Ms. Jablonski's Class Blog: Veto Halts Bill for Jury Duty by Noncitizens in California

Ms. Jablonski's Class Blog: Veto Halts Bill for Jury Duty by Noncitizens in California:

Veto Halts Bill for Jury Duty by Noncitizens in California

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL ARTICLE 

NY TIMES

           For noncitizens in the United States, people have limits to their rights. Recently in Los Angeles, Governor Jerry Brown vetoed a bill on Monday. The bill would've made California the first state to allow immigrants who are not citizens to serve on juries. For non citizens living in California, they already have their rights expanded. Mr. Brown signed a law where non citizen immigrants were allowed to get their drivers license. On Saturday, he signed more bills that proposed for stopping local law officers from detaining immigrants and transferring them to federal authorities unless they have committed certain serious crimes. Gov. Brown also agreed in August to let non citizens monitor polls for elections.

         Yet again, on Monday, he vetoed the bill where it led non citizens to have a say in California and in the United States. Many other democrats and immigrant official think it's a mistake of what Mr. Brown did and maybe it is. But what if it isn't?
       
         For limiting people's rights, citizens have more rights than non citizens. By Brown signing the drivers license bill, what's the point of putting a certain limit on their right when they are 

Public Opinions of the GOP Since Government Shutdown

http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/politicsnow/la-pn-government-shutdown-congress-polling-20131007,0,5535514.storyLA TimesIn this article, the author, David Lauter, simply conveyed the statistics from polls asking people of their opinions on the way the Republican Party is handling the whole situation with the government shutdown and how their dealing with the federal budget. Over the last wee

2 by Lucy / 8h 

Mob Rule: Are we reverting to the lawless way of an 'eye for an eye'?

For those of you who wish to view the original article:http://abcnews.go.com/US/off-duty-cops-witnessed-alleged-suv-driver-beating/story?id=20488628Well, folks. Looks like this is another case of violence. They just keep piling up. And what's surprising is our law enforcement is slacking.If you have no prior knowledge of the facts behind the article, I will briefly sum it up. A man named Lien was

4 by Jay / 9h 

A Police State in the Works: The Militarization of the Police Force

It seems to hold true that in the United States we value our police in a biased manner. We want them to be around if any sort of trouble may occur, yet we don't want them to constrict our freedom in such a way that these dutiful servants of the state may turn upon us. The fear of a police state has always been one to frighten the firm believers of liberty, yet once again the government has hidden

7 by Stephan Zharkov / 10h mark as read  //  save

OCT 01

Lowdown on Government Shutdown

Washington Post with "absolutely everything you need to know about how the federal government shutdown will work." 

2 by L. Jablonski / 6d 

SEP 23

Kenya Reeling from Shopping Mall Attack

The World from Public Radio International with a brief but worthwhile report from Nairobi, Kenya as the shopping mall siege continues.News outlets continue to report the Somalia-based al-Shabaab terrorist group as responsible for the attack at the high-end Westgate Mall.Simon Tisdall of the Guardian writes here about what might be going on within al-Shabaab to spark this attack, namely a brutal po

7 by L. Jablonski / 14d 

High Tech, Immigrant Families, and Public Libraries (Sondra Cuban) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

High Tech, Immigrant Families, and Public Libraries (Sondra Cuban) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice:

High Tech, Immigrant Families, and Public Libraries (Sondra Cuban)

Sondra Cuban is Professor of Adult Education at Western Washington University (Bellingham, WA). She was a researcher and teacher at Lancaster University (UK) for seven years. Her most recent book is: Deskilling Migrant Women in the Global Care Industry (Palgrave Macmillan, 2013). She posted a longer version on September 15, 2013 in her blog on Information and Communication Technology (ICT).

 Migrant workers have always used the public library— growing and expanding its base. Mary Antin, an author and immigration rights activist in the late 1800s crowned the library a ‘kingdom in the slum’ just as Simone, a Jamaican domestic worker, a hundred years later, said that her library made her feel like ‘a million dollars’ because of its many resources.

For over a century, public libraries have played important roles in immigrant adaptation to new places of settlement (for example assisting with job searches), celebrating cultural heritage (multicultural exhibits and resources) and language development (bringing immigrants together for ESL or bilingual 

Saving Public Ryan | Gary Rubinstein's Blog

Saving Public Ryan | Gary Rubinstein's Blog:

Saving Public Ryan

by Gary Rubinstein

There’s nothing more dangerous than a first year TFAer who is having an easy time.  And don’t tell them that they’re having an easy time or they will protest that it is not easy, but actually the toughest thing they’ve ever done in their lives.  But the fact is that although most new TFAers are struggling to control their classes and around 10% won’t even complete their first year, a few fortunate souls, for various reasons, have first years that are relatively good.

Ryan Heisinger is a 2013 TFA corps member who I’m on quite friendly terms with.  I first became aware of him over a year ago when I critiqued a pro-TFA blog post he had written.  At the time Heisinger was a campus representative for TFA and also the leader of the SFER (Students For Education Reform) chapter at the University of Maryland.  Heisinger and I have kept in touch through e-mail he has been a guest on two of my rare Spreecast talk shows here and here.  and I sometimes tease him on Twitter, all in good fun.  He seems to be able to take it much better than another first year who I think I might have inadvertently traumatized.

Communicating with people online is an unusual experience since you don’t get to see the person and read their facial expressions.  Whether you’re communicating with a someone who is nineteen or someone who is eighty, there is something about seeing black letters on a white screen that is, to me, some kind of great equalizer — minds communicating free of some of the distractions of the terrestrial world.  I realize that not everyone on the Internet sees it like I do so I suppose that it can be a bit strange for a young teacher to be receiving pointed Twitter 

L.A. Unified releases complaints against school board president - latimes.com

L.A. Unified releases complaints against school board president - latimes.com:

L.A. Unified releases complaints against school board president

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L.A. Unified school board President Richard Vladovic, shown here at his 2011 swearing in, is the target of two complaints that he acted improperly. One employee accused him of sexual harassment, while another alleged verbal harassment and retaliation. (Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times / July 1, 2011)

By Howard Blume

October 7, 2013, 7:51 p.m.

Los Angeles Unified School District officials on Monday night released two redacted complaints in which one employee accused school board President Richard Vladovic of sexual harassment, while another alleged verbal harassment and retaliation.

Vladovic could not be immediately reached for comment. He has consistently denied any wrongdoing, but has acknowledged that he can have a bad temper and that he sometimes regrets occasional outbursts.

The Board of Education president was the subject of two investigations this year. One cleared him of any wrongdoing related to the alleged mishandling of sexual misconduct allegations against a teacher 

Stop Common Core Curriculum Rally in Louisiana: at the October 15th BESE meeting | Crazy Crawfish's Blog

Stop Common Core Curriculum Rally in Louisiana: at the October 15th BESE meeting | Crazy Crawfish's Blog:

Crazy Crawfish's Blog

Zesty Louisiana Education Politics

Stop Common Core Curriculum Rally in Louisiana: at the October 15th BESE meeting

Posted on October 7, 2013

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As of right now dozens and scores of parents and teachers are planning to attend next week’s BESE meeting to address the BESE council and to demand they put an end to Common Core in Louisiana. I had my reservations about publishing this update because in the past when I have notified BESE and John White about such rallies and events they have cancelled and moved meetings to avoid controversy, or White and company marshaled his own faux forces to counter the voices of real parents and Louisiana citizens. 

If you are interested in talking to the organizers, taking part in the pre-meeting discussion, or wish to register your attendance as well as sign up for future events and meetings, check out this link:

https://www.facebook.com/events/470118499752586/?ref_newsfeed_story_type=regular. It is most important and effective to have a clear, concise, HARD hitting message that can be delivered in 3minutes. The law provides for public meetings to make their rules. As long as they follow the law they are within their rights.
2. Take every opportunity to speak. School bd offers 3 minutes at beginning if the meeting or 5 if you apply before noon Monday before the Thursday meeting. Then you can address each agenda item that fits your argument w 3more minutes.
3. BESE publishes their agenda several days in advance of the meeting. There are many, many agenda items that we could address. I speak to every single item that I can.. It is most important and effective to have a clear, concise, HARD hitting message that can be delivered in 3minutes. The law provides for public meetings to make their rules. As long as they follow the law they are within their rights.
2. Take every opportunity to speak. School bd offers 3 minutes at beginning if the meeting or 5 if you apply before noon Monday before the Thursday meeting. Then you can address each agenda item that fits your argument w 3more minutes.
3. BESE publishes their agenda several days in advance of the meeting. There are many, many agenda items that we could address. I speak to every single item that I can. 1. It is most important and effective to have a clear, concise, HARD hitting message that can be delivered in 3minutes. The law provides for public meetings to make their rules. As long as they follow the law they are within their rights.
2. Take every opportunity to speak. School bd offers 3 minutes at beginning if the meeting or 5 if you apply before noon Monday before the Thursday meeting. Then you can address each agenda item that fits your argument w 3more minutes.
3. BESE publishes their agenda several days in advance of the meeting. There are many, many agenda items that we could address. I speak to every single item that I can.

BESE holds their meetings in the Claiborne Building at 1201 North Third Street in Baton Rouge. The Rally is listed as 10:00 am, but I’ve been told there will folks their throughout the BESE session which is slated to take place on the 15^th and 16^th (Tuesday and Wednesday) next week. I have seen the folks running the meetings change the schedules at the last minute or change the specific covered issues throughout the day to keep opponents and parents off balance. If they know a lot of people are there to testify about something I have seen them try and wear people out by moving the relevant item further and further back on the schedule, and sometimes postponing it until another day. Be alert for this possibility and raise a ruckus if they try to pull this on you.

You can find information about past meetings and update to current and future meetings here:http://bese.louisiana.gov/meetings

This is a BYOP (Bring Your Own Pitchfork) event, although I hear torches may be handed out at the door.

I expect seating to be limited. Feel free to come early and meet up with other folks to coordinate before the meeting and plan to stay after to link up with allies. There is a decent cafeteria in the Claiborne building that serves breakfast, lunch and refreshments but I thin my anger will sustain me. J

Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » Week in Class: Week Four and Five 2013

Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » Week in Class: Week Four and Five 2013


Week in Class: Week Four and Five 2013

 

Yes, yes, yes, I’ve been an awful correspondent. First, I was working on the recent visit that Diane Ravitch made to Sacramento, when I got “the cold”. You know that one that either creeps slowly (or at lightening speed) through a classroom. That was me. I took a day off to be sick, and a day off for the Ravitch event, then slunk to my bed for the weekend. I made it back to work last week (week five), but I wasn’t feeling “lively”.

Enough of me, I’m still not feeling sparky, so I’ll just put up a couple links about what I’m doing:

Photos of what my students are doing in Math Workshop are here:

Ms. Jablonski's Class Blog: Mob Rule: Are we reverting to the lawless way of an 'eye for an eye'?

Ms. Jablonski's Class Blog: Mob Rule: Are we reverting to the lawless way of an 'eye for an eye'?:

Mob Rule: Are we reverting to the lawless way of an 'eye for an eye'?

For those of you who wish to view the original article:
http://abcnews.go.com/US/off-duty-cops-witnessed-alleged-suv-driver-beating/story?id=20488628

Well, folks. Looks like this is another case of violence. They just keep piling up. And what's surprising is our law enforcement is slacking.

If you have no prior knowledge of the facts behind the article, I will briefly sum it up. A man named Lien was driving--with his wife and infant--in his black Range Rover when it appeared a motorcycle gang was swarming him. One motorcyclist collided in a "fenderbender" with the black SUV and eventually, the car slowed down. Another motorcyclist tried to open the driver's door and Lien shot forward, running over one of the motorcyclists. The motorcycle gang pursued Lien to a crowded street, took him out and beat him up. Two passer-by ran up and acted as shields for Lien and the beatings stopped. Both Lien and the run-over motorcyclist are in the hospital.

Now, in this article, it appears there were cops on the scene, off-duty and undercover. They did 

Thug Governor refuses to grant corporate tax giveaways to billionaires who donate to other reelection campaigns | Reclaim Reform

Thug Governor refuses to grant corporate tax giveaways to billionaires who donate to other reelection campaigns | Reclaim Reform:

Thug Governor refuses to grant corporate tax giveaways to billionaires who donate to other reelection campaigns

Posted on October 7, 2013by Ken Previti

Imagine a thug governor who demands that legislators cut earned teacher pensions or he will pull the trigger on the legislators’ billionaire donors. He will stop the multimillion dollar tax giveaways the donors are routinely given.

Imagine a nut politico who states that he is “put on God’s Earth” to cut teacher pensions.

Imagine that he demands that legislators break their oaths to uphold both the state and federal constitutional protections of the teacher pensions.

Imagine that they all lie when they say that pension cuts will save the state from bankruptcy, doom , death and destruction.

Imagine he is the Democratic governor of the bluest of Democratic states, Illinois. The 

HOW TO CURE THE EVER INCREASING ATTENTION SPAN CRISIS | Teachers Fight Back

HOW TO CURE THE EVER INCREASING ATTENTION SPAN CRISIS | Teachers Fight Back:

HOW TO CURE THE EVER INCREASING ATTENTION SPAN CRISIS

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I am no longer a voice in the wilderness when it comes to urging teachers to teach students to maintain attention. I’ve found a partner. Barry Schwartz is a professor of psychology at Swarthmore College and has written an opinion piece about the ever-increasing attention deficits among our young people. Here is an excerpt from the professor’s article.

“The key point for teachers and principals and parents to realize is that maintaining attention is a skill. It has to be trained, and it has to be practiced. If we cater to short attention spans by offering materials that can be manged with short attention spans, the skill will not develop. The “attention muscle” will not be exercised and strengthened. It is as if you complain to a personal trainer about your weak biceps, and the trainer tells you not to lift heavy things.

Just as we don’t expect people to develop their biceps by lifting 2 pound weights, we can’t expect them to develop their attention by reading 140 character tweets, 200 word blog posts or 300 word newspaper articles.

In other words, the “short attention” phenomenon is something of a self-fulfilling prophesy. First, we tell 

Ms. Jablonski's Class Blog: A Police State in the Works: The Militarization of the Police Force

Ms. Jablonski's Class Blog: A Police State in the Works: The Militarization of the Police Force:

A Police State in the Works: The Militarization of the Police Force

It seems to hold true that in the United States we value our police in a biased manner. We want them to be around if any sort of trouble may occur, yet we don't want them to constrict our freedom in such a way that these dutiful servants of the state may turn upon us. The fear of a police state has always been one to frighten the firm believers of liberty, yet once again the government has hidden the continuous militarization of police forces around the country.

The Article on the Guardian 

With 4.2 billion dollars in total spent upon military weapons for programs such as SWAT or other Special Force Units, one starts to wonder whether such a maneuver could have possibly been smoother? Once again the funds of this great nation turn towards the military, with massive funding to programs such as CIA, FBI, and NSA that may just add a bit of crippling debt to our already expired debt ceiling. Why do we need this much money to be put into our defense systems? I don't think we are under attack on U.S. soil, and of course one can justify the spending for events such as the Boston Marathon Bombing, but as the article stated this is not only for large cities such as Los Angeles or Boston, but rather small towns as well. In what possible situation may they need high grade military weapons such as a tank within their 

NYC Educator: Better Recork that Champagne

NYC Educator: Better Recork that Champagne:

Better Recork that Champagne

A few days ago I reported that anyone with three or fewer classes was exempt from the Advance system of junk science grading. I based this on a PowerPoint I was shown, from someone who wrote it in good faith. Over the past few hours I've learned that this is in dispute. A highly-placed source in the UFT tells me that it's not true, and that 40% teaching entails only two, rather than four classes.

On the other hand, I have a reliable source for the other info, who I'm sure gave it to me in good faith. The question is whether the denominator for a teacher day is five or eight. I apologize to anyone who was partying all weekend as a result of my blog. It's been my experience that whenever a DOE source and a UFT source are at odds, the UFT source is always right.

I certainly hope my UFT source is wrong this time. To my mind, the fewer people trapped in Dracula's Castle, the better. But I tend to think this source is correct. I'm told that this was a message received from DOE as of 10 AM this morning.

I discussed this with another chapter leader, who said it's more likely the DOE wishes to ensnare as many hapless teachers as possible. I believe that. I believe it's populated with fanatical idealogues who 

Bullying Education Resources »

Bullying Education Resources »:

Bullying Education Resources

Compiled by Katie Gould, Teacher Resource Producer for the PBS NewsHour

October is National Bullying Prevention Month. The resources below are designed to provide educators with a variety of quality materials that they can use in the classroom to authentically teach students about the topic of bullying.

Subjects

Bullying Education

Estimated Time

Varies for each activity

Grade Level

Middle and High School Activities

1. Warm Up Activity | Crumpled Paper Lesson

(5 minutes)

This short and powerful activity has been adapted from a story that has been circulating around the web

1. Either provide paper or have students take out a sheet of their own. As a class, ask for students to volunteer words that describe the blank sheet of paper. For example: clean, smooth, useful, etc.
2. Now instruct students to crumple the paper, mess it up, stomp on it, everything except rip it.
3. Tell students to unfold the paper, smooth it out and try to get the paper back to its original state. Encourage them to use whatever tools they can to make the paper the same way it was when they started this exercise. After letting the students try to “fix” their paper have them examine it and as a class share words that describe it. For example: dirty, wrinkled, practically destroyed, etc.
4. Now ask students to apologize to the sheet of paper- admit all the things you did to it and tell it that you are sorry for what you did.
5. Have students to reflect on what they did to the paper and the state that it is now in. Think of how even though they had apologized and did everything they could to return the paper to its original state that that there are still 

Philly schools chief talks about budget crisis at NBC education summit | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

Philly schools chief talks about budget crisis at NBC education summit | Philadelphia Public School Notebook:

Philly schools chief talks about budget crisis at NBC education summit

by thenotebook on Oct 07 2013 Posted in Latest news

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by Holly Otterbein for NewsWorks

What the hell are you doing Philadelphia?

Philadelphia Superintendent William Hite used the bully pulpit Monday on NBC's "Education Nation" summit to bring national attention to the School District's budget crisis.

 "Resources matter, especially in urban centers," he said. "Per-pupil funding matters. ... It was cut over $300 million last year, and the year before that, another $100 million."

The Philadelphia School District's massive budget gap led to major programmatic cutbacks and layoffs. The city's schools now have 3,000 fewer employees than in June.

Hite spoke on a panel titled, "What It Takes: Keeping Up with the Competition," which focused on how U.S. schools stack up in comparison with those around the world. It also featured journalist Amanda Ripley, Newark teacher Syrena Burnam and advocacy group America Achieves' co-founder Jon Schnur.

Read the rest of this story at NewsWorks