Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 4/27/15 #‎NPEChicago‬

Special Nite Cap - Catch Up on Today's Post 4/27/15

Special Nite Cap 

CORPORATE ED REFORM

Charter School Operators Charged with Interfering with, Coercing Employees Seeking to Form Union - California Teachers Association

Charter School Operators Charged with Interfering with, Coercing Employees Seeking to Form Union - California Teachers Association: CHARTER SCHOOL OPERATORS CHARGED WITH INTERFERING WITH, COERCING EMPLOYEES SEEKING TO FORM UNION(Photo above) Flanked by charter school teachers and other supporters, Assemblymember Roger Hernandez (at podium) talks to reporters during a recent Capitol news conference

2 by mike simpson / 12min 

Enron Billionaire Arnold Has A Problem with Librarians' Pensions

Enron Billionaire Arnold Has A Problem with Librarians' PensionsFormer Enron trader and hedge fund billionaire John Arnold is launching a multimillion dollar national PR campaign attacking the hard-earned pensions of public sector workers. Arnold has already quietly poured tens of millions of dollars into his efforts to persuade politicians to reduce middle class retirement security and now it loo

1 by mike simpson / 1h 

BATs, TNTs, and Others, Oh My |

BATs, TNTs, and Others, Oh My |: BATs, TNTs, and Others, Oh My One of the most powerful benefits of blogging, in my opinion, is that I am able to connect with people from all over the country, who may have different backgrounds, but who share in the common mission to improve the field of education. I am honored to join a growing community of concerned citizens, parents, teachers, principals, schol

1 by mike simpson / 1h 

Midnight in the Opt Out Movement: The Hanging Tree – Testing Games – Part 5 | Welcome to the Testing Games

Midnight in the Opt Out Movement: The Hanging Tree – Testing Games – Part 5 | Welcome to the Testing Games: Midnight in the Opt Out Movement: The Hanging Tree – Testing Games – Part 5THE PROPOSAL“Are you, are you, coming to the tree?”Chilling. These words, from Jennifer Lawrence’s rebel ballad in The Hunger Games, have burned themselves deeply into this school teacher’s psyche. But why?You may rem

1 by mike simpson / 2h 

A Letter to Non-Union Teachers in Wisconsin | Young Teachers Collective

A Letter to Non-Union Teachers in Wisconsin | Young Teachers Collective: A Letter to Non-Union Teachers in Wisconsin Dear Non-Union Teachers in Wisconsin,Let me start by introducing myself. I’m Hallie, a 27-year old, fifth year teacher in South Milwaukee, WI. I am certified to teach math, special education, and alternative education.  I currently teach in a unique program that is dedicated to meet

1 by mike simpson / 2h 

Charter schools and “churn and burn”: How they’re trying to hold on to teachers by making them happier

Charter schools and “churn and burn”: How they’re trying to hold on to teachers by making them happier: Charter Schools’ Latest Innovation: Keeping Teachers HappyEighty- and 90-hour work weeks are all too familiar to some charter school teachers. NEW ORLEANS—One Wednesday afternoon last fall, teachers at Success Preparatory Academy gathered for a professional-development session on an unlikely sub

3 by mike simpson / 3h 

California Mulls NCLB Tutoring Waiver - Politics K-12 - Education Week

California Mulls NCLB Tutoring Waiver - Politics K-12 - Education Week: California Mulls NCLB Tutoring Waiver California may be one of just eight states without a statewide waiver from provision of the No Child Left Behind Act. But districts could get relief from one of the most onerous pieces of the NCLB law anyway, if the feds give the Golden State the green light on what may be its next ask: al

1 by mike simpson / 4h 

solidaridad: LAUSD District 5: Money, education and the school board race! On KPFK's Politics or Pedagogy? with John Cromshow

solidaridad: LAUSD District 5: Money, education and the school board race! On KPFK's Politics or Pedagogy? with John Cromshow: LAUSD District 5: Money, education and the school board race! On KPFK's Politics or Pedagogy? with John CromshowFeaturing an analysis of education, policy and practice affecting our public schools.KPFK 90.7 FMKPFK's Politics or Pedagogy? with John CromshowTuesday, April 28

3 by mike simpson / 4h 

Why calling school reform ‘corporate reform’ is an insult to corporate reform - The Washington Post

Why calling school reform ‘corporate reform’ is an insult to corporate reform - The Washington Post: Why calling school reform ‘corporate reform’ is an insult to corporate reform School reform in the age of No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top has for years been referred to by critics as “corporate reform.” Why? Because many school reformers seek to privatize the public education system, and t

1 by mike simpson / 4h 

Rejecting city argument, judge rules that school leadership meetings are public | Chalkbeat

Rejecting city argument, judge rules that school leadership meetings are public | Chalkbeat: Rejecting city argument, judge rules that school leadership meetings are publicPublic Advocate Letitia James (center) and parent advocate Leonie Haimson (right), seen here in 2013, joined a lawsuit to make school leadership team meetings open to the public.Schools cannot bar members of the public from atte

1 by mike simpson / 5h 

Time to Stop the CREDO-Worship? | National Education Policy Center

Time to Stop the CREDO-Worship? | National Education Policy Center: Time to Stop the CREDO-Worship?New review explains CREDO charter school research flaws,raises concerns about misunderstandings of effect sizes BOULDER, CO (April 27, 2015) – A recent report contends charter schools generally helped students increase reading and math scores and that urban charters had an even stronger positive effe

3 by mike simpson / 6h 

In Past Decade, Funding Gap Between Rich and Poor Schools Grew 44 Percent | National Opportunity to Learn Campaign | Education Reform for Equity and Opportunity

In Past Decade, Funding Gap Between Rich and Poor Schools Grew 44 Percent | National Opportunity to Learn Campaign | Education Reform for Equity and Opportunity: In Past Decade, Funding Gap Between Rich and Poor Schools Grew 44 PercentPosted on: Friday April 10th, 2015Map showing gap increase via The Hechinger ReportRich schools are getting richer, and poor schools are getting poorer. That's the g

1 by mike simpson / 6h 

Poll hints of political train wreck over Common Core :: SI&A Cabinet Report

Poll hints of political train wreck over Common Core :: SI&A Cabinet Report :: The Essential Resource for Superintendents and the Cabinet: Poll hints of political train wreck over Common Coreby Tom Chorneau(Calif.) If it was big news last week that most parents know nothing about new K-12 testing aligned to the Common Core, consider the headlines later this summer when the results come back an

1 by mike simpson / 6h 

Meet Shanna Peeples, 2015 National Teacher of the Year - NEA Today

Meet Shanna Peeples, 2015 National Teacher of the Year - NEA Today: Meet Shanna Peeples, 2015 National Teacher of the YearBY TIM WALKERShanna Peeples, a high school English teacher from Amarillo, Texas, was named the 2015 National Teacher of the Year on Monday morning  by the Council of Chief School State Officers (CCSSO).  Peeples teaches AP English at Palo Duro High School and serves as the Engl

1 by mike simpson / 6h 

Poverty and The Early Childhood Educator: My Story | Voices from the Classroom

Poverty and The Early Childhood Educator: My Story | Voices from the Classroom: Poverty and The Early Childhood Educator: My Story Ed. note: today’s post is the first in a week-long series of blog posts on the early childhood education work force – a series we are running in honor of Worthy Wage Day, which we celebrate this year on Friday, May 1.We attribute many stereotypes to “those in need”: jo

3 by mike simpson / 7h 

Uncut: Raw Live Stream Footage From The Network For Public Education National Conference More Archival Footage To Come!

Schoolhouse Live: UNCUT: RAW LIVE STREAM FOOTAGE FROMTHE NETWORK FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION NATIONAL CONFERENCEMORE ARCHIVAL FOOTAGE TO COME!Watch live streaming video from schoolhouselive at livestream.comThank You Vincent PrechtI am a teacher, writer, filmmaker and live streamer. I have produced live stream events for United Opt Out featuring addresses by Diane Ravitch and Karen Lewis and am making a

7 by mike simpson / 7h 

California Parent Thanks Leonie Haimson | Diane Ravitch's blog

California Parent Thanks Leonie Haimson | Diane Ravitch's blog: California Parent Thanks Leonie Haimson Leonie Haimson is a national treasure. She founded a group called Class Size Matters, which advocates for reduced class size. She is an unpaid worker for kids in Néw York and across the nation. She is also an expert on data-mining and student privacy. Through her research and testimony, she info

1 by mike simpson / 8h 

Hedge Fund Managers Tackle Unions over Charter Schools | Institutional Investor

Hedge Fund Managers Tackle Unions over Charter Schools | Institutional Investor:Read more at Hedge Fund Managers Tackle Unions over Charter Schools | Institutional Investor:hedgeclippers.org

1 by mike simpson / 8h 

Recess and Behavior Problems Part II: How to Use Behavior Modification Caringly

Recess and Behavior Problems Part II: How to Use Behavior Modification Caringly: Recess and Behavior Problems Part II: How to Use Behavior Modification CaringlyAPRIL 27, 2015 BY NANCY BAILEY LEAVE A COMMENTSo what do you do with the tough kid who drives the class crazy with their behavior when you can’t use recess as a carrot? When I say “behavior modification” a lot of people will run out of the

1 by mike simpson / 9h 

Federal education department: No reprieve for opt-outs | Chalkbeat

Federal education department: No reprieve for opt-outs | Chalkbeat: Federal education department: No reprieve for opt-outsColorado districts with large numbers of students refusing to take state standardized tests could face federal sanctions, after the U.S. Education Department Friday rejected a request from Colorado education officials to hold school districts harmless for high rates of opt-outs

1 by mike simpson / 9h 

LA Unified teachers could finally ‘exceed standards’ next year under tentative contract

LA Unified teachers could finally ‘exceed standards’ next year under tentative contract: LA Unified teachers could finally ‘exceed standards’ next year under tentative contract After years of union resistance, a tentative agreement would allow Los Angeles Unified to identify which teachers “exceed standards.”The temporary, internal rating would be added to evaluations next year, while district off

1 by mike simpson / 9h 

The e-mails fly over One Newark, the controversial N.J. city school plan - The Washington Post

The e-mails fly over One Newark, the controversial N.J. city school plan - The Washington Post: The e-mails fly over One Newark, the controversial N.J. city school plan Rep. Donald Payne Jr. (D-N.J.) exchanged letters Friday with Cami Anderson, the state-appointed superintendent of Newark Public Schools and architect of a controversial school system overhaul in New Jersey’s largest city.Payne wrot

1 by mike simpson / 9h 

A Report on the Network for Public Education Conference | Diane Ravitch's blog

A Report on the Network for Public Education Conference | Diane Ravitch's blog: A Report on the Network for Public Education Conference  I am writing at the conclusion of the second annual conference of the Network for Public Education. Last year, we met in Austin, this year in Chicago.It was a smashing success! Attendance was 50% higher than in Austin. There were attendees from every corner of th

1 by mike simpson / 9h 

Texas English Teacher Named National Teacher Of The Year

Texas English Teacher Named National Teacher Of The Year: Texas English Teacher Named National Teacher Of The YearLUBBOCK, Texas (AP) -- A high school English teacher in Texas who works with students facing poverty and traumas related to their immigration to the United States on Monday was named the 2015 National Teacher of the Year.Shanna Peeples from Amarillo was selected for the honor by the Co

1 by mike simpson / 9h 

When Should a State Consider a School Officially "Turned Around"? - Politics K-12 - Education Week

When Should a State Consider a School Officially "Turned Around"? - Politics K-12 - Education Week: When Should a State Consider a School Officially "Turned Around"? There might have been a lot of bipartisan love when the Senate education committee considered—and unanimously passed—a bill to rewrite the No Child Left Behind Act.But there were a number of key issues lurking belo

1 by mike simpson / 10h 

Peace between Cleveland schools and teachers over?

Peace between Cleveland schools and teachers over? Union shoots for 1,500-member protest at school board Tuesday | cleveland.com: Peace between Cleveland schools and teachers over? Union shoots for 1,500-member protest at school board TuesdayCleveland schools CEO Eric Gordon, left, and Cleveland Teachers Union President David Quolke were happy with the 2012 agreement on the Cleveland Plan for Tran

1 by mike simpson / 10h 

L.A. Inequity Map Packs Political Punch - On California - Education Week

L.A. Inequity Map Packs Political Punch - On California - Education Week: L.A. Inequity Map Packs Political PunchMap showing areas of highest student need in the Los Angeles Unified School District.  The map, developed by the Advancement Project, proved powerful in persuading the school board to reallocate funds.Okay, this is a semi-morality play.  There are good guys, or at least pretty good guys

by mike simpson / 10h 

How education reform drives gentrification | Al Jazeera America

How education reform drives gentrification | Al Jazeera America: How education reform drives gentrificationA Portland teachers’ contract negotiation debunks the myth of school choice, which leaves a swath of the city behindEmma Christ, center, a Cleveland High School senior, at a rally organized by the Portland Student Union and the Portland Teachers Solidarity Campaign. The rally attracted studen

1 by mike simpson / 10h 

I Asked Weingarten About the Hochul Robocall | deutsch29

I Asked Weingarten About the Hochul Robocall | deutsch29: I Asked Weingarten About the Hochul RobocallI am at the Network for Public Education (NPE) second annual conference in Chicago, Illinois. I just attended the Sunday morning keynote, Diane Ravitch in Conversation with AFT’s Randi Weingarten and NEA’s Lily Eskelsen Garcia.At the end of the session, I was briefly able to interview American Fed

1 by mike simpson / 11h 

YESTERDAY

Russ on Reading: Network for Public Education Conference: Highlights of Day 2

Russ on Reading: Network for Public Education Conference: Highlights of Day 2:Network for Public Education Conference: Highlights of Day 2Public School ChampionsLily Eskelsen Garcia/Diane Ravitch/Randi WeingartenAt NPE Conference/ChicagoDay 2 of the 2nd annual Network for Public Education opened with a selection of sessions for all interests. I chose to go to the one chaired by my friend and publi

1 by mike simpson / 19h 

Big Education Ape: Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 4/26/15 #‎NPEChicago‬

Special Nite Cap - Catch Up on Today's Post 4/26/15Special Nite Cap CORPORATE ED REFORMTester pushes overhaul of No Child Left Behind testing policy | Jon Tester | U.S. Senator for MontanaTester pushes overhaul of No Child Left Behind testing policy | Jon Tester | U.S. Senator for Montana:TESTER PUSHES OVERHAUL OF NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND TESTING POLICY(U.S. Senate) - After hearing directly from Monta

8 by mike simpson / 23h hide  //  save

UNCUT: RAW LIVE STREAM FOOTAGE FROM

THE NETWORK FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION 

NATIONAL CONFERENCE

MORE ARCHIVAL FOOTAGE TO COME!

Watch live streaming video from schoolhouselive at livestream.com

Charter School Operators Charged with Interfering with, Coercing Employees Seeking to Form Union - California Teachers Association

Charter School Operators Charged with Interfering with, Coercing Employees Seeking to Form Union - California Teachers Association:

CHARTER SCHOOL OPERATORS CHARGED WITH INTERFERING WITH, COERCING EMPLOYEES SEEKING TO FORM UNION

(Photo above) Flanked by charter school teachers and other supporters, Assemblymember Roger Hernandez (at podium) talks to reporters during a recent Capitol news conference about his CTA-cosponsored measure to shore up the rights of charter school employees to organize.  The measure also aims to block charter school management companies to profit at students’ expense.

The employees of Los Angeles’ largest charter school management organization are charging the chain’s management with using coercion and trying to undermine the educators’ right to form a union.

Alliance Educators United, an affiliate of United Teachers Los Angeles – CTA’s largest local chapter – has filed charges against the actions with the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB), the state agency that oversees public sector collective bargaining.

">Alliance is hardly the only charter school operators charged with trying to quash employees’ seeking to unionize.  California Virtual Charter Academy (CAVA) educators have made similar charges in the face of coercive management tactics.

One of four CTA-cosponsored charter school bills, AB 787 by Assemblymember Roger Hernández (D-West Covina), takes the coercion issue on directly. It would help protect public school employees by bolstering their right to unionize like other public school employees and by ensuring that California taxpayer dollars stay in the classroom.

The bill also bars a for-profit company from running a charter school. That provision will prevent for-profit organizations from exploiting the charter school system by packing students in deep and educating them on the cheap.

To learn more about the situation in Los Angeles, read UTLA's news release.

Alliance Charter Educators Charge Alliance College Ready Public Schools with Interference and Coercion in Organizing Effort and Urge Fair and Neutral Process

Alliance Educators United are charging Alliance College Ready Public Schools, the largest charter management organization with 26 schools in Los Angeles, with using coercive tactics and interfering with educators’ right to form a union.

The first set of unfair practice charges were filed last night against Alliance College Ready Public Charter Schools with the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB), alleging that school officials are interfering with the educators’ right to form a union.

Educators formed Alliance Educators United, affiliated with United Teachers Los Angeles, on March 13, 2015, to have a real voice in advocating for both themselves and their students. The teachers, counselors and other professional staff are seeking genuine due process and “just cause” rights, and the right to bargain over conditions of employment. 

“When teachers announced we were organizing a union, Alliance publicly stated that we, the teachers would be able to decide for ourselves free of coercion.  But since that time they are trying to persuade teachers against unionization” said Elana Goldbaum, World History/AP European History teacher, Alliance Gertz-Ressler High School. 

Alliance is using the funds that could be used for student education to hire high-priced PR consultants, to create an anti-union website, and are sending a steady stream of anti-union letters and emails to educators, parents, and alumni. Even students have been exposed to the anti-union campaign through Alliance’s web site.  Alliance is using its supervisors, school email accounts and even using professional development time and /or meetings attached to professional development to run anti-union meetings while restricting the use of facilities and school email accounts for pro-union activists.  

“Former Alliance CEO Judy Burton recognized California state law in her memo dated March 13^th, stating that ‘all unions have a right of access at reasonable times, to any employee work area in order to communicate with School employees regarding organizing a union.’ Since then, Alliance principals have stopped union organizers from entering school property, at reasonable times, on several occasions. This is a violation of EERA 3543.1(b). This is just one example that shows that the Alliance needs to agree to a fair and neutral process, in which the employer does not coerce and /or interfere, in the educators’  deciding whether or not to unionize” says Sam Taylor, History teacher, Alliance College-Ready Middle Academy #7.
 

Timeline of Alliance Anti-Union Activity:

Friday March 13^th – Almost 70 teachers at Alliance announce that they want to form a union at their schools. Alliance Chief Executive Dan Katzir told the Los Angeles Times that "We acknowledge the rights of our teachers to undertake this effort. We also recognize that our teachers are under no obligation to participate."^[1]

Judy Burton, former Alliance CEO and Dan Katzir send their first communication to staff regarding union activity stating, “To be clear, we do not endorse or denounce any particular union or unions generally.  Regardless, we will support any decision by employees to join or not join a union.”

Monday, March 16^th – Alliance sends a letter to teachers under the guise of facts about organizing. It says that teachers have a right to join a union free from coercion. The letter, sent to every teacher from their supervisor, then attacks unionization and unions.

Wednesday, March 18^th- Alliance, despite legal right to have union meetings on non-work time tells teachers and union organizers that they have no right to meet on school property.  

Friday March 20^th – Alliance purchases a domain that will house their anti-union website.^[2]

Friday March 20^th—Alliance distributes another letter to certificated staff under the guise of more facts about UTLA and the union.  The letter expands on the March 16th the attack on unionization, unions and UTLA. 

Monday March 23^rd—Dan Katzir sends an email to all staff encouraging staff to “give me a fair opportunity to prove that commitment to you—in not just words, but action—before you make any decisions on the unionization question.”

Monday March 23^rd – Alliance management sends a letter to parents attacking the teacher’s decision to form a union signed by Dan Katzir and former CEO Judy Burton. ^[3]

Wednesday, March 25^th- Alliance illegally blocks email newsletter to Alliance educators from Alliance Educators United. 

Thursday, March 26^th- Alliance, despite legal right to have union meetings on non-work time tells teachers and union organizers that they have no right to meet on school property.

Thursday March 26^th – Alliance website attacking the union goes online. ^[4]

Thursday March 26^th—Alliance sends a memo to all certificated staff outlining the benefits Alliance offers its teachers and stating “We respectfully disagree with the assertion that unionization with UTLA would help advance educational opportunities with our students.”

Friday, March 27^th- Alliance does an automated phone call to parents and families at one or more schools criticizing the unionization effort of educators. 
                                                                        ###

---

[1] http://www.latimes.com/local/education/la-me-charters-union-20150314-story.html

[2] Follow https://www.whois.net/ - search ouralliancecommunity.com – registration date is 20-March-2015

[3]https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/alliancecommunity/pages/33/attachments/original/1427349218/Letter_to_Parents_English.pdf?1427349218

[4] http://www.ouralliancecommunity.com/

Enron Billionaire Arnold Has A Problem with Librarians' Pensions

Enron Billionaire Arnold Has A Problem with Librarians' Pensions

Former Enron trader and hedge fund billionaire John Arnold is launching a multimillion dollar national PR campaign attacking the hard-earned pensions of public sector workers. Arnold has already quietly poured tens of millions of dollars into his efforts to persuade politicians to reduce middle class retirement security and now it looks like he may really just be getting started

BATs, TNTs, and Others, Oh My |

BATs, TNTs, and Others, Oh My |:

BATs, TNTs, and Others, Oh My

 One of the most powerful benefits of blogging, in my opinion, is that I am able to connect with people from all over the country, who may have different backgrounds, but who share in the common mission to improve the field of education. I am honored to join a growing community of concerned citizens, parents, teachers, principals, scholars, and the like, in advocating for better education for all.

That being said, there are two grassroots organizations, in particular, that deserve recognition for their efforts in this area. They have also compelled me to fully endorse their movements—the Badass Teachers Association (BATs) and the TNT: Teaching Not Testing—A New Narrative for Education (Las Cruces, as based on my recent visit – see prior posts here and here).

The BATs, founded by Fordham Professor, Mark Naison, and long-time educator and activist, Priscilla Sanstead, is a grassroots organization made up of more than 50,000 educators, parents, and concerned citizens. Dr. Naison first described the group as a group “…for every teacher who refuses to be blamed for the failure of our society to erase poverty and inequality, and refuses to accept assessments, tests and evaluations imposed by those who have contempt for real teaching and learning.” The group has held strong to that original mission has since grown into a force with which to be reckoned. They organize and support various education rallies, meet with public officials and policymakers, and fight to have their voices heard.

If you haven’t already, I encourage you to check out the BATs and get involved. Here are some helpful links: here is the BAT Website, here is the BAT Facebook Group, and here are the BATs on Twitter: @BadassTeachersA.

The TNT: Teaching, Not Testing–A New Narrative for Education (Las Cruces), is another organization that I hope you will check out and also support. TNT is an action-oriented group made up of parents, educators, and community members who are interested in countering the current high-stakes testing reform movement. Linda, a TNT member said, “We like to make stuff happen. Talk is good, but action is necessary. We’ve got some serious strategies planned to counter this reform movement, both statewide and locally. We’re definitely one to watch, and would like to share our trials and victories with any other group fighting this same good fight.”

Otherwise, she described the group as: “…a group of concerned parents, students, teachers, and administrators who seek to offer a new narrative for education. We want to have a voice in bringing the high-stakes testing movement to an end. Teachers and students are the ones who suffer the most. We will have testimonial videos in the near future from students and retired teachers sharing their personal experiences about high-stakes testing. Current teachers and administrators live in fear of reprisal since BATs, TNTs, and Others, Oh My |:

Midnight in the Opt Out Movement: The Hanging Tree – Testing Games – Part 5 | Welcome to the Testing Games

Midnight in the Opt Out Movement: The Hanging Tree – Testing Games – Part 5 | Welcome to the Testing Games:

Midnight in the Opt Out Movement: The Hanging Tree – Testing Games – Part 5

THE PROPOSAL

“Are you, are you, coming to the tree?”

Chilling. These words, from Jennifer Lawrence’s rebel ballad in The Hunger Games, have burned themselves deeply into this school teacher’s psyche. But why?

You may remember the scene: While running from the Capitol forces, Lawrence’s character, Katniss, stops and sits alongside a river. She sings these lyrics among the mockingjays, harmonizing her voice to the whistle of the birds. The song is glorious. The message is bone chilling.

Watch and listen here:

What does the song represent? And, why oh why, does this song roll, over and over, in my mind, as I walk up and down the aisles of my classroom, watching my students dissolve into their exam booklets, during the long hours as I administer the required state tests? Why does this melody bring such a sense of sadness and hope, all at once?

In The Testing Games that we call ‘American Public Education’, what is our hanging tree?

CARVING INITIALS

“Are you, are you? Coming to the tree?”

Many have attempted to decipher the meaning of this question in the ballad. One Huff Post contributing writer, Julie Wherry, describes: “This is the singer beckoning the audience to return not necessarily to a physical place, but rather a state of mind and remembrance of a purpose (to be free) and of who the “real enemy” is.”

Now, that description makes sense to me. The ballad is a beckoning: a call to return to a state of mind, the hanging tree. So, when Katniss repeats, “Are you, are you, coming to the tree,” she is asking, ‘Are you willing to stand up and fight with me, no matter the cost? Are you willing to be brave?’

Are you coming to the tree? I am.

In fact, I would say, I have gone as far as taking out a pocket knife and engraving my name, conspicuously, on the trunk of that tree. The life I have been living, lately, certainly feels like the life of one running to her hanging tree. Let me explain.

I am a public school teacher in Florida. There are a few things you can’t say here, by Governor decree. Climate Change is one.

See, I said it. I am a rebel. Carve that into my tree.

Another phrase highly discouraged happens to involve the same initials – CC. No not Climate Change, but it is something just as controversial these days:  Common Core. See. I did it again.  Saying those two words in Florida equal a big ‘no no’. Our state leaders have, in fact, in an act of all great deception, I mean wisdom, re-branded those two words. Now, we educators are to use the phrase: Florida Standards.

Works for me – I just call it the F word. You can carve that into my tree, too.

Honestly, though, those words are not my fear. The initials I have carved into my hanging Midnight in the Opt Out Movement: The Hanging Tree – Testing Games – Part 5 | Welcome to the Testing Games:

A Letter to Non-Union Teachers in Wisconsin | Young Teachers Collective

A Letter to Non-Union Teachers in Wisconsin | Young Teachers Collective:

A Letter to Non-Union Teachers in Wisconsin

 Dear Non-Union Teachers in Wisconsin,

Let me start by introducing myself. I’m Hallie, a 27-year old, fifth year teacher in South Milwaukee, WI. I am certified to teach math, special education, and alternative education.  I currently teach in a unique program that is dedicated to meeting the social/emotional needs of students who have been disengaged in school in order to make progress with academic goals.  My classroom experience allows me to utilize and continue to develop my professional training for students with intensive needs.  Like many of you, I love the work that I do, but I am also very concerned about the world of education outside of my classroom.

I began teaching in 2010 which, coincidentally, is when sh*t hit the fan for public workers/educators in Wisconsin. Our governor (like so many other politicians in the United States) was able to pass Act 10, a law that stifled the voices of teachers and advocates for public education through the elimination of collective bargaining rights. This was a confusing time for me. I had just started teaching and was excited about the work I was doing. But outside of school, my family, friends, neighbors, and media expressed that they felt unions were to blame for the ‘failure’ of our public schools.  Their thoughts did not match with what I was learning about public schools through my direct experience.

At work, I was inspired by the intelligent, dedicated, and hardworking staff who quickly sprung into action to inform others about the potentially disastrous effects of Act 10.  I wanted to learn more from them. To me, these were realeducators – down to fight the battle to bring professionalism back to teaching, at the front lines to advocate for what is best for students, all with a deep understanding of social justice and the many different challenges our students face in their everyday lives. The teachers were part of their professional organization, a.k.a. the union. Among them, I was so proud to be a teacher! This feeling was in direct contrast to how I felt outside the classroom walls. I never wanted to share what my profession was with others.  I was too worried I’d hear the word, “mooch,” “union thug,” “freeloader,” or become defensive and get into a hate-filled political battle. I still have a hard time understanding how the views were so far apart and how insensitive people were to me. I was a new teacher.

I was disheartened when I learned that there were people within the profession who also held negative beliefs or spoke inaccurately about teachers and unionism.  I have had countless conversations with non-members who say that they will not join the union. Frankly, the reasons and rationale I have heard really scare me. If teachers don’t understand what’s going on in education, how can we expect parents, community members, or even administrators to understand?  How can we expect more support and resources for our students and schools?  Can any of us alone accomplish these large tasks?

I hear four very common responses to why people choose not to be a part of their professional organization:

1. Due to Act 10, there is no longer a union in our district (I know teachers in many districts!)
2. I don’t know why we have a union – it’s the 21st century
3. I have a good administrator, so I’ll be fine
4. I can’t afford it.

You say, “my school doesn’t have a union.” Who do you think the union is? Some outside agency or outside group of people not involved in education? The union is YOU. The definition of a union is: “an organization of workers formed to protect the rights and interests of its members” and “an act of joining two or more things together.” This means, as a A Letter to Non-Union Teachers in Wisconsin | Young Teachers Collective:

Charter schools and “churn and burn”: How they’re trying to hold on to teachers by making them happier

Charter schools and “churn and burn”: How they’re trying to hold on to teachers by making them happier:

Charter Schools’ Latest Innovation: Keeping Teachers Happy

Eighty- and 90-hour work weeks are all too familiar to some charter school teachers.

 NEW ORLEANS—One Wednesday afternoon last fall, teachers at Success Preparatory Academy gathered for a professional-development session on an unlikely subject: their grocery lists.

Principal and co-founder Niloy Gangopadhyay had enlisted a nutritionist to talk about healthy eating. On the agenda: healthy, easy-to-make dishes; coping mechanisms for work stress, like going for a walk instead of opening a bottle of wine; and how to shop for protein- and fiber-rich foods, like Louisiana crawfish or flame-grilled meatless burgers. The information was designed to send two important messages to the twenty- and thirtysomething teachers, many of whom work more than 60 hours a week: Take care of yourself. And we want you to stay.

As the charter school movement comes of age, school leaders are realizing that good teachers aren’t widgets that can easily be replaced.

As charter schools have proliferated New Orleans and the country, many schools, including Success Prep, have largely relied on young, inexperienced teachers who tend to leave the classroom sooner than their peers at traditional public schools—an approach to hiring sometimes described as “churn and burn.” Charter supporters like Teach for America founder Wendy Kopp have even insisted that strong schools with an emphasis on good training can survive the constant loss of teachers.

But as the charter school movement comes of age, school leaders are realizing that stability and consistency matter, and that good teachers aren’t widgets that can easily be replaced. As a result, schools are offering new perks designed to build sustainable staffs, like retirement plans, on-site childcare, and nutrition advice. They face an uphill battle, however, in countering the deeply ingrained perception that many charter jobs are high-velocity detours for young people on the way to something else. In part, they’re hoping to rebrand charter-school teaching as a viable long-term career option with the job security we associate with traditional public schools—at least up to a point.

While these changes can’t match the pensions, union protections, and tenure provisions teachers have at many traditional schools, they mark a significant shift for charters. Long-term teacher retention wasn’t a priority at Success Prep when the school opened in 2009, part of a radical reconstruction of the city’s long-troubled school system after Hurricane Katrina that involved opening dozens of new charter schools. The plan was to “constantly replace teachers with new teachers,” says Gangopadhyay, 35, while focusing on providing the staff with strong curricular professional development. Most of the founding teachers had just a couple years of experience in the classroom. (Although three had more than 10 years of experience teaching.) The average age was 29. First-year teachers at Success Prep make $44,295.

Because of the demanding nature of the job, departures were expected. Most teachers, Gangopadhyay then believed, had “a shelf life” at his school.

Throughout the charter sector, that’s largely been true. At the end of the 2008-2009 school year, almost a quarter of charter school teachers left their schools or the profession, compared to 15.5 percent in traditional public schools, according to asurvey by the National Center for Education Statistics.

The transiency can be attributed to a few main causes: At urban charters like Success, which frequently serve mostly low-income, underprepared students of color, teachers are expected to work considerably longer hours than is typical—sometimes as much as 80 or 90 hours a week. Such charters, often referred to as “no excuses” schools, rely heavily on programs like Teach for America, which import young teachers for two-year commitments. And charter school teachers are far less likelyto belong to unions, and have less job security as a result. While charter school leaders don’t necessarily plan on high turnover, it might be “a necessary byproduct” of an intense, results-driven approach, says Andy Rotherham, a co-founder of Bellwether Education, a nonprofit consulting organization that works with charter schools.

At Success Prep, teacher attrition has worsened over the years. In 2012 the school lost just three out of 24 teachers, but the following year, six more departed. As a result, all but one of the eighth-grade teachers were new last fall. The instability led to student misbehavior and classroom management problems early on in the school year according to John Gonzalez, a first-year eighth-grade math teacher. Students didn’t have relationships with most of their teachers, which made enforcing strict rules—already tough to sell to the young teens—even more difficult.

Gangopadhyay admits that Success Prep hired more new teachers than the school’s teacher-coaching staff could handle this year. Success Prep has struggled, he said, to train so many novice teachers while also recruiting virtually year-round to fill next year’s expected vacancies. Ten teachers—more than 20 percent of the school’sCharter schools and “churn and burn”: How they’re trying to hold on to teachers by making them happier:

SES IS A MESS: California Mulls NCLB Tutoring Waiver - Politics K-12 - Education Week

California Mulls NCLB Tutoring Waiver - Politics K-12 - Education Week:

California Mulls NCLB Tutoring Waiver

 California may be one of just eight states without a statewide waiver from provision of the No Child Left Behind Act. But districts could get relief from one of the most onerous pieces of the NCLB law anyway, if the feds give the Golden State the green light on what may be its next ask: allowing California districts to offer their own tutoring services, should they so choose.

If the state decides to officially make the request, which seems likely since it's on the agenda for the state board meeting next month, districts would be allowed to offer tutoring to their own students. That means they would have more control over some $400 million in federal Title I money that right now is directed to private tutors who haven't been very effective, at least according to the state board.

There's precedent for this type of move. Chicago Public Schools got a similar waiver when now-U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan was the superintendent. And districts in waiverless North Dakota have similar leeway. But the entire state of California is obviously much larger than either of them.

California has already gotten some of the same benefits of waiver states, such as the ability to essentially "pause" accountability by using Common Core State Standards field tests with all students during the 2014-15 school year, without having to clear the hurdles required of waiver states, such as tying teacher evaluation to test scores.

And if California did get permission to do its own tutoring, it would essentially shed yet another irksome aspect of NCLB, without having to jump through the Obama administration's waiver hoops. California Mulls NCLB Tutoring Waiver - Politics K-12 - Education Week:

SES IS A MESS: Impacts of Title I Supplemental Educational Services on Student Achievement http://bit.ly/1ijuvGD

solidaridad: LAUSD District 5: Money, education and the school board race! On KPFK's Politics or Pedagogy? with John Cromshow

solidaridad: LAUSD District 5: Money, education and the school board race! On KPFK's Politics or Pedagogy? with John Cromshow:

LAUSD District 5: Money, education and the school board race! On KPFK's Politics or Pedagogy? with John Cromshow

Featuring an analysis of education, policy and practice affecting our public schools.

KPFK 90.7 FM
KPFK's Politics or Pedagogy? with John Cromshow

Tuesday, April 28
7:00 PM
Call in number: (818) 985-5735

TOPIC:
Money, education and the school board race. Case in point, LAUSD District 5. It takes money to run a political campaign - lots of it - even for something as basic to education as a school board race.

GUESTS — PRERECORDED:
Bennett Kayser (LAUSD School Board), 10-minute Q & A
Scott Folsom (4LAKIDS), Money, the School Board Race and more
Roger Wagner, Ph.D. (Servant Leadership)

GUESTS — IN-STUDIO:
Andrew Thomas, Ph.D. (District 5 candidate in the 2015 Primary)

PANELISTS:
Lisa Karahalios (LAUSD Teacher)
Plus a Kayser Campaign Staffer

Both Refugio "Ref" Rodriguez's and the Honorable Bennett Kayser's campaigns were invited but only the Kayser campaign agree to appear as requested below.

TO: Campaign Managers, LAUSD School Board, District 5
FROM: John Cromshow, KPFK, Politics or pedagogy?
RE: INVITATION Candidates Forum Participation
DATE: Tuesday, April 21, 2015

To confirm our conversation regarding the Candidates' On-Air Forum:

1. Each candidate has been invited to participate in an individual pre-recorded interview.
2. John Cromshow, host of Politics or pedagogy? on KPFK will conduct each interview.
3. Each candidate will be asked to respond to the same questions.
4. Pre-recorded interview answers (10 minutes total) will be a central part of the forum.
5. Invited on-air panelists - one teacher-supporter and one campaign-staffer for each candidate.
6. Panelists will discuss the School Board race and answer listener calls.
7. Program will air on Tuesday, April 28, 2015 from 7:00-8:00 p.m.
8. Candidate(s) accepting the invitation, as outlined above, will be represented in the program.

Call in number: (818) 985-5735solidaridad: LAUSD District 5: Money, education and the school board race! On KPFK's Politics or Pedagogy? with John Cromshow: