9-12-13 Perdido Street School

Perdido Street School:

Mulgrew On Thompson's Decision To Forge On

From Politicker:Mr. Thompson and his backers, at a private strategy session tonight at the United Federation of Teachers headquarters, decided to press forward, despite mounting pressure by other union officials, Democratic leaders–and even some of his former supporters–to drop his bid.“The first step in that is machine canvass on Friday and Saturday, and then we’ll go from there,” he said. “We be

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Bill Thompson Refuses To Withdraw From The Race

So Thompson emerged defiant from his meeting at 52 Broadway tonight:Bill Thompson said Thursday night that he will not concede the Democratic primary for mayor until the votes are counted. Thompson emerged from a meeting with top party leaders to say he'll stay in the game at least until the Board of Elections does a recanvass of the voting machine results from Tuesday's primary."It continues

by reality-based edu... / 1h 

Thompson, Supporters Meet At UFT Headquarters Tonight

Azi Paybarah at Capital NY:Bill Thompson's top supporters met tonight at the Manhattan headquarters of the United Federation of Teachers as their candidate discussed with them the possibility of ending his bid for the Democratic mayoral nomination before all the votes are counted. U.F.T. president Michael Mulgrew, who promised that his union would deliver a primary victory to Thompson, had vowed o

by reality-based edu... / 4min 

Thompson Can Short Circuit Runoff By Pulling Out By Tomorrow Night

Lisa Fleischer reports:The pressure intensified Thursday on Bill Thompson to abandon a runoff fight, with institutional supporters urging the Democrat to avoid splintering the party by continuing to pursue his campaign for New York City mayor. Mr. Thompson, the former city comptroller, was waiting Thursday for all votes from Tuesday’s Democratic mayoral primary to be counted to see whether Public

by reality-based edu... / 5min 

Charlie Rangel Says Thompson Supporters Having Strategy Meeting To See Where Thompson Campaign Goes Now

With the list of Democratic establishment figures and unions supporting Bill de Blasio for mayor getting longer and longer, Bill Thompson isn't going to get too much help if he decides to stay in the race and try and force a runoff.So far, Lew Fidler is still supporting him, telling waffling Thompson supporters to "grow a pair" and get back on the Thompson bandwagon.But Thompson supporte

by reality-based edu... / 1h 

Christine Quinn Urges Supporters To Back De Blasio

The de Blasio campaign had a "unity rally" today where they pulled out a bunch of former Quinn supporters, a few former Thompson supporters and a whole bunch of de Blasio supporters and had a party:Standing before the steps of Brooklyn Borough Hall, a mass of elected officials and unions, including the labor-backed Working Families Party, officially endorsed Public Advocate Bill de Blasi

by reality-based edu... / 4min 

General Petraeus Chased Down Street By Angry College Students

Not big on school pride, but this makes me feel it for CUNY:It was a rough first day of school for David Petraeus.The retired general was chased down the street by an angry mob after giving his first lecture at CUNY’s Macaulay Honors College on the Upper West Side, according to a video posted online Wednesday.The hecklers stalked the former CIA chief out of the campus Monday and called him “scumba

by reality-based edu... / 6min 

This Is Lhota's Strategy To Beat De Blasio?

Source tells me that GOP oppo research on @deBlasioNYC includes ACORN/UFT connect, WFP/DFS scandal, thin resume of accomplishments.— Michael Benjamin (@SquarePeg_Dem) September 12, 2013To which someone on Twitter replies: .@maggiepolitico GOP's going to go after de Blasio over ACORN and the UFT (who endorsed someone else)? They've so got this.— Xenocrypt (@xenocryptsite) September 12, 2013Michael

by reality-based edu... / 7min 

Al Sharpton Urges Bill Thompson Out Of The Race

It's only a matter of time before Thompson is gone.The Daily News reports that not only have three of the Quinn unions quickly endorsed de Blasio post-primary, but Al Sharpton is also urging Thompson out for the sake of the Democratic Party:A day after the primaries, the mayoral campaign hit the pause button Wednesday for the anniversary of 9/11 — but behind the scenes, Democratic leaders were wor

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How Long Until Bill Thompson Is Forced From The Race?

Unions are holding a "unity rally" for Bill de Blasio today:Well, that didn't take long. A steady stream of diehard Christine Quinn supporters have endorsed Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, and plan to gather Thursday in Brooklyn for a "unity rally" to publicly stand behind the Democratic frontrunner. The event includes top labor leaders like Retail, Wholesale, and Department St

by reality-based edu... / 2h 

9-11-13 Perdido Street School

Perdido Street School: 98% Counted - De Blasio 40.2%, Thompson 26%Still 2% to be counted, plus the absentee ballots.From the time I signed off last night to now, Thompson lost 0.02%, de Blasio's percentage stayed the same.As of 7:15 AM, de Blasio has 90,518 more votes than Thompson.There are still votes to be counted, but if the trajectory of the race stays essentially the same, will Thompson chal

by mike simpson / 10h 

What does ‘quality teacher’ mean anyway?:

What does ‘quality teacher’ mean anyway?

By Valerie Strauss, Published: September 12 at 4:00 amE-mail the writer

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In the big push for “quality teachers,” the question about what that means gets short shrift. Here’s a piece on the subject byMike Rose, a professor at the UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies and author of several books. His most recent works are “Back to School: Why Everyone Deserves a Second Chance at Education, and “Public Education Under Siege,” which he co-edited with Michael B. Katz.

By Mike Rose

Go to YouTube and type in “Harriett Ball.”  You’ll find three or four short clips on this wonderful Houston teacher, including a tribute (she died in 2011) from KIPP charter school founders Mike Feinberg and Dave Levin.  It seems that in 1992, when the young Feinberg and Levin—fresh Teach For America recruits—landed in Houston, ready, in Feinberg’s words, “to change the world by lunchtime,” they didn’t have an easy go of it.  As Feinberg put it, he lost control of his class by lunchtime and didn’t regain it until Christmas.

Harriett Ball was teaching down the hall, and Feinberg and Levin found her, and had the 

Obama’s education gap: Rhetoric vs policies

There is a big gap between what President Obama says about educational equity and the consequences of his policies. Here’s a post on this by Arthur H. Camins, director of the Center for Innovation in Engineering and Science Education at … Continue reading →    

2 by Valerie Strauss / 1h 

Two Sides Find Common Ground in Airing Concerns About Common Core - NJ Spotlight

Two Sides Find Common Ground in Airing Concerns About Common Core - NJ Spotlight:

TWO SIDES FIND COMMON GROUND IN AIRING CONCERNS ABOUT COMMON CORE

JOHN MOONEY | SEPTEMBER 12, 2013

Republican, Democrat both urge NJ to go slowly on tougher standards and testing, but Christie administration proceeds with implementation.

Protesters at event for U.S Senate candidate Steve Lonegan.

New Jersey's decision to implement the federal Common Core State Standards and to field-test the exams that are part of the package has never lacked critics, but it hasn't met with much outright resistance.

Until now.

While still very much a minority voice, a collection of strange bedfellows is increasingly speaking up against New Jersey’s adoption of the new, more rigorous standards and testing.

Yesterday, it was Steve Lonegan, the conservative Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, who held a press conference in front of the state Department of Education to decry the federal standards as another power grab by Washington.

While outnumbered by journalists, Lonegan was nonetheless joined by a half-dozen other conservative and Tea Party activists.

“No one-size-fits-all model will serve these children, nor will it serve our nation,” 

Modern-day Mary Poppins’: College graduates embrace nannying as career | toteachornototeach

Modern-day Mary Poppins’: College graduates embrace nannying as career | toteachornototeach:

Modern-day Mary Poppins’: College 
graduates embrace nannying as career

By Elizabeth Chuck

When American University graduate Elyse Barletta, 27, was looking for a full-time nannying position recently in Charlotte, N.C., three families wanted to hire her — all were impressed by her college education. “They wanted someone who could help with their children’s homework,” said Barletta, a history major who made the Dean’s list and is proficient in French.

Experts say young women like Barletta make up a fast-growing segment of the nanny industry: college graduates who could go into law, medicine or other fields but are choosing to become career nannies, sometimes because they struggled to find jobs in their desired professions. These highly-credentialed child minders are being greeted with open arms into middle-class and upper-class families who want to give their kids an edge in an increasingly competitive world.

Barletta, who worked as a nanny in college to make extra money, tried but failed to find a job in her chosen field, nonprofit work, after graduation. But she has no regrets: Nannying, 

Why Did DR Alison Coviello; PhD. and Principal at PS 154 in the Bronx Ignore Anniversary of 9/11? southbronxschool.com

http://www.southbronxschool.com:

Why Did DR Alison Coviello; PhD. and Principal at PS 154 in the Bronx Ignore Anniversary of 9/11?

Twelve years ago today I was sitting in my car on Concourse Village West and putting stuff in order to head into the old PS 156 (now PS 385 or 365) in District 7. I had the car radio on WFAN and Imus was on the air. He had just announced that a plan had flown into the North Tower at the World Trade Center. I recall looking up at the sky and seeing how crystal sky blue it was that day. How could this have happened as I heard Imus speculate that it was a Cessna that crashed and attributed it to pilot

error.

I walked into the school and a few minutes later heard that a second plane had crashed into the South Tower. One plane, I thought to myself, is an accident, two planes, an attack. My son was ten weeks old at the time. I found a place out of the way in the school and sobbed. What kind of world did I just allow my son to come into I thought to myself.

I could see the towers burn from PS 156, which is right off the Concourse, near the 

Bill already tinkers with school funding formula SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources

SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources:

Bill already tinkers with school funding formula
By Tom Chorneau
Thursday, September 12, 2013

Legislative leaders and Gov. Jerry Brown struck a landmark agreement in June over restructuring state funding of K-12 schools – but lawmakers are already at work on changes.

AB 344 by state Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Los Angeles, would enhance accountability requirements of the Local Control Funding Formula specifically as it relates to educational services provided to English learners.

The bill, which is pending before the state Assembly, comes forward even as the California State Board of Education is at work developing guidance and regulations that will implement legislative goals worked out earlier this summer under the LCFF program.

It is unclear whether the governor supports the proposed changes but a version of the bill drew enough votes for passage out of the Assembly just last week – although changes required the bill to return for a second vote in the lower house.

It must also receive approval in the state Senate.

Padilla, one of the Legislature’s strongest advocates for English learners, noted during committee hearing on the measure last month that too many school districts were not addressing the needs of English learners. He pointed to a 2013 study from the American Civil Liberties Union and the Asian Pacific American Legal Center which found that 

Mayor seeking donations for school supplies | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

Mayor seeking donations for school supplies | Philadelphia Public School Notebook:

Mayor seeking donations for school supplies

by Dale Mezzacappa on Sep 11 2013

Mayor Nutter wants people in the city and region to donate money so that schools in Philadelphia have adequate supplies.

At a press conference Wednesday, Nutter announced the formation of the Philadelphia Education Supplies Fund, with a goal of raising $500,000 by Oct. 15 and $2.5 million over the next five years.

He started out by donating $200,000 from the city's general fund and said the city would pledge up to $1 million in five years.

Nutter said that the while the public schools "still need support from Harrisburg and City Council," he presented the fund as "an immediate opportunity for citizens, nonprofits, businesses, corporations, and the philanthropic community to come together in support of education here in our city."

The fund will pay for supplies including workbooks, paper, pens and pencils for all city schools, including those run by the District, charters and Archdiocese. In Philadelphia District schools,

The West Conshohocken-based Maguire Foundation pledged $20,000 per year for five years.The foundation donates to many local institutions, including many Catholic causes, museums, and educational institutions. James J. Maguire, Sr., a co-principal with his wife of the foundation, attended the announcement.

John and Dr. Janet Haas will match up to $30,000 in contributions for each of the next five years. The Haas family runs the William Penn Foundation.

United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey will administer the fund. "Every child deserves a quality education from cradle to career," said United Way president Jill Michal. "There is so much we worry about every day when we send our kids off to school...but whether or not their classroom is going to run out of paper at some point shouldn't be one of them."

With the Philadelphia School District facing a financial crisis, teachers -- from whom the District is seeking concessions including wage cuts -- have been highlighting how they often buy supplies out of their own pockets. The District and the union are still negotiating a new contract.

Superintendent William Hite, who attended the press conference, said that Philadelphia teachers get $100 per classroom for supplies, and that these funds 

Democrats for Education Reform throws support behind mayoral candidate Bill de Blasio | GothamSchools In brief

Democrats for Education Reform throws support behind mayoral candidate Bill de Blasio | GothamSchools In brief:

Democrats for Education Reform throws support behind mayoral candidate Bill de Blasio

Now that Bill de Blasio looks likely to clinch the Democratic nomination for mayor, DFER has swallowed its pride and thrown decided to support the anti-charter candidate. (Remember that DFER memo that said de Blasio was the least attractive candidate because he “offered the least support for issues of concern to education reform advocates.”)

And while education activist Diane Ravitch, who has been an outspoken critic of Bloomberg’s education policies, said today that Bill de Blasio’s win was a major hit to the national education reform movement, DFER’s Joe Williams seems to think differently and was eager to take the opposite side of the teachers union. Here’s a statement he released this afternoon:

"Bill de Blasio ran one of the most effective political campaigns we have ever seen, tapping into real anxieties New Yorkers have about hot-button issues like ‘stop-and-frisk’ and income inequality. His come-from-behind victory in the Democratic Primary was a repudiation of the outrageous claims that United Federation of Teachers President Mike Mulgrew would “make” or buy the next mayor. Mulgrew spent several million of the UFT’s dollars trying to elect someone else for the job, even claiming that his chosen candidate had promised $3 billion for teacher raises. (The candidate claimed no such pledge.) This is an important moment for the Democratic Party in New York City, where Democrats and not union bosses elect their leaders. The reality is that many, many teachers and parents that we know pulled the lever for de Blasio, reminding us once again that in addition to losing its grip on the Democratic Party, the UFT has also lost the confidence of its rank-and-file and made itself irrelevant in the ongoing public education discussion in Gotham."

Does the middle class -- and their kids -- deserve HOPE? Or... | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com

Does the middle class -- and their kids -- deserve HOPE? Or... | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com:

Does the middle class -- and their kids -- deserve HOPE? Or should scholarship target poor?  

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JASON GETZ / JGETZ@AJC.COM

GSU freshman Alysia Thomas holds a sign shaped like a peach reading, "Hope for our future," during a rally at the Georgia State Capitol in protest about the proposed changes to the HOPE Scholarship Tuesday afternoon in Atlanta, Ga., March. 8, 2011.

Previous Posts

• Study gives good marks to alternative teacher routes to classroom including Teach for America
  September 10, 2013
• Do teachers need to be reminded to wear undergarments?
  September 9, 2013
• Escaping education's death valley while I escape on vacation
  September 8, 2013

By Maureen Downey

The AJC had several great stories this week to mark the 20th anniversary of the HOPE Scholarship. The stories trace the changes in the program over the years and the criticisms of those changes.

One fact cannot be denied: HOPE has exploded.  

In the first year, 42,796 students earned HOPE at a cost of $21.4 million in lottery proceeds. Last year, 180,206 students received HOPE at a cost of $411.6 million. Part of the early growth came from the expansion of the eligibility pool.

In the initial years, HOPE was limited to students from households that earned $66,000 or less.  As lottery sales boomed, the income cap was raised to $100,000 before it was eliminated in 1995 to the delight of middle-class parents.

As it turned out, HOPE did not have its largest impact on whether students in Georgia went to college, but where they went. One study concluded that only 4 percent of the money spent on HOPE went to students who might not have otherwise gone to college.

Now that HOPE funds are outstripping lottery proceeds, there is talk of restoring an income cap. Today, I share a response to 

Tell Gov. Corbett and the School Reform Commission that all Philadelphia children deserve more. Fund Philly Schools

Fund Philly Schools:

Children are going back to schools that have been stripped of nurses, art, music, librarians, extracurricular activities and counselors. They are being forced into overcrowded classrooms without enough books or paper. They are being put in danger as they cross through unfamiliar and unsafe neighborhoods to get to new schools.

Philadelphia’s children deserve better. But Gov. Corbett, Superintendent Hite, and unelected School Reform Commission members Pedro Ramos, Joseph Dworetzky, Feather Houstoun, Wendell Prichett and Sylvia Simms continue to push an agenda to starve our schools and hurt our kids.

Tell Gov. Corbett and the School Reform Commission: It’s time to fully fund our schools. 

End the

Fund Philly Schools: 

Education advocates pivot and spin after de Blasio’s ascent | GothamSchools

Education advocates pivot and spin after de Blasio’s ascent | GothamSchools:

Education advocates pivot and spin after de Blasio’s ascent

by Geoff Decker, at 6:51 pm

As Public Advocate Bill de Blasio held firmly to a commanding lead in the Democratic primary race for mayor on Wednesday, education advocates and opponents began making adjustments to a reality that seemed implausible just a couple of months ago.

De Blasio’s closest competitor in the race, Bill Thompson, pledged this morning to keep fighting until “every voice is heard, that every vote is counted.” The defiance came as Thompson’s own chief fundraiser seemed to signal her own concession, calling de Blasio’s 40 percent share of the vote with 98 percent of precincts reporting “a convincing victory.”

“I think the people have spoken. They’ve spoken decisively,” said Merryl Tisch, Regents Chancellor and Thompson’s campaign finance chair. Tisch spent the day visiting city schools with State Education Commissioner John King.

Candidates must secure at least 40 percent of the primary vote to avoid a runoff and move on to the general election, where the Democratic victor will face Republican Joe Lhota. Thompson, who has 26.1 percent of the vote, has said he wants to wait until the city Board of Elections looks thousands of paper ballots that were collected, a count that will take place next week.

Michael Mulgrew, president of United Federation of Teachers, echoed Thompson’s sentiments in a statement: “We are awaiting the final count.”

But others are not waiting for all of the ballots to be counted before weighing in. Several groups today issued statements implying that de Blasio would be the nominee and spinning the results in their favor.

Democrats for Education Reform cited de Blasio’s wide lead as a victory, even though de Blasio was the candidate least friendly to the group’s agenda. De Blasio has pledged to charge rent to