Modern School: 3 of California’s “Top” Schools On the Chopping Block, And Good Riddance

Modern School: 3 of California’s “Top” Schools On the Chopping Block, And Good Riddance:

3 of California’s “Top” Schools On the Chopping Block, And Good Riddance

by Michael Dunn

What makes a “top” school, top? According to the San Francisco Chronicle (and most other media) it is test scores. Thanks to No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and Obama’s Race to the Top (RttT), test scores are all that matter these days. This has led to numerous cheating scandals, as well as a reduction in science, arts, physical education and other curricula to make room for more test preparation. It has also led to a number of other scandals, such as the one at Oakland’s American Indian Charter Schools, now under threat of closure for financial improprieties, despite its relatively high test scores.

The American Indian schools are currently being investigated by the Alameda County district attorney for funneling $3.8 million to founder and former director Ben Chavis and his wife for shady real estate deals and services, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. As director, Chavis signed school checks over to himself for properties he rented to the schools. In one 

Sacramento Press / Decision time – board to decide fate of 10 elementary schools

Sacramento Press / Decision time – board to decide fate of 10 elementary schools:

Decision time – board to decide fate of 10 elementary schools

by Karen Wilkinson, published on February 21, 2013 at 1:38 PM

Jerry Tambarino of Tahoe Park holds up a flyer while addressing the crowd at last week's meeting at Washington School.

Tonight the future of 10 Sacramento schools will be decided by a board of seven. We'll be live blogging the meeting of the Sacramento City Unified School District's board of education, and will pay particular attention to the fate of Washington Elementary School, which is among the 10 on the chopping block. 

With that in mind, please let us know any questions or concerns you may have regarding the meeting, and its potential impact to the Midtown community. Our live coverage will kick off here at 6:15 p.m. The meeting starts at 6:30 in the Serna Center community conference room, at 5735 47th Ave.

The district superintendent's "right-sizing" plan is an effort to sync up the number of schools with the declining number of students. It was announced in mid-January, and critics have said the process is being pushed forward without enough transparency or time. If enacted, the closures would go into effect for the 2013-2014 school year.

Washington Elementary parent Chandra Tian speaks against the proposed closure at last week's community meeting. (Image by: Jared Goyette)

Washington Elementary parent Chandra Tian said while she understands something needs to be done to save the district money, the process to 

Define fiscally and morally irresponsible? Malloy’s plan for older, retired teachers. - Wait, What?

Define fiscally and morally irresponsible? Malloy’s plan for older, retired teachers. - Wait, What?:

Define fiscally and morally irresponsible? Malloy’s plan for older, retired teachers.

by jonpelto

There are a lot of crazy, irresponsible and down-right mean things in Governor Malloy’s budget proposal, but his plan to totally eliminate Connecticut’s contribution to the retired teachers’ health insurance fund may very well take the cake.

For nearly sixty years, the State of Connecticut has been helping retired teachers acquire health insurance. 

Prior to 1986, active teachers did not pay into the Federal Medicare system, so when they retired, they didn’t qualify for Medicare, the primary health insurance system for older Americans. 

Furthermore, since teacher salaries were historically so low prior to the educational enhancement act of 1986, older teachers were retiring with very small pensions.  With no Medicare and limited incomes, few could afford the most basic level of health insurance 

The in box. Report from the ISBE meeting on special education class size limits. « Fred Klonsky

The in box. Report from the ISBE meeting on special education class size limits. « Fred Klonsky:

The in box. Report from the ISBE meeting on special education class size limits.

by Fred Klonsky

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) voted 5
to 1 (Vinni Hall voted no) to put out for public comment
rules that would completely eliminate limits on special
education class size.
The proposed rules would mean there would be NO state limit
on the number of students a special education teacher
is required to serve.
Also there would be NO state limit on the number of students
with disabilities a general education teacher has in their classroom.
While most of the testimony before ISBE was predictable
(administrator groups in favor of repealing all these state rules -
“another mandate” that we “cannot afford” – and teacher and 
parent groups opposed), much of the discussion was on the state 
rule defining a “general education” classroom as one in which
no more than 30 percent of the students have an IEP.
By law, these proposed rule changes were presented to the
Illinois State Advisory Council (ISAC) on the Education of

Two Florida Civil Rights Groups Oppose Parent Trigger Bill | StateImpact Florida

Two Florida Civil Rights Groups Oppose Parent Trigger Bill | StateImpact Florida:

Two Florida Civil Rights Groups Oppose Parent Trigger Bill

• DOCUMENTS

FEBRUARY 21, 2013 | 10:59 AM

BY GINA JORDAN

• 1 Comment
• Email

DIVERSITYINTEACHING/FLICKR

Resolutions issued by the NAACP and LULAC Florida refer to parent trigger bills as controversial and experimental.

Two civil right groups have teamed up to write resolutions against the proposedParent Empowerment in Education bill in Florida.

The bill — best known as the “parent trigger” — passed the Florida House last year but failed on a tie vote in the Senate on the final day of the legislative session.

Legislative leaders believe the bill will pass this year with a new batch of lawmakers.

Republicans lost some seats in the November election, but they still retain control of both chambers.

The proposal would give parents the power to petition the school board for drastic changes at chronically failing schools.

Options include shutting down the school, replacing some or all of the staff or letting charter school operators take over.

The Florida Council of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and theNational Association for the Advancement of Colored People Florida State Conference (NAACP) issued similar resolutions rejecting the parent trigger.

Both resolve to support efforts to improve the public education system.

LULAC’s resolution states “Parent Empowerment

What’s Keeping America From Doing What’s Right For Children - Jeff Bryant

What’s Keeping America From Doing What’s Right For Children - Jeff Bryant:

What’s Keeping America From Doing What’s Right For Children

By Jeff Bryant | February 21, 2013

This post is republished from the Education Opportunity Network, a new online publication edited by Jeff Bryant.

After the horrendous murder of 20 school children at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, a heartbroken President Obama implored the nation, “This is our first task – caring for our children. It’s our first job. If we don’t get that right, we don’t get anything right.”

“Surely we can do better,” he stated.

Just shy of two months later, Obama presented us with an opportunity to “do better” for children when he included in his State of the Union address a call to provide pre-K education to every three and four year old in America.

Just shy of two months later, Obama presented us with an opportunity to “do better” for children when he included in his State of the Union address a call to provide education to every three and four year old in America.

Days later, at an early learning center in Georgia, he followed his address with another call to “give kids a chance” while the White House released more details of the plan.

The details, as reported by the Associated Press, revealed that the plan doesn’t really cover “all” three and four year olds but instead starts with “any 4-year-old whose family income is 200 percent or less of the federal poverty level – a more generous threshold 

HSS Professional Development Resources - History-Social Science (CA Dept of Education)

HSS Professional Development Resources - History-Social Science (CA Dept of Education):

HSS Professional Development Resources

Professional development opportunities for educators that focus on effective implementation of the state content standards.

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Successful implementation of the content standards, curriculum development, and instruction depend on teacher preparation and on long-term professional development. As described in the History-Social Science Framework, ongoing professional development should be planned for all teachers who teach the social sciences and should take place locally and regularly. Effective professional development is long-term and focused on increasing teachers' knowledge of and practice in the social sciences and their ability to teach the included courses. All professional development programs in the social sciences should emphasize the effective implementation of the state content standards, the guidelines presented in the framework, and training on the use of state-adopted kindergarten through grade eight history-social science instructional materials.

General Social Science

• The Buck Institute for Education (BIE)  
  BIE is a non-profit research and development organization working to make schools and classrooms more effective through the use of problem and project based learning. BIE creates curriculum and training materials, provides professional development, and conducts and disseminates research.
• California Council for History Education (CCHE)  
  CCHE is the California ally of the National Council for History Education  . The CCHE was established in 2005 in order to advance the study and teaching of history in schools throughout California, provide a program of professional activities for history educators in California, and promote professional interaction among history educators in California.
• California Council for the Social Studies (CCSS)  
  CCSS is a non-profit professional organization serving both public and private school educators, and is the leading voice for quality social studies education in California. This organization is affiliated with the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS)  . CCSS promotes and supports social studies education through service, advocacy and leadership development. They are collectively committed to the strengthening and teaching of the social studies discipline though professional development, public awareness and collaboration at local, state, and national levels.
• California’s History-Social Science Project (CHSSP)  
  CHSSP is one of California's Subject Matter Projects and provides high quality professional development for educators at the pre-kindergarten through post-secondary levels. Participation in CHSSP fosters the development of knowledgeable history-social science educators who take responsibility for the development and implementation of standards-based comprehensive and sequential programs in history-social science at every educational level. CHSSP local programs and activities are designed to deepen teachers' knowledge of history, geography, civics, and economics, and enhance teachers' instructional strategies in the teaching of those disciplines.
• National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Summer Programs for Educators  
  Each year NEH’s Division of Education Programs offers school teachers tuition-free opportunities to study important humanities topics in NEH Summer Seminars, Institutes, and Landmarks of American History and Culture Workshops. Summer programs focus on important topics, texts, and questions in the humanities; enhance the intellectual vitality and professional development of participants; build a community of inquiry; provide models of excellent scholarship and teaching; and promote connections between teaching and research in the humanities. Applications are due annually at the beginning of March.

American History

• American Historical Association  
  The American Historical Association (AHA) encompasses every historical period and geographical area and serves professional historians in all areas of employment.
• National Humanities Center  
  The National Humanities Center is the only major independent American institute for advanced study in all fields of the humanities. This organization provides online professional development workshops and seminars for high school U.S. history and American literature teachers. In addition, there is a wealth of primary source documents as well as lesson resources on their Web site.

World History

• American Historical Association  
  The American Historical Association (AHA) encompasses every historical period and geographical area and serves professional historians in all areas of employment.
• California World History Association  
  The California World History Association is an affiliate of the World History Association  . This organization is dedicated to supporting the scholarship and teaching of world history in California and the West Coast.
• Global Exploration for Educators Organization (GEEO)  
  GEEO is a 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated exclusively to helping educators travel internationally and bring their experiences back into the classroom. Visit GEEO's Web site to find out more about upcoming travel opportunities.

Economics

• California Council on Economic Education (CCEE)  
  CCEE is a statewide network that leads in advancing the economic literacy of the people of California. Their goal is to help students become successful participants in the global economy.

Civic Education

• California – We the People  
  This organization is a component of a national civic education program developed and administered by the Center for Civic Education. They offer professional development workshops, content seminars, and institutes for teachers and community based organizations throughout the school year and during the summer.
• Center for Civic Education  
  The Center for Civic Education specializes in civic/citizenship education, law-related education, and international educational exchange programs for developing democracies. Programs focus on the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights; American political traditions and institutions at the federal, state, and local levels; constitutionalism; civic participation; and the rights and responsibilities of citizens.
• Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools  
  This organization is a coalition of 40 organizations nationwide that is committed to improving the quality and quantity of civic learning in our nation’s schools.
• Walter & Leonore Annenberg Presidential Learning Center at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Library  
  Education programs including professional learning, free standards aligned resources, scholarship programs, and online student and teacher program opportunities. 

Financial Literacy

• Financial Literacy Resources 
  Superintendent Torlakson highlights supplemental resources to help parents, students, and educators ensure that California's next generation of consumers are financially responsible.

International Studies

• International and Area Studies  
  The Office of Resources for International and Area Studies (ORIAS) is dedicated to providing scholarly resources and supporting professional development for kindergarten through grade twelve teachers addressing international studies.

Questions: Stacey Greer | sgreer@cde.ca.gov | 916-323-5818 

State Sen. Steinberg Supports SCUSD School Closures - Rosemont, CA Patch

State Sen. Steinberg Supports SCUSD School Closures - Rosemont, CA Patch:

State Sen. Steinberg Supports SCUSD School Closures

As various groups voice their opposition to a plan to close 11 Sacramento City Unified School District schools–including one in Rosemont–one prominent state politician has come out backing it.
Senate President pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento)said in a statement Wednesday that he supported the plan,which would close James W. Marshall Elementary School and 10 others, and urged school board members to vote in favor of it.
"The alternatives to closing under-enrolled schools would be far worse," Steinberg said in the statement. "No one wants to see across-the-board classroom and program cuts. Superintendent Raymond is not making his recommendation lightly, and I have confidence he is doing so after thoroughly exploring the viability of any other options."
Shortly after, a Hmong group that has organized protests against the cuts responded. Hmong Innovating Politics, which organized a march on the district's headquarters this week, called Steinberg's opinion "puzzling" and "disappointing."
"Crafted in an absolute vacuum and with zero parent or community input, the Superintendent’s 'wrong-sizing' 

Most closed schools don't stay that way for long - Data Center - The Sacramento Bee

Most closed schools don't stay that way for long - Data Center - The Sacramento Bee:

Most closed schools don't stay that way for long

By Phillip Reese
preese@sacbee.com

Published: Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013 - 10:36 am

Last Modified: Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013 - 10:46 am

If the Sacramento City Unified school board votes to close 10 schools tonight, chances are many will reopen soon as specialty or charter schools.

School districts across Sacramento County have closed about 60 schools in the last 10 years. Fewer than half remain shuttered, according to a Bee review of data from the state Department of Education.

About one-quarter reopened as charter schools. Roughly 20 percent reopened as specialty schools - special education; adult education; alternative high or community day schools. The remaining 10 percent reopened as traditional public schools; usually, this was an immediate conversion from, say, an elementary school to a middle school.

Most charter and specialty schools do not exist primarily to educate the children of a particular neighborhood.

Note: A few closed schools now house more than one specialty or charter school. Chart excludes closed charter schools.
Source: Bee analysis of school directory data from California Department of Education

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2013/02/21/5207107/most-closed-schools-dont-stay.html#mi_rss=Education#storylink=cpy

Diane in the Evening 2-21-13 Diane Ravitch's blog

Diane Ravitch's blog:

Two Determined Moms in Indiana Take On Common Core

by dianerav

These days, parents and educators often feel powerless in the face of the powerful forces that are steamrolling them.
In Indiana, two moms started a campaign against he Common Core standards. They started with small groups, then organized large ones, and eventually made their voices heard in the state legislature.
The battle is far from over, but hey made an important point. This is still a democracy. Two informed citizens can make a difference.

How One Man Makes a Difference

by dianerav

Tim Slekar gave a powerful speech to a meeting in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Watch it.
If all of us spoke out, we could stop this train wreck that dares to call itself “reform.”
A teacher who heard him wrote this letter:
Dr. Slekar,
You won’t believe what I just did!
I stood before my school board at a public meeting and asked them to
consider opting out of standardized testing!
I was asked to speak on the writing process in 8th grade, but as the meeting

United Way Allies with Corporate Reform

by dianerav

United Way of Los Angeles strongly supports the demolition of public education.
In 2011, United partnered with the National Council on Teacher Quality (see Mercedes Schneider’s series about NCTQ, whose board includes reform luminaries such as Michelle Rhee and Wendy Kopp) to produce a reportcalling for tougher teacher evaluations based on test scores. Who knew that United Way was expert on the subject of education? Wonder how they reacted to the suicide of Rigoberto Ruelas?
Here is a conference the United Way is sponsoring, right before the Los Angeles school board election, featuring mayors best known for closing public schools, battling the teachers’ union, and giving public money to private 

Louisiana Shocker: Ties Between White, Murdoch, Gates

by dianerav

In response to litigation, the Louisiana Department of Education released a trove of emails that shows a department obsessed with public relations while flailing about to impose new rules nd programs.
Worst of all is the deal that John White made to share confidential student data (including names and addresses, test scores and grades and other information) to an organization jointly created by the Gates Foundation and Rupert Murdoch’s organization Wireless Generation.
The story says:
“Copies of emails released to LouisianaVoice by the Department of Education (DOE) under threat of litigation 

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 2-21-13 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] Be a Hero: Speak Up for Garfield High Teachers by dianerav Tomorrow February 22 is the day the superintendent of the Seattle schools will decide whether to punish the teachers at Garfield High who refused to administer the MAP test. They are conscientious objectors. They are defending their students against malpractice. They have bravely defied orders to do what they know is wrong. Today is a day to send emails to the superintendent. Urge him to stand with his teachers. Encourage him to do the right thing.... more »

Feeling Stressed? MetLife Survey Shows You are Not Alone - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

Feeling Stressed? MetLife Survey Shows You are Not Alone - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher:

Feeling Stressed? Metlife Survey Shows You are Not Alone

by Anthony Cody

The Metlife Survey of the American Teacher is out, and it shows that more than half of all teachers feel under great stress. This relates closely to the number of teachers who describe themselves as "very satisfied," which has fallen to an all-time low, at 39%.
I wrote about the implications of this state of affairs last March. Last year's survey discovered that 29% of the nation's teachers were planning to leave the profession in the next five years. This question was not asked this time, but since the level of job satisfaction has dropped an additional 5%, we can assume that the number of teachers planning to leave has increased as well.
Let's take a closer look at what the report says.

Stress among teachers has increased since 1985. In 1985--the last time this question was asked and when job satisfaction was also low--more than one-third (36%) of teachers said they felt under great stress at least several days a week. Today, that number has increased; half (51%) of teachers feel under great stress at least several days a week. Elementary school teachers experience stress more frequently. They are more likely than middle school or high school 

First World Education Problems in Detroit (Part I) - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher

First World Education Problems in Detroit (Part I) - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher:

First World Education Problems in Detroit (Part I)

by Nancy Flanagan

You've probably seen the fun--and enlightening--meme/hashtag: #FirstWorldProblems.
Running out of hot water after a 10-minute shower? First world problem.
Can't get the book you're dying to read on Kindle? First world problem. And so on.
Most of our American problems end up being first world problems, including those in education. If you want proof, think back to thefaces of children in Haiti after a devastating hurricane season, when makeshift schools were finally organized and they could spend part of their day sitting on benches, learning, with dozens of other children. Puts running out of blue Sharpies, being reassigned to a portable, or having 28 kids in your class in perspective, doesn't it?
Googling "first world education problems" takes you to Doug Johnson's Blue Skunk Blog, where he's got a lengthy list of all the technical toys, skills and goodies we've come, in the first world, to see as essential to the work of teaching. Wryly amusing--can't get