12-9-13 Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL

Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL:

Excellent Pie Chart On What Influences Student Test Scores

The finding that at least two-thirds of the factors influencing student test scores are outside of a teacher’s control is well-researched and pretty commonly accepted. You can find all that research at The Best Places To Learn What Impact A Teacher & Outside Factors Have On Student Achievement. Today, I saw this tweet that provides an excellent visual of those findings: @AnthonyCody Why VAM is

by Larry Ferlazzo / 8min 

“Spanish-Resources” Looks Like A Good Site For Learning…Spanish

Spanish-Resources has quite a number of good interactive exercises for learning Spanish that are leveled by ability. In addition, it appears that teachers can create passwords for students and follow their progress. And, even better, it’s free. I’m adding it to The Best Sites For Learning Spanish Online.

by Larry Ferlazzo / 2h 

Telling Jokes As A Language-Learning Activity

My latest New York Times post for English Language Learners is about telling jokes as a language-learning activity. It includes a student interactive and teaching ideas. You can also seen all my previous Times posts here.

by Larry Ferlazzo / 1h 

YESTERDAY

The Best Articles (And Blog Posts) Offering Practical Advice & Resources To Teachers In 2013 – Part Two

    I continue my year-end “The Best…” lists… The title of this “The Best…” list is pretty self-explanatory. What you’ll find here are blog posts and articles this year (some written by me, some by others) that were, in my opinion, the ones that offered the best practical advice and resources to teachers this year — suggestions that can help teachers become more effective in the classroom today o

by Larry Ferlazzo / 9h 

12-8-13 Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL

Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL: The Best Resources, Articles & Blog Posts For Teachers Of ELLs In 2013 – Part TwoAnother day, another  “The Best…” list….. You might also be interested in: The Best Resources, Articles & Blog Posts For Teachers Of ELLs In 2013 – So Far The Best Resources, Articles & Blog Posts For Teachers Of ELL’s In 2012 — Par

by mike simpson / 10h 

12-9-13 Fred Klonsky | Running for our pensions. | VOTE 4 Fred Klonsky

Fred Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacher who is just looking at the data.:

George Schmidt: “No teacher will vote for Quinn.” But I can’t agree.

- George Schmidt publishes Substance News. Fred, I’d phrase it this way: Pat Quinn has a unions problem. From the time he picked Paul Vallas as his running mate, he had signed his political suicide note. His signing the Pension Theft legislation was just the inking of the note. But let’s not forget that the birth of corporate “school reform” — long before Arne Duncan and Race to the Top — was brou

by Fred Klonsky / 2h 

The unions have a Quinn problem.

From the Ward Room: So toxic is the fallout from the pension reform bill, Quinn’s problems with unions may well extend to state legislators who sided with the governor: Yet nearly all of the public employee unions have grown unalterably opposed to endorsing or donating to Quinn—and possibly all Democrats who voted for the pension bill. … “I can’t imagine any of those legislators who voted for the

by Fred Klonsky / 11min 

Senator Iris Martinez voted for #pension theft but says she was against it. Representative Berrios voted against #pension theft but was for it. Bizarro World!

  The other day my State Senator Iris Martinez wrote me a letter explaining her vote for #pension theft. Martinez believes the bill is unconstitutional and unfair to pension system members. But she decided to voted for it so that it could be ruled unconstitutional. Get it? Me neither. This was topped by the letter I received from my State Representative Toni Berrios. Berrios has been in office a

by Fred Klonsky / 36min

Funny? How am I funny?

Senator Bertino-Tarrant and Representative Manley, It is interesting to see the Governor and legislative leaders smiling and laughing as the Governor signs the bill stealing millions of hard earned (and paid for) pension dollars from retirees. What a happy time for them and a sad time for Illinois! How will they look when the Illinois Supreme Court strikes down the law? They will have wasted ma

by Fred Klonsky / 10min 

Heavenly reward v Secure retirement.

Hi Fred,   The following essay is the evolution of several emails between my sister, Betty Dietz, and myself over the weekend. It began with just random thoughts while typing then turned into this final product. We began by reflecting on how the Catholic school students viewed those students attending public schools when we were growing up. Then we moved on to Mike Madigan’s pension decisions and

by Fred Klonsky / 54min hide  //  save

Pension thieves.

  Ira Silverstein is a Democratic State Senator from the 8th District representing parts of north side Chicago and Skokie. He targets older people, retired police, fire fighters, public service workers, public school teachers and state university employees. Approach with care. He should be considered a Republican and dangerous.

by Fred Klonsky / 1h 

Bev Johns. What should be done about the governor’ race?

What to do about the race for Governor of Illinois will be the subject of much discussion over the months leading up to the March primary and November general election. All options for governor on the table seem bad to me. I have been active in Will Guzzardi’s challenge to incumbent House member Toni Berrios. I will pull a Democratic ballot and will leave the top of the ballot blank. Nor will my

by Fred Klonsky / 3h 

12-8-13 Fred Klonsky | Running for our pensions. | VOTE 4 Fred Klonsky

Fred Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacher who is just looking at the data.: Sunday reads.  In a private office in the Thompson Center with no press allowed, Squeezy signs the #pension theft. Why are they smiling? Another battle by parents with CPS to keep a public school open. Now that he’s dead, and can cause no more trouble, Nelson Mandela is being mourned across the ideolo

by mike simpson / 8h 

12-9-13 Wait What?

Wait What?:

Connecticut Democratic Party Chair fails to explain – Why did the Party divert 40k to fight pro-public education Democrats in Bridgeport Primary?

Moments ago, Democratic State Chairwoman Nancy DiNardo sent out another email to party activists seeking donations for the Connecticut Democratic State Central Committee. DiNardo asks, “Can you be a part of this and chip in $5 today? But DiNardo and the Democratic Party have yet to address the important issue that has been raised again […]The post Connecticut Democratic Party Chair fails to explai

by jonpelto / 14min 

Reverend Kenneth Moales Jr. – Mayor Bill Finch’s campaign treasurer is classless to the end

Tonight, the Bridgeport Board of Education has selected a new chairperson for the Bridgeport Board of Education. Reverend Kenneth Moales, Jr., corporate education reform champion, Mayor Bill Finch campaign treasurer and Governor Malloy ally has proven yet again why he is incapable of serving as a representative of the people of Bridgeport. As if to […]The post Reverend Kenneth Moales Jr. – Mayor B

by jonpelto / 1h 

Steve Perry saga continues

After missing school Friday morning in order to give a speech in Massachusetts, Capital Prep Principal Steve Perry jetted off to speak at a Disney event on Saturday. Sunday, upon his return to Connecticut, he met with some Capital Prep parents to whip them up in an effort to resurrect his plan to get the […]The post Steve Perry saga continues appeared first on Wait What?.

by jonpelto / 46min 

Malloy’s campaign donation haul from corporate education reform industry tops $70k

An updated review of the latest federal and state campaign finance reports reveal that Governor Malloy has collected in excess of $70,000 in campaign contributions from individuals associated with the corporate education reform industry. Although Malloy has yet to announce whether he will seek re-election next year and he has not filed the necessary paperwork […]The post Malloy’s campaign donation

by jonpelto / 1h  

12-8-13 Wait What?

Wait What?: Democratic response to Malloy’s fundraising strategy is absurd and insulting…Over the past month, Governor Malloy’s strategy for raising money for his potential re-election bid has become increasingly clear.  Not only does he intended to take the millions in public financing but he is seeking to augment that amount with millions more in donation from those who do business with the stat

by mike simpson / 8h 

12-9-13 The Answer Sheet

The Answer Sheet:

Education activists protest, rally in scores of cities

Today parents, educators, students and activists around the country are staging a “Day of Action” with scores of coordinated events in more than 60 cities that sponsors hope will draw national attention to the problems of corporate-influenced school reform and to build a national movement to change the public education conversation and to increase funding […]    

by Valerie Strauss / 8min 

Who de Blasio really wanted as NYC schools chancellor

New York City Mayor-Elect Bill de Blasio is considering a number of candidates to be his new public schools chancellor —  a decision that is one of the most visible and important he will make as he staffs his new administration — and it seems like every day there is a new rumor about who […]    

by Valerie Strauss / 5h 

12-8-13 The Answer Sheet

The Answer Sheet: Education innovation: A case study in what not to doThe $1 billion initiative by the Los Angeles public schools district to give an iPad to all 650,000 students and teachers for home use has been nothing short of a mess, plagued by poor planning and bad execution. You can read about it here. Here’s a new look at what went wrong from  Larry Cuban, a […]    by Valerie Strauss / 7mi

by mike simpson / 7h

Scathing Purple Musings | Color me purple in Florida, red in Washington, dark sky-blue in Israel and public school in Education

Scathing Purple Musings | Color me purple in Florida, red in Washington, dark sky-blue in Israel and public school in Education:

Welcome back, Coach – FL teacher and writer, Bob Sikes, has returned to the Blogosphere !!! #ColorMeHappy @bobsikes | Continuing Change

Welcome back, Coach – FL teacher and writer, Bob Sikes, has returned to the Blogosphere !!! #ColorMeHappy @bobsikes | Continuing Change: Welcome back, Coach – FL teacher and writer, Bob Sikes, has returned to the Blogosphere !!! #ColorMeHappy @bobsikesDecember 8, 2013Education      Rate ThisGOOD news !!!!Florida teacher and education blogger, Bob Sikes of Scathing Purple Musings has returned from

by mike simpson / 5h 

Sick of ObamaCare? Consider JebSchools

Posted on December 9, 2013by Bob Sikes

Last year’s abrupt departure of Florida’s education commissioner, Tony Bennett, put the brakes on the ideological insanity that drove the state’s education policy-making. After three straight commissioners who were tools of Jeb Bush’ s foundations, it was time to have someone different. Pam Stewart has brought much-needed deliberate, thoughtful process back to the table. The Orlando Sentinel’s excellent education reporter, Leslie Postal, gives a review of what’s happened over the last few months with Florida’s testing regime:

A recent memo from Education Commissioner Pam Stewart suggested state educators want to tread carefully.

“Florida is engaged in a fair and open process … leaving all options available as we move forward with the statewide assessment decision,” she wrote.

In 2010, Florida adopted Common Core, then joined a group of about 20 other states to devise new standardized tests tied to those standards. The exams created by the Partnership for the Assessment of Readiness of College and Careers were to replace FCAT’s math, reading and writing 

  

Common Core’s Chickens Are Coming Home to Roost in Florida | Scathing Purple Musings

Common Core’s Chickens Are Coming Home to Roost in Florida | Scathing Purple Musings: Common Core’s Chickens Are Coming Home to Roost in FloridaPosted on December 8, 2013by Bob SikesThere’s a nifty little site I can  calculate the number of days it has been since my last post – 116 to be exact. More on my sabbatical later. But it seems ironic now that my last post on August 15th was  It’s Begun: F

by mike simpson / 7h 

What’s Politics Got To Do With It? – redqueeninla

What’s Politics Got To Do With It? – redqueeninla:

What’s Politics Got To Do With It?

Written by redqueeninla in LAUSD

What’s “politics” mean to you, for that matter?  Because it is evidently another of these words for which there are different, loaded meanings to different people, a “buzzword”.

In all honesty, this surprises me; I thought it was fairly straight-forward to know what is “politics”, I did not understand it to be an ambiguous concept.  And while It is clear public respect for congress is rank-bottom, respect for, say, the presidency is not.  And yet confidence in institutions is not the same as respect for a “lifestyle”, and the significance of this to our local neighborhood functioning is important.

To consider yourself as part of a political society, a democracy, requires a respect for the process of politicking.  As citizens of a democratic system we are all each part of that process, at least potentially.  Denying its primacy is simply another form of denying reality.  Politics matters because it affects your life in the here-and-now, but more, feeding an active process with participation influences the shape of that living structure in the future.

A consequence, or perhaps corollary of finding politicians untrustworthy and