3-7-14 Ed Notes Online

Ed Notes Online:

The Nation: The Absurd NY Tabloid Propaganda War Against de Blasio's Reasonable Charter School Policies

...The New York Post's false attacks on de Blasio and charter schools.... The NationI have more on the anti-Eva counterattack -- but with no strong response from de B it all goes for naught. How weak is de Blasio/Farina turning out to be? I predicted that charters won't pay one dime in rent. RBE at Perdido points this out and how deB is already pretty much a one-term mayor --- guess who will chall

by ed notes online / 18min 

Support and Criticism for de Blasio from from Anti-Charter Wing

How weak can they get? I voted for de Blasio in the primary because of the poor options. But when it came to the general election I just couldn't do it and wrote in the name of a real reform Staten Island activist who is running for the state board of regents. I'm so glad my instinct that deB would cave won out.Perdido Street School  De Blasio Caves To Eva - That didn't take long, did it? City edu

by ed notes online / 34min hide  //  save

Zakiyah Ansari: Fed up with Cuomo - But is She Fed Up With UFT Assault on NYSUT Leadership for opposing Cuomo?

            Join Zakiyah's Fight! Click Here To Sign The Petition Demanding Governor Cuomo Fully Fund Public Schools in NY State Dear Norm, I want to pass along this email from Zakiyah Ansari, public school parent and Advocacy Director for the Alliance for Quality Education. She is furious with the governor's abandonment of public schools in this state, and you should be too. 

by ed notes online / 1h 

CamiGate II - Continues to Threaten Tenured Newark Teachers

Just read this horseshit.Effective means you had 6 weeks training from TFA. Remember that contract Randi and Cami signed a year and a half ago? Why not just ignore it? The waiver she is asking for apparently violates the modified state tenure law, but why quibble? From: Superintendent AndersonSent: Friday, March 07, 2014 11:32 AMTo: Teachers - ALLSubject: Update Dear Teachers, As I have shared in

by ed notes online / 1h 

Brooklyn Community Education Councils Slam De Blasio Giveway to Moskowitz and Other Charters

The Community Education council of District 20 and 21 invites all community members to join them at I.S. 96 Seth Low to Rally on Friday, March 7, 2014 at 2:30 PM.Imagine if these communities and the principals closed all the schools in these 2 districts so people could attend the rallies. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECommunity Education Council District 21 calls on Chancellor Farina and Mayor de Blasio to

by ed notes online / 1h 

3-6-14 Ed Notes Online

Ed Notes Online: De Blasio Wasting His Charter Election Mandate - It is Time for He and Tish James to Make a StandCandidate de Blasio promised he’d start charging well-financed charter schools that got rent-free use of space in public schools. He did not like the idea of two different sets of kids getting different educations under the same school roof. One group gets a quasi-private school with n

by mike simpson / 9h 

3-7-14 @ The Chalk Face

@ THE CHALK FACE:

Predatory Reform Strikes Again: Kahn Academy and College Board

Kahn Academy and College Board have joined forced to “revise” college SAT testing! And they’ve brought their buddies ALEC, Gates, and McKinsey along for the ride. Predatory reform strikes again. Kahn Academy is the darling of education “reformers” and entrepreneurs, spearheading the movement to provide online instruction in lieu of bodied and interactive learning, to […]

by educationalchemy / 9min 

Washington State Legislature Considers Tying Test Scores to Teacher and Principal Evaluations

Two bills currently under consideration before the legislature in Olympia, Senate Bill 5880 and House Bill 2800, would mandate the inclusion of state test scores in both teacher and principal evaluations. These bills were introduced after US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan told Governor Jay Inslee that he would not consider extending a NCLB waiver currently in place […]

9 by James Boutin / 2h 

A Schneider Debriefing on Weingarten

On Sunday, March 2, 2014, I participated in a much-publicized Common Core (CCSS) panel with four other individuals as part of the Network for Public Education (NPE) first annual conference in Austin, Texas. (A 40-minute video of the CCSS panel can be found here; a five-minute video excerpt of my seven-minute opener can be found here.) One […]

2 by deutsch29 / 13min 

David Coleman’s Latest Khan

Originally posted on the becoming radical:Maybe we need a Khan Academy video series to help the public in the U.S. understand the term “free.” When you are driving late at night, and you are in unfamiliar rural America in need of a hotel, you see a relatively rundown hotel with a sign announcing “FREE…

4 by Michael Paul Gold... / 1h hide  //  save

David Coleman’s Latest Khan

David Coleman’s Latest Khan. via David Coleman’s Latest Khan.Filed under: PAUL THOMAS: Becoming Radical

1 by plthomasedd / 2h 

STANDARDIZED Brings a Suppressed Crisis to the Screen

Daniel Hornberger & Company’s new documentary, STANDARDIZED: Lies, Money, and Civil Rights, finally brings into a clear focus why the testing culture sitting atop national Common Core standards is absolutely dangerous. The film includes testimony and experiences from a handful of very knowledgeable and passionate professors, teachers, activists, and parents.  At roughly an hour-and-a half, […]

61 by Kris Nielsen / 6h  

3-6-14 @ The Chalk Face

@ THE CHALK FACE: @thechalkface | MX2 Media@thechalkface | MX2 Media: MX2 Media is proud to announce the launch of @thechalkface – a new, weekly, one-hour talk show dedicated to education. @thechalkface is the only talk on the radio about education by educators.@the chalkface is known for its commitment to the hard facts with a humorous twist. Hosts Tim Slekar and Shaun Johnsoncover the biggest “r

by mike simpson / 9h 

3-7-14 the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness (the public and scholarly writing by P. L. Thomas, Furman University)

the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness (the public and scholarly writing by P. L. Thomas, Furman University):

David Coleman’s Latest Khan

Maybe we need a Khan Academy video series to help the public in the U.S. understand the term “free.” When you are driving late at night, and you are in unfamiliar rural America in need of a hotel, you see a relatively rundown hotel with a sign announcing “FREE CABLE!” Well, of course, if you stop and pay for the room, that cable is not “free” (the honest term would be “included”); the cost of that

12 by plthomasedd / 2h

3-6-14 the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness (the public and scholarly writing by P. L. Thomas, Furman University)

the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness (the public and scholarly writing by P. L. Thomas, Furman University): SAT Reboot 2016: “Nonsense It All Is”In the often cited scene near the end of Notting Hill when Anna Scott stands in William Thacker’s shabby book store and asks him to love her, few are likely to recall a key point made by Anna. But let’s imagine for a moment that inste

by mike simpson / 9h 

3-7-14 empathyeducates - Charter School Leader Pushes Kids to Become Her Personal Lobbyists

empathyeducates:

SAT Reboot 2016: “Nonsense It All Is”

Photograph by Angel Franco/The New York Times By Paul L. Thomas, Ed.D. | Originally Published at The Becoming Radical. March 6 , 2014 In the often cited scene near the end of Notting Hill when Anna Scott stands in William Thacker’s shabby book store and asks him […]

by empathy / 14min 

Charter School Leader Pushes Kids to Become Her Personal Lobbyists

[Image adapted from Anosmia on flickr] By David Sirota | Originally Published at Pandodaily. March 6, 2014 Charter schools have long been loved by the private sector, and the rich. And for good reason. They are technically public schools, and so they receive lots of public money, […]

by empathy / 7h hide  //  save

The Empire Strikes Back! De Blasio and Operator of Charter School Do Battle

Eva S. Moskowitz, left, founder of Success Academy Charter Schools, led a rally Tuesday in Albany, while Mayor Bill de Blasio, who differs with her, led a separate demonstration. | Credit Nathaniel Brooks for The New York Times It is not a battle of the Titans, but […]

by empathy / 7h 

Duke Study: Discipline Problems Increase When Students Repeat a Grade

Students at Shamrock Gardens Elementary in Charlotte in 2012. Photo: Nancy Pierce By Jane Stancill jstancill@newsobserver.com | Originally Published at News Observer. February 28, 2014 DURHAM — A new study by researchers at Duke University documented a ripple effect of behavioral problems in middle schools where higher […]

by empathy / 7h  

empathyeducates Common Core Costs Too High, Failure Guaranteed

empathyeducates: Common Core Costs Too High, Failure GuaranteedBy Paul L. Thomas, Ed.D. | Originally Published at The Becoming Radical. March 4, 2014 Teaching literacy has been my career and life for over thirty years now. Having grown up in the South with my own peculiar grasp of so-called standard English, I feel fortunate to […]by empathy / 7h  empathyeducates Many L.A. Unified School Libraries

by mike simpson / 10h 

3-7-14 Perdido Street School

Perdido Street School:

EngageNY Modules Make No Sense - An Emblem For Common Core As A Whole

Kindergarten math homework. Makes no sense whatsoever. #CommonCore should be ashamed. pic.twitter.com/emnxjUwRrU— Chris Zoller (@ChrisZFitness) February 27, 2014This is the "rigor" of the Common Core in crystallized form.It's needlessly complex and makes no sense.It does, however, make children cry and parents scratch their heads and wonder what the hell is going on in schools these days

by reality-based edu... / 7min 

De Blasio Caves To Eva

That didn't take long, did it? City education boss Carmen Fariña retreated in the charter schools fight on Friday, saying the city is now searching for space for Harlem students whose high-performing charter school was evicted from a city building by Mayor de Blasio last week. It is a complete turnaround from Wednesday, when Fariña said the city would not find seats for the 194 distraught children

by reality-based edu... / 0min 

Eva Moskowitz Wants To Take School Building From Autistic Children

In all the "De Blasio is Harming poor black children by shutting down charter schools that don't exist yet" stories, we fail to find out that Success Academy edu-entrepreneur Eva Moskowitz wants to subsume space from a school for autistic and emotionally disturbed children to expand her charter empire.Juan Gonzalez writes: No one is happier about her policy change than the parents and st

by reality-based edu... / 59min 

Ginia Bellafante In NY Times: De Blasio Is Not Waging War On Charters, Moskowitz Plays Victim Card

Bellafante makes three great points in her Times column - the first, that Eva Moskowitz is harming minority children herself:Last week on the 64th day of his mayoralty, Bill de Blasio, criticized for his too hardy approach to snow days, for the slow pace of his appointments, for displays of petulance, achieved a predicted but still significant victory. The City Planning Commission unanimously appr

by reality-based edu... / 1h hide  //  save

De Blasio Defends Teachers In Mayoral Forum In Chicago

From Sally Goldenberg at Capital NY:CHICAGO—Mayor Bill de Blasio offered a staunch defense of his position on charter schools during a seminar at the University of Chicago with his counterparts from Atlanta, Los Angeles and Chicago Thursday night, even as he complained that the issue had overtaken more pressing ones.He also said his signature proposal to establish pre-kindergarten seats for every

by reality-based edu... / 2h 

3-6-14 Perdido Street School

Perdido Street School: Capital NY: Cuomo May Broker Deal Using Teacher Evaluation "Flexibility" For Extra Charter School FundsFrom Eliza Shapiro at Capital NY:Governor Andrew Cuomo offered few specifics when he pledged to "save charter schools" at a massive rally on Tuesday, beyond promising "financial capacity, physical space and the government's support."But as Mayo

by mike simpson / 9h 

Common Core at #CPAC2014 | Truth in American Education

Common Core at #CPAC2014 | Truth in American Education:

Common Core at #CPAC2014

Filed in Common Core State Standards by Shane Vander Hart on March 7, 2014 • 0 Comments

• 9
• 1

Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) speaking at CPAC

Common Core, as an issue, has been largely absent from CPAC – at least in the Potomac Ballroom.  Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) discussed it during a bloggers briefing when I asked him about the silence at the conference yesterday.  Today, Governor Rick Perry (R-TX) came closest when he said the Constitution doesn’t give the right to “federalize the classroom.”  He called for the Federal government to roll back to what the Constitution actually allows.

There was a panel discussion yesterday on Common Core sponsored by the Hertiage Foundation.  Below is my recap from my liveblog yesterday at Caffeinated Thoughts (go to the bottom and read up).

4:25p: Session is wrapping up. My iPad keyboard needs charging and the blog able aspects of the conference is about over. Signing this off for the day. One last comment from Stergios: If the Common Core assessments die, the Common Core dies.

4:21p: Mike Huckabee was pointed out by a member of the audience. Stergios defended to a point saying that Governors Huckabee and Jindal are coming at this from a perspective of having poor state standards. Solution should have come from the state.

4:18p: Stergios: Voucher programs in Indiana, Ohio and Indiana have come with strings 

Vergara v. California: A smokescreen to hide the attack on education - World Socialist Web Site

Vergara v. California: A smokescreen to hide the attack on education - World Socialist Web Site:

Vergara v. California: A smokescreen to hide the attack on education

By Antonio Marquez and Marc Wells 
7 March 2014

Since arguments began on January 27, the Beatriz Vergara et al. v. the State of California lawsuit has heard a plethora of testimony and allegations aimed at the dismantlement and privatization of public education. Duplicitously wielding racial discrimination charges, this billionaire-backed lawsuit seeks to demolish teachers’ basic rights to democratic process and tenure.

The plaintiffs are a front for the pro-business organization Students Matter, which in turn receives its funds from several multibillionaires who want education to become a new center of profit (See “Billionaire-backed lawsuit tries to abolish California teacher tenure”).

Under the claim that five state statutes and practices have a “disproportionate adverse effect on minority and economically disadvantaged students,” the lawsuit seeks to destroy a number of fundamental, long-established rights for teachers. Their underlying motive is to be able to easily fire more senior, costlier teachers.

It seeks to eliminate the entire appeals process for teachers, as well as their tenure, so that teachers can be virtually fired at will.

In order to fire higher-paid experienced teachers, it targets the so-called “Last In, First Out” (LIFO) policy that says when cuts must be enforced, those who 

Shanker Blog » In Education Policy, Good Things Come In Small Packages

Shanker Blog » In Education Policy, Good Things Come In Small Packages:

In Education Policy, Good Things Come In Small Packages

Posted by Matthew Di Carlo on March 7, 2014

A recent report from the U.S. Department of Education presented a summary of three recent studies of the differences in the effectiveness of teaching provided advantaged and disadvantaged students (with the former defined in terms of value-added scores, and the latter in terms of subsidized lunch eligibility). The brief characterizes the results of these reports in an accessible manner – that the difference in estimated teaching effectiveness between advantaged and disadvantaged students varied quite widely between districts, but overall is about four percent of the achievement gap in reading and 2-3 percent in math.

Some observers were not impressed. They wondered why so-called reformers are alienating teachers and hurting students in order to address a mere 2-4 percent improvement in the achievement gap.

Just to be clear, the 2-4 percent figures describe the gap (and remember that it varies). Whether it can be narrowed or closed – e.g., by improving working conditions or offering incentives or some other means – is a separate issue. Nevertheless, let’s put aside all the substantive aspects surrounding these studies, and the issue of the distribution of teacher quality, and discuss this 2-4 percent thing, as it illustrates what I believe is the among the most important tensions underlying education policy today: Our collective failure to have a reasonable debate about expectations and the power of education policy.

On one hand, when reading the tepid reaction to the 2-4 percent comments, the policy researcher in me immediately wants to say: 2-4 percent is a lot.

Let’s say we found a cost-effective, widely-supported (including by teachers) way to equalize teacher effectiveness between poor and more affluent schools. And then let’s say that doing so improved the achievement gap by a few percentage points over a given period of time. That would be a major accomplishment, especially at the state or