Seattle Schools Community Forum: A Thoughtful Stance on Charters

Seattle Schools Community Forum: A Thoughtful Stance on Charters:

A Thoughtful Stance on Charters

by Melissa Westbrook

One of the perks of doing this work and getting out there in the community is meeting people who don't just talk - they act.

Trish Millines Dziko is such a person. Trish and her partner, Jill Hull Dziko, started providing STEM programs for students of color back in 1996. They then founded Technology Access Foundation which now has two programs: TechStart and TAF Academy.

TechStart is an after-school program (middle school) and school-day program (elementary) for STEM, to help

Seattle Schools This Week

by Melissa Westbrook

There will be a lot of catching up to do this week from the loss of time from the snow days. Also, much has happened in the media since the postponement of the School Board meeting last Wednesday the 18th to this Wednesday the 25th. I expect that many more media may be at this meeting.

I am also delighted that the speaker list carried over from last Wednesday's meeting. I expect that some listed speakers may get pressure to give up their places to people pushing the Board policy 1620B but I think many speakers who signed up for other reasons (like Whittier) may stand their ground. Good for them. (I, too, remain

Higher taxes, little relief | Thoughts on Public Education

Higher taxes, little relief | Thoughts on Public Education:

Higher taxes, little relief

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Districts unenthusiastic about Brown's tax plan

Posted on 1/23/12 • Categorized as Jerry Brown, Revenue and taxes

By John Fensterwald - Educated Guess

Gov. Jerry Brown will have a heck of a time persuading voters to raise taxes by $6.9 billion to benefit schools if he can’t get the education community excited about it first. And so far it’s proving to be a hard sell.

District officials do fear the downside if Brown’s tax proposal fails, but they don’t see a lot of upside if it passes. Many feel like they’re being used by Brown and his administration, who are mischaracterizing a general temporary sales and income tax increase as a tax for K-12 schools and community colleges.

If parents and teachers end up reaching the same conclusion ­– and being equally unexcited

The Educated Reporter: Students With Disabilities Sent to the Scream Room

The Educated Reporter: Students With Disabilities Sent to the Scream Room:

Students With Disabilities Sent to the Scream Room

by Emily Richmond

Some schools call it the time-out room. Or the quiet room. But in Middletown, Conn., it's known to many as the "scream room."
Students -- typically those with disabilities -- are put in the small, windowless room as a means of controlling their behavior. The room's cinderblock walls aren't thick enough to drown out the sounds from within, according to this story from the Hartford Courant.
In order to be placed in the room, the student usually must have an Individualized Education Plan (known as an IEP) that allows for this type of isolation as a form of "treatment." I put treatment in quotes in this context, given that special education experts say "there was no evidence that secluding a child had any therapeutic value," according to the Courant story.
"These are archaic methods to control behavior and to try to keep people safe," said Jane Hudson, a senor staff

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES:

WEEKEND QUOTABLES

by Mike Klonsky

Duncan's Race to the Top bus

Michael Winerip

In August 2010, Mr. Duncan visited the state union’s headquarters in his Race to the Top bus (he really has one) and told union and department officials that New York had won a grant “because of your collective leadership, your act of courage.” -- NYT, "In Race to the Top, the Dirty Work Is Left to Those on the Bottom."

New York Gov. Cuomo

"If we don't do this, we lose the Race to the Top money, so the equation is simple at the end of the day," Mr. Cuomo told a packed auditorium near the state Capitol here. "No evaluation, no money, period." --Wall St. Journal

Valerie Strauss

Really, Ms. Rhee, how can a formula ever accurately factor in the impact of a sleepless night in a

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top AM Posts 1-23 #edreform #ows

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top AM Posts 1-22 #edreform #ows

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 2 hours ago

What Happens When Teacher Voices Depend on Foundations' Choices? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week TeacherBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-6 minutes agoWhat Happens When Teacher Voices Depend on Foundations' Choices? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher:What Happens When Teacher Voices Depend on Foundations' Choices?by Anthony CodyTen days ago, I shared a guest post authored by Kelly Flynn, Teachers Hold the Key. They Always Have. This morning it received the following comment:While I wholeheartedly agree with ... more »

NYC Public School Parents: Chancellor Walcott Out of Order on Transportation Safety at January PEP

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 2 hours ago

NYC Public School Parents: Chancellor Walcott Out of Order on Transportation Safety at January PEP:Chancellor Walcott Out of Order on Transportation Safety at January PEPby Patrick J. SullivanQueens representative Dmytro Fedkowskyj introduced a resolution recommending the Chancellor consider an approach to granting transportation variances based on a joint committee comprised of parent and DOE representatives.The approach, called Safety Hazard Advisory Review Program (S.H.A.R.P), was developed by CEC 31 on Staten Island. All five borough president appointees supported the resolution... more »

#sixwordessay Helps Teachers Reclaim Education Debate | Dailycensored.com

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 2 hours ago

#sixwordessay Helps Teachers Reclaim Education Debate | Dailycensored.com:#sixwordessay Helps Teachers Reclaim Education Debateby Adam BessieIn the last year, the national education debate has been occupied by economists, billionaires, hedge-fund managers, corporate columnists and party-politicians –indeed, it seems like the further a person is from the classroom, the more weight his opinion carries.Call it the Gates Paradox – the power of your voice in the “education reform” debate is proportional to the distance from the classroom, multiplied by the amount of ... more »

Hugo Schwyzer is Still Doing Harm « Student Activism

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 2 hours ago

Hugo Schwyzer is Still Doing Harm « Student Activism:Hugo Schwyzer is Still Doing Harmby Angus JohnstonAs regular readers of this site know, professor and blogger Hugo Schwyzer has been the subject of mounting criticism from feminist activists in recent weeks.To date, the controversy has centered on Schwyzer’s history of gross personal misconduct and on the content of his writing. (Schwyzer’s disclosure last year of a 1998 attempt to kill his girlfriend and himself sparked the current clamor, drawing new scrutiny ... more »

School Tech Connect: Ayodeji Griffin at Crane

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 2 hours ago

School Tech Connect: Ayodeji Griffin at Crane:Ayodeji Griffin at Craneby noreply@blogger.com (Tim)"We will accept any student no matter how low their test scores are."Crane teacher Ayodeji Griffin spoke from the heart about what Crane has been doing over the years. From the outside, it looks like nobody told them that the way to keep your doors open is to ixnay the open-to-all idea. The road to success now lies in sculpting your graduating class in such a way that those ... more »

We Are the Present: Why Youth Voices are Necessary « Cooperative Catalyst

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 2 hours ago

We Are the Present: Why Youth Voices are Necessary « Cooperative Catalyst:We Are the Present: Why Youth Voices are Necessaryby rad fagAn education which denies the voices of youth can never benefit from their wisdom as to how to restructure it.In many of the educational and teacher training programs I have been a part of, I’ve been frustrated by the intense focus given to preparing students for their academic futures (meaning standardized testing and ultimately college) while virtually none has ... more »

A Teacher Story: Why I’m Leaving Public Education | United Opt Out National

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 2 hours ago

A Teacher Story: Why I’m Leaving Public Education | United Opt Out National:A Teacher Story: Why I’m Leaving Public Educationby adminAs promised, we are going to begin sharing stories – these stories need to be heard – and many are being silenced through the use of fear tactics and the ever so silent mainstream media. So, with your help, we can make these stories be heard. Please read, please share, and welcome our first guest post by a teacher who ... more »

For Bernardine in her 70th Year! Happy Birthday!! « Bill Ayers

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 2 hours ago

For Bernardine in her 70th Year! Happy Birthday!! « Bill Ayers:For Bernardine in her 70th Year! Happy Birthday!!by billayersA toast to Bernardine at the wild cast-of-thousands party last night from a sweet Chicago friend: There are many people who know the name Bernardine Dorhn. We consider ourselves fortunate to know Bernardine, the friend, sister, leader, confidante, advisor, and deep thinker with such a big heart. If there is anything we strive for in life, it is to walk with integrity, ... more »

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top 1-22 Early Evening Posts #ows #edreform

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 2 hours ago

The Alarming Silence on the Remediation Levels Needed by Florida College Freshmen | Scathing Purple MusingsBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-36 minutes agoThe Alarming Silence on the Remediation Levels Needed by Florida College Freshmen | Scathing Purple Musings:The Alarming Silence on the Remediation Levels Needed by Florida College Freshmenby Bob SikesOcala Star-Banner editorial page editor, Brad Rogers correctly points out that the number of Florida freshmen who need some sort of remediation is the most crucial – and disturbing ... more »

What Happens When Teacher Voices Depend on Foundations' Choices? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 8 hours ago

What Happens When Teacher Voices Depend on Foundations' Choices? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher:What Happens When Teacher Voices Depend on Foundations' Choices?by Anthony CodyTen days ago, I shared a guest post authored by Kelly Flynn, Teachers Hold the Key. They Always Have. This morning it received the following comment:While I wholeheartedly agree with Ms. Flynn that teachers need to become more aware and involved in the reform strategies that are shaping our profession, I wonder what the ... more »

Schools Matter: The Thrill is Gone

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 8 hours ago

Schools Matter: The Thrill is Gone:The Thrill is Goneby Jim HornFrom a look at today's Google Alert list, it would seem to indicate some pretty consistent concerns with the corporate welfare charter school movement, which shows signs of running out of steam everywhere, except on Wall Street.Charter schools lose their magicGloucester County Times - NJ.comBy Milton W. Hinton Jr. I find it interesting that some very influential people have come out in support of the expansion of charter schools in ... more »

Other People’s Children

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 8 hours ago

Other People’s Children:Other People’s Childrenby SamLast week, CNN reported on recent events in Garfield Heights, Ohio, where austerity measures have led local school officials to shorten the schoolday to five hours, get rid of subjects like art, music, and PE — and send kids home before lunch.What didn’t come out during the piece was that these drastic decisions were fueled in part by the community’s refusal, over a 20 year period, to pass a levy that would help support the ... more »

Letter from an IDEA Mother « A "Fuller" Look at Education Issues

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 8 hours ago

Letter from an IDEA Mother « A "Fuller" Look at Education Issues:Letter from an IDEA MotherPosted on January 22, 20120 Rate ThisBelow are two e-mails I received from a mother whose child attends an IDEA elementary school. I am using her letter with permission. I have changed the gender of the child to neutral language and redacted certain information to protect her identity. Also, I typically do not use unsolicited, unverifiable emails. However, this person provided her name and place ... more »

TRR INVESTIGATES: Is the Privacy of the American Student at Risk? | The Revered Review

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 8 hours ago

TRR INVESTIGATES: Is the Privacy of the American Student at Risk? | The Revered Review:TRR INVESTIGATES: Is The Privacy Of The American Student At Risk?JANUARY 22, 2012 6:23 AMSchool: A place where children learn to read and write. A place where they learn mathematics, science and history. Moreover, a place, away from home, where children are supposed to be safe.Yet now it’s a place, across the country, where children’s hearts are being monitored, their activities are being tracked, and it’s ... more »

Diane Ravitch Rocks Sacramento

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 8 hours ago

Statement by the President on Roe v. Wade Anniversary | The White House

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 8 hours ago

Statement by the President on Roe v. Wade Anniversary | The White House:Statement by the President on Roe v. Wade AnniversaryAs we mark the 39th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, we must remember that this Supreme Court decision not only protects a woman’s health and reproductive freedom, but also affirms a broader principle: that government should not intrude on private family matters. I remain committed to protecting a woman’s right to choose and this fundamental constitutional right. While this is ... more »

Oakland schools try new way of placing teachers

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 8 hours ago

Oakland schools try new way of placing teachers:Oakland schools try new way of placing teachersJill Tucker, Chronicle Staff WriterSunday, January 22, 2012PrintE-mailShareComments (109)Font | Size: 22Mike Kepka / The ChronicleMarian Marx works with her kindergarten students at Garfield Elementary School in Oakland, where she was placed after going through the district's proposed interview placement process "mutual matching."IMAGES View Larger ImagesMORE BAY AREA NEWSParolee pleads no contest in Hillsborough slaying 01.22.12Six hurt in shooting at Antioch "sweet 16" party 01.22.12Your... more »

Black leaders to SC gov: You're a minority, too - Boston.com

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 8 hours ago

Black leaders to SC gov: You're a minority, too - Boston.com:Black leaders to SC gov: You're a minority, tooFILE - In this Aug. 13, 2011 file photo, South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley speaks in Charleston, S.C. Civil rights leaders in South Carolina are taking a new tactic to fight the governor's support of law requiring voters to show identification at the poll. "Your governor, a woman of color, could not vote before ’65,” Rev. Jesse Jackson recently said to a ... more »

NCLB Blamed for Ruining Teen Oral Sex « Jay P. Greene's Blog

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 8 hours ago

NCLB Blamed for Ruining Teen Oral Sex « Jay P. Greene's Blog:NCLB Blamed for Ruining Teen Oral SexHT to Sara Mead for finding this incredible piece of research. It is written in a language other than English, but if I remember how to translate properly stupid BS, this study appears to be claiming that an emphasis on individual academic achievement in school “crowds out” “the pleasure, choice, and mutuality” of teen fellatio and replaces it with an emphasis on “competence ... more »

The Alarming Silence on the Remediation Levels Needed by Florida College Freshmen | Scathing Purple Musings

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 13 hours ago

The Alarming Silence on the Remediation Levels Needed by Florida College Freshmen | Scathing Purple Musings:The Alarming Silence on the Remediation Levels Needed by Florida College Freshmenby Bob SikesOcala Star-Banner editorial page editor, Brad Rogers correctly points out that the number of Florida freshmen who need some sort of remediation is the most crucial – and disturbing piece of education data that no one is talking about:Over half of the incoming freshman at CF during the 2009-10 school year — ... more »