Morning Wink 9-19-14 AM Posts #edchat #edreform

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 9-19-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: A live-stream of the event will be available on Saturday, Oct. 11, starting at Noon Eastern time, (9 am Pacific time) at  http://www.schoolhouselive.org.WE ARE MANY. THERE IS POWER IN OUR NUMBERS. TOGETHER WE WILL SAVE OUR SCHOOLS.Mercedes Schneider Reviews “The Great Debate” About Common CoreMercedes Schneider here reviews half of

by mike simpson / 1min 

9-19-14 Ed Notes Online

Ed Notes Online: On Democratic Centralism (Loyalty Oaths?) - From Trotsky to Shanker and Others(Albert Shanker mentor) Max Shachtman (/ˈʃɑːktmən/; September 10, 1904 – November 4, 1972) was an American Marxist theorist. He evolved from being an associate of Leon Trotsky to a social democrat and mentor of senior assistants to AFL-CIO President George Meany.... Wikipedia Democracy and centralism do

by mike simpson / 5min 

9-19-14 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.: George Wallace High School.Rahm says that he is not going to name the new selective admission high school after President Obama after all. Naming things after politicians is a big deal in Chicago. They recently named the traffic-clogged circle interchange after former mayor Jane Byrne. And Balbo Stree

by mike simpson / 7min 

9-19-14 Schools Matter

Schools Matter: Andre Agassi's New Passion: Corporate WelfareAndre Agassi is touring the country checking out the 27 charter schools he has built with real estate tycoon, Bobby Turner. Agassi says its all worth the effort to make his millions from taxpayer dollars just to see children so "engaged in learning," as they are below in the East Nashville Rocketship charter school.Story from W

1 by mike simpson / 10min 

9-18-14 Wait What? - Connecticut, a Jim Crow state? [A must read by Ann Policelli Cronin]

Wait What?: Connecticut, a Jim Crow state? [A must read by Ann Policelli Cronin]This commentary piece by Ann Policelli Cronin first appeared in the CT Mirror –  Op-Ed: Connecticut, a Jim Crow state? Unless Connecticut changes direction in what has been packaged and sold as “education reform,” its achievement gap, the largest in the nation, will be exacerbated. All of Connecticut’s children are har

by mike simpson / 12min 

The Answer Sheet 9-19-14

Answer Sheet: Clemson U. stops mandatory student survey with detailed sex questionsClemson University has said students do not now have to fill out a survey that had been mandatory and that included some highly detailed questions about sex, such as, “With how many people have you had sex (including oral) in the last 3 months?” The Greenville News reported that the survey was part of an […]by Valer

1 by mike simpson / 13min 

solidaridad: Families with Students With Disabilities make LAUSD hear your voice!

solidaridad: Families with Students With Disabilities make LAUSD hear your voice!: Families with Students With Disabilities make LAUSD hear your voice!The following is from a parent-activist whose tireless advocacy for Students With Disabilities (SWD) inspires. Her own child was a SWD, but she continued advocacy long after they graduated. The Deasy regime has been keen on keeping Los Angeles Unifi

3 by mike simpson / 16min 

Burris Calls Out Common Core; Duncan-friendly EdPost Indignant | deutsch29

Burris Calls Out Common Core; Duncan-friendly EdPost Indignant | deutsch29: Burris Calls Out Common Core; Duncan-friendlyEdPost IndignantSeptember 18, 2014The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are really good for American education, but sadly, non-foundation-financed, public school administrators like New York principal Carol Burris seem to have trouble coming around to falling in line with those

by mike simpson / 17min 

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 9-19-14

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: LETTERS: What's LAUSD doing with ex-military weapons? + The school board’s the boss, like it or notLetters to the editor of the LA Times | http://lat.ms/1r70yBi LAUSD police have an ex-military armored vehicle similar to this one in Watertown, Conn. (Steven Valenti / Associated Press) 19 Sept 2014 To the editor: Los Angeles Unified school police will re

by mike simpson / 24min 

9-19-14 @ The Chalk Face

@ THE CHALK FACE: About the radio showJoin Drs. Shaun Johnson and Tim Slekar LIVE Sundays at 6PM EST and Wednesdays at 7PM EST on Blog Talk Radio for progressive, pro-public education talk radio. Call in to speak live with Tim and Shaun during the show, (805) 727-7111. You can also listen to our Monday "Sunday-Replay" at 7PM EST, and re-broadcasts of the archives every Tuesday and Thursd

by mike simpson / 25min 

9-19-14 the becoming radical | How We Raise Our Children: On “Because” and “In Spite Of”

the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness (the public and scholarly writing by P. L. Thomas, Furman University): How We Raise Our Children: On “Because” and “In Spite Of”While I am disheartened by the cultural tolerance of all sorts of violence that remains in the U.S.—and then particularly in my home region, the South—I am deeply puzzled by a distinction between the public discuss

by mike simpson / 27min 

9-19-14 Hemlock on the Rocks

Hemlock on the Rocks: LAUSD: Armed, Dangerous & Stupid | Friendly Firehttp://blogs.dailynews.com/friendlyfire/2014/09/18/lausd-armed-dangerous-stupid/ LAUSD: Armed, Dangerous & Stupid Los Angeles Unified School District has decided to give back the Rocket Powered Grenade launchers (RPGs) that they got from the Department Homeland Security. That's probably a good idea–particularly for an or

by mike simpson / 29min 

9-19-14 Perdido Street School

Perdido Street School: NYSED, Regents Look To Test The Arts In Order To Rate TeachersFrom Diane Ravitch: “NYSED is convening a panel to examine creating assessments to measure student growth, performance and college and career readiness in the Arts programs. “The Department recommends that the Board of Regents commission an operational study that would establish criteria to identify and evaluate a

by mike simpson / 30min 

Teachers For Social Justice: Register now to attend the 13th Annual TSJ Curriculum Fair!

Teachers For Social Justice: Register now to attend the 13th Annual TSJ Curriculum Fair!: Register now to attend the 13th Annual TSJ Curriculum Fair!SEPTEMBER 19, 2014 LEAVE A COMMENTTSJ Curriculum Fair Registration-NOW OPEN!Click here to register for the 13th annual TSJ Curriculum Fair-Saturday, November 22, 2014, 10:00 - 4:00 PM, at North-Grand HS, ChicagoIf you're interested in presenting a wor

by mike simpson / 34min 

It’s Time for “Disruptive Change” Within the Ranks of Charter School Profiteers | Life at the Intersections

It’s Time for “Disruptive Change” Within the Ranks of Charter School Profiteers | Life at the Intersections: IT’S TIME FOR “DISRUPTIVE CHANGE” WITHIN THE RANKS OF CHARTER SCHOOL PROFITEERSSEPTEMBER 18, 2014 BRETT DICKERSONLeaders in the corporate, hedge fund controlled, charter outfits love to use the phrase “disruptive change” as code for “we are taking over from those slow, stupid public school

by mike simpson / 38min 

Child Poverty Rate Falls Slightly But Poverty Still Casts a Long Shadow | janresseger

Child Poverty Rate Falls Slightly But Poverty Still Casts a Long Shadow | janresseger: Child Poverty Rate Falls Slightly But Poverty Still Casts a Long ShadowPosted on September 19, 2014 by janressegerEarlier this week the Census released data for 2013 showing that child poverty fell to approximately 20 percent.  Despite the slight improvement, one in five American children still lives below the f

by mike simpson / 42min 

Q&A with Dana Goldstein: How yesterday’s teacher wars explain today’s education battles | The Hechinger Report

Q&A with Dana Goldstein: How yesterday’s teacher wars explain today’s education battles | The Hechinger Report: Q&A with Dana Goldstein: How yesterday’s teacher wars explain today’s education battlesBy Alexandria NeasonOn the heels of a summer fraught with drama surrounding teachers and the policies that govern the schools where they work, education reporter Dana Goldstein offers a new loo

by mike simpson / 46min 

YESTERDAY

Report critical of charter school oversight | EdSource

Report critical of charter school oversight | EdSource: Report critical of charter school oversightSeptember 18, 2014 | By Susan Frey | No Comments SHARE THIS ARTICLEA lack of oversight of the nation’s charter schools has led to too many cases of fraud and abuse and too little attention to equity, according to a new report that offers recommendations to remedy the situation.The largest problems a

3 by mike simpson / 11h 

Can Today’s Tests Yield Instructionally Useful Data? |

Can Today’s Tests Yield Instructionally Useful Data? |: Can Today’s Tests Yield Instructionally Useful Data?The answer is no, or at best not yet.The answer is no, or at best not yet.Some heavy hitters in the academy just released an article that might be of interest to you all. In the article the authors discuss whether “today’s standardized achievement tests [actually] yield instructionally usefu

1 by mike simpson / 12h 

9-18-14 Jersey Jazzman - David Boies's Flim-Flam on Tenure

Jersey Jazzman: David Boies's Flim-Flam on TenureI suspect that celebrity lawyer David Boies -- recruited by celebrity education non-expert Campbell Brown to lead the fight against teacher tenure -- has begun to realize he can't possibly win his case against educator due process on the merits. So he's doing what all lawyers do when they find themselves with a dud of a case: obscuring the issue at

1 by mike simpson / 12h 

I was honored this past weekend (and I accidentally lied) | Crazy Crawfish's Blog

I was honored this past weekend (and I accidentally lied) | Crazy Crawfish's Blog: Crazy Crawfish's BlogZesty Louisiana Education PoliticsI was honored this past weekend (and I accidentally lied)Posted on September 18, 20140When I wrote my earlier post about simply attending the Rising Tide new media conference in New Orleans this past weekend I was really just planning to check it out and meet up

1 by mike simpson / 12h 

Nite Cap 9-18-14 #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT

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 CAP9-18-14 Schools MatterSchools Matter: Reprise: Re-Review of Paul Tough's Biggest HitWhen I looking this morning for the publication date of Paul Tough's neo-eugenics manifesto, How Children Succeed . . ., I saw that it is #1 at Amazon in the area

3 by mike simpson / 16h 

9-18-14 Schools Matter

Schools Matter: Reprise: Re-Review of Paul Tough's Biggest HitWhen I looking this morning for the publication date of Paul Tough's neo-eugenics manifesto, How Children Succeed . . ., I saw that it is #1 at Amazon in the area of Educational Psychology. I felt the need to re-post this review, which appeared first at Substance News.Paul Tough, KIPP, and the Character Con: A Review of How Children Suc

1 by mike simpson / 17h 

Surviving Incumbency – redqueeninla

Surviving Incumbency – redqueeninla: Surviving Incumbency In her new book, This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs the Climate, Naomi Klein discerns an irresolvable conflict of diametrically opposed interests. She characterizes capitalism as a driving force that fuels global warming with its inherent economic imperative for “…continuous growth and continuous depletion of resources, including finite

1 by mike simpson / 17h 

9-18-14 Wait What? - Malloy’s Fundraising Operation – “Offensive but not illegal”

Wait What?: The question IS NOT whether UConn has a major impact on Connecticut’s economyThe question IS NOT whether UConn has a major impact on Connecticut’s economy. An additional issue is whether voters fully understand how UConn spends its public funds.  For example, UConn uses student and public funds to subsidize the school’s big-time athletic programs to the tune of about $19 million a year

1 by mike simpson / 18h 

The Quick and the Ed » PROFICIENT IN ONE STATE MAY NOT MEAN PROFICIENT IN ANOTHER (NEVER MIND THE GLOBAL ECONOMY)

The Quick and the Ed » PROFICIENT IN ONE STATE MAY NOT MEAN PROFICIENT IN ANOTHER (NEVER MIND THE GLOBAL ECONOMY): PROFICIENT IN ONE STATE MAY NOT MEAN PROFICIENT IN ANOTHER (NEVER MIND THE GLOBAL ECONOMY) As public debate over the use of Common Core standards in U.S. schools gathers steam, parents and policymakers need to know more about current proficiency standards for reading, mathematics, and

1 by mike simpson / 18h 

The Answer Sheet 9-18-14

Answer Sheet: 19 states still allow corporal punishment in schoolWhile a national debate roils about professional athletes whacking kids, it seems useful to remember that 19 states still allow children to be hit in public school, sometimes to the point of bruising. A federal data analysis found that on average, one child is hit in public school every 30 seconds somewhere in the United […]4 by Vale

1 by mike simpson / 19h 

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Deasy didn't start L.A.'s school militarization, but he didn't end it either.

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Deasy didn't start L.A.'s school militarization, but he didn't end it either.: Deasy didn't start L.A.'s school militarization, but he didn't end it either.Fred KlonskyReaders have begun to ask me about LAUSD's acquisition of machine guns, grenade launchers and armored military vehicles and its connection with current embattled Supt. John Deasy. Deasy is already up t

1 by mike simpson / 20h 

New Video! The View from 3 Feet | National Opportunity to Learn Campaign | Education Reform for Equity and Opportunity

New Video! The View from 3 Feet | National Opportunity to Learn Campaign | Education Reform for Equity and Opportunity: New Video! The View from 3 FeetPosted on: Thursday September 18th, 2014What's the View Like From Three Feet?NEW VIDEO: Kids + Video Cameras = Why preschool matters.Ever wondered what the world looks like from a preschooler's point of view? Great news! We've got a new (and totally

1 by mike simpson / 20h 

‘The Teacher Wars’ Author Talks Race and Gender in American Education - COLORLINES

‘The Teacher Wars’ Author Talks Race and Gender in American Education - COLORLINES: ‘The Teacher Wars’ Author Talks Race and Gender in American EducationPhoto: Christopher Furlong/ Getty Images Newsby Miriam Zoila PérezShareThis | Print | CommentWednesday, September 17 2014, 9:45 AM ESTTags: education, education reform, Gender, race39326Journalist Dana Goldstein’s absorbing, ambitious first book,

1 by mike simpson / 20h 

9-18-14 Hemlock on the Rocks

Hemlock on the Rocks: The bad-old days at LAUSD - LA Timeshttp://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-lausd-utla-teachers-union-superintendent-dea-20140918-story.html?track=rss The bad-old days at LAUSD At L.A. Unified, tensions are high and crisis is in the air. The relationship between Supt. John Deasy and the school board that oversees him is at what is perhaps an all-time low. Deasy is aga

1 by mike simpson / 21h 

Strong Mayor? Why? Part 2 — The California Fix

Strong Mayor? Why? Part 2 — The California Fix: Strong Mayor? Why? Part 2September 18, 2014In the last post, I disposed of the claim that switching Sacramento to a strong-mayor system would make city government more efficient. Let’s look now at the oligarchs’ second argument: that strong-mayor cities are more responsive and accountable to voters.Unlike the first, this second argument is at least p

2 by mike simpson / 21h 

9-18-14 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: New report says iPad curriculum rarely usedMorning Read: New report says iPad curriculum rarely used New report on L.A. Unified’s iPads reflects problems with curriculum An evaluation of the iPads-for-all project in Los Angeles schools found that only 1 of 245 classrooms surveyed even used t

1 by mike simpson / 22h 

9-18-14 Curmudgucation - Another Call for a New Conversation

CURMUDGUCATION: Another Call for a New ConversationPatrick Riccards, of the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation and the Eduflack blog, has made a fairly reasonable addition to the burgeoning sub-genre of "We reformsters need to get a new conversation started, because we are losing the old one" posts. But this one is interesting."Seeking Collaboration Between Reformers, Edu

1 by mike simpson / 22h 

Children can’t eat test scores. Why school reform isn’t good enough. - The Washington Post

Children can’t eat test scores. Why school reform isn’t good enough. - The Washington Post: Children can’t eat test scores. Why school reform isn’t good enough.No, it is not "all about the kids." Education reformers are missing the point. To them, the only thing that matters is school quality and performance, and they’re right that those are crucial goals. But they are intermediate ones

1 by mike simpson / 22h 

9/18/2014 – What’s The Matter With Kansas Education Policy?

9/18/2014 – What’s The Matter With Kansas Education Policy?: 9/18/2014 – What’s The Matter With Kansas Education Policy?September 18, 2014 SubscribeTHIS WEEK: Americans Want Highly-Qualified Teachers … Teachers Find Greener Pastures … Schools Arming Up … High School Rankings Make No Sense … Student College Loan Debt Hits Elderly TooTOP STORYWhat’s The Matter With Kansas Education Policy?By Jeff Br

by mike simpson / 22h 

Charter School Law & Authorizer Practices Need Upgrades & Strengthening to Address Rapid Growth & Expansion (9/17/14) | Annenberg Institute for School Reform

Charter School Law & Authorizer Practices Need Upgrades & Strengthening to Address Rapid Growth & Expansion (9/17/14) | Annenberg Institute for School Reform: Charter School Law & Authorizer Practices Need Upgrades & Strengthening to Address Rapid Growth & Expansion (9/17/14)Tags: AISR NewsPublished on September 17, 2014Printer-friendly version CONTACT:Barbara GrossAISR Pri

1 by mike simpson / 23h 

9-18-14 Seattle Schools Community Forum

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Student Data Privacy: Where's Your Line?From Marketplace:Meet the most measured, monitored and data-mined students in the history of education.  Your children.How about this district in California, tracking every kid who uses social media.  From Tech Dirt:The Glendale School District in California is facing some backlash from the recent news that it has retained th

by mike simpson / 23h 

The Role of Public Schools in the NFL Scandal

The Role of Public Schools in the NFL Scandal: The Role of Public Schools in the NFL ScandalSEPTEMBER 18, 2014 BY NANCY BAILEY LEAVE A COMMENTThe NFL is in a tight spot right now. They don’t want to lose their talent and the dollars that might come with a championship. But they are in danger of losing their image. Domestic and child abuse are ugly topics, when they surface. They provoke intense em

by mike simpson / 23h 

Why Girls Get Better Grades Than Boys Do - The Atlantic

Why Girls Get Better Grades Than Boys Do - The Atlantic: Why Girls Get Better Grades Than Boys DoNew research shows that girls are ahead in every subject, including math and science. Do today's grading methods skew in their favor? As the new school year ramps up, teachers and parents need to be reminded of a well-kept secret: Across all grade levels and academic subjects, girls earn higher grades

1 by mike simpson / 23h 

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 9-18-14

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: Editorial: THE BAD OLD DAYS AT LAUSD …and 2¢ more or lessBy The LA Times Editorial Board |  http://lat.ms/1suH7jR LAUSD Supt. John Deasy delivers his address at the Superintendent's Annual Administrators Meeting held at Garfield High School. (Los Angeles Times) 18 Sept 2014  ::  At L.A. Unified, tensions are high and crisis is in the air. The relationsh

1 by mike simpson / 1d 

Cali Education Headlines 9-18-14

Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team | CSIS – California School Information Services: Education HeadlinesRichmond: District criticized for cost to house charter school for one yearWest Contra Costa school board members are taking heat for an April decision to spend $600,000 in voter-approved construction bond funds to place a charter school in a location that will only be available for o

1 by mike simpson / 1d 

solidaridad: PCL: Legal Rights of Linguistic Minorities

solidaridad: PCL: Legal Rights of Linguistic Minorities: PCL: Legal Rights of Linguistic MinoritiesFirst submitted September 13, 2014 to Peoples College of Law"We therefore live in a period where the prevailing Zeitgeist is at least receptive to the notion that we do not have to be identical ethnically or linguistically." — Dr. Fernand de VarennesIn an era where right-wing millionairesus

1 by mike simpson / 1d 

Morning Wink 9-18-14 AM Posts #edchat #edreform

BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTSLISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 9-18-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for allDiane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Join The Network for Public Education for Our Historic Event: Public Education Nation!Join The Network for Public Education for Our Historic Event: Public Education Nation!The Network for Public

3 by mike simpson / 1d 

2nd Banana 9-13-14 Recap of Last Week's Best Post

2nd Banana 9-6-14 Recap of Last Week's Best Post

2nd Banana 8-30-14 Recap of Last Week's Best Post

2nd Banana 8-23-14 Recap of Last Week's Best Post

2nd Banana 8-16-14 Recap of Last Week's Best Post

2nd Banana 8-9-14 Recap of Last Week's Best Post 

Nite Cap 9-18-14

Nite Cap 9-17-14

Nite Cap 9-16-14

Nite Cap 9-15-14

Nite Cap 9-14-14

Nite Cap 9-13-14

Nite Cap 9-12-14

Nite Cap 9-11-14

Nite Cap 9-10-14

Nite Cap 9-9-14

Nite Cap 9-8-14

Nite Cap 9-7-14

Nite Cap 9-6-14

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 9-19-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

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

A live-stream of the event will be available on Saturday, Oct. 11, starting at Noon Eastern time, (9 am Pacific time) at  http://www.schoolhouselive.org.

WE ARE MANY. THERE IS POWER IN OUR NUMBERS. TOGETHER WE WILL SAVE OUR SCHOOLS.

Breaking News: San Diego Schools Will Return Armored Vehicle to Military

San Diego’s Superintendent of Schools Cindy Marten announced that the district would return the armored vehicle that the Pentagon had given the district. “Superintendent Cindy Marten announced the decision in a statement Thursday night. “Some members of our community are not comfortable with the district having this vehicle,” Marten said. “If any part of our community is not comfortable with it,

8 by dianeravitch / 34min 

Breaking News: N.C. Court of Appeals OKs Vouchers While Appeals Considered

The North Carolina Policy Watch reports on the latest turn in the battle over vouchers, which were declared unconstitutional in August by a Supreme Court judge. “The N.C. Court of Appeals ruled today that the 1,878 students who have already been granted school vouchers can now use those taxpayer dollars at private schools while the fate of the program is decided. “Students enrolled at private sch

by dianeravitch / 4min 

Florida’s Biggest Districts Call for Suspension of High-Stakes Testing

The Greater Florida Consortium of School Boards unanimously passed a resolution calling for a suspension of high-stakes testing. “The Greater Florida Consortium of School Boards is comprised of 11 of Florida’s coastal school districts — Collier, Lee, Broward, Miami-Dade, Palm Beach, Monroe, Charlotte, Sarasota, Pinellas, Indian River and St. Lucie. Together, the districts represent more than 42 p

4 by dianeravitch / 17min 

Marc Tucker Picks a Quarrel Where None Exists

On September 4, I posted two things about Marc Tucker’s latest accountability proposals. One was a brief summary of his ideas. I was especially impressed by the point he made that no other advanced nation tests as much as we do. The second was a critique of Tucker’s accountability plan by Anthony Cody. Cody wrote the following: ““We need to learn (and teach) the real lesson of NCLB – and now th

3 by dianeravitch / 4min 

Peter Greene Defends Carol Burris Against Low Blows from Edpost

Peter Greene was offended by the graceless attack on Carol Burris, published by billionaire-funded Edpost, which loudly proclaimed its intention to elevate the tone of the discussion, and now this. Burris is a respected principal in New York, admired by her peers as an inspirational leader. Yet here is a woman who worked at the U.S. Department of Education on Arne Duncan’s team, with nerve enough

by dianeravitch / 16min 

Mercedes Schneider Flays a CCSS Supporter Who Challenged Carol Burris

A warning to the world: If you try to make the case for the Common Core Standards, and your evidence is flawed or non-existent, you will be called out by Mercedes Schneider.Here’s the thing: If you plan to go into the ring with Mercedes Schneider, you better be fully prepared. In this case, someone named Ann Whalen, who is a former assistant to Arne Duncan decided she would attack Carol Burris for

1 by dianeravitch / 11min 

A Teacher in Los Angeles Has a Message for Karen Klein, Editorial Writer of the LA Times

As a general rule, to which I have never seen an exception, classroom teachers know more about what is happening in the schools than editorial writers and pundits.   Yesterday, the Los Angeles Times published an editorial chastising critics of Superintendent John Deasy and accusing them of wanting to go back to the “good old days” when the teachers’ union–United Teachers of Los Angeles (UTLA)—had

9 by dianeravitch / 43min 

Carol Burris: What I Learned at “The Great Debate” about Common Core

Carol Burris was the only actual on-the-ground educator to participate in the Intelligence Squared debate about Common Core. Unlike the other three debaters, Burris is principal of a high school. She is also a crack researcher, who has published and done research on education issues. She recently wrote in Valerie Strauss’s Answer Sheet blog about the four big “Flim-Flams” at the heart of the claim

3 by dianeravitch / 33min 

Mercedes Schneider Reviews “The Great Debate” About Common Core

Mercedes Schneider here reviews half of the Great Debate about Common Core sponsored by Intelligence Squared and titled “Embrace the Common Core.” The half that she reviews is the side that favored Common Core: Mike Petrilli of the conservative Thomas B. Fordham Institute and Carmel Martin, former Obama administration official, now at the Center for American Progress. Schneider spent the summer w

1 by dianeravitch / 53min hide  //  save

Harper’s: Why Doesn’t PBS Care About the Assault on Public Education?

Ken Previti alerted me to the appearance of this story in Harper’s, called “PBS Self-Destructs.” Unfortunately, the article is behind a paywall, so you will either have to subscribe or run out and buy a copy. Aside from Bill Moyers, PBS has paid little attention to the astonishing, destructive, breath-taking assaults on the very principle of public education. Nor, with the exception of an occasion

8 by dianeravitch / 1h 

WOW! Punk Rock Education Style!

WOW! Read this! The revolution is beginning. The reformers are in trouble. People are waking up and catching on. “Dad Gone Wild” writes about how he loved Punk Rock. He thought he was the only one. No one understood. That was back in 1977. Now he found himself wondering about education reform. It didn’t feel right to him. He started looking, and he discovered he was not alone. He writes: “Then

18 by dianeravitch / 2h 

YESTERDAY

New York Takes First Step Towards Assessing the Arts

New York’s State Education Department never runs out of bad ideas. It announced the creation of an arts advisory panel to begin planning for assessments of the arts. Of course, these assessments would determine whether students are “college-and career-ready.” In the future, arts teachers will learn how to teach to the state test instead of teaching the discipline that unleashes creativity and imag

200+ by dianeravitch / 8h 

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 9-18-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Join The Network for Public Education for Our Historic Event: Public Education Nation!Join The Network for Public Education for Our Historic Event: Public Education Nation!The Network for Public Education will hold a major event on October 11 in New York City called “Public Education Nation.” This is not to be confused with NBC’s a

1 by mike simpson / 8h 

9-19-14 Ed Notes Online

Ed Notes Online:

Girls Prep Charter Takes Kids Not Picked Up on Time to Local Precinct, Threatens Parents with Administration of Childrens Services

Girls Prep has figured out a way to start the school to prison pipeline in pre-k. Children first in the world of charters.

1 by ed notes online / 47min 

On Democratic Centralism (Loyalty Oaths?) - From Trotsky to Shanker and Others

(Albert Shanker mentor) Max Shachtman (/ˈʃɑːktmən/; September 10, 1904 – November 4, 1972) was an American Marxist theorist. He evolved from being an associate of Leon Trotsky to a social democrat and mentor of senior assistants to AFL-CIO President George Meany.... Wikipedia Democracy and centralism do not at all find themselves in an invariable ratio to one another.... Leon TrotskyI wrote some c

1 by ed notes online / 2h 

9-18-14 Ed Notes Online

Ed Notes Online: UFT Caucuses and Loyalty Oaths - How About a UFT Cut-the-Strings, Free-the-Puppets Caucus?Arthur Goldstein has another assault on Unity Caucus at NYC Educator (How About a UFT Cut-the-Strings, Free-the-Puppets Caucus?)Arthur is often focused on the Unity Caucus loyalty oath. I believe this is the wrong terminology. Unity Caucus follows democratic centralism, a staple of the left s

1 by mike simpson / 8h 

9-19-14 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.:

Swiffers. My days as a custodian.

I just finished reading Ben’s Reader article about the janitorial scandal at CPS. It seems that to cut costs and make more profit, Aramark took away mops from custodians and gave them Swiffers. Mopping is a two-step process. You soap mop to clean. And then you rinse. Swiffers are those things you buy at Target. They have disposable pads. It’s a one-step deal. It saves time. Let’s get real, though

1 by Fred Klonsky / 11min 

I get comments.

Fred, That “Illinois public employee pension is less than $25,000 a year” statement is a bit misleading and low by most independent analyses. It includes folks who retired decades ago at salaries far lower than folks retiring recently. It also includes folks who didn’t spend their entire careers in the public sector, perhaps less than 5 years, thus have other retirement income coming in outside of

by Fred Klonsky / 19min 

Kiss of death.

by Fred Klonsky / 0min 

Highland teachers end historic strike.

  Highland teacher and mother Teryn Hoppes and her son Logan attend a prayer vigil in Higland’s downtown square before voting on a new contract. Thursday Highland union members voted to end their week-long historic strike, the first in the district’s history. After voting down a contract offer several days ago, members voted 150-2 to accept a contract recommend by their bargaining team. News-Demo

by Fred Klonsky / 7:57 AM UTC-7 

George Wallace High School.

Rahm says that he is not going to name the new selective admission high school after President Obama after all. Naming things after politicians is a big deal in Chicago. They recently named the traffic-clogged circle interchange after former mayor Jane Byrne. And Balbo Street is named after an Italian fascist who flew a plane to the opening of the World’s Fair. Technically Balbo wasn’t a politici

2 by Fred Klonsky / 1h 

9-18-14 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.: Principal Troy LaRaviere on Chicago school policy. The public loses out and private corporations profit.Blaine Principal Troy LaRaviere discusses how the scandal around school custodians and Aramark is bigger than rats, roaches and clean classrooms, as if that isn’t enough. He explains how, across the

1 by mike simpson / 8h