3-13-14 Schools Matter All Week

Schools Matter:

Tennessee House Votes 82-11 to Halt Implementation of Common Core: Haslam/Huffman Rebuked

It is essential that you call your state senator and urge her to vote with the House on this.  Find your senator here.from the Tennessean:Tennessee lawmakers voted to delay the Common Core education program for two years, as opponents staged an ambush Thursday morning on the floor of the state House of Representatives.A coalition of Republicans and Democratic lawmakers used an unrelated bill on Am

2 by Jim Horn / 39min hide  //  save

Common Core Presentation for Public Forums

From Rog Lucido:In the ongoing effort to debunk the Common Core Standards and associated testing, I have created a PowerPoint called Common Core Exposed. I have posted it in two downloadable versions. The first is a Read Only version that can be used at one’s own pace for presentations at school boards, parent meetings and the like. References for each slide are below each slide by just hitting Es

1 by Jim Horn / 55min 

John King's "Bar Exam" for Teachers Who Are Paid Like Clerks

Lawyers' median pay?  $113,000.  Teachers' median pay?  $53,000.  Judicial law clerk? $47,000.Ready or not, here comes John King's Pearson test: New York Education Commissioner John King and a Board of Regents committee have released a full-throated endorsement of the state's controversial new teacher certification system.In a statement distributed this morning, King rejected calls to postpone the

by Jim Horn / 4min 

Memphis Schools to Cut 800 Jobs As This Year's Charter Outlay is $78,000,000

This year, alone, Shelby County plans to close ten schools and turn them over for charter conversion.  It is now becoming increasingly clear that, without a huge infusion of Federal funds, turning Memphis into a New Orleans type charter chain gang system is going to an expensive ordeal for the pampered citizens of the leafy suburbs.  I guess that is what NOLA school board president, Phyllis Landri

by Jim Horn / 3min 

Parent Files Suit to Establish Opt Out Legal Precedent

MD parent files suit over MSA opt out and sets precedent for futureassessmentsMarch 11, 2014Cindy Rose of Frederick County has taken the matter of MSA <http://www.examiner.com/topic/msa> opting out to court by filing an emergency motion for injunctive relief. She is asking the court to force Frederick County Public Schools to allow her child to remain in her classes and not be administered the

by Jim Horn / 20min 

3-12-14 Schools Matter All Week

Schools Matter: Using the Common Core Testing Delivery System to Label, Sort, SegregateFrom WaPo:. . . .In New York for example, one of the first states to roll out the new curriculum, scores from Common Core tests dropped like a stone—and the achievement gaps dramatically widened. In 2012, prior to the Core’s implementation, the state reported a 12-point black/white achievement gap between averag

by mike simpson / 8h

3-13-14 Scathing Purple Musings | Color me purple in Florida

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

Not a Three-Year “Pause,” But a One-Year “Delay” in Florida School Accountability

Lloyd Dunkelberger of Halifax Media Services reports in the Daytona Beach News-Journal: TALLAHASSEE — Local school districts likely will not get a three-year delay they want in moving to new school standards, a new statewide assessment test and other accountability measures. Instead, state lawmakers on Wednesday backed legislation to essentially provide a one-year delay, meaning public schools wil

by Bob Sikes / 3h 

 

3-12-14 Scathing Purple Musings | Color me purple in Florida

Scathing Purple Musings | Color me purple in Florida, red in Washington, dark sky-blue in Israel and public school in Education: Do I Belong in the Network for Public Education?Its called the race card. And it was dropped on me in a place I never expected, but in sad retrospection, should have. It was flattered to be asked to present at the first annual Network for Public Education conference 10 d

by mike simpson / 8h

3-13-14 Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL

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

Video: “Math Class” (Imagined by Kids)

It’s only a little over two minutes. Watch it til the very end…

by Larry Ferlazzo / 12min 

The Difference Between Parent “Involvement” & Parent “Engagement”

I was a guest on a recent #PTchat to discuss the difference between parent “involvement” and parent “engagement.” I’ve posted selected tweets from that chat over at my other blog, Engaging Parents In School. You might be interested in The Difference Between Parent “Involvement” & Parent “Engagement”: Selected Tweets From #PTchat.

by Larry Ferlazzo / 33min hide  //  save

Bookmark “Teach UNICEF” For Excellent Lesson Materials

Teach UNICEF is an excellent resource for lesson plans and materials on social topics. I haven’t quite figured out the exact way to navigate it — it has an organized collection here, and then they have “Global Citizen Brief” like this one on Syria that appear to be elsewhere on the site. The lesson materials are top-notch and provide versions based on grade-levels. Some of the student questions i

by Larry Ferlazzo / 33min 

The Best Video Clips & Full-Length Movies For Helping To Teach Persuasive Techniques (Help Me Find More)

I have a ton of resources related to teaching persuasive writing (see The Best Online Resources For Helping Students Learn To Write Persuasive Essays), especially to English Language Learners. I decided it would be helpful to find video clips to supplement teaching this unit, which I’m doing right now. I was surprised to find that several other sites have developed great collections of video clip

by Larry Ferlazzo / 28min 

“Interviewly” Makes Great Reddit Interviews Legible

The Reddit website has great “Ask Me Anything (AMA)” interviews with well-known people, and I’ve posted about some of them. The content is fascinating. However, it’s almost like they had a contest for who could create the most unattractive and difficult-to-read format, and used the winner’s idea to use as the lay-out for the interviews themselves. Now, though, Inteviewly has taken some of the bes

by Larry Ferlazzo / 34min 

This Week’s “Round-Up” Of Good Posts & Articles On Education Policy

Here is a collection of recent useful posts and articles on educational policy issues: Vergara Plaintiffs Shouldn’t Put Individual Teachers On Trial is by Paul Bruno. I’m adding it to The Best Resources On California Court Case Attacking Teacher’s Rights. This took Teach For America 24 years to figure out? is by Valerie Strauss. I’m adding it to The Best Posts & Articles Raising Concerns Abo

by Larry Ferlazzo / 33min 

3-12-14 Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL

Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL: Video: “What Does the World Eat for Breakfast?”I’m adding this video to The Best Sites For Learning About The World’s Different Cultures: )by Larry Ferlazzo / 1h hide  //  saveHot Spot Interview — Report From IsraelThree years ago, I began a new regular interview series. There are always lots of “hot spots” around the world

by mike simpson / 8h 

3-13-14 Fred Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacher

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

Ken Swanson. The former IEA President who was responsible for our Senate Bill 7. “Don’t ask questions. Do what your told.”

Well don’t that beat all? Former IEA President Bob Haisman has recruited another ex-IEA President to join the attack on un-named members of the blagosphere who refuse to go along quietly with the leadership’s Dillard endorsement. That  former IEA President would be Ken Swanson. I am dismayed by those loud voices in the blogosphere who would rather rant and rave about what should have been done ra

by Fred Klonsky / 14min 

Ten minute drawing. Changing the landscape.

  And I support Aaron Goldstein in the 40th District State Representative race.  

by Fred Klonsky / 13min 

Illinois in financial trouble. Too many old people.

  The Civic Federation’s Larry Msall Every time the Illinois General Assembly assembles, which isn’t all that often, there will likely be a story about how Larry Msall of the Civic Federation says that the state’s financial collapse is near. And that retirees are the reason. Larry Msall will inevitably be described as head of a tax watchdog group. First of all, beware of groups claiming to be wat

4 by Fred Klonsky / 1h   

3-12-14 Fred Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacher

Fred Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacher who is just looking at the data.: In New York, what happened to mayoral control of the schools?I want an elected school board in Chicago. It is crazy that when I voted early in the current election (Watch out Machine Dems, by the way. I’m poll watching for Will Guzzardi next Tuesday) I could vote for who sits on the Water Reclamation

by mike simpson / 8h

3-13-14 Ed Notes Online

Ed Notes Online:

Noah Gotbaum: Bloomberg Pro-Charter Land Mines

Carmen should extend the public school application deadline, reinstate local school sign up, ensure that parents are guaranteed their local zoned school and kill this for next year. An on-line option is good, but it should just be an additional option, not a backdoor, 4th term way to install "choice" systems and charters. As important, Carmen should affirmatively kill the sweatheart deal

by ed notes online / 20min

NYSUT President Iannuzzi Condemns Treatment of Students Who Opt Out of Tests

Iannuzzi, who taught fourth-grade for most of his 34-year teaching career, said "sit and stare" is not only educationally unsound, but the practice will end up being a distraction for those students who are taking standardized tests.The biggest threat to the ed deformers is the growing parent opt-out movement. (Our amazing group here in NYC, Change the Stakes, is one of the groups leadin

by ed notes online / 10min 

3-12-14 Ed Notes Online

Ed Notes Online: Eva RulesFriday March 14 - MORE Park Slope Happy HourDarn - I won't make this one as it is opening night for How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying - my musical debut. (I have 4 lines).Greetings,We invite everyone to the MORE Park Slope Happy Hourthis Friday March 14 afterschool from 4-6pm at Freddy’s Bar in the Backroom located at 627 5th Avenue, between 17th & 18th

by mike simpson / 8h 

3-13-14 @ The Chalk Face

@ THE CHALK FACE:

Louisiana Parents: That Nameless Pilot Test is None Other Than PARCC

Corporate reform loves opaque communications. Never call a thing what it is. Use catchy lingo that disguises (and often contradicts) the reality behind a so-called reform. If this does not work, rebrand. Rename. Or drop the naming altogether. Anything to obscure the privatizer-benefiting true intent. This way, a disgruntled public might be fooled into believing that the […]

2 by deutsch29 / 33min 

#commoncore standards or @slekar standards?

Fact! The common core standards were written to be tested. Fact! The tests will provide invalid data about students, teachers and schools. Fact! INVALID data will drive decisions to purchase curricular and instructional snake oil. Fact! Taxpayers will cover the costs. Fact! After spending billions of tax dollars we will learn AGAIN that America has an achievement […]

by Timothy D. Slekar / 0min 

Beyond “Doubly Disadvantaged”: Race, Class, and Gender in U.S. Schools and Society

Beyond “Doubly Disadvantaged”: Race, Class, and Gender in U.S. Schools and Society. via Beyond “Doubly Disadvantaged”: Race, Class, and Gender in U.S. Schools and Society.Filed under: PAUL THOMAS: Becoming Radical

1 by plthomasedd / 25min hide  //  save

Segregation and Charter Schools: A Reader

Segregation and Charter Schools: A Reader. via Segregation and Charter Schools: A Reader.Filed under: PAUL THOMAS: Becoming Radical

2 by plthomasedd / 2h  

3-12-14 @ The Chalk Face

@ THE CHALK FACE: Revisiting “Cliches and Abstractions” in the Context of Race, 2014Revisiting “Cliches and Abstractions” in the Context of Race, 2014. via Revisiting “Cliches and Abstractions” in the Context of Race, 2014.3 by plthomasedd / 52min 3-11-14 @ The Chalk Face@ THE CHALK FACE: American Hustle: Ignoring Poverty in U.S. Needs More than 50-Year AnniversaryAmerican Hustle: Ignoring Poverty

by mike simpson / 6h 

3-13-14 With A Brooklyn Accent Go BATs All Week

With A Brooklyn Accent:

Destroying Public Education: A Fourth Inner City Catastrophe?

One of the great ironies in contemporary American History is that top leaders of the Democratic Party are supporting the elimination of public education in Urban America - even though the public schools are the one institution in inner city neighborhoods that survived de-industrialization, the crack epidemic, and the war on drugs.Instead of treating schools in those communities, which certainly ha

by Mark Naison / 4h  

3-11-14 With A Brooklyn Accent Go BATs All Week

With A Brooklyn Accent: A First Year Bronx Teacher Who Loves Her Kids Says "Enough"There comes a point when you've been shoved around by your job so much that you stop caring. It's scary when that day is a Tuesday in March and you're a teacher. I've been bullied. I've been ignored. My kids IEPs are a catastrophe (I don't do them, we have a "team" for that). I've been told I can

by mike simpson / 11h