Friday, April 12, 2013

NY’s 2013 ‘High School Principal of Year’ is fighting state over reform

NY’s 2013 ‘High School Principal of Year’ is fighting state over reform:

NY’s 2013 ‘High School Principal of Year’ is fighting state over reform

Posted by Valerie Strauss on April 12, 2013 at 6:00 am

New York State’s new High School Principal of the Year is Carol Burris, a school leader in Long Island who has been a leader in a fight with state officials over reforms, including standardized test-based educator evaluations.

Burris, a frequent guest blogger on The Answer Sheet, was given the award jointly by the School Administrators Association of New York and the National Association of Secondary School Principals.

Burris has been principal of South Side High School in the Rockville Centre Union Free School District for 13 years. She was named the 2010 New York State Outstanding Educator by the School Administrators Association of New York State.

What is especially interesting about this new award is that Burris is a leader in the fight against test-based accountability in New York State. She is one of the co-authors of a principals’ letter against evaluating teachers by student test scores, which has been signed by more than 1,500 New York principals. She has written powerfully (see below) about the damage standardized tests are doing to students, and about the evaluation system that New York officials are imposing on educators that is heavily based on student standardized test scores and that is being implemented before it is fully designed.

The release announcing her newest award says in part:

Burris is most widely lauded for her ardent efforts to eliminate tracking at the high school – offering paths of more rigorous study and increased opportunity for each and every student. By raising expectations, opening doors, and using high quality

‘Learning disabilities’ movement turns 50

by Valerie Strauss

It was 50 years ago this month that the movement to help students with learning disabilities began. Here’s what happened. This post was written by Jim Baucom, associate professor of education, has been teaching for more than a quarter of a … Continue reading →

A Warning to Young People: Don’t Become a Teacher | toteachornototeach

A Warning to Young People: Don’t Become a Teacher | toteachornototeach:

A Warning to Young People: Don’t Become a Teacher

by aristotlethewise

A Warning to Young People:
Don’t Become a Teacher

by Randy Turner
Nothing I have ever done has brought me as much joy as I have received from teaching children how to write the past 14 years. Helping young writers grow and mature has been richly rewarding and I would not trade my experiences for anything.
That being said, if I were 18 years old and deciding how I want to spend my adult years, the last thing I would want to become is a classroom teacher.
Classroom teachers, especially those who are just out of college and entering the profession, are more stressed and less valued than at any previous time in our history.
They have to listen to a long list of politicians who belittle their ability, blame them for every student whose grades do not reach arbitrary standards, and want to take away every fringe benefit they have — everything from

Connecting with Anti-Common Core State Groups on Facebook | Truth in American Education

Connecting with Anti-Common Core State Groups on Facebook | Truth in American Education:

Connecting with Anti-Common Core State Groups on Facebook

by Shane Vander Hart

Thanks to Laura Rambeau Lee at Right Reason for compiling a list of anti-Common Core Facebook pages and groups by state. We have many of these Facebook pages, as well as, organization websites here (we typically only list the Facebook page if they don’t have a website).

She has 55 groups so far. While it is ok to have more than one Facebook page and group per state for maximum effectiveness I’d encourage groups to work together. Before you start a new page see if there’s already an effort going on in your state and join it. We accomplish more when we work together.

Of course don’t forget to like us on Facebook (follow us on Twitter too).

The post Connecting with Anti-Common Core State Groups on Facebook appeared first on Truth in American Education.

Update: Tony Smith and AIMS - The Education Report - Katy Murphy's blog on Oakland schools

Update: Tony Smith and AIMS - The Education Report - Katy Murphy's blog on Oakland schools:

Update: Tony Smith and AIMS

By awoodall

Wednesday, April 10th, 2013 at 4:39 pm in charter schools, lawsuits, OUSD central office, superintendent search, Tony Smith, Uncategorized.

At 6 p.m. tonight, the OUSD board is expected to speak publicly for the first time about the resignation of schools superintendent Tony Smith last week. There is nothing on the agenda but the board will say a few words and maybe we should expect some public comment.

In the meantime, at 5 p.m., AIPCS teachers will be “laying all details on the table” about efforts to oust AIMS board members Jean Martinez and Nedir Bey. The teachers have invited parents and the public tonight (at the AIPCS II campus, 171 12th St.) to hear why the two should leave the board — as of tomorrow, Thursday. I can’t get to the rally tonight because of a breaking story and the OUSD board meeting at 6 p.m.

“Our goal is to inform the public, and put pressure on Dr. Jean Martinez and Nedir Bey to resign,” an AIMS teacher wrote in an email about their efforts.

Bey and Martinez are allies of former AIMS Director Ben Chavis, accused of fraud by state auditors. The OUSD board yanked the schools’ charter on March 20.

As long as Martinez and Bey are on the board, the thinking goes, Chavis is not far

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Daily Kos: Michelle Rhee was warned about scope of DC test cheating

Daily Kos: Michelle Rhee was warned about scope of DC test cheating:

Michelle Rhee was warned about scope of DC test cheating

by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken)

Veteran education John Merrow obtained a copy of a previously "missing" memo from an outside consultant, and wrote about it this evening in a blog post he titled Michelle Rhee’s Reign of Error. In italics, under the title we read With the indictment of former Atlanta School Superintendent Beverly A. Hall and 34 other public school employees in a massive cheating scandal, the time is right to re-examine other situations of possible illegal behavior by educators. Washington, DC, belongs at the top of that list.
Merrow's first paragraph of this long (over 4,000 words) blog post reads as follows:

Michelle A. Rhee, America’s most famous school reformer, was fully aware of the extent of the problem when she glossed over what appeared to be widespread cheating during her first year as Schools Chancellor in Washington, DC. A long-buried confidential memo from her outside data consultant suggests that the problem was far more serious than kids copying off other kids’ answer sheets. (“191 teachers representing 70 schools”). Twice in just four pages the consultant suggests that Rhee’s own principals, some of whom she had hired, may have been responsible (“Could the erasures in some cases have been done by someone other than the students and the

The ANN COULTER of CORPORATE ED REFORM

Jersey Jazzman: Michelle Rhee's Day Has Finally Come

Jersey Jazzman: Michelle Rhee's Day Has Finally Come:

Michelle Rhee's Day Has Finally Come

by Duke

Oh, my...

District of Columbia Public Schools officials have long maintained that a 2011 test-cheating scandal that generated two government probes was limited to one elementary school. But a newly uncovered confidential memo warns as far back as January 2009 that educator cheating on 2008 standardized tests could have been widespread, with 191 teachers in 70 schools "implicated in possible testing infractions."
[..]
The USA TODAY investigation found that, as far back as 2008, the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), D.C.'s equivalent of a state education department, asked for an erasure analysis. Among the 96 schools flagged for wrong-to-right erasures were eight of the 10 campuses

#Teachers, #Principals, and the Snitches Who Care – @ the chalk face

#Teachers, #Principals, and the Snitches Who Care – @ the chalk face:

#Teachers, #Principals, and the Snitches Who Care

by Kris Nielsen

I told you all to watch New York, and I meant it.
The movement has changed from “opt out” to “refuse.” Parents across the state, in dramatically increasing numbers, are organizing and preparing themselves for the magic of April 16. When the state standardized tests are administered on that date, students of all ages and ZIP codes will politely shake their heads, push it away, offer an “I refuse this test” note, or simply sit and wait. It is a quiet act of civil disobedience to bring an important change. And now we know how Super Bowl players must feel the night before the big game.
Parents and students across the state have had open discussions with each other, with teachers and principals, and with other parents and students. We’ve shared data, stories, and knowledge. We’ve supported each other through trials and successes. The bottom line is that we know what’s best for our kids, we know the state leadership of New York is leading us down a destructive path, and we are taking a stand.

Do weaker math students end up with weaker teachers? | Get Schooled

Do weaker math students end up with weaker teachers? | Get Schooled:

Do weaker math students end up with weaker teachers?

by Maureen Downey

$math (Medium)$ We’ve spent a lot of time on this blog discussing the under performance of Georgia students in math.
We’ve debated the controversial and now abandoned math reforms introduced by former state school chief Kathy Cox, which stumbled in part because teachers were not adequately trained. We’ve talked about whether the problem owes to what’s being taught or who’s teaching it
Here’s some fodder to further our debate. Education Week has an interesting piece on new research on math instruction and teacher assignments. Please read the full piece in Ed Week before commenting.
An excerpt:

In many schools in the United States, students struggling the most in mathematics at the start of high school have the worst odds of getting a qualified teacher in the subject, new research finds. Succeeding in freshman-level mathematics is critical for students to stay on track to high school graduation, with students who make poor grades in math in 8th and 9th grades more likely to leave

The Educated Reporter: Should Citizenship Test Be Used to Measure High Schoolers' Civic Knowledge?

The Educated Reporter: Should Citizenship Test Be Used to Measure High Schoolers' Civic Knowledge?:

Should Citizenship Test Be Used to Measure High Schoolers' Civic Knowledge?

by Emily Richmond

I was intrigued by Robert Pondiscio’s proposal over at The Atlantic, recommending that every high schooler in America demonstrate the same knowledge of the nation's history and laws as adult individuals applying for citizenship.

Impossible! Not fair! Too difficult! Actually the bar is already set quite low, as Pondiscio -- executive director of CitizenshipFirst, a nonprofit initiative that focuses on the value of civics education -- points out, The federally required citizenship test has 10 questions -- drawn from a list of 100 -- and applicants need to correctly answer at least six of them. Now, math isn't my strong suit but even I know that's a score of 60 percent. Under most circumstances in many classrooms that would be considered a less-than-inspired performance.

Pondiscio contends setting, and meeting, this modest goal would be a boost to the self-confidence of the nation's public schools, particularly in this No Child Left Behind era of "moon shot" aspirations. “Yes, let's have a

For Special Ed Contractor, Huge Fees and Shoddy Care - NYTimes.com

For Special Ed Contractor, Huge Fees and Shoddy Care - NYTimes.com:

Soaring Charges by a Contractor With Special Ed

By DAVID M. HALBFINGER

Published: April 11, 2013

Cheon H. Park ran a company that had begun to prosper on government contracts, but he had bigger ambitions. So he tore down his shabby headquarters on a quiet street in Flushing, Queens, and replaced it with a lavish three-story building that had marble floors, granite countertops, red carpets and a soaring chandelier.

Enlarge This Image

Niko J. Kallianiotis for The New York Times

Cheon H. Park founded the Bilingual SEIT company in Queens. Its billings to the city and state soared to over $17 million in the 2011-12 school year.

Connect with NYTMetro

Enlarge This Image

Niko J. Kallianiotis for The New York Times

MONEYMAKER The flagship school of the Bilingual SEIT company in Queens.

Then he brought in the clients: 3- and 4-year-olds with developmental disabilities.

Scores of them came each weekday, their parents lured by the attractive surroundings and the promises of state-of-the-art therapy. New York City and New York State paid for it all, from the expensive renovations to the services themselves, at a rate of as much as $98 an hour.

But many of the children entrusted to Mr. Park’s company did not get the care they needed, according to numerous interviews with workers and parents and an extensive analysis of government records.

Some children whose first language was Chinese languished in classes taught in Spanish or Korean. Others who were supposed to receive individual tutoring were

Ed Notes Online: Brooke Parker: Standardized Tests Make Age-Inappropriate Demands on Kids / “They’re designed to fire teachers”

Ed Notes Online: Brooke Parker: Standardized Tests Make Age-Inappropriate Demands on Kids / “They’re designed to fire teachers”:

Brooke Parker: Standardized Tests Make Age-Inappropriate Demands on Kids / “They’re designed to fire teachers”

by ed notes online

Leaving aside the absurdity of explaining what “on track for college” looks like to children who say “Justin Bieber” when asked what they want to be when they grow up, Walcott would have gotten his message across more succinctly by simply sending a barf bag to parents.

The good news for parents is that the “opt out” movement is growing across NYC, the state, and the country, as increasing numbers of parents are learning about this issue and refusing to allow their children to be tested.

--- Brooke Parker

Brooke Parker does what the UFT doesn't. She is right on the front lines in the battle to defeat ed deform,

LAUSD teachers release no confidence vote against Superintendent John Deasy | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC

LAUSD teachers release no confidence vote against Superintendent John Deasy | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC:

LAUSD teachers release no confidence vote against Superintendent John Deasy

by Adolfo Guzman-Lopez

Los Angeles schools Superintendent John Deasy has received an overwhelming vote of no confidence from LAUSD teachers.
; Credit: AFP/AFP/Getty Images
United Teachers Los Angeles, the union that represents L.A. Unified’s instructors, announced Thursday a 91 percent vote of no confidence against school district Superintendent John Deasy.
“We need to share with the school board our belief that, in many ways, the educational program is not on the right track,” said union president Warren Fletcher at a news conference to announce the vote results.
Less than 60 percent of the union’s 32,000 members voted at school sites on a ballot that had two questions. One question asked teachers whether they have confidence in Deasy’s leadership. The responses: 16,040 voted no; 1,647 voted yes.
Fletcher said teachers are upset that Deasy’s reforms are creating an environment in which teachers aren’t being treated as education professionals. “The excessive reliance on testing, the excessive reliance on what we in the

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools Enrollment Predicted to Top 51,000 Next Year

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools Enrollment Predicted to Top 51,000 Next Year:

Seattle Schools Enrollment Predicted to Top 51,000 Next Year

by Melissa Westbrook

From the Audit & Finance Committee meeting today comes news of the first Open Enrollment Data.

As stated in the headline, SPS enrollment looks to go over 50,000 for the first time in decades, to just over 51,000.

That is based on an increase of 1300 students for next year. Interestingly, it is NOT at kindergarten where projections show a lower number, just under 300 students. The real increase is at 6th grade at about 160 students.

Oddly (and I mean I don't get statistically how this happened), they got all the high school numbers right on target. The highest projected change for high school is at the sophomore level with more than 100 students.

Tracy Libros, head of Enrollment, said she thought the enormous growth line of birth-to-K may be stabilizing.

Director Carr noted the change in 6th grade. Dr. Libros said that Jane Addams is doubling the number of 6th

My little advocate says “checkmate” – @ the chalk face

My little advocate says “checkmate” – @ the chalk face:

My little advocate says “checkmate”

by Chris Cerrone

We are less than a week away from the state assessments in New York State and my oldest received the annual state testing notice informing parents children should get a good night’s sleep, eat breakfast, and of course bring plenty of #2 pencils.
Well aware of our family’s stance on high-stakes testing, she decided to take action on the flyer:

Well, I really would have like to have read the actual time of the testing period…

In the last year of our family’s opt out journey I have been so proud of my fourth grader. She started off as a very quiet, shy girl in school. When we decided that opting out of last year’s New York State Assessments was an important step to stand up for our children’s education we wanted to make sure that our then 8 year old child was ready for this action. If we had to wait a year or two, so be it, we were not going to force her into something she could not comprehend. At dinner we asked her if her teacher had talked about the New York State tests coming up in April and she replied “yes”. I then made a neutral statement, without leading her, that the test was

My phd alma mater representing, #iuonstrike

by Chalk Face, PhD

On preserving the sanctity of teacher labor – @ the chalk face

On preserving the sanctity of teacher labor – @ the chalk face:

On preserving the sanctity of teacher labor

by Chalk Face, PhD

Outcomes based eduction, or shall I say outcomes obsessed, is an attempt to subvert teaching to something completely measurable and quantifiable. This renders the teacher incapable of preserving a professional culture. Outcomes based education formulates the discipline into something easily achievable and recognizable. It brings

Education activists take note

by Chalk Face, PhD

I’m typing on the road in New Hampshire. Heard this on NHPR’s Word of Mouth. Guess the show worked.
It’s a Wikipedia type, open access resource on activism, started by an NYU prof and one of the Yes Men. Check them out. But I’m thinking of contributing an entry for our occupy event. And I think everyone else should consider adding their actions and tag them education.

If Any Doubt…Common CORPORATE State Standards

by plthomasedd

Wonder who will benefit from adopting, implementing, and testing the Common Core?
Look no further than the COVER of Education Week:

Why Are Kiwis Taking To The Streets?

by Activism in paradise - Voices from down under

by Dianne Khan

Reposted from SaveOurSchoolsNZ

They are mighty pigged off, that’s why.
This Saturday, 13th April, thousands of teachers, parents, students and other supporters up and down New Zealand will march to protest some very disconcerting things that are afoot.
What are we protesting? Well I’m glad you asked.
Charter schools: The government is hell bent on bringing in charter schools despite massive resistance and rafts of evidence that they just do not improve achievement, least of all for minority groups. They are pushing an ideology that will privatise public schools. No amount of questioning elicits from the government or Catherine