Louisiana Educator: Please Contact Senators

Louisiana Educator: Please Contact Senators:

Please Contact Senators

by Michael Deshotels

The phone number for the Senate switchboard is 225-342-2040. Please telephone your senator to ask that he/she oppose the Governor's legislative package. If you cannot get through to your senator leave a message asking him/her to oppose HB 974, HB 976, SB 603, and SB 597. Have you filled out the Senate Protest slip provided for you at the LAE website? It's easy to do. Just go to  http://www.lae.org/.

MASS EDUCATOR AND PARENT PROTEST PLANNED FOR APRIL 4 AT THE CAPITOL

PLEASE START NOW TO MAKE PLANS TO ATTEND THIS MAJOR PUSH TO DEFEAT THE LEGISLATION THAT EDUCATORS BELIEVE WILL DO IRREPARABLE HARM TO PUBLIC EDUCATION!

Please check this blog regularly for updates on the legislation and for more details on the mass protest planned for April 4.

Ravitch: The toll of school reform on public education - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

Ravitch: The toll of school reform on public education - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post:

Ravitch: The toll of school reform on public education

Valerie Strauss at The Answer Sheet - 47 minutes ago

*This* *was written by education historian Diane Ravitch for her Bridging Differences blog, which she co-authors with Deborah Meier on the Education Week website. The item was first published on March 6. In their blog, Ravitch and Meier exchange letters about what matters most in education. Ravitch, a research professor at New York University, is author of “The Death and Life of the Great American School System,” a critique of the flaws in the modern school reform movement that she just updated.* Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to ... more »

The Answer Sheet - 47 minutes ago

The longest task force name in history?

Valerie Strauss at The Answer Sheet - 47 minutes ago

“The name of a man,” Marshall McLuhan once said, “is a numbing blow from which he never recovers.” The same might be said for a task force that the American Psychological Association appointed to look into how to reduce prejudice and discrimination against marginalized populations. Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpon]

How to remake the Education Department (or, it’s time to give teachers a chance)

Valerie Strauss at The Answer Sheet - 3 hours ago

This *was written by Peter Smagorinsky, Distinguished Research Professor of English Education at The University of Georgia.* By Peter Smagorinsky Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpon]

‘Bully’ film highlights cockeyed rating system

Valerie Strauss at The Answer Sheet - 17 hours ago

It’s not only the rating of public school teachers that we are getting so wrong these days. A documentary called “Bully,” which follows a handful of students who were bullied at school by their classmates over the course of a year, is at the center of a ridiculous battle over under what conditions teens can see it. There is, in fact, precedent for a change in rating that makes this especially aggravating — along with the fact that a lot of young people who should see “Bully” now probably won’t. Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Red... more »

Largest charter network in U.S.: Schools tied to Turkey

Valerie Strauss at The Answer Sheet - 1 day ago

This *was written by Sharon Higgins, an independent researcher and bloggerbased in California. She is also a founding member of Parents Across America.* By Sharon Higgins The largest charter school network in the United States is operated by people in and associated with the Gulen Movement (GM), a secretive and controversial Turkish religious sect. With 135 schools enrolling more than 45,000 students, this network is substantially larger than KIPP, the well-known charter management organization with only 109 schools. A lack of awareness about this situation persists despite it... more »

Education Department’s own Etch-a-Sketch

Valerie Strauss at The Answer Sheet - 1 day ago

This *was written by Elaine Weiss, national coordinator of the campaign for a * * Broader Bolder Approach to Education * * . * By Elaine Weiss Policy is complicated, and context-sensitive, so policymakers and other influential actors who change their positions should be excused, even congratulated, when it’s clear they’ve learned from prior mistakes. This does not apply, however, in instances in which the change of heart seems motivated by political calculations. Unfortunately, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan’s recent statement in* Education Week * criticizing New York City... more »

Secrets of ‘miraculous’ charter management organizations

Valerie Strauss at The Answer Sheet - 1 day ago

This* was written by Lance Hill, executive director of the Southern Institute for Education and Research in New Orleans and a member of the New Orleans Education Equity Roundtable . In this post Hill writes about thefinal report from The National Study of CMO Effectiveness,a four-year effort aimed at assessing the impact of charter management organizations on student achievement and identifying practices and structure that are effective at raising achievement. The study was done by researchers from Mathematica Policy Research and the Center on Reinventing Public Education.* Read f... more »

South Korea’s surprising stand-down on digital textbooks

Valerie Strauss at The Answer Sheet - 1 day ago

South Korea. one of the world’s most digitized nations, has for years equated the advance of technology with societal progress, including in the area of education. Now, it seems, the country is taking a fascinating breather from its obsession. Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpon]

20 questions for parents about K-12 school reform

Valerie Strauss at The Answer Sheet - 2 days ago

This *was written by Ronald Willett, a former university professor, researcher and administrator, and former corporate executive, entrepreneur and CEO. For the last decade, as an avocation, he has tracked and researched U.S. K-12, and advocated its legitimate reform and pursuit of innovation.* Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpon]

What the latest revelations on test cheating really mean — updated

Valerie Strauss at The Answer Sheet - 2 days ago

Updated: At the end of this post is a comment from John Perry, a reporter and data specialist at The Atlanta Journal Constitution. -- The following post *was written by Gary Miron, professor of education at Western Michigan University who has extensive experience evaluating school reforms and education policies. Over the past two decades he has conducted several studies of school choice programs in Europe and in the United States, including nine state evaluations of charter school reforms. Before coming to Western Michigan University, he worked for 10 years at Stockholm Universit... more »

Ignoring a reform that works

Valerie Strauss at The Answer Sheet - 2 days ago

This *was written by Leonie Haimson, executive director of the nonprofit Class Size Matters, and founder of the NYC Public School Parent blog.* By Leonie Haimson Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpon]

‘There is no joy in education these days’

Valerie Strauss at The Answer Sheet - 3 days ago

This is an open letter written by Larry Lee after he sat through a meeting of the Alabama House Ways & Means Education Committee last week during a hearing on HB541, a bill known as the “Education Options Act of 2012.” Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpon]

‘Rhee Effect:’ Why depending on private cash for reform is a bad idea

Valerie Strauss at The Answer Sheet - 3 days ago

Michelle Rhee was a great fundraiser during the 3 1/2 years she was the chancellor of D.C.’s public schools. During her tenure, from 2007 until 2010, when she resigned, she persuaded a handful of private foundations to pony up a total of more than $80 million to help cover a three-year labor contract she negotiated with teachers that included a performance-based pay assessment system. Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpon]

‘Occupy’ the Ed Department starts Friday

Valerie Strauss at The Answer Sheet - 3 days ago

A group of activists is planning a four-day protest event starting next week called “Occupy the DOE in D.C.” that is aimed at alerting the Obama administration to growing unhappiness with its education reform policies. Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpon]

In Texas, a revolt brews against standardized testing

Valerie Strauss at The Answer Sheet - 4 days ago

More than 100 school districts in Texas have passed a resolution saying that high-stakes standardized tests are “strangling” public schools, the latest in a series of events that are part of a brewing revolt in the state where the test-centric No Child Left Behind was born. Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpon]

SOUTH BRONX SCHOOL: The Plight of Ted Smith

SOUTH BRONX SCHOOL: The Plight of Ted Smith:

The Plight of Ted Smith

by noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher)

I know Ted. I appeared on his radio show back in March of 2009. He is a good person, a warm hearted person. He does not deserved what has happened to him. He blew the whistle and got screwed. What is sad is where is the UFT in all this, where is the outrage? The following is from Ted Smith's own words which appeared in Gotham Schoolstonight. THIS IS WHY TEACHERS NEED TENURE AND LIFO!!!


Ted Smith Teacher

I am making a complaint to various government agencies and asking for an investigation based on evidence that the Department of Education (DOE) of New York City, the Special Commissioner of Investigation (SCI),  Arbitrator Bonnie Weinstock (Weinstock) and my former attorney David Kearney (Kearney) committed  conspiracy, corruption, fraud and “fraud on the court”, in particular the Appellate Division, the First Department of New York and other 

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Spirited Talk at Lowell@Lincoln...About Their Future Location

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Spirited Talk at Lowell@Lincoln...About Their Future Location:

Spirited Talk at Lowell@Lincoln...About Their Future Location

by Melissa Westbrook

I attended the PTA meeting at Lowell@Lincoln. Good crowd, I'd say about 50+ people (not including the FACMAC and PTA leaders). And they had brownies.

Opening the meeting, the investigation was topic one. But they felt it imperative to keep to the agenda because this meeting had been previously postponed. They said that Ms. Geoghagan and Nancy Coogan would have a coffee hour soon with parents. (I hope it's an evening coffee hour because clearly you would not draw as many parents in the morning.)

Frankly, everyone in the room seemed fine to move onto the agenda.

I really enjoyed the presentation by several teachers about bringing in more project-based learning. Those are some sharp and caring teachers. They were so energize by this idea and had good answers to many questions. I loved the explanation by one teacher about studying owls (and owl pellets!). They spoke wistfully about the desire for more collaborative time and more professional development.

Principal Geoghagan stood by,arms crossed,as the teachers spoke; she looked exhausted. You had to feel for 

New research supports PAA LSC model « Parents Across America

New research supports PAA LSC model « Parents Across America:

New research supports PAA LSC model

by pureparents

Last week PAA celebrated alongside Florida parents with the defeat of so-called “parent trigger” legislation, which would have allowed parents in “low-performing” schools to vote to close it, fire all the staff, or turn it into a charter school. But that doesn’t mean that we are completely satisfied with our schools and see no need for improvement.

In fact, we are very concerned about our schools. We’re especially upset about who is running many of the school systems right now – corporate reformers, hedge funders,Broadies, and others who know little about what really works in education. We believe that these folks are not making decisions that are in the best interests of our children.

PAA has proposed a better way. Our position paper, “The Empowerment Parents Want,”describes Chicago’s Local School Council (LSC) model as a research-backed alternative to the top-down strategies of Race to the Top and other federal competitive programs.

We seem to be on the right track, because a new research report confirms that local 

South Carolina Parents Oppose Corporate Ed Reform « Parents Across America

South Carolina Parents Oppose Corporate Ed Reform « Parents Across America:

South Carolina Parents Oppose Corporate Ed Reform

by leoniehaimson

South Carolina: Parent Opposition and Resistance on Ed Reform Initiatives

For Immediate Release
March 27, 2012

Contact Person: Sarah Johnson
Phone: (803) 920-4058, (843) 819-8933
Email: CVedu20@gmail.com

Local Parent/Teacher Advocacy Group Welcomes US Secretary of Education to Town

Charleston, SC – Charleston Area Community Voice for Education, an affiliate of Parents Across America, extends a welcome to US Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, who will be participating in a local round-table discussion on educational reform and touring James Simons Elementary School on Friday. The advocacy group is excited that local leaders and educators will be participating in the event.

Sarah Shad Johnson, a parent of children in Charleston County Schools and co-founder of Community Voice, says, “The timing of Secretary Duncan’s visit comes at a critical time when our state legislators are discussing whether or not to support the adversarial Common Core State Standards, as well as bills regarding school choice, charter school expansion, and tax credits for private schools; our State Superintendent of Education seems to be embracing a controversial stand on the teaching profession; and the focus here in Charleston County appears to be only on experimental, questionable, and expensive initiatives, as opposed to goals of increased learning opportunities.”

Peter Smyth, a retired educator and administrator, and also a co-founder of Community Voice, says, “After a career in education and research into educational reform, I have come to these conclusions: while South Carolina Superintendent Zais has applied for a waiver to No Child Left Behind, his proposals reflect those of Secretary Duncan and the current and previous administrations, policies which have not achieved their goals and 

NYC Educator: Sandra Inspires Andy

NYC Educator: Sandra Inspires Andy:

Sandra Inspires Andy

by NYC Educator

Hi everyone! It's me, Sandra Lee, the best goldarn cook on Food Network! Last night Andy Bear and I were talking over my Jellied Spam on the Half-Shell (really a half-can, but I digress), when he started talking about stocks. I don't know anything about stocks, so I made my pouty face, and then Andy started projectile vomiting (Oh, I don't know what I'd do without my good old plastic tablecloths!), and I said I wished someone would teach me about stocks.

Andy was wiping his face, and oh darn, there's anothersuit that has to go to the cleaners, when he got an idea. I knew he had an idea because while he was dumping the Jellied Spam into the dog's dish, he started to say something before that darn vomiting started again. Let me tell you, I have a million ways to clean vomit! I may write a book if I can just clean the darn laptop safely.

Anyhoo, Andy Bear says he's going to show that he's tough! Now that those darn teachers will have their ratings in the papers every blessed year, there will certainly be some bad eggs (that gives me a recipe idea!) who need to be dealt with. Sure, the New York Post will run articles about them, but how will that make Andy Bear look like the big old tough guy he 

Ouch,My Brain Hurts: Rigor in the Classroom! - The Educator's PLN

Ouch,My Brain Hurts: Rigor in the Classroom! - The Educator's PLN:

Ouch,My Brain Hurts: Rigor in the Classroom!

by Lisa Mims

Popout
I watched this video, and cracked up! I was trying to find articles about rigor and bumped into this video. It's a bit long in making its point, but I get it. This poor teacher is being hounded by her principal, to "perform" , so that her students can learn the parts of speech.
Personally, I don't have a problem with rigor in the classroom, I embrace it. I love how a contributor to the article, Rigor:What Does It Mean to You?, described rigor. She said,"Rigor makes you want to get up in the morning and learn something new!"
But, I can understand the consternation and frustration of the teacher in the video.  Her principal is dead set on making her use "rigor" in her classroom, this magical thing that can make students learn. It seems as if the principal is looking for "rigor",  as if it's a word that can be checked off on an evaluation form, and it is so far from 

Geaux Teacher!: VITTER'S GLASS HOUSE

Geaux Teacher!: VITTER'S GLASS HOUSE:

VITTER'S GLASS HOUSE

by noreply@blogger.com (Lee Barrios, M.Ed., NBCT)

This letter to the editor send by St. Martin Parish School Board President:

I chose this venue to communicate my disdain for U.S. Sen. David Vitter’s criticism of school boards, superintendents and educators, specifically the St. Martin Parish school system, which chose to participate in the democratic process in Baton Rouge on March 15. It is unfortunate the Louisiana Legislature convened to address critical education legislation that will have lasting implications within the education community during the scheduled workday of educators and many parents and community leaders who support their efforts. Consequently, since it was apparent to participants there was a resolve to “railroad” legislation through the House and Senate Education Committees, the only recourse available was to take professional leave to address these critical, legitimate concerns outlined in proposed legislation.

How dare he chastise the education community? I am reminded of the adage: “If you live in a glass house, you shouldn’t throw stones.” Vitter questions the morals of our educators citing their lack of 

Stay In Your Lane [A Math Teacher's Lament] | The Jose Vilson

Stay In Your Lane [A Math Teacher's Lament] | The Jose Vilson:

Stay In Your Lane [A Math Teacher's Lament]

by Jose

Why do people stigmatize math teachers?
It’s bad enough we teach people that they’re either math people or they’re not (patent lie, I promise you). Now, we’re even limiting math teachers to the fields in which they can excel. They stereotype (!) math teachers as having hobbies like playing piano (fractions!) and read xkcd (might be true), but God forbid they actually know how to do things like write (without patterns involved) or read books (not by Einstein, Hawking, or any other mad genius).
I’m not sure where the stigma comes from, but the way we want students to see common threads in our topics is akin to what I’d love our teachers to see about each other. Not in the bullshit Kumbaya, top-down-education-management sort of way that cites some research I never even heard of and tries to force-feed collaboration down our throats. More in the, it’s-OK-to-actually-have-an-affinity-for-seemingly-unrelated-topics-and-we-won’t-slap-you-on-the-wrist-for-it sort of way.
Can a student hate science but love math? Yes. Can a student hate English but love social studies. Absolutely. Can we be OK with that? Yes.
Also, can people stop pelting the math coach (me) with