KPBJ.COM | Education is the great equalizer, but is becoming the great separator | Business Daily | Don Brunell | KITSAP PENINSULA BUSINESS JOURNAL

KPBJ.COM | Education is the great equalizer, but is becoming the great separator | Business Daily | Don Brunell | KITSAP PENINSULA BUSINESS JOURNAL:

Education is the great equalizer, but is becoming the great separator

JUNE 18, 2012 @ 12:05AM | DON BRUNELL ~ Association of Washington Business

During his term as Washington’s governor, Gary Locke’s mantra was “education is the great equalizer.” Locke, now the U.S. Ambassador to China, was correct, but in our country, today education is becoming the great separator.

Here’s the problem.

First, far too many students drop out of high school — nearly 7,000 each day. That adds up to about 1.2 million students a year who don’t graduate with their peers.

The consequences are clear. Forbes reports that in 2009, the average high school dropout made $19,540 a year, 40 percent less than their classmates who graduate. The deficit continues into the workplace, where the 

Cognitive Dissidence: Walker's Fourth Attack On Educators

Cognitive Dissidence: Walker's Fourth Attack On Educators:

Walker's Fourth Attack On Educators

Scott Walker first launched his offensive against teachers, as well as other public service workers, by falsely maligning them and turning his base out to hate the very people they entrust their children to day in and day out.

Then Walker led his major offensive maneuver by dropping his "bomb" on educators by taking their civil rights of collective bargaining away and trying to bust their unions.

His third offensive tactic came when he revealed his budget which did 

California students’ improvement on AP exams deserves more attention | Thoughts on Public Education

California students’ improvement on AP exams deserves more attention | Thoughts on Public Education:

California students’ improvement on AP exams deserves more attention

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Posted on 6/18/12 • Categorized as 10.1Assessments, Achievement Gap

By Michael Kirst

There is some good news in California student achievement trends. High performers, as measured by passage of the Advanced Placement exam, are increasing, and rank very high in interstate comparisons.

AP is college level work in high school, and indicates that students attending California’s most selective colleges are better prepared than ever. This positive trend is obscured by national studies, like the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), that donot focus on the highest achieving students when making interstate and racial/ethnic comparisons. In California, Hispanic growth in both taking and passing the AP exam is 

Daily Kos: Fifty Million

Daily Kos: Fifty Million:

Fifty Million

by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken)

If you were at Netroots Nation, you heard Darcy Burner remind us that one in three woman in America will have an abortion at some point in their lives.  Given a population in excess of 300 million, half of which are female, that is something over fifty million.
You experienced her quietly asking women in the audience if they were comfortable to stand and acknowledge having had an abortion.    As Digby, John and Howie and the Leadership of Blue America put it in an email that went out yesterday, reflecting a post on their site,

One by one at first, and finally all at once, women throughout that huge crowd, in front of all their peers and friends, stood up. That's not an easy thing to do in this culture, even among friends. The right has made it a dishonorable, solitary act, borne in silence, subject to fear and social stigma.

But then Darcy did more.  Quoting again from the Blue America email,

she asked all of those who supported those women to stand up. Everyone in the room came to their feet. There was no sustained applause and no celebration, just a simple public acknowledgement of solidarity and sincere support for the women in all of our lives who have made this choice.

The meaning of this is simple, quoting again

This is the essence of leadership --- a candidate for office taking a stand on one of the most 

Diane Ravitch's blog 6-18

Diane Ravitch's blog:

Is Louisiana the Worst?

dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 36 minutes ago

Louisiana is a very strong contender for the worst state in the nation in relation to its treatment of teachers, students, and public schools. Governor Bobby Jindal has been hailed by rightwing privatizers for his bold plan to dismantle public education. And indeed, his legislation established vouchers, charters, and a punitive regime for teachers. If [...]

New Jersey Has a Bad Idea

dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 39 minutes ago

A reader sends this note, relevant today, but relevant beyond today. It is part of the rightwing assault on the teaching profession. The state gets to define “effective,” then can take the right to due process away from those who don’t meet the benchmarks arbitrarily created by the state, which is eager to fire teachers [...]

Is North Carolina the Worst?

dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 hour ago

A reader writes from North Carolina, where far-right Republicans control state government and are more than willing to hand public schools over to the private sector to mine for profit: In North Carolina, the Republican dominated legislature lifted the cap on charter schools, provided a fast track approval process, and created a new certification board [...]

Is Michigan the Worst?

dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 hour ago

In the ongoing effort to learn what is happening in the states under the guise of “reform,” here are reports from readers in Michigan: This is a pretty good list. Let me expand a bit: as with much of the country, we had a huge wave of victories by “tea party” backed candidates in the [...]

Washington State: So Far, OK.

dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 hour ago

Readers of this blog are reporting on what is happening in their state, and the extent to which corporate reform has intruded into the schools. The toxic combination, when in full flower, consists of legislation to ban collective bargaining, so that there is no group strong enough to fight against budget cuts and anti-teacher legislation; [...]

Big Money Joins Chicago Fight

dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 hour ago

Education Reform Now, a corporate reform group funded by Wall Street and other financial elites, is now involved in the Chicago teachers’ collective bargaining issues. ERN spent millions in New York state last year to attack teachers’ job protections. In the linked article, the group says it is not coordinating with the Mayor’s office, but [...]

Is It “Hysterical” to Worry about Those GSR Monitors?

dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 hour ago

A reader, who is a professor of education, writes in response to the ongoing discussion on this blog of the galvanic skin response monitors: I encourage educators to be reflective practitoners, so I know that, to be authentic, it involves regular, honest, deep-seated self-inventories, and I appreciate those efforts. However, it’s an ongoing process and [...]

Is Wisconsin the Worst State?

dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 hour ago

This response to my request for information suggests that Wisconsin has the worst, most anti-teacher, anti-public education reforms: Wisconsin. No more collective bargaining. A line in WI Act 10 that specifically states “No local agency or school board shall enter into any collective bargaining agreement…” So much for local control. After that was passed, Gov [...]

Which State Has the Worst Reforms?

dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 1 hour ago

I asked readers to report on the destructive reforms imposed in their state. No one has tried to collect this information or to pull it all together into a national picture. Everyone seems to think that their own state is off on a binge of legislation that is anti-union, anti-teacher, and anti-public education. From what [...]

California Struggles to Recover

dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 2 hours ago

California has cut billions of dollars from its education budget over the past decade. There are classrooms with more than 40 students, with many of them non-English-speaking. It is very hard to teach a large class when there are children who don’t understand the language of instruction and when the students no longer have needed [...]

When Does the Achievement Gap Start?

dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 2 hours ago

We know the answer to that question. It doesn’t start in high school. It doesn’t start in middle school. It doesn’t start in elementary school. It starts before the first day of kindergarten. Yet our elites blame teachers for the very existence of the achievement gap. They think that teachers “cause” the gap. They think [...]

Calling Teachers of Special Education

dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 2 hours ago

I am no expert in special education. I would like to get the views of experienced teachers about what is the best means of assessing the progress of students with disabilities. My assumption would be that the range of disabilities is so broad that one-size-fits-all will fit no one. My assumption is that students with [...]

Philadelphia Vs. Privatizers

dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 2 hours ago

Philadelphia matters because it is a harbinger of privatization across the state of Pennsylvania. As the letter below notes, some 25 districts in the state would qualify as in need of dramatic action–i.e., privatization–under the terms of a bill now under consideration in the Legislature. This scenario reflects a process we have seen in other [...]

Is Hawaii the Worst State?

dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 3 hours ago

This reader provides an overview of what is happening in Hawaii. Those of us who live on the East Coast don’t hear much about education developments in Hawaii, so this is fresh information. It sounds like Obama and Duncan have brought all the worst ideas of corporate reform to Hawaii, via Race to the Top. [...]

This Art Teacher Knows What to Do with Bubble Tests

dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 19 hours ago

I have a visceral distaste for the very idea of measuring the arts with a standardized multiple-choice test. This strikes me the sort of technocratic thinking that is driving creativity and ingenuity underground and crushing it whenever it dares to appear in a schoolroom. We know that the only reason this idea is being considered [...]

Five Steps to Destroy Public Education

dianerav at Diane Ravitch's blog - 19 hours ago

An earlier post described the four-step polka in North Carolina enroute to destroying public education, demoralizing teachers, and enriching the private vendors. Here is a suggestion by another reader, who says it actually is a five-step process. 1. Under-fund/STARVE the schools financially 2. Overcrowd the classrooms, reduce programs, supplies 3. Fail the public school using [...]

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES:

WEEKEND QUOTABLES

by Mike Klonsky

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio

"I think people from Mexico are now going to feel, 'Hey come on in and we'll get by with it.' But it won't happen in this county. They will still be arrested." -- After arresting 6-year-old suspected illegal immigrant. 

 Diane Ravitch

Isn’t it strange that you never see a group like “Education Reform Now” or “Democrats for Education Reform” or “ConnCAN” or “50StateCANN” advocating for smaller classes or more librarians or a reversal of budget cuts. -- "Big Money Joins Chicago Fight" 

Gary Orfield

"If you have choice without civil rights policies, it stratifies the systems. People who have the most 

Pop quiz on standardized testing - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

Pop quiz on standardized testing - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post:

Pop quiz on standardized testing

By Valerie Straussh

This was written by Lisa Guisbond, apolicy analyst with FairTest, the National Center for Fair & Open Testing, in Jamaica Plain, Mass. FairTest is a non-profit organization dedicated to ending the misuse of standardized tests. This quiz was first published in Education Week.

By Lisa Guisbond

You can practically hear the collective relief as school testing seasonwinds down across America. It’s not just the sighs of millions of overtested and stressed-out children. Joining them are state officials, school administrators, teachers, and parents. All, for varying reasons, are no doubt happy to close the door on a particularly disastrous season that included public uproar over a confusing reading test question and a scoring fiasco on the Florida writing exam.

Before we put away the No. 2 pencils, though, how about sharpening 

The technology mistake: Confusing access to information with becoming educated

by Valerie Strauss

This was written by Larry Cuban, a former high school social studies teacher (14 years, including seven at Cardozo and Roosevelt high schools in the District), district superintendent (seven years in Arlington, VA) and professor emeritus of education at Stanford University, where he has taught for more than 20 years. His latest book is “As Good As It Gets: What School Reform Brought to Austin.” This appeared on his blog.
Read full article >>

Seattle Schools Community Forum: What's Wrong with Proposed Policy 2200

Seattle Schools Community Forum: What's Wrong with Proposed Policy 2200:

What's Wrong with Proposed Policy 2200

by Charlie Mas

Every so often something comes along that exposes and epitomizes a wide range of problems. This week it is the proposed Policy 2200, Equitable Access to Programs and Services. This proposed revision to Board Policy C56.00 reveals and illustrates problems with the Board's procedures, the Board's practices, the staff, program placement, the allocation of authority, the factors that really drive decisions within Seattle Public Schools, and the whole concept of governance vs. management.

Where to begin?


The History
In 2006 Carla Santorno, the district's Chief Academic Officer under superintendent Raj Manhas, proposed splitting middle school APP between Washington and Hamilton. The APP community hated the idea but there was no resistance to it on the Board. The change was announced in December along with a number of other program placement changes for the coming year. The driving reason given for the split was overcrowding at Washington. District staff claimed that there was no room for neighborhood students at Washington as a result of the growth of APP there. Board Policy D12.00 precluded the creation of additional APP sites in the absence of 

NYC Educator: In a Hurry

NYC Educator: In a Hurry:

In a Hurry

by NYC Educator

This morning, I'm off to read 5 million papers. Our ESL department is going to read the papers of our ESL students. They are all taking the Regents exam, because NY State has decided, in its infinite wisdom, that there is no difference between kids who were born here, kids who have spoken English all their lives, and kids from other countries, who have spoken English only weeks or months.

It's important that we have a standardized test because teachers can't be trusted to construct their own. I, for example, would never exhibit the wisdom of NY State. I would test my kids on things like grammar and usage, the things that show up in their writing, the things they will be tested on when they enter college, and the things they will take no-credit remedial courses to correct. I'm thoroughly corrupt like that, teaching them what 

Jersey Jazzman: Chris Cerf Will Tell You What He Thinks You Need To Know!

Jersey Jazzman: Chris Cerf Will Tell You What He Thinks You Need To Know!:

Chris Cerf Will Tell You What He Thinks You Need To Know!

by Duke

If you blink, you'll miss it:

The entity that handles appeals of rejected requests for public information meets once a month in a first-floor office in Trenton. Windows offer a view of an atrium outside, but it's difficult — literally and otherwise — to look from the outside in. 

Called the Government Records Council, this agency adjudicates appeals from all levels of New Jersey government, from your school board on up to Christie's office. I reviewed its records, excluded obviously frivolous complaints, and found that under Christie, the GRC has ruled on 44 cases involving state departments. 

And all 44 times, the GRC sided with the Christie administration.

The GRC is supposed to have five members appointed by the governor, but Christie has left it with three for most of his term. There are now four, including a Christie campaign donor, Christie's education commissioner, and Christie's community affairs commissioner. [emphasis mine]

Wha, huh, wha!? The ACTING education commissioner - yes, he is unconfirmed - is determining whether or not 

An Open Thank You Letter to Teachers « Cooperative Catalyst

An Open Thank You Letter to Teachers « Cooperative Catalyst:

An Open Thank You Letter to Teachers

by zoeweil

I wanted to share my latest essay published at Common Dreams, a progressive news site. Here’s an excerpt from “An Open Thank You Letter to Teachers”:

“Dear Teachers,
Another school year is over, and there’s a good chance you haven’t been thanked for another year’s hard work. That might actually be quite an understatement. Not only may you have failed to receive real appreciation for your work, your salary and benefits may have been cut while your hours were increased. You may have had more students to teach and more requirements to fulfill. You may not even be sure you’ll be teaching next fall, depending upon budget cuts, even though you are a good and dedicated teacher.
… So if you haven’t received the thanks you deserve, I want to thank you publicly now. And by “you” I mean those teachers who love to teach and do so with all their heart and soul to provide their students with what is important and necessary and inspiring and beautiful and meaningful and true and good and honest. I mean those teachers who care about kids and empower them and ignite their passions and help them achieve their big dreams. I mean those teachers who demand that their students question everything, including what they themselves teach, to ensure that they 

AN ANALYSIS OF THE 2012-13 JOBS AND SERVICES RESTORATION AGREEMENT BETWEEN LAUSD AND UTLA By Dr. John Fernandez - Perdaily.com

AN ANALYSIS OF THE 2012-13 JOBS AND SERVICES RESTORATION AGREEMENT BETWEEN LAUSD AND UTLA By Dr. John Fernandez - Perdaily.com:

AGREEMENT BETWEEN LAUSD AND UTLA By Dr. John Fernandez

by Leonard Isenberg

Not only is the Agreement misleading, tentative, and conditional, the Agreement fails to support the claim that 4,149 jobs will be restored and does not give an exact number of all pending Reduction in Forces (RIFS) and job loses that will take place after June 30, 2012. For instance on page 4 of the Agreement, Section 5a, the subheading states: "TotalEstimated FTE Position Restorations is 4,149." Thus, the 4,149 is an estimate and not an absolute number.

However, in UTLA's official Summary of the 2012-13 Jobs & Services Restoration Agreement, under subheading "RESTORATION OF JOBS", it states:  "Under this agreement, 4,149 full-time equivalent positions will be restored." This statement by UTLA is totally false and misleading.

These are the following Program Restorations and their corresponding FTE positions taken from the Agreement:

Restore K-3 Class Size to current Level--1,583

Restore Grades 4-6 Class Size to

Teacher evaluation plan a test for LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy - LA Daily News

Teacher evaluation plan a test for LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy - LA Daily News:

Teacher evaluation plan a test for LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy

By Barbara Jones, Staff Writer

Posted:   06/17/2012 05:58:17 PM PDT

Updated:   06/17/2012 08:59:39 PM PDT

James Jordan Middle School principal Myranda Marsh talks with students before they take a final. A court order is mandating that student test scores be a part of a teacher s performance evaluation at LAUSD schools. (Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer)

Armed with a court order mandating the use of student test scores in teacher evaluations, Los Angeles Unified Superintendent John Deasy now faces the tough job of selling his achievement-based review system to the district's teachers, union leaders and even its school board members.
The ruling issued last week orders LAUSD to include pupil progress scores in rating teachers and school administrators in order to bring the district into compliance with state law.
Although he was a defendant in the suit, the decision was viewed as a victory for Deasy, who has been a strident advocate for using test scores as one factor in teacher evaluations.
And Deasy himself sees the judge's ruling as ammunition in his fight to implement Academic Growth over Time. The complex formula of standardized tests scores and demographic 

http://www.southbronxschool.com

http://www.southbronxschool.com:

Planes, Trains, and Allegorical Deformers

by noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher)

Hey, do you ever think that John Candy and Steve Martin are allegorical to the deformers and the deform movement out there?

Let me be the first to explain.

Today as I was celebrating Father's Day with the traditional packing of ten years worth of stuff, my wife was saying something to me. What I still do not know, but in my ADD mind for what ever reason I conjured up the movie "Planes, Trains and Automobiles," in particular the scene in which John Candy is driving the car the wrong way down the Interstate with Steve Martin in the passenger seat. Get it? Deformers going the wrong way. We can say that John Candy represents Satan, er, I meant, Chris Christie, and Steve Martin represents GideonStein, or any two deformers that you wish.

You know if you think about it, Chris Christie is really nothing more than a shower ring salesman that dresses better than Dell Griffith.

In the car on the other side of interstate, heading in the same, albeit correct direction, are a couple (perhaps myself and TFT)warning our clueless duo that they, "are going the wrong way!" That if they don't change 

DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER!: I HAVE TO STOP READING DIANE RAVITCH'S BLOG!

DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER!: I HAVE TO STOP READING DIANE RAVITCH'S BLOG!:

BLOG!

My summer vacation began on June 13 and Diane Ravitch has started blogging. What's the connection? Well, every morning when I open my email, there are about 4-7 posts from Diane Ravitch. She doesn't send them to me personally. But, being a person who wants to know what's going on in the realm of education, besides the latest edtech tool, hers is one of the blogs I subscribe to.

Here's the thing though. Every time I open one of her posts, and begin to read, I get angry, frustrated, and outraged at what is happening around this country regarding education!  My stomach gets tied up in knots, I shake my head repeatedly, I talk to the "ed reformers" Diane refers to (and I am not saying nice things either),and the word "What?" "What?" spews from my mouth repeatedly!(You should have seen 

All Education Matters: National Emergency? Suicidal Student Debtors (Plus Senator Begich Thanks Me For My Advocacy)

All Education Matters: National Emergency? Suicidal Student Debtors (Plus Senator Begich Thanks Me For My Advocacy):

National Emergency? Suicidal Student Debtors (Plus Senator Begich Thanks Me For My Advocacy)

by Cryn Johannsen

The suicidal notes continue to come my way. One man told me that he is planning to kill himself. I have reached out and told him that he can talk to me whenever he likes. I also contacted a fantastic scholar and clinical psychologist who has offered to help as well.

If you are suicidal, I urge you to reach out to people you trust (family, friends, a pastor, or a therapist). If you don't wish to do that, seek guidance from organizations like the National Suicide Prevention lifeline (800-273-8255) or visit their website. Avoid the desire to isolate yourself. It is completely understandable to feel this way, especially when you know that you are most likely indebted for life - the feelings of low self-worth are overwhelming, and the desire to leave this life seems rational. However, suicide is not the solution to the crisis. As I've said in past posts, those who love you would be absolutely devastated if you were to take your life. I, as a fellow human being and sympathizer, would be broken up to learn of such deaths.

On a very positive note, last week I was on a teleconference call with Senators Begich (D-AK), Brown (D-OH), and Reed (D-RI). During the call I was able to bring up student loans and suicide. I let them know that the situation is worsening, people are more desperate, and many more are coming to me and admitting that they are suicidal. I told them that this is a "national emergency," and something needs to be done now. That means leaders should not wait until after the elections in November, or, God forbid, 2013.

Senator Mark Begich (D-AK)