1-14-14 Seattle Schools Community Forum

Seattle Schools Community Forum:

Equitable Access Framework Explained

In response to an apparent need, I offer this explanation of the Equitable Access Framework. It begins with the differences among schools, services, programs, and curricular foci. The distinctions are based on the definitions provided in the Superintendent’s Procedure 2200SP. This document should have ended the confusion about what is a school, a service, a program, or a curricular focus. Unfortun

by Charlie Mas / 4min 

Best Anti-Smoking Ad Ever (and it features kids - little kids - asking for a light)

A great ad and the looks on the adults' faces is telling.

by Melissa Westbrook / 20min 

Charter School Applicant Forums

I will be attending several of the charter school applicant forums this week.  I am slowly making my way thru some of the applications and it makes for interesting reading (but what a slog - very long applications - one was 238 pages!).I don't want to give too much away because I do hope to make a public comment on several of them.  But here are a few highlights:no KIPP? Not to worry, there's a KI

by Melissa Westbrook / 48min 

Sad to Report: 30TH School Shooting Since Newtown

From Moms Demand Action:Details are still unfolding, but at least two children are in critical condition after a shooting today at a middle school in Roswell, New Mexico. Witnesses say a 13-year-old student shot a 14-year-old classmate in the face: http://tinyurl.com/kd9odt8 (from the Albuquerque Journal).The scene of parents waiting in a school parking lot to find out if their child was shot is a

by Melissa Westbrook / 53min

Another Reason the Seahawks are Great

It's not just Russell Wilson and his quiet leadership (and off-the-field history of helping others). It's not just Marshawn Lynch who doesn't just power past the opposition's defense; he shoves them out of the way despite their size (and his).It's this guy - Derrick Coleman - who is the first deaf player in the NFL. Picked on and picked last his whole life.  Didn't get picked during his first NFL

by Melissa Westbrook / 9min 

Tell the Legislature - Obey McCleary and Fully-Fund our Public Schools

The Legislature has started its new session but because it is not a budget session (and therefore shorter), no one seems to think too much will get done.  Issues include the DREAM act to allow college financial aid for children brought illegally to this country, health insurance covering abortions, reducing the costs of vehicle registration and, oh yeah, fulfilling McCleary.Here's a link to the le

by Melissa Westbrook / 38min 

Tuesday Open Thread

From KING-5: apparently a drunk man wandered into Salmon Bay on Monday, January 6th and was found (not sure by whom) in a bathroom. He had entered via a door that is left open longer for students using wheelchairs.  All the rooms were secured and the man taken away by police/paramedics.  From the letter to parents:"At approximately 9:30 a.m., a transient man entered our building and attempted

by Melissa Westbrook / 46min 

1-13-14 Seattle Schools Community Forum

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools This WeekMonday, Jan. 13thCurriculum and Instruction Policy Committee meeting from 4:30-6:30 pm. AgendaDiscussion of Policy 3130, student assignment, Policy 2415, high school graduation requirement, CTE review, Equitable Access Annual report, math adoption progress reportI will be unable to attend this meeting but it does look interesting.Charter Co

by mike simpson / 50min 

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Tuesday, January 14, 2014

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team:

Mothers deny role in Adelanto school vandalism in parent trigger case

Education Headlines

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

FCMAT provides links to California K-12 news stories as a service to the industry. However, some stories may not be accessible because of newspapers' subscription policies.

Stockton USD audit cost could be on the rise

Stockton Unified could pay a consultant as much as $100,000 to audit its police force operations, a process that is expected to expose to district officials the "good, the bad and the ugly" of the Police Department and provide a clear path on any needed reforms.

Corona del Mar students in hacking scheme may not be expelled

Despite an administrator's recommendation that the students involved in a computer hacking scheme be expelled, there's a possibility that none of the students will receive that punishment as a result of a recent policy that favors interventions over expulsions and suspensions.

Rialto school board meets behind closed doors after state audit

The Rialto Unified School Board met behind closed doors Monday afternoon in the wake of a state audit that showed a failure to adhere to district purchasing policies extended to the highest levels of the organization.

Emeryville school superintendent on unexplained leave

School board members told confused Emeryville parents last week that the superintendent is on leave and the board has brought back a former administrator to guide the tiny, two-school district over the coming months.

Mothers deny role in Adelanto school vandalism in parent trigger case

Two mothers pleaded not guilty Monday to charges they vandalized a classroom at a Mojave Desert school after losing a battle to keep it from being transformed into a charter campus under the controversial parent trigger law.

LAO commends Brown's budget, predicts even more money for schools

California may take in at least "a few billion dollars" more in revenue this year than Gov. Jerry Brown forecast a week ago, the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office wrote Monday in an analysis of the governor's proposed state budget.

Monday, January 13, 2014

School Watch report: Closing schools to save money not a simple equation

When districts consider closing schools, they're usually trying to save money. But how much they actually save depends on a variety of factors, primarily what they do with the closed campus.

California Democrats push for transitional kindergarten for all students

If the head of the state Senate has his way, every 4-year-old in California will have the chance to attend a year of school before starting kindergarten.

School district settles sex abuse case

Pajaro Valley Unified School District will pay $3 million to settle a lawsuit brought by the family of a child molested by a former teacher at Aptos Junior High School.

San Juan Unified trustees to consider censure of member who ignored complaints about superintendent

San Juan school trustees Tuesday night will consider censuring board member Larry Masuoka as a result of findings that he had acted improperly by failing to take action after learning of allegations involving the superintendent's treatment of some employees.

Denair Unified at a pivot point

Denair Unified has called a special meeting of its board for Wednesday to consider a next step with its teachers. A formal bargaining session is slated for Thursday.

Marin educators question state proposal for universal preschool

California lawmakers are proposing a plan to create a universal free preschool for 4-year-olds in an attempt to enroll more children from immigrant and low-income families, but some Marin County education officials aren't in unanimous support of the proposal.

Education funds raise concerns in Fresno-Clovis area

After months of waiting for directions from the state, California school districts soon will get guidance on how to use millions of new state dollars for low-income kids and English learners. But concerned civil rights groups say that while the state's proposed rules are well-intentioned, they may be too little, too late.

Read more here:http://www.fresnobee.com/2014/01/11/3709582/education-funds-raise-concerns.html#storylink=cpy

Feds issue guidelines against bias in school discipline

Federal officials kicked up their campaign against discriminatory school discipline policies last week, issuing first-ever guidelines for school districts on how to avoid racial disparities in student punishment.

It's About Time: Integrity in Education integrityineducation.org

Integrity in Education:

Home

Integrity in Education is a project whose mission is to restore integrity to the conversation about public education. We believe that providing equal opportunity to all children is a moral imperative, not just an economic necessity. Supporting high-quality public schools that are open to all, regardless of background or identity, is an essential part of ensuring liberty and justice for all.

Learn More

Our Team

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  Sabrina Stevens

  Executive Director

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  Deborah Sagner

  Chair, Board of Directors

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  Michael Huttner

  Treasurer

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  Joan Davidson

  Secretary

• 

  Brian Kettenring

Let's restore integrity to the education conversation.

 All across America, public school students, teachers, families and their communities have done incredible work to build a powerful movement to counter the growing corporate dominance of our public schools. It’s time to bring our movement into prime time, and restore much-needed integrity to the public conversation about education.

That means speaking honestly about about what we need and want for our children, our schools and our future, guided by our shared democratic values and the best available evidence. Together, we can transform this conversation. Join us.

Bunkum Awards | National Education Policy Center

Bunkum Awards | National Education Policy Center:

Bunkum Awards

The Bunkum Awards highlight nonsensical, confusing, and disingenuous education reports produced by think tanks. They are given each year by the Think Twice Think Tank review project to think tank reports judged to have most egregiously undermined informed discussion and sound policy making.

Bunkum Background

According to the MacMillan English Dictionary Magazine, the word bunkum became synonymous with "nonsense" around 1820.  It was originally spelled "buncombe," after Buncombe County, North Carolina, home of Representative Felix Walker, who delivered a seemingly endless speech which many in his audience felt to be meaningless and irrelevant.  Walker refused to stop talking, declaring himself to be determined to deliver a speech "for Buncombe."  Thus, bunkum became a term for long-winded nonsense of the kind often seen in politics, and from there progressed to the more general meaning of just plain "nonsense."

Learn more about the history of the Bunkum Awards by reading these Education Week Commentaries:

• Truthiness in Education: Why the Bunkum Awards Were Created
• The Privatization Infatuation

1-14-14 The Answer Sheet

The Answer Sheet:

What Christie failed to mention in State of State speech about his education record

A big part of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s State of the State speech Tuesday was devoted to his record on school reform and his plans for moving forward — and it is worth noting the big difference between what Christie (R) says about his record on public education and what he actually did with […]    

1 by Valerie Strauss / 29min 

Michelle Rhee gives the nation a D+ in school reform

School reformer heavyweight Michelle Rhee and her advocacy group StudentsFirst are not, apparently, pleased with the way school reform is going across the country. In their second annual State Policy Report Card, the national average is a D+ and the top state, Louisiana (yes! Louisiana) only eked out a B- with a 2.92 overall grade point […]    

3 by Valerie Strauss / 13min 

What should a school do with a child like this?

What should a school be able to do with a child like this? A third-grade student in a Key Largo, Fla., public school was suspended for two days after he “reportedly threatened to shoot and stab his classmates and teachers during an outburst,” according to the Miami Herald. The unidentified student, according to a report […]    

3 by Valerie Strauss / 2h 

And now, the Bunkum Awards (you wouldn’t want to win)

We just watched the Golden Globe Awards, and now we have the Bunkum Awards. The Bunkum Awards? Presented by the National Education Policy Center, which brings together interdisciplinary scholars at the University of Colorado, Boulder, these awards are given for what the presenters say is “shoddy” educational research, “work based on weak data, questionable analysis […]    

by Valerie Strauss / 1min 

1-13-14 The Answer Sheet

The Answer Sheet: Weingarten slams teacher evaluation by student test scoresRandi Weingarten, the president of the American Federation of Teachers, the country’s second largest teachers union, has been a supporter of the Common Core State Standards for a long time but she has expressed concern in the last year over the way the standards are being implemented, saying that the rollout  was “far wors

by mike simpson / 49min 

1-14-14 Schools Matter

Schools Matter:

Watch 2013 Bunkum Awards, hosted by David Berliner

by Jim Horn / 5min 

We Can't Protect Our Misleaders, Incompetent As They Are, And Expect to Prevail--Or Survive

In putting the welfare of her friend, Randi Weingarten, ahead of everything else, Diane Ravitch has triggered a firestorm of criticism against her friend by many teachers who have, in the past, set on the sideline watching, as Randi and her posse of lawyers have handed over mile after mile of public school territory to the invading corporate horde of insatiable profiteers and Washington extortioni

by Jim Horn / 1min 

1-13-14 Schools Matter

Schools Matter: California Readers--Read This and ActK-12 News Network has obtained an email that the United Way sent to its partner groups advertising an informational session held by Superintendent John Deasy that will provide details on the rollout of Local Control Funding Formula councils. These councils, part of Local Control Accountability Plans, must by law include community members, parent

by mike simpson / 52min

Live Streaming: Attend #ASCD14 from Anywhere | ASCD Inservice

Live Streaming: Attend #ASCD14 from Anywhere | ASCD Inservice:

Live Streaming: Attend #ASCD14 from Anywhere

Written By: Tina Byland, ASCD Communications

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January 13, 2014

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Posted In:

• Annual Conference

Tags: #ASCD14 Professional Development

Are you interested in attending ASCD’s 2014 Annual Conference and Exhibit Show, but you’re unable to travel to Los Angeles March 15–17? We have great news for you! Twenty-one sessions from #ASCD14 will be available to the public via live streaming.

Not only is the live-stream option a great alternative for global educators interested in accessing ASCD’s 2014 Annual Conference without making a trip to Los Angeles, but it’s an affordable alternative as well. The full live-stream experience is available to ASCD members for $129 and to nonmembers for $159.

As a virtual attendee using the live stream option, you may log in during or after the conference to access to more than 30 hours of content from global education’s thought leaders, including Daniel Pink, Sir Ken Robinson, Robert Marzano, Jane McGonigal, Tony Wagner, and Grant Wiggins. The session topics range from an international panel hosted by ASCD’s CEO and Executive Director Dr. Gene R. Carter to features on gaming, innovation, and more.

The ASCD 69th Annual Conference and Exhibit Show Live Stream will integrate the ASCD EDge^® social networking community and will be viewable on standard PCs and Macs, as well as on most iOS (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch) and Android-based devices. Most sessions will also be available to participants in an archive for up to six months after the event. That being said, the three key sessions by Pink, Robinson, and McGonigal will not be archived and will only be viewable live; you don’t want to miss these sessions, so be sure to plan accordingly!

To register for the 2014 Annual Conference and Exhibit Show live stream, visit the live stream website. All paid, in-person conference registrants will also have access to the live-streamed sessions as part of their conference registration fees.

Editor’s Note: If you’re planning on attending the 2014 Annual Conference and Exhibit Show in person, but haven’t yet registered, remember that the early-bird registration rate is available through January 15, 2014. To register for the 2014 Annual Conference and Exhibit Show, visit the conference website.

Budget Agreement Protects Title I, IDEA, Head Start, and Impact Aid for Indian Reservation Schools | janresseger

Budget Agreement Protects Title I, IDEA, Head Start, and Impact Aid for Indian Reservation Schools | janresseger:

Budget Agreement Protects Title I, IDEA, Head Start, and Impact Aid for Indian Reservation Schools

Posted on January 14, 2014 by janresseger

Budget agreements may seem far away and deep in the policy weeds, but they cut through the rhetoric and posturing to point the direction where things are actually going to go.  Last night, January 13, House and Senate agreed on a federal spending compromise for the rest of the fiscal year—through September.  Assuming that Congress passes what the negotiators decided, the education spending provisions are a relief for supporters of public schools.

According to Alyson Klein, who covers federal policy for Education Week, the Title I formulaprogram that allocates federal funds to support school districts that serve a large number or high concentration of poor students and funding for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) will receive increases, almost reaching the level before Sequestration reduced their funding.  Title I will get $14.4 billion, slightly under the $14.5 billion it received in FY 2012.  Special education grants will be $11.5 billion, just slightly less than the pre-Sequestration, FY 2012 amount of $11.6 billion.  Keep in mind that both of these programs have been perennially under-funded.  When Congress passed IDEA, for example, the federal government promised to pay scho0l districts 40 percent of the costs of implementation; Congress has never covered more than 19 percent of the cost— and usually less than 19 percent.  However, this year it is a relief to see Congress pretty much undoing the damage of Sequestration to these programs that cover essential programming in schools across the