Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Nite Cap 3-25-14 #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2



James Baldwin said it best: 

"For these are all our children, and we will profit by or pay for whatever they become."


A BIG EDUCATION APE NITE CAP




Here Is When Each Generation Begins and Ends, According to Facts - The Wire
Here Is When Each Generation Begins and Ends, According to Facts - The Wire: Here Is When Each Generation Begins and Ends, According to FactsPHILIP BUMP We can all agree that Millennials are the worst. But what is a Millennial? A fight between The New York Times and Slate inspired us to try and figure that out.After the Times ran a column giving employers tips on how to deal with Millennials (for
NYC Educator: The Three Laws of Robotics*
NYC Educator: The Three Laws of Robotics*: The Three Laws of Robotics*by special guest blogger Arwen E.  A Robo-Voter Weighs the UFT-Unity Loyalty Oath -->WHY IS THERE A UFT-UNITY LOYALTY OATH? Why are 800 UFT-Unity minds, representing very diverse constituencies, supposed to vote according to a single set of fallible dictates?  (See UFT-Unity Loyalty Oath above.)Why do 800 democratically chosen c
Q&A with Randi Weingarten | catalyst-chicago.org
Q&A with Randi Weingarten | catalyst-chicago.org: Q&A with Randi WeingartenBy: Melissa Sanchez / March 25, 2014AFT President Randi Weingarten speaks to Catalyst Chicago on March 24, 2014. Photo by Chandler West.American Federation of Teachers (AFT) President Randi Weingarten was in Chicago on March 24 to deliver the annual “Distinguished Labor Leader Lecture” at Illinois Institute of Techn
World Classy | EduShyster
World Classy | EduShyster: World ClassyIs there anything Massachusetts can do to STEM the rising tide of mediocrity?Once upon a time there was a little state with big dreams. We’ll call her Massachusetts as that is her name and, since 1993, she has been thestandard bearer for educational standards. But the times they were a changing and the Massachusetts way of lifting all educational boats by mak
3-25-14 The Whole Child Blog — ED Pulse Poll Results: What Are You Doing to Develop Tech Skills Needed for Common Core Assessments? — Whole Child Education
ED Pulse Poll Results: What Are You Doing to Develop Tech Skills Needed for Common Core Assessments? — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOGED Pulse Poll Results: What Are You Doing to Develop Tech Skills Needed for Common Core Assessments?March 25, 2014 by Kit Harris, ASCD ResearchASCD continually seeks to provide solutions to the challenges that face educators of all levels. A recentASCD S
Five Ways Race to the Top Supports Teachers, Students (and Corporate Profits) | ED.gov Blog
Five Ways Race to the Top Supports Teachers and Students | ED.gov Blog: Five Ways Race to the Top Supports Teachers and StudentsIn the four years since the Obama Administration announced its first Race to the Top grants, the President’s signature education initiative has helped spark a wave of reform across the country, according to a new report released today by the White House and Department of
3-25-14 the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness by P. L. Thomas, EdD
the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness (the public and scholarly writing by P. L. Thomas, Furman University): Are We (Finally) Ready to Face Teacher Education’s Race Problem?The teacher quality and teacher education debates have been absent a fundamental acknowledgement of race in the same way that school quality and education reform have mostly ignored race. Some are taking the
Louisiana Mom Testifies Against Data Collection During State Senate Hearing | Truth in American Education
Louisiana Mom Testifies Against Data Collection During State Senate Hearing | Truth in American Education: Louisiana Mom Testifies Against Data Collection During State Senate HearingFiled in Privacy/SLDS by Shane Vander Hart on March 25, 2014 • 0 Comments32Sara Wood, a mom in Louisiana, gave testimony before during a hearing on SB 449 before the Louisiana Senate Education Committee on March 19th. 
3-25-14 Seattle Schools Community Forum
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Tuesday Open ThreadParents, Teens and Sex: The Talk, Part 2Tuesday, March 25th at the SW Branch Library (9010 35th Ave SW) from 6:00pm- 7:30pm Presented by Katie Acker, MPH, Health Educator with the Neighborcare Health School-Based Health Centers at Chief Sealth and West Seattle High Schools We will reiterate the critical role parents play in teens’ lives, decision
3-25-14 This Week in LA - School Report - What's Really Going on Inside LAUSD
LA School Report - What's Really Going on Inside LAUSD (Los Angeles Unified School District): Morning Read: Hudley-Hayes’ credentials older than memoryLA school board candidate responds to questions about credentials L.A. Unified school board candidate Genethia Hudley-Hayes is fighting allegations she falsified her academic credentials. She is one of seven candidates vying for the seat of former b
3-25-14 Ed Notes Online
Ed Notes Online: Liz Krueger Slams Ed Tax-Credit Scam for the Wealthy - another death-knell for public educationStatement from State Senator Liz Krueger on Education Tax-Credit Scam Endorsed in Daily News EditorialFor Release: March 24, 2014 Please Contact: Andrew Goldston | agoldston@gmail.com | 917.720.7895  Statement on Education Tax-Credit Scam Endorsed in Daily News Editorial Albany, NY – The
Ask Dollar Bill Gates: Is "Corporate Education Reform Ethics" an Oxymoron
Ask Dollar Bill Gates: Is "Corporate Education Reform Ethics"  an OxymoronCODE OF ETHICS: Charter Schools Public or Private?Any person in Government service should: 1. Put loyalty to the highest moral principals and to country above loyalty to Government persons, party, or department.2. Uphold the Constitution, laws, and legal regulations of the United States and of all governments there
On her 80th Birthday: Reflections on Meeting Gloria Steinem in India « Feminist Teacher
On her 80th Birthday: Reflections on Meeting Gloria Steinem in India « Feminist Teacher: On her 80th Birthday: Reflections on Meeting Gloria Steinem in IndiaGloria Steinem spoke in January at the India International Centre in Delhi to launch her book tour for “As if Women Matter.” (photo credit: Ileana Jimรฉnez, Feminist Teacher).At the start of 2014, I led a seven-week tour of schools in India spe
3-25-14 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: Janet Adkins’ False Testimony on Common Core and Raw Hypocricy on AccountabilityRep. Janet Adkins (R-Fernandina Beach) heard the applause from the gallery after a public school teacher’s testimony against Florida’s continued devotion to high-stakes tests. It was the only
FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Tuesday, March 25, 2014
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: Fensterwald: Mixed results for charter schools statewide in new study UPDATE: New Issue of Cream and Cherries: Los Angeles charter schools outperform traditional district schools | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCCStudy: Los Angeles charter schools outperform traditional district schools | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC: Study: Los Angeles charter schools out
Morning Wink 3-25-14 AM Posts #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2
BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTSLISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 3-25-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for allDiane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Massachusetts Kindergarten Teacher: I QuitI am really sorry to have to publish posts like this. I don’t want to see any teacher quit, especially the veteran teachers who are needed to help new t
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 3-25-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Massachusetts Kindergarten Teacher: I QuitI am really sorry to have to publish posts like this. I don’t want to see any teacher quit, especially the veteran teachers who are needed to help new teachers learn the ropes. And yet, there is a massive outflow of teaching talent from our public schools, caused by the soul-deadening testi
White House Report: Race to the Top Setting the Pace for Gains across the Education System | The White House
White House Report: Race to the Top Setting the Pace for Gains across the Education System | The White House: White House Report: Race to the Top Setting the Pace for Gains across the Education SystemMore support for educators and increases in student achievement are among signs of progress as anniversary of President Obama’s signature education reform approachesWASHINGTON, DC – In the four years
3-25-14 Wait What?
Wait What?: How much time and money can Malloy and Pryor Waste on the Common Core Test of a TestMaybe they really don’t understand how public schools function or maybe they really don’t understand the impact inadequate state funding has on Connecticut’s public schools. Or maybe they just don’t care… When you see one of state’s elected officials you might want to give them a big “thank you” for put
3-25-14 The Answer Sheet
The Answer Sheet: The new extremists in education debateA member of the Ohio House of Representatives, Republican Rep. Andrew Brenner, wrote a post on his blog under this headline: “Public education in America is socialism, what is the solution?”  He wrote in part: Parents send their children to public schools throughout the United States, to school districts funded by taxation. Most of the […]   
3-25-14 Schools Matter
Schools Matter: Grindstones Make GritWith Seligman disciple, Angela Duckworth, teaming up with KIPP co-father, Dave Levin, the industrial child psychologists have an able researcher and an experimental site to figure out how to roughen up the grindstone to reduce more urban children to piles of grit. At this point, we don't know what the how much grit will be ground out by subjecting children to y
3-25-14 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.: Illinois set to put major limits on charter schools. Act now.Illinois charter school operators are about to face major legislative restrictions on their expansion of operations. This is big. But you must make your phone calls and file witness slips. HB 3754, a bill sponsored in the House by State Repr
3-25-14 Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL
Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL: “8 Tips for Reaching Out to Parents”8 Tips for Reaching Out to Parents is a very good list of suggestions by educator David Cutler that has been published by Edutopia. Here is one of his suggestions: 6. Call Home to Report Good News Parents rarely receive a positive call home. Twice a semester, I make a point to call and te
3-25-14 @ The Chalk Face
@ THE CHALK FACE: What to Expect When Your State is Being Run AmokI had the unique experience of living in several states as the reform onslaught took hold over America’s public schools.  Each state had its nuances, its preferences, its prejudices, and its own structure.  I also had the priviledge of living in New York State just as the shit was hitting the fan and parents decided […]32 by Kris Ni
3-25-14 With A Brooklyn Accent Go BATs All Week
With A Brooklyn Accent: My Long and Convoluted Parth To Anti-Racist Scholarship and ActivismSpeech at the University of MarylandDr Mark Naison The subject of my talk today is my own evolution as an anti-racist activist, which led from cautious participation in the Northern Civil Rights movement, to involvement in the Columbia Strike and NY and National SDS as a theoretician on race and Black natio
3-25-13 Curmudgucation
CURMUDGUCATION: Can Hillary Be Trusted?The twitterverse erupted briefly yesterday when Hillary Clinton, appearing at the Globalization of Higher Education conference in Irving, Texas, dropped a few bricks of praise upon the head of co-host Jeb Bush. Specifically, she lauded him for his dedication to and passion for education and the reform thereof. Upon hearing those words, many Democratic fans of
3-25-14 Perdido Street School Week
Perdido Street School: The Old Paradigms For Education Cannot Work In This WorldThe editorials from the NY Post about de Blasio and Farina get more vicious and ridiculous by the day. Today's is about how ruthless competition among schools and putting extra stress on students is the key to success for children:In the course of admitting he didn’t have a good reason for taking a good school away fro
Eugene Robinson take down Paul Ryan
Eugene Robinson take down Paul Ryan: Eugene Robinson take down Paul RyanbyteacherkenFollow    Email  29 Comments / 29 NewBlaming poverty on the mysterious influence of “culture” is a convenient excuse for doing nothing to address the problem.That is the first paragraph of Paul Ryan’s culture attack is an excuse to do nothing about poverty, Robinson's Tuesday Washington Post column, which I strongl
Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » Common Core Mathematics
Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » Common Core Mathematics: Common Core MathematicsThis is in response to Mercedes Deutsch’s call for input from teachers on our experience with Common Core Mathematics The Standards: Is it really thinner?Going from California to the CCSS-M standards does have “less”. They’ve taken out a lot from integers. Students don’t have to do any operations, they just wo
Choice Is Messy. So Be It. - Bridging Differences - Education Week
Choice Is Messy. So Be It. - Bridging Differences - Education Week: Choice Is Messy. So Be It.By Guest Blogger on March 25, 2014 9:03 AMRobert Pondiscio of Democracy Prep writes again to Deborah Meier today.Dear Deborah,False dichotomy alert!Your last post, "Why Voting Beats 'Voting With One's Feet,'" implies an either/or proposition.  If you were able to maintain perfect staff and paren
Russ on Reading: False Choice: Vouchers Will Destroy Public Education
Russ on Reading: False Choice: Vouchers Will Destroy Public Education: False Choice: Vouchers Will Destroy Public EducationMy response to a pro-voucher newspaper editorial.Yesterday the Times of Trenton printed an editorial arguing for expanded “universal school choice transfers”, a euphemism for vouchers. In the opinion piece’ Israel Teitelbaum, secretary of Alliance for Free Choice in Education,
Vouchers and Tax Credits Threaten Religious Liberty and Sense of a Shared Public Space | janresseger
Vouchers and Tax Credits Threaten Religious Liberty and Sense of a Shared Public Space | janresseger: Vouchers and Tax Credits Threaten Religious Liberty and Sense of a Shared Public SpacePosted on March 25, 2014 by janressegerThe idea of religious liberty in American public education is basic.  This is the promise that the U.S. Constitution protects children from the teaching of somebody else’s r
District, Philadelphia teacher's union talks could go 'nuclear' - Philly.com
District, Philadelphia teacher's union talks could go 'nuclear' - Philly.com: District, Philadelphia teacher's union talks could go 'nuclear'Bill Green (right), chairman of the School Reform Commission. His tough talk helped get concessions from the principals' union. (STEVEN M. FALK / Staff Photographer)For the city's 11,000-member teachers' union, the clock is ticking.Budget season is closing in
New Common Core exams will test whether a robo-grader is as accurate as a human | Hechinger Report
New Common Core exams will test whether a robo-grader is as accurate as a human | Hechinger Report: New Common Core exams will test whether a robo-grader is as accurate as a humanBy Jill BarshayMillions of elementary, middle and high school students in 14 states and Washington, D.C. may have their essays graded by computers next year if initial tests of robo-grading prove to be accurate.A multi-st
Cartoons about Families and Schools | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice
Cartoons about Families and Schools | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: Cartoons about Families and SchoolsFor this monthly feature of cartoons, I pulled together a bunch that got me smiling, chuckling, and occasionally laughing out loud. About half of them are about parent-child relationships in the home; the other half are about teachers and students from ex-middle school teac
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Time to get rid of the IL State Charter Commission
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Time to get rid of the IL State Charter Commission: Time to get rid of the IL State Charter CommissionOn March 20th, HB 3754 that would dissolve the ALEC-created Illinois State Charter School Commission passed the House by a vote of (78-33).  Today the bill is being heard in the Illinois Senate Education Committee. You can tell members of the Senate Education Committ

YESTERDAY

SKrashen: 21st Century Skills?
SKrashen: 21st Century Skills?: 21st Century Skills?Stephen KrashenYogi Berra: "It's hard to predict, especially about the future.""I contend that, instead of insisting on more and more standardization, we should be increasing variety, flexibility, and choice in what we offer in our schools (Noddings, 2009, p.243)." ... useful knowledge changes as societies change" (Zhao,
Diane Ravitch: The Common Core Standards “should have no legitimacy” | Seattle Education
Diane Ravitch: The Common Core Standards “should have no legitimacy” | Seattle Education: Diane Ravitch: The Common Core Standards “should have no legitimacy”From The Fatal Flaw of the Common Core Standards by Diane Ravitch:The reason to oppose the Common Core standards is because they violate the well-established and internationally recognized process for setting standards in a way that is transp
Red Alert from Tim Furman.
Red Alert from Tim Furman. SB2627 ends the undemocratic State Charter School Commission and puts its duties back at the ISBE. Should affirm local control. Already passed in the House now we need to get it passed in the Senate. Here are the directions again:(1)Click on the link below. It takes you to "Illinois 98th General Assembly Witness Slip" form for SB 2627.http://my.ilga.gov/Witness
Attend April 1st Forum on MPS and Urban Education | Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!
Attend April 1st Forum on MPS and Urban Education | Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!: Attend April 1st Forum on MPS and Urban EducationFiled under: MPS — millerlf @ 7:35 pm College of Education Co-Sponsors Event: Lessons from Elsewhere. What Milwaukee Can Learn from Work on Improving Urban Education Systems NationwideWith Milwaukee facing a fresh search for a public schools superintenden
Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Testimony on data privacy to Illinois Senate Education Committee
Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Testimony on data privacy to Illinois Senate Education Committee: Testimony on data privacy to Illinois Senate Education CommitteePURE, MTAS, and PAA strongly believe that parents must have control over any use of their children’s school data outside of the school building and the district.PURE and other parent groups are very concerned tha
Nite Cap 3-24-14 #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2
James Baldwin said it best: "For these are all our children, and we will profit by or pay for whatever they become."A BIG EDUCATION APE NITE CAPHite suspending seniority rules for September, going to Supreme Court | Philadelphia Public School NotebookHite suspending seniority rules for September, going to Supreme Court | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: Hite suspending seniority rule



Here Is When Each Generation Begins and Ends, According to Facts - The Wire

Here Is When Each Generation Begins and Ends, According to Facts - The Wire:



Here Is When Each Generation Begins and Ends, According to Facts





 We can all agree that Millennials are the worst. But what is a Millennial? A fight between The New York Times and Slate inspired us to try and figure that out.

After the Times ran a column giving employers tips on how to deal with Millennials (for example, they need regular naps) (I didn't read the article; that's from my experience), Slate's Amanda Hess pointed out that the examples the Times used to demonstrate their points weren't actually Millennials. Some of the people quoted in the article were as old as 37, which was considered elderly only 5,000 short years ago.
The age of employees of The Wire dot com, the humble website you are currently reading, varies widely, meaning that we too have in the past wondered where the boundaries for the various generations were drawn. Is a 37 year-old who gets text-message condolences from her friends a Millennial by virtue of her behavior? Or is she some other generation, because she was born super long ago? (Sorry, 37-year-old Rebecca Soffer who is a friend of a friend of mine and who I met once! You're not actually that old!) Since The Wire is committed to Broadening Human Understanding™, I decided to find out where generational boundaries are drawn.
I started by calling the Census Bureau. A representative called me back, without much information. "We do not define the different generations," she told me. "The only generation we do define is Baby Boomers and that year bracket is from 1946 to 1964."
Next, I spoke with Tom DiPrete, a sociology professor at Columbia University. And he agreed with the Census Bureau. "I think the boundaries end up getting drawn to some extent by the media," DiPrete said, "and the extent to which people accept them or not varies by the generation." DiPrete explained that there was a good sociological reason for identifying the Baby Boom as a discrete generation. It "had specific characteristics," and occurred within an observable timeframe. World War II ended. You had the post-war rise in standard of living and the rise of the nuclear family. Then societal changes disrupted those patterns, and the generation, for academic purposes, was over. His main point: "History isn't always so punctuated."
I understood why Generation X, a generation defined by turmoil and uncertainty, would be poorly defined. But what about Millennials? Doesn't their shared experience of the millennium transition and technology provide similar markers? "I actually haven't seen efforts to document [generations] rigorously, and I would be somewhat skeptical that they can be documented rigorously." DiPrete said. The things that have shaped Millennials — the rise of technology and social networks, for example — "affect people's lives differently."
"The media in particular wants definitions, identities," DiPrete said. "I don't know that the definitions are as strong or as widely shared across all the boundaries. … At the end I think it gets fuzzy."
Well, yeah. We do want definitions. And if it's the media that draws the boundaries, then allow us to do so definitively.

Your official demarcation of generational boundaries

We identified six different generations, and labeled their eras.
Greatest Generation. These are the people that fought and died in World War II for our freedom, which we appreciate. But it's a little over-the-top as far as names go, isn't it? Tom Brokaw made the name up and of course everyone loved it. What, you're going to argue with your grandfather that he isn't in the greatest generation? The generation ended when the war ended.
Baby Boomers. This is the agreed-upon generation that falls within DiPrete's 

NYC Educator: The Three Laws of Robotics*

NYC Educator: The Three Laws of Robotics*:



The Three Laws of Robotics*

by special guest blogger Arwen E.
  
A Robo-Voter Weighs the UFT-Unity Loyalty Oath 

-->

WHY IS THERE A UFT-UNITY LOYALTY OATH? 
Why are 800 UFT-Unity minds, representing very diverse constituencies, supposed to vote according to a single set of fallible dictates?  (See UFT-Unity Loyalty Oath above.)
Why do 800 democratically chosen chapter leaders lose their democratic voice when they sign on to UFT-Unity? Why must 800 Unity members promise to vote as they are told?  (See Loyalty Oath above.)
Why are eight-hundred highly intelligent minds beholden to loyalty oaths reminiscent of those opposed by the AFT in the 1950s?  (See Oath above.)


 How can union employment opportunities be withheld from those members who refuse to sign on to this loyalty 

Q&A with Randi Weingarten | catalyst-chicago.org

Q&A with Randi Weingarten | catalyst-chicago.org:



Q&A with Randi Weingarten

By: Melissa Sanchez / March 25, 2014

American Federation of Teachers (AFT) President Randi Weingarten was in Chicago on March 24 to deliver the annual “Distinguished Labor Leader Lecture” at Illinois Institute of Technology’s Chicago-Kent College of Law.
Weingarten and the 1.5-million member AFT made national news recently when Weingarten announced the union would no longer accept money from the influential Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for the AFT’s Innovation Fund. In this interview with Catalyst Chicago Associate Editor Melissa Sanchez, Weingarten talked about that decision, Chicago’s test boycott and charter union movement, teachers’ distrust of the Common Core and what can be done about it, and whether Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis should run for mayor.
(This interview has been condensed.)
Catalyst Chicago: So while it might seem like there’s never a dull moment in the Chicago education world, you’ve come at a particularly interesting time. What do you think of last week’s announcement that the district will “turn around” three more schools?
Randi Weingarten: CPS should be fixing, not closing public schools. This is not about charters vs. non charters. There’s room in this city for lots of different school designs, as long as they’re public schools. Parents want good neighborhood public schools. Schools that are safe. Schools that are welcoming. Schools that help Q&A with Randi Weingarten | catalyst-chicago.org:

World Classy | EduShyster

World Classy | EduShyster:



World Classy



Is there anything Massachusetts can do to STEM the rising tide of mediocrity?
stemcellOnce upon a time there was a little state with big dreams. We’ll call her Massachusetts as that is her name and, since 1993, she has been thestandard bearer for educational standards. But the times they were a changing and the Massachusetts way of lifting all educational boats by making the school funding sea more equitable no longer seemed cool. Meanwhile a rising tide of mediocrity threatened her shores, a peril not covered by flood insurance. Fortunately a solution awaited on the other side of the pond: a raft of bold ideas for unleashing excellence. 
icebergDeliverology
After a months long journey, The New Opportunity to Lead, a report commissioned by the Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education and authored by none other than Sir 


3-25-14 The Whole Child Blog — ED Pulse Poll Results: What Are You Doing to Develop Tech Skills Needed for Common Core Assessments? — Whole Child Education

ED Pulse Poll Results: What Are You Doing to Develop Tech Skills Needed for Common Core Assessments? — Whole Child Education:







Kit Harris, ASCD Research

ED Pulse Poll Results: What Are You Doing to Develop Tech Skills Needed for Common Core Assessments?

ASCD continually seeks to provide solutions to the challenges that face educators of all levels. A recentASCD SmartBrief ED Pulse poll asked readers what their schools and districts are doing to develop the technology skills students need to take the Common Core State Standards assessments.
One of the challenges that face schools as they approach the assessments for the Common Core State Standards is that the aligned tests will be administered on computers. About a year from now, many schools will give these online tests to students, whether or not they are completely ready. Schools are now grappling with whether their technology, students' computer skills, and their connectivity are set to go. The two organizations designing the tests have offered pilot tests and tryouts to help schools prepare, but the burden falls more heavily on the schools themselves to develop plans to make sure student are prepared for these tests. Challenges include polishing students' keyboarding skills, understanding that questions may have more than one answer, using click and drag techniques, and working with the inclusion of audio clips, among other skills needed.
When asked what they are doing to develop and improve the students' proficiency with technology-based assessments in preparation for the Common Core tests, readers indicated that the most common way 
  

3-24-14 The Whole Child Blog — Whole Child Education
Lead the Next Change in Education — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOGLead the Next Change in EducationMarch 24, 2014 by ASCD Whole Child BloggersIf you could change one thing about education, what would it be? How do you engage other educators? Are you ready to lead?ASCD Emerging Leaders are accomplished educators with 5–15 years of experience who are highly involved in ASCD and the educ

Five Ways Race to the Top Supports Teachers, Students (and Corporate Profits) | ED.gov Blog

Five Ways Race to the Top Supports Teachers and Students | ED.gov Blog:



Five Ways Race to the Top Supports Teachers and Students

In the four years since the Obama Administration announced its first Race to the Top grants, the President’s signature education initiative has helped spark a wave of reform across the country, according to a new report released today by the White House and Department of Education.
RTT States and AwardsSince the Obama administration announced the first Race to the Top grants to Tennessee and Delaware four years ago – many state and local leaders, educators, and communities are deep in the hard work of education improvement, and the nation is seeing progress.
Today, the innovations unleashed by Race to the Top are touching nearly half the nation’s students and 1.5 million teachers in schools across the country – for an investment that represents less than 1 percent of education spending.
Amid that climate of positive change, America’s educators, students and families have made major achievements. The high school graduation rate is now at its highest on record (80 percent). Student test scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) are the highest since the test was first given 20 years ago. And there have been double- digit gains on state tests at some of the lowest-performing schools – many of which had not seen any improvement for decades.
Today’s report highlights examples of the most innovative and effective reforms that are taking place in states across the country to prepare students for college and careers, support educators, and spur innovative educational strategies. Below are five ways Race to the Top is supporting teachers and students.
1. Race to the Top Has Provided More Students with Access to Challenging Classes
Under Race to the Top, states have spearheaded efforts to create plans tailored to their students’ needs. For example, Massachusetts provided more students with access to AP classes by training more than 1,100 middle and early high school teachers to prepare their students for new, high academic standards. Initial findings from the external evaluation of Massachusetts’ college- and career-readiness initiatives indicate patterns of increased AP course-taking, exam-taking, and exam performance.
RTTAP2. Race to the Top Has Supported Hard-working Educators in New Ways
Under Race to the Top, schools and districts are making sure we have excellent principals leading our schools and skilled teachers who inspire students. In Rhode Island, the state had more than 400 first-year and 40 second-year teachers engage with the state’s new teacher induction program, which includes weekly coaching and professional development.
Delaware launched the Delaware Talent Cooperative, which provides retention awards – between $2,500 and $10,000 over two years – to highly effective educators and leaders willing to work and stay in schools with the highest needs.
3. Race to the Top Has Provided More STEM Opportunities to Students
Maryland developed and translated five STEM curriculum modules for use in language programs statewide, and in Florida, Race to the Top funds have helped hundreds of students from rural communities get new STEM opportunities through the STEM Scholars initiative.
4. Race to the Top is Helping Educators Transition to New Standards
With the help of Race to the Top, Ohio expanded alternative certification pathways for teachers and principals; developed 800 curriculum resources aligned to higher standards; and trained 24,000 teachers to use those resources. And in an ambitious and comprehensive effort, Tennessee provided 30,000 teachers with intensive summer training as part of its transition to the Common Core State Standards—more rigorous academic standards in English language arts and mathematics.
5. Race to the Top is Supporting States in Turning Around Lowest-Performing Schools
Under Race to the Top, states have designed plans to turn around some of their lowest-performing schools using new ideas that engage students and transform school culture. In Georgia, the state created two non-traditional schools to accommodate high school students at risk of dropping out. And in Tennessee, the state awarded grants or provided Tennessee Academic Specialists to address performance gaps at the 167 schools identified as Focus Schools based on significant achievement gaps in school year 2011-2012. Based on 2012-2013 state assessment results, the state made progress closing achievement gaps in these 167 schools.
Sara Gast is director of strategic communications at the U.S. Department of Education

3-25-14 the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness by P. L. Thomas, EdD

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











Are We (Finally) Ready to Face Teacher Education’s Race Problem?

The teacher quality and teacher education debates have been absent a fundamental acknowledgement of race in the same way that school quality and education reform have mostly ignored race. Some are taking the recent Office of Civil Rights reports on inequitable discipline policies and access to quality teachers and courses as evidence that education reform may soon confront the race problem in educ


3-24-14 the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness by P. L. Thomas, EdD
the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness (the public and scholarly writing by P. L. Thomas, Furman University): “Grit”: Demanding Superhuman from African Americans, ImpoverishedWhile writing about Black Pathology and the Closing of the Progressive Mind, Ta-Nehisi Coates concludes his piece with a resounding rejection of the “grit” narrative:by plthomasedd / 0min 3-23-14 the becomi