The War Against Teachers as Public Intellectuals in Dark Times

The War Against Teachers as Public Intellectuals in Dark Times:

The War Against Teachers as Public Intellectuals in Dark Times

Monday, 17 December 2012 08:22By Henry A. Giroux, Truthout | Op-Ed

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A little learning is a dangerous thing.

- Edgar Allan Poe

The tragic deaths of 26 people shot and killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., included 20 young children and two teachers. Many more children might have been killed or injured had it not been for the brave and decisive actions of the teachers in the school.  The mainstream media was quick to call them heroes, and there is little doubt that what they did under horrific circumstances reveals not only how important educators are in shielding children from imminent threat, but also how demanding their roles have become in preparing them to negotiate a world that is becoming more precarious, more dangerous - and infinitely more divisive.   Teachers are one of the most important resources a nation has for 

Diane in the Afternoon 12-17-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

Diane Ravitch's blog:

The Hero Teachers of Newtown

by dianerav

This much is clear: the teachers and staff at the Sandy Hook Elementary School reacted with astonishing courage to the unthinkable, the terrifying intrusion of a man intent on murdering them and their students. With no thought of their own safety, they defended their children..
Everyone of them is a hero, those who died and those who survived.
Six of them died protecting the children.
We don’t know the names of the survivors, but we know who made the ultimate sacrifice. For their courage and selflessness, they are heroes of American education.
The principal, Dawn Hochsprung, 47, and the school psychologist, Mary Sherlach, 52, ran towards the intruder 

Most Absurd Comment on the Massacre

by dianerav

Mike Huckabee said that the murderous spree at Sandy Hook Elementary School happened because we have “systematically removed God” from the schools.
So, let me get this right: If the children had been praying every day in school, the killer would never have entered the building?
I don’t follow the logic.
Public figures should get their facts right before they sound off.

Michigan GOP Wants Concealed Guns in Schools and Churches

by dianerav

Eclectablog reports that the lame duck legislature in Michigan was set to pass a bill legalizing people to carry concealed weapons in schools, churches and elsewhere. But the the shooting in Connecticut brought a pause. Apparently some of the gun zealots think that if principals and teachers were armed, they could have had a firefight in the school.
Others think it would be best to keep high powered weapons out of the hands of everyone but the police and military.

Linda Darling-Hammond Chosen to Lead Key Panel in California

by dianerav

Linda Darling-Hammond of Stanford University has been appointed chair of California’s Teacher Credentialing Commission.
Darling-Hammond is one of the nation’s leading scholars on the subject of the teaching profession and an outspoken critic of using test scores to evaluate teachers.
I know Linda very well. This is great news for educators in California.
California is definitely an outlier in the world of corporate reform.
Governor Jerry Brown fought for a tax increase to reverse some of the damaging budget cuts under his predecessor.

TO LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 12-17-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Dawn Hochsprung: A Hero of Public Education by dianerav Dawn Hochsprung was beloved by her family, her staff and her students. Now she is beloved by the nation and beyond. Here is an interview with her husband and five of her six daughters. She gave her life to save others. She loved teaching and learning and wanted her students to love learning. She kept abreast of current national issues. We know that from her Twitter feed. She retweeted articles about Joshua Starr, the Montgomery County (Md.) superintende... more »

A teacher talks to children about Sandy Hook tragedy | Parents Across America

A teacher talks to children about Sandy Hook tragedy | Parents Across America:

A teacher talks to children about Sandy Hook tragedy

by pureparents

 We share this San Francisco Chronicle story about how teacher Steve Rubenstein, the husband of PAA founding member Caroline Grannan, talked to his students about the Sandy Hook school tragedy:

Back at Buena Vista Horace Mann in San Francisco’s Mission District, another teacher, Steve Rubenstein, learned of the tragedy by phone as he and his sixth-graders trooped back to class after seeing a play. A former newspaper reporter, Rubenstein felt it was important for the students to know.

He teed it up slowly, even gently.

“Shhh!! Eyes on me!” he told the class. “I want to tell you something kind of important that happened this morning. It may scare you. This morning, on the other side of the country, there was a very, very sad thing that happened in a school.

“You’ll be hearing about this later on the news, or on YouTube, on Facebook, or in the 

"Teaching about a tragedy." December 17, 2012. NYSUT: A Union of Professionals. www.nysut.org

"Teaching about a tragedy." December 17, 2012. NYSUT: A Union of Professionals. www.nysut.org:

Teaching about a tragedy

December 17, 2012 

 

As school doors opened this morning, educators across New York state and throughout the nation searched for ways to help their students understand the horrific tragedy that occurred in Newtown, Conn., on Friday. NYSUT's two national affiliates — the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association — have provided online resources that will assist teachers and other education professionals in addressing student and community concerns about school safety, and in dealing with grief and fear:

AFT Links: 

• Doctor Advises Adults on How to Talk with Children about Connecticut School Shooting
• Dealing with Incidences of School Violence

NEA Links:

• Lessons on Loss: How a school community heals after a student dies
• Help and healing in a time of crisis

Meanwhile, AFT President Randi Weingarten is urging educators to stand in solidarity with Newtown's students, teachers, staff and community. Go tohttp://action.aft.org/c/340/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=5214 and send an email message today.

NYSUT issued the following statement on Friday.

Here is what the AFT and NEA said.

What's in Our Control: Safer, Connected Environments — Whole Child Education

What's in Our Control: Safer, Connected Environments — Whole Child Education:

THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG

What’s in Our Control: Safer, Connected Environments

December 17, 2012 by Sean Slade

Almost no one has not been affected by the events in Newtown, Conn., last week—even more so if you are a teacher, parent, or have kids that go to elementary school as many of us do. It's hard to discuss and even harder to make any kind of sense out of what happened.

Today we highlight posts from our archives, the ASCD community, and our partner organizations that speak to how we can make our schools and communities safer and more connected. While we cannot change immediately policies that affect our schools and our larger communities, we can strengthen our resolve to make sure that we create environments for our kids that are welcoming, supportive, and caring. The immediate reaction is to hunker down; however, as we hear so often, the best next steps are to open doors, re-engage and re-connect.

If any of the following pieces resonate or help, then that's our aim. Standing strong together and reminding ourselves that a connected community is a safer and friendlier community may be the best action we can take right now and it's something we can have some control over.

From the ASCD EDge community:

• "Trying to Make Sense of a Senseless Act" by Tom Whitby
• "Talking to Kids About Traumatic Events" by Mike Fisher
• "Teacher Effectiveness and Newtown, CT" by Thom Markham

From the Whole Child Blog:

• "Best Questions: Supportive Education Communities" by Molly McCloskey
• "What Do Your Students Need?" by Klea Scharberg
• "The Unknown Students" by Sean Slade
• "Resilience, Research, and Educational Reform" by Sara Truebridge
• "Positive Youth Development?" by Sean Slade
• "Our Job Is Done ... Because We Care" by Klea Scharberg

Learn about being a supportive education community from Byrne Creek Secondary School in Vancouver, British Columbia, in Canada:

• "The Story of H.E.A.R.T." by Mike Greenway and Lynn Archer
• "Village of Attachment" by Bev Ogilvie and Steve Cairns
• "I Am Byrne Creek," a student-written poem
• Whole Child Podcast episode on "Coordinated and Collaborative Responses to Diverse Student Needs"

Gain further insight into ways to support a caring and positive school climate through these presentations from the Whole Child Virtual Conference:

• Maurice Elias on School Climate Supporting the Whole Child
• Bob Sullo on Engaging the Whole Child: The Missing Piece in the PD Puzzle
• Peter DeWitt on Dignity for All: Safeguarding LGBT Students
• Charles C. Haynes on Bridging Religious and Cultural Divides: Empowering Students from Across the Globe to Learn With, From, and About One Another

As a part of the 2011 virtual conference, Healthy School Communities mentor site Orange County (N.C.) School District shared how it developed and implemented a critical incident stress management system. View the archived presentation to hear about the process and benefits.

How to Help Families Affected by Newtown School Shooting - Newtown, CT Patch

How to Help Families Affected by Newtown School Shooting - Newtown, CT Patch:

How to Help Families Affected by Newtown School Shooting

People all over the world want to know how to help Sandy Hook residents following Friday's horrifying mass shooting. Post "I want to help" in this comment thread to get updates on what you can do.

• By Jaimie Cura
• Email the author
• December 16, 2012

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Credit Gary Jeanfaivre

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In the wake of the unimaginable tragedy at Sandy Hook School Friday people from all over the world—in Connecticut, California, Canada and much farther away in Australia and India—sent an outpouring of support and want to know how they can help.

If you want to be notified via email of ways to provide comfort and support during this difficult time, please post in the comments section: "I want to help."

Patch will continue to update this article with ways to help—posting updates to the story as well as in the comments thread, triggering an email notification to commenters—and if you know of an organization or fundraiser providing assistance, let us know in the comments section, too.

Already the United Way of Western Connecticut, in partnership with Newtown Savings Bank, created the Sandy Hook School Support Fund to help provide support services to the families and community that are affected.

Check donations may be mailed to: 

Sandy Hook School Support Fund
c/o Newtown Savings Bank
39 Main Street, Newtown CT  06470

If you have questions on the fund, you may call 800-461-0672.

***

A former Sandy Hook Elementary School student named Ryan Kraft, also a longtime neighbor of the Lanza family, posted a Local Voices blog on Newtown Patch saying he set up a fund to help heal his community.

The link to the fund site is here — http://www.crowdrise.com/SHSRelief — and according to Kraft, all monies are directed toward the school's PTSA organization.

Helpful Links

• Victims Relief Fund set up by former SHS student and Lanza family neighbor
• United Way's Sandy Hook Support Fund Announcement
• Checks may also be dropped off at any Newtown Savings Bank branch location.
• How to Donate With a Credit Card

_________________________________________________________________________________________

More links to Newtown Patch’s coverage here:

• Police Official: 27 Dead, 'It is Not a Simplistic Scene'
• 'In Sheer Shock' — Newtown Community Seeks News, Updates
• Reaction: Sandy Hook School Shooting
• Police Raid Sandy Hook Home Hours After Shooting
• [PHOTOS] Newtown School Shooting
• Newtown Principal Remembered as 'Warm,' 'Selfless'
• Ryan Lanza, Wrongly Named As Mass Murderer, Left To Grieve

"I told them ... I love you all very much." | Mother Jones

"I told them ... I love you all very much." | Mother Jones:

"I told them ... I love you all very much."

A dispatch from Newtown father Ross MacDonald.

—By Ross Macdonald

| Sun Dec. 16, 2012 11:37 AM PST

6

By Newtown father and MoJo contributing illustrator Ross MacDonald Drawger

A first grade teacher sheltered her students in a closet, listening to gunshots in the hallway outside. Fearing the worst, she said she wanted these tiny 6 and 7 year olds to know that somebody loved them, and for that to be the last thing they heard, not the gunshots. Other teachers and staff risked their lives and died trying to protect children. They literally ran out without hesitation to warn others, to pull students to safety, and to put themselves between the bullets and the children.

Their incredible selflessness and bravery saved many childrens' lives. Thinking about that is helping to hold up the crushing weight of the rest of that horrible, tragic day. Because we can't stop thinking about it. I wanted to do something to help somehow, but feel pretty helpless. The only thing I can do right now is draw. It's not going to help, but I wanted to be doing something.

I'd like to dedicate this image to the teachers and students of Sandy Hook Elementary School. We live in Newtown. Our daughter Daisy goes to Newtown Middle School, and our son Jamie is a senior at Newtown High School. A lot of friends, relatives and colleagues have texted and called and emailed over the last day to find out if we're okay, to express their grief and horror, and to send love and support. We are very grateful for all the thoughts and wishes. A lot of people have also wanted to know more information. I think everyone is desperately trying to 

Teacher Evaluations: When Process Makes a Difference | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights

Teacher Evaluations: When Process Makes a Difference | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights:

Teacher Evaluations: When Process Makes a Difference

by Tarsi Dunlop

The power of collaboration seems, at times, to be the best kept secret in education reform. Despite district variance, efforts to increase student achievement levels often see higher levels of success when all stakeholders work together. Studyville School District (the name has been changed to preserve anonymity) is just one such example. It is a story of collaboration and compromise in which stakeholders came together to design and implement a more effective teacher evaluation system. We live in an era where evaluation and accountability dominate the national education conversation and where student outcomes are being tied to merit pay and teacher performance. It is imperative, given the high-stakes nature of evaluation, that such systems are put in place with fidelity and the buy-in of all actors.
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