LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 7-18-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all:

“Water is a human right.” Thousands march in Detroit.

1 by Fred Klonsky / 1h 

Pick a date that I hit 2 million site visits. Win a custom t-shirt.

I’m about 34,000 hits short of 2 million site visits. Pick the date I hit the 2 mil mark and win a custom fredklonsky.com t-shirt in the color of your choice. I’ll update the calendar and post it each day.    

11 by Fred Klonsky / 1h 

EduShyster: The Inside Scoop on Why Massachusetts Did Not Lift the Charter Cap

As we all know, the State Senate in Massachusetts voted against lifting the cap on charter schools. This was a shocker. Here is the inside story, told by Edushyster. You won’t see this anywhere else.

2 by dianeravitch / 55min 

Jeff Bryant: The Media Doesn’t Understand Why Teachers and Parents Are Angry

Jeff Bryant notes that many in the national media were stunned when the NEA called for Secretary Duncan’s resignation. For years, they believed the Secretary’s press releases instead of investigating the festering discontent against his ill-informed policies. Many journalists are oblivious to the protests by teachers–like the one at Garfield High school in Seattle– against the use of student test

by dianeravitch / 9:00 AM UTC-7

Important Primary Election for Georgia State Superintendent On July 22

Georgia has an important run-off for State Superintendent of Education in the Democratic Party on July 22. If you care about the future of public education in Georgia, please vote. Valarie Wilson came in first in the primary, with 32% of the vote. The runner-up, Alisha Thomas Morgan, received 26%. The Network for Public Education has endorsed Valarie Wilson, a strong supporter of public educatio

4 by dianeravitch / 18min 

Great Hearts Charter Schools Coming to Texas in Controversy

Texas State Commissioner Michael Williams overrode the veto of the state board of education to bring Arizona-based Great Hearts Academy to Texas. The state board thought they could veto the commissioner’s choices. But, well, it didn’t work that way, especially after Great Hearts hired Governor Rick Perry’s former chief of staff as its lobbyist. Williams was impressed by Great Hearts’ excellent te

by dianeravitch / 23min hide  //  save

Great Hearts Charter Chain Expands by Having Far Right Political Connections

Great Hearts Charter chain, based in Arizona, was rejected by the Texas state board of education. State Commissioner Michael Williams–not an educator–overturned the state board’s veto. It is not clear that Williams, a Bush family favorite, has this power. But Great Hearts has the right connections. As this story in the Texas Observer explains, “In early June—weeks before Williams reversed the b

5 by dianeravitch / 1h 

North Carolina Plans to Give Out Vouchers Before Court Hearing on Legality

North Carolina won’t wait for a court to rule on vouchers. It will start giving them out next month before the court hearing. “RALEIGH, N.C. — Taxpayer money for private or religious school tuition may start flowing to North Carolina families before a judge rules whether the program is legal. “The state agency in charge of the Opportunity Scholarships late last month advanced to August 15 the dat

12 by dianeravitch / 2h 

Russ Walsh: I Blog; Therefore, I Am

Russ Walsh has been teaching about literacy for 45 years. He started blogging to share his thoughts. But then he discovered that his views about literacy did not exist in isolation. They were part of a great national debate that involved the Common Core, education reform, charters, and other aspects corporate education reform. He read other bloggers and found that he was engaged as a. Teacher,a re

1 by dianeravitch / 3h

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 7-17-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Courtney Bowie: Vouchers and Privatization Undermine Educational EquityCourtney Bowie is a senior staff attorney with the ACLU Racial Justice Program. In this article, she describes the ACLU’s efforts to stop discrimination against students with disabilities in Wisconsin’s voucher program. Privatization, she says, is promoting segr

by mike simpson / 8h 

7-18-14 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.:

How serious a threat is Karen Lewis to Rahm. Watch as the knives are drawn.

If you’re afraid of Pat Quinn, do you really have the stomach to take on the july on the fifth floor? For those of you on the coasts and down South who are not familiar with the hard-ball nature of Chicago politics, keep an eye on the next 7 months. It will give new life to Mayor Harold Washington’s now famous, “Politics ain’t bean bag.” Tribune columnist Eric “I’ll get it it tomorrow” Zorn and C

by Fred Klonsky / 23min 

Ten minute drawing. Playing on the beach.

by Fred Klonsky / 31min hide  //  save

Hinsdale’s Skoda’s weird definition of transparency. Keep the people in the dark.

Hinsdale board President Richard Skoda refuses to say how much taxpayer money went into this expensive newsletter. Hinsdale’s board of education has no interest in spending money on teacher salaries. And board President Richard Skoda expresses the need for transparency. However, following a press conference in which no members of the community were allowed in. And other members of the board were

by Fred Klonsky / 1h 

7-17-14 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.: Stephanie Gadlin. Fear and loathing in Chicago. Run Karen. Run.- Stephanie Gadlin is Communications Director for the Chicago Teachers Union A THOUGHT: I am growing uncomfortable with the direction of the tone of the media stories emerging in light of the Sun-Times poll that has CTU President Karen Lew

by mike simpson / 8h 

7-18-14 Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL

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

Amazon Launches “Kindle Unlimited” For Adults; They Have Version For Young Kids – I Wonder If They’ll Create One For Teens?

© 2008 Claudio Toledo, Flickr | CC-BY | via Wylio In the unlikely event you haven’t already heard, today Amazon launched “Kindle Unlimited,” which is an all-you-can-read service for $9.99 per month using its Kindle or a Kindle app on other devices. You can read all about it at TIME, TechCrunch, and a zillion other places. As I was checking it out, I discovered that Amazon also has something called

by Larry Ferlazzo / 21min hide  //  save

It’s Nelson Mandela International Day — Here Are Related Resources

It’s Nelson Mandela International Day, a day of service celebrated on July 18, Mandela’s birthday (the above image is from Google’s homepage). You might be interested in my very lengthy The Best Sites For Learning About Nelson Mandela.

by Larry Ferlazzo / 21min 

Nice BBC Video: “Why Reading Matters”

Why Reading Matters is an hour-long BBC program did a couple of years ago on how reading — and writing — impact the brain. I wouldn’t show the entire show to students, but there are several very good segments. The entire show is available on Vimeo, which I’ve embedded below, and it’s also available on YouTube, though it’s in six separate ten minute segments. I’ve also embedded the first segment b

by Larry Ferlazzo / 7h 

7-17-14 Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL

Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL: This Week’s “Round-Up” Of Useful Posts & Articles On Education Policy© 2012 Richard Hurd, Flickr | CC-BY | via Wylio Here are some recent useful posts and articles on educational policy issues: Did Obama and Duncan really hear what four teachers told them? is the third in a series of posts at Valerie Strauss’ Washington

by mike simpson / 8h 

7-18-14 Curmudgucation

CURMUDGUCATION:

AFT Spanks Duncan (Sort Of)

I know this is old news, but I've been out of town. On Sunday, July 13, I was in the air flying toward the very city where the AFT was kind of taking a stand.The NEA had taken similar steps earlier by calling for the ouster of Arne Duncan, though outbound president Dennis Van Roekel immediately chalked it up to members just being, you know, cranky or in a bad mood, so they just took it out on Arne

by Peter Greene / 22min 

David Coleman To Fix Inequality in America

David Coleman is here (well, not here here-- he's actually in Aspen) to explain how the College Board is going to recapture market share by synergistically monetizing its products break down the walls of inequality in education.David Coleman (Common Core writer and current president of the College Board) is deeply concerned with fairness. Huffington Post has a report from the Aspen Institute (beca

13 by Peter Greene / 1h hide  //  save

YESTERDAY

The Limits of Data

There was a moment during a presentation at last weeks' Professional Learning Communities training (institute? gathering? big thingy?) that really illustrated, I think a bit unintentionally, the nuts-and-bolts problems with using data to "analyze" teacher effectiveness.A chart of data from three classes broken down by three skills was on the screen, presented in student by student format

62 by Peter Greene / 10h 

7-17-14 Curmudgucation

CURMUDGUCATION: Joy and Pain in PLC-landOh, if only we could easily sort all education ideas into perfectly embraceable and easily rejectable. But it's rarely that simple; we have to use the Power of Actual Thinking to separate the usable from the risible.Last week I spent two and a half days in the arms of PLC with colleagues from my school. Our administration is looking longingly at taking the P

by mike simpson / 5h 

7-18-14 Perdido Street School

Perdido Street School:

Independent Democrat Jeff Klein Is Mobbed Up

Old timey corruption, Carlo Gambino-style!Development–formerly known as Hutch Realty Partners–kicked in the five figures in June. The donation brings the real estate group’s total contribution to Mr. Klein’s operation to a whopping $93,850 since 2006.Two principals of the company, Michael Contillo and Joseph Deglomini, were indicted in the 1990s of tax evasion, racketeering, and conspiring to raid

by reality-based edu... / 54min 

Was This The Best The LIRR Unions Could Do?

Given the leverage the LIRR unions had in their negotiations, it being an election year and all, if these reports are accurate, this is a pretty bad deal:"Under terms of the deal, current LIRR employees will receive a 17 percent wage increase over six-and-a-half years. The union had been seeking six years, and the MTA seven. To pay for the additional salary expenses, all employees will for th

by reality-based edu... / 18min 

Zephyr Teachout Opposes Common Core

From LoHud:In 2008 Microsoft founder Bill Gates, one of the world's richest men, decided that he should take charge of education policy. He promoted a single set of standards to measure our children's achievements in school. Since then Gates has spent more than $200 million to advance this idea, called the "Common Core." Gov. Andrew Cuomo, since taking office in early 2011, has supported

by reality-based edu... / 7min 

Some Of What Preet Bharara Will Find In His Cuomo/Moreland Investigation

Liz Benjamin puts today's Cuomo/Moreland news in perspective:US attorney's #morelandcommission investigation moves to new stage as assistant to ex-commish director gets subpoena. http://t.co/VaH0xgf1lv— Liz Benjamin (@CTLizB) July 18, 2014 Mylan Denerstein, counsel to @NYGovCuomo , agreed to be interviewed in early Aug by federal prosecutors about her involvement w the panel.— Liz Benjamin (@CTLiz

by reality-based edu... / 20min hide  //  save

US Attorney Subpoenas Communications Between Assistant To Moreland Executive Director And Cuomo And His Aides

What do you make of this news?Federal prosecutors investigating Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s shutdown of an anticorruption commission have subpoenaed the assistant to its former executive director to testify before a grand jury in Manhattan, suggesting that the criminal inquiry has moved to a new stage, people briefed on the matter said on Thursday.Federal agents served the subpoena on the assistant, He

by reality-based edu... / 2h 

7-17-14 Perdido Street School

Perdido Street School: Governor Cuomo Plays Pre-Election Games With Bridge/Road Toll HikesIt is important that Governor Cuomo be made to publicly defend what his administration is doing here:ALBANY—The state Public Authorities Control Board on Wednesday approved a controversial loan for the Tappan Zee replacement bridge, but not before the amount was cut in half without explanation and officials a

by mike simpson / 8h 

Paul Horton: Will the Market Destroy Public Education? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

Paul Horton: Will the Market Destroy Public Education? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher:

Paul Horton: Will the Market Destroy Public Education?

By Anthony Cody on July 18, 2014 9:57 AM

Guest post by Paul Horton.

The ideology that inspires corporate education reform uses the rhetoric of economic freedom. This rhetoric was developed Austrian economist Frederick Hayek and was translated into a libertarian ideology by Milton Friedman within the University of Chicago Economics Department. This ideology has been used to spearhead attacks on the role of government at every level since the conservative ascendency of the late seventies and early eighties brought Reagan, Thatcher, and Deng Xiaopeng to power

Another core aspect of this ideology that many call neoliberalism, according to critic David Harvey, is that it has led to "the financialization of everything. There is unquestionably a power shift away from production to the world of finance." Historian Daniel Steadman Jones, perhaps the most astute definer of neoliberalism says that it (neoliberalism), is "the free market ideology based on individual liberty and limited government that connect human freedom to the actions of the rational, self-interested actor in the competitive marketplace." (Jones, Masters of the Universe, 2).  Moreover, according to Jones, this ideology is defined in opposition to any form of historicized collectivism ranging from the thought of Plato to Marx and any form of collectivized state of which Hilter's Reich, Stalin's Soviet Union, Atlee's Welfare state, and FDR's New Deal represent a continuum running from state control and the absence of freedom to expansive states that should be completely rejected. (Jones, 3-84). The "invisible hand," from this perspective, trumps all forms of centralized government that puts any nation-state "on the road to serfdom."

In effect, "the invisible hand" behind the push to create new education markets is coming from Wall Street investors who are flush with capital for investment. Wall Street bundlers and investment firms are buying up stock in charter school companies and big education vendors. These bundlers not only fund both party's campaigns, they also sell stock, betting on the futures of big education Paul Horton: Will the Market Destroy Public Education? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher:

Vergara Copycat Lawsuit in NY Attacks Teachers Instead of Injustice, Say Experts | janresseger

Vergara Copycat Lawsuit in NY Attacks Teachers Instead of Injustice, Say Experts | janresseger:

Vergara Copycat Lawsuit in NY Attacks Teachers Instead of Injustice, Say Experts

Posted on July 18, 2014 by janresseger

In June of this year, California Superior Court Judge Rolf Treu struck down tenure and seniority protections for California’s K-12 school teachers in the case of Vergara v. California.  According to Treu’s decision, tenure protects bad teachers, bad teachers are more often assigned to the schools serving California’s most disadvantaged students, and the assignment of bad teachers (protected by tenure and seniority rights) violates the students’ civil rights under the equal protection clause of the state constitution. Many speculate the case will be overturned on appeal, and Judge Treu has stayed his decision pending the appeal.

Opponents of tenure have promised to launch copycat lawsuits against school teachers’ job protections in other states. Earlier this month, such a lawsuit was filed in New York on Staten Island by a group called the New York City Parents Union. While Mona Davids, president of the New York City Parents Union, told the NY Times that her lawsuit is different because it is “not being bankrolled by outside interests,” the research blogger, Mother Crusader, has connected the group’s board members to three organizations that actively oppose teachers unions and seek to privatize public education: Democrats for Education Reform, NYCAN, and StudentsFirstNY.

Paul Farhi of the Washington Post reports that Campbell Brown, the former CNN anchor who has transformed herself into an advocate against job protections for teachers, has created her own organization, the Partnership for Educational Justice, for the purpose of her crusade.  She has hired the public relations firm of former White House press secretary Robert Gibbs and former Obama campaign spokesman Ben LaBolt, according to Stephanie Simon of Politico, to “lead a national public relations drive to support a series of lawsuits aimed at challenging tenure, seniority and other job protections that teachers unions have defended.”  Brown has said her organization will be involved in New York.  (This blog covered the Campbell Brown, Robert Gibbs, Ben LaBolt endeavor here.)

On Tuesday of this week, two heavyweight public school justice advocates went on the offensive against the New York attempt to claim that due process protections for teachers deny children’s civil right to an education.  Billy Easton, executive director of the Alliance for Vergara Copycat Lawsuit in NY Attacks Teachers Instead of Injustice, Say Experts | janresseger:

Hard Skills Are Soft Skills Dependent | WagTheDog

Hard Skills Are Soft Skills Dependent | WagTheDog:

Hard Skills Are Soft Skills Dependent

 “If your emotional abilities aren’t in hand, if you don’t have self-awareness, if you are not able to manage your distressing emotions, if you can’t have empathy and have effective relationships, then no matter how smart you are, you are not going to get very far.”

~ Daniel Goleman 

K-12 education programs should focus much more instructional time on helping students acquire and practice soft skills, if they expect them to master and apply hard skills in appropriate and effective ways.

The Common Core ELA standards demand that students provide evidence to support their claims yet the authors of the Standards disregard decades of research and data regarding the importance of emotional intelligence.

The authors of the Common Core continue to claim that the Standards, which emphasize hard skills, will properly prepare our students for college and careers, despite countless surveys and interviews regarding the critical importance of soft skills…

“Do people underperform at your company because they lack these soft skills or do they disappoint because their technical skills aren’t up to snuff?

‘Soft skills are almost always to blame — that’s why we need to get better at measuring Hard Skills Are Soft Skills Dependent | WagTheDog: