Latest News and Comment from Education

Show All

Thursday, September 25, 2014

Shock Poll: 56% of Tennessee Teachers Want to Abandon Common Core | Truth in American Education

Shock Poll: 56% of Tennessee Teachers Want to Abandon Common Core | Truth in American Education:



Shock Poll: 56% of Tennessee Teachers Want to Abandon Common Core

Filed in Common Core State Standards, Education at State Level by  on September 25, 2014 •0 Comments
1379075975000-Tennessee-FlagThe Tennessean reports that a majority of teachers now oppose the Common Core State Standards.
I’m sure that’s just because of misconceptions they have right?
I mean really how will Fordham and other advocates spin this?
We are not talking a small number of teachers surveyed either.
27,000 teachers were polled by the Tennessee Consortium on Research, Evaluation and Development.
56% of those teachers want to totally abandon the standards.  13% want to delay them.  Only 31% of teachers surveyed want to continue on course.
This should send a clear signal to the Tennessee Legislature and Governor Bill Haslam that it is time to repeal the Common Core.  Parents and now teachers are speaking very clearly.  Either you side with your constituents or you side with big business.
You may also like:
Jindal Blasts Common Core at Republican Leadership Conference
Update: Common Core Replacement Bill Passes North Carolina House
MA School Superintendent: We are at a pivotal juncture in this country with respect to education
Oklahoma Did Repeal Common Core, But We Must Remain Vigilant
Karen Lamoreaux Discussing Common Core With Glenn Beck
Common Core Symposium in Ottawa, IL This Friday

About the Author ()

Shane Vander Hart is the Editor-in-Chief of Caffeinated Thoughts, a popular Christian conservative blog in Iowa. He is also the President of 4:15 Communications, a social media & communications consulting/management firm, along with serving as the communications director for American Principles Project’s Preserve Innocence Initiative.  Prior to this Shane spent 20 years in youth ministry serving in church, parachurch, and school settings.  He has taught Jr. High History along with being the Dean of Students for Christian school in Indiana.  Shane and his wife home school their three teenage children and have done so since the beginning.   He has recently been recognized by Campaigns & Elections Magazine as one of the top political influencers in Iowa. Shane and his family reside near Des Moines, IA.  You can connect with Shane on Facebook, follow him on Twitter or connect with him onGoogle +.
Posted by at

Robert Shireman’s Continuing Efforts To Influence Education Policy | CREW | Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington

Robert Shireman’s Continuing Efforts To Influence Education Policy | CREW | Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington:



Robert Shireman’s Continuing Efforts To Influence Education Policy



By Anne Weismann

EducationRobert Shireman, former Deputy Undersecretary of Education, left the government under a cloud, and still faces an Inspector General investigation into whether he violated ethics laws by discussing sensitive government information about a pending and hotly contested negotiated rulemaking proceeding with an outside organization he founded, The Institute for College Access and Success (TICAS), and for which he served as president just prior to his tenure at Education. Other questions have emerged about the terms of a sweetheart deal Mr. Shireman made with Education to stay on as a paid advisor while still retaining all of his federal benefits. Mr. Shireman has now returned to the non-profit sector as the executive director of California Competes, but Education documents recently disclosed to CREW in response to a Freedom of Information Act request reveal that Shireman and TICAS are continuing their efforts to influence Education policy.
CREW’s FOIA request sought, in part, records from January 1, 2013 through the present related to Mr. Shireman and TICAS. Many of the hundreds of responsive documents Education provided are heavily redacted. But there are more than 80 pages of emails sent to, from, or including Mr. Shireman and Education officials. They suggest Education officials have – appropriately – become more cautious in their dealings with Mr. Shireman. In response to one request by Mr. Shireman for information, an Education official noted she could not give it out without a FOIA request. Mr. Shireman pushed back, apparently not used to having his requests for inside information from Education turned down.
Hundreds of other emails reveal TICAS officials are continuing to weigh in on Education policy, most recently on the Pell Grant and student loan programs, and to push for advance notice of when data will be publicly disclosed. Apparently TICAS continues to believe even without Mr. Shireman at the helm at Education, it has an inside track.
All of this may just be how Washington works, with an ever-present revolving door. But the fact that Education’s Inspector General continues to probe Mr. Shireman’s contacts with outside groups while at the agency, contacts that appear to have involved the sharing of confidential government information, provides reason for optimism that in the end, Mr. Shireman will be held accountable for his actions.
Posted by at

Venture Capitalists Are Poised to ‘Disrupt’ Everything About the Education Market | The Nation

Venture Capitalists Are Poised to ‘Disrupt’ Everything About the Education Market | The Nation:

Venture Capitalists Are Poised to ‘Disrupt’ Everything About the Education Market

Venture capitalists and for-profit firms are salivating over the exploding $788.7 billion market in K-12 education. What does this mean for public school students?




 In his book, Finding the Next Starbucks: How to Identify and Invest in the Hot Stocks of Tomorrow, Michael Moe, describes how carefully crafted business strategies have transformed markets to create huge profits in unlikely sectors. The title relates to how Starbucks became a global corporation of almost $15 billion in revenue by capturing and streamlining the café experience. Moe, a former director at Merrill Lynch, wrote that at one point in the United States, even healthcare was an undesirable and difficult industry for investment, and that bankers once worried if profit-making in such a realm was worth their effort. In 1970, healthcare spending comprised 8 percent of GDP, yet market capitalization in healthcare stood at less than 3 percent. That shifted quickly not only as the boomer generation aged, but as a wave of privatization hit hospitals, insurers, and other segments of the healthcare system. More than thirty years later, Moe wrote, healthcare companies are among the largest in the world, and represent more than 16 percent of US capital markets. “We see the education industry today as the healthcare industry of 30 years ago,” Moe predicted.

That book came out eight years ago, before the current wave of education investing, when the prospect for growth seemed dim. Unlike in healthcare, energy and other areas of the economy that have moved from public to private hands, K-through-12 education has stubbornly remained largely out of the control of investors.
Next year, the market size of K-12 education is projected to be $788.7 billion. And currently, much of that money is spent in the public sector. “It’s really the last honeypot for Wall Street,” says Donald Cohen, the executive director of In the Public Interest, a think tank that tracks the privatization of roads, prisons, schools and other parts of the economy.
That might be changing soon as barriers to investment are rapidly fading. As Eric Hippeau, a partner with Lerer Ventures, the venture capital firm behind viral entertainment company BuzzFeed and several education start-ups, has argued, despite the opposition of “unions, public school bureaucracies, and parents,” the “education market is ripe for disruption.”
Hippeau’s vision is the growing sentiment among investors. Education technology firms secured a record $1.25 billion in investments across 378 deals in 2013, while analysts predict that number will continue to surge this year. Since 2010, Moe has led what has been billed as the premiere education investment conference, which takes place annually in Scottsdale, Arizona. The first year attracted around 370 people and 55 presenting companies. This year, that number soared to over 2,000 with over 290 presenting companies and speeches by luminaries including former Governor Jeb Bush, Magic Johnson and Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker. One of the largest start-ups, a Herndon, Virginia–based company called K12 Inc., a for-profit largely online charter chain, posted nearly $1 billion in annual revenue for its last fiscal year in August.
Many are attempting to duplicate that success. “There’s a dramatic shift in how investors are Venture Capitalists Are Poised to ‘Disrupt’ Everything About the Education Market | The Nation:
Posted by at

9-25-14 All NEW Living in Dialogue - A Response to Marc Tucker: Can We Win the Struggle For Democracy When Big Money Writes Public Education Policy?

Home - Living in Dialogue:











A Response to Marc Tucker: Can We Win the Struggle For Democracy When Big Money Writes Public Education Policy?
By Denny Taylor. I have read with interest the dialogue between Marc Tucker, Diane Ravitch, Anthony Cody, and Yong Zhao on the establishment of an American test-based public education accountability system. Forty years of research on the impact of political structures on social systems,[1], [2] in particular public education,[3] leads me to categorize Marc Tucker’s rhetoric as nothing more than po
6 by Anthony Cody / 2h hide  //  save
Jefferson County Students and Teachers Protest Revised American History Curriculum
By Paula Noonan. Both the last straw and the straw that broke the camel’s back dropped onto Jefferson County Schools on the night of September 18 at the Jefferson County Schools Board Meeting. The next morning 50 Jefferson County teachers, unable to carry any straws anymore, called in sick or took personal leave. Parents, teachers, citizens turned to twitter to share the new history content. The B
14 by Anthony Cody / 2h 
9-23-14 All NEW Living in Dialogue - Are the New Reform Cops the Same as the Old Cops?
Home - Living in Dialogue: Are the New Reform Cops the Same as the Old Cops?By John Thompson. The old test-driven, accountability-driven school reform movement is overextended, cut off, and heading for a catastrophic defeat – and they know it. That is why some of its most zealous crusaders are doubling down on anti-teacher legal campaigns. This is the accountability hawks’ last chance to prove tha
1 by mike simpson / 19h 




Posted by at

9-25-14 Curmudgucation - The Financial Fantasies of Choice

CURMUDGUCATION:







The Financial Fantasies of Choice
(Originally posted at View from the Cheap Seats) Proponents of choice systems, whether they're talking about charters or vouchers, depend on certain financial fictions to make their case. Like beach-bound vampires wearing SPF 110 sunscreen, these robust and rigorous fictions just won't die. Let's examine some of these dancing unicorns of the choice world.System SavingsIn the 1960s, Pennsylvania st
1 by Peter Greene / 4min hide  //  save
Secrets
Secrets are rarely a good thing. Sure, there can be secret treasure maps and secrets of hidden temples, but mostly, secrets are bad news.I'm not talking about simply postponing information for a bit, like hiding a surprise birthday party until it's time. And I'm not talking about confidentiality, which is all about not telling people a story that is not your to tell. I'm not even talking about pri
1 by Peter Greene / 4min 
9-24-14 Curmudgucation - Reforming Accountability: Does CRPE Have Something New To Say?
CURMUDGUCATION: Reforming Accountability: Does CRPE Have Something New To Say?News comes this morning of yet another initiative, this one aimed squarely at school accountability. Or as Michael Petrilli put it on twitter, "Not just a change in tone."It's the Center on Reinventing Public Education (and why couldn't they be reinventing Excellent public education, because then they would be
by mike simpson / 26min 




Posted by at

9-25-14 Cali Education Headlines

Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team | CSIS – California School Information Services:



Stop The Power GrabStop The Power Grab Sacramento - Vote No on Measure L http://bit.ly/1p9x4o7


Education Headlines


Note: FCMAT provides links to California K-12 news stories as a service to the industry. However, some stories may not be accessible because of newspapers' subscription policies.
Posted by at

9-25-14 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):





Report on Hispanic children finds ‘complex picture’
Report on Hispanic children finds ‘complex picture’ A new report from Child Trends took a close look at Hispanic children in America and found a “complex picture.” The 35-page report examined all facets of the lives of Hispanic children, including education, and said some of its findings are “familiar while others are less well-known.” Overall, while Hispanic students have made significant gains o
2 by Craig Clough / 9min 



LA Unified receives $13 million to help expose students to college
LA Unified receives $13 million to help expose students to college LA Unified has won a $13 million federal grant intended to expose low-income students to college. The grant will span over seven years and benefit 2,000 students currently in the sixth- and seventh-grades, according to City News Service. The schools involved in the grant are Berendo Middle School, the Helen Bernstein Complex, Le Co
4 by Craig Clough / 30min 

Closed LAUSD board session grew out of request by Ratliff
Closed LAUSD board session grew out of request by Ratliff Monica Ratliff, LA Unified board member representing district 6 The LA Unified school board’s sudden decision to hold a closed door session next week grew out of a Sept. 17 email request from Monica Ratliff to Board President Richard Vladovic, in which she expressed her desire to “discuss the current personell (sic) matter.” The reference
3 by Michael Janofsky / 14min 


4 LAUSD elementary schools in pilot to improve safety for kids
4 LAUSD elementary schools in pilot to improve safety for kids City Attorney Mike Feuer Getting safely to and from school can be tricky in a rough neighborhood. To make it easier, City Attorney Mike Feuer launched a pilot program earlier this month at four LA Unified elementary schools, aimed at keeping kids safe. The Neighborhood School Safety Program targets schools in areas with high “quality o
3 by Vanessa Romo / 11:48 AM UTC-7 hide  //  save
UTLA plans ‘Big Red Tuesday’ and monthly ‘escalating actions’
UTLA plans ‘Big Red Tuesday’ and monthly ‘escalating actions’ As part of a plan to increase pressure on LA Unified as it negotiates for a new contract, United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) is planning monthly “actions” to take place on campuses around the district. In preparation for the actions, which are to begin in October, UTLA is dubbing Tuesday, Sept. 30 as “Big Red Tuesday,” when union member
2 by Craig Clough / 59min 
Morning Read: Common Core tests shaped by crowd-sourcing
Morning Read: Common Core tests shaped by crowd-sourcing Volunteers can help frame Common Core tests Teachers and others from California have until Friday to sign up for a crowd-sourcing exercise that will help determine how questions will be scored on the new Common Core tests students will take next spring. Edsource L.A. school board to meet Tuesday; likely to discuss Deasy’s future The Los Ang
2 2h 
9-24-14 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): Winding path to teaching leads Garfield teacher to Yale awardWinding path to teaching leads Garfield teacher to Yale award Garfield Senior High School teacher Kevin Murchie As a boy, Kevin Murchie saw the award-winning film “Stand and Deliver,” the true story of Jaime Escalante, the Garfield Senior High m
1 by mike simpson / 21h 


Posted by at

Marie Corfield: NEA President Lily Eskelsen Garcia has no time to be patient – Part III

Marie Corfield: NEA President Lily Eskelsen Garcia has no time to be patient – Part III:



NEA President Lily Eskelsen Garcia has no time to be patient – Part III

'Absurd' 'Idiotic' 'Toxic' 'Voodoo' 'Abusive'
These are all words NEA President Lily Eskelsen Garcia used to describe education 'reform'—particularly standardized testing—in her recent 90-minute meeting with NJ ed bloggers, and quite frankly, they were music to my ears. I've been waiting for the NEA leadership to draw a hard line in the sand.

Part I of this series focused on the devastating effects of high-stakes testing on special needs children, and how edu-preneurs—21st century carpetbaggers—are profiting from the testing boom. 

Part II focused on the ways billionaires and their 'charities' are controlling the media to push out their messaging to an uninformed public.

Part III's focus is on Lily's visits to two very different New Jersey schools, and how NEA—and all its members—must fight back against destructive education 'reform'.

As with the two previous posts, unless otherwise indicated, Lily's quotes are in red.

A tale of two cities

Credit: REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
Photo courtesy of actionplusrealty.com
In her tour of New Jersey, Lily stopped at two schools: Pyne Poynt Middle School in Camden, which shares a building with the co-located Mastery Charter School, and West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional High School. The median household income in West Windsor is $147,234, with only 2.5% of its residents living below the poverty level, while Camden's median household income is $25,681 (no, that's not a typo), and 45% of its residents live below the poverty level. Two years ago the state swooped in, took over the school district, and appointed as superintendent in the 'Most Dangerous City in America' a 32-year-old former New York City school system Marie Corfield: NEA President Lily Eskelsen Garcia has no time to be patient – Part III:
Posted by at

9-25-14 Jersey Jazzman - How To Counter Silly Arguments About the NJEA Convention: A Teacher's Guide

Jersey Jazzman:







How To Counter Silly Arguments About the NJEA Convention: A Teacher's Guide
We're fast approaching early November, which means the New Jersey Education Association's annual convention will be here soon. And that means the foolish arguments against the convention will also be upon us.Chris Christie once said that if teachers "cared about learning," they "would not be down there in Atlantic City having a party — because that’s what it is." Of course, his
9 by Duke / 43min 


9-22-14 Jersey Jazzman - Everything Wrong With Education "Reform" Is In York, PA
Jersey Jazzman: Everything Wrong With Education "Reform" Is In York, PAWhen I was on Rick Smith's show the other day, kvetching about Chris Christie's education "policies" (it's the whole reason Rick has me on the show), he brought up a really good point:As bad as Chris Christie has been for New Jersey's schools, Tom Corbett has been far, far worse for Pennsylvania's.Under Corb
1 by mike simpson / 10h 


Posted by at

The Heart of Darkness, Indeed! | Bill Ayers

The Heart of Darkness, Indeed! | Bill Ayers:



The Heart of Darkness, Indeed!



President Obama “issued a fervent call to arms” at the UN yesterday, according to the New York Times, as he “charted a muscular new course for the [US] in a turbulent world.”

Oy! That doesn’t sound good.

And it gets worse: “Russian aggression in Europe recalls the days when large nations trampled small ones in pursuit of territorial ambition.”

Recalls the days? It sounds like ancient history unless you replay the entire American experience up through yesterday, or turn your attention to Israel’s brutal assault on the people of Palestine. (Incidentally, this is difficult to keep straight: is Israel still a US client, or has the US become Israel’s miserable but smiling lap dog?)

President Obama reaches further: The brutality of the terrorists “forces us to look into the heart of darkness.”

He’s gone completely off the rails here, and I suggest he reread the Heart of Darkness and dig a little deeper into its significance then as well as its meaning for us today.

Marlowe observes at the outset the fierce reality of imperial conquest: “They grabbed what they could get for the sake of what was to be got. It The Heart of Darkness, Indeed! | Bill Ayers:
Posted by at
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)