Latest News and Comment from Education

Monday, June 11, 2012

Big Education Ape - Mid Day Banana Break 6-11 #soschat #edreform



Big Education Ape - Mid Day Banana Break


Keeping the “Professionalism” in the Profession | Ideas and Thoughts

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 24 minutes ago
Keeping the “Professionalism” in the Profession | Ideas and Thoughts: Keeping the “Professionalism” in the Profession by Dean Shareski A quick scan of my blog reveals I've discussed the word "accountability" often. LIke the word rigor, it's a word I despise when it comes to education and yet is the word governments and schools and districts use to market themselves as doing what's in the best interest of students. I've sat in on many discussions with well meaning, caring people who have adopted this ideology of measuring and "holding people accountable" for the work they do. While... more »

Leonie Haimson: Will Our Federal Government Renounce Their Proposal to Increase Class Size?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 47 minutes ago
Leonie Haimson: Will Our Federal Government Renounce Their Proposal to Increase Class Size?: Will Our Federal Government Renounce Their Proposal to Increase Class Size? *Go to Parents Across America.* The Obama administration has proposed that in next year's education budget, 25 percent of the funds to reduce class size or keep teachers on staff be diverted to a competitive grant program to create and expand "new pathways" to teaching -- e.g. to help fund organizations like Teach For America. That would mean a cut of more than $600 million that, if approved, would lead to even larg... more »

Fourth annual "Skinny award" dinner

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 49 minutes ago
Fourth annual "Skinny award" dinner: ** *Leonie Haimson, Diane Ravitch, Patrick Sullivan* *Monica Major & Emily Horowitz * *invite you to* *the fourth annual Skinny Awards*** *When: Tuesday, June 12 at 6:00 PM* * Where: Bistro Lamazou* 344 3rd Avenue (betw. 25th & 26th St.) New York, NY 10010 *A fundraiser for Class Size Matters*** * Please join us for a special evening where we will honor two celebrated educators who stand up for parents, smaller classes and our children’s right to receive a quality education* *Dr. Kathleen M. Cashin, ** * *Brooklyn member of the NYS Board of Regents... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Trying to follow the policy review project

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Trying to follow the policy review project: Trying to follow the policy review project by Charlie Mas The Seattle School Board has launched a big project to review and update all of their policies. Phase I of this process is complete - they have renumbered the policies to conform to WSSDA conventions, they have added some non-controversial policies that other districts typically have but Seattle was missing, they deleted some non-controversial superfluous policies, and they have done some work to thoughtfully re-write the governance policies (seri... more »

In Case You Missed It: Take your money back, Super PAC; Charters, Charters everywhere « EdVox

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
In Case You Missed It: Take your money back, Super PAC; Charters, Charters everywhere « EdVox: In Case You Missed It: Take your money back, Super PAC; Charters, Charters everywhere by edvoxny *Here on EdVox we’re excited to bring you the latest news about education issues and policies affecting our communities. It can be hard to keep up with all of the events and happenings, so – in case you missed it… **Here is a recap of the latest stories in NYC education news, starting with Monday of last week:* *MONDAY* - Hedge fund-backed super PAC StudentsFirstNY announced it would sp... more »

Does Common Core Encourage War? | History News Network

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Does Common Core Encourage War? | History News Network: Does Common Core Encourage War? - [image: share] - By Alan Singer *6-11-12* Alan Singer is a historian and Professor of Secondary Education at Hofstra University, author of "New York and Slavery: Time to Teach the Truth" (Albany, NY: SUNY Press, 2008), and editor of the New York and Slavery: Complicity and Resistance curriculum that received the 2005 National Council for the Social Studies program of excellence award. At the end of May, the Obama administration granted eight states, including New York, waivers from B... more »

This Week In Education: Think Tanks: Brookings "Fires" Ravitch For Being "Inactive"

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
This Week In Education: Think Tanks: Brookings "Fires" Ravitch For Being "Inactive": Think Tanks: Brookings "Fires" Ravitch For Being "Inactive" by Alexander Russo Diane Ravitch has announced on her blog that she's been nonrenewed as a nonresident fellow at the Brookings Institute, and in the process raised questions about the necessity of her removal from the unpaid position and the timing of the move (she recently posted a few entries critical of Romney, for whom Whitehurst is a campaign advisor). [image: Screen shot 2012-06-11 at 12.38.41 PM] There's no word back yet from Whitehu... more »

CPS “shares” parent phone numbers in anti-CTU propaganda campaign

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » CPS “shares” parent phone numbers in anti-CTU propaganda campaign: CPS “shares” parent phone numbers in anti-CTU propaganda campaign by admin Well, it’s looking as though the big bucks CPS and its corporate sponsors spent on discouraging a teacher strike authorization vote were wasted. For example, many CPS parents received a robo call over the weekend from Ed Reform Now. Raise Your Hand shared around an audio clip of the recorded message — the speaker identified herself as Jennifer Herron, a parent and Local School Council ... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Monday, June 11, 2012

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: Education Headlines *Monday, June 11, 2012* School builders back bonds most generouslyCompanies that design, build and consult on school construction projects contributed almost all of the money raised to help pass two local bond measures in Tuesday's election. Adult ed falls to flexibilitySince [2009], local school boards have closed 32 adult education programs and cut at least half the funding for more than 40 others, according to a survey conducted a few months ago by the adult education administrators in Montebello Unified Sch... more »

Innovation Schools/Creative Approach Schools and ALEC | Seattle Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Innovation Schools/Creative Approach Schools and ALEC | Seattle Education: Innovation Schools/Creative Approach Schools and ALEC by seattleducation2011 Last year legislation was pushed through referred to as the Innovation Schools bill. Sue and I called this bill a charter school bill in sheep’s clothing and that’s exactly what it was. Then, our district’s union leadership decided to take this on to show that we could have innovative schools in Seattle and therefore didn’t need charter schools even though we have “Option Schools”, which are progressive alternative schools, Montessor... more »

Is Teach For America Failing? : NPR

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Is Teach For America Failing? : NPR: Is Teach For America Failing? Teach for America has been touted for its success in bringing talented people into the field of education. But it has also been drawing criticism, even from former supporters, about whether the program is effective. Host Michel Martin talks with Gary Rubenstein, a Teach for America alum, a veteran teacher and a critic of the program. » E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us In Defense Of Teach For America Teach for America is drawing criticism from some education policy observers who say its training for new recruits ... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Education Venture Capitalists Want Government Money but not Government Mandates....

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Missouri Education Watchdog: Education Venture Capitalists Want Government Money but not Government Mandates....: Education Venture Capitalists Want Government Money but not Government Mandates.... by stlgretchen ...however, if you dance with the Devil, you pay the Devil his due. Venture capitalists are in the business of making money and one area to funnel capital is into charter schools. Charter start ups are partially funded by federal government money (aka known as taxpayer funding) so there is no true entrepreneurial risk. They primarily operate as traditional public schoo... more »

"NYSUT calls for major overhaul of standardized testing system." June 11, 2012. NYSUT: A Union of Professionals. www.nysut.org

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
"NYSUT calls for major overhaul of standardized testing system." June 11, 2012. NYSUT: A Union of Professionals. www.nysut.org: NYSUT calls for major overhaul of standardized testing system NYSUT Media Relations - June 11, 2012 ALBANY, N.Y. June 11, 2012 - New York State United Teachers today called for a major overhaul of New York's standardized testing system, saying the nearly 4,500 minutes, or 74 hours, the average student spends on standardized testing over their school years profits giant testing companies, but cheats students out of a rich and full education. While empha... more »

Van Roekel Responds to Daniels Echoing Romney’s Attack on Teachers | NEA Today

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Van Roekel Responds to Daniels Echoing Romney’s Attack on Teachers | NEA Today: Van Roekel Responds to Daniels Echoing Romney’s Attack on Teachers June 11, 2012 by twalker Filed under Must Reads Leave a Comment [image: Email][image: Share] Appearing today on “Fox News Sunday” with Chris Wallace, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, a high-profile Romney campaign supporter and potential candidate for vice president, continued the attack on working families when he called for the elimination of unions for teachers, police officers and firefighters. Source:*Education Votes* Related posts: ... more »

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 6-11 AM Posts #soschat #edreform

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
*BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK AM POSTS* New education standards end rote learning, cursive coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 minutes ago New education standards end rote learning, cursive: New education standards end rote learning, cursive Jill Tucker Monday, June 11, 2012 ------------------------------ PrintE-mailShareComments (33)Font | Size: ------------------------------ 28 Michael Short / Special to the Chronicle Third-graders practice cursive writing at Encompass Academy in East Oakland. Cursive writing and repetitive learning are not priorities under a new set of na... more »

New education standards end rote learning, cursive

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
New education standards end rote learning, cursive: New education standards end rote learning, cursive Jill Tucker Monday, June 11, 2012 ------------------------------ PrintE-mailShareComments (33)Font | Size: ------------------------------ 28 Michael Short / Special to the Chronicle Third-graders practice cursive writing at Encompass Academy in East Oakland. Cursive writing and repetitive learning are not priorities under a new set of national education standards offered to states. IMAGES[image: Third-graders practice cursive writing at Encompass Acade...][image: A student looks at ... more »

RheeFirst! » Four Years On, Checking in With Failed DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee's ’s DC ‘Army of Believers’–like her, they’ve failed

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
RheeFirst! » Four Years On, Checking in With Rhee’s DC ‘Army of Believers’–like her, they’ve failed: Four Years On, Checking in With Rhee’s DC ‘Army of Believers’–like her, they’ve failed by admin Written by Julia Lawrence for Education News. Read the entire article here. “*During Michelle Rhee’s tenure as the head of the Washington D.C. public school system, she presided over a wide-ranging staffing overhaul that saw over a third of the district’s principals and administrators fired and replaced. Rhee’s 2008 recruits were called “an army of believers” by a the non-profit New Le... more »

Take Politics Out of Student Loan Process | ED.gov Blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Take Politics Out of Student Loan Process | ED.gov Blog: Take Politics Out of Student Loan Process by Arne Duncan *This op-ed appeared in today’s edition of Politico.* Last month, I had the honor of giving the commencement address at Howard University. I was filled with hope and inspiration looking out at the faces of all those young people, often the first in their family to attend college. Those students and their families worked hard, sacrificed and saved to go to Howard. And for many of them, getting a degree would not have been possible without the help of Pell Grants and low-... more »

Straight Up Conversation: Common Core Architect and New College Board President David Coleman :: Frederick M. Hess

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 hours ago
Straight Up Conversation: Common Core Architect and New College Board President David Coleman :: Frederick M. Hess: Straight Up Conversation: Common Core Architect and New College Board President David Coleman *by Frederick M. Hess • Jun 11, 2012 at 8:50 am Cross-posted from Education Week* Print Send RSS [image: Share] Share The whip-smart and polished David Coleman has been the quiet architect behind the Common Core. With no formal position, he's played a pivotal role in shepherding and selling the work coordinated by the NGA and CCSSO. Of late, he's been spending most of his t... more »

Vallas on Spending Spree – Another Major Contract For Another Firm He’s Used Before - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 5 hours ago
Vallas on Spending Spree – Another Major Contract For Another Firm He’s Used Before - Wait, What?: Vallas on Spending Spree – Another Major Contract For Another Firm He’s Used Before by jonpelto The illegally appointed Bridgeport School Board is meeting tonight. One of their agenda items is a discussion about extending the City’s contract with Paul Vallas. Reportedly, board members want to sign a multi-year contract with Vallas in order to prevent the democratically elected board that will soon take office from conducting their own review of whether Vallas is the most appropria... more »

Shanker Blog » Reviving Labor After Wisconsin: Unions Need A New Approach Emphasizing Civil Rights

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Shanker Blog » Reviving Labor After Wisconsin: Unions Need A New Approach Emphasizing Civil Rights: Reviving Labor After Wisconsin: Unions Need A New Approach Emphasizing Civil Rights by Richard D. Kahlenberg *Our guest authors today are Richard D. Kahlenberg, a senior fellow at The Century Foundation, and Moshe Z. Marvit, a civil rights attorney. They are authors of the book *Why Labor Organizing Should Be a Civil Right: Rebuilding a Middle-Class Democracy By Enhancing Worker Voice.** Conservatives are calling the failure of public sector unions to recall Wisconsin Governor Scott... more »

The Day I Was Terminated « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
The Day I Was Terminated « Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] The Day I Was Terminated dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 18 minutes ago A few years ago, when I began speaking candidly about the destructive policies that are now called “education reform,” I had the comfort of knowing that no one could punish me. I didn’t want a job, I didn’t want a political appointment, and I didn’t want a foundation grant. Imagine my surprise, therefore, when I [...] The Textbooks in Voucher Academies dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 hour ago There are... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES: WEEKEND QUOTABLES by Mike Klonsky Jonah Edelman *Jonah Edelman of Stand for Children bragged last year that “the union cannot strike in Chicago. They will never be able to muster the 75 percent threshold needed to strike.’’* -- Sun-Times, "Sources: CPS teachers authorize strike" N.Y. high school student *“Everyone in school either has a prescription or has a friend who does.”* -- Risky Rise of the Good-Grade Pill Valerie Strauss *In the ‘you-can’t-make-up-this-stuff’ category, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is spending a... more »

Adult ed falls to flexibility | Thoughts on Public Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Adult ed falls to flexibility | Thoughts on Public Education: Adult ed falls to flexibility Share Districts are sweeping the funds into K12 Posted on 6/11/12 • Categorized as State Budget By *Kathryn Baron* *This is the first of two articles on the state of adult education in California. The second piece will run on Wednesday, June 13.* The sun was still melting through the gray morning sky as teacher Don Curtis rode his bicycle into a warehouse yard belonging to Oakland Unified School District, opened a large garage door, and backed his classroom into the parking lot. [image: The mo... more »

LAUSD: COURT TO RULE IF STULL CAN BE USED TO SCAPEGOAT GOOD TEACHERS - Perdaily.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
LAUSD: COURT TO RULE IF STULL CAN BE USED TO SCAPEGOAT GOOD TEACHERS - Perdaily.com: LAUSD: COURT TO RULE IF STULL CAN BE USED TO SCAPEGOAT GOOD TEACHERS by Leonard Isenberg [image: Think.jpg] *(Mensaje se repite en Español) (For a national view of public education reform see the end of this blog post)* *According to a recent Los Angeles TImes article, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge James C. Chalfant will rule today on requiring the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) to use student test scores in teacher STULL evaluations, which are supposed to determine if the te... more »

The Innovative Educator: Are teachers keeping students prisoners of their past?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
The Innovative Educator: Are teachers keeping students prisoners of their past?: Are teachers keeping students prisoners of their past? by noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen) *For today’s youth life outside of school is a fast-paced, connected environment where students have the freedom to learn in the spaces and with the tools they love. Once inside school walls however, in many cases digital devices are banned, collaborating is viewed as cheating, and students are often prohibited from accessing the very sites that are necessary for real-world success. * * * *I will be speaking t... more »

$1.1 million-plus Gates grants: ‘Galvanic’ bracelets that measure student engagement - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
$1.1 million-plus Gates grants: ‘Galvanic’ bracelets that measure student engagement - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: $1.1 million-plus Gates grants: ‘Galvanic’ bracelets that measure student engagement by Valerie Strauss In the ‘you-can’t-make-up-this-stuff’ category, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is spending about $1.1 million to develop a way to physiologically measure how engaged students are by their teachers’ lessons. This involves “galvanic skin response” bracelets that kids would wear so their engagement levels could be measured. Read full article >> Cha... more »

Schools Matter: Evaluate This! Shows the way forward for authentic education reform

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
Schools Matter: Evaluate This! Shows the way forward for authentic education reform: Evaluate This! Shows the way forward for authentic education reform by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene *"I am heading for a four-year college. The classes that most helped me prepare for this were NOT test prep classes. They were the ones where I got to explore stuff and do projects." — Tiffany Tuggle (CEJ Member and Senior at UCLA Community School)* Jessica Kochick teaches at the Miguel Contreras Learning Complex in the Westlake District of Los Angeles near my home. Jess and I come out of the same p... more »

1984: Melinda and Bill Gates’ Dystopian Ethos of Propaganda « Living Behind the Gates

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
1984: Melinda and Bill Gates’ Dystopian Ethos of Propaganda « Living Behind the Gates: 1984: Melinda and Bill Gates’ Dystopian Ethos of Propaganda by livingbehindthegates *“Our** ethos is all that we currently hold to be true. It is what we act upon. It governs our manners, our business, and our politics.”* ~ Howard Zinn *Big Brother*: [*voice-over*] “*This is our land. A land of peace and of plenty. A land of harmony and hope. This is our land. Oceania. These are our people. The workers, the strivers, the builders. These are our people. The builders of our world, struggling, fi... more »

The Educated Reporter: A Troubling Time Capsule: JFK On The State Of Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 7 hours ago
The Educated Reporter: A Troubling Time Capsule: JFK On The State Of Education: A Troubling Time Capsule: JFK On The State Of Education by Emily Richmond In his commencement speech at San Diego State College, the President of the United States covered unsurprising territory in describing the challenges facing the nation’s public schools – inequities for minority students, a high dropout rate, and the need for better teacher training. What might be surprising is that the president was John F. Kennedy, and he was addressing the class of 1963. “Our current education programs, much a... more »

NYC Educator: The Bad Business of Being a "Bad" Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
NYC Educator: The Bad Business of Being a "Bad" Teacher: The Bad Business of Being a "Bad" Teacher by NYC Educator * by special guest blogger Turnaround Teacher* I am working at one of the dozens of high schools that Mayor Mike, in his wisdom, has decided to "turnaround." "Turnaround" really means "closing," with all teachers put in excess and forced to reapply for their own jobs. Rumors circulate about how many teachers will be re-hired, but we all know that if only 50% of the staff is rehired, the school gets some extra $1.5 million. The teachers at our school are all obviously ... more »

Last Stand for Children First: The Secret to Effective Teaching - Galvanic Response Bracelets

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Last Stand for Children First: The Secret to Effective Teaching - Galvanic Response Bracelets: The Secret to Effective Teaching - Galvanic Response Bracelets by Last Stand for Children Diane Ravitch recently broke the story of the Gates Foundation awarding grants to both Clemson University and The National Center on Time and Learning for a combined 1.2 million dollars to study the use of Galvanic Response Skin bracelets to determine student engagement. This high tech bling measures emotional arousal via skin conductance, a form of electrodermal activity that grows higher during... more »

Daily Kos: a few brief thoughts after Providence

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago
Daily Kos: a few brief thoughts after Providence: a few brief thoughts after Providence by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) I was delighted with how packed the room was for the session I organized on education with Diane Ravitch and John Jackson. Both Diane and John enjoyed themselves. While I am aware of a diary that was critical of the session, I was honored by the number of people who came up to me and thanked me for the session, who got value from it. I found the part of Providence in which we were located to be delightfully walkable. I enjoyed many of the events and parties out... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Jonah Edelman: Massive Fail!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: Jonah Edelman: Massive Fail!: Jonah Edelman: Massive Fail! by Duke While I hate the thought of the damage a strike will do to Chicago's children and teachers, I can't help but take a little satisfaction in thinking that Jonah Edelman has much to answer for to his masters: *Chicago Teachers Union officials are expected to announce Monday that they have handily met a new 75 percent strike authorization threshold*, despite a blitzkrieg of emails and ads against the action, the Chicago Sun-Times has learned. The union concluded three days of voting Friday and a weeke... more »

Florida Backtracks on Standardized State Tests - NYTimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago
Florida Backtracks on Standardized State Tests - NYTimes.com: Backtracking on Florida Exams Flunked by Many, Even an EducatorBy MICHAEL WINERIPPublished: June 10, 2012 2 Comments - FACEBOOK - TWITTER - GOOGLE+ - EMAIL - SHARE - PRINT - SINGLE PAGE - REPRINTS - SANFORD, Fla. — Bill Vogel, the superintendent of schools in this suburb of Orlando, has always been vigilant about preparing his district for the state tests. Enlarge This Image Roberto Gonzalez for The New York Times Edlexander Rabassa, a high school sophomore in Orlando, Fla., qualified for coll... more »

All Education Matters: Announcement: All Education Matters Is Expanding and Launching a Radio Show and Magazine

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago
All Education Matters: Announcement: All Education Matters Is Expanding and Launching a Radio Show and Magazine: Announcement: All Education Matters Is Expanding and Launching a Radio Show and Magazine by Cryn Johannsen All Education Matters is expanding! I am pleased to announce that we are launching a radio show and online magazine called *Matters of Today*. We will laugh at life, hear from new artists, and also have well-rounded discussions on pressing issues of today. Student loans,education, social change, health, career issues, the global economy, and so forth will be cover... more »

Schools Matter: Research-free language education policy in England

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago
Schools Matter: Research-free language education policy in England: Research-free language education policy in England by skrashen Sent to the Telegraph (UK), June 10. In “Children will learn to recite poems by heart from age of 5,” (June 10), we are told that schools in England will put greater emphasis on spelling, grammar and phonics instruction in order to insure that children “leave primary school with a strong command of both written and spoken English, with high standards of literacy”. Education Secretary Gove and his staff are clearly unaware of some very well-established r... more »

David Coleman’s 50/50 mandate for literary/informational texts « Parents Across America

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago
David Coleman’s 50/50 mandate for literary/informational texts « Parents Across America: David Coleman’s 50/50 mandate for literary/informational texts by leoniehaimson *The following was written Sandra Stotsky, one of the primary authors of the highly-regarded Massachusetts standards for English Language Arts. Here is an earlier piece by Stotsky on the Common Core standards.* It is amazing that one badly informed person could single-handedly alter and weaken the entire public school curriculum in this country, without any public discussion. Indeed David Coleman, author of the Co... more »

Leaving Things Up To God: On Community Activism and Education [#NN12 Reflection] | The Jose Vilson

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago
Leaving Things Up To God: On Community Activism and Education [#NN12 Reflection] | The Jose Vilson: Leaving Things Up To God: On Community Activism and Education [#NN12 Reflection] by Jose This past weekend, I had the pleasure of attending Netroots Nation 2012 in Providence, RI as a panelist for “Education as a Right-Wing Wedge Issue” featuring Sabrina Stevens, Martha Infante, and Karran Harper Royal. While on the train towards the festivities, I came across a passage in my current book *Malcolm X, A Life of Reinvention *by Manning Marable, and it continues to shake so much of wh... more »

Keeping the “Professionalism” in the Profession | Ideas and Thoughts

Keeping the “Professionalism” in the Profession | Ideas and Thoughts:


Keeping the “Professionalism” in the Profession

A quick scan of my blog reveals I've discussed the word "accountability" often. LIke the word rigor, it's a word I despise when it comes to education and yet is the word governments and schools and districts use to market themselves as doing what's in the best interest of students. I've sat in on many discussions with well meaning, caring people who have adopted this ideology of measuring and "holding people accountable" for the work they do. While, that idea seems not only plausible and even essential for our time, it inevitably assumes that someone's doing something wrong. You can massage the message as much as you like but that word makes people feel less motivated to do good work for good work's sake and do it because they're being told to or else. What a lousy work environment. If we wonder sometimes why kids don't like school very much maybe it's because their teacher's don't like it and maybe it has something to do with the notion of accountability.
We've been hearing a great deal about the work in Finland schools of late and for good reason. Of the many things they're doing right, one is that they never once use the term "accountability".
"…there is no word for "accountability" in Finnish. When asked to explain the concept to a group of colleagues in Finland, Sahlberg said, "Accountability is what's left when you take out responsibility."
The word doesn't exist in their language. There are bad teachers in our schools. But not very many. What I see 

Leonie Haimson: Will Our Federal Government Renounce Their Proposal to Increase Class Size?

Leonie Haimson: Will Our Federal Government Renounce Their Proposal to Increase Class Size?:


Will Our Federal Government Renounce Their Proposal to Increase Class Size?


The Obama administration has proposed that in next year's education budget, 25 percent of the funds to reduce class size or keep teachers on staff be diverted to a competitive grant program to create and expand "new pathways" to teaching -- e.g. to help fund organizations like Teach For America.
That would mean a cut of more than $600 million that, if approved, would lead to even larger classes in schools throughout the country next year. Senate Appropriations Committee will have its say on this issue next week when it considers the FY13 Labor, Health and Education funding bill. Recently, a group of corporate education reform groups, let by 50-CAN and joined by other organizations including Michelle Rhee's StudentsFirst and Teach for America, sent a letter to Senate leaders

Fourth annual "Skinny award" dinner

Fourth annual "Skinny award" dinner:


Leonie Haimson, Diane Ravitch, Patrick Sullivan
Monica Major & Emily Horowitz 
invite you to
the fourth annual Skinny Awards
When: Tuesday, June 12 at 6:00 PM
 Where: Bistro Lamazou
344 3rd Avenue (betw. 25th & 26th St.)
New York, NY 10010
A fundraiser for Class Size Matters
 Please join us for a special evening where we will honor two celebrated educators who stand up for parents, smaller classes and our children’s right to receive a quality education
 Dr. Kathleen M. Cashin, 
Brooklyn member of the NYS Board of Regents
 Dr. Betty A. Rosa, 
Bronx member of the NYS Board of Regents
A rare opportunity to enjoy a three course dinner with wine while celebrating two heroes, battling to defend our public schools
Tickets:  $150 - Patron
$75 – Supporter
Class Size Matters, 124 Waverly Pl., NY NY 10011 or reserve your seat below.

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Trying to follow the policy review project

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Trying to follow the policy review project:


Trying to follow the policy review project

The Seattle School Board has launched a big project to review and update all of their policies. Phase I of this process is complete - they have renumbered the policies to conform to WSSDA conventions, they have added some non-controversial policies that other districts typically have but Seattle was missing, they deleted some non-controversial superfluous policies, and they have done some work to thoughtfully re-write the governance policies (series 1000). They are now in Phase II in which they review and thoughtfully revise other policies. Many of these revisions will be the subject of some contention and people should try to pay attention to the Phase II process as it occurs.

You should try, but they aren't making it easy. The information provided about Phase II of this process is badly out of date, incomplete, and inaccurate. It's hard not to take this as a sign of the Board's minimal interest in community engagement.

Here is a link to the Policy Review project web page.

The page has two links, one to the Phase II Policy Review Calendar and one to the Policy Book Preamble. Only the link to the Policy Book Preamble is dead and the Policy Review Calendar is out of date. That doesn't make it



The Board's Community Engagement

There is no school and no department in Seattle Public Schools that has worse community engagement than the School Board.

Their primary community engagement is the public testimony at the school board meetings and it is a near total failure as community engagement. Can you imagine a principal who conducted their community engagement in this way? Can you imagine a principal who held a community engagement event twice a month where no more than twenty people were allowed to speak for no more than two minutes each? The principal then did not respond to anyone who spoke - not at the event, not after it, not at all. Would that be acceptable community engagement for anyone?

Want to hear something ironic? If someone uses their two minutes of public testimony to speak to the Board about enrollment, or advanced learning, or school lunches, they will get a response. If the person responsible for 

In Case You Missed It: Take your money back, Super PAC; Charters, Charters everywhere « EdVox

In Case You Missed It: Take your money back, Super PAC; Charters, Charters everywhere « EdVox:


In Case You Missed It: Take your money back, Super PAC; Charters, Charters everywhere

Here on EdVox we’re excited to bring you the latest news about education issues and policies affecting our communities. It can be hard to keep up with all of the events and happenings, so – in case you missed it… Here is a recap of the latest stories in NYC education news, starting with Monday of last week:
MONDAY

Does Common Core Encourage War? | History News Network

Does Common Core Encourage War? | History News Network:


Does Common Core Encourage War?
By Alan Singer
6-11-12
Alan Singer is a historian and Professor of Secondary Education at Hofstra University, author of "New York and Slavery: Time to Teach the Truth" (Albany, NY: SUNY Press, 2008), and editor of the New York and Slavery: Complicity and Resistance curriculum that received the 2005 National Council for the Social Studies program of excellence award.
At the end of May, the Obama administration granted eight states, including New York, waivers from Bush-era No Child Left Behind (NCLB) education mandates. The waivers were necessary because a highly partisan Congress would not mend the law and because it is now clear that it is impossible for every child, no matter what their circumstances, to achieve at the top level in every subject. Lyndon Johnson could have made any rule he wanted to in the 1960s, but there was no way I was going to learn to speak French, study for chemistry, or carry a tune. Nineteen states 

This Week In Education: Think Tanks: Brookings "Fires" Ravitch For Being "Inactive"

This Week In Education: Think Tanks: Brookings "Fires" Ravitch For Being "Inactive":


Think Tanks: Brookings "Fires" Ravitch For Being "Inactive"

Diane Ravitch has announced on her blog that she's been nonrenewed as a nonresident fellow at the Brookings Institute, and in the process raised questions about the necessity of her removal from the unpaid position and the timing of the move (she recently posted a few entries critical of Romney, for whom Whitehurst is a campaign advisor).
Screen shot 2012-06-11 at 12.38.41 PM
There's no word back yet from Whitehurst or from Brookings' PR person Christine Jacobs about the strange timing or what the tank's policy is on staff participation in political campaigns.  (As you may recall, John Chubb 

CPS “shares” parent phone numbers in anti-CTU propaganda campaign

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » CPS “shares” parent phone numbers in anti-CTU propaganda campaign:


CPS “shares” parent phone numbers in anti-CTU propaganda campaign

 Well, it’s looking as though the big bucks CPS and its corporate sponsors spent on discouraging a teacher strike authorization vote were wasted.
For example, many CPS parents received a robo call over the weekend from Ed Reform Now. Raise Your Hand shared around an audio clip of the recorded message — the speaker identified herself as Jennifer Herron, a parent and Local School Council member. PURE was able to determine that a person with that name did run for 

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Monday, June 11, 2012

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team:



Education Headlines

Monday, June 11, 2012

School builders back bonds most generously

Companies that design, build and consult on school construction projects contributed almost all of the money raised to help pass two local bond measures in Tuesday's election.

Adult ed falls to flexibility

Since [2009], local school boards have closed 32 adult education programs and cut at least half the funding for more than 40 others, according to a survey conducted a few months ago by the adult education administrators in Montebello Unified School District.

Taking stimulants not for a high, but for a higher SAT score

At high schools across the United States, pressure over grades and competition for college admissions are encouraging students to abuse prescription stimulants, according to interviews with students, parents and doctors.

Claremont Unified board members deny charter school petition

Claremont Unified school board members have denied a charter school application. Board members unanimously voted Thursday against the petition submitted by Embracing the Whole Child Arts and Technology Academy despite pleas from the school's executive director.

Upland district still needs to cut $4 million in next year's budget

The Upland Unified School District needs to cut $4 million from its 2012-13 fiscal year budget.

San Diego Unified teachers' union agrees to negotiate with district

San Diego teachers are poised to give up raises to curb a massive round of layoffs and keep class sizes manageable next year.

Incoming San Bernardino superintendent highly praised

Those who've worked with Marsden during his time as superintendent of the Victor Elementary School District say what he did worked, and they expect the same style will lead the San Bernardino City Unified School District to success when he becomes its top administrator July 1.

Success of school bond measures in Pollock Pines, elsewhere raise officials' hopes

Pollock Pines Elementary School District and 22 other California school districts accomplished an unusual feat in this week's elections. Each passed a general obligation bond.

Photos taken during STAR testing put Tesoro High at risk

A South County high school where about nine students used their cellphones last month to snap photos of state standardized testing materials could lose its ability to compete for state honors for two years, including California Distinguished School, a state education official said.

Homework program for low-income kids threatened

Theyear-round library program, which serves 275 children in a low-income community and has been credited with helping to raise test scores at Oak View Elementary, is being threatened because of state budget cuts and the elimination of grant funding for some library programs.

Teachers Union and L.A school district reach pact to save jobs

Under the accord, teachers would lose 10 days of pay and students would lose five days of their school year. The pact mirrors agreements reached by other employee unions.

Tuesday's school bond sweep can't hurt Brown's chances in November

If there are no guarantees in California politics, voter support for local school bonds comes pretty close. And once again, in Tuesday’s primary, voters came through approving 72 percent of local bonds in districts statewide that secured almost $2 billion for K-14 facilities.

Adult schools targeted as school districts find ways to trim budgets

They have targeted the adult programs with the hope of preserving their K-12 programs while coping with severe budget cuts.

New education standards end rote learning, cursive

The ultimate goal is to get every child college and career ready. That means, cursive is out and keyboarding is in. Repetition and rote learning are passe while critical thinking is, well, critical.
Friday, June 8, 2012

Charter school Somis Academy closing doors

Somis Academy, a home study charter school, will close after the Somis Union School District board this week unanimously denied the school's petition for renewal.

New superintendent coming from Santa Maria

Douglas Kimberly, superintendent of the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District, has been selected to be the new leader of the Lake Elsinore Unified School District, it was announced Thursday.

Tiburon elementary school to build outdoor classroom

Faced with ballooning enrollment, a Tiburon elementary school is turning to an unlikely place to help ease a classroom shortage — the outdoors.

Innovation Schools/Creative Approach Schools and ALEC | Seattle Education

Innovation Schools/Creative Approach Schools and ALEC | Seattle Education:


Innovation Schools/Creative Approach Schools and ALEC

Last year legislation was pushed through referred to as the Innovation Schools bill.
Sue and I called this bill a charter school bill in sheep’s clothing and that’s exactly what it was.
Then, our district’s union leadership decided to take this on to show that we could have innovative schools in Seattle and therefore didn’t need charter schools even though we have “Option Schools”, which are progressive alternative schools, Montessori, STEM, the IB program and other schools and programs that could be considered “innovative schools”. There were objections to the term “Innovation Schools” because that was too close to what charter schools were so the leadership renamed it “Creative Approach Schools”. Same difference. It’s still a charter school in sheep’s clothing.
According to theMemorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Seattle Education Association (SEA) and the Seattle School District, there is to be no oversight by the school board and teachers lose their collective bargaining rights. In exchange for that, the staff can develop their own curriculum. The sad part about this is that 

Is Teach For America Failing? : NPR

Is Teach For America Failing? : NPR:

Is Teach For America Failing?

Teach for America has been touted for its success in bringing talented people into the field of education. But it has also been drawing criticism, even from former supporters, about whether the program is effective. Host Michel Martin talks with Gary Rubenstein, a Teach for America alum, a veteran teacher and a critic of the program.
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In Defense Of Teach For America

Teach for America is drawing criticism from some education policy observers who say its training for new recruits is rushed and incomplete. The organization, however, vigorously defends its record. Host Michel Martin speaks with Heather Harding of Teach for America about the program's challenges and its future.

Missouri Education Watchdog: Education Venture Capitalists Want Government Money but not Government Mandates....

Missouri Education Watchdog: Education Venture Capitalists Want Government Money but not Government Mandates....:


Education Venture Capitalists Want Government Money but not Government Mandates....

...however, if you dance with the Devil, you pay the Devil his due.


Venture capitalists are in the business of making money and one area to funnel capital is into charter schools.  Charter start ups are partially funded by federal government money (aka known as taxpayer funding) so there is no true entrepreneurial risk.  They primarily operate as traditional public schools because of the Race to the Top mandates, so true innovation in education content can't occur.  However, teacher unions will be reduced and (according to them and school choice proponents) public education will be saved.

Apparently the venture capitalists aren't liking the Race to the Top "competition" open to individual 

"NYSUT calls for major overhaul of standardized testing system." June 11, 2012. NYSUT: A Union of Professionals. www.nysut.org

"NYSUT calls for major overhaul of standardized testing system." June 11, 2012. NYSUT: A Union of Professionals. www.nysut.org:


NYSUT calls for major overhaul of standardized testing system

 
ALBANY, N.Y. June 11, 2012 - New York State United Teachers today called for a major overhaul of New York's standardized testing system, saying the nearly 4,500 minutes, or 74 hours, the average student spends on standardized testing over their school years profits giant testing companies, but cheats students out of a rich and full education.
While emphasizing that teachers - and teachers' unions - are not opposed to either accountability or assessing student performance, NYSUT said the fixation on standardized testing has thrown the state's education system out of balance.
"We need to restore that balance," said NYSUT President Richard C. Iannuzzi. "Tests must be better aligned to the new core curriculum and more useful in guiding 

Testimony: The Evolution of Student Assessments

"Standardized tests are not inherently bad. Combined with other measures of student learning, standardized tests can be a useful diagnostic tool for teachers to use. However, when standardized tests are overemphasized, or misused, we must say enough is enough. We have reached that point."


Healthy Workplace bill addresses bullying

Much deserved attention has been given to student bullying in schools. What about workplace bullying? It’s a significant problem that can cause or contribute to depression, hypertension and other stress-related illnesses.

Van Roekel Responds to Daniels Echoing Romney’s Attack on Teachers | NEA Today

Van Roekel Responds to Daniels Echoing Romney’s Attack on Teachers | NEA Today:


Van Roekel Responds to Daniels Echoing Romney’s Attack on Teachers

June 11, 2012 by twalker 
Filed under Must Reads

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Appearing today on “Fox News Sunday” with Chris Wallace, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, a high-profile Romney campaign supporter and potential candidate for vice president, continued the attack on working families when he called for the elimination of unions for teachers, police officers and firefighters. Source:Education Votes
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  2. Van Roekel: Romney Shows Complete Disdain for Public Schools and Educators
  3. Romney Education Panel a Throwback to Bush Era
  4. Volunteers Turn Out to Help Repeal Ohio’s SB5
  5. Romney Admits Education Policy is Intended to Kill Teacher Unions