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Sunday, October 30, 2016

Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 10/30/16


Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 10/30/16

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Herman’s Battle for Justice For Detroit's Children






Part 4: Californians stand up to charter abuse and the challenges ahead - Network For Public Education
by mike simpson / 5min
Part 4: Californians stand up to charter abuse and the challenges ahead - Network For Public Education : Part 4: Californians stand up to charter abuse and the challenges ahead The shine is off the charter school movement. Freedom from regulation, the sine qua non of the charter world, has resulted too often in troubled schools, taxpayer fleecing and outright fraud. Charters have become material
Randi Weingarten, Democrats push for down-ballot support at St. Petersburg rally | Tampa Bay Times
by mike simpson / 6min
Democrats push for down-ballot support at St. Petersburg rally | Tampa Bay Times : Democrats push for down-ballot support at St. Petersburg rally [Octavio Jones | Times staff]Former Gov. Charlie Crist, the Democratic candidate for U.S. House District 13, speaks with Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, during a rally Sunday afternoon at Williams Park in St. Petersbu
Teachers union head says Donald Trump would decimate public education - Florida Politics
by mike simpson / 4h
Teachers union head says Donald Trump would decimate public education - Florida Politics : Teachers union head says Donald Trump would decimate public education The 2016 presidential race has been devoid of substantive public policy on a lot of issues, more more so than regarding public education. That’s not the fault of Hillary Clinton , insists one of her top surrogates, Randi Weingarten , the
Issues Matter – With a week to go, a last request for financial support - Wait What?
by mike simpson / 6h
Issues Matter – With a week to go, a last request for financial support - Wait What? : Issues Matter – With a week to go, a last request for financial support As the Norwich Bulletin wrote yesterday, Pelto – advocates for a more progressive tax code that borrows heavily from Sen. Bernie Sanders’ plan, which would raise taxes on the rich and close many corporate loopholes. A longtime education adv
Exam stress among the young: When grades define worth, Singapore News & Top Stories - The Straits Times
by mike simpson / 7h
Exam stress among the young: When grades define worth, Singapore News & Top Stories - The Straits Times : Exam stress among the young: When grades define worth The obsession with grades and exams can take its toll on children. Amelia Teng speaks to experts and shines the light on the pressures children face and what parents can do to ease their burden. One counsellor recalled how a 13-year-old gi
New York Times Endorses Zephyr Teachout | Diane Ravitch's blog
by mike simpson / 8h
New York Times Endorses Zephyr Teachout | Diane Ravitch's blog : New York Times Endorses Zephyr Teachout Good news for Zephyr Teachout! She received the endorsement of the News York Times! From the New York Times’ endorsement of Zephyr Teachout: “In the sprawling 19th District, in the Hudson Valley and Catskills, Zephyr Teachout, a Democrat, is running against John Faso, a Republican who was the
CURMUDGUCATION: ICYMI: Catching Up with Reading (10/30)
by mike simpson / 8h
CURMUDGUCATION: ICYMI: Catching Up with Reading (10/30) : ICYMI: Catching Up with Reading (10/30) I've been home for about a week and I am just about back up to speed. There's a lot to read this time around. As always, I encourage you to share wildly whatever you like here. What Are the Main Reasons Teachers Call It Quits NPR takes a look at why some folks are getting out of the teaching biz. No
The Attack on Teachers Goes to College | Seattle Education
by mike simpson / 9h
The Attack on Teachers Goes to College | Seattle Education : The Attack on Teachers Goes to College The Attack on Teachers Goes to College T he dramatic lockout of faculty at Long Island University in Brooklyn this fall brought home the reality that what is happening in higher education is closely related to the attack on education in our K-12 public schools. On August 31, 2016 the contract betwe
Russ on Reading: Independent Reading: One Key to Balanced Literacy Instruction
by mike simpson / 9h
Russ on Reading: Independent Reading: One Key to Balanced Literacy Instruction : Independent Reading: One Key to Balanced Literacy Instruction Two weeks ago I posted a research-based response to literacy commentator Tim Shanahan's continuing dismissal of Independent Reading. The post prompted a twitter exchange with Dr. Shanahan in which he questioned the research and I reiterated the broad based
Florida Teacher Faces Dismissal Over Computerized Music Testing | deutsch29
by mike simpson / 9h
Florida Teacher Faces Dismissal Over Computerized Music Testing | deutsch29 : Florida Teacher Faces Dismissal Over Computerized Music Testing In Florida, music teachers must administer computerized tests to assess themselves. It is a setup. If students have difficulty with signing onto the computer, or with submitting a response, the teacher assisting these students could be accused of cheating.
The problem with that equity vs. equality graphic you’re using | Cultural Organizing
by mike simpson / 9h
The problem with that equity vs. equality graphic you’re using | Cultural Organizing : The problem with that equity vs. equality graphic you’re using I was doing some work for a colleague at the Family Leadership Design Collaborative , and she gave me a challenge: redesign the “equity vs. equality” graphic that’s been circulating on the web. You’ve probably come across a version of this graphic y
Reshuffling the Deck: Why Growth-Based Accountability School Metrics Are Fair to Schools, Teachers and the Public | Ed In The Apple
by mike simpson / 9h
Reshuffling the Deck: Why Growth-Based Accountability School Metrics Are Fair to Schools, Teachers and the Public | Ed In The Apple : Reshuffling the Deck: Why Growth-Based Accountability School Metrics Are Fair to Schools, Teachers and the Public If you overlaid poverty by zip code with school accountability metrics, no surprise, high poverty geographic areas closely match low performance on sta
This Week in My Career - Badass Teachers Association
by mike simpson / 9h
Badass Teachers Association : This Week in My Career By: Patte Carter-Hevia A couple of days ago, I was talking to a union official about my teaching assignment, Life Skills, with a decision to emphasize leadership. I teach in a leadership academy that for years has not taught a leadership class. When presented with the opportunity to teach Life Skills again, I jumped at it. The focus of leadersh
Rapacious Testing Vendors Have No Place Assessing Potential Teachers
by mike simpson / 10h
Rapacious Testing Vendors Have No Place Assessing Potential Teachers : RAPACIOUS TESTING VENDORS HAVE NO PLACE ASSESSING POTENTIAL TEACHERS Teaching talent can be better assessed in classroom settings rather than via ethically suspect outside businesses. A vendor is “a person who sells things, especially on the street or a business that sells a particular type of product," according to the dictio
Bill Gates Won't Leave His Fortune To His Children & Here's Why That's A Beautiful Thing | Romper
by mike simpson / 10h
Bill Gates Won't Leave His Fortune To His Children & Here's Why That's A Beautiful Thing | Romper : Bill Gates Won't Leave His Fortune To His Children & Here's Why That's A Beautiful Thing Ever wonder what it would be like to be the children of the second richest couple in the world? One would think it would be all private jets, sun-kissed holidays, and amazing cars that cost more than mid-size h

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Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 10/29/16
by mike simpson / 1d
Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 10/29/16 Featured Post Campbell Brown’s PEJ Is Having Trouble Connecting Test Scores with Tenure Laws | deutsch29 Catch up with CURMUDGUCATION: How (Not) To Grade Schools + 

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Part 4: Californians stand up to charter abuse and the challenges ahead - Network For Public Education

Part 4: Californians stand up to charter abuse and the challenges ahead - Network For Public Education:

Part 4: Californians stand up to charter abuse and the challenges ahead

california-license-to-charter-part-four


The shine is off the charter school movement. Freedom from regulation, the sine qua non of the charter world, has resulted too often in troubled schools, taxpayer fleecing and outright fraud. Charters have become material for late-night comedians. That is never a good sign—just ask the proponents of the Common Core.
The greatest blow to charter momentum, however, was delivered by the NAACP. When delegates’ voted for a moratorium on new charters, it unleashed the fury of the charterphiles. Peter Cunningham’s Education Post blogged, “The NAACP Was Founded by White People and It Still Isn’t Looking Out for Black Families”, accusing the premier Civil Rights organization of being “morally anemic.” And yet, despite the vitriol and critique, the NAACP Board of Directors stood fast, supported its delegates, and issued a strong statement calling for charter reform.
The passage of Question 2 in Massachusetts, which would lift the cap on charters, once seemed a sure thing. Now support has plummeted. The ballot measure is down by 11 points, having lost support among Democrats, especially from the progressive wing.
The problems with loosely regulated charters can no longer be brushed aside.
In the past three posts of our NPE series on California charters, I highlighted some of the serious problems that exist in a state with weak governing laws, a powerful lobby propped up by billionaires, and a Governor who consistently vetoes bills aimed at charter reform.
Governor Brown, who is usually progressive, has a blind spot when it comes to charters. The Governor’s enthusiastic fundraising efforts on behalf of the two charters he started in Oakland came under scrutiny in the Los Angeles Times .   It is also well known that his sister, Kathleen Lynn Brown, is a partner at Manatt, Phelps, and Phillips, which has several clients tied to charter schools, including the Charter School GrowthFund.
As a result, the problems with charters in the state bear an eerie resemblance to the those found in far more conservative states. As I spoke Part 4: Californians stand up to charter abuse and the challenges ahead - Network For Public Education:


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Randi Weingarten, Democrats push for down-ballot support at St. Petersburg rally | Tampa Bay Times

Democrats push for down-ballot support at St. Petersburg rally | Tampa Bay Times:

Democrats push for down-ballot support at St. Petersburg rally

Former Gov. Charlie Crist, the Democratic candidate for U.S. House District 13, speaks with Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, during a rally Sunday afternoon at Williams Park in St. Petersburg.
[Octavio Jones | Times staff]Former Gov. Charlie Crist, the Democratic candidate for U.S. House District 13, speaks with Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, during a rally Sunday afternoon at Williams Park in St. Petersburg.



ST. PETERSBURG — Democrats gathered Sunday afternoon in Williams Park to implore voters to get to the polls early and vote their party in down-ballot races.

"This is now crunch time," said American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten, who stopped in Pinellas on a tour through the state this week. "This is when an election is won or lost in Florida."
Weingarten was joined by a cast of politicians and officials including U.S. House District 13 candidate and former Gov. Charlie Christ, county commissioners Charlie Justice and Ken Welch, and state house candidates Ben Diamond and Jennifer Webb.
The speakers sent a similar message to an audience of about 30 people mostly made up of volunteers and campaign staffers to vote Democrat "from the White House all the way down to the local house," as school board member Rene Flowers put it. Crist then led a march to the Supervisor of Elections office at 501 First Avenue N, where early voting has been under way since Monday.
Weingarten took the opportunity to criticize FBI Director James Comey for announcing Friday in a letter to Congress that his agency is looking into more emails related to a closed investigation into Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server while working as secretary of state. 
No charges were filed in the original investigation, which was completed in July. Comey is under fire from several Democrats, including the presidential nominee herself, who are questioning why he disclosed the vague inquiry so close to the Nov. 8 election, especially against recommendations from Justice Department officials. 
"It's political ambush," Weingarten said after her speech. "It feels like it's people in the FBI that want to meddle in the election."
[Last modified: Sunday, October 30, 2016 5:43pm] Democrats push for down-ballot support at St. Petersburg rally | Tampa Bay Times:


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