Thursday, March 14, 2013

SPECIAL Mid Day Banana Break 3-14-13 #soschat #edreform

Big Education Ape - Mid Day Banana Break

Part Two Of My ASCD Article On Using Ed Tech In The Classroom

by Larry Ferlazzo

ASCD just published my article, Giving Teachers the Opportunity to Say “Yes” to Ed Tech, which is basically the second part of an article I wrote for ASCD Educational Leadership earlier this month.
Here’s a quote from it:

Seattle School District Announcements

by Melissa Westbrook

From SPS Communications regarding the Strategic Plan, SE Region and Hiring/Spending Freeze:

Strategic Plan

Seattle Public Schools will host five community meetings to share information and ask for public comments about updating the District’s current Strategic Plan, Excellence for All.

The updated plan will guide academic and operational priorities for the next three to five years and include ongoing benchmarking to measure the District’s performance.

The community meetings will be held:

· Monday, April 1, 6:30-8:30 p.m., at Eckstein Middle School auditorium, 3003 N.E. 75th St. (Interpreters available in Spanish, Somali, Vietnamese, Amharic and Tigrigna)

Living in Numbers and Inequities

by Kuhio Kane

[Prompted by a blog comment from a parent regarding his children’s privacy and the law (See: dianeravitch.net) and while heading into the city to join other educators, parents, students, people, assembling to give greater voice to the conditions of public education.]
The takeover of public education is a picture of a contrived perfect storm. Starving the beast. Creating poverty and disruption in communities throughout our cities and states, the world, through the works of reactionary forces funded with limitless means. The privatization of a country. A recherche of finality. An ascendancy of governance as leveraged as the most toxic of derivatives,
Supremacy of markets designed to consummate the aggregation of wealth for the few, while expelling the civil rights, the rights to equality of opportunity of at least the 47% who serve no economic viability, who are only seemingly considered an unconscionable approach on capital accumulation. That half a country’s population

Tom Kean: America's Most Confused Ex-Governor

by Duke

Make it stop! Make it stop!

Q: There has been some criticism that it is bringing in more private interests and privatization of public schools.

A [Tom Kean, former NJ Governor]: I have never been for private school vouchers. I have always felt public money should be in public schools, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have good charter schools, which are public schools, or that you shouldn’t have good public school choice.

It doesn’t mean that money doesn’t matter, but it needs to be targeted money and targeted reform. More money into a failing system is just a more expensive failing system. I used to

Parents Worry Over New Online Database of Student Information

by Ilya Marritz

Public school parents are criticizing a new program that puts students’ information in an enormous online database.
Since December, the New York City Department of Education has uploaded student information, such as home addresses and test scores, to a cloud-based database shared with seven other states.
The database is maintained by an Atlanta nonprofit called inBloom. InBloom says it does not share information without permission from the school district. But parents said they were wary.
A recent story by Reuters raised possibilities that were disturbing to many parents: that their children’s data

Quick Hits: Pi Day Edition

by Gabriella Berman

Happy Pi Day! In honor of this mathematical day, take a look at these nine amazing charts. (The Washington Post)
The best way to celebrate Pi. Whether you are eating pie today or not, here are some of the best ways tocelebrate National Pi Day. (USA Today)
From homeless to Stanford. A teenager who spent part of his life going from one homeless shelter to another is now college bound! Lane Gunderman will attend Stanford University for free thanks to a full scholarship from the school. (Huffington Post)
Technology to improve learning outcomes. The trend of online learning in K-12 is continuing to grow. Research shows that technology mixed with face-to-face learning, or blended learning, is often extremely beneficial to students. ES’s Susan Headden recently profiled one such success story in The Right Mix.

What happened when a Rhode Island state senator took a student standardized test?

by Valerie Strauss

A Rhode Island state senator was one of the first of some 50 adults who have agreed to take a version of the state’s standardized test, part of an action aimed at protesting a new high school testing graduation requirement … Continue reading →

In the News: CPS gets more than fair share, GOP says

Illinois Senate Republican leader Christine Radogno said at a press conference Wednesday that Chicago "receives a disproportionate share of the state's education resources" thanks to "outdated (funding) formulas, a de-emphasis on the foundation level which equalizes school districts' property wealth and a shift to special grant(s)," Crain's Grez Hinz reports.

This week, CPS officials posted a Request For Proposals for logistics management services, including inventorying equipment, putting locks on doors, hiring movers and making sure that records get to the schools where the displaced students end up. CPS asked companies bidding on the job to give prices for 20, 40, 60, 80, 100 and 129 schools.

Mayor promises better city tax collections, defends decision to close schools

by thenotebook

Mayor Nutter's annual budget address on Thursday, which was initially shouted down by protesters in City Council chambers, called for better collection of taxes and advocacy for increased funding in Harrisburg, but made no promises of additional city revenues for schools this year. Nutter also explained his advocacy of school closings and promised to provide safe transit for students to their new schools.
Here is the prepared text of the portion of his speech devoted to the school system:
read more

Boston Schools Adopt New Placement Plan for Students

by By KATHARINE Q. SEELYE

Instead of busing children across the city to achieve racial integration, the Boston School Committee approved a plan designed to allow students to attend schools closer to home.

News of Press conference and Assembly bill to block privacy violations of children

by Molly

Great news! Yesterday, Assemblymember Daniel O'Donnell introduced a bill that would block the NY State Education Department and DOE from sharing our children's confidential data with the Gates-funded corporation called inBloom Inc., and would block inBloom from disclosing it with for-profit vendors without parental consent. The bill is A6059, please call your Assemblymembers today and ask them to co-sponsor. Your Assembly member can be found here.

Here is an article in the Daily News about this outrageous plan; here is my accompanying oped. Other relevant newsclips are from the Washington Post, the Denver Post and CBS News, AP , Politics 365, with more to come. Check back soon.

Our press conference on the steps of Tweed this morning was terrific. Among those who spoke out against this

Grant High students protest standardized testing with walkout

by Dana Tims, The Oregonian

A little more than a dozen students participate, saying that standardized testing is a waste of time and money that should be better spent on classroom instruction.

Original enclosure (grantprotest1jpg-2ddda0937b063136.jpg)

Weekly LegFax: Too much testing!

by pureparents

Parent Voices Weekly Education Fax

March 13, 2013

Replace massive standardized testing with meaningful assessment

The story: Parents and students across the U.S. are opting out of standardized tests

A Texas mother and her son share outdoor learning while his schoolmates are indoors taking the state test (http://tinyurl.com/axwmhgq). Teachers and students in Seattle boycotted the state high school test (http://tinyurl.com/a4zmrqs). Chicago parents are passing petitions to stop the explosion of tests (http://tinyurl.com/a7pwkx9). Oregon parents are standing behind their high school students’ test boycott (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hu447OLLHk). This week, students at one Chicago high school refused to take a national standardized test to protest the emphasis on test scores over student safety (http://tinyurl.com/bbqkqpg).

PAA’s position: PAA believes that excessive reliance on standardized exams narrows the curriculum, promotes teaching to the test and leads to unfair and unreliable evaluations of students, teachers, and schools. We support high-quality accountability measures and reliable assessments including true multiple measures.

PAA recommends:

Use of multiple factors in the evaluation of schools, teachers and students. This should include a variety of evidence of learning gathered at different points in time, within and across subject areas.

Any evaluation system must have meaningful input from administrators, teachers and parents.

Assessment transparency – require that all standardized tests be made public and available for review in a timely manner after they have been given.

Less standardized testing overall. Utilizing tests as diagnostic tools, not as a way to punish students, teachers and schools.

Right of parents to opt their child out of any standardized test.

For more detail, please see PAA’s position statement on NCLB, “What Parents Want in a New Federal Education Law,” http://parentsacrossamerica.org/paa-reforming-esea/

School Board Report – March 13, 2013 | PWC Education Reform Blog

School Board Report – March 13, 2013 | PWC Education Reform Blog:

FY 2014 PWCS Budget Update #2

by pwceducationreform

On March 13, 2013 the Superintendent provided a update on how much PWCS expects to receive next school year. The school division expects to receive about $5.6 million less than they’d originally budgeted due to the change in the tax rate approved by the PWC BOCS and a reduction in funds received from the state. [...]

School Board Report – March 13, 2013

by pwceducationreform

School Board Report for March 13, 2013. This was the meeting that was rescheduled from March 6, 2013 due to school closures for snow.

The meeting began a 7:25 with all members present.

Consent Agenda

All items on the consent agenda were approved unanimously. The items on the agenda include the following:

Adoption of the Consent Agenda

Healthy Communities for Healthy Youth Week

Library School Media Month

School Food and Nutrition Services Employee Recognition Week

Special Warrant for School Board Review and Approval of January 2013 Payroll

Documents Necessary or Convenient for the Construction and/or Operation of the Haymarket Drive Elementary School

Acceptance of the Endorsement Mechanism from Prince William County (PWC) for School Board Payments

Approval of School Board Meeting Minutes for February 20, 2013

Approval of Disciplinary Hearing Minutes from February 27, 2013

Citizen Comments

17 Citizens addressed the board. As is school board practice, speakers who signed up in advance spoke first followed by speakers who signed up at the door. Ten speakers were allowed to address the board during citizen comments. The rest were allowed to speak after the regular meeting had concluded.

The first speaker is a parent of students in PWCS and a PWCS English teacher. She cited her son’s experience with the 11th grade research paper and stated requiring students to independently write a research paper for graduation was archaic and

Chicago: Everybody out for March 27th. Every school. Every neighborhood. | Fred Klonsky

Chicago: Everybody out for March 27th. Every school. Every neighborhood. | Fred Klonsky:

Chicago: Everybody out for March 27th. Every school. Every neighborhood.

by Fred Klonsky

Common Core Is Where The Money Is At | Truth in American Education

Common Core Is Where The Money Is At | Truth in American Education:

Common Core Is Where The Money Is At

by Shane Vander Hart

I was just reminded of that today from an EdWeek story announcing tha Amplify Insight has been awarded $12.5 million dollar contract from Smarter Balanced.

One of the two consortia developing tests for the Common Core State Standards has awarded a $12.5 million contract to Amplify Insight to develop a digital library of formative assessment professional learning tools for educators.
The award from the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium, announced Tuesday, will come from a four-year, $175 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education, given to support the group of states' efforts in crafting the exams.
The consortium estimates that it has given out $90 million in contracts so far, and that it plans to award about $70 million more, a Smarter Balanced official told Education Week.
Amplify Insight is a division of Amplify, an ed-tech company whose chief executive officer is Joel Klein, the former New York City schools chancellor. Amplify is the education arm of the media conglomerate News Corp., led by Rupert Murdoch. Last week, Amplify received a blast of media attention when it unveiled a new tablet device, loaded with classroom management tools and interactive lessons, at the South by Southwest education gathering.

The fact they are also part of NewsCorp which also owns Fox News is a good indication as to why it is tough to

GUEST POST: Myths of committing to TFA, Julie Gorlewski – @ the chalk face

GUEST POST: Myths of committing to TFA, Julie Gorlewski – @ the chalk face:

GUEST POST: Myths of committing to TFA, Julie Gorlewski

by plthomasedd

Buffalo, NY, a city desperate for jobs that will allow young people to remain in the area and mitigate the “brain drain,” is on the verge of hiring 60 Teach for American (TFA) temps. The Buffalo News, which has published an editorial supporting this decision, is not interested in publishing my piece:
Another Voice: TFA: Mistake or Malevolence?
The decision to bring TFA to Buffalo Schools will have negative consequences for students, teachers, and the community. Although it has been promoted (this is a key word) as successful and beneficial, it is worthwhile to consider the facts that emerge when the shiny surface of TFA is scratched.
Myth 1: TFA workers are extraordinarily committed. TFA temps, despite being lauded for their commitment to the profession (by Buffalo School Superintendent and the Buffalo News) are not demonstrably more committed than teachers who have intentionally chosen teaching as their profession. The claim that TFA temps are more dedicated than fully credentialed teachers is ludicrous, yet it is repeated. Unlike certified teachers, who often incur debt to earn their degrees and certifications, TFA temps do not pay for their minimal training. In fact, they are paid to participate as they learn to teach in the classrooms of unsuspecting children.
Myth 2: TFA temps benefit the district financially. It costs a great deal of money to hire and induct teachers

Pulling back the curtain. #CCSS

by Chris Cerrone

by Bianca Tanis, New York educator and parent.

The more I learn about the new, Common-Core-based ELA exams and APPR protocols, the more I wonder who, exactly, is running the show. Who is the “man behind the curtain,” and what is his real agenda? Certainly, it is not someone with a background in child or educational psychology, or even anyone competent, for that matter. As we head into the high stakes testing season, the utter lack of regard for developmentally appropriate content boggles my mind. Listening to the unpacking of the upcoming tests and scoring rubrics, I find myself unconsciously shaking my head in disbelief. We are accepting a new vision for education that elevates “college readiness” and data over child-centered learning and the development of a love for education.

Although most students will not join the testing fray until 3^rd grade, the effects of the new, NYS Common Core

Teach 4 a Place 2 Live | EduShyster

Teach 4 a Place 2 Live | EduShyster:

Teach 4 a Place 2 Live

by edushyster2012

When reform and real estate development get together, miracle$ happen…

Teachers Village is under construction in Newark NJ, thanks to the support of Goldman Sachs. Teachers will live on site next to three outstanding charter schools.

Make that almost solved. Because the fresh new teachers traveled from far away to boost achievement and excellence, they didn’t have anywhere to live. Fortunately bold visionary leaders who have figured out one way to boost profits achievement almost always have another great idea waiting in the wings. Stop one on today’s tour of excellence takes us to Philadelphia where even as we say farewell to 23 old school schools and their teachers, “a vibrant ecosystem of reform” is under construction. That sound you hear is the last nail being

Skyline College, SLO’s, the ACCJC, Accreditation: The Privatization, California Community Colleges

Skyline College, SLO’s, the ACCJC, Accreditation: The Privatization, California Community Colleges:

Skyline College, SLO’s, the ACCJC and Accreditation: The Privatization of California Community Colleges

by Danny Weil

by guest writer, George Wright, PhD. Department of Politics, The University of Leeds

UPWA Action Alert!!!

United Public Workers for Action (www.upwa.info, http://www.upwa.info)

UPWA Editorial Board

Introduction

The specter of accreditation of Skyline Community College next year by the Accrediting Commission for Community Colleges and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) has opened up a window for understanding the future of community colleges in California. The accreditation process, which is mandated to occur every six years, requires that Skyline College follow a set of “standards.” If the college does not meet the ACCJC standards there is a threat of sanctions. There are thre

6a00d8341bf7f753ef00e553ea957b8834-800wi

e increasingly serious stages of sanctions: warning; probation, and show cause. If a college does not adhere to the recommendations of the Commission the college’s accreditation could be “terminated.” That decision would prevent the college from receiving federal and state funds for programs and students loans, transferring credits to a four-year campus, or issuing acceptable certificates for employment purposes. In the worse case scenario the college could be closed.

The concern over accreditation at Skyline College is heightened because in June, 2012 neighboring San Francisco City College (SFCC) was sanctioned at the penultimate step prior to termination (“show cause”) by the ACCJC. That determination created the ominous

Big bucks for blended learning in K-12: Where’s the evidence? | Digital

Big bucks for blended learning in K-12: Where’s the evidence? | Digital:

Big bucks for blended learning in K-12: Where’s the evidence?

A Bay Area nonprofit called the Learning Accelerator (TLA), started with funds from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, has just scored a $5 million grant to expand its operations greatly and get more blended learning programs into more K-12 schools. (Note: The Gates Foundation is among thevarious funders of The Hechinger Report.)

“Blended learning is the transformative educational innovation of our time and has the potential to significantly improve K-12 education for all students across the country,” Joe Wolf, president and founding board member of TLA, said.

Is this true? Is blended learning the transformative educational innovation of our time? Research tends to support the idea that when you mix technology into a face-to-face classroom setting, it improves learning outcomes. But there are caveats that should temper the zealous rhetoric, and offer direction going forward.

For example, here’s a review of over 1,000 of the most rigorous empirical studies from 1996-2008. It shows what the researchers termed “modest” improvement in performance for online learning vs. face-to-face learning. There was a little more improvement in blended conditions rather than all-

Steven Adamowski: Add public funded consultant and adjunct professor to the title Special Master - Wait, What?

Steven Adamowski: Add public funded consultant and adjunct professor to the title Special Master - Wait, What?:

Steven Adamowski: Add public funded consultant and adjunct professor to the title Special Master

by jonpelto

If there is one thing you can say about Connecticut “education reformers” like Paul Vallas and Steven Adamowski it is that they sure do know how to double and triple down on making money.

Bridgeport’s Acting Superintendent, Paul Vallas, wouldn’t sign a $234,000 annual contract unless it allowed him to maintain his private consulting company, the Vallas Group. The same held true for the three top staff people that he brought in to help him run Bridgeport’s Schools. Despite making about $200,000 each, Vallas required that they be allowed to do outside consulting, including work in other states for his own company.

Meanwhile, Steven Adamowski’s $225,000 a year no-bid contract to serve as “Special Master” of the Windham and New London school systems apparently isn’t enough to keep him busy. As a result of a recent Freedom of Information request, it turns out that he is collecting extra public funds as a consultant to the University of Connecticut’s Neag School of Education.

Last year, the Department of Educational Leadership at UConn’s Neag School of

Seattle Schools Community Forum: For Mayor - Not Ron Sims

Seattle Schools Community Forum: For Mayor - Not Ron Sims:

For Mayor - Not Ron Sims

by Melissa Westbrook

He said that on KUOW earlier this week.

I did finally listen to the interview because I had been told he talked a lot about Seattle public education. I found his remarks kind of all over the place and frankly, I'm glad he's not running.

His main theme seemed to be that mayors should bring change. And, for Seattle, that would be in public education. When the host pushed back saying that a mayor like that would hear from the Superintendent and School Board, he said "mayors lead and organize."

Some of what he said:

he gave a shout-out to Garfield teachers for standing up against MAP.
he said (repeatedly) that all schools should be "international" schools and we should have a K-12 system of them. Now, did he define what that meant (and did the host ask)? No. I believe, based on his remarks, that he meant all students should learn a second language. Great Ron, with what money? I mean we can all talk about what we believe is needed or what we would like but the rub is the money.
he said if he were Mayor, he would be on a campaign for "world-class" schools in order to attract

Legislative Action Alert: Grading schools, closing schools and converting them into charter schools: SB5328 and SB5329 | Seattle Education

Legislative Action Alert: Grading schools, closing schools and converting them into charter schools: SB5328 and SB5329 | Seattle Education:

Legislative Action Alert: Grading schools, closing schools and converting them into charter schools: SB5328 and SB5329

by seattleducation2011

This is a one item agenda, grading schools, then transforming the schools with the lowest test scores into charter schools or closing them and providing the option of…a charter school or a public school outside of the student’s neighborhood. If you don’t understand the devastation that starts with high stakes testing and ends with school closings, check out the recent weekly update, The Weekly Update: Eli Broad’s how-to guide on closing schools and disaster capitalism up close and personal.

Stand for Children, with their bought and paid for representative State Senator Steve Litzow, and the League of Education Voters have pushed through two bills in the

LAUSD SUPERINTENDENT JOHN DEASY IS A BLATANT LIAR- SO WHY DOESN'T KNBC'S CONAN NOLAN CALL HIM ON IT? (VIDEO) - Perdaily.com

LAUSD SUPERINTENDENT JOHN DEASY IS A BLATANT LIAR- SO WHY DOESN'T KNBC'S CONAN NOLAN CALL HIM ON IT? (VIDEO) - Perdaily.com:

LAUSD SUPERINTENDENT JOHN DEASY IS A BLATANT LIAR- SO WHY DOESN'T KNBC'S CONAN NOLAN CALL HIM ON IT? (VIDEO)

by Leonard Isenberg

(Mensaje se repite en Español)

There is the fable about the scorpion who talks a turtle into ferrying him across the river by telling him he would not dare bite him, because he too would drown and that would be illogical. This convinces the turtle who allows the scorpion on his back, only to be bitten by the scorpion when they are half way across the river. Why did you do that said the turtle as they both start to drown. I cannot help myself," said the Scorpion, it's my nature.

In applying this fable to the Los Angeles Unified School District and its Superintendent John Deasy, I find it difficult to fault the venomous creature. Rather, I am demoralized by a mainstream media and other institutions that

Spoiler Alert: House of Card Reveals Corrupt Nexus of Politicians and Charities | CREW | Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington

Spoiler Alert: House of Card Reveals Corrupt Nexus of Politicians and Charities | CREW | Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington:

Spoiler Alert: House of Card Reveals Corrupt Nexus of Politicians and Charities

Last month, Netflix debuted House of Cards, a fictional take on the dark side of power in Washington, DC. Though the show has apparently become “a minor cultural zeitgeist among Hill staffers and journalists,” some in D.C. are questioning whether it accurately depicts the realities of Washington. One element of the show’s story, however, rings true.
House Majority Whip Francis Underwood (played by Kevin Spacey) ruthlessly sets out to undermine a new presidential administration after he is passed over for secretary of state. Underwood’s machinations are aided and abetted by his wife Claire, the head of a high-profile environmental non-profit, who uses her charity to boost her husband’s political ambitions. For instance, a major natural gas company whose chief lobbyist used to work for Francis had promised a major donation to Claire’s organization with the expectation that her congressman husband would pull strings for the company once he became secretary of state. The relationship between the Underwoods and the gas company may appear so brazenly corrupt that it could only have been conjured by a Hollywood screenwriter, but unfortunately, it’s all too common.
Take Gov. Bobby Jindal (R-LA), for example. In March 2011, CREW found nine companies that contributed to Gov. Jindal’s campaign also had collectively pledged $790,000 to a charitable foundation headed by First Lady

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Thursday, March 14, 2013

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team:

Michelle Rhee: Not all charters created equal

Education Headlines

Thursday, March 14, 2013

School modernization creates headaches for parents, cities

With most of its buildings more than half-a-century old, the school district, composed of 68 schools stretching across neighboring cities such as Fountain Valley and Westminster, placed Measure A on the June 2010 ballot. It passed on a 59.2 percent vote. The bond measure created $250 million in local funds – and paved the way for the district to receive state matching funds – to upgrade its schools.

Ocean View district, teachers settle on contract

This year's teaching contract at Ocean View School District finally is headed to a vote after the district and union negotiators came to a tentative agreement on March 5.

Most Ventura County school districts are not sending pink slips to teachers this year

For the first time in several years, most local school districts aren't planning to send teachers pink slips this month.

Judge: Disabilities led to Temecula student's arrest

An administrative law judge has ruled Temecula Valley Unified School District cannot expel a special needs student arrested in a December undercover sting that targeted drug sales at three high schools.

Walnut Valley schools hands out pink slips to seven teachers

The school board last week voted to trim its permanent teaching staff by seven as a way to reduce budget deficits. The layoff notices were scheduled to go out by the end of the business day Tuesday.

Senator seeks to delay teacher layoff notices; 22 sent out in Chico

Complying with a legal deadline, the Chico Unified School District sent "pink slips" to 22 teachers Monday, telling them they might be laid off.

Los Gatos School District breaks ground for Santa Cruz Mountains school

In a ceremony some Santa Cruz Mountains residents feared they'd never witness, the Los Gatos Union School District on Wednesday broke ground for a rebuilt and expanded Lexington Elementary School.

Brentwood school district could have new superintendent by early May

The Brentwood school board Wednesday reviewed the timeline and framework for its ongoing search for a new superintendent. The need for a permanent replacement for the district's top leadership position was created after the board fired superintendent Merrill Grant last month amid a teacher abuse scandal.

Threats at Tracy, Pleasanton and Fremont schools prompt concern, extra patrols

A series of unrelated bomb and graffiti threats at several school campuses in the past week have police in three East Bay cities on alert.