Daily Kos: Time as Capital: The Rise of the Frantic Class

Daily Kos: Time as Capital: The Rise of the Frantic Class:

Time as Capital: The Rise of the Frantic Class

byplthomasEdDFollow

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Imagine a world where time is capital.

This is the dystopian future of 2161 brought to film by Andrew Niccol's In Time (2011)—triggering some powerful parallels to Logan's Run (both the original novel from 1967 and thefilm adaptation in 1976).

Both Logan's Run and In Time expose the human condition in terms of age and mortality—in the first, life ends at 30, and in the latter, people stop aging at 25, but at a price, which involves time.

Science fiction (SF) as a genre presents us with allegory in the form of other worlds, as Margaret Atwood argues, and speculations, but the most engaging aspect of SF for me as 

L.A. Times Writes Shockingly Good Editorial On Schools — With Convenient Amnesia | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…

L.A. Times Writes Shockingly Good Editorial On Schools — With Convenient Amnesia | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…:

L.A. Times Writes Shockingly Good Editorial On Schools — With Convenient Amnesia

July 15, 2012 by Larry Ferlazzo | 0 comments

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The Los Angeles Times, the paper guilty of pioneering extraordinary moral lapse of publishing teacher’s value-added ranking (see The Best Posts About The LA Times Article On “Value-Added” Teacher Ratings) just published a shockingly good editorial titled Education’s pendelum: Thinkers or test takers?

After warning that countries that outscore the U.S. on tests now want to emulate us because they realize they want more of the creativity to innovate, analyze and solve problems the U.S. students have developed in our system, here’s how it ends:

Now, even though academic performance among U.S. students is still lagging, many parents and educators are complaining that the push toward a standard curriculum and standardized 

Energy, Power and the Leader-sphere - Arlington, VA, United States, ASCD EDge Blog post - A Professional Networking Community for Educators

Energy, Power and the Leader-sphere - Arlington, VA, United States, ASCD EDge Blog post - A Professional Networking Community for Educators:

Energy, Power and the Leader-sphere

Have you ever thought about the difference between energy and power? We use them interchangeably when discussing fuel, but not so much when discussing people. Energy is the availability of power, and power is the ability to get things done. Today’s young professionals expect to be both energized and empowered, and organizations are quickly morphing to meet the challenge and the opportunity.

Consider it in terms of how our thinking about fuel has evolved over time…

From early on in human history, access to fuel has been linear. We’ve had to find and go to the source: water, wind, fire. Eventually, we realized we could harness fuel for specific uses, so we built mills on rivers and ships on oceans and we cooked at fire pits. It was a step forward, but it was still a linear path.

Then came electricity. You don’t “go” to electricity…you make it come to you through conductors, insulators and wiring. It was still linear…available through stationary 

The Collapse of Florida’s Test-Based Accountabilty Regime Has Reached Stage Two | Scathing Purple Musings

The Collapse of Florida’s Test-Based Accountabilty Regime Has Reached Stage Two | Scathing Purple Musings:

The Collapse of Florida’s Test-Based Accountabilty Regime Has Reached Stage Two

by Bob Sikes

St. Lucie County Superintendent of Schools, Michael Lannon isn’t happy with Florida’s school grade system. From reporter Kelly Tyko of Scripps Treasure Coast News:

“The manipulated testing, judging and accountability culture that has developed in Florida is now so greatly politically driven that I believe the (state board of education) and (Department of Education) have destroyed the credibility of assessment in our state,” St. Lucie County Schools Superintendent Michael Lannon wrote in an email to Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers on Friday. “I am greatly disturbed by the manipulation as it gets in the way of great teaching and engaged learning.”………”The artificial grade is what it is,” Lannon said. “Our perspective has always been that all this merely shifts the emphasis away from making continuous progress, 

Lighting a Fire or Filling a Pail? « Diane Ravitch's blog

Lighting a Fire or Filling a Pail? « Diane Ravitch's blog:

Lighting a Fire or Filling a Pail?

by dianerav

Carol Corbett Burris posted a critique of the Relay Graduate School of Education here. Robert Pondiscioquestioned Burris’ metaphor about “lighting a fire” rather than “filling a pail,” on the assumption that she does not care about the content of the curriculum.
My view: Curriculum matters; resources matter; poverty matters; and teachers should be free to use the teaching style that works best for them. And I still doubt the validity of a “graduate school of education” that has no scholars on its faculty and no curriculum other than data analysis and classroom management.
Burris responds here to Pondiscio, followed by Pondiscio’s response to Burris:

If Robert is a believer in enriched and challenging curriculum, he will find a great friend in me. This year every 11th grader in my school with the exception of the severely disabled who need life skills training, took IB

Rahm's school budget assault | SocialistWorker.org

Rahm's school budget assault | SocialistWorker.org:

Rahm's school budget assault

Facing a contract showdown with teachers, Chicago school officials announced a budget that targets the CTU while draining schools of resources, reports Lee Sustar.

FACED WITH demands for a pay increase for teachers and a call to fully fund its planned longer school day, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) officialsresponded with a budget that calls for educators to work longer for less, funnels money from neighborhood schools to charters, and includes no money for the major increase in the school day.

"It's a war budget," one official at the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) said of the proposal.

Claiming it is facing a $665 million deficit, CPS has budgeted for a 2 percent pay raise for teachers who will be forced to work 20 percent longer with the extended school day--even as the teachers union calls for restoration of a canceled 4 percent raise plus additional compensation for more time in the classroom. The budget also cancels scheduled individual teacher raises tied to seniority 

An Urban Teacher's Education: Gearing Up for Save Our School Convention DC 2012

An Urban Teacher's Education: Gearing Up for Save Our School Convention DC 2012:

Gearing Up for Save Our School Convention DC 2012

by James Boutin

The following was cross posted at @ the chalk face.

Last year, Save Our Schools hosted a phenomenal conference in Washington DC. I wrote about my experiences there here, here, and here. Like-minded people from across the country coalesced around their distrust of policies that make no sense when you see them through the eyes of those they're supposed to serve: students. Privatization, school-choice, Teach for America, the dismantling of unions and collective bargaining, standardized testing, NCLB's labeling of and punitive response to "failing schools" - they all represent an acute threat to our traditional notion of public education, our inclination to strive for true equality of opportunity, and democracy.

When I first began my foray into teaching, I understood none of this. To be honest, I thought the people who said the kinds of things I wrote in the previous paragraph were overreacting, maybe a little off their rocker. But then I taught in Washington, DC; and then New York City. And I witnessed first hand the destructive effects of these policies on school children in large urban districts where politics are ubiquitously palpable, and people eat beesand play with test scores to make a name for themselves.

So whether you're just beginning your career in education (as a pre-service teacher, or as a counselor), you have a child in public education, you've been working in schools for thirty years, or you're a member of the general public who cares about democracy and education (because in education, everybody is a stakeholder); and you have August 3rd-5th open on your calender; I highly recommend you attend the convention this year.

The energy I took from last year's gathering helped me through this past year of teaching. It increased my awareness and provided me with ideas on how to better engage my students, staff, and community around the good fight for social justice.

Videos and blog postings will undoubtedly be available after it's over, but nothing compares to the experience of being there. There's a good chance it will change the way you see your work and education's mission.

Hope to see you there!

Missouri Education Watchdog: Sunday Education Reform Comic Strip that Isn't Funny...and The Sunday Education Weekly Reader 07.15.12..

Missouri Education Watchdog: Sunday Education Reform Comic Strip that Isn't Funny...and The Sunday Education Weekly Reader 07.15.12..:

Sunday Education Reform Comic Strip that Isn't Funny...and The Sunday Education Weekly Reader 07.15.12..

by stlgretchen

Featuring a Sunday comic that isn't funny or "for the kids".

Welcome to the Sunday Education Weekly Reader for 07.15.2012.

We are highlighting a cartoon from archcomix.com highlighting education reform issues.  I picked it up from GF Brandenberg's blog:

Instead of attempting to reproduce the entire cartoon here, let me give you the URL so you can look at it.

The art isn't perfect, but it does lay out the issues behind NCLB, RTTT, charter schools, TFA, and so on.

Click here to see it.

It does address most issues but omits probably the worst "reform" to come out of these plans: the longitudinal data system and the tracking of student/family data so that human 

Education reform's dilemma: Improving creative thinking or improving test scores - latimes.com

Education reform's dilemma: Improving creative thinking or improving test scores - latimes.com:

Education's pendelum: Thinkers or test takers?

Rote learning can take a toll on building creativity in schools. The nations that can strike the right balance will gain a competitive edge.

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Aiming higher on academics shouldn't have to mean leaving deeper or more open-ended thinking skills behind. Above: A pre-algebra Math 7 class at Johnny Cochran Middle School in Los Angeles is seen. (Los Angeles Times / June 13, 2012)

July 15, 2012

The people of a large and mighty nation wonder why their schools can't do more to imitate those of another large, powerful nation across the Pacific Ocean. But this time it's not the United States seeking to emulate the schools of an Asian country — it's China seeking to emulate ours, at least to some extent.

China is pushing for more emphasis on building creative skills and less on high-stress, high-stakes testing, according to a recent article in the New York Times. Under the existing system, a single entrance exam determines whether students attend college, and which one. Talk about teaching to the test: The last year of high school is often given over to cramming for the exam. In at least one classroom, students 

Realism in New Jersey: Can We Face It? « Diane Ravitch's blog

Realism in New Jersey: Can We Face It? « Diane Ravitch's blog:

Realism in New Jersey: Can We Face It?

by dianerav

My favorite New Jersey blogger, known as Jersey Jazzman, is a teacher and one smart guy (I’m assuming he is a guy because of his moniker, which is not Jersey Jazzperson or Jazzwoman).
He has written a very important post. I urge you to read it carefully. It reflects on where the reform movement is heading in his state, and for that matter, nationally. He looks specifically at Newark, which has been a focal point for “reform” money and programs.
He shows (relying on the work of Bruce Baker) that the successful charters are the ones with the least challenging students, and the less successful charters have the most challenging students. The independent

Merit Pay for Congress and State Legislatures?

by dianerav

Some while back, I suggested on Twitter that members of Congress should get merit pay. It doesn’t seem fair that all of them are paid exactly the same, no matter how effective or ineffective they are. The same might be  said of state legislators. Why don’t they get merit pay? They are eager to impose it on teachers, based on student scores, but they don’t want it for themselves.
The problem with the idea is this: how do you judge effectiveness?
A reader has a good proposal:
I think we should push for MORE merit pay, but in this way:  our state and federal legislators should be paid 

Does Privatization Help the Poor?

by dianerav

I recently posted about the article and editorial in The Economist praising charter schools. The Economist is a booster of free-market capitalism so it is no surprise that it would admire this venture in privatization. What interested me about the articles was that the magazine quite bluntly described these privately-managed schools as privatization. Charter school advocates here try to hide that distinction. They go to lengths to call themselves “public charter schools” and claim to be “public schools” because they get public money. The Economist sees them plainly as privatization with public funds, outsourcing public schools to private management.
One reader is worried about how this trend towards privatization will affect developing countries:

Teaching in a Cybercharter

by dianerav

I have posted a few articles about the sham education offered in cybercharters, which have only one great benefit: They make big money for their sponsors.
One of the worst is ECOT–the Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow–which rakes in millions despite its high attrition rates and the terrible performance of its students. The owner of ECOT gives generously to Republican politicians, and they in turn favor ECOT. The scariest thought is that this might be the “classroom of tomorrow,”

You Should Read This Article

by dianerav

One of the nice things about having your own blog is that you can do things like recommend an article that appeared last November.
I recommend this article by Lee Fang that was published in The Nation.
It is a stunning piece of investigative journalism about the corporate reform movement, its leaders, its methods, its goals.
The article centers on events in Florida but the context is national.
It is a shocking story, well documented, and very important.
When I read it, I tweeted it.
It deserves to be read and widely circulated.

Star Watch: Cyberschools multiply but scores fall short | Indianapolis Star | indystar.com

Star Watch: Cyberschools multiply but scores fall short | Indianapolis Star | indystar.com:

Star Watch: Cyberschools multiply but scores fall short

There's little accountability in state's fast-growing system

Con Academy 

Browse Con Academy  library of over 3,100 educational videos...

During the 2008-09 school year, 370 students in Indiana were enrolled in K-12 schools that offered all or at least some of their classes over the Internet. Last school year, it was more than 4,000 -- a number that is expected to double or even triple over the next couple of years.

The explosion in online education reflects both a national trend and the desire by top education officials in Indiana to provide more school choices.

But is it a good thing?

An Indianapolis Star examination of the issue found that Indiana lacks accountability measures found in some other states -- a scenario some fear will lead to a proliferation of underperforming virtual schools.

The Star also found that while it is difficult to definitively assess the 

Teachers Working with Teachers: School Districts (Part 3) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

Teachers Working with Teachers: School Districts (Part 3) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice:

Teachers Working with Teachers: School Districts (Part 3)

by larrycuban

Occasionally, school systems cultivate both professional development across their districts and school-based learning communities focused on instructional improvement. In Pittsburgh (PA) in the early 1980s, for example, Superintendent Richard Wallace closed a high school with low test scores and declining enrollment and re-opened it as a magnet school for students and training center for the district’s high school teachers.
Between 1983-1989, the teacher center brought nearly one thousand teachers in 11 other district high schools to the training center to spend eight weeks learning the Madeline Hunter approach to lessons, content knowledge in their discipline, and ways to improve their teaching through seminars, observations of master teachers, and conferences. After eight weeks, teachers returned to their high school assignments. Evaluations posted high teacher satisfaction with the experience, difficulties after they returned to their classrooms, and gains in student test scores.  [i]
Between the late-1980s and mid-1990s, New York City Community district 2 under the leadership of 

Schools Matter: GUEST POST: The Factory Store, Douglas Storm

Schools Matter: GUEST POST: The Factory Store, Douglas Storm:

GUEST POST: The Factory Store, Douglas Storm

by P. L. Thomas

The Factory Store

by Douglas Storm

or Telling Lies to Children, or Education in America.

So, do you remember when you were a child and someone asked you, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”

I don’t either, but let me ask differently, have you asked any child this?  This magical, mystical, and ultimately mystifying question was answered once, and to my mind definitively, by Bill Watterson in Calvin & Hobbes:

Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School - southbronxschool.com

http://www.southbronxschool.com:

Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School

by noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher)

I know of a school in NYC, can't say where, but the elementary school is going ultra liberal in its response to discipline issue that is ruining it. The school will be officially known as the Happy Good Time Emotion Response Place and School. What does this mean? The Crack Team here at SBSB was able to obtain a copy of the FAQ that put answered questions staff members might ask of the new system of discipline. This FAQ was sent out to staff members and we here at SBSB are more than happy to publish the FAQ.
 
A student in my class repeatedly disrupts the learning process. Should I call that student's parents?

NO! Under no circumstances is a teacher on their own ever to call a student's parents. Doing this might upset the child. We want our students to be able to reflect upon their own, come to their own conclusion on why disrupting the class might be disturbing to others. 

A student just kicked me in my nuts. How should I 

Missouri Education Watchdog: Common Core Standards and Sofas. Slipcovering vs Reupholstering Education.

Missouri Education Watchdog: Common Core Standards and Sofas. Slipcovering vs Reupholstering Education.:

Common Core Standards and Sofas. Slipcovering vs Reupholstering Education.

by stlgretchen

Can we slipcover or do we need to reupholster education?

We just had our sofa recovered and it looks fabulous. The "bones" of the sofa were good.  It was just the outside fabric that was old and tired and needed to be replaced.  We didn't have to strip the sofa down to its wooden frame and use new stuffing and material for the sofa to be useful.  This analogy of sofa stuffing and slipcovering can be used in reference to the education reform facing the majority of states via Common Core standards and the NCLB/ESEA waivers so "graciously" granted by the Federal government to states agreeing to the Federal guidelines.

Think of common core standards as stuffing in a couch.  Common Core standards replace state standards.