Mapping America — Census Bureau 2005-9 American Community Survey - NYTimes.com

Mapping America — Census Bureau 2005-9 American Community Survey - NYTimes.com:

Mapping America: Every City, Every Block

Browse local data from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey, based on samples from 2005 to 2009. Because these figures are based on samples, they are subject to a margin of error, particularly in places with a low population, and are best regarded as estimates.

Find something interesting? Share this view on Twitter or Facebook

View Readers Maps (49)

Note: Dots are evenly distributed across each Census tract or county. Dollar amounts are adjusted for inflation.

By MATTHEW BLOCH, SHAN CARTER and ALAN McLEAN | Source: 2005-9 American Community Survey, Census Bureau; socialexplorer.com

California’s Higher Education Disaster:

California’s Higher Education Disaster

by KEVIN CAREY on JANUARY 3, 2012

in UNCATEGORIZED

Share

There’s no doubt that the ongoing crisis of governance in California and resulting disinvestment in the University of California system is deplorable. But this recent Washington Post dispatch from UC-Berkeley doesn’t exactly paint a picture of a campus in deep crisis:

Star faculty take mandatory furloughs. Classes grow perceptibly larger each year. Roofs leak; e-mail crashes. One employee mows the entire campus. Wastebaskets are emptied once a week. Some professors lack telephones…The state share of Berkeley’s operating budget has slipped since 1991 from 47 percent to 11 percent. Tuition has doubled in six years, and the university is admitting more students from out of state willing to pay a premium for a

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Program Placement, Yet Again

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Program Placement, Yet Again:

Program Placement, Yet Again

by Charlie Mas

I know that my zeal for the Program Placement policy, C56.00, exceeds that of just about anyone else. I suspect that my enthusiasm for it is a curiosity for a lot of folks. It seems like a small and ineffective policy. Even if the policy were followed, what difference would it make? The policy still leaves all of the authority with the superintendent, so what difference would transparency make? It think it makes a big difference. I think that the policy represents the change that we want to see in Seattle Public Schools. I think the continued violation of the policy reveals the failure of the superintendent and the Board to live up to the ideals they espouse.



A Quick Review
Dr. Enfield isn't following the policy this year. She did not follow the policy last year. Dr. Goodloe-Johnson never followed the policy. You might think the policy is hard to follow. It isn't.

The Program Placement policy has a modest requirement. It requires the superintendent to have a process for

Who's Responsible for This, Anyway? - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher

Who's Responsible for This, Anyway? - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher:

Who's Responsible for This, Anyway?

by Nancy Flanagan

I taught in a middle school for almost 30 years. The last year I was there, I ended up teaching a class called Enrichment, which was code for Kids Who Are Falling Behind. The students in my class were compelled to give up one of their elective courses, and were placed in Enrichment in order to "catch up." The theory was that once all the uncompleted assignments were done, the student could return to gym class, happily part of the educational pack once again.

Why I ended up teaching Enrichment is a long story that usually requires an adult beverage--but suffice it to say, what I was doing in Enrichment didn't have much to do with expert instruction. It was about compliance, an adult standing over kids who were chronic homework avoiders, dangling the lackluster carrot of that elective class while breathing severely down their necks. The goal was never about mastering content. It was about filling in empty boxes in the grading program.

There were a handful of kids in the class who were genuinely struggling with the content and assignments. I was

Ravitch weighs in on the NEA TFA controversy. « Fred Klonsky

Ravitch weighs in on the NEA TFA controversy. « Fred Klonsky:

Ravitch weighs in on the NEA TFA controversy.

by Fred Klonsky

DVR and Kopp. Maybe not such an odd couple after all.

Education historian and leading critic of corporate education reform, Diane Ravitch, has weighed in on the controversial marriage (or maybe it was just a coffee date) of NEA President Dennis Van Roekel and Teach For America’s Wendy Kopp.

Prominent teacher-activists responded immediately to the USA Today editorial with outrage. Ken Bernstein, who blogs regularly for The Daily Kos, accused Van Roekel of betraying his members.

Anthony Cody, who blogs for Education Week, wondered why the NEA was

NYC Public School Parents: News flash! The mayor appoints someone qualified to sit on the Panel for Educational Policy!

NYC Public School Parents: News flash! The mayor appoints someone qualified to sit on the Panel for Educational Policy!:

News flash! The mayor appoints someone qualified to sit on the Panel for Educational Policy!

by Leonie Haimson

I am surprised that the DOE has not yet released any biographical information for Judy Bergtraum, the new member of the Panel for Educational Policy, whose appointment was announced several weeks ago. She is from a well-known and educationally prominent Queens family, and until recently, was a Community Education Council member and president from District 25.

Her mother was Edith Bergtraum, a teacher at Public School 143 in Corona for 25 years, who was also member of Community School Board District 25 in 1974 for 19 years. After her death, an elementary school in Queens (PS 165 in District 25) was renamed in Edith's memory.

Her father was Murry Bergtraum, who was a member of the NYC Board of Education from 1969-1973, first as its VP and then its president until his death in 1973. He

Gov. Scott Walker can thank Michelle Rhee for making teachers unions the enemy:

Gov. Scott Walker can thank Michelle Rhee for making teachers unions the enemy

TOOLBOX Resize Print E-mail Reprints

Richard D. Kahlenberg

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Education writer explains how the former D.C. schools chief helped stoke anti-union fires

A half-century ago, Wisconsin became the first state in the nation to pass legislation allowing collective bargaining for public employees, including educators. At the time, teachers across the country, who make up a significant share of public employees, were often underpaid and mistreated by autocratic administrators. In the fight for greater dignity, union leaders such as Albert Shanker in New York City linked teacher unionization to the fledgling civil rights movement.

Today, Wisconsin is again at the forefront of a union battle - this time in Republican Gov. Scott Walker's effort to cut his state's budget deficit in part by curtailing collective bargaining for teachers and other public employees. How did it become okay, once more,

AQE Delivers 2012 “State of the Schools” Alliance for Quality Education -

Alliance for Quality Education -:

Supporter,

My name is Nikki. I am the Communications Director for the Alliance for Quality Education. I wanted to share with you a “State of the Schools” video that I recorded calling for fairness in our public schools. It’s important, especially in this tight economy that every student is given an opportunity to learn and is college and career ready.

In tomorrow’s State of the State speech, we are hopeful that Governor Cuomo will incorporate the Board of Regents’ proposal to prioritize this year’s funding for high needs schools when he talks about New York’s public education system.

Click HERE to send a letter to the Governor and tell him that the $800 million he has committed to delivering to our schools must be delivered in a fair way. Too many students are still struggling to deal with the impact of last year’s massive school budget cuts.
Please share the link with your friends and family so that they, too, can be informed and involved in the 2012 fight for fairness in our schools.

Sincerely,
Nikki Jones, AQE

P.S. Have you R.S.V.P. for First Things First 2012?

On January 10, 2012, join parents and students from across the state on January 10 to speak out for fairness for our schools.
Download Flyer

Call 518-432-5315 to R.S.V.P.

Occupy in the Rose Bowl Parade and ALEC « Continuing Change

Occupy in the Rose Bowl Parade and ALEC « Continuing Change:

Occupy in the Rose Bowl Parade and ALEC

by gatorbonbc

ALEC -

“When a company needs a state bill passed, the American Legislative Exchange Council can get it done.” ALEC officials routinely deny it, insisting that in this “laboratory of democracy” lawmakers, not corporations, have the final word on the bills that emerge for approval:

The group’s 300-strong corporate members include some of the most high-profile in America: among them AT&T, Wal-Mart, GlaxoSmithKline, UPS, Pfizer, Bayer, Verizon, and Koch Industries — headed by the Kansas-based

Blue Jersey:: Why push-back against charters? Because they don't deliver the goods.

Blue Jersey:: Why push-back against charters? Because they don't deliver the goods.:

Why push-back against charters? Because they don't deliver the goods.

by Marie Corfield

promoted by Rosi

Given the Star Ledger's overtly biased opinions about public education and teachers—most notably their New Year's day work of fiction and the firestorm it created in the Twitter/blogospheres (this link to the piece and my response also contains links to other opposing opinions including SOSNJ and NJParents1)—I do commend their Dec. 27 editorial, The push-back against charter schools, for trying to see both sides of this debate. But it does not go far enough, and ends up perpetuating some long-standing myths about these publicly funded but privately run schools.

Let’s start with the myth that they are a cure for failing schools. They are not. Two extensive studies done in the past two years, and partially funded by billionaire-turned-education-reformer Bill Gates—the CREDO at Stanford

Making the Most of Mistakes | Connected Principals

Making the Most of Mistakes | Connected Principals:

Making the Most of Mistakes

by Brian Nichols

“Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.”

- Albert Einstein

Earlier this week I began writing about the second new year for leaders. You can read the introductory post for more background information here. We have already admitted that the beginning of the school year has not been exactly perfect and mistakes have been made. That brings me to the following question:

What do the best leaders do when they make a mistake?

• Run in a different direction
• Blame somebody else
• Hide from anyone who knows the truth
• Ignore the mistake and it will go away

Unfortunately, none of these would be the correct answer. Even worse, these are strategies employed by many

Whose children have been left behind? Framing the 2012 ed debate - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

Whose children have been left behind? Framing the 2012 ed debate - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post:

Whose children have been left behind? Framing the 2012 ed debate

by Valerie Strauss

The battles over education policy that marked 2011 will continue, ever more heated, in the new year. As a starting point, and in honor of this Sunday’s 10th anniversary of the day when president George W. Bush signed No Child Left Behind into law, here is a speech written by education historian Diane Ravitch that addresses what is really at stake in the fight over how to fix troubled public schools.

Read full article >>

Kyle Olson needs a sick day. But that would require him getting a job. « Fred Klonsky

Kyle Olson needs a sick day. But that would require him getting a job. « Fred Klonsky:

Kyle Olson needs a sick day. But that would require him getting a job.

by Fred Klonsky

Popout

Kyle Olson, of the Michigan-based Education Action Group, has teamed up with New Jersey’s Governor Chris Christie to attack teacher’s sick days.

Sick days?

Apparently going after the children’s book Click Clack Moo, Cows that Type as being Bolshevik propaganda didn’t get much traction.

Briefly, here is Olson’s premise: As part of the hated collective bargaining agreements between teachers and

The Odd Couple: Dennis & Wendy - Bridging Differences - Education Week

The Odd Couple: Dennis & Wendy - Bridging Differences - Education Week:

The Odd Couple: Dennis & Wendy

by Diane Ravitch

Editor's note: Bridging Differences returns today from its holiday break.

Dear Deborah,

While we were on holiday break, Dennis Van Roekel and Wendy Kopp co-signed an opinion piece in USA Today, setting off a heated controversy.

It was a surprising statement, mainly because of its authors and what they represent. Here was the president of the nation's largest teachers' union, with more than 3 million members, joining in solidarity with the founder of an organization that recruits and assigns several thousand college graduates each year for short-term commitments to teaching jobs (many of them in non-union charter schools). One can only imagine the intense editorial negotiations between the staffs of these two powerful organizations.

Three Quick Reads for Policy Makers | The Forum for Education and Democracy

Three Quick Reads for Policy Makers | The Forum for Education and Democracy:

Three Quick Reads for Policy Makers

by George Wood

When I left the university ranks some twenty years ago to become principal, one of the first things I missed about my old job was having the time to read. Now, as both superintendent and principal, reading time seems even more precious but even more important. So I find myself grabbing quick reads, and three of them hit my desk over the holiday break.

The first was the Atlantic magazine story on Finland's educational success. If you haven't tired of reading about why we keep getting it wrong while Finland gets it right, this is worth a look. The new twist in this piece are the comments by Pasi Sahlberg from the Finnish Ministry of Education noting that Americans simply ignore what is crucial to Finland's success: a focus on equity over excellence.

read more

Missouri Education Watchdog: The Danger of Teaching Character Education in Schools

Missouri Education Watchdog: The Danger of Teaching Character Education in Schools:

The Danger of Teaching Character Education in Schools

by stlgretchen

A school district in Hawaii is implementing character training for three year old children to improve the quality of education. From Psych Central:

“Improved social and character skills leave more time for teachers to teach, and students to learn and be more motivated,” said Brian Flay, an OSU professor in the School of Social and Behavioral Health Sciences. “What we’re finding now is that we can really address some of the concerns in our schools by focusing more on character in the classroom.


“These are not new concepts — they’re the kind of things that have always been discussed in families, church

Eduflack: It Takes an Educational Village ...

Eduflack: It Takes an Educational Village ...:

It Takes an Educational Village ...

by Eduflack

In years past, we used to talk about how it took a village to truly improve public education. It wasn't just up to teachers to do what they do behind the schoolhouse doors between the hours of 8 and 3. Parents needed to take a more active role. Local policymakers needed a greater understanding. Community leaders -- from youth groups to churches -- needed greater connection. And even the business community needed greater focus on skills and outcomes.

Oh, how the times have changed. In our post-NCLB environment, we are now hearing more and more vitriol about those "outside forces" trying to influence what is happening in our public schools. We have rallies and blogs and media coverage on how school improvement should be left exclusively to the trained, certified educators in the system. All others should watch from the sidelines, being told, in the words of Kevin Bacon in Animal House, "Stay calm! All is well!!"

But we know all is not well. From third-grade reading proficiency levels to high school graduation rates and all measures in between, all is not well in our public schools. Yet another generation of students has fallen through

Shanker Blog » Teacher Retention: Estimating The Effects Of Financial Incentives In Denver

Shanker Blog » Teacher Retention: Estimating The Effects Of Financial Incentives In Denver:

Teacher Retention: Estimating The Effects Of Financial Incentives In Denver

by Eleanor Fulbeck

Our guest author today is Eleanor Fulbeck, who earned her Ph.D. in education policy from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2011, and is currently a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Pennsylvania.

There is currently much interest in improving access to high-quality teachers (Clotfelter, Ladd, & Vigdor, 2010;Hanushek, 2007) through improved recruitment and retention. Prior research has shown that it is difficult to retain teachers, particularly in high-poverty schools (Boyd et al., 2011; Ingersoll, 2004). Although there is no one reason for this difficulty, there is some evidence to suggest teachers may leave certain schools or the profession

NYC Public School Parents: Mayoral Appointee Joe Chan Resigns from Panel For Educational Policy

NYC Public School Parents: Mayoral Appointee Joe Chan Resigns from Panel For Educational Policy:

Mayoral Appointee Joe Chan Resigns from Panel For Educational Policy

by Patrick J. Sullivan

Joe Chan has resigned from the Panel for Educational Policy. Chan was a former Bloomberg administration official and recently head of the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership where he was the subject of a NY State Attorney General's Investigation.

In her September Report Card column for the Brooklyn Rail, journalist Liza Featherstone noted Chan's questionable credentials for his school board role:

He has been investigated by the state attorney general for misuse of city funding for using city money to lobby city officials, which is, under state law, not allowed. As the New York Timesreported in 2009, Chan spent $200,000 on lobbying for the Atlantic Yards construction. Neither the