Mike Pence's education record - Business Insider

Mike Pence's education record - Business Insider:

A cornerstone of Mike Pence's political record has experts cleanly divided

After Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump selected Indiana Governor Mike Pence as his running mate, Hillary Clinton ripped into the choice.

"Mike Pence is one of the most extreme vice presidential picks in a generation," Clinton said at an American Federation of Teachers conference in Minneapolis on Monday.

"And he’s one of the most hostile politicians in America when it comes to public education,” she continued.

It was searing criticism, especially as Pence has made education the cornerstone of his policy agenda since he assumed governorship over the Hoosier State in 2013.

While it's expected that Clinton would be critical of Trump and Pence while stumping in Minneapolis, the attack highlights Pence's divisiveness when it comes to education policies.

School vouchers

Gov. Mike Pence embraces a preschool student at the Shepherd Community Center Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2014, in Indianapolis.AP Photo/Tom LoBianco

As governor, Pence has championed a number of school choice policies, like Indiana's voucher program, that affect funding at public schools. Vouchers allow families to redeem tuition funding if they choose to send their children to private, rather than public, schools.

Pence has won big in his push to expand the state's voucher program, successfully lifting the cap (previously $4,800) on the amount of money families can receive when sending their children to private schools. In fact, Indiana's voucher program is now one of the largest in the nation, according to the New York Times.

Opponents of voucher programs argue that they siphon essential funding from already meager public school budgets to other schools, and at their worst, are unconstitutional, as they use taxpayer-funded vouchers to benefit religious schools.

"Pence's K through 12 education agenda has had serious, deleterious consequences for public education," Bob Arnove, the Chancellor’s Professor Emeritus of Educational Leadership & Policy Studies at Indiana University, told Business Insider.  "He’s let ideology and religious convictions trump, and that's no pun intended, the common good."

John P. Bean, professor emeritus at Indiana University, also believes Pence's school choice policies to harmful to the public education system.

"Pence’s promotion of school choice seems to be a thinly disguised handout to private religious schools at a time when public schools need more funding to function well," Bean told Business Insider via email.

That opinion seems to be debated.

"Pence's record in defending and advancing educational opportunity and access is strong, and Mike Pence's education record - Business Insider:

 Big Education Ape: Penceland - Voucher Capital of America: Are vouchers costing or saving taxpayer dollars? - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2016/07/penceland-voucher-capital-of-america.html

Big Education Ape: Koch Brothers’ Friends Funding Mike Pence | Hoosier School Heist Blog -http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2015/07/koch-brothers-friends-funding-mike.html

Big Education Ape: Schools Matter: The Real Story Behind Mike Pence’s Charter School Speech -http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2015/07/schools-matter-real-story-behind-mike.html

Big Education Ape: The bigot Mike Pence and his neighbor Bruce Rauner. | Fred Klonsky -http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2016/07/the-bigot-mike-pence-and-his-neighbor.html

Big Education Ape: BREAKING NEWS - Trump goes with anti-public education running mate - Wait What? -http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2016/07/breaking-news-trump-goes-with-anti.html

Big Education Ape: The big trouble in Indiana public schools, as explained by a troubled educator - The Washington Post - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2016/02/the-big-trouble-in-indiana-public.html

Hoosier School Heist TV is Doug Martin's channel featuring videos of his book tour across Indiana speaking on the corporate takeover of public education. Order Hoosier School Heist at http://hoosierschoolheist.com/.

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Once all but left for dead, is cursive handwriting making a comeback? - The Washington Post

Once all but left for dead, is cursive handwriting making a comeback? - The Washington Post:

Once all but left for dead, is cursive handwriting making a comeback?

In this file photo from 2013, a fourth grader at St. Francis International School in Silver Spring, Md. practices cursive writing. Once thought to be on its way out, cursive instruction is hanging on as states are moving to require that students learn it. (Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post)

Cursive writing was supposed to be dead by now. Schools would stop teaching it. Kids would stop learning it. Everyone would stop using it. The Common Core standards adopted by most states in recent years no longer required teaching cursive in public schools, and the widespread reaction was succinct: good riddance.

But like Madonna and newspapers, cursive has displayed a gritty staying power, refusing to have its loop de loops and curlicues swept to the dustbin of handwriting history. Just last month, Louisiana passed a law requiring that all traditional public schools and public charter schools begin teaching cursive by third grade and continue through 12th grade. Arkansas legislators passed a law mandating cursive instruction last year. And 10 other states, including Virginia, California, Florida and Texas, have cursive writing requirements in their state education standards.

[Reader poll: Is cursive still relevant?]

The cursive comeback is championed by a mix of educators, researchers, parents and politicians who lament the loss of linked-letter writing and cite studies that learning cursive engages the brain more deeply, improves fine motor dexterity and gives children a better idea of how words work in combination.

And some also just like the way it looks.

“I think it’s really discouraging to get a note from a college graduate that is printed like a second-grader,” said Beth Mizell, the Louisiana state senator who introduced the cursive writing bill in her state.

The Republican lawmaker said she acted when she heard from a surveyor who told her he couldn’t find young people who could read the notes on old land documents. A grandmother, Mizell said she was shocked to find out that students were no longer learning cursive in school.

“It seemed we had made a decision that was arrogant on our part that we didn’t think these kids needed something that we had taken for granted, that was our way of communicating for Once all but left for dead, is cursive handwriting making a comeback? - The Washington Post:

Standardized tests - Houston Chronicle

Standardized tests - Houston Chronicle:

Standardized tests

Legislators should use survey findings to fix test protocols at Texas' public schools.

Photo: Darren Abate, FRL Teachers find our current testing culture demoralizing. Not only would scaling back on the testing culture improve student performance, but most teacher organizations agree that fewer and more meaningful tests and less test preparation time would help attract better candidates to the teaching profession. (File photo)

The sight of little kids bending over their desks and filling in answer bubbles with No. 2 lead pencils has been a staple of the educational experience for so long that these kids have had kids. Few seem to be entirely happy with the role our state plays in the high-stakes testing culture of our public schools, yet this culture seems to have developed a life of its own.

That may be changing. In an unusual twist, the State Board of Education recently turned the tables on a system that rates students and teachers and asked the public to rate our state's testing policies.

The SBOE's customer satisfaction survey arose after a lengthy grass-roots process and aims to engage people informed by front-line experience in our schools. Although it wasn't a random survey, it had considerable reach, and its findings lay the groundwork for those seeking to improve our state's assessment and accountability system.

The discontent of many of the 27,186 people surveyed comes through loud and clear: "Texans believe we have too many tests, schools are spending too much time preparing for the state assessments, and too much class time working on the preparation," according to Donna Bahorich, Standardized tests - Houston Chronicle:

ALEC 2016 Agenda Boosts Charters, Coal, and Other Corporate Funders | PR Watch

ALEC 2016 Agenda Boosts Charters, Coal, and Other Corporate Funders | PR Watch:

ALEC 2016 Agenda Boosts Charters, Coal, and Other Corporate Funders

The American Legislative Exchange Council will push bills to protect failing charter schools, silence political speech, and obstruct environmental protections in the ALEC 2016 agenda introduced at its annual meeting in Indianapolis this week.

ALEC faces renewed public attention as it gears up for the annual meeting, where corporate lobbyists sit side-by-side with state legislators in luxury hotels to vote as equals on "model bills" that then get pushed to become law in states across the country.

As the Center for Media and Democracy has reported, Donald Trump chose an ALEC ally, Indiana Governor Mike Pence, as his running mate, while his party's 2016 platform was clearly stamped in the Koch-fueled ALEC mold.

Pence Pushed ALEC Agenda in the Hoosier State

As Governor, Pence appointed an ALEC staffer to his cabinet, and pushed parts of the ALEC agenda into law, such as anti-worker bills like repealing the prevailing wage and privatizing public schools in various ways. He even sent a letter to state legislators urging them to join ALEC, which is widely described as a corporate bill mill. ALEC is funded by Koch Industries, Peabody Energy, huge global tobacco and drug companies, and other corporations that pay a premium to access ALEC lawmakers.

Conveniently for him, this year's meeting will be held in the snazzy J.W. Marriott in downtown Indianapolis. Pence is scheduled to deliver a keynote address at lunch on Wednesday, then is slated to speak at an evening reception on school "reform" jointly hosted by the Center for Education Reform (CER) and the Jack Kemp Foundation (JKF).

If Pence had time to stay for a few task force meetings, here are some of the new "model bills" he would find voted on behind closed doors by ALEC legislators alongside corporate lobbyists and representatives of special interest groups that are part of the State Policy Network (SPN).

Second Chances for Failing Charter Schools

The for-profit education companies that help fund ALEC, like K12, Inc., have a track record of poor results that tends to result in a high rate of school closures. K12, which was founded in part by junk bond fraudster felon Michael Milken, has a seat and a vote on ALEC's corporate board.

Two new bills being considered by what ALEC now dubs its "Education and Workforce Development Task Force" could help poorly performing charters stay open without having to improve.

Under the Assessment Choice Act, instead of using a uniform assessment for students statewide, charters' authorizers would take their pick from a "menu" of tests, unlike traditional public schools.

If propping up test scores isn't enough to save a charter from closure, the "Student and Family Fair Notice and Impact Statement Act" promises to add new hurdles. Before closing or restructuring a charter school, this act would not just require that families be notified. It would also create a public hearing process in which parents, teachers, and "experts" could give testimony about the school, and the charter board would be allowed to suggest a response plan.

In case it wasn't obvious that the bill is meant to keep the charter in operation, the drafter of that model bill added:

"[drafting note: it should be clear the school can present an alternative for supporters of the school to rally around.]"

School privatization proponents have slowly been dropping the pretense that the "school choice" movement is about ALEC 2016 Agenda Boosts Charters, Coal, and Other Corporate Funders | PR Watch:

Hillary Clinton Advocates For Community Schools Model | ThinkProgress

Hillary Clinton Advocates For Community Schools Model | ThinkProgress:

Hillary Clinton Advocates For Community Schools Model

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks at the American Federation of Teachers convention at the Minneapolis Convention Center in Minneapolis, Monday, July 18, 2016.

In a recent speech before the American Federation of Teachers, Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton’s voice cracked as she discussed major inequities in the quality of education that students from low-income families receive.

“That’s a stain on all of us. Let’s create more community schools, more partnerships between schools and services and nonprofit organizations. Let’s pledge that we’ll give children who need it the mental health services that they deserve,” Clinton said.

Community schools — which provide social services to students on the school premises and prioritize community and parent engagement — have been around for a long time, particularly in low-income neighborhoods. Baltimore, New York City, and Chicago have almost 400 community schools put together and Oakland has almost 30 of these community hubs. But the concept has only recently gained steam on a national level as a potential solution for the closing opportunity gaps between low-income and middle class and wealthy children in schools across the country.

Advocates for equity in education favor a community schools approach because, by including social services and health services within or near the school building, educators can better address social factors outside of the school’s control. For example, if a student wants to speak with a mental health professional, they can go to an office nearby.

Educators argue that if factors such as illness, hunger, and mental health issues were addressed at school, children would ultimately be more successful.

If a student is hungry at school, they will not be able to learn.

“If a student is hungry at school, they will not be able to learn. If a student has health issues, of course they won’t be able to learn or perform on tests. None of this can happen unless the fundamental needs of the students and families are met,” said Marina Marcou-O’Malley, policy director for the Alliance for Quality Education of New York’s Public Policy and Education Fund. She added that the goal is to make the school environment “a welcoming and positive place” for struggling students.

Over the past several years, major cities have made huge strides toward developing more community schools.

New York’s Board of Regents, for instance, met earlier this month to discuss how schools can qualify for funding from a $75 million pot set aside for community schools. This $75 million marked major progress for groups pushing for community school expansion, such as Alliance for Quality Education of New York, Coalition for Educational Justice, Make the Road NY, and Hillary Clinton Advocates For Community Schools Model | ThinkProgress:

Is Hillary Clinton’s Pick Of Tim Kaine Another Sign Democrats Are Leaving The ‘Education Reform Camp?’

7/27/2016 – Is Hillary Clinton’s Pick Of Tim Kaine Another Sign Democrats Are Leaving The ‘Education Reform Camp?’:
Is Hillary Clinton’s Pick Of Tim Kaine Another Sign Democrats Are Leaving The ‘Education Reform Camp?’

THIS WEEK: Income Segregation Worsens … How Unions Improve Teaching … Online Charters In Trouble … Colleges Need $30 Billion For Maintenance … Games Charters Play

TOP STORY

Is Hillary Clinton’s Pick Of Tim Kaine Another Sign Democrats Are Leaving The ‘Education Reform Camp?’

By Jeff Bryant

“Hillary Clinton’s picking Virginia Senator Tim Kaine for her vice presidential running mate is not apt to ease the ‘anxiety’ or ‘soul searching’ education reformers feel … In reviewing Kaine’s education policy chops, what’s in his record may not be as important as what isn’t: the current education establishment’s policy checklist … The years progressives have put into organizing, voicing opposition to current education policies, and calling for new directions in education are likely having an effect on a new Democratic Party.”
Read more …

NEWS AND VIEWS

Income Segregation In Schools Found To Rise By 40% Since 1990

Education Week

“Income segregation … in the 100 largest districts …. is about 40% higher than in 1990 … This new level of segregation is not caused primarily by the historical separation between poor families and all others … The middle class has been slipping further behind the upper middle and affluent classes … The growing trends in income-based segregation in schools were also likely due to school-choice policies.”
Read more …

What If Everything You Thought You Knew About Teachers Unions Turned Out to be Wrong?

Edushyster

Freelance writer Jennifer Berkshire interviews an author of a recent study who found, “Highly unionized districts actually fire more bad teachers … By demanding higher salaries for teachers, unions give school districts a strong incentive to dismiss ineffective teachers before they get tenure. Highly unionized districts dismiss more bad teachers because it costs more to keep them … Unionized districts also retain more high-quality teachers relative to district with weak unionism.”
Read more …

Oklahoma Joins Ranks Of States and Agencies Cracking Down On Virtual Charter Schools

Edsurge

“Oklahoma is one of many states investigating and castigating virtual charters … California recently arrived at a disputed settlement with for-profit online charter operator K12 Inc. … Ohio’s largest online charter school operator, the Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow (ECOT), has failed to stall an audit of its financials and attendance records in court … Of every 100 students enrolled at ECOT, 80 do not graduate.'”
Read more …

Long-Neglected Maintenance Threatens To Further Escalate The Cost Of College

The Hechinger Report

After years of budget cuts and continuing austerity, universities and colleges collectively face a shortfall of a record $30 billion for … deferred maintenance or ‘deferred renewal’ to deteriorating buildings and other infrastructure … The problem is compounded by the fact that they nonetheless continue to build more – spending a record $11.5 billion last year – in the hope of attracting students … Some universities are already adding ‘capital renewal fees’ to students’ bills to help them pay for renovations and improvements.”
Read more …

Why Charter Schools Get Public Education Advocates So Angry

The Washington Post

Former high school principal and current executive director of the Network for Public Education Carol Burris writes, “Charters, regardless of their original intent, have become a threat to democratically governed, neighborhood public schools, and questions about their practices, opacity and lack of accountability are increasing as their numbers grow … Democratic school governance is viewed as an obstacle by many charter school devotees … Charter schools control enrollment … Even after initial enrollment, charters lose students through attrition … Some charters are better, and others are worse … What all share, however, is the ability to use the freedom given to them for innovation to shut out democracy, attract the students they want and hide important information from the public, even as they collect taxpayer funds.
Read more …

EON is taking a break next week. Watch for a resumption of the newsletter on August 11.

7/27/2016 – Is Hillary Clinton’s Pick Of Tim Kaine Another Sign Democrats Are Leaving The ‘Education Reform Camp?’:

Schedule & Speakers | Tuesday, July 26th | 2016 Democratic National Convention

Schedule & Speakers | Tuesday, July 26th | 2016 Democratic National Convention:

Schedule & Speakers | Tuesday, July 26th | 2016 Democratic National Convention

• TUESDAY JULY 26 | 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM ET - PENNYSLVANIA CONVENTION CENTER, TERRRACE I-IV

  Women’s Caucus

  The Pennsylvania Convention Center is home to many important official party events, including caucus and council meetings. These caucus and council meetings are open to the general public.

• TUESDAY JULY 26 | 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM ET - PENNSYLVANIA CONVENTION CENTER, 118ABC

  LGBT Caucus

  The Pennsylvania Convention Center is home to many important official party events, including caucus and council meetings. These caucus and council meetings are open to the general public.

• TUESDAY JULY 26 | 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM ET - PENNSYLVANIA CONVENTION CENTER, 121BC

  Senior Council

  The Pennsylvania Convention Center is home to many important official party events, including caucus and council meetings. These caucus and council meetings are open to the general public.

• TUESDAY JULY 26 | 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM ET - PENNSYLVANIA CONVENTION CENTER, 122AB

  Rural Council

  The Pennsylvania Convention Center is home to many important official party events, including caucus and council meetings. These caucus and council meetings are open to the general public.  

• TUESDAY JULY 26 | 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM ET - PENNSYLVANIA CONVENTION CENTER, TERRACE II

  Youth Council

  The Pennsylvania Convention Center is home to many important official party events, including caucus and council meetings. These caucus and council meetings are open to the general public.

• TUESDAY JULY 26 | 4:00 PM ET - WELLS FARGO CENTER

  Gavel In

• TUESDAY JULY 26 | WELLS FARGO CENTER

  Thaddeus Desmond

  Similar to Hillary’s work at the Children’s Defense Fund, Thaddeus is a child advocate social worker in Philadelphia.

• TUESDAY JULY 26 | WELLS FARGO CENTER

  Dynah Haubert

  Dynah, of Philadelphia, PA, is a lawyer who works for a disability rights organization and teaches those with disabilities to advocate for themselves.

• TUESDAY JULY 26 | WELLS FARGO CENTER

  Kate Burdick

  Kate, originally from Philadelphia, PA,  is a staff attorney at the Juvenile Law Center in Philadelphia.

• TUESDAY JULY 26 | WELLS FARGO CENTER

  Anton Moore

  Anton, from Philadelphia, PA, founded and runs a nonprofit community group that strives to bring awareness and educate youth on gun violence.

• TUESDAY JULY 26 | WELLS FARGO CENTER

  Dustin Parsons

  Dustin, from Little Rock, Arkansas,  is currently a fifth grade teacher at an elementary school in his home state.

• TUESDAY JULY 26 | WELLS FARGO CENTER

  Jelani Freeman

  Jelani grew up in foster care in Washington, DC and is a former intern in Hillary Clinton’s Senate office. Since receiving his law degree, he has worked to bring opportunity to kids at risk.

• TUESDAY JULY 26 | WELLS FARGO CENTER

  Students from Eagle Academy

  As a senator, Hillary Clinton supported the creation of the Eagle Academy to educate at-risk youth in New York City. Eagle Academy was featured in the ad Came Through during the New York primary.

• TUESDAY JULY 26 | WELLS FARGO CENTER

  Mothers of the Movement

   SPEAKER: Mothers of the Movement

• TUESDAY JULY 26 | WELLS FARGO CENTER

  Joe Sweeney

  Joe, of New York, NY,  was a detective with the NYPD on September 11, 2001. When the towers were hit, he rushed down to the World Trade Center and began digging through the rubble for survivors.

• TUESDAY JULY 26 | WELLS FARGO CENTER

  Lauren Manning

  Lauren was a former executive and partner at Cantor Fitzgerald. She is one of the most catastrophically wounded survivors of 9/11. Lauren battled single digit odds of survival, spending more than six months in the hospital and fought recovering through the next decade from an 82.5% total body burn. Lauren asked then Senator Hillary Clinton to support the injured and she has remained unflagging in her commitment and dedication.

• TUESDAY JULY 26 | WELLS FARGO CENTER

  Ryan Moore

  Ryan, originally from South Sioux City, NE, has spondyloepiphyseal Dysplasia dwarfism and has known Hillary Clinton since 1994 when his family came to Washington, DC for an event to advocate for health care reform. Brian Moore, Ryan’s father, lost his job when his employer was unwilling to cover treatment for Ryan’s health condition. Ryan has stayed in contact with Hillary ever since.

• TUESDAY JULY 26 | WELLS FARGO CENTER

  President Bill Clinton

   SPEAKER: President Bill Clinton

• 
  
  

• TUESDAY JULY 26 | WELLS FARGO CENTER

  Gavel Out

• Schedule & Speakers | Tuesday, July 26th | 2016 Democratic National Convention:

Jersey Jazzman: There Is No Sustained Social Justice In Schools Without Adequate and Equitable Funding

Jersey Jazzman: There Is No Sustained Social Justice In Schools Without Adequate and Equitable Funding:

There Is No Sustained Social Justice In Schools Without Adequate and Equitable Funding



Twitter wars are stupid, and I'm stupid for engaging in them:

  

alexandr‏@alexanderrusso

Diane Ravitch cares about school segregation now? That's new. http://pllqt.it/t0H4FD 

 

Diane Ravitch‏@DianeRavitch

@alexanderrusso If you read "Reign of Error," you will find a chapter on the importance of desegregation. How can you judge without reading?

It's true: Diane did write an entire chapter in Reign of Error about the effects of segregation on schooling. I know because I pointed that chapter out in my review of the book, and included an excerpt:

But the wounds caused by centuries of slavery, segregation, and discrimination cannot be healed by testing, standards, accountability, merit pay, and choice. Even if test scores go up in a public or charter school, the structural inequity of society and systematic inequities in our schools remain undisturbed. For every “miracle” school celebrated by the media, there are scores of “Dumpster schools,” where the low-performing students are unceremoniously hidden away. This is not school reform, nor is it social reform. It is social neglect. It is a purposeful abandonment of public responsibility to address deep-seated problems that only public policy can overcome.

So, from my perspective, Russo is just dead wrong about Ravitch's views. He disagrees:

alexandr‏@alexanderrusso

alexandr Retweeted Jersey Jazzman

Over-testing & under-funding are fine but they're not cops out of schools, classroom bias training, etc.

There's really no point in continuing to debate whether Diane Ravitch has adequately addressed segregation -- and other issues related to education, race, and class -- or not. Russo has his opinion and I have mine (not that Diane needs me defending her). I do, however, find it odd that a guy who has publicly admitted he doesn't follow Ravitch's workthinks he has a grasp on her world view:

As you already know, I don't think that's very constructive for CPS over all for Ravitch or anyone else to keep bashing at failed or imperfect reform Jersey Jazzman: There Is No Sustained Social Justice In Schools Without Adequate and Equitable Funding: