)

The Low Tech Take on Education

by Melissa Westbrook

From the NY Times, a story about a small school in Northern California populated by children of employees from Google, Apple, Yahoo and others and nary a computer in sight. There are pens and pencils, paper and some knitting supplies.

This is the Waldorf School of the Peninsula, one of about 160 Waldorf schools in the country that subscribe to a teaching philosophy focused on physical activity and learning through creative, hands-on tasks. Those who endorse this approach say computers inhibit creative thinking, movement, human interaction and attention spans.

Seattle Schools The Week of October 24-29, 2011

by Melissa Westbrook

Monday, October 24th

Curriculum & Instruction Policy Committee Mtg, 4-6 p.m.

The agenda includes: review of Alternative Learning schools, some sort of resolution for Cleveland to have a 15-hour requirement, graduation requirements, and Board policies "C" (curriculum and instruction) and "D" (students which includes placement, records, rights, discipline, etc.).

Wednesday, October 26th
Director Sundquist Community meeting from 11 am - 12:30 p.m. Delridge Library, 5423 Delridge Way SW

Oversight Work Session: Finance from 5:30-7:00 p.m. This is some sort of update on organization for financial oversight. It's one big overview but to what end I'm not sure. (They also need better proofreading for these

The impact of Michelle Rhee’s ‘culture of urgency’ - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

The impact of Michelle Rhee’s ‘culture of urgency’

by Valerie Strauss

It is an almost universal tribute offered about Michelle Rhee’s 3 1/2 -year tenure of the Washington D.C. school district — that if she accomplished one thing, it was to instill a sense of urgency in the city about the need to fix broken schools that had failed children for decades.

Actually, it was Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, who hired Rhee and gave her carte blanche, who made school reform the city’s top priority. Rhee got all the attention because Fenty wanted it that way.

Read full article >>

Who is missing from this lineup to evaluate Race to the Top?

by Valerie Strauss

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce just convened a group of prominent people in the education world to take a comprehensive look at the Obama administration’s Race to the Top initiative and its impact on school reform around the country.

Race to the Top, the administration’s chief education initiative, is a competition that required states to apply for a share of a total of about $4 billion by promising to implement school reforms that were in part focused on the (unfortunate) primacy of standardized testing as the basis of evaluating schools, students, teachers and principals.

Read full article >>

Latest News and Comment from Education

Monday, October 24, 2011

New Jersey Schools' Open Door PolicyWith the state's Interdistrict School Choice program, Garden State students can become traveling scholars

Teacher evaluations

New Jersey Schools' Open Door Policy
With the state's Interdistrict School Choice program, Garden State students can become traveling scholars