Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 4/13/17

Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 4/13/17

Featured Post

Fourth Circuit Vacates the Order Protecting Gavin Grimm, But Casts Him As a Modern Human Rights Leader - Education Law Prof Blog

Edgar Villanueva: Though Hell or High Water: The #FundSouth Movement is Strong | Schott Foundation for Public Education

by mike simpson / 10min

Though Hell or High Water: The #FundSouth Movement is Strong | Schott Foundation for Public Education : Though Hell or High Water: The #FundSouth Movement is Strong Foundations have had an “on again, off again” love affair with the South. Funding there tends to be short-term and typically in response to a natural disaster, a national crisis or an election, but some significant infrastructure has

CURMUDGUCATION: College-Ready Sixth Graders

by mike simpson / 16min

CURMUDGUCATION: College-Ready Sixth Graders : College-Ready Sixth Graders Mike Petrilli, Big Cheese at the Fordham Institute, a reliably reformy thinky tank, is concerned. While he allows that some students and families are uber-stressing about the whole college thing, the rest of us should be in a greater state of panic: We need the majority of parents and kids to be more stressed out. We need t

When teacher silencing becomes dangerous… | Eclectablog

by mike simpson / 33min

When teacher silencing becomes dangerous… | Eclectablog : When teacher silencing becomes dangerous… Since publishing my post on teacher silencing yesterday , my mailbox has been inundated with stories from teachers about being harassed, threatened, and intimidated by school district administrators for posting their opinions about standardized tests, opting out, and other issues of education polic

What does hair have to do with school discipline? - SF Public School MomSF Public School Mom

by mike simpson / 33min

What does hair have to do with school discipline? - SF Public School MomSF Public School Mom : What does hair have to do with school discipline? Have you ever felt criminalized or excluded from an academic or professional setting because of your hair? Before you answer these questions… let’s back up a bit. Lets start from the beginning… In May of 2014, SFUSD revised its hat policy allowing school

Nevada (Potentially) Dropping Students’ Test Scores from Its Teacher Evaluation System | VAMboozled!

by mike simpson / 39min

Nevada (Potentially) Dropping Students’ Test Scores from Its Teacher Evaluation System | VAMboozled! : Nevada (Potentially) Dropping Students’ Test Scores from Its Teacher Evaluation System This week in Nevada “Lawmakers Mull[ed] Dropping Student Test Scores from Teacher Evaluations,” as per a recent article in The Nevada Independent (see here ). This would be quite a move from 2011 when the stat

Seattle Schools Community Forum: The Inner Thoughts of the Seattle School Board on Assessments

by mike simpson / 44min

Seattle Schools Community Forum: The Inner Thoughts of the Seattle School Board on Assessments : The Inner Thoughts of the Seattle School Board on Assessments At the last Curriculum and Instruction Committee meeting, head of Curriculum, Assessment and Instruction, Kyle Kinoshita, reported out to the Board a compilation of what staff heard regarding "the Board feedback on the assessment policy dra

Alliance Charter School Network Didn't Comply With Fed Regs and Shares Private Parent and Studen Info- LA Times

by mike simpson / 1h

California audit clears L.A.'s largest charter school network of misspending - LA Times : California audit clears L.A.'s largest charter school network of misspending ...State auditors did find that Alliance didn’t fully comply with federal regulations before it shared parent and alumni contact information with third parties. One of those groups, the California Charter School Assn., used that inf

Malloy - Nation’s most unpopular Democratic governor won’t seek re-election - Wait What?

by mike simpson / 2h

Malloy - Nation’s most unpopular Democratic governor won’t seek re-election - Wait What? : Malloy – Nation’s most unpopular Democratic governor won’t seek re-election A darling of the charter school industry and their allies in the corporate education reform movement, and having used his time in office to make record cuts to education, higher education and other vital services, all while coddling

James Baldwin Archives and National Library Action Day – Education Town Hall Forum

by mike simpson / 4h

James Baldwin Archives and National Library Action Day – Education Town Hall Forum : James Baldwin Archives and National Library Action Day A large portion of James Baldwin’s personal papers are now accessible to the public through the New York Public Library. Yesterday, the Library’s Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture announced acquisition of the author’s personal archive. Baldwin, w

Trump’s budget boosts funding for school choice. So why are charter school chiefs unhappy about it? - The Washington Post

by mike simpson / 4h

Trump’s budget boosts funding for school choice. So why are charter school chiefs unhappy about it? - The Washington Post : Trump’s budget boosts funding for school choice. So why are charter school chiefs unhappy about it? An unexpected thing happened when President Trump recently proposed cutting the Education Department budget by some 14 percent while spending a mountain of new money on charte

THE SLOW EROSION OF AMERICAN EDUCATION HAS BECOME A MUDSLIDE | DCGEducator: Doing The Right Thing

by mike simpson / 5h

THE SLOW EROSION OF AMERICAN EDUCATION HAS BECOME A MUDSLIDE | DCGEducator: Doing The Right Thing : THE SLOW EROSION OF AMERICAN EDUCATION HAS BECOME A MUDSLIDE This week I had the pleasure of being interviewed on a local White Plains Cable Access Show called “Westchester Roundup.” The interview went well but that is less important than what happened before the interview actually started. The Hos

Tennessee Serves As A Role Model For Charter School Failure (VIDEO)

by mike simpson / 5h

Tennessee Serves As A Role Model For Charter School Failure (VIDEO) : Tennessee Serves As A Role Model For Charter School Failure (VIDEO) Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and President Donald Trump claim they want to provide parents “more choice” regarding the schools their children attend. Choice. Sounds appealing, doesn’t it? Who wouldn’t want more choice? After all, aren’t we theoretically an i

“I Need My Money”: The Contract Song for DC Teachers – Education Town Hall Forum

by mike simpson / 5h

“I Need My Money”: The Contract Song for DC Teachers – Education Town Hall Forum : “I Need My Money”: The Contract Song for DC Teachers Date: April 13, 2017 Author: vspatz 0 Comments Students from Ballou Senior High School in DC and teacher/choir director Monica Brokenborough shared “The Contract Song” on today’s Education Town Hall. The song begins at the 49:50 mark — Audio Player 00:00 00:00 Us

John Thompson: People are strange: NYT columns reveal Tulsans' duality - NonDoc

by mike simpson / 5h

People are strange: NYT columns reveal Tulsans' duality - NonDoc : People are strange: NYT columns reveal Tulsans’ duality N ick Kristof had two noteworthy commentaries about Tulsa published in The New York Times on April 1. Although neither was a joke, their juxtaposition of Oklahoma’s contradictory political culture is flat-out bizarre. First, the public reaction to In Trump Country, Shock at T

Why Aren't There More Black Teachers? Racial Discrimination Still Plays A Role | The Huffington Post

by mike simpson / 6h

Why Aren't There More Black Teachers? Racial Discrimination Still Plays A Role | The Huffington Post : Why Aren’t There More Black Teachers? Racial Discrimination Still Plays A Role “I think this is just another example of how ideas about race and racism, to be frank, are deeply embedded in the schools.” Policy surrounding the nation’s shortage of black teachers tends to focus around recruitment

NaughtyBots Part 2: Twittertards, TwitterBotsandNaughts, and Analog Man | Truth in American Education

by mike simpson / 7h

NaughtyBots Part 2: Twittertards, TwitterBotsandNaughts, and Analog Man | Truth in American Education : NaughtyBots Part 2: Twittertards, TwitterBotsandNaughts, and Analog Man This is the second part in a four part NaughtyBots series about the #commoncore Project: How Social Media is Changing the Politics of Education . Twittertards The #commoncore Project is about the use of Twitter in the ongoi

Struggling to make Sac City a destination school district | The Sacramento Bee

by mike simpson / 7h

Struggling to make Sac City a destination school district | The Sacramento Bee : Struggling to make Sac City a destination school district I have been a teacher in the Sacramento City Unified School District for 10 years. I am also the parent of two young students in the district. This year I wanted to become part of our union’s bargaining team because the district was in such a strong financial

Thursday Oracle Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

by mike simpson / 7h

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all : Thursday Oracle Diane Ravitch's blog A site to discuss better education for all Who is the Walton Family Foundation Funding? by dianeravitch / 25min It is very instructive to scan the long list of organizations that are funded by the Walton Family Foundation. Some will surprise you. Some will not. Here is what we know about this

Let Them Sleep? Later School Start Times Improve Graduation and Attendance

by mike simpson / 8h

Let Them Sleep? Later School Start Times Improve Graduation and Attendance : Let Them Sleep? Later School Start Times Improve Graduation and Attendance Rates In the current climate of polarized debate about best school practices and policies, it is refreshing to learn that there are some ideas that are supported by research and an emerging bipartisan consensus. An increasing body of evidence is s

Jeff Bryant: During Resistance Recess, Join The Fight For Public Schools

by mike simpson / 8h

4/13/2017 – During Resistance Recess, Join The Fight For Public Schools : During Resistance Recess, Join The Fight For Public Schools April 13, 2017 Subscribe THIS WEEK: Trump Ends Lead Paint Protections … Vouchers Hurt Special Ed … Importance Of Black Teachers … Charters Aren’t Needed … Lessons From Erie Schools TOP STORY During Resistance Recess, Join The Fight For Public Schools By Jeff Bryant

Talking to, not past, one another about race, schooling, and reform - AEI

by mike simpson / 8h

Talking to, not past, one another about race, schooling, and reform - AEI : Talking to, not past, one another about race, schooling, and reform In recent years, it’s become hard to talk about schools, schooling, and school reform without talking about race. Some deem this a healthy and long-overdue development, believing that social justice demands that education be understood through the prism o

Fourth Circuit Vacates the Order Protecting Gavin Grimm, But Casts Him As a Modern Human Rights Leader - Education Law Prof Blog

by mike simpson / 9h

Education Law Prof Blog : Fourth Circuit Vacates the Order Protecting Gavin Grimm, But Casts Him As a Modern Human Rights Leader The Fourth Circuit has vacated the injunction that was securing Gavin Grimm's access to facilities consistent with his gender in Gloucester County Schools. Less than a year ago, it seemed Grimm's case was set to open doors for others across the country. He had the feder

CURMUDGUCATION: New Merit Pay Study Hits The Wrong Target

by mike simpson / 9h

CURMUDGUCATION: New Merit Pay Study Hits The Wrong Target : New Merit Pay Study Hits The Wrong Target We're all going to be hearing uggests that teacher merit pay works . Sort of. Depending on what you mean by "works." Matthew G. Springer , an assistant professor of public policy and education at Vanderbilt University, has produced a meta-analysis (that's research of the research) entitled " Teac

The Tone-Deaf Politics of Denying Racism, Excusing Segregation | radical eyes for equity

by mike simpson / 9h

The Tone-Deaf Politics of Denying Racism, Excusing Segregation | radical eyes for equity : The Tone-Deaf Politics of Denying Racism, Excusing Segregation Let’s connect the dots, which is challenging because, if those with power had their way, it would be white dots on a field of white. Rick Hess, whose tagline is “Education policy maven Rick Hess of the American Enterprise Institute [AEI] think t

Some legislators want to shovel even more money to some of Connecticut’s Charter Schools - Wait What?

by mike simpson / 9h

Some legislators want to shovel even more money to some of Connecticut’s Charter Schools - Wait What? : Some legislators want to shovel even more money to some of Connecticut’s Charter Schools A recent article by Wendy Lecker entitled, Beware the new Connecticut legislative plan to channel even more public funds to charters , noted that a group of Democratic state legislators have released a plan

Tuition Tax Credits—One Type of School Vouchers—Press Coverage and NPE’s Excellent Toolkit | janresseger

by mike simpson / 9h

Tuition Tax Credits—One Type of School Vouchers—Press Coverage and NPE’s Excellent Toolkit | janresseger : Tuition Tax Credits—One Type of School Vouchers—Press Coverage and NPE’s Excellent Toolkit Washington Post reporter Emma Brown describes Florida’s tuition tax credit program , what Brown and many others believe is the model Betsy DeVos and the Trump administration will try to use for a natio

La. Supt. John White Fabricates Three Years of Teaching into Five: View His Ed Leader Cert Application | deutsch29

by mike simpson / 9h

La. Supt. John White Fabricates Three Years of Teaching into Five: View His Ed Leader Cert Application | deutsch29 : La. Supt. John White Fabricates Three Years of Teaching into Five: View His Ed Leader Cert Application On April 11, 2017, I wrote a post about Louisiana state superintendent John White’s certifying himself as an educational leader. Louisiana has three levels of ed leader certificat

YESTERDAY

Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 4/12/17

by mike simpson / 23h

Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 4/12/17 Featured Post New Study: Why Teachers Created a New Genre: The “I Quit” Letters | Diane Ravitch's blog DeVos announces Education Department hires - The Washington Post by mike simpson / 11min DeVos announces Education Department hires - The 

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  Why Teachers Are So Tired – Teacher Habits (Site Is Working Again)
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  Why Teachers Are So Tired ~ Teacher Habits
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  New Study: Why Teachers Created a New Genre: The “I Quit” Letters | Diane Ravitch's blog
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  DeVos praises this voucher-like program. Here’s what it means for school reform. - The Washington Post
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  Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 4/9/17
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  Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 4/7/17
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  Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 4/8/17
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  Walker wants Wisconsin to be first state to stop dictating how much time kids should go to school - The Washington Post
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  Education in 2017 and The American Eugenics Movement
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  Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 4/11/17

Edgar Villanueva: Though Hell or High Water: The #FundSouth Movement is Strong | Schott Foundation for Public Education

Though Hell or High Water: The #FundSouth Movement is Strong | Schott Foundation for Public Education:

Though Hell or High Water: The #FundSouth Movement is Strong

Foundations have had an “on again, off again” love affair with the South. Funding there tends to be short-term and typically in response to a natural disaster, a national crisis or an election, but some significant infrastructure has been laid to coordinate and expand opportunities for sustained foundation giving.

Edgar Villanueva, Vice President of Programs, Schott Foundation for Public and William Cordery, Co-Chair, Funders for a Just Economy, in Charleston, SC, April 5, 2017.

That’s why last week, I and approximately 200 grantmakers and advocates from across the nation traversed horrific storms and endured prolonged travel delays to get to Charleston, South Carolina, for the Grantmakers for Southern Progress (GSP) 2017 Regional Convening. GSP is a philanthropic solutions hub that builds, aligns, and leverages resources and learning for strategic structural change efforts in the South. The three-day convening provided space to have discussions about capacity-building, building power for progressive change, racial justice, economic opportunity, and advancing equity in public education. It was also an opportunity to tour South Carolina’s Low Country and explore the history, culture and the sustainable future of the region and examine community development in North Charleston.

My flight from New York was diverted to Charlotte, where I luckily rented a car to drive the rest of the way. Even as dozens of other conference-goers were impacted by storms—one individual had to hire a rideshare to drive her all the way from Atlanta—nothing could deter us from getting there. Why the determination?

For me, it was personal.

I grew up in the South. I started my grantmaking career in North Carolina. For more than a decade, I’ve been advocating for increased philanthropic investment in the South. In 2013, I took my advocacy to social media, starting the hashtag #FundSouth as a direct response to conversations about the underinvestment of philanthropic dollars in Southern social Though Hell or High Water: The #FundSouth Movement is Strong | Schott Foundation for Public Education:

CURMUDGUCATION: College-Ready Sixth Graders

CURMUDGUCATION: College-Ready Sixth Graders:

College-Ready Sixth Graders

Mike Petrilli, Big Cheese at the Fordham Institute, a reliably reformy thinky tank, is concerned. While he allows that some students and families are uber-stressing about the whole college thing, the rest of us should be in a greater state of panic:

We need the majority of parents and kids to be more stressed out. We need to shake them out of their complacency and tell them: You and your kids are heading toward a coming-of-age catastrophe, but you can avoid it if you act now! [emphasis his]

The source of all this chicken littling is NAEP scores, from which Petrilli and others draw the factoid that only one third of US teens graduate from high school ready for college. Another third, says Petrilli, go to college anyway and either get caught in a web of remedial courses or just drop out.

This is a long-standing reformy talking point, a variation on Betsy DeVos's Public Schools Are a Dead End That Couldn't Get Any Worse refrain. It's a long-time favorite of reformsters because if, for instance, public schools were doing just fine, then it would be a lot harder to sell charters and choice and other profitable reformy products. Sometimes this talking point is packaged as the Honesty Gap and sometimes it's just Arne Duncan saying white suburban moms don't want to know the awful truth. The basic idea is that American public school students are failing disastrously CURMUDGUCATION: College-Ready Sixth Graders:

When teacher silencing becomes dangerous… | Eclectablog

When teacher silencing becomes dangerous… | Eclectablog:

When teacher silencing becomes dangerous…

Since publishing my post on teacher silencing yesterday, my mailbox has been inundated with stories from teachers about being harassed, threatened, and intimidated by school district administrators for posting their opinions about standardized tests, opting out, and other issues of education policy and practice.

One teacher wrote:

I was having a discussion this morning with a colleague and we weren’t sure how to approach this (i.e., teachers advocating for school change as community members that live in the district and pay taxes) without being told our voices didn’t matter because we were employees. Thoughts?

When I asked this teacher who had told her and her colleagues that their voices “didn’t matter,” she replied:

It is the overwhelming umbrella. Nothing verbal, all implied. Teachers are terrified of speaking up because the ones that do have said their evals are getting docked.

This same teacher told me that colleagues in her district feel as though they have “no power,” and have been told that they cannot talk to anyone higher on the administrative “ladder” than their building principals–effectively eliminating any governance role for teachers in school system deliberations on curriculum and policy.

But perhaps the most tragic and heart-wrenching story I’ve heard about the impact of teacher When teacher silencing becomes dangerous… | Eclectablog: