The Answer Sheet 4-4-14

The Answer Sheet:

Teachers refuse to administer standardized tests

Three teachers from P.S. 364 Earth School in New York have informed their administration and Chancellor Carmen Fariña that they will not proctor Common Core state standardized tests this year — or ever — saying in a letter (see below) that they “can no longer implement policies that seek to transform the broad promises of […]    

by Valerie Strauss / 13min hide  //  save

Student privacy activists win a big one

In a win for student privacy activists, New York state is ending its relationship with a controversial $100 million student data collection project  funded by the Gates Foundation and operated by a nonprofit called inBloom. It appears that from the nine original state partners, none are now committed to going forward. The state legislators passed […]    

2 by Valerie Strauss / 5h 

The Answer Sheet 4-3-14

The Answer Sheet: Web site of anti-testing group is hackedWhy would anyone do this? The web site of United Opt  Out National, a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to eliminating the use of high-stakes standardized tests, has been hacked. The site posted this message:   United Opt Out The Movement to end Corporate Education Reform Our site has been maliciously hacked and destroyed in […]    2

by mike simpson / 8h 

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

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

Today Is The Anniversary Of Martin Luther King’s Death — Here Are Some Related Resources

On this day in 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King was assassinated. You might The Best Resources To Remember Dr. Martin Luther King’s Death (& Life) useful…

by Larry Ferlazzo / 30min

Frazz Comic Shows One Way To Make Language-Learning Easier…

by Larry Ferlazzo / 2h 

4-3-14 Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL

Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL: Free Resources From All My BooksI have many free resources, including excerpts and student hand-outs, available from all my books. Clicking on the covers will lead you to them (and look for two new books being published over the next eighteen months — one will be the third volume in my student motivation “trilogy” , and the

by mike simpson / 8h 

4-4-14 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.:

David Sirota. Chicago’s pension theft and Rahm’s slush.

Chicago slush. - David Sirota Chicago is the iconic example of all of these trends. A new report being released this morning shows that the supposedly budget-strapped Windy City – which for years has not made its full pension payments – actually has mountains of cash sitting in a slush fund controlled by Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Indeed, as the report documents, the slush fund now receives more money e

by Fred Klonsky / 7min hide  //  save

Straight out of Brooklyn. Like I never left Chicago.

Flying from O’Hare to La Guardia was easy. We left on time and arrived 25 minutes early. And half the seats were empty. Easy if you don’t count the massive turbulence for most of the flight. The flight assistant handed me my little styrofoam cup coffee with care. “Anything to eat?” It was Delta. So I asked for those tasty Biscoff cookies. “As many as you can spare.” She came back with an armful a

by Fred Klonsky / 23min 

Rahm’s pension theft. Republicans run. Quinn hides. SEIU splits with CTU and We Aren One.

The State Senate went home yesterday. Madigan tried a rewrite of Rahm’s pension theft. The Republicans weren’t buying it. Meanwhile Squeezy went all amnesia, saying he didn’t know anything about the bill. And SEIU local 73 continued sellout of pension rights and their split from the position of the We Are One Coalition of city public employe unions. They raised the stakes with some sharp words di

10 by Fred Klonsky / 3h hide  //  save

Beverly Johns. Rewarding schools for not identifying students with special needs.

- Beverly Holden Johns is an Illinois special education advocate and activist. Amendment 1 to Senate Bill 16 would eliminate the $9,000 Illinois pays for each special ed teacher, and instead fund Illinois special ed with a flat block grant no matter how few or how many students a local school district identifies as needing special education. This would punish some school districts appropriately se

12 by Fred Klonsky / 3h  

4-3-14 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.: The value of the Jay Travis run and who gets to sit next to Christine Boardman at the next WAO lunch meeting.Jay Travis. We wil see today if Michael Madigan twisted enough arms, as a Springfield observer said to me yesterday, to give Rahm his pension theft. If it did we will see another court battle.

by mike simpson / 8h

4-4-14 Engaging Parents In School… | Going Beyond Parent "Involvement"

Engaging Parents In School… | Going Beyond Parent "Involvement":

A Parent-Teacher Conference Without Numbers

Two recent posts by parents at other blogs both made the point that they are tired of having the focus of their conversations on measuring their children by numbers. In What parents don’t want to hear at parent-teacher conferences, Journo Adviser says: When my wife and I sat down at our daughter’s 5th grade parent-teacher conference last week, we hoped to get a sense that the teacher understood ou

2 by Larry Ferlazzo / 52min 

Engaging Parents In School… | Going Beyond Parent "Involvement"

Engaging Parents In School… | Going Beyond Parent "Involvement": “Principal Connection / Tips for Better Parent-Teacher Conferences”Principal Connection / Tips for Better Parent-Teacher Conferences is a nice article by Thomas R. Hoerr in ASCD Educational Leadership. Here’s an excerpt: Too often, parent-teacher conferences are seen as one-way reports from teacher to parent, but a parent-t

by mike simpson / 5h 

4-4-14 Ed Notes Online

Ed Notes Online:

NYC Parent Urges Farina and King to Cancel Upcoming Math Exam

There was no rigor applied to the development of these tests, nor does the practice of high-stakes testing in general stand up to critical analysis....I was offended by your remarks earlier this week to the effect that while parents' opinions should be respected, children should come to school prepared to meet challenges like the state tests...I honestly believe it is time for insurrection at the

by ed notes online / 1h hide  //  save

NYC Teachers of Conscience - Letter to Farina - We Refuse to Support Market-Based Reform by Giving the Test

We find ourselves at a point in the progress of education reform in which clear acts of conscience will be necessary to preserve the integrity of public education. We can no longer implement policies that seek to transform the broad promises of public education into a narrow obsession with the ranking and sorting of children. .. Teachers of ConscienceJia Lee is a core member of MORE and Change the

by ed notes online / 1h 

Aljazeera Features Change the Stakes Opt-Out Parent, NYC Teacher

FANTASTIC!!! Takiema, you nailed it!... CTS parentImagine if the UFT urged NYC teachers to consider opting out their kids to help bump the movement to deny the data for judging teachers? The day we have a majority of people opting out is the day that teacher evals based on testing become meaningless. N.Y. educator lets her son opt out of Common Core-based testingApril 2, 2014 A New York parent who

by ed notes online / 2h  

4-3-14 Ed Notes Online

Ed Notes Online: Video: Change the Stakes Rocks Opt-Out Movement“I had people come up to me on the street and explain that their kids were sick this morning going into school, because they knew they have to take the test,” Dromm said.There is so much opt-out news I can manage to share much of it - stuff is just flying around.Former teacher and current City Councilman Danny Dromm held a press confe

by mike simpson / 8h 

Governor Cuomo Orchestrated Charter School Deal at Behest of Campaign Supporters | janresseger

Governor Cuomo Orchestrated Charter School Deal at Behest of Campaign Supporters | janresseger:

Governor Cuomo Orchestrated Charter School Deal at Behest of Campaign Supporters

Posted on April 4, 2014 by janresseger

In New York last month there appeared to be a welling up of concern by parents because the new mayor, Bill de Blasio, had threatened to change course.  He planned to turn away from Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s overwhelming support for the charter schools that serve 6 percent of the city’s children and move support to the traditional public schools serving 94 percent of the children along with adding pre-kindergarten and middle school after-school programs.

It was made to appear that public support for charters was greater than anybody knew, and it was made to look as though the new Mayor de Blasio finally had to cave in to a wave of public pressure.  But yesterday the NY Times confirmed that the whole performance was orchestrated by New York’s Democratic governor, Andrew Cuomo—orchestrated at the behest of his financial supporters.

Reporters Javier Hernandez and Susanne Craig write: “… interviews with state and city officials as well as education leaders make it clear that far from being a mere cheerleader, the governor was a potent force at every turn, seizing on missteps by the mayor, a fellow Democrat, and driving legislation from start to finish.”

In February, after Mayor de Blasio and his new schools chancellor Carmen Farina moved funds from an account set aside to prepare space for charter school co-locations to another Governor Cuomo Orchestrated Charter School Deal at Behest of Campaign Supporters | janresseger:

Shanker Blog » What Is Implicit Bias, And How Might It Affect Teachers And Students? (Part One)

Shanker Blog » What Is Implicit Bias, And How Might It Affect Teachers And Students? (Part One):

What Is Implicit Bias, And How Might It Affect Teachers And Students? (Part One)

Posted by Esther Quintero on April 4, 2014

The research on implicit bias both fascinates and disturbs people. It’s pretty cool to realize that many everyday mental processes happen so quickly as to be imperceptible. But the fact that they are so automatic, and therefore outside of our conscious control, can be harder to stomach.

In other words, the invisible mental shortcuts that allow us to function can be quite problematic – and real barrier to social equality and fairness – in contexts where careful thinking and decision-making are necessary. Accumulating evidence reveals that “implicit biases” are linked to discriminatory outcomes ranging from the seemingly mundane, such as poorer quality interactions, to the highly consequential, such as constrained employment opportunities and a decreased likelihood of receiving life-saving emergency medical treatments.

Two excellent questions about implicit bias came up during our last Good Schools Seminar on “Creating Safe and Supportive Schools.”

• First, does one’s level of education moderate the magnitude of one’s implicit biases? In other words, wouldn’t it be reasonable to expect people with more education to have a broader repertoire of associations and, therefore, to be able to see beyond clichés and common places?
• Second, does the frequency of interaction with (and deep knowledge of) a person affect our reliance on stereotypic associations? Simply put, shouldn’t information that is individual-specific (e.g., Miguel loves Asimov novels) replace more generic information and associations (e.g., boys don’t like to read)?

The short (albeit simplified) answers are no and yes, respectively. Below, I elaborate on each, reflect on strategies that can help reduce the unintended ill effects of implicit biases, and touch on some implications for schools and 

A remarkable op ed on gay marriage

A remarkable op ed on gay marriage:

A remarkable op ed on gay marriage

I slept with a gay man for six months in Afghanistan. No one asked. He did not tell. So begins A Marine silent no longer on gay marriage, a Washington Post op ed by Roger Dean Huffstetler, a former Marine Corps sergeant, who is also a serious Southern Baptist. He talks about TWO men who he thought he knew well who are gay, a fellow Marine Sergeant and a childhood friend. Of the first, Sergeant Sa

by rss@dailykos.com ... / 1h hide  //  save

My yoga teacher had a stroke

Greg Marzullo is one of the best teachers of anything I have ever seen.  Perhaps that is why his classes at Flow Yoga Center on P Street NW in DC and elsewhere are always jammed.  I study with him at Flow, have studied with him at Extend Yoga in North Bethesda, near where he and his husband Jordan live.  He has an incisive intelligence, uses humor and music exceedingly well in his teaching. Friday

by rss@dailykos.com ... / 3h 

Charles Koch responds to Harry Reid - sort of -

Charles Koch responds to Harry Reid - sort of -: Charles Koch responds to Harry Reid - sort of -byteacherkenFollow    Email  8 Comments / 8 Newin a very self-serving way, in this Wall Street Journal op ed.I said it was self-serving.  It is also self-justifying.It begins like thisI have devoted most of my life to understanding the principles that enable people to improve their lives. It is those pr

by mike simpson / 18h

4-4-14 @ The Chalk Face

@ THE CHALK FACE:

Skepticism or Cynicism for Obama Education Agenda?

Skepticism or Cynicism for Obama Education Agenda?. via Skepticism or Cynicism for Obama Education Agenda?.Filed under: PAUL THOMAS: Becoming Radical

2 by plthomasedd / 1h 

4-3-14 @ The Chalk Face

@ THE CHALK FACE: National Poetry Month: “What is the message when some children are not represented in those books?”National Poetry Month: “What is the message when some children are not represented in those books?”. via National Poetry Month: “What is the message when some children are not represented in those books?”.Filed under: PAUL THOMAS: Becoming Radical1 by plthomasedd / 18min 4-2-14 @ Th

by mike simpson / 8h 

4-4-14 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):

AlterNet: Why Are Americans So Inclined to Disrespect Children?

Why Are Americans So Inclined to Disrespect Children?

by plthomasedd / 14min 

Skepticism or Cynicism for Obama Education Agenda?

One response to my Relaxing zero tolerance in schools could be Obama’s boldest civil rights reform is worth highlighting: Readers adamant that the Obama education agenda is beyond such hope. Let me note here that I have long since slipped past healthy skepticism and resigned myself to unhealthy cynicism with respect to either major political party and their leaders, including Obama. I have tried b

10 by plthomasedd / 1h 

4-3-14 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): National Poetry Month: “What is the message when some children are not represented in those books?”National Poetry Month 2014 comes not on “little cat feet,” like Carl Sandberg’s “Fog,” but in the wake of Walter Dean Myers and his son, Christopher, responding to reports

by mike simpson / 8h