Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 2/29/16

CORPORATE ED REFORM

Dr. Jill Stein is the Best 2016 Presidential Candidate, But Can She Win? | gadflyonthewallblog

Dr. Jill Stein is the Best 2016 Presidential Candidate, But Can She Win? | gadflyonthewallblog: Dr. Jill Stein is the Best 2016 Presidential Candidate, But Can She Win?In 2008, I shook Barack Obama’s hand.Yesterday Dr. Jill Stein gave me a hug.Eight years ago, I was so inspired by Obama’s campaign speech in my hometown of Pittsburgh that I rushed forward along with the crowd to grab his hand. It w

by mike simpson / 16min 

Parents do What Teachers Can't: Opt Out of Standardized Test

Parents do What Teachers Can't: Opt Out of Standardized Test Message From An Anonymous Teacher in New York Stateby Mark NaisonFrom Anonymous Teacher"Last week I made the decision to become a Teacher of Conscience and refuse to administer the state tests to my elementary students. Not knowing exactly all the proper steps to go through, I reached out to some of the folks at NYSAPE and one teach

by mike simpson / 22min 

‘Work Hard, Be Hard’ and ‘Work Hard, Be Nice,’ dueling takes on KIPP - The Washington Post

‘Work Hard, Be Hard’ and ‘Work Hard, Be Nice,’ dueling takes on KIPP - The Washington Post:‘Work Hard, Be Hard’ and ‘Work Hard, Be Nice,’ dueling takes on KIPPCambridge College education professor Jim Horn presents his new book, “Work Hard, Be Hard: Journeys Through ‘No Excuses’ Teaching,” as a necessary antidote to my 2009 book, “Work Hard. Be Nice: How Two Inspired Teachers Created the Most Prom

by mike simpson / 1h 

Rhodes faces skepticism, defiance as he takes DPS the state’s largest school district

Rhodes faces skepticism, defiance as he takes DPS reins: Rhodes faces skepticism, defiance as he takes DPS reinsteven Rhodes, the retired United States Bankruptcy Judge who presided over the City of Detroit's historic bankruptcy case. Photos taken on Friday, October 23, 2015. (John T. Greilick, The Detroit News)(Photo: John T. Greilick / Detroit News) Retired bankruptcy Judge Steven Rhodes’ appoin

by mike simpson / 1h 

The Obama Administration - and the Democratic Party's - War On Teachers - BK Nation

The Obama Administration - and the Democratic Party's - War On Teachers - BK Nation: The Obama Administration — and the Democratic Party’s — War On TeachersPresident Barack Obama shakes hands with Education Arne Duncan in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, Friday, Oct. 2, 2015, where the president announced that Duncan will be stepping down in December after 7 years in the Oba

by mike simpson / 2h 

Phony School Reform Wilts, A New Education Story Takes Root | PopularResistance.Org

Phony School Reform Wilts, A New Education Story Takes Root | PopularResistance.Org: Phony School Reform Wilts, A New Education Story Takes RootFor years, our public schools have been burdened by a “reform” narrative that education is “failing,” and that only a regime of standardized testing and charter schools will make administrators and teachers more “accountable.” Politicians and pundits acros

by mike simpson / 2h 

Children are more than test scores: It’s time to RISE UP and TURN UP CT BATs and SOSers for Black, Brown and poor children

Children are more than test scores: It’s time to RISE UP and TURN UP CT BATs and SOSers for Black, Brown and poor children: It’s time to RISE UP and TURN UP CT BATs and SOSers for Black, Brown and poor childrenReaders, Dr. Fran Huckabee an Associate Professor from Texas Christian University was a panelist on media messaging at the United Opt Out Conference this past weekend. She spoke about danger

by mike simpson / 4h 

Los Angeles area teachers stage “sickouts” over pay - World Socialist Web Site

Los Angeles area teachers stage “sickouts” over pay - World Socialist Web Site: Los Angeles area teachers stage “sickouts” over payTeachers in the Compton Unified School District (CUSD), south of Los Angeles, stayed out of their classrooms twice last week as part of organized “sickouts” designed to protest low wages and bad working conditions.On Monday, more than 200 CUSD teachers called out sick,

by mike simpson / 4h 

U.S. legislators give Obama’s education pick an astounding pass - The Washington Post

U.S. legislators give Obama’s education pick an astounding pass - The Washington Post: U.S. legislators give Obama’s education pick an astounding passNews emanating from the U.S. Senate these days centers on Republican determination not to give even a passing glance to any nomination that President Obama sends to fill the vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court created by the recent death of Associate J

by mike simpson / 5h 

Schools Matter: Jay Mathews and KIPP Journalism

Schools Matter: Jay Mathews and KIPP Journalism: Jay Mathews and KIPP Journalism by Jim HornBefore my book on teaching in KIPP Model schools went on sale yesterday, Jay Mathews and the “No Excuses” charter empire were already at work.  In fact, Jay had already delivered to hisWashington Post editors a two-part response/review to my book.  Part 1 appeared yesterday.Jay’s dubious assessment of Work

by mike simpson / 5h 

Vergara v. California Appeal Underway: The Case that Will Yield No Winners | VAMboozled!

Vergara v. California Appeal Underway: The Case that Will Yield No Winners | VAMboozled!: Vergara v. California Appeal Underway: The Case that Will Yield No WinnersIn June of 2014, defendants in “Vergara v. California” in Los Angeles, California lost the case. Plaintiffs included nine public school students (backed by some serious corporate reformer funds as per Students Matter) who challenged fiv

by mike simpson / 5h 

As protests rise over high-stakes tests, more students likely to opt out

As protests rise over high-stakes tests, more students likely to opt out: As protests rise over high-stakes tests, more students likely to opt outMICHAEL BRYANT / STAFFYard signs in Lower Merion urge parents to forgo student testing.Last year, a small, angry band of parents and teachers in the Lower Merion School District took on a big challenge: convincing their neighbors that the intensifying em

by mike simpson / 5h 

CURMUDGUCATION: MA: Charters Hate Compromise

CURMUDGUCATION: MA: Charters Hate Compromise: MA: Charters Hate CompromiseThis morning's Boston Post reports that a "Bitter Fight Brewing over Mass. Charter School Expansion" (though it could also have been "Mass Charter Expansion"). And while the battle has not been "brewing" so much as "going on for a while now," the article centers on one question-- can t

by mike simpson / 5h 

Moskowitz offers rare apology in private memo to staff | POLITICO

Moskowitz offers rare apology in private memo to staff | POLITICO: Moskowitz offers rare apology in private memo to staffSuccess Academy CEO Eva Moskowitz offered a rare, albeit brief, apology on behalf of her charter school network in a private memo to staff on Thursday night, a contrast to her publicly defiant stance in the wake of a recent spate of negative media coverage."No matter how yo

by mike simpson / 5h 

Fear of Deportation Is Driving Migrant Kids to Stay Home from School | VICE | United States

Fear of Deportation Is Driving Migrant Kids to Stay Home from School | VICE | United States: Fear of Deportation Is Driving Migrant Kids to Stay Home from SchoolIt was 6:30 AM when Wildin David Guillen-Acosta stepped outside his house in Durham, North Carolina, headed to school. The 19-year-old had just begun his second semester of senior year at Riverside High School, where teachers considered hi

by mike simpson / 5h 

Letter Grades, Assigned by States to School Districts, Tell Us Little about Real Opportunity | janresseger

Letter Grades, Assigned by States to School Districts, Tell Us Little about Real Opportunity | janresseger: Letter Grades, Assigned by States to School Districts, Tell Us Little about Real OpportunityOhio’s release last Friday of school district report cards that rate schools and school districts and assign letter grades for a range of calculations that remain incomprehensible to the general publi

by mike simpson / 6h 

Analytics.usa.gov: Now with Agency-Specific Dashboards| The US government's web traffic.

analytics.usa.gov | The US government's web traffic.: Analytics.usa.gov: Now with Agency-Specific DashboardsBY TIM LOWDEN, GRAY BROOKS, GABRIEL RAMIREZ, ERIC MILL, JULIA WINN AND COLIN CRAIG FEBRUARY 18, 2016 DATA, OUR WORK ADD REPLYWe’ve added agency-specific dashboards to analytics.usa.gov!Starting today, you’ll see a dropdown from the main analytics.usa.gov page that allows you to view the same

by mike simpson / 6h 

When Integrating A School, Does It Matter If You Use Class Instead Of Race? : NPR Ed : NPR

When Integrating A School, Does It Matter If You Use Class Instead Of Race? : NPR Ed : NPR: When Integrating A School, Does It Matter If You Use Class Instead Of Race?LA Johnson/NPR"Stronger Together" is not the name of the latest social-media fitness app. It's a grant proposed in President Obama's new budget, reviving an idea that hasn't gotten much policy attention in decades: diversit

by mike simpson / 6h 

Something Doesn’t Add Up With National PTA’s Intimidation Letter To Delaware PTA… – Exceptional Delaware

Something Doesn’t Add Up With National PTA’s Intimidation Letter To Delaware PTA… – Exceptional Delaware: Something Doesn’t Add Up With National PTA’s Intimidation Letter To Delaware PTA…I was thinking about this a lot the past two days.  Since I posted theNational PTA “Comply Or We Will Make You” letter to the Delaware PTA, something didn’t feel quite right.  Was it the absolute absurdity and gal

by mike simpson / 6h 

Navigating the legal threats posed by LCAPs :: SI&A Cabinet Report

Navigating the legal threats posed by LCAPs :: SI&A Cabinet Report :: The Essential Resource for Superintendents and the Cabinet: Navigating the legal threats posed by LCAPs(Calif.) Two prominent attorneys who tend to face-off from opposite sides of most public school issues have found common ground on one thing – that districts face significant legal threat over the development and execution

by mike simpson / 6h 

Will Democrats Malloy, Wyman and the CT Dem Party disavow Ed Marcus’ disgusting attack on Sanders and all Democrats? - Wait What?

Will Democrats Malloy, Wyman and the CT Dem Party disavow Ed Marcus’ disgusting attack on Sanders and all Democrats? - Wait What?: Will Democrats Malloy, Wyman and the CT Dem Party disavow Ed Marcus’ disgusting attack on Sanders and all Democrats?Former Connecticut Democratic State Chairman Ed Marcus is, among other things, a thug.After serving for ten years in the Connecticut General Assembly, si

by mike simpson / 6h 

More Bad Journalism about Bad Edu-Books (and Why the New Media Can Rock) – the becoming radical

More Bad Journalism about Bad Edu-Books (and Why the New Media Can Rock) – the becoming radical:More Bad Journalism about Bad Edu-Books (and Why the New Media Can Rock) So Ed Boland wrote a really bad edu-book that all the mainstream media adores because, well, you know, nobody gives a crap what a teacher thinks, but let ANYbody dip a toe in education who isn’t an educator and then everyone is all

by mike simpson / 6h 

Students of Color Are Much More Likely to Attend High-Poverty Schools - The Atlantic

Students of Color Are Much More Likely to Attend High-Poverty Schools - The Atlantic: The Concentration of Poverty in American SchoolsAn exclusive Next America analysis uncovers that students of color in the largest 100 cities in the United States are much more likely to attend schools where most of their peers are poor or low-income.In almost all major American cities, most African American and H

by mike simpson / 6h 

With Fewer Members, a Diminished Political Role for Wisconsin Unions - The New York Times

With Fewer Members, a Diminished Political Role for Wisconsin Unions - The New York Times: With Fewer Members, a Diminished Political Role for Wisconsin UnionsMILWAUKEE — Gov. Scott Walker’s foray into the Republican presidential field ended months ago, but he may yet have sway over the outcome.Mr. Walker led a push five years ago to cut collective bargaining rights for most public sector workers,

by mike simpson / 7h 

Idaho: Boise Superintendent Stands Up to the Privatizing Albertson Foundation | Diane Ravitch's blog

Idaho: Boise Superintendent Stands Up to the Privatizing Albertson Foundation | Diane Ravitch's blog: Idaho: Boise Superintendent Stands Up to the Privatizing Albertson FoundationDr. Don Coberly, the superintendent of the Boise, Idaho, school district,wrote a blunt letter to the district’s staff telling them not to believe the smears disseminated by the rich and powerful Albertson Foundation. This

by mike simpson / 7h 

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES: WEEKEND QUOTABLES“I’m not a superpredator!” Ashley Williams, a young Black Lives Matter protester, tells Hillary."Oink oink" "And this is who your going after? This is where we start the battle? You fucking idiots!" That's consummate liberal racist Bill Maher going after young, black activist, Ashley Williams after she protested

by mike simpson / 7h 

Every Student Succeeds Act Helps Put Equity Front and Center, Say Experts - NEA Today

Every Student Succeeds Act Helps Put Equity Front and Center, Say Experts - NEA Today: Every Student Succeeds Act Helps Put Equity Front and Center, Say ExpertsWhile the U.S. child poverty rate is higher today than ever before, its impact is compounded by education policies that fail to address poverty-related impediments to teaching and learning. At a recent panel discussion held at the U.S. Capi

by mike simpson / 7h 

Inquiry: District sought to keep immigrants out of schools - Yahoo News

Inquiry: District sought to keep immigrants out of schools - Yahoo News:Inquiry: District sought to keep immigrants out of schoolsFILE - In this Feb. 11, 2016 file photo, New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman speaks during a news confer WESTBURY, N.Y. (AP) — A suburban New York school district is changing its policies following complaints that it denied or delayed access to immigrant stud

by mike simpson / 8h 

Special Report: Plugged-in groups snag $40M in no-bid Boston schools contracts | Boston Herald

Special Report: Plugged-in groups snag $40M in no-bid Boston schools contracts | Boston Herald: Special Report: Plugged-in groups snag $40M in no-bid Boston schools contractsWorried experts, parents see a ‘privatization’ trend Cash-strapped Boston schools have inked $40 million worth of no-bid contracts with plugged-in “strategic partners” in recent years, raising concerns that a lack of oversight

by mike simpson / 8h 

Gov. Andrew Cuomo Faces Criticism for Reversals - WSJ

Gov. Andrew Cuomo Faces Criticism for Reversals - WSJ:Gov. Andrew Cuomo Faces Criticism for ReversalsMajor policy changes unsettle state capital; governor calls criticism ‘nasty and derogatory’ALBANY—More than five years into New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s tenure, some legislators, lobbyists and political players said his tendency to change positions has left them unsure where he stands on issues an

by mike simpson / 8h 

How will the new education secretary shape the law replacing No Child Left Behind? | News OK

How will the new education secretary shape the law replacing No Child Left Behind? | News OK: How will the new education secretary shape the law replacing No Child Left Behind?Six months after Arne Duncan announced he was retiring as education secretary, President Obama formally nominated acting Secretary John King this week for a short tenure of great significance.Less than a year in office, most

by mike simpson / 9h 

Federal government has a continued role in implementing ESSA | TheHill

Federal government has a continued role in implementing ESSA | TheHill:Federal government has a continued role in implementing ESSA In December, I was honored to be at the White House when President Obama signed the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) – the reauthorization of our nation’s education law that was passed with bi-partisan support in Congress and broad support from across the country. At

by mike simpson / 9h 

Guilty plea good reason to reform charter school process | SanDiegoUnionTribune.com

Guilty plea good reason to reform charter school process | SanDiegoUnionTribune.com: A union for charter school teachers?There’s a whole lot of shaking going on as the long-simmering tension between school districts over charter schools seems to be coming to a boil.The guilty plea this past week by charter school broker Steve Van Zant to a conflict-of-interest charge is a symptom of broader issues

by mike simpson / 9h 

Are Publicly Funded Charter Schools Accountable to Parents and Taxpayers? Apparently Not.

Are Publicly Funded Charter Schools Accountable to Parents and Taxpayers? Apparently Not.: Are Publicly Funded Charter Schools Accountable to Parents and Taxpayers? Apparently Not. Several weeks ago, the New York Times published a surreptitiously recorded videoof a charter school teacher berating a first grade student and ripping up her work in front of the class for being unable to explain how sh

by mike simpson / 9h 

YESTERDAY

Groups want early ed block grant pulled from this year’s state budget | EdSource

Groups want early ed block grant pulled from this year’s state budget | EdSource: Groups want early ed block grant pulled from this year's state budgetStephanie Baltazar, left, and Yaretzi Orozco enjoy a book at a Kidango preschool in San Jose.As the deadline for the May Revision of the state budget approaches, a group of education organizations is asking Gov. Jerry Brown to remove his proposed ea

1 by mike simpson / 17h 

Which Delaware Charter School Is Under Investigation By The State Now? How About ALL Of Them!!!!

Which Delaware Charter School Is Under Investigation By The State Auditor Now? How About ALL Of Them!!!! – Exceptional Delaware:Which Delaware Charter School Is Under Investigation By The State Auditor Now? How About ALL Of Them!!!!It turns out the Delaware State Auditor’s office is investigating the September 30th Enrollment Counts at certain charter schools in Delaware.  Which ones?  How about A

10 by mike simpson / 22h 

Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 2/28/16

CORPORATE ED REFORMSeattle Schools Community Forum: Opting Out Heats UpSeattle Schools Community Forum: Opting Out Heats Up:Opting Out Heats UpIt's getting to be testing time and BOY, are there a slew of states and groups and people worried that the opt-out movement will continue to grow.First, for great information on opting out, United Opt Out is a national group.There are two interesting develo

43 by mike simpson / 23h

Dr. Jill Stein is the Best 2016 Presidential Candidate, But Can She Win? | gadflyonthewallblog

Dr. Jill Stein is the Best 2016 Presidential Candidate, But Can She Win? | gadflyonthewallblog:

Dr. Jill Stein is the Best 2016 Presidential Candidate, But Can She Win?

In 2008, I shook Barack Obama’s hand.

Yesterday Dr. Jill Stein gave me a hug.

Eight years ago, I was so inspired by Obama’s campaign speech in my hometown of Pittsburgh that I rushed forward along with the crowd to grab his hand. It was soft but firm with a tinge of moisturizer. Now I look at his incredibly regressive education policies and feel the need to scrub my palm.

This weekend in Philadelphia, I was at the United Opt Out Conference and saw Stein sitting in the audience.

I walked past the Green Party Presidential candidate the first time thinking I must be mistaken. Then her name tag removed all doubt.

“You’re Jill Stein!” I stuttered.

She smiled warmly, stood up and said, “You’re Steven Singer!”

I want to believe she knew who I was, but I was wearing a name tag, too.

We talked for a moment about what most of us were here for – education policy. She Dr. Jill Stein is the Best 2016 Presidential Candidate, But Can She Win? | gadflyonthewallblog:

Parents do What Teachers Can't: Opt Out of Standardized Test

Parents do What Teachers Can't: Opt Out of Standardized Test 

Message From An Anonymous Teacher in New York State

by Mark Naison

From Anonymous Teacher

"Last week I made the decision to become a Teacher of Conscience and refuse to administer the state tests to my elementary students. Not knowing exactly all the proper steps to go through, I reached out to some of the folks at NYSAPE and one teacher who did refuse with the support of her administration. There is no guarantee that I will have support. The NYSAPE reps and this teacher were all very excited and happy to support me on this journey. I also reached out to my local president who enthusiastically contacted the NYSUT Labor Relations Specialist for guidance. This is NYSUT's response to my president. 

'No she cannot refuse to administer the tests. She will be insubordinate and could face 3020-a charges, which in turn could lead to dismissal and/or a loss of her teachers license. Please advise him/her against this.'

I took it upon myself to call this person right after school today. She asked my reason for refusing. I told her for moral and ethical reasons. The specialist said that if I did not receive support from my district in writing, that NYSUT would not take on or support my case if I refused anyway. She even went as far to say that even if my district did not bring me up on insubordination charges that the Commissioner could very well charge me and call a hearing herself. I'm reaching out to likeminded educators, administrators, and parents here with this question...What would you do in my position?"Message From An Anonymous Teacher in New York State by Mark Naison From Anonymous Teacher:

‘Work Hard, Be Hard’ and ‘Work Hard, Be Nice,’ dueling takes on KIPP - The Washington Post

‘Work Hard, Be Hard’ and ‘Work Hard, Be Nice,’ dueling takes on KIPP - The Washington Post:
‘Work Hard, Be Hard’ and ‘Work Hard, Be Nice,’ dueling takes on KIPP

Cambridge College education professor Jim Horn presents his new book, “Work Hard, Be Hard: Journeys Through ‘No Excuses’ Teaching,” as a necessary antidote to my 2009 book, “Work Hard. Be Nice: How Two Inspired Teachers Created the Most Promising Schools in America.”

We are polar opposites on the issue of KIPP, the nation’s largest charter school network, and charters in general. He says, correctly, that he and I “have maintained a prickly relationship over the past ten years by writing from contrasting perspectives about corporate education issues and education reform schools.”

The reasons for our differences are illuminated by the way we handle the same material in our books.

[More from Jay Mathews: As a KIPP supporter, this new book about charter schools is hard to believe]

My book describes two young teachers, Mike Feinberg and Dave Levin, who through trial and error and the guidance of a magical Houston elementary school teacher named Harriett Ball found a way to raise the academic achievement of inner city children. It is a story of bottom-up school reform.

Horn offers the opposite, a top-down story in which “venture philanthropists and philanthrocaptitalists through equity bundlers, bond investors, and hedge funds” poured billions of dollars into “charter management organizations.”

For instance, Horn is suspicious of my account of the first major news article in 1994 about the new KIPP program in Houston. It was a 2,799-word story on the front page of the Houston Post. “Mathews offers no details as to how an obscure little program in its first year with forty-seven students was chosen for such coverage,” Horn said. He suggests the rapidly growing national Teach For America program, which Levin and Feinberg were a part of, pulled some strings.

This is puzzling because I explained in detail what produced the Houston Post article. Reporter Susan Bezse Wallace, then 24, had gotten a grant from the national Education Writers Association to do three stories — not about charter schools or TFA, but about male teachers in urban schools. The headline of her KIPP piece was “FEW GOOD MEN.” The other stories in the series were about a male state teacher of the year and a charismatic coach.

Another mystery not explained by me, Horn said, was “how KIPP cofounder, David Levin, who in 1995 was a third-year teacher from TFA without ‘Work Hard, Be Hard’ and ‘Work Hard, Be Nice,’ dueling takes on KIPP - The Washington Post:

Rhodes faces skepticism, defiance as he takes DPS the state’s largest school district

Rhodes faces skepticism, defiance as he takes DPS reins:

Rhodes faces skepticism, defiance as he takes DPS reins

teven Rhodes, the retired United States Bankruptcy Judge who presided over the City of Detroit's historic bankruptcy case. Photos taken on Friday, October 23, 2015. (John T. Greilick, The Detroit News)

(Photo: John T. Greilick / Detroit News)

 Retired bankruptcy Judge Steven Rhodes’ appointment Monday as transition manager of Detroit Public Schools’ was greeted with a mix of hope, skepticism and defiance by stakeholders in the state’s largest school district.

Gov. Rick Snyder officially announced Rhodes, who presided over the city of Detroit’s trip through bankruptcy, as the new leader of DPS, which is in danger of running out of money in April.

Although some argue it’s a matter of semantics, Rhodes is not an emergency manager but will handle most, if not all, of the duties previously assigned to Darnell Earley, the emergency manager whose resignation took effect Monday.

Rhodes’ tenure is expected to run through July 1. By that date, the Snyder administration hopes to have won approval from state lawmakers for a $715 million plan to rescue and restructure DPS.

Ivy Bailey, interim president of the Detroit Federation of Teachers, expressed cautious optimism that Rhodes can improve conditions in DPS, which is struggling with millions of dollars in debt, low test scores and poor conditions in many of its school buildings.

“Rhodes has signaled support for local control and a willingness to listen to and work with educators, parents and the community,” she said. “This is in contrast to the approach of past school leaders, which included filing lawsuits against educators, banning health inspectors from hazardous public school buildings, and racking up a school debt of a half-billion dollars with no accountability.”

Teachers cited health and safety problems in some DPS schools, including water damage, rodent infestations and a lack of heating, for triggering a series of sickouts that closed dozens of schools between November and January.

Bailey said the DFT hopes to work with Rhodes but issued a warning.

“We will not stop fighting until school conditions improve, Lansing pays off the debt incurred under the state’s appointed emergency managers, classrooms are adequately resourced and our students get the high-quality education they deserve,” she said.

Percy Bates, a professor of education psychology at the University of Michigan and a critic of emergency management, questioned how much change Rhodes will be able Rhodes faces skepticism, defiance as he takes DPS reins:

The Obama Administration - and the Democratic Party's - War On Teachers - BK Nation

The Obama Administration - and the Democratic Party's - War On Teachers - BK Nation:

The Obama Administration — and the Democratic Party’s — War On Teachers

President Barack Obama shakes hands with Education Arne Duncan in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, Friday, Oct. 2, 2015, where the president announced that Duncan will be stepping down in December after 7 years in the Obama administration. Duncan will be returning to Chicago and Obama has appointed senior Education Department official, John King Jr., center, to oversee the Education Department. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

By Mark Naison

The war on public-school teachers — and on public education general — continues to be one of the most disturbing aspects of the Obama administration’s seven-year tenure. With the President’s nomination of John King for the position of Secretary of Education, he reaches a new low.

Appointing Arne Duncan, someone with no teaching experience, as Secretary of Education, Barack Obama set the tone for his administration. Shortly after his election, he offered praise for the mass firing of teachers in Central Falls, Rhode Island, who refused to accept dramatic modifications of their contract to lengthen the school day.

The attack escalated with the unveiling of Race to the Top, which gave huge grants to states that rated teachers on the basis of test scores, closed schools designated as “failing” — again on the basis of test scores — and gave preference to charter schools over public schools. The Department of Education’s enthusiastic support for the Common Core Standards — formulated with little teacher input — and grants to Teach for America set the tone for national education policy.

Secretary Duncan attacked the nation’s public-school teachers as poorly trained, poorly qualified and in dire need of replacement by higher-achieving students from theThe Obama Administration - and the Democratic Party's - War On Teachers - BK Nation:

Phony School Reform Wilts, A New Education Story Takes Root | PopularResistance.Org

Phony School Reform Wilts, A New Education Story Takes Root | PopularResistance.Org:

Phony School Reform Wilts, A New Education Story Takes Root

For years, our public schools have been burdened by a “reform” narrative that education is “failing,” and that only a regime of standardized testing and charter schools will make administrators and teachers more “accountable.” Politicians and pundits across the political spectrum have adopted this doctrine and now easily slip into the rhetoric that supports it without hesitation.

But recently, the pillars of the “reform” agenda have begun to crumble. The whole notion of a top-down mandate for reform coming from state capitals and Washington, D.C. is being regarded with a new degree of skepticism.

A new narrative is emerging and it’s coming from the ground up—from schools and communities where teachers, parents, and students are remaking the education policy landscape.

Over the next several weeks, the Progressive Education Fellows will be exploring this exciting movement for change in a series of posts at The Progressive and on our social media channels on Facebook and Twitter.

A big part of the progressive vision for education is taking shape in community schools—locally led schools that are taking progressive approaches to education, including restorative justice, culturally responsive teaching, locally based accountability, and social, emotional, and health services that address the whole child.

This way of teaching is a radical departure from doctrinaire, corporate reform. It is anchored in the American belief that every child has the innate ability to learn, that access to education opportunity is an inalienable right, and that it is incumbent on government to provide education opportunities as a common good, free and accessible to all.

What Happened To ‘Reform’?

The break-up of the reform façade started with the movement to boycott standardized testing. A mostly parent-led effort using Facebook pages and neighborhood meetings grew into a firestorm of resistance.

As the Associated Press reported in 2015, “This ‘opt-out’ movement remains scattered butPhony School Reform Wilts, A New Education Story Takes Root | PopularResistance.Org: 

Children are more than test scores: It’s time to RISE UP and TURN UP CT BATs and SOSers for Black, Brown and poor children

Children are more than test scores: It’s time to RISE UP and TURN UP CT BATs and SOSers for Black, Brown and poor children:

It’s time to RISE UP and TURN UP CT BATs and SOSers for Black, Brown and poor children

Readers, Dr. Fran Huckabee an Associate Professor from Texas Christian University was a panelist on media messaging at the United Opt Out Conference this past weekend. She spoke about dangerous truths and the contradiction of saying save our schools public schools while at the same time discussing the test and punish culture premeditating those same schools. We had lunch together, and she shared the amazing work she is doing around social justice and education. Trust me she is rising star in this movement to save our public schools. On the 4 hour drive home I kept thinking about the idea of thw dangerous truths of my childhood. There are two that define me, that transform me, two that made me the man, the brother, the husband, the father and the activist I am today. 
I am going to share two truths and one glorious and one dangerous. I am going to ask you click on a link for a 3 and half minute video clip of the man I have become, and ask you to join me in rising up and turning up for equity, for justice, for children. parents, teachers, and our public schools.

My two truths

My first truth is an glorious and easy to share. At the age of eight my grandfather wanted to go to Dr. King's March On Washington. He offered to drive people from Trenton New Jersey to Washington DC. He asked his pastor to say he was looking for company to go to DC. No one would go. He asked at the union hall. No one would go. He asked at the his VFW hall. No one would go. He asked my grandmother. She was afraid there would be trouble. She asked him not to go, but he explained he had to go. Grandma said no, but said you should and need to go. 
She called my mother, and they prayed together about this going to the March On Washington trip. I doubt people today understand that every soul that turned up for the March On Washington has similar stories. I am certain they all face moments where people they thought would go with them said no. My grandfather was 68 years old, and they were worried about his age and driving alone to DC. As Catholics Grandma and Momma prayed the rosary,. They asked the other Rosary Children are more than test scores: It’s time to RISE UP and TURN UP CT BATs and SOSers for Black, Brown and poor children:

Los Angeles area teachers stage “sickouts” over pay - World Socialist Web Site

Los Angeles area teachers stage “sickouts” over pay - World Socialist Web Site:

Los Angeles area teachers stage “sickouts” over pay

Teachers in the Compton Unified School District (CUSD), south of Los Angeles, stayed out of their classrooms twice last week as part of organized “sickouts” designed to protest low wages and bad working conditions.

On Monday, more than 200 CUSD teachers called out sick, including 44 at Compton High School alone, or nearly 50 percent of faculty currently working at that school. On Friday, ten of the district’s 37 schools were forced to close Friday because of a shortage of teachers.

There is no indication that the Compton Education Association (CEA) called the protests, and there is nothing on the union’s web site about them. It is likely rank-and-file teachers organized the sickouts independently of the union just like educators in Detroit did earlier this year. The district’s 1,200 teachers and other school employees are frustrated over stalled contract talks and angered that the CEA has kept them on the job without a contract since the last one expired in June 2015.

In an effort to regain control of the situation union officials called a rally at district headquarters Tuesday where they tried to identify themselves with the teachers’ grievances. “You need to put money into the classroom, where the students are and that should be the priority,” teachers union President Patrick Sullivan said at the rally.

The central issues in the current negotiations are over salary and medical benefits. The Compton Unified School District is offering teachers an insulting 2 percent salary increase, well below the 3.1 percent increase in the Consumer Price Index, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The CEA has limited its wage demands to 5 percent.

Friday’s action was the fourth sickout organized by Compton teachers in the last three years alone. Last November, more than half of Compton high school teachers called in sick to protest recent school board elections and the passage of local Bond Measure S, meant to modernize schools at the Los Angeles area teachers stage “sickouts” over pay - World Socialist Web Site:

U.S. legislators give Obama’s education pick an astounding pass - The Washington Post

U.S. legislators give Obama’s education pick an astounding pass - The Washington Post:

U.S. legislators give Obama’s education pick an astounding pass

News emanating from the U.S. Senate these days centers on Republican determination not to give even a passing glance to any nomination that President Obama sends to fill the vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court created by the recent death of Associate Justice Antonin Scalia. What got less attention was the astounding pass the Senate education committee just gave to Obama’s nominee as the new education secretary, John King.

During confirmation hearings late last week before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Acting Education Secretary John King was not asked one single direct question about the tumultuous 3 ½ years he spent as the commissioner of education in New York state. Not by Republicans, and not by Democrats.

Nobody, apparently, was interested enough in asking him to explain the turmoil in New York education during his tenure. What turmoil? As blogger Peter Greene succinctly wrote, “Under King, Common Core implementation was a disaster, teacher evaluation was a disaster, testing was a disaster,massive data gathering was a disaster, and having public meetings to manage public reaction to the other disasters was a disaster.”

King’s program sparked the largest testing opt-out movement in the country, with some 20 percent of all students refusing to take the Common Core standardized tests mandated by the state last spring. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D), who supported the principles of King’s reform, lost faith in his ability to lead the implementation. King left his job abruptly late last year — with some “goodbye and good riddance” messages, including one December 2014 newspaper editorial titled “Commissioner King’s Tone Deaf Legacy” — and was tapped by Arne Duncan, Obama’s long-time education secretary, U.S. legislators give Obama’s education pick an astounding pass - The Washington Post: