Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 10/19/16

Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 10/19/16

Featured Post

CURMUDGUCATION: PA: Court Decides in Favor of Privacy

BRIDGEGATE TRIAL–A wrong turn for the defense, laughter, and thuggery |

by mike simpson / 4min

BRIDGEGATE TRIAL–A wrong turn for the defense, laughter, and thuggery | : BRIDGEGATE TRIAL–A wrong turn for the defense, laughter, and thuggery Attorneys for Bridgegate defendant Bill Baroni rested Wednesday–and the case for the defense seemed to fall with a crash at the feet of the jury. Instead of the defense ending on a high note of chipper character witnesses or rebutting damaging cross exami

OSPI Candidate Erin Jones’ list of donors is a who’s who of corporate ed reformers thanks to the Stand for Children lobbyist Jim Kainber | Seattle Education

by mike simpson / 3h

OSPI Candidate Erin Jones’ list of donors is a who’s who of corporate ed reformers thanks to the Stand for Children lobbyist Jim Kainber | Seattle Education : OSPI Candidate Erin Jones’ list of donors is a who’s who of corporate ed reformers thanks to the Stand for Children lobbyist Jim Kainber In March of this year, my co-editor Carolyn Leith and I interviewed the Office of Superintendent of Pub

Procurement Training–Community Nutrition Programs - Procurement in Child Nutrition Programs (CA Dept of Education)

by mike simpson / 4h

Procurement Training–Community Nutrition Programs - Procurement in Child Nutrition Programs (CA Dept of Education) : Community Nutrition Program Procurement Webinars Procurement training is one of the California Department of Education, Nutrition Services Division’s (NSD) top priorities. To assist agencies participating in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) and the Summer Food Service

Schools Matter: Personalized Common Core Worksheets on a Screen

by mike simpson / 5h

Schools Matter: Personalized Common Core Worksheets on a Screen : Personalized Common Core Worksheets on a Screen "MobyMax solutions are designed to help teachers 'find and fix missing curriculum skills, motivate students, power up, and save time.' The online, interactive software and services offered by MobyMax are designed to be an 'innovative learning ecosystem,' that allow teachers to create

Nailing Your First Parent-Teacher Conference

by mike simpson / 5h

Nailing Your First Parent-Teacher Conference : Nailing Your First Parent-Teacher Conference Photo by Danny Peck Effective parent-teacher conferences are critical to your students’ success and planning for them can be a challenge. Fortunately, NEA and its members are here to help. Watch “Before, During and After: Tips for a Successful First Parent-Teacher Conference,” a prerecorded webinar from th

When California schools call cops for small infractions it disproportionately hurts minority students, civil rights study finds - LA Times

by mike simpson / 6h

When California schools call cops for small infractions it disproportionately hurts minority students, civil rights study finds - LA Times : When California schools call cops for small infractions it disproportionately hurts minority students, civil rights study finds Many California school districts offer their staff little or no guidance on when police should be called to control student behavi

When the "extra" is actually essential and life-changing - Lily's Blackboard

by mike simpson / 6h

When the "extra" is actually essential and life-changing - Lily's Blackboard : When the “extra” is actually essential and life-changing We typically think of band, the chess club, drama club, debate team, dance, cheerleading, garden club, “It’s Academic” and similar programs as “extras,” like the colorful sprinkles on top of a sundae. But that doesn’t do justice to the role they play in the overa

FBI’s Online Anti-Extremism Effort Meets Resistance - WSJ

by mike simpson / 6h

FBI’s Online Anti-Extremism Effort Meets Resistance - WSJ : FBI’s Online Anti-Extremism Effort Meets Resistance Teachers raise doubts over website that seeks to educate teenagers on how to avoid the pull of violent extremism When it was introduced last year, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s “Don’t Be a Puppet” campaign was billed as a novel way to help educate teenagers about avoiding the pu

L.A. Unified decides fate of six charter schools; El Camino leader resigns - LA Times

by mike simpson / 6h

L.A. Unified decides fate of six charter schools; El Camino leader resigns - LA Times : L.A. Unified decides fate of six charter schools; El Camino leader resigns The ongoing tug of war between pro-charter school and anti-charter forces was focused Tuesday on the Los Angeles Board of Education , which faced controversial decisions on the future of six campuses. By the end of a sometimes contentio

CURMUDGUCATION: PA: Court Decides in Favor of Privacy

by mike simpson / 7h

CURMUDGUCATION: PA: Court Decides in Favor of Privacy : PA: Court Decides in Favor of Privacy The Pennsylvania Supreme Court this week issued a long-overdue ruling with far-reaching consequences for school privacy issues. The case dates back to 2009, when some folks asserted that Right-To-Know laws meant they could demand home addresses and phone numbers for teachers. The state teachers union fou

How Joy Became the New Grit – EduShyster

by mike simpson / 7h

How Joy Became the New Grit – EduShyster : How Joy Became the New Grit Schools are increasingly manipulating students’ emotions in the name of achievement — and that’s wrong says University of Pennsylvania education professor Joan Goodman… By Joan Goodman *No excuses* charter schools face a teaching predicament. Their long school day/year with few diverting extra-curricular activities and heavily

Where Donald Trump And Hillary Clinton Stand On 10 Policy Issues : NPR

by mike simpson / 7h

Where Donald Trump And Hillary Clinton Stand On 10 Policy Issues : NPR : From The Economy To Race, See Where The Candidates Stand On The Big Issues This election has been particularly noisy. But when all the Twitter storms and heated exchanges (maybe) fade away after Nov. 8, the issues that affect real voters will remain. With that in mind, we set out to create a cheat sheet on where each candida

Russ on Reading: Teachers as Writers: You Can’t Teach Swimming from the Side of the Pool

by mike simpson / 7h

Russ on Reading: Teachers as Writers: You Can’t Teach Swimming from the Side of the Pool : Teachers as Writers: You Can’t Teach Swimming from the Side of the Pool Today I am pleased to offer a guest post from Cynthia Mershon on the importance of writing teachers being writers themselves. Cynthia is a former long-time literacy specialist and writing teacher and is currently a workshop presenter fo

Why Is Schooling, After Adopting Computers, Yet To Be Transformed? | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

by mike simpson / 7h

Why Is Schooling, After Adopting Computers, Yet To Be Transformed? | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice : Why Is Schooling, After Adopting Computers, Yet To Be Transformed? Today, robots build autos, assemble electronic devices, put together appliances, and make machinery. Automation has eliminated most bank tellers, white collar clerks and secretaries, salespersons, and dozens o

Teachers For Social Justice: The Challenge of Teaching in a Racially and Politically Polarized Time

by mike simpson / 7h

Teachers For Social Justice: The Challenge of Teaching in a Racially and Politically Polarized Time : The Challenge of Teaching in a Racially and Politically Polarized Time Our panelists will address the complex issues faced by K-12 teachers struggling to help students make sense of the current tumultuous environment: the heated rhetoric around race, immigration and xenophobia in the 2016 electio

Private Donations to Public Schools: The Latest Way to Undermine Funding Equity | Alternet

by mike simpson / 7h

Private Donations to Public Schools: The Latest Way to Undermine Funding Equity | Alternet : Private Donations to Public Schools: The Latest Way to Undermine Funding Equity School foundations are helping the "haves" get even more. At 24, as a brand-new teacher looking for my first job, I went through the rigmarole of applications, interviews, and job fairs. My first offer came from Lake Oswego, a

BRIDGEGATE TRIAL–Defendant Baroni’s version shredded on cross-examination |

by mike simpson / 8h

BRIDGEGATE TRIAL–Defendant Baroni’s version shredded on cross-examination | : BRIDGEGATE TRIAL–Defendant Baroni’s version shredded on cross-examination Bridgegate trial defendant Bill Baroni’s efforts to portray himself as an honest, compassionate and politically independent–if, at times, conflicted– public servant vanished in a mist of embarrassment Tuesday as a federal prosecutor shredded Baron

LA Unified rarely rejects renewal requests from charter schools. Last night, they did five times. | 89.3 KPCC

by mike simpson / 8h

LA Unified rarely rejects renewal requests from charter schools. Last night, they did five times. | 89.3 KPCC : LA Unified rarely rejects renewal requests from charter schools. Last night, they did five times. Every few years, any charter school has to ask the school district overseeing it to renew its operating authority — like a renter asking to renew his lease on an apartment or a car. The Los

Google Gallup gender racial gaps computer science learning: new study

by mike simpson / 9h

Google Gallup gender racial gaps computer science learning: new study : Google, Gallup find racial, gender gaps in computer science learning Hispanic and black students are more likely than white students to be interested in computer science education, but face considerable social and cultural barriers to achieving their goals, Google and Gallup said in a report released Tuesday. “Underrepresente

Can Teachers Unions Bargain for Better -- or Fewer -- Charter Schools?

by mike simpson / 9h

Can Teachers Unions Bargain for Better -- or Fewer -- Charter Schools? : Can Teachers Unions Bargain for Better -- or Fewer -- Charter Schools? A growing number of local unions want a say in authorizing them. n cities across the country, teachers unions have been strategizing ways to broaden the demands they bring to the negotiating table. Organizing under the banner of “ bargaining for the commo

Once in place, will school accountability system really work? | EdSource

by mike simpson / 9h

Once in place, will school accountability system really work? | EdSource : Once in place, will school accountability system really work? The State Board of Education spent two years creating a new district and school accountability system – revising multiple drafts in response to thousands of public comments – before adopting it in September. The plan is ambitious in concept and impressive on pap

Huntington Park leaders voted to ban new charter schools for a year - LA Times

by mike simpson / 9h

Huntington Park leaders voted to ban new charter schools for a year - LA Times : Huntington Park leaders voted to ban new charter schools for a year The small, densely populated city of Huntington Park is peppered with schools, about two dozen in 3 square miles. At least 10 are charters, and city leaders contend they’re bringing in unwanted traffic. Their solution is to try to ban new charter sch

Bringing Black Lives Matter into the schools | SocialistWorker.org

by mike simpson / 10h

Bringing Black Lives Matter into the schools | SocialistWorker.org : Bringing Black Lives Matter into the schools Garfield High School teacher Jesse Hagopian (right) speaks about anti-racism in school curricula (Venice Buhain | The Seattle Globalist) Over 2,000 Seattle educators have ordered Black Lives Matter shirts to wear to work on October 19, in an action endorsed by the city's teachers unio

‘Teachers’ pay should be doubled to stop the brain drain to other industries’ | News

by mike simpson / 10h

‘Teachers’ pay should be doubled to stop the brain drain to other industries’ | News : ‘Teachers’ pay should be doubled to stop the brain drain to other industries’ Following the election, the next education secretary needs to significantly increase teachers' social status, says Charles Fadel Want to keep up with the latest education news and opinion? Follow TES USA on Twitter and like TES USA on

YESTERDAY

Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 10/18/16

by mike simpson / 1d

Top Posts This Week

• 

  OIG audit more evidence charter schools are the new subprime mortgages - Business Insider
• 

  The Most Important WikiLeaks Revelation Isn’t About Hillary Clinton | New Republic
• Undergraduates’ research exposes institutional racism of standardized testing | The Daily Cardinal
• 

  Bill Gates' Billions Blocking Him From Enlightenment - Jeff Reifman
• 

  TBFURMAN: An Astonishing Account Of Gulen Charter School Fraud
• 

  The Washington Post asked Clinton, Trump for their education vision. Here’s what they said. - The Washington Post
• Breaking News: Charter Resolution Ratified by @NAACP National Board – Cloaking Inequity
• 

  The “Value-Added” of Teacher Preparation Programs: New Research | VAMboozled!
• 

  John Thompson: Let's All Unite Behind the NAACP's Call for a Charter School Moratorium | Huffington Post
• John Thompson: Harper Academy highlights charter challenges in OKC - NonDoc

BRIDGEGATE TRIAL–A wrong turn for the defense, laughter, and thuggery |

BRIDGEGATE TRIAL–A wrong turn for the defense, laughter, and thuggery |:

BRIDGEGATE TRIAL–A wrong turn for the defense, laughter, and thuggery

Attorneys for Bridgegate defendant Bill Baroni rested Wednesday–and the case for the defense seemed to fall with a crash at the feet of the jury. Instead of the defense ending on a high note of chipper character witnesses or rebutting damaging cross examination, Baroni wandered  into a testimonial trap about a non-existent school in Jersey City.

And there, waiting for him, was assistant US Attorney Lee Cortes who, just as he had the day before, pounced on an apparent falsehood in Baroni’s testimony–and that, until closing arguments, will be the last thing the jurors will  remember from the Baroni defense.

The substance wasn’t that big of a deal. In February, 2013, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PA)–where Baroni was deputy executive director– announced it was giving $1.5 million for a construction job training program run by the Hudson County Urban League. It came up two weeks ago in testimony given by David Wildstein, a political operative and friend of Gov. Chris Christie who worked with Baroni.

Most of the attention given to the testimony about the grant centered on whether it was an effort by Christie to somehow buy off the candidacy of former Jersey City Mayor Sandra Cunningham as a favor to Steve Fulop who ran that year and won. Why the grant would take Cunnigham out of the race was never explained.

But, somewhere in Wildstein’s testimony, was also talk about one of hundreds of email and text exchanges. It had to do with when Jersey City would be opening its schools. Wildstein implied he and Baroni might have been thinking about doing BRIDGEGATE TRIAL–A wrong turn for the defense, laughter, and thuggery |:

 

OSPI Candidate Erin Jones’ list of donors is a who’s who of corporate ed reformers thanks to the Stand for Children lobbyist Jim Kainber | Seattle Education

OSPI Candidate Erin Jones’ list of donors is a who’s who of corporate ed reformers thanks to the Stand for Children lobbyist Jim Kainber | Seattle Education:

OSPI Candidate Erin Jones’ list of donors is a who’s who of corporate ed reformers thanks to the Stand for Children lobbyist Jim Kainber

In March of this year, my co-editor Carolyn Leith and I interviewed the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) Candidate Erin Jones. In preparation for the interview we noticed several of her donors were pro-charter school individuals and organizations who Ms. Jones referred to as her “friends” during the interview.

As I wrote in an introduction to the conversation we had with OSPI candidate Erin Jones:

Ms. Jones largest donors so far include Teach for America, Inc. (TFA), the League of Education Voters (LEV) and Stand for Children (SFC) but at the time of the interview, Ms. Jones said she was not aware of who her donors were.

During the interview we questioned her about her donors and after the interview, Carolyn and I sent Erin Jones information on LEV, SFC and other Gates’ backed groups assuming her to be naïve about the corporate reform movement. Apparently, Ms. Jones chose to either ignore the information or felt it was to her advantage to accept the money and therefore the influence of these individuals and groups.

Since the interview, Erin Jones has hired  SFC lobbyist Jim Kainber to assist her with generating  campaign donations.

To follow is what we have collected as of the date of this posting of money flowing into Erin Jones’ campaign from people and groups who are spending millions of dollars on privatizing the public school system of Washington State.

A big thank you goes out to people who have been working behind the scenes, gathering the information that is published in this post.

You can peruse her list of campaign donors here.

To follow is a breakdown of some of her contributors:

Stand for Children (SFC)

For information on Stand for Children, see Stand for Children Stands for the Rich and the Powerful…, For or Against Children? , Bain Capital, Stand for Children and Initiative 1240 and Parents! Know the truth about Stand for Children.

SFC contributed $168K for mailers for the Erin Jones for OSPI campaign.

And speaking of SFC, check out another contributor to SFC, Howard Behar.

Behar has contributed about $41,000 to Stand for Children. He has also donated to OSPI Candidate Erin Jones’ list of donors is a who’s who of corporate ed reformers thanks to the Stand for Children lobbyist Jim Kainber | Seattle Education:

 

Procurement Training–Community Nutrition Programs - Procurement in Child Nutrition Programs (CA Dept of Education)

Procurement Training–Community Nutrition Programs - Procurement in Child Nutrition Programs (CA Dept of Education):

Community Nutrition Program Procurement Webinars

Procurement training is one of the California Department of Education, Nutrition Services Division’s (NSD) top priorities. To assist agencies participating in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) and the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) with understanding federal guidance for purchasing goods and services, the NSD has developed a series of pre-recorded Webinars. These Webinars can be viewed at any time.

To identify the Webinars appropriate for your agency, please view the Procurement Webinar Decision Tree for Community Nutrition Programs below.

Procurement Webinar Decision Tree for Community Nutrition Programs (DOC)
This flow chart assists agencies in determining the procurement Webinar(s) right for them.
Accessible Alternative Version of the Procurement Webinar Decision Tree for Community Nutrition Programs

Webinars

Procurement Standards for Small Agencies Participating in Community Nutrition Programs (Coming Soon)
This Webinar is intended for agencies that do not make purchases over $3,500. These agencies have fewer procurement standards than agencies that make larger purchases and therefore all information is consolidated into one Webinar. This Webinar covers the micro purchase method and the requirements for a Code of Conduct and written procurement procedures. Prior to viewing this Webinar, agencies should print up and refer to the Code of Conduct and Procurement Procedures Checklist (DOC).

The Informal Purchase Methods for Community Nutrition Programs  This Webinar is intended for agencies that make purchases above $3,500. It reviews the federal requirements for the micro purchase and the small purchase methods.

The Formal Purchase Methods for Community Nutrition Programs (Coming Soon)
This Webinar is intended for agencies that make purchases over the small purchase threshold. It covers the federal requirements for Invitation for Bids and Request for Proposals.

Code of Conduct and Procurement Procedures for Community Nutrition Programs  This Webinar is intended for agencies that make purchases over $3,500. Prior to viewing this Webinar, agencies should watch the Informal and Formal Purchase Methods Webinars, as applicable. (Not all agencies will need to watch the Formal Purchase Methods Webinar.) It reviews the requirements for a written Code of Conduct and written procurement procedures. Prior to viewing this Webinar, print up and refer to the Code of Conduct and Procurement Procedures Checklist(DOC).

Checklist

Code of Conduct and Procurement Procedures Checklist (DOC)
This Checklist is a tool developed by the NSD to help all Child Nutrition Programs to identify particular components to include in a Code of Conduct and in written procurement procedures. Print and refer to this checklist when reviewing the Webinars which cover the Code of Conduct and Procurement Procedures.

Questions:   Laurie Pennings, MS, RD | lpennings@cde.ca.gov | 916-322-3813

 Procurement Training–Community Nutrition Programs - Procurement in Child Nutrition Programs (CA Dept of Education):

Schools Matter: Personalized Common Core Worksheets on a Screen

Schools Matter: Personalized Common Core Worksheets on a Screen:

Personalized Common Core Worksheets on a Screen

"MobyMax solutions are designed to help teachers 'find and fix missing curriculum skills, motivate students, power up, and save time.' The online, interactive software and services offered by MobyMax are designed to be an 'innovative learning ecosystem,' that allow teachers to create a diagnostic-based learning plan for each student, based on the student's abilities, that allow for independent learning." 

A teacher just wrote that her school is one of many now using professional development time to allow MobyMax salesmen to demo another 19th Century learning tool in a 21st Century box.  This one is particularly tempting because it is inexpensive to get started, and it allows students to be plugged in for hours at a time without human intervention.

All you have to do is explained in the video below, and before you know it, MobyMax will be diagnosing deficiencies and offering Common Core lessons to get your child or your students up to speed.

There is the added advantage of having your school administrator's "dashboard" track every student's performance in the school at any point in time.

And don't worry, children, the data gathered by the Willett Bros. who own MobyMax is stored on their corporate server and can only be sold to companies that the Willett Bros. work with, either now or in the future. Their on your side!

Oh, you don't have enough screens for all the children yet at your school?  Not to worry, you can get all of MobyMax's 21st Century curriculum on worksheets that you can pass out to keep your children entertained for hours, days, months at a time.

 Schools Matter: Personalized Common Core Worksheets on a Screen: