Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 5/16/15

Special Nite Cap 

CORPORATE ED REFORM

Let the Kids Learn Through Play - NYTimes.com

Let the Kids Learn Through Play - NYTimes.com:Let the Kids Learn Through PlayTWENTY years ago, kids in preschool, kindergarten and even first and second grade spent much of their time playing: building with blocks, drawing or creating imaginary worlds, in their own heads or with classmates. But increasingly, these activities are being abandoned for the teacher-led, didactic instruction typically u

30 by mike simpson / 4h 

The Alleged Public School Monopoly and the Fraudulent Civil Rights Movement of our Time | Crazy Normal - the Classroom Exposé

The Alleged Public School Monopoly and the Fraudulent Civil Rights Movement of our Time | Crazy Normal - the Classroom Exposé: The Alleged Public School Monopoly and the Fraudulent Civil Rights Movement of our TimeIt is highly arguable with evidence and data that the corporate education reform movement mostly funded by a handful of billionaire oligarchs is driven by endless oxymorons. For instance

by mike simpson / 6h 

Why Teachers Teach - Badass Teachers Association

Badass Teachers Association: Why Teachers TeachBY MARLA KILFOYLE AND MELISSA TOMLINSONORIGINALLY POSTED ON L.A. PROGRESSIVE  HTTPS://WWW.LAPROGRESSIVE.COM/WHY-TEACHERS-TEACH/Marla: I became a teacher 29 years ago. In my family this was an astounding accomplishment because I was the first to go to college. My mother, who was a single mother my whole life, worked hard to keep food on the table and p

by mike simpson / 6h 

Selling Solutions Is Not the Same As Solving Problems | WagTheDog

Selling Solutions Is Not the Same As Solving Problems | WagTheDog: Selling Solutions Is Not the Same As Solving ProblemsBack in 1994, Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich supported sweeping changes andcontroversial reforms to U.S. welfare policy;“The GOP’s Contract With America would give states the authority to deny Aid to Families with Dependent Children to mothers under age 21 and use the presum

by mike simpson / 6h 

There Is No Protection For Student Data » Missouri Education Watchdog

There Is No Protection For Student Data » Missouri Education Watchdog: There Is No Protection For Student Data“The control of information is something the elite always does, particularly in a despotic form of government. Information, knowledge, is power. If you can control information, you can control people.” – Tom ClancyElectronic information certainly hurt Missouri Republicans this week. We all

by mike simpson / 7h 

When an Education Reformer says “Turnaround” - Don’t! - Wait What?

When an Education Reformer says “Turnaround” - Don’t! - Wait What?: When an Education Reformer says “Turnaround” — Don’t!Education Advocate Wendy Lecker has another column out and it is once again in the “MUST READ” category.Her latest piece is part one of a multi-series takedown of those who use fiction rather than facts to fancifully present the term “school turnaround” as if it was a magic bull

by mike simpson / 7h 

CURMUDGUCATION: Get the New Orleans Story Out

CURMUDGUCATION: Get the New Orleans Story Out: Get the New Orleans Story OutI have even more interest in the New Orleans Recovery School District than ever, because while nobody was looking, the idea of such a school district seems to have skulked its way into Pennsylvania.New Orleans is a reformster's dream, a school district where all of that messy democratically-controlled local public school s

by mike simpson / 7h 

Russ on Reading: Derailing the Public Schools

Russ on Reading: Derailing the Public Schools:  Derailing the Public Schools As yet we don’t know what caused the horrific crash of the Amtrak train in Philadelphia this week. Human error? Mechanical malfunction? Delayed technology? The crash happened less than 20 miles from my home on a stretch of track that I travel regularly into Philly or Washington. As a frequent traveler, I can assure one an

by mike simpson / 7h 

The Selling of New Orleans | EduShyster

The Selling of New Orleans | EduShyster: The Selling of New OrleansNew Orleans-style education reform is being touted as a model for other cities. But should it be?As the 10th anniversary of Katrina approaches, we’ll be awash in claims that the replacement of New Orleans’ public schools with a market-based, all charter school system is a model for other cities. I aim to challenge this narrative wi

by mike simpson / 7h 

El SNTE y AFT firman declaración conjunta en defensa de la educación

El SNTE y AFT firman declaración conjunta en defensa de la educación: El SNTE y AFT firman declaración conjunta en defensa de la educaciónEnfrentamos los mismos desafíos preservar y fortalecer la escuela pública El Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores de la Educación (SNTE) y la American Federation of Teachers (AFT) acordaron defender la escuela pública y la profesión docente.Los presidentes de ambo

by mike simpson / 7h 

What happens when students boycott a standardized test - Business Insider

What happens when students boycott a standardized test - Business Insider: What happens when students boycott a standardized testStandardized tests have been an integral part of the American school routine since the 1970s, the protocol changing very little.Children were told to put away their books; to fill in the bubbles, with No. 2 pencils, completely; and, when the time was up, to immediately p

1 by mike simpson / 7h 

Mom says son lost valedictorian honor after message on standardized test - + KSHB.com

Mom says son lost valedictorian honor after message on standardized test - + KSHB.com: Mom says son lost valedictorian honor after message on standardized testRICHMOND, Mo. - Thursday afternoon, Judy Hillegas received a startling call from Richmond High School concerning her son Miles and his AP Physics II test.The mother of the prospective valedictorian was baffled at what could be wrong.“I thoug

by mike simpson / 8h 

Audit of CPS' procedures for rewarding noncompetive deals to be delayed - Chicago Tribune

Audit of CPS' procedures for rewarding noncompetive deals to be delayed - Chicago Tribune: Audit of CPS' procedures for rewarding noncompetive deals to be delayed A review of how Chicago Public Schools awards noncompetitive contracts that was promised by district officials in light of a federal criminal investigation is behind schedule.School board members last month said they followed the proper

by mike simpson / 8h 

Data Abuse – When Transient Kids Fall Through the Cracks of Crunched Numbers | gadflyonthewallblog

Data Abuse – When Transient Kids Fall Through the Cracks of Crunched Numbers | gadflyonthewallblog: Data Abuse – When Transient Kids Fall Through the Cracks of Crunched NumbersI was teaching my classes.I was grading assignments.I was procrastinating.I should have been working on my class rosters.My principals wanted me to calculate percentages for every student I had taught that year and submit th

by mike simpson / 8h 

Jersey Jazzman: Teaching At a Charter School Means Taking a Pay Cut

Jersey Jazzman: Teaching At a Charter School Means Taking a Pay Cut: Teaching At a Charter School Means Taking a Pay CutAfter this past Sunday's big, fat, wet kiss to the Newark charter school industry -- see here, here, here, and here -- you'd think the Star-Ledger, New Jersey's biggest newspaper, would make a little room in their op-ed section for someone to express a contrary view.You'd be wron

by mike simpson / 9h hide  //  save

YESTERDAY

Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 5/15/15

Special Nite Cap CORPORATE ED REFORMSouth Dakota CorruptionSouth Dakota Corruption:South Dakota CorruptionThe Lakota People’s Law Project's 35-page report reveals how private institutions and their relationships with those in the highest seats of power in South Dakota are responsible for the daily violations of the Indian Child Welfare Act and the systemic human rights abuses against the Lakota po

1 by mike simpson / 23h 

Let the Kids Learn Through Play - NYTimes.com

Let the Kids Learn Through Play - NYTimes.com:

Let the Kids Learn Through Play

TWENTY years ago, kids in preschool, kindergarten and even first and second grade spent much of their time playing: building with blocks, drawing or creating imaginary worlds, in their own heads or with classmates. But increasingly, these activities are being abandoned for the teacher-led, didactic instruction typically used in higher grades. In many schools, formal education now starts at age 4 or 5. Without this early start, the thinking goes, kids risk falling behind in crucial subjects such as reading and math, and may never catch up.

The idea seems obvious: Starting sooner means learning more; the early bird catches the worm.

But a growing group of scientists, education researchers and educators say there is little evidence that this approach improves long-term achievement; in fact, it may have the opposite effect, potentially slowing emotional and cognitive development, causing unnecessary stress and perhaps even souring kids’ desire to learn.

One expert I talked to recently, Nancy Carlsson-Paige, a professor emerita of education at Lesley University in Cambridge, Mass., describes this trend as a “profound misunderstanding of how children learn.” She regularly tours schools, and sees younger students floundering to comprehend instruction: “I’ve seen it many, many times in many, many classrooms — kids being told to sit at a table and just copy letters. They don’t know what they’re doing. It’s heartbreaking.”

The stakes in this debate are considerable. As the skeptics of teacher-led early learning see it, that kind of education will fail to produce people who can discover and innovate, and will merely produce people who are likely to be passive consumers of information, followers rather than inventors. Which kind of citizen do we want for the 21st century?

In the United States, more academic early education has spread rapidly in the past decade. Programs like No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top have contributed to more testing and more teacher-directed instruction.

Another reason: the Common Core State Standards, a detailed set of educational guidelines meant to ensure that students reach certain benchmarks between kindergarten and 12th grade. Currently, 43 states and the District of Columbia have adopted both the math and language standards.

The shift toward didactic approaches is an attempt to solve two pressing problems.

By many measures, American educational achievement lags behind that of other countries; at the same time, millions of American students, many of them poor and from minority backgrounds, remain far below national norms. Advocates say that starting formal education earlier will help close these dual gaps.

But these moves, while well intentioned, are misguided. Several countries, including Finland and Estonia, don’t start compulsory education until the age of 7. In the most recent comparison of national educational levels, the Program for International Student Assessment, both countries ranked significantly higher than the United States on math, science and reading.

Of course, these countries are smaller, less unequal and less diverse than the United States. In such circumstances, education poses fewer challenges. It’s unlikely that starting school at 7 would work here: too many young kids, disadvantaged or otherwise, would probably end up watching hours of TV a day, not an activity that promotes future educational achievement. But the complexities of the task in this country don’t erase a fundamental fact that overly structured classrooms do not benefit many young children.

Some research indicates that early instruction in reading and other areas may help some students, but these boosts appear to be temporary. A 2009 study by Sebastian P. Suggate, an education researcher at Alanus University in Germany, looked at about 400,000 15-year-olds in more than 50 countries and found that early school entry provided no advantage. Another study by Dr. Suggate, published in 2012, looked at a group of 83 students over several years and found that those who started at age 5 had lower reading comprehension than those who began learning later.

Other research has found that early didactic instruction might actually worsen academic performance. Rebecca A. Marcon, a psychology professor at the University of North Florida, studied 343 children who had attended a preschool class that was “academically oriented,” one that encouraged “child initiated” learning, or one in between. She looked at the students’ performance several years later, in third and fourth grade, and found that by the end of the fourth grade those who had received more didactic Let the Kids Learn Through Play - NYTimes.com: 

The Alleged Public School Monopoly and the Fraudulent Civil Rights Movement of our Time | Crazy Normal - the Classroom Exposé

The Alleged Public School Monopoly and the Fraudulent Civil Rights Movement of our Time | Crazy Normal - the Classroom Exposé:

The Alleged Public School Monopoly and the Fraudulent Civil Rights Movement of our Time

It is highly arguable with evidence and data that the corporate education reform movement mostly funded by a handful of billionaire oligarchs is driven by endless oxymorons. For instance, the oxymoron of a movement that claims it’s the Civil Right Movement of our time while Corporate Charters practice segregation on a grand scale (click the link to learn more), and the other major oxymoron alleges the public schools are a monopoly that must be destroyed.

For instance, in New York State, Governor Cuomo (The Crook) characterized public education as a ‘monopoly’ that he vowed to break. For the rest of this post, I will focus on Governor Cuomo’s claim that the public schools are a ‘monopoly’ that must be broken.

First, the public schools are supported by taxes paid by the public, and they are non-profit, transparent and held accountable through that transparency. In addition, they are governed by democratic values—except where reformers like Cuomo the Crook have used their executive power to hijack entire school districts and remove the democratically elected school boards. Because of the transparency and democratic nature of these schools, every public dollar spent is tracked to make sure it was spent to support the education of children.

A monopoly by definition, would be John D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil, and his Standard Oil (with an emphasis on his) incorporated oil producing, transporting, refining, and marketing into one single behemoth which grew both vertically and horizontally (he bought the producers and distributors). In 1882, all of Standard Oil’s properties were merged into the Standard Oil Trust, and by the end of the decade (1890), it controlled 88% of the refined oil flows in the United States.

To be clear: John D. Rockefeller was ONE man who controlled 88% of the refined oil that flowed in the United States, and he answered to no one until President Teddy Roosevelt went after his monopoly to break it up.

How does that compare to the corporate education reform movement’s claim that public education is a monopoly that must be broken?

Even though the Obama Administration—with help from, for instance, mostly Bill Gates in addition to the Walton family, Eli Broad and a squad of other powerful private sector corporate oligarchs—did all they could to make Arne Duncan the John D. Rockefeller of the alleged public education monopoly, when we sweep away all the lies and allegations, what’s left is almost 14,000 individual public school districts. Most of these school districts are managed by their own democratically elected school boards and each district has its own CEO who often comes with the title of superintendent, who is hired and can be fired by those elected school boards. Those superintendents answer to the elected school boards and nothing can be hidden because of the transparency, and through that transparency every state and territory in the United States watches over those almost 14,000 public school districts to make sure they are not breaking any laws or legislation that applies to public education.

If you’re interested, you might want to read:

• Charter exectuve pay: How much is too much?
• Charter School Gravy Train Runs Express To Fat City

When that alleged public school monopoly is broken as Cuomo has pledged, what is already taking its place?

The answer: opaque, often fraudulent, often worse or the same as the public schools they are replacing, segregated, private sector, for-profit corporate charter schools that are not democratic and not answerable to The Alleged Public School Monopoly and the Fraudulent Civil Rights Movement of our Time | Crazy Normal - the Classroom Exposé:

Why Teachers Teach - Badass Teachers Association

Badass Teachers Association:

Why Teachers Teach

BY MARLA KILFOYLE AND MELISSA TOMLINSONORIGINALLY POSTED ON L.A. PROGRESSIVE  HTTPS://WWW.LAPROGRESSIVE.COM/WHY-TEACHERS-TEACH/

Marla: I became a teacher 29 years ago. In my family this was an astounding accomplishment because I was the first to go to college. My mother, who was a single mother my whole life, worked hard to keep food on the table and pay the bills. We lived with my grandmother for most of my life. School for me was a sanctuary, full of amazing role models, and a path for me to follow so that I would not have to struggle the way that my mother did. The fight to save public education is a personal fight for me. It is about giving opportunity to children, like me, who grew up with financial hardship. It is also about giving opportunity to children who are disabled, like my son. The fight for great public education for all children, is the fight for every child to have an opportunity to be what they want to be.

Melissa: I became a teacher thirteen years ago. This is my second career, one I chose as an adult, knowing completely in my heart that this was the career that I should have chosen for myself when I first left for college. In my family, for my generation, college was a requirement. My parents worked hard to give my brother and I the opportunity to continue our education after high school. My childhood was the typical example of the American Dream, the dream that entails you working hard so that you can give more to your children and they can have a better life than you had. I grew up believing in that dream, determined to give my future children an even better life. I went to a school that provided an educational plan that allowed me to get the most out of my education. I tested at an early age with a higher IQ. In elementary school I was placed in a gifted and talented classroom within my district and provided the type of curriculum that I needed to grow academically. The fight to save public education is a personal fight for me. It is about giving opportunity to children, opportunity like I had. It is about fighting for public schools to have the funding and the autonomy to provide children with what they need. It is about fighting for our responsibility to meet the the needs of all children.

Marla: Despite growing up in a home that didn’t have much, my schools were well-funded and had all the resources they needed to help children. The staff in my elementary school was plentiful. Anything a child needed we had: nurses, librarians, custodial staff, café staff, clubs, sports, and after-school programs. I remember walking to school one day in the pouring rain. My mother had to leave early for work each morning because she did not drive and had to walk to work. It was my job, at the young age of 7, to get my brother and I off to school. Our school was a block from our house and on this day we had to walk to school in the pouring rain. We ended up at school soaking wet. My teacher, Mrs. Carlson, sent me to the Café to get my clothes dry by the oven. When I went to the Café the staff, busy making lunch for the day, let me stand by the oven to dry my clothes. They gave me several of their world famous biscuits to eat while I dried. I was there for about 45 minutes, got dry, and returned back to class a very satisfied child. Now, I am not saying this would not happen in any school across America today, but my point in that story was the idea of Badass Teachers Association:

Badass Teacher Association Web Site