“School Days” Features President Obama’s Speech Linking Education to Middle Class Prosperity | ED.gov Blog

“School Days” Features President Obama’s Speech Linking Education to Middle Class Prosperity | ED.gov Blog:

“School Days” Features President Obama’s Speech Linking Education to Middle Class Prosperity

Posted on January 18, 2012 by John McGrath

The December 2011 edition of “School Days,” the video journal of the U.S. Department of Education, is now online. This month’s top stories include President Obama’s speech on the importance of education for middle class prosperity; Secretary Arne Duncan’s celebration of the teaching profession; and recent grants for education reform.

Watch School Days:

Click here for an alternate version of the video with an accessible player.

This just in: Legislative Update per Washington State School Directors’ Association (WSSDA) | Seattle Education

This just in: Legislative Update per Washington State School Directors’ Association (WSSDA) | Seattle Education:

This just in: Legislative Update per Washington State School Directors’ Association (WSSDA)

by seattleducation2011

WSSDA is a great source of information particularly during the legislative session.

The following is an update from the Senate hearing of the charter school bill.

Senate committee hears charter school bill

January 18, 2012

Braving the winter wonderland conditions that have dumped what seems like a foot of snow on Olympia, WSSDA President Mary Fertakis (Tukwila School District) testified today in opposition to SB 6202 as written.

SB 6202 authorizes charter schools operated independently of locally elected school boards through a complex

RheeFirst! » Rhee’s credibility questioned at Data Quality Summit– leafletters praised by audience

RheeFirst! » Rhee’s credibility questioned at Data Quality Summit– leafletters praised by audience:

Rhee’s credibility questioned at Data Quality Summit– leafletters praised by audience

by admin

On January 18th, the Data Quality Campaign convened their National Data Summit in Washington, DC. Several education speakers were invited, including Michelle Rhee, whose presence was perplexing. During her watch as chancellor of DC schools, the most widespread test cheating in the nation occurred, far surpassing the Atlanta cheating scandal. It was massive data forgery. But Rhee scuttled an investigation into the cheating, continued to make policy decisions, and fired teachers based on the invalid test scores. So much for data quality and

Reaction to State of the State Address - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education)

Reaction to State of the State Address - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education):

State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Comments
on Governor's State of the State Address

SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson issued the following statement today on Governor Brown's State of the State Address (Outside Source):

"The Governor's speech made it clear that our schools need a financial rescue plan.

"Students, parents, and teachers are struggling daily to cope with the cuts made over the last four years. New revenues are the only way to prevent additional cuts that could force more districts to further shorten the school year or fall into state receivership. A ballot measure to protect school funding is a critical first step.

"I am heartened by the Governor's call to re-examine state testing requirements. Like many teachers, I have long argued that students need to spend more time learning and less time taking exams.

"I'm looking forward to working with him and the Legislature as it weighs the many choices to be made. I'll be arguing strongly that we need to maintain child care as a learning experience for children, protect the state's constitutional school funding guarantee, and shield schools from another round of deep trigger cuts.

"Education is our future, whether or not you have children in school. I welcome the chance to talk with Californians about the opportunity to invest in our schools again."

# # # #

Tom Torlakson — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5206, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100

Join ED and Teachers for a #TeachTalk Discussion on Twitter | ED.gov Blog

Join ED and Teachers for a #TeachTalk Discussion on Twitter | ED.gov Blog:

Join ED and Teachers for a #TeachTalk Discussion on Twitter

Posted on January 18, 2012 by Guest Blogger

“Teachers make thousands of decisions a day, and they don’t do it about an abstract idea, they do it about the life of a child. You can’t imagine anything harder.”

-Brad Jupp, Senior Program Adviser on Teacher Initiatives, Office of the Secretary

On Friday, January 27, the US Department of Education will welcome over 200 teachers for a screening of the documentary, American Teacher. Narrated by Matt Damon and directed by Academy Award winner Vanessa Roth, the film chronicles the stories of four teachers living and working in different urban and rural areas of the country. It follows the teachers as they reach different milestones in their careers and provides a rich and compelling portrait of the teaching profession in America today.

Following the screening, participants will engage in a discussion regarding how we can reshape the culture of American education to better attract, retain, and support highly effective teachers. Because all of the tickets for this event were completely given away less than 48 hours from the start of registration, the Washington Teaching Ambassador Fellows have created a “virtual” outreach opportunity for teachers from across the country.

Following the screening of the film, while participants in ED’s Barnard auditorium are engaged in a live discussion, you will have the opportunity to engage with your colleagues, ED policy experts, and Washington Fellows in a Twitter discussion. We will be joined by ED’s own, John White (@RuralED), the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Rural Outreach. Participation in this virtual event is not dependent upon your having viewed the film. ED is looking for your input on education reform and ways to improve public perception of teachers so they are respected and held in high regard. How do we attract, retain and support the best teachers? To be a part of the discussion, log onto Twitter and use the hashtag #TeachTalk, starting at 7:45pm EST.

Greg Mullenholz is a Washington Teaching Ambassador Fellow on loan from his school in Rockville, Md.

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Missouri Education Watchdog: Begging at the Education Appropriations Alter

Missouri Education Watchdog: Begging at the Education Appropriations Alter:

Begging at the Education Appropriations Alter

by Anngie

Yesterday, the MO Education Appropriations Committee held a hearing to hear public petitions and testimony regarding Missouri's spending on education. The full gambit of what MO spends money on, that it considers education, was not discussed. Rather, several state and local groups came forward to o on record either requesting that their funding not be cut or that they might receive an increase. The witnesses who testified represented a wide array of interested parties which, knowing that this hearing did not cover the full education budget for the state, makes me very curious about what else we fund.

The Missouri Kidney Foundation was one such petitioner. In the big picture the money they receive is small and it does go towards educating Missourians about kidney disease and treatment/insurance options, but it seems strange to be paying them out of the Education Budget as opposed

RheeFirst! » Rhee critic thrown out of “Summit”. So much for freedom of speech…

RheeFirst! » Rhee critic thrown out of “Summit”. So much for freedom of speech…:

Rhee critic thrown out of “Summit”. So much for freedom of speech…

by admin

Written by Guy Brandenburg for his blog. Read the entire post here.
“I was giving out a leaflet discussing — data quality and information about some of the speakers. Not positive towards a couple of the speakers, to be accurate. Someone in the conference administration asked me to give up the leaflets, which I declined to do. Soon I was talking to security officers, who told me that I was not allowed to be in the hotel, at the specific request of the tenant — that is, the “Data Quality Campaign” management.

Let me also point out that DCQ is a Gates-funded group. Arne Duncan, and Michelle Rhee are both on the

Michigan Education Association leaders say virtual charter schools are designed for profits, not students | MLive.com

Michigan Education Association leaders say virtual charter schools are designed for profits, not students | MLive.com:

Michigan Education Association leaders say virtual charter schools are designed for profits, not students

Published: Wednesday, January 18, 2012, 1:52 PM Updated: Wednesday, January 18, 2012, 2:04 PM

By Dave Murray | The Grand Rapids Press
Follow

LANSING – Teachers union leaders lashed out at plans to eliminate the cap on virtual charter schools, telling state House Education Committee members that the schools are interested only in profits.

The so-called “cyber school” bill was part of a school choice packagebefore the committee, following last month's vote to gradually eliminate the cap on charter schools authorized by state universities.

Education Committee Chairman Thomas McMillin, R-Rochester Hills, said he's not ready to call for a vote on the package of six bills aimed at offering parents and students more educational choices.

While the bill that would allow more

Jerry Brown: "My Hunch is that Principals and Teachers Know the Most..." - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

Jerry Brown: "My Hunch is that Principals and Teachers Know the Most..." - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher:

Jerry Brown: "My Hunch is that Principals and Teachers Know the Most..."

by Anthony Cody

In his State of the State address today, Jerry Brown continues to lead education in a direction that is different from that taken by most of the nation's governors. Like few other leaders, he seems to recognize the flaws in our over-reliance on tests, and the need to shift power back to those in closest contact with our students.
You can read his entire statement here.
Here is what he had to say about education in California:

Next, I want to say something about our schools. They consume more tax dollars than any other government activity and rightly so as they have a profound effect on our future. Since everyone goes to school, everyone thinks they know something about education and in a sense they do. But that doesn't stop experts and academics and foundation consultants from offering their ideas -- usually labeled reform and regularly changing at ten year intervals--on how to get kids learning

A Conversation With Arne Duncan - Politics K-12 - Education Week

A Conversation With Arne Duncan - Politics K-12 - Education Week:

A Conversation With Arne Duncan

By Michele McNeil on January 18, 2012 3:09 PM

I sat down with U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan yesterday for a wide-ranging interview on the hot education topics of the day: waivers, Race to the Top, reauthorization, and the election.

If you want more than just the highlights, check out the full transcript. Or, read through snippets of our conversation below.

On Waivers

Q. The first waiver announcement is expected soon from your department. You've talked about how this is not a competition, and so you want all states that want to, and can commit to certain things, to get a waiver under No Child Left Behind. But you also say you want to keep a high bar. How do you do both?

A. I think the first goal is clearly more important, to have a high bar. The goal is not to just give a waiver to everyone. ... We're going to go back and forth with states and say this looks great, you've got a challenge here, think about it in different ways. Again, no hard deadlines.

NYC Public School Parents: Who speaks for the children? The Governor, the Mayor, or their parents?

NYC Public School Parents: Who speaks for the children? The Governor, the Mayor, or their parents?:

Who speaks for the children? The Governor, the Mayor, or their parents?

by Leonie Haimson

Mayor Bloomberg said today that “The teachers' union represents the employees and the city represents the students." This comment reflects tremendous chutzpah. He and the Governor in recent days have claimed to be acting in the interests of the children who attend our public schools, yet both have ignored the priorities of parents and their right to have a voice in determining education policies.

We parents are the really the ones who speak for our children. What do New York parents want? The vast majority want equitable and adequate funding, smaller classes, a well-rounded curriculum, and less emphasis on standardized testing.

Instead, school budgets have been repeatedly cut, our class sizes have sharply increased and our children have been force-fed a steady diet of

As the Spring Semester Gets Underway, the Occupy Movement Returns to Campus « Student Activism #ows

As the Spring Semester Gets Underway, the Occupy Movement Returns to Campus « Student Activism:

As the Spring Semester Gets Underway, the Occupy Movement Returns to Campus

by Angus Johnston

Between weather, the semester break, and administrative suppression, just about all of the campus occupationsthat were established in the fall have come down in recent weeks.

But the students at Occupy UC Davis put their tents back up last Tuesday, and now Occupy Cal is calling a

Schools Matter: How California can save a half billion every year

Schools Matter: How California can save a half billion every year:

How California can save a half billion every year

by skrashen

Sent to the Santa Monica Mirror, January 18, 2012

In his State of the State Address (January 18), Gov. Brown made the sensible suggestion that California should reduce the number of tests students have to take. Here is a place to start that will result in instant savings of about a half billion dollars a year: Eliminate the High School Leaving Exam. Analyst Jo Ann Behm has estimated that the combined state and local costs of California's high school exit exam exceed $500 million per year.

The most recent review of research on exit exams, done by researchers at the University of Texas, concluded that high school exit exams do not lead to more college attendance, increased student learning or higher

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Race to the Top - It's Not Just for States Anymore

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Race to the Top - It's Not Just for States Anymore:

Race to the Top - It's Not Just for States Anymore

by Melissa Westbrook

Secretary of Education Arne Duncan just came out with a new idea for RTTT: allowing districts to compete as stand-alones (as opposed to just entire states competing). This is interesting because the most recent news on RTTT is that Hawaii was placed on a "high-risk" grant status and may have its award taken away. This is also the case in New York.

From Education Week:

"I think we'll use it for the districts," he said. "You can do different things. You can do early childhood as a piece of that, or STEM as a piece of that. ... I don't want to commit, but the bulk of the money will go through districts...what we'll be asking of districts is still very much up for consideration."


It's clear that Duncan sees the potential of investing a half-billion dollars in districts, especially in states that

SUPREME COURT OKAYS STUDENT MISBEHAVIOR « Teachers Fight Back

SUPREME COURT OKAYS STUDENT MISBEHAVIOR « Teachers Fight Back:

SUPREME COURT OKAYS STUDENT MISBEHAVIOR

by alkleen

More news has arrived today that has to do with my post from yesterday. News item : School officials were put on notice Tuesday that they can be sued for violating the First Amendment if they discipline students who make vulgar and malicious postings from their home computers. The U.S. Supreme Court turned down appeals from two Pennsylvania school districts that were successfully sued by students who were suspended for creating mock profiles of their principals as sex addicts or drug users. The students contended their MySpace postings were off-limits to school authorities.

Ah, America, what a country! I hope all students enjoy their new freedom to trash their principals. Why stop with online postings? I think students should have the right to give their opinions about teachers and principals while they are at school. I can imagine the principal walking down the hallway and students loudly verbalizing their negative opinions of him. It certainly would make for an interesting school environment.

This is America, where free speech reigns! This is America, where there is a money-making opportunity behind

Revision of the Mathematics Framework - Letters (CA Dept of Education)

Revision of the Mathematics Framework - Letters (CA Dept of Education):

Dear County and District Superintendents, Charter School Administrators, Learning Resource Display Centers, and Interested Individuals and Organizations:

RECRUITING CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK AND EVALUATION CRITERIA
COMMITTEE MEMBERS FOR THE REVISION OF THE MATHEMATICS
FRAMEWORK FOR CALIFORNIA PUBLIC SCHOOLS: KINDERGARTEN THROUGH
GRADE TWELVE

The California Department of Education (CDE) and the State Board of Education (SBE) are pleased to announce that they are recruiting applicants for the Curriculum Framework and Evaluation Criteria Committee (CFCC) to assist with the revision of the Mathematics Framework for California Public Schools: Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve (Mathematics Framework). The Mathematics Framework will be revised to incorporate and support the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics, adopted by the SBE in August 2010, and to reflect recent research on effective mathematics instruction and current statutes.

Applications will be accepted through April 18, 2012. The Instructional Quality Commission (IQC) will submit a list of recommended applicants to the SBE for appointment in July 2012.

The CFCC will meet up to six times to conduct the work of revising the Mathematics Framework. The meetings have been tentatively scheduled for the following dates: September 6–7, 2012; October 4–5, 2012; November 1–2, 2012; December 6–7, 2012; January 16–17, 2013; and February 13–14, 2013. All CFCC meetings will be public and take place in Sacramento. The CFCC will work with the framework writers and CDE staff to develop a draft Mathematics Framework that will be submitted to the IQC for field review in March 2013. The SBE will take final action on the Mathematics Framework in November 2013.

The CFCC will include between 9 and 20 members who will be selected to ensure balanced representation of regions, mathematical content knowledge, and grade-level experience. Please note that there is no stipend for service on the CFCC, but reimbursements for travel costs will be provided by the CDE. Unfortunately, the CDE cannot provide reimbursements for substitute costs.

The application process uses an online application posted on the CDE Mathematics Curriculum Framework Web page athttp://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/ma/cf/. The deadline for submission of applications is April 18, 2012. Please forward this information to any and all qualified candidates in your schools or organizations who might be interested in serving on the CFCC.

I encourage you to help us recruit qualified applicants for this important work. Thank you for your assistance and cooperation in disseminating this information.

If you have any questions regarding the CFCC or the framework revision process, please contact Deborah Franklin, Education Programs Consultant, Curriculum Frameworks and Instructional Resources Division, by phone at 916-319-0442 or by e-mail at dfrankli@cde.ca.gov.

Sincerely,

Tom Torlakson

TT:df

cc: Michael Kirst, President, State Board of Education
Sue Burr, Executive Director, State Board of Education

Gates’ millions go to IEA’s reform group. « Fred Klonsky

Gates’ millions go to IEA’s reform group. « Fred Klonsky:

Gates’ millions go to IEA’s reform group.

by Fred Klonsky

Yesterday the Illinois Education Association announced that the Gates Foundation has awarded $2 million to the Consortium for Educational Change. The CEC was established by the IEA to work with school districts, both boards of education, administration and union locals, on collaborative projects.

Some of the Gates money is also going to TURN, a network of AFT and NEA locals which also works on issues involving union and management collaboration.

My own local has been a member of CEC for years. As a condition of membership, both the board and the local must join and we have split the cost of membership.

Our experience with CEC has been decidedly mixed. At times in the past they have helped us work through