4-1-14 Wait What?

Wait What?:

Malloy administration lines up votes to re-endorse the Common Core

Sometimes it is hard to know what to say… Maybe Dannel “Dan” Malloy is simply on a mission to alienate as many parents, teachers and public school advocates as possible before he faces the electorate this coming November. Or maybe the pay-off in campaign contributions is so great that it is worth selling ones soul […] The post Malloy administration lines up votes to re-endorse the Common Core appe

3 by jonpelto / 9min 

Friends in high places = lots of money!

Listen carefully and you may hear that sound of charter school management company executives rubbing their hands together in anticipation of tomorrow’s Connecticut State Board of Education meeting. With this year’s gubernatorial election six months away, some might think Governor Malloy would back off  his corporate education reform industry agenda in an effort to convince […] The post Friends in

by jonpelto / 1h 

Bronx charter school company sees goldmine in Connecticut

When the State Board of Education meets tomorrow to approve Commissioner Stefan Pryor’s plan to open new charter schools in Connecticut one of the most incredible proposals is the one submitted by the Bronx Charter School for Excellence. About a week ago, fellow pro-public education advocate columnist Wendy Lecker laid out the facts about Bronx Charter School […] The post Bronx charter school comp

by jonpelto / 1h 

3-31-14 Wait What?

Wait What?: Will State Board of Education over look conflicts of interest to approve more charter schoolsWhile Governor Dannel “Dan” Malloy’s budget fails to properly fund public schools in Connecticut it does provide for an increase in the number of privately run charter schools. This Wednesday, April 2, 2014, the Connecticut State Board of Education will meet to consider applications for new cha

by mike simpson / 6h 

The Answer Sheet 4-1-14

The Answer Sheet:

But did he apply to Stanford?

Have you heard yet about 17-year-old Kwasi Enin of Shirley, N.Y., who applied to all of the eight schools in the Ivy League and got into every single one? If not, you are, by now, the only one. The William Floyd High School senior told Newsday that he couldn’t believe it when, one right after […]    

by Valerie Strauss / 1h 

Strauss: Did Matt Damon write this?

You’ve gotta love April Fool’s Day. This morning I got an e-mail reacting to a post I wrote -- except I didn’t write the post. The reaction, though, turns out to be real. Let me back up a minute Some background: I recently published a post about how a call for congressional hearings about over-testing of students by education historian and activist Diane Ravitch was supported by, of all people,

by Valerie Strauss / 9min 

Case study: How politicians ignore parents on school reform

If you read this blog regularly, you will be familiar with Carol Burris, an award-winning principal from New York. She has done a remarkable job for well over a year detailing the botched school reform efforts in her state.  (You can read some of her work here, here, here,  here, and here.) Below is a new post from Burris, of South Side […]    

100+ by Valerie Strauss / 1h hide  //  save

Comparing college costs: a primer

It’s the season for colleges to accept students and then students to accept colleges. Part of the decision for many students is price, but comparing the actual cost of attending different colleges can be tricky. Here to help is Mark Kantrowitz, senior vice president and publisher of Edvisors.com, a group of web sites about planning […]    

2 by Valerie Strauss / 5h 

The Answer Sheet 3-31-14

The Answer Sheet: ‘If only American teachers were smarter…’Teachers. In this school reform era, they have been targeted as “the” problem for failing schools. Are they? In this post, Jack Schneider, an assistant professor of education at the College of the Holy Cross, looks at the teaching corps and what is true about America’s teachers, what isn’t, and where to go next. Schneider is the author […]

by mike simpson / 9h 

4-1-14 Seattle Schools Community Forum

Seattle Schools Community Forum:

Shelter in Place at Three Seattle Schools

From the West Seattle Blog:"12:51 PM: We just checked out a report that Chief Sealth International High School students were asked to “shelter in place” – and here’s what Seattle Police spokesperson Det. Mark Jamieson tells us:There was a report of “somebody with a weapon at Roxhill Park area – someone on the walking path that ends at the bus stop on SW Barton, and 10 males in a group, allege

by Melissa Westbrook / 2min 

MAP and Advanced Learning

There was a reader comment about wanting to opt an APP student out of MAP testing but the parent seemed to think that the child would lose eligibility if he/she did not take the MAP.  Here's what I learned from speaking with Stephen Martin, head of the Advanced Learning department.The MAP is the gatekeeper to finding out if your child is eligible for AL testing. However, once you are enrolled, you

by Melissa Westbrook / 5min

App Day at Rainier Beach High School

From SPS Communications:"Students attending high school or middle school throughout the Puget Sound region are invited to get a taste of computer science and basic programming at Puget Sound App Day 2014, set for Friday, May 23 at Rainier Beach High School.Everyone is welcome to attend from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 23, regardless of prior computer science knowledge or experience, although regist

by Melissa Westbrook / 26min 

Tuesday Open Thread

I am gathering info on the Federal Reserve building.  I have to say, based on descriptions of the inside, that it is likely not the best place for a school. But there does seem to be some confusion over timing so I do want to get that straightened out.   One item of note is that King County had appraised it at about $14M nearly 4 years ago and a company had been in line to purchase it for just und

by Melissa Westbrook / 42min 

Seattle Schools Odds and Ends - Meetings

I went to the Board meeting two weeks ago and a couple of Work Sessions/Committee meetings.   This thread is the Board meeting and Operations Ctm. meeting. Here are the highlights:Board MeetingThis was the one where the high school basketball teams were honored.  Very fun to be there (although the Garfield boys wanted to look as serious as possible). Paul Apostle of HR said they were making "

by Melissa Westbrook / 5h 

3-30-14 Seattle Schools Community Forum

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Refusal Movement Growing in New YorkFYI, the correct legal term that districts and states use is "refusal" and not "opt-out." From the Mrs Mom Blog (in case you didn't know what the Supreme Court has to say on this subject):Until last year, I, along with most parents, did not realize that parents have the right to refuse state testing on behalf

by mike simpson / 3h 

4-1-14 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:

Florida Voucher Bill “Like a Zombie That Won’t Die”

From Palm Beach Post writer Frank Cerabino: And by the time the program seeps into the middle class, it will be too late to stop. Florida’s expansion of public funding of private schools will have a significant “domino effect,” said Andrew Coulson, the director of the Cato Institute’s Center of Educational Freedom. “If you have 300,000 kids in a single state in private schools, thanks to a school

by Bob Sikes / 3h  

3-31-14 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: Don Gaetz Caves on Same Accountability Standards for Florida Voucher SchoolsOnce thought to have drawn a line in the sand on holding voucher schools to the same accountability standards and are public schools, Sen. Don Gaetz (R-Niceville) has apparently changed his mind.

by mike simpson / 9h 

NYC Educator: Why Don't Contractual Rights Apply to Our UFT Representatives?

NYC Educator: Why Don't Contractual Rights Apply to Our UFT Representatives?:

Why Don't Contractual Rights Apply to Our UFT Representatives?

-->

 By special guest blogger Arwen E.

Eight-hundred delegates from UFT-Unity will attend the 2014 NYSUT convention this weekend.  If some don't regard the Loyalty Oath as morally null and void in this day and age and follow the dictates of their conscience or of their constituencies, then Mulgrew alone might as well hand deliver his eight-hundred pre-slugged ballots and dispense with the charade of democracy.

I love Article Two--Fair Practices in our last contract.  What I don't love, however, is the paragraph missing after #3.

Our NYC Teachers' contract (October 13, 2007 through October 31, 2009) stipulates in paragraphs one and two that neither the Union, nor the Board, will discriminate against persons based on "race, creed, color, national origin, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, handicapping condition or age or membership or participation in, or association with the activities of, any employee organization."

-->

-->

The third paragraph states, "The Board agrees that it will not require any teacher to complete an oath or affirmation of loyalty unless such requirement is established by law."

Sadly, there is no paragraph to affirm that UFT-Unity will not force its members to complete an oath or affirmation of loyalty.  In fact, they do force their delegates to sign the following UFT-UNITY LOYALTY OATH before they can be admitted into the ranks and the doors to potentially tens of thousands of dollars in extra income and free trips with spiffy accommodations 

Ms. Jablonski's Class Blog 4-1-14

Ms. Jablonski's Class Blog:

untitled

Residents of a 12 mile zone in are being aloud to inhabit their homes after three years of recovery from Japanese nuclear power plant disaster that shook nearly three years ago. This decision to revitalize the zone affects nearly 117 households, and 357 people. It was decided that the radiation levels of the zone were low enough to be inhabitable, but many of the residents are skeptical on the s

by Robert Mitchell / 6h hide  //  save

YESTERDAY

North and South Korea Trade Fire

March 31, 2014 North Korea and South Korea fired multiple shots at each other from across the western sea border separating the two nations. This incident ultimately strengthened the tensions between the two with the North threatening to continue in their nuclear testing. Earlier in the day, North Korea told South that they were going to conduct live firing drills in seven zones along the maritime

by Elias Burbick / 8h 

Domestic Abuse Within The United Arab Emirates

    Gender equality has always been a problem in the Middle East, and that's an understatement. At the moment there's several controversial laws regarding domestic abuse stemming from a 2010 ruling by the United Arab Emirates Federal Supreme Court. This particular ruling in question upheld Section 53 of the UAE penal code which states the following:     "There shall be no crime, if the act ta

by Kyle Luper / 8h 

Ms. Jablonski's Class Blog 3-31-14

Ms. Jablonski's Class Blog: United Arab Emirates: there's an app for thatThe United Arab Emirates has launched the first-ever smart government app store. In conjunction with Google and Apple, local and federal governments have created over 100 apps to serve around 700 people at a time in one location. The plan is for the UAE to transition to smart government by the middle of 2015, only a little ov

by mike simpson / 9h 

4-1-14 Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL

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

Lingua.ly Launches App ELLs Might Like

I’ve previously posted about Lingua.ly, a very useful Chrome extension for people learning another language, including English (see Lingua.ly Is A Useful Tool For Second-Language Learners). In fact, it’s on The Best Websites For English Language Learner Students In 2013 list. They just launched their first mobile app (it’s Android-only now, but they should have a version for the iPhone, too) that

by Larry Ferlazzo / 1h hide  //  save

YESTERDAY

“Testing Talk” Is A Forum For Feedback On “Next Generation” Of State Tests

Testing Talk is a new site designed to solicit feedback from educators on this next generation of state standardized testing. I’m not quite clear on how it’s different from the Assessment Advisor, developed by the National Education Association (you can read my post about it at NEA Partners With Teach Plus & Creates Online Rating System For Student Assessments). I do have to say that the com

by Larry Ferlazzo / 8h 

I Am Tired Of “School Reformers” Using The Civil Rights Movement Legacy To Support Their Agenda

Los Angeles Schools Superintendent John Deasy spoke today at USC on the Vergara lawsuit (see The Best Resources On California Court Case Attacking Teacher’s Rights). Los Angeles Times reporter Howard Blume is not going to write a story about his speech, but he did send out these tweets: L.A. schools Supt. John Deasy, in USC address today, links Vergara court case to the chain of civil rights stru

by Larry Ferlazzo / 8h 

3-31-14 Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL

Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL: My Latest NY Times Post For ELLs Is About Nouns, Soccer In China & More!Learn about nouns, soccer (football) in China, and using interviews as an engaging sequencing activity for learning English — all in my latest post in the New York Times. A student interactive and teaching activities are included. You can find all m

by mike simpson / 8h 

“Unprecedented” numbers opt out of state tests–what’s next? | Digital

“Unprecedented” numbers opt out of state tests–what’s next? | Digital:

“Unprecedented” numbers opt out of state tests–what’s next?

Today students in New York State begin three days of state-mandated tests in English language arts.  But thousands of families across the state, from Syracuse and Buffalo to the Hudson Valley, Long Island to New York City, will sit out the tests, citing concerns with their relevance and the sense that the curriculum has been taken over by preparation.

“It shifts the entire focus of the classroom,” says Jeannette Deutermann, the organizer behind Long Island Opt Out, a Facebook group with almost 16,000 members. “They seem way too young to have that much testing and that much focus on the tests.”

An opt-out T-shirt worn by kids in Suffolk County.

The spring of 2014 has seen a wave of grassroots activism against both standardized tests and the Common Core that Bob Schaeffer, a longtime activist with the group Fairtest, calls “unprecedented.” The numbers are small, but they’re found around the country. Chicago, site of the 2012 teachers’ strike, and Colorado have seen the most action so far, although opt-out protests have been reported in Oklahoma, New Mexico, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Pennslyvania, New Jersey, andAlabama among other states.

Now it is New York’s turn. This is the second year that New York State students are taking Common Core aligned exams, which last year showed a 25-30 point drop in scores compared to previous tests, raising the ire of parents. It is unusual for parent activists in heavily democratic Greenpoint, Brooklyn to be on the same page with those in more conservative Syracuse, hundreds of miles away in Western New York. But the same pattern is repeating around the country. The convergence of resistance to the Common Core, a cause championed by libertarian and other right-wing groups, with resistance to state standardized tests, often backed by progressive teachers’ unions and civil rights groups, has led to what Schaeffer calls a “strange-bedfellows alliance.”

But based on organizers I’ve talked to in Texas, Washington State, Colorado and New York while researching my new book, most of the opposition to school testing honestly doesn’t have a prearranged political agenda at all. ”The policy and funding elites–the Gates, Walton, and Broad foundations–major campaign donors, and the elite mass media are pushing for more tests and the Core,” Schaeffer says. On the other side, “There’s really a populist pushback–lots of just plain parents and teachers who think layering on even more test driven curriculum is not going to have the results we want.”

That describes Deutermann. She got involved in organizing “by accident” when the older of her two sons, then in 3rd grade, started crying and begging not to go to school.  ”He had stomachaches at 

Does Pre-K really help?

The big news in New York City this week is that Mayor Bill de Blasio got the money he was looking for to fund universal pre-kindergarten in the city. It’s also a national story, though, because many states and cities across the country, egged on by an Obama administration initiative, have been pushing for more early childhood education, particularly for the most disadvantaged children. Universal p

5 by Sarah Garland / 2h