Big Education Ape

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Seattle Teachers Union Seeks to Ban Teach For America « Union Watch: Seattle Teachers Union Seeks to Ban Teach For AmericaBY LARRY SAND, ON MARCH 13TH, 2012Teachers unions, known for fighting to keep pedophiles in the classroom, try to get rid of good teachers in Seattle.Last week, I wrote about the particularly egregious case ofa teacher in Rochester, NYwho sent sexually charged emails to her principal and was subsequently jailed for ignoring a restraining order. Upon her release, she returned ... more »

What UTLA and LAUSD Must Do: Some Solutions to Our Current State of Affairs in the LAUSD by Dr. John Fernandez - Perdaily.com

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What UTLA and LAUSD Must Do: Some Solutions to Our Current State of Affairs in the LAUSD by Dr. John Fernandez (Lo que UTLA y el LAUSD debe hacer: algunas soluciones para nuestro actual estado de cosas en el LAUSD por el Dr. John Fernández) - Perdaily.com:What UTLA and LAUSD Must Do: Some Solutions to Our Current State of Affairs in the LAUSD by Dr. John Fernandez (Lo que UTLA y el LAUSD debe hacer: algunas soluciones para nuestro actual ... more »

I can lose weight. But they will still be wrong about unions and firing teachers. « Fred Klonsky

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I can lose weight. But they will still be wrong about unions and firing teachers. « Fred Klonsky: I can lose weight. But they will still be wrong about unions and firing teachers.byFred KlonskyPopoutI get a few nasty emails to my blog from the irrational anti-union community.I delete most of them. I post a few. They make a good foil.One recently attacked me for being a union guy

The Waiver Wire: The Only Game in Town (besides that basketball thing)

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The Waiver Wire: The Only Game in Town (besides that basketball thing): The Waiver Wire: The Only Game in Town (besides that basketball thing)byANNE HYSLOPonMARCH 13, 2012Image from esea.netTwo weeks ago, the House Committee on Education and the Workforce reported out two of Chairman John Kline’sESEA reauthorization bills, the Student Success Act and the Encouraging Innovation and Effective Teaching Act, on a party-line vote, 23-16.Democrats, led byRanking Member George Miller, offered just two (unsuccessful) amendments, both substitute bills. These would ... more »

Dallas school board president Lew Blackburn on Mayor Rawlings' involvement in superintendent search, which may wrap up next month | Dallas ISD Blog | dallasnews.com

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Dallas school board president Lew Blackburn on Mayor Rawlings' involvement in superintendent search, which may wrap up next month | Dallas ISD Blog | dallasnews.com: Dallas school board president Lew Blackburn on Mayor Rawlings' involvement in superintendent search, which may wrap up next monthRobert WilonskyYesterday, on the City Hall blog,Mayor Mike Rawlings acknowledged that he's been actively involved in the search for a new Dallas Independent School District superintendent, sending to the district's search firm a list of names given ... more »

High-Stakes Tests Bad for Learning, Studies Show | The Forum for Education and Democracy

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High-Stakes Tests Bad for Learning, Studies Show | The Forum for Education and Democracy: High-Stakes Tests Bad for Learning, Studies ShowbyChris Stephensby Carolyn J. Heinrich(The American-Statesman, Austin, Texas, March 10, 2012)Standardized achievement tests have long been a routine part of our efforts to measure the educational progress of students. In the distant past, testing days came and went with little notice or fanfare for students, parents and teachers alike. And in those days and times, the tests probably provided fairly ... more »

It's All About Advertising - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher

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It's All About Advertising - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher: It's All About AdvertisingbyNancy FlanaganMarvelous piece in the FebruaryEsquire:A Short Prayer for Advertising. Author Stephen Marche points out that "there is no outside the ad anymore"--even anti-advertising organizations likeAdbustersare their own brand.Everyone is part of the promotional machinery, and we are submitting to this machinery in every aspect of our existence. Advertising works: Why do you think Americans are so fat and in debt? A world ... more »

Dean Baker: Affirmative Action for School Reformers?

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Dean Baker: Affirmative Action for School Reformers?:Affirmative Action for School Reformers?Posted: 03/12/2012 4:48 pmAffirmative action is a policy that does not poll well these days. Large majorities typically reject the idea that hiring or school admissions should take into account the discrimination that African Americans, women and other groups face. Most people will argue that we should have a strictly merit-based system with people evaluated on their records.It might seem like a good idea that people stand or fall on ... more »

Wendy Kopp: In Defense of Optimism in Education

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Wendy Kopp: In Defense of Optimism in Education:In Defense of Optimism in EducationPosted: 03/13/2012 10:50 amLast year I publishedA Chance To Make Historyto share my reflections on what I've learned from our teachers, alumni, and colleagues in urban and rural communities since launching Teach For America twenty years ago. My determination to end educational inequality and optimism that it can be done has only grown stronger over the years as we've seen more examples of what is possible. But my ... more »

“I Dare You to Measure the ‘Value’ I Add” | Edwize

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“I Dare You to Measure the ‘Value’ I Add” | Edwize: “I Dare You to Measure the ‘Value’ I Add”byW.J. LevayAn ESL teacher in a NYC elementary schoolmakes a case against value-added assessments.Tell me how you determine the value I add to my class.Tell me about the algorithms you applied when you took data from 16 students over a course of nearly five years of teaching and somehow used it to judge me as “below average” and “average”.Tell me how ... more »

A People's Resolution Model to Help Combat High Stakes Testing.... Let it go Viral!

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Coalition for Public Education/Coalición por la Educación Pública: A People's Resolution Model to Help Combat High Stakes Testing.... Let it go Viral!==============BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF CLEAR CREEK INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICTRESOLUTION CONCERNING HIGH STAKES, STANDARDIZED TESTINGOF TEXAS PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTSSTATE OF TEXAS § COUNTY OF GALVESTONWHEREAS, the over reliance on standardized, high stakes testing as the only assessment of learning that really matters in the state and federal accountability systems is strangling our public schools and undermining any chance that educators ... more »

In Michigan charter schools, results no better than other public schools | MLive.com

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In Michigan charter schools, results no better than other public schools | MLive.com: In Michigan charter schools, results no better than other public schoolsPublished: Tuesday, March 13, 2012, 6:50 AMByNancy Derringer | Bridge MagazineWhat's the difference?Nearly 20 years into the experiment, public-school academies -- charter schools, as they are more popularly known -- would appear a rousing success. An enthusiastic Michigan Legislature, as part of a comprehensive reform package, lifted the state cap on charters late last year. The charter ... more »

Save Our Schools Rallies Against Underfunding of Public Education - South Brunswick, NJ Patch

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Save Our Schools Rallies Against Underfunding of Public Education - South Brunswick, NJ Patch: Save Our Schools Rallies Against Underfunding of Public EducationParents and education leaders across New Jersey lament continued underfunding of public education in the 2013 state budget.4:50 amEmailPrint1CommentUpload Photos and VideosEditor's note: The following is a news release by Save Our Schools NJ.Parents, Board of Education members, and Superintendents from fifteen communities across New Jersey discussed the impact of the state’s persistent underfunding of public education at ...more »

KQED holds town hall in Oakland Tuesday about the dropout crisis - The Education Report - Katy Murphy's blog on Oakland schools

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KQED holds town hall in Oakland Tuesday about the dropout crisis - The Education Report - Katy Murphy's blog on Oakland schools: KQED holds town hall in Oakland Tuesday about the dropout crisisMonday, March 12th, 2012 at 7:42 pm indropouts2 Comments »More than one in every three Oakland teenagers drop out of high school — a rate twice the state average, according tothe most recent datafrom the California Department of Education from the class of 2009-10.What’s more,Oakland’s black and Latino ... more »

The Joel Klein-Condi Rice ed report: What it will and won’t say - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

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The Joel Klein-Condi Rice ed report: What it will and won’t say - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: The Joel Klein-Condi Rice ed report: What it will and won’t saybyValerie StraussSometime soon we can expect a report from the Council on Foreign Relations’ Independent Task Force on U.S. Education Reform and National Security, chaired by Joel Klein and Condoleezza Rice.The panel started its work in April 2011 and was charged, according to the council’s Web site, with “evaluating ... more »

Teachers For Social Justice: This Saturday: ItAG Finale @ Marwen!

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Teachers For Social Justice: This Saturday: ItAG Finale @ Marwen!: This Saturday: ItAG Finale @ Marwen!bysarah-jiJoin us for the wrap-up of TSJ's 3rd annual Inquiry-to-Action Groups!Educators from around the city have been meeting for 8 weeks to collectively study and plan actions around issues of social justice and schools. Come hear them reflect on their learning and plans. Hear report-backs from the groups focusing on Youth Activism, Anti-Military Recruitment in High Schools, Queer Issues in Education, The Community Writing Project, ... more »

School Tech Connect: iPod Worship

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School Tech Connect: iPod Worship: iPod Worshipbynoreply@blogger.com (Tim)I have nothing against audiobooks; in fact, I'm a huge fan. For kids, for adults--- audiobooks are good.But let's count the ways in whichthis is jacked up.The guy is basically using audiobooks along with the hardcopies he has available---it isn't very clear from the article. Again, all good.It's this worship of Scholastic that has me worried:Just so you know, the Scholastic Reading Counts tests don't measure anything worth measuring. It's a very

NYC Educator: The Five Stages of Guilt Over Teacher Sick Days

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NYC Educator: The Five Stages of Guilt Over Teacher Sick Days: The Five Stages of Guilt Over Teacher Sick DaysbyMiss EyreLike a lot of young lady teachers, I'm saving up my sick days to have a baby someday, so I rarely take a day off. I recently took one, however, which actually might have been more miserable than sucking it up and going to work. Herewith I offer you the Five Stages of Guilt Over Teacher Sick Days.DENIAL [5:45 a.m.]: ... more »

LAUSD to mail more than 11,700 pink slips to educators, employees - LA Daily News

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LAUSD to mail more than 11,700 pink slips to educators, employees - LA Daily News: LAUSD to mail more than 11,700 pink slips to educators, employeesbyBy Barbara Jones, Staff WriterDespite an infusion in state revenue that trimmed $167 million from Los Angeles Unified's deficit, the district plans to mail out more than 11,700 pink slips to educators and other employees, Superintendent John Deasy said Monday.Proposal would make firing teachers easierbyBy Barbara Jones, Staff WriterSix weeks after the molestation scandal broke ... more »

The Lion Sleeps Tonight | The Jose Vilson

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The Lion Sleeps Tonight | The Jose Vilson: The Lion Sleeps TonightbyJoseThe only way to shock my son out of his crying spurts is to sing the first big note in “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.” I hit the highest falsetto possible, then jump right into the first few notes of the melody. Naturally, I forget the majority of the verses of the song, but by then, he’s bubbly, feet kicking and eyes forming crescents in form with his smile.Lately, I’ve ... more »

Jersey Jazzman: B4K Ad Gets Tenure Wrong

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Jersey Jazzman: B4K Ad Gets Tenure Wrong: B4K Ad Gets Tenure WrongbyDukeYou may have seen this ad on my blog:Which is pretty funny when youremember this:I don't control which ads come up, so maybe they can't control where their ads are placed. It's still pretty funny to me that they can place an ad on a blog Derrell Bradford has banned evenmentioningon his Facebook page. Whatever...Let's talk about the ad. "Make tenure a reward, not a guaranteed job for life."

SOUTH BRONX SCHOOL: Non-Answers From Gideon Stein The Answer Man

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SOUTH BRONX SCHOOL: Non-Answers From Gideon Stein The Answer Man: Non-Answers From Gideon Stein The Answer Manbynoreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher)I met someone online a week or so ago. My Jewish parents would have been proud. He is a very wealthy man that fights for the rights of little boys and girls of color. Who is this man? He isGideon Stein,board member of Success Charter Whatevers (click to see Gideon listed under "Our Leaders" and el presidente deFuture Is Now Schools.Thanks to ... more »

Clear Creek TX school board resolution vs. high-stakes testing « Parents Across America

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Clear Creek TX school board resolution vs. high-stakes testing « Parents Across America: Clear Creek TX school board resolution vs. high-stakes testingbyleoniehaimsonHere is an excellent resolution that has been passed by Clear Creek School District, a large district near NASA, as well as several other school boards in Texas. It has been called“The shot heard around the county.”Why not around the country? If Texas school boards can pass this resolution, why shouldn’t all school boards in the nation adopt similar ... more »

K-12 Parents and the Public - Education Week

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K-12 Parents and the Public - Education Week: Publication Gives Schools 'How To' Ideas for Involving Parents in School HealthMalia and Sasha Obama certainly know where their mom stands on the matter of healthy living. When it comes to the first lady,so does most of America.A new government publication aims to help schools enlist parents in promoting and sustaining health in their children.Published by the CDC's Division of Adolescent and School Health (DASH),Parent Engagement: Strategies for Involving Parents in School ... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Jose Vilson joins SOS leadership team

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Jose Vilson joins SOS leadership team:

Jose Vilson joins SOS leadership team

by Mike Klonsky

Jose Vilson (left) and Pedro Noguera at SOS Rally

Congratulations to Jose Vilson on his appointment to the National Steering Committee of Save Our Schools. Jose was a speaker at our national march and rally in D.C. last July. As we build for the next SOS Platform Convention in D.C., August 3-5, Jose will be a great addition to the organization's leadership team. Jose is a teacher/writer/activist in New York. For more on Jose, check out his website and his blog.

The Organization That Dare Not Speak Its Name* | Edwize

The Organization That Dare Not Speak Its Name* | Edwize:

The Organization That Dare Not Speak Its Name*

by Leo Casey

Click image for a larger version.

On Sunday, my wife came home from church with a leaflet and a strange story.
Someone who was a tad bit reluctant to provide her name had passed out a leaflet and attempted to recruit members of her congregation to an organization of parents fighting for better schools, PTA Now. But it didn’t really seem like the PTAs she knew, the Parent-Teacher Association organized in your child’s school.
It isn’t.
According to its web site, “Parents Taking Action (PTA) is a coalition of New York City parents who believe every child should have access to a great public school. We are standing up for our children, holding the Department of

Modern School: Teacher Morale Lowest in 20 Years

Modern School: Teacher Morale Lowest in 20 Years:

Teacher Morale Lowest in 20 Years

by Michael Dunn

In a recent survey of the nation’s teachers, more than half expressed reservations about their jobs, according to the New York Times, the highest level of dissatisfaction since 1989. Nearly one-third said they were likely to leave teaching within the next five years (three years ago only 25% expected to leave teaching within five years). Many expressed concerns about job security, increased class sizes, cuts to programs and services.

The annual MetLife Survey of the American Teacher revealed other anxieties and concerns pervasive among teachers. About 40% were pessimistic about achieving further gains in student test scores and many expressed anxiety about the increasing use of these scores to evaluate them. Over 75% of teachers said their schools had suffered budget cuts last year, with 50% experiencing layoffs at their schools. Nearly one-third said their schools lost arts, music or

School Tech Connect: Nurturing The Sense of Inquiry

School Tech Connect: Nurturing The Sense of Inquiry:

Nurturing The Sense of Inquiry

by noreply@blogger.com (Tim)

This is hugely encouraging and humane and totally John Deweyish. This is the sort of thing that Michelle Rhee's corporate backers don't want coming down the pike. It's the sort of thing Jonah Edelman would like for his own children but that would be extremely inconvenient for the buying-of-legislation effort he's organized.

As you may or may not know, the term "multiple measures" in Duncanville has come to mean something like

Jersey Jazzman: No Shame at the NJDOE

Jersey Jazzman: No Shame at the NJDOE:

No Shame at the NJDOE

by Duke

After all of the debunking that's taken place over the last several months, I cannot believe that ACTING NJDOE Commissioner Cerf would say this:

Acting Education commissioner Chris Cerf says, “According to data over the past several years, charter schools on average across the state are outperforming other district options for students in high-need communities. However, we must also be honest that just as some district schools are failing students, some charter schools in New Jersey are also not performing at the level their students deserve. In exchange for greater autonomy to innovate and meet the specific needs of their students, charters have been held to strict account for the results they achieve in the classroom for students. We will not accept failure for our state’s children and will continue to hold all of our schools, both district and charter, accountable for their results.” [emphasis mine]

This is an astonishing statement, and it has been debunked by many people many times:

Matt Dicarlo:

Isolating the effect of charter schools versus regular public schools is an exceedingly complicated

In the News: Parent engagement up across U.S. | catalyst-chicago.org

In the News: Parent engagement up across U.S. | catalyst-chicago.org:

In the News: Parent engagement up across U.S.

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By: Cassandra West / March 13, 2012

Tags: parent engagement teacher evaluation teacher performance

While teacher satisfaction has declined to its lowest point in more than two decades, parent engagement is climbing to new heights across America, a new survey reports.

Also: Two-thirds of students (64 percent) report that they talk about what happens at school with their parents every day, up 14 percent from 1988, the first time the survey asked this specific question, according to the "MetLife Survey of the American Teacher: Teachers, Parents and the Economy." Nearly three times as many students as in 1988 report that their parents visit their school at least once a month—46 percent, up from 16 percent. (Education Week)

Becky Vevea, education reporter for the defunct Chicago News Cooperative, moves

Parent Involvement 2012

What happens … begins in the council chamber, the school board meeting room, the state house, the U.S. Capitol, and the White House. "Every decision is a political decision," says NEA President Reg Weaver (speaking of teachers but applies even more for parents). "We should no longer accept people making decisions for us, about us, and without us."
How Can Schools, Families and Community Groups Put these Goals into Action?

• Recognize that all parents, regardless of income, education or cultural background, are involved in their children's learning and want their children to do well.

• Design programs that will support families to guide their children's learning, from preschool through high school.

• Develop the capacity of school staff and families to work together.

• Link activities and programs for families to improving student learning.

• Focus on developing trusting and respectful relationships among staff and families.

• Build families' social and political connections.

• Embrace a philosophy of partnership and be willing to share power.

• Make sure that parents, school staff, and community members understand that the responsibility for children's educational development is a collaborative enterprise.

• Build strong connections between schools and community organizations.

• Include families in all strategies to reduce the achievement gap between white, middle-class students and low-income students and students of color.

When parents talk to their children about school, expect them to do well, help them plan for college, and make sure that out-of-school activities are constructive, their children do better in school. When schools engage families in ways that are linked to improving learning, and support parent involvement at home and school, students make greater gains. When schools build partnerships with families that respond to their concerns, honor their contributions, and share power, they are able to sustain connections that are aimed at improving student achievement. And when families and communities organize to hold poorly performing schools accountable, school districts make positive changes in policy, practice, and resources.

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." ~~ Margaret Mead (1901 - 1978)

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Tuesday, March 13, 2012

In the News: Parent engagement up across U.S.