Latest News and Comment from Education

Show All

Saturday, October 26, 2019

TOP POSTS THIS WEEK 10/26/19 #REDFORED

Big Education Ape


TOP POSTS THIS WEEK 10/26/19







TOP POSTS THIS MONTH 10/26/19 






POSTS THIS WEEK 10/26/19 



When no one listens - Sacramento News & Review

by Mike Simpson / 53min
Sacramento News & Review - When no one listens - News - Local Stories - October 24, 2019 When no one listens Three parents took their bullied students out of Sacramento City Unified schools, where resources to protect them are limited Noah Buchanan, the parent of a special-needs student who was bullied, stands in front of the Sacramento City Unified School District headquarters. PHOTO BY SCOTT TH
Shawgi Tell: Charter School Advocates Are Hypocritical and Out-of-Touch | Dissident Voice

by Mike Simpson / 1h
Charter School Advocates Are Hypocritical and Out-of-Touch | Dissident Voice Charter School Advocates Are Hypocritical and Out-of-Touch On Monday, October 21, 2019, democratic presidential hopeful Elizabeth Warren issued her plan for K-12 public education. In it, she outlines her opposition to charter schools. A brief excerpt from a section of the plan titled, Combating the Privatization and Corr
Charter Schools Cherry Pick Students & Call it Choice – PART 2: The “EVERYONE’S DOING IT!” Excuse | gadflyonthewallblog

by Mike Simpson / 1h
Charter Schools Cherry Pick Students & Call it Choice – PART 2: The “EVERYONE’S DOING IT!” Excuse “Got school choice?” asks a charter school supporter. But who exactly is she addressing – families or charter school operators? Because it is the later group who is offered choice by school privatization – not parents, families or students. Billionaire investors and charter school managers answer ,
Education Votes

by Mike Simpson / 2h
Home - Education Votes Educators running in 2019 eager to fight for public schools by Amanda Menas / 17h By Amanda Menas Educators stepped up to run for office in record numbers in the 2018 midterm elections. That trend has continued through 2019 as teachers, administrators, and support staff are running across the country for state offices. Looking to flip key districts, educators are running t
Political arm of charter-friendly group The City Fund has $15 million — and is now spending on school board races

by Mike Simpson / 2h
Political arm of charter-friendly group The City Fund has $15 million — and is now spending on school board races Political arm of charter-friendly group The City Fund has $15 million — and is now spending on school board races The political arm of The City Fund, the organization with ambitions to spread charter schools and the “portfolio model” of school reform across the country, plans to spend
Can An Ethically Challenged School Board Member Pass Judgement On Others?

by Mike Simpson / 3h
Can An Ethically Challenged School Board Member Pass Judgement On Others? District and Personal Integrity. To maintain our integrity, we are committed to making decisions in the best interests of the District. We will avoid conflicts of interest and the appearance of impropriety. ” – LAUSD Employee Code of Ethics Included on the agenda for the morning meeting of the Los Angeles Unified School Di
NOLA School Admin’s Book-Cooking, “Fix Your Gradebook” Email | deutsch29

by Mike Simpson / 3h
NOLA School Admin’s Book-Cooking, “Fix Your Gradebook” Email New Orleans-based Abramson Sci Academy advertises itself as follows : Abramson Sci Academy is one of the highest performing open-enrollment high schools in New Orleans. More than 98% of Sci Academy’s seniors received acceptances to college. College acceptances include LSU , Dillard, Bard College, Notre Dame, University of Louisiana Laf
Choosing Democracy: Education Department"s Rip Off on Student Loans

by Mike Simpson / 3h
Education Department"s Rip Off on Student Loans The Education Department’s Rip-Off Schemes Radicalize Its Own Staff Billionaire daughter-in-law to the Amway fortune Betsy DeVos probably contracts with the U.S. Mint to exclusively reissue $100,000 bank notes so she can light them on fire to light candles in her office. But she’ll have exactly one less, after a federal judge in San Francisco fined
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Times Weighs in on NE Seattle School Board Races

by Mike Simpson / 3h
Times Weighs in on NE Seattle School Board Races I’m not sure you can have a bigger contrast between the Seattle Times’ article about the Board race between Leslie Harris and Molly Mitchell versus this article about the other two races, both in the northend. The Times is a lot more even-handed here and that’s what you should expect in this kind of article (unless one candidate is severely defici
Betsy DeVos’s truly awful week — by the headlines - The Washington Post

by Mike Simpson / 4h
Betsy DeVos’s truly awful week — by the headlines By most any measure of an awful week, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos just had one. To be sure, it’s not the first time DeVos has seen bad-news headlines. There were the scornful ones that emerged from her January 2017 confirmation hearing, when she majorly fumbled testimony. For example, she expressed ignorance of the federal Individuals With Di
Shanker Blog: A Problem Hiding In Plain Sight (Guest Post by Natalie Wexler) | National Education Policy Center

by Mike Simpson / 4h
Shanker Blog: A Problem Hiding In Plain Sight (Guest Post by Natalie Wexler) Our guest author today is Natalie Wexler, an educational journalist who is a senior contributor to forbes.com and whose work has appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, and other publications. This article is excerpted, with permission, from THE KNOWLEDGE GAP: The Hidden Cost of America’s Brok
THIS WEEK Education Research Report

by Mike Simpson / 4h
Education Research Report THIS WEEK Education Research Report Only half of US children get enough sleep during the week by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 17h IMAGE: Prevalence of childhood flourishing markers by hours of sleep on average weeknight, and adjusted odds ratio of childhood flourishing markers with sufficient sleep compared to insufficient sleep. view more Credit: Hoi See Tsao, MD, FAAP NEW ORL
This Week With Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... The latest news and resources in education since 2007

by Mike Simpson / 4h
Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... | The latest news and resources in education since 2007 This Week With Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... The latest news and resources in education since 2007 New Resources On Race & Racism by Larry Ferlazzo / 56min I’m adding these new resources to various “Best” lists. You can find links to all of those many lists that relate to race and racism at “
KEEP UP/ CATCH UP WITH DIANE RAVITCH'S BLOG A site to discuss better education for all

by Mike Simpson / 4h
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all KEEP UP/ CATCH UP WITH DIANE RAVITCH'S BLOG A site to discuss better education for all Slaying Goliath: The Passionate Resistance to Privatization and the Fight to Save America's Public Schools CLICK HERE TO Pre-order NOW Arizona Charter Founder Paid His Companies $46.8 Million in Taxpayer Money in One Year by dianeravitch / 6min A

YESTERDAY

TEACHER SURVEY: 'Things have just gotten so bad': Why teachers in America are leaving the classroom for good

by Mike Simpson / 21h
'Things have just gotten so bad': Why teachers in America are leaving the classroom for good 'Things have just gotten so bad': Why teachers in America are leaving the classroom for good The word teacher, for many, has long been synonymous with hero. On social media, political stages and news sites, teachers are hailed as indefatigable public servants, selflessly working to shape the next generati
OUSD meeting Violence - Oakland Not For Sale – No More School Closures! #Oaklandnotforsale

by Mike Simpson / 1d
Oakland Not For Sale – No More School Closures! OUSD meeting Violence - Oakland Not For Sale – No More School Closures! www.oaklandnotforsale.com . Call for the School board to resign - they called the police on parents and teachers. Children watched their parents get thrown to the ground. Oakland is Not For Sale - I don't want our public schools to be sold off to privatizers. #Oaklandnotforsale
Betsy DeVos insists public schools haven’t changed in more than 100 years. Why she’s oh so wrong. - The Washington Post

by Mike Simpson / 1d
Betsy DeVos insists public schools haven’t changed in more than 100 years. Why she’s oh so wrong. And why she keeps saying it. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is fond of saying that public schools in America haven’t changed in more than a century and, as a result, are failing kids. Our children, she has said repeatedly, deserve better than the “19th-century assembly-line approach,” and would do
How Chicago's Teachers Explained the Strike to Students - The Atlantic

by Mike Simpson / 1d
As the Strike Approached in Chicago, Teachers Taught Labor “I asked the kids, ‘Do you want to know what we’re fighting about?’” said one teacher. They did . As the strike vote got closer, Anna Lane realized that she was going to have to throw out her lesson plan. Lane, a history and civics teacher at Kelly High School, in Chicago’s Brighton Park neighborhood, was in the middle of teaching a unit
Where Have All the Children Gone: Public Education by the Numbers - LA Progressive

by Mike Simpson / 1d
Where Have All the Children Gone: Public Education by the Numbers dropped ever so slightly over the past five years. The US Census estimates that California’s population last year was 39,557,045, up from just over 37 million in 2010. And yet according to the California Department of Education the number of students enrolled around the state in K-12 schools went from 6,226,737 to 6,186,278 in the
Should Teenage Trick or Treaters Go to Jail? | Teacher in a strange land

by Mike Simpson / 1d
Should Teenage Trick or Treaters Go to Jail? For 20 years, I lived in a subdivision in the heart of the school district where I was teaching. Halloween was a big deal—we’d get a couple hundred trick-or-treaters if the weather was nice. Many of them were my middle school students, or former students, now in high school. I bought a lot of candy. The good stuff. I’d put speakers in an open window,
Wealth and Power Undermine Equity and Democracy Across Ohio’s Public School Districts | janresseger

by Mike Simpson / 1d
Wealth and Power Undermine Equity and Democracy Across Ohio’s Public School Districts The operation of wealth and power has never been more evident in Ohio school politics than it is this month. HUNTING VALLEY In an op-ed this week, the retired editorial page director of the Cleveland Plain Dealer , Brent Larkin describes an attempted state budget amendment that would have let residents of wealt
CURMUDGUCATION: Betsy DeVos Enlists Help Of Kellyanne Conway And American Enterprise Institute To Sell $5 Billion School Choice Program

by Mike Simpson / 1d
Betsy DeVos Enlists Help Of Kellyanne Conway And American Enterprise Institute To Sell $5 Billion School Choice Program At the beginning of this month, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos and presidential adviser Kellyanne Conway sat down with Rick Hess of the American Enterprise Institute to make one more pitch for DeVos’s Education Freedom Scholarships. The program seems unlikely to succeed on
Hooked on Social Media, the Brain, and School Lessons | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

by Mike Simpson / 1d
Hooked on Social Media, the Brain, and School Lessons …the typical social media user spends 10 to 20 minutes on an app after opening it. With 56% of respondents claiming they log onto Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, and other networks more than 10 times per day, that means half of America could be spending more than three hours of their day on the networks. And not only teens or millenials. Also
Katherine Westerhold White No Longer with Relay Graduate School of Education, Now Works for a “Strategic” Mystery Entity. | deutsch29

by Mike Simpson / 1d
Katherine Westerhold White No Longer with Relay Graduate School of Education, Now Works for a “Strategic” Mystery Entity. According to her Linkedin bio , Katherine Westerhold White, wife of Lousiana state superintendent John White , has left her position as “national director of policy and government affairs” at the Relay Graduate School of Education, a position that raised ethics questions and
Federal Judge Holds DeVos in Contempt of Court, Fines Ed Department $100,000 | Diane Ravitch's blog

by Mike Simpson / 1d
Federal Judge Holds DeVos in Contempt of Court, Fines Ed Department $100,000 A federal judge found Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos in contempt of court and fined her Department $100,000, which is less than a slap in the wrist. It won’t begin to cover the losses suffered by students who were hounded by the Department to repay fraudulent student loans for a fraudulent education at for-profit co
NYC Educator: Realizing A Vision

by Mike Simpson / 1d
Realizing A Vision I've watched the Mulgrew-Carranza video five or six times. What they want is the moon, the sun, and the stars. Now don't get me wrong--I want it too. I want it all. The issue, though, is how do we get there from here? How do we establish healthy working relationships with New York City supervisors, many of whom received training directly from Joel Klein's Leadership Academy? J

OCT 24

Petition 2019 | How to complete a California initiative petition

by Mike Simpson / 1d
California Teachers Association
Chaos, arrests at Oakland school board meeting – East Bay Times

by Mike Simpson / 2d
Chaos, arrests at Oakland school board meeting One taken to hospital after police barricade rushed, confrontation ensues OAKLAND — Oakland schools police arrested six protesters during a board meeting at Oakland Unified School District headquarters, authorities said Wednesday. Around 6:30 p.m., shortly after the meeting was underway in an auditorium at La Escuelita education center, 1050 Second
Naming race in the school enrollment process - SF PUBLIC SCHOOL MOM

by Mike Simpson / 2d
Naming race in the school enrollment process Last Monday, I attended an SFUSD Board of Education Ad Hoc Student Assignment Committee Mtg . which is taking on the daunting task of implementing a Board Resolution directing district staff to redesign SFUSD’s Student Assignment System. I’ll be transparent in stating I have many “feels” about this work, and whether we should be doing it. I didn’t vot
Don't Reinvent the Wheel - Reuse It - Teacher Habits

by Mike Simpson / 2d
Don’t Reinvent the Wheel – Reuse It By Brian Rock If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you may recall the article, Not Every Lesson Is a Lexus . The thrust of the argument was that you cannot – and should not – try to go above and beyond while planning every lesson. It’s not sustainable, and you’ll burn out. Well today we’re going to talk about a corollary to that. Don’t reinvent the wheel –
Students as Writers and Thinkers: Another Grading Dilemma | radical eyes for equity

by Mike Simpson / 2d
Students as Writers and Thinkers: Another Grading Dilemma A high school ELA teacher who completed the certification program where I teach was telling me recently about one of her students. The student, the teacher explained, had submitted an essay that the student worked diligently on, completing multiple drafts. The teacher noted that the final essay showed marked improvement in the writing, bu
Chicago’s Citywide Strike Just Spread to Charter School Teachers

by Mike Simpson / 2d
Chicago’s Citywide Strike Just Spread to Charter School Teachers More than 32,000 Chicago Public School (CPS) teachers and staff—one out every 100 people in the city—have been on strike since October 17. On Tuesday, the ranks of the striking workers—represented by the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) and SEIU Local 73—swelled a little further as nearly 40 teachers walked off the job at Passages Char
CURMUDGUCATION: NC: When Charters Become Orphans

by Mike Simpson / 2d
NC: When Charters Become Orphans The TeamCFA website promises that the foundation exists "to promote the academic growth and success of each student in each TeamCFA school as well as the growth of the entire network. Each school in the TeamCFA network receives long term, meaningful partnership and oversight from the TeamCFA Foundation, with specific regard to academics, business, and governance
The Chicago Teachers On Strike: ‘Until We Get What Our Students Deserve’ – I AM AN EDUCATOR

by Mike Simpson / 2d
The Chicago Teachers On Strike: ‘Until We Get What Our Students Deserve’ fter Mayor Lori Lightfoot rejected the demands of the Chicago Teachers Union, 25,000 teachers and 7,000 support staff launched a strike on Thursday, October 17, shutting down the schools for some 300,000 students. Also on the picket line were members of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 73, representing
Sac City Usd Budget Mess And Wear Red For Chicago Teachers On Thursday

by Mike Simpson / 2d
Choosing Democracy WEAR RED FOR CHICAGO ON THURSDAY Wear Red for Chicago teachers on Thursday. Yesterday I was on the picket lines in Chicago with Elizabeth Warren. She took time from the campaign trail to come to Chicago to support the members of the Chicago Teachers Union and SEIU Local 73, who are entering the seventh day of their strike. And she’s not the only one standing with them. Bernie S
Betsy DeVos blasts ‘Tinseltown’ for ignoring a movie she likes and calls her critics ‘bullies’ - The Washington Post

by Mike Simpson / 2d
Betsy DeVos blasts 'Tinseltown’ for ignoring a movie she likes and calls her critics ‘bullies’ Education Secretary Betsy DeVos on Wednesday used a speech marking the 15th anniversary of a school voucher program to blast Hollywood for not supporting a movie she likes. She also used a new term for her critics: “bullies.” DeVos appeared at a celebration of the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program,
Dallas Chamber of Commerce Accelerates Attack on Public Schools | tultican

by Mike Simpson / 2d
Dallas Chamber of Commerce Accelerates Attack on Public Schools By Thomas Ultican 10/24/2019 Elites living in upscale mostly white Dallas communities are spending heavily to privatize public schools. Dallas demographics are basically a three way split with Hispanics (41.7%), whites (29.1%) and blacks (24%). However, whites living in trendy neighborhoods like Highland Park where Teach For America
CURMUDGUCATION: NYC: Testing Is Still Not Teaching

by Mike Simpson / 2d
NYC: Testing Is Still Not Teaching People say dumb things when they're trying to defend bad policy decisions. Alex Zimmerman at Chalkbeat reports that New York City schools are going to hit third and sixth graders at 76 schools labeled "low performing" by the state with three more tests per year. This is part of a plan to start testing the crap out of students doing formative assessments four ti
NYC Public School Parents: Our letter in response to the College Board asking for corrections

by Mike Simpson / 2d
Our letter in response to the College Board asking for corrections Yesterday, we sent a letter to the College Board in response to a letter they sent to us on October 18th, claiming inaccuracies in our petition urging the Attorney General to investigate the College Board's selling of student data, and in the fact sheet we posted that warned parents whose children are taking the PSAT/SAT/ACT/AP e
Kidney stones and employer-based health insurance suck. – Fred Klonsky

by Mike Simpson / 2d
KIDNEY STONES AND EMPLOYER-BASED HEALTH INSURANCE SUCK Elizabeth Warren and Randi Weingarten in Chicago to support teachers and staff on strike. One supports national health care. One doesn’t. American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten has been in town supporting the CTU and SEIU strikers. One of the issues of bargaining is the cost of health insurance to CPS employees. The thing

OCT 23

Wear Red and Show Solidarity with Chicago #FairContractNow #CTUstrike #CTU #putitinwriting

by Mike Simpson / 2d
Wear red and show solidarity with Chicago - YouTube Wear Red and Show Solidarity with Chicago Wear red and show solidarity with Chicago - YouTube
California Department of Education seeking feedback on LCAP template redesign - LCAP Redesign Survey - lcapredesign . org

by Mike Simpson / 2d
LCAP Redesign 2020 LCAP Redesign Survey October 22, 2019 California Department of Education seeking feedback on LCAP template redesign The California Department of Education (CDE) is seeking feedback from all stakeholders on the redesign of the Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) template. The template has been redesigned to: (a) Streamline the content and format to make it more accessib
TFA and Relay Occupy Early Childhood Education | Cloaking Inequity

by Mike Simpson / 3d
TFA AND RELAY OCCUPY EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION The new episode of the Truth For America podcast is now available. We discuss early childhood education and the entrance of Teach For America and Relay Graduate School into the classrooms of America’s youngest students. Episode 21 features two TFA corps members that were assigned to early childhood education. We discuss their perspectives on the lac
Tired of Democratic Infighting? How Much of it is Sexism? | Teacher in a strange land

by Mike Simpson / 3d
Tired of Democratic Infighting? How Much of it is Sexism? | Teacher in a strange land Tired of Democratic Infighting? How Much of it is Sexism? So—Elizabeth Warren released her very progressive K-12 Education Plan yesterday. As soon as it was released, I got a text with a link to the plan, which I read, top to bottom. Just as I have read the other K-12 education plans. I get texts about all of Wa
Eighth county superintendent asks for state audit of Inspire charter schools - The San Diego Union-Tribune

by Mike Simpson / 3d
Eighth county superintendent asks for state audit of Inspire charter schools The superintendent’s letter includes concerns about Inspire’s rapid enrollment growth, questionable expenses An eighth county superintendent has joined a group requesting the state to audit the Inspire charter school network , adding to those calling for an investigation into potential fraud by Inspire. Fresno County Su
JENNIFER C. BERKSHIRE: Could Betsy DeVos Cost Trump the Election? | The New Republic

by Mike Simpson / 3d
Could Betsy DeVos Cost Trump the Election? | The New Republic Could Betsy DeVos Cost Trump the Election? The president needs to win Michigan again, but many of his supporters there hate the education secretary In 2016, Darrin Camilleri was 24 and teaching at a Detroit charter school 20 miles from where he grew up, when Michigan lawmakers took up a measure to implement more rigorous oversight of t
CURMUDGUCATION: CT: Another Way To Privatize Education

by Mike Simpson / 3d
CT: Another Way To Privatize Education To read press accounts, one must conclude that Ray and Barbara Dalio are not exactly like other billionaire dabblers in education. He is a successful hedge fund manager and the richest guy in Connecticut. She immigrated from Spain fifty-ish years ago and worked at the Whitney before settling into the mom-and-kids track. He has announced that capitalism is n
Elizabeth Warren Releases Strong, Comprehensive Public Education Plan | janresseger

by Mike Simpson / 3d
Elizabeth Warren Releases Strong, Comprehensive Public Education Plan The education plan Elizabeth Warren released on Monday is urgently important. Today, I am not going to focus on the math—whether Warren’s plan can be funded by the wealth tax she has also proposed. Neither am I going to speculate about whether, politically, she might be able to get Congress—and in the case of some of her propo
Elizabeth Warren Stands Up for Traditional Public Ed, Puts Charter Schools in Their Place | deutsch29

by Mike Simpson / 3d
Elizabeth Warren Stands Up for Traditional Public Ed, Puts Charter Schools in Their Place Democratic presidential hopeful and Massachusetts senator, Elizabeth Warren, has finally released her plan for education, entitled, “A Great Public School Education for Every Student.” Note that in Warren’s plan, the term, “public school” means traditional public school– the neighborhood school, sufficientl
The Mona Lisa curriculum. – Fred Klonsky

by Mike Simpson / 3d
The Mona Lisa curriculum In order see the great Andy Warhol retrospective now currently at the Art Institute of Chicago we had to walk through the Ken Griffin Atrium of the Modern Wing to the galleries designated for special exhibits. Above the entrance to the exhibit we saw the sign that the Andy Warhol show was sponsored by Ken Griffin. In case that name is unfamiliar to you, Griffin is a Chic
Is PD only required for teachers harmful? | My Island View

by Mike Simpson / 3d
Is PD only required for teachers harmful? Anyone who thinks that there is one answer to all that is wrong in education is at the very least ill informed. Public education has had hundreds of years to establish practices and procedures that would ultimately slow down any progressive ideas for change. This is the Kevlar vest against any silver bullet that an insightful, forward-thinking change age
New report on egregious cost to the city for charter school facilities | Class Size Matters

by Mike Simpson / 3d
New report on egregious cost to the city for charter school facilities Yesterday we released a new report , entitled Spending by NYC on Charte r School Facilities: Diverted Resources, Inequities and Anomalies , revealing how the NYC Department of Education spent more than $377 million on charter school facility costs from FY 2014 to FY 2019. This amount includes both public funds for facility up
Charter schools do NOT get better NAEP test results than regular public schools | GFBrandenburg's Blog

by Mike Simpson / 3d
Charter schools do NOT get better NAEP test results than regular public schools It is not easy to find comparisons between charter schools and regular public schools, partly because the charter schools are not required to be nearly as transparent or accountable as regular public schools. (Not in their finances, nor in requests for public records, nor for student or teacher disciplinary data, and

OCT 22

Special Nite Cap Catch Up On Today'S Posts #Redfored

by Mike Simpson / 3d
Big Education Ape SPECIAL NITE CAP CATCH UP ON TODAY'S POSTS TODAY Eight Things I Love About Elizabeth Warren’s Education Plan – And One I Don’t | gadflyonthewallblog by Mike Simpson / 34min Eight Things I Love About Elizabeth Warren’s Education Plan – And One I Don’t My daughter had bad news for me yesterday at dinner. She turned to me with all the seriousness her 10-year-old self could muster a
Eight Things I Love About Elizabeth Warren’s Education Plan – And One I Don’t | gadflyonthewallblog

by Mike Simpson / 3d
Eight Things I Love About Elizabeth Warren’s Education Plan – And One I Don’t My daughter had bad news for me yesterday at dinner. She turned to me with all the seriousness her 10-year-old self could muster and said, “Daddy, I know you love Bernie but I’m voting for Elizabeth.” “Elizabeth Warren?” I said choking back a laugh. Her pronouncement had come out of nowhere. We had just been discussing
NANCY BAILEY: Democratic Candidates Should Distance Themselves From Teach for America

by Mike Simpson / 4d
Democratic Candidates Should Distance Themselves From Teach for America Democratic Candidates Should Distance Themselves From Teach for America Like most who support public education and the teaching profession, I routinely pore over media reports to learn what the Democratic candidates will bring to the table for PreK-12 education, and higher education. Here are the frontrunners’ plans. Yesterda
Join us at GFE 2019! | Schott Foundation for Public Education

by Mike Simpson / 4d
Join us at GFE 2019! The Schott team is at the annual Grantmakers for Education national conference this week in New Orleans — we hope to see you there. We're happy to host a learning session and a funder reception on Wednesday, October 23, and Schott Vice President Edgar Villanueva will close out GFE in a plenary session on Thursday morning. Join us! Learning Session: Increasing Philanthropic S
Shawgi Tell: Miserable Bankruptcy of Charter School Cheerleaders | Dissident Voice

by Mike Simpson / 4d
Miserable Bankruptcy of Charter School Cheerleaders | Dissident Voice Miserable Bankruptcy of Charter School Cheerleaders Charter school promoters embraced irrationalism long ago. Their reckless antisocial agenda requires them to do so because what they are promoting has no legitimate basis; it is not consistent with modern requirements. “Leaders” in the charter school sector have long spoken and
Breaking the Cycle of Reforming Again and Again (Thomas Hatch) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

by Mike Simpson / 4d
Breaking the Cycle of Reforming Again and Again (Thomas Hatch) In a recent article in International Education News , Professor Tom Hatch, Teachers College, Columbia, offered a reasonable and do-able way for policymakers, parents, and voters to outflank the seemingly inevitable cycle of school reform that researchers, policy analysts, and historians of education have documented for decades. Hatch
Little Rock Is Still Fighting for School Integration - The Atlantic

by Mike Simpson / 4d
An Attempt to Resegregate Little Rock, of All Places A battle over local control in a city that was the face of integration shows the extent of the new segregation problem in the U.S. LITTLE ROCK, Ark.—When Diane Zook, the chair of Arkansas’ State Board of Education, banged her gavel to bring the afternoon meeting into order on October 10, every seat in the cramped boardroom was filled. Nearly e
Sen. Elizabeth Warren to join Chicago teachers on picket line - Chicago Sun-Times

by Mike Simpson / 4d
Sen. Elizabeth Warren to join Chicago teachers on picket line The presidential candidate will visit a West Side school Tuesday. Democratic presidential candidate and U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) is set to join the city’s striking teachers on the picket line Tuesday. The senator will bring her campaign to Chicago in a visit to Oscar DePriest Elementary School at 139 S. Parkside Ave. in Au
AFT PRESIDENT WEINGARTEN PRAISES EDUCATION PLAN OF SENATOR ELIZABETH WARREN | Black Star News

by Mike Simpson / 4d
AFT PRESIDENT WEINGARTEN PRAISES EDUCATION PLAN OF SENATOR ELIZABETH WARREN AFT President Randi Weingarten: “Sen. Elizabeth Warren's plan for our nation's public schools would be a game changer for our public schools and the 90 percent of America’s students who attend them. Like so many of the other candidates’ education plans we have praised, this one is bold and thorough and lays out tangible
A Letter to Chicago’s Teachers On the Perils of Pay for Success Finance & Wrap Around Services – Wrench in the Gears

by Mike Simpson / 4d
A Letter to Chicago’s Teachers On the Perils of Pay for Success Finance & Wrap Around Services I am writing this letter to the teachers of Chicago as you continue your strike. I realize you probably won’t have time to read this until after your contract is resolved, but I felt it was important to put my thoughts down now while they are fresh in my mind. I know you care deeply for your students,
Even when they aren’t fired for being pregnant or gay, teachers face strict moral demands – Raw Story

by Mike Simpson / 4d
Even when they aren’t fired for being pregnant or gay, teachers face strict moral demands Pregnant teachers in classrooms are routine these days. But the law didn’t always protect expectant women in any workplace. As part of her stump speech, Sen. Elizabeth Warren tells a story about being fired from her job as a speech pathologist for special needs children once she became pregnant back in 1971
Wednesday, October 2, 2019 It's Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... A VERY BUSY DAY | The latest news and resources in education since 2007

by Mike Simpson / 4d
Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... | The latest news and resources in education since 2007 It's Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... A VERY BUSY DAY | The latest news and resources in education since 2007 TODAY Daylight Saving Time Ends On Nov. 3rd – Here Are Related Teaching & Learning Resources by Larry Ferlazzo / 4h Free-Photos / Pixabay Yup, it’s that time again. You might be interest
Teaching in Hostile Times | radical eyes for equity

by Mike Simpson / 4d
Teaching in Hostile Times There is a long-time joke at my university that has far more than a grain of truth in it—the campus and the university environment captured in a metaphor, the bubble. Referring to the bubble elicits smiles and even laughter, until the bubble bursts . Over three M-W-F morning courses this fall , I teach 40 students—39 are first-year students, and 39 are white. Most, as i
Carl J. Petersen: Can An Ethically Challenged School Board Member Pass Judgement On Others?

by Mike Simpson / 4d
Can An Ethically Challenged School Board Member Pass Judgement On Others? Can An Ethically Challenged School Board Member Pass Judgement On Others? “ District and Personal Integrity. To maintain our integrity, we are committed to making decisions in the best interests of the District. We will avoid conflicts of interest and the appearance of impropriety. ” - LAUSD Employee Code of Ethics Included
The Classroom Connectivity Gap Is Closed. How Did That Happen?

by Mike Simpson / 4d
The Classroom Connectivity Gap Is Closed. How Did That Happen? EducationSuperHighway has only been around since 2012, but this morning they issued a report with a simple message: the classroom connectivity gap has been closed. That’s not entirely a surprise; last year’s annual report from the non-profit reported that 98% of US schools had high-speed internet access. This year the number is squea
Kentucky: Don’t Be Fooled! Charters and Vouchers Harm Children. | Diane Ravitch's blog

by Mike Simpson / 4d
Kentucky: Don’t Be Fooled! Charters and Vouchers Harm Children Rev. Sharon Felton, coordinator of Pastors for Kentucky Children, warns parents and other members of the public not to be fooled by the rhetoric. Charters, vouchers, and tax credits are not good for children, and they drain resources from the public schools that educate most children. She writes: Educating our children is the most im
CURMUDGUCATION: Vouchers And Federally-Supported Discrimination

by Mike Simpson / 4d
Vouchers And Federally-Supported Discrimination School voucher programs are becoming one of the major fronts in a federal battle to safeguard discrimination by religious organizations. Some flaps created by private religious schools seem minor, like the pastor at a Catholic school who banned Harry Potter books because he believes the books contain “actual curses and spells.” But earlier this yea
NYC Public School Parents: Schools with the biggest shortfalls in matching funds for facility upgrades.

by Mike Simpson / 4d
Schools with the biggest shortfalls in matching funds for facility upgrades. Here is the list from our report , Sp e nding by NYC on Charter School Facilities : Diverted Resources, Inequities and Anomalies, of the 175 NYC public schools co-located with charter schools with the biggest shortfalls in funds for facility enhancements, totaling $22 million, which were supposed to be provided accordin
Teachers Quitting In DC | GFBrandenburg's Blog

by Mike Simpson / 4d
Teachers Quitting In DC Valerie Jablow points out that there is an enormous problem with DC public and charter teachers being so harassed that they quit: around 70% of them quit by their 5th year of employment. (She adds that this is probably not a bug, but a feature of the DC teacher evaluation program.) I am reprinting her entire column, but you should subscribe to it yourself. ===============
Mike Klonsky's Blog: Sun-Times' phony support for CPS sports teams

by Mike Simpson / 4d
Sun-Times' phony support for CPS sports teams Sun-Times says, Simeon needs the teachers strike to end sooner than the rest of the Public League We have to wonder, if the strike continues through the coming week, how many students this school year will score just a little lower on standardized tests, hurting their chances of getting into a top college or winning a scholarship. -- Sun-Times editor
Chicago’s Teachers Are Making History. Again. | The Nation

by Mike Simpson / 4d
Chicago’s Teachers Are Making History. Again. Rank-and-file workers are finally taking back their unions, and strikes are spreading across the country as a result. T he beginning of a resurgence of strength among America’s unions today can be traced to two seminal events: the September 2012 seven-day strike by Chicago’s teachers, and the less-noticed June 2010 internal union election at the Chic

OCT 21

Sacramento City Unified: When Billionaires Buy Your School Board

by Mike Simpson / 4d
2014 Elections Sacramento City Unified School District Board of Education Area 1 - Jay Hansen Area 2 - Jeff Cuneo Area 6 - Darrel Woo Area 7 - Jessie Ryan Sacramento County Board of Education Area 1 - Greg Geeting Area 3 - Jacquelyn Levy 2016 Elections Sacramento City Unified School District Christina Prichett Michael Minnick Jessie Ryan Sacramento County Board of Education Trustee Area 4 - Joan
Warren’s K-12 Plan: All In For Public Education

by Mike Simpson / 5d
Warren’s K-12 Plan: All In For Public Education Many ( including this writer ) have asked over the past months: where is Elizabeth Warren’s K-12 education plan? Beyond her promise to install a former public school teacher as Secretary of Education, what does plan look like? Well, it’s here, and while it’s not perfect, it contains much of what public education supporters have been hoping to hear.
Seattle Educators Endorse Liza, Molly, & Chandra for School Board – I AM AN EDUCATOR

by Mike Simpson / 5d
Seattle Educators Endorse Liza, Molly, & Chandra for School Board Seattle Educators Endorse Liza, Molly, & Chandra School Board Both the Seattle Education Association–the union representing some 5,000 educators in Seattle–and the Social Equity Educators–the social justice rank-and-file caucus–have endorsed a bold and committed slate of candidates for the November 5th School board election. Molly
Pay for Success & the Opioid Crisis: Poor Peoples Economic Human Rights Campaign Radical Social Work Breakfast Presentation – Wrench in the Gears

by Mike Simpson / 5d
Pay for Success & the Opioid Crisis: Poor Peoples Economic Human Rights Campaign Radical Social Work Breakfast Presentation The Poor Peoples Economic Human Rights Campaign hosts a monthly breakfast to discuss radical social work and issues relating to the non-profit industrial complex. Follow us on Facebook here . I was invited to participate this month and wanted to post my presentation on pay
Elizabeth Warren calls for billions of new dollars to reform pre-K-12 schools and fight privatization. Here’s how she plans to pay for it. - The Washington Post

by Mike Simpson / 5d
Elizabeth Warren calls for billions of new dollars to reform pre-K-12 schools and fight privatization. Here’s how she plans to pay for it. Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.) unveiled a broad pre-K-12 education plan Monday that calls for spending hundreds of billions of dollars to improve public schools, eliminating use of test scores for high-stakes decisions and endin
Denis Smith: The Questions You Should Ask When You Visit a Charter School | Diane Ravitch's blog

by Mike Simpson / 5d
Denis Smith: The Questions You Should Ask When You Visit a Charter School Bill Phillis reposts here an article by Denis Smith, who offers sound advice about the questions you should ask if you visit a charter school. Denis Smith on Ron Rice of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools In a recent column in the Columbus Dispatch, Ron Rice of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools
Schools Matter: Warren Releases Solid New Education Plan

by Mike Simpson / 5d
Warren Releases Solid New Education Plan Spoiler Alert: Unlike in 2016, DFER is not happy! We shall see what the Dem platform eventually looks like, but if Warren is the candidate, it will look nothing like 2016. I am going to do several posts on Warren's new education plan, which kicks in the ass anything released so far by the other candidates. The first thing I checked out in the new plan was
Philadelphia: School Choice Has Harmed, Not Helped, the City’s Public Schools | Diane Ravitch's blog

by Mike Simpson / 5d
Philadelphia: School Choice Has Harmed, Not Helped, the City’s Public Schools Back in the early days of school choice advocacy, it was often claimed that school choice would “force” the public schools to compete and they would get better because of the magic of the market. Now we know that was a selling point, and it was not true. Deborah Gordon Klehr, executive director of the civil rights grou
With A Brooklyn Accent: Action Needed to Address Racial Slurs by Football Players at Utica High School in Ohio

by Mike Simpson / 5d
Action Needed to Address Racial Slurs by Football Players at Utica High School in Ohio Brian Radabaugh Athletic Director North Folk Schools Dear Mr Radabaugh I was just informed by a parent in your school district that three members of your high school football team used racial slurs against players on another team during a game on Friday October 11. This information was also shared on the page
Ongoing Impact of the School Leadership Pipeline Created by Eli Broad’s Superintendents’ Academy | janresseger

by Mike Simpson / 5d
Ongoing Impact of the School Leadership Pipeline Created by Eli Broad’s Superintendents’ Academy I think it is hard to discern what history will make of what’s going on right now. And it is especially difficult in the domain of education, because newspapers and their investigative reporting are fading. Education reform has also been dominated by powerful philanthropists and ideologues who operat
Our government spies on Bridgeview because Muslims live there. – Fred Klonsky

by Mike Simpson / 5d
OUR GOVERNMENT SPIES ON BRIDGEVIEW BECAUSE MUSLIMS LIVE THERE Being of a certain age and having been a political activist since before the 60s revolts, when someone tells you that the government, the FBI in particular, is watching you and your entire community, you know to believe them. Assia Boundaoui has the proof of a community being watched by our government. Assia Boundaoui will be a guest
New report reveals over $100 million per year spent by NYC on charter facilities | Class Size Matters New report reveals over $100 million per year spent by NYC on charter facilities | A clearinghouse for information on class size & the proven benefits of smaller classes

by Mike Simpson / 5d
New report reveals over $100 million per year spent by NYC on charter facilities | Class Size Matters New report reveals over $100 million per year spent by NYC on charter facilities For immediate release: October 21, 2019 Contact: Leonie Haimson, 917-435-9329, leoniehaimson@gmail.com New report reveals over $100 million per year spent by NYC on charter facilities Includes payments to help charte
DeVos Pal, Eddie Rispone: School Vouchers Give Public Schools “Influence” to Not “Go Out of Business.” | deutsch29

by Mike Simpson / 5d
DeVos Pal, Eddie Rispone: School Vouchers Give Public Schools “Influence” to Not “Go Out of Business.” Eddie Rispone is the former chair of the Louisiana Federation for Children (LFC), a state branch of the American Federation for Children (AFC) , the school choice organization formerly chaired by US ed sec, Betsy DeVos , and also the former treasurer of the Louisiana Federation for Children Act
More Cartoons on History and Teaching Social Studies | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

by Mike Simpson / 5d
More Cartoons on History and Teaching Social Studies This round of cartoons focuses on history and teaching social studies. Enjoy! SEE MORE CARTOONS:

OCT 20

No Test Left Behind How Pearson Made a Killing on the US Testing Craze - TPM Features

by Mike Simpson / 5d
TPM Features Introducing Our Feature Series On Privatization PART 1: The History of Privatization How an Ideological and Political Attack on Government Became a Corporate Grab for Gold PART 2: The True Cost Why the Private Prison Industry is About so Much More Than Prisons PART 3: Who Really Runs Your City-Citizens of Corporations? Privatization of Municipal Services Often Means Selling Off Democ
enrique baloyra: Chicago teachers rebel over equity, justice for students - YouTube #CTUStrike #RedForEd #TeacherRebellion

by Mike Simpson / 5d
Chicago teachers rebel over equity, justice for students - YouTube Chicago teachers rebel over equity, justice for students enrique baloyra
CATCH UP WITH CURMUDGUCATION: ICYMI: Why I Write Day Edition (10/20)

by Mike Simpson / 6d
CURMUDGUCATION ICYMI: Why I Write Day Edition (10/20) I have an easier time understanding why some people write than I do understanding why so many people don't. Doesn't everybody need to? But then-- there are many things I don't fully understand, like why some people hate candy corn. While I'm pondering, here are some pieces of writing from the week for you to read and share. Murdoch-Funded Anti
Education in America: Of Hungry Wolves and Docile Sheep - LA Progressive

by Mike Simpson / 6d
Education in America: Of Hungry Wolves and Docile Sheep I was educated in public schools by dedicated teachers in the pre-digital age. My teachers read books to me and had me read books. I learned math, partly by rote, but also through friendly student competitions. Science I learned by doing, like chemistry with Bunsen burners and test tubes. I had classes in art and music, and even though I ha
Teacher Activism: The One, the Only, the Great Karen Lewis | Diane Ravitch's blog

by Mike Simpson / 6d
Teacher Activism: The One, the Only, the Great Karen Lewis Karen Lewis is the inspiration for today’s teacher’s strikes. She is one of a kind. She is a hero, a woman of courage, character, integrity, intellect, and steel. The Chicago Teachers Union just released this video tribute to Karen. Karen is a product of the Chicago Public Schools. She went to elite Ivy League colleges, first to Mount Ho
teacherken: One down, three to go . . .

by Mike Simpson / 6d
One down, three to go . . . One down, three to go . . . Friday was the final day of 1st quarter. It was also the penultimate game for our freshman soccer team. Both of those events are occasions for another reflection on teaching and related. If interested in my observations, which will use those as a starting point for broader reflection, please keep reading. If not, my feelings will not be hurt
Founder and CEO of embattled Inspire charter schools resigns - Los Angeles Times

by Mike Simpson / 6d
Founder and CEO of embattled Inspire charter schools resigns By Kristen Taketa SAN DIEGO — The founder and Chief Executive of the embattled Inspire charter school network has resigned, Inspire officials have announced. The resignation of Herbert “Nick” Nichols on Friday comes after seven county superintendents, including those from Los Angeles and San Diego counties, officially requested a state
CURMUDGUCATION: Shame

by Mike Simpson / 6d
Shame The most shocking and disturbing thing that I saw on line this week had nothing to do with politics. It was a post by a teacher explaining her school's disciplinary system. As with many systems, students have a color-coded behavior level monitored and adjusted throughout the day. Unlike any school I'd ever heard of before, students at this school receive a colored card for their behavior l
Can algorithms really teach kids to write better? Algorithms are grading student essays are trying. - Vox

by Mike Simpson / 6d
Algorithm s are grading student essays across the country. Can it really teach kids how to write better? The AI algorithms grading student essays are a black box. Algorithms are grading student essays across the country. So can artificial intelligence really teach us to write better? Todd Feathers, who wrote about AI essay grading for Motherboard , called up every state in the country and found
Rebuilding the village: A West Virginia school system strives to lift up its children by tackling poverty - The Washington Post

by Mike Simpson / 6d
Rebuilding the village: A West Virginia school system strives to lift up its children by tackling poverty WELCH, W.Va. — The ceremony had the feel of a church service. Standing at the end of a block lined mostly with empty storefronts, officials wielded a crackly PA system, their voices carrying over the din of coal trucks that rumbled through the town. They stood in the shadow of a half-constru
Education Insider for October 20, 1019 - Education Votes

by Mike Simpson / 6d
Education Insider for October 20, 1019 House rewrite of Higher Education Act fulfills key NEA goals The College Affordability Act (H.R. 4674), introduced Oct. 15 by the House Education and Labor Committee chaired by Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA), fulfills key NEA goals for reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (HEA) that governs federal student-aid programs, federal aid to colleges, oversight of
Check It Out Newblackman (In Exile) With Mark Anthony Neal

by Mike Simpson / 6d
NewBlackMan (in Exile) 'Free Cyntoia': A Memoir by Mark Anthony Neal / 11h 'NPR's Michel Martin speaks with Cyntoia Brown-Long about her memoir, Free Cyntoia: My Search for Redemption in the American Prison System .' -- All Things Considered Living at the Intersection of Domestic Violence and Immigration by Mark Anthony Neal / 12h ' It’s Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and The Takeaway is loo
Why are Chicago teachers striking against Mayor Lori Lightfoot? They’ve been "lied to" before | Salon.com

by Mike Simpson / 6d
Why are Chicago teachers striking against Mayor Lori Lightfoot? They’ve been "lied to" before Chicago teachers have had it with the city's empty promises As a pink sunrise painted the sky on Thursday morning, horns blared seemingly nonstop from semi trucks, commuters’ cars, a concrete mixer and countless other vehicles. They were all supporting members of the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) and SEI
Signs of Classroom Compassion Fatigue - Teacher Habits

by Mike Simpson / 6d
Signs of Classroom Compassion Fatigue By Crystal Ladwig, Ph.D. It seems like the children we work with come to us with more baggage than ever before. Some face poverty, violence, abuse, hunger, divorce, trauma, and illness. We are reminded daily of their struggles when they enter our classrooms hungry, tired, dirty, or even afraid. Good teachers can’t help but feel compassion for these children.
NYC Educator: IO Classroom (formerly Skedula) Still Sucks

by Mike Simpson / 6d
IO Classroom (formerly Skedula) Still Sucks For a few years I've been using this app to record grades. Some of my colleagues keep a paper book too. I don't. I figure if Skedula wants the responsibility of recording grades for thousands of teachers, it's on them to protect them. Doing the work once, as opposed to twice, should be enough. After all, Skedula is taking in tons of money for their ser
Choosing Democracy: SCUSD Budget - Lets not be fooled-Again

by Mike Simpson / 6d
SCUSD Budget - Lets not be fooled-Again The Sacramento Bee reported on Friday that SCUSD budget had again been disapproved by the County Office of Education. “County schools officials last month disapproved Sacramento City Unified’s adopted budget because the district — although making “considerable progress towards stabilizing the budget” — fell short of meeting its minimum reserve requirement

OCT 19



Top Posts This Week 10/19/19 #Redfored

by Mike Simpson / 7d
Big Education Ape TOP POSTS THIS WEEK 10/19/19 The real story of New Orleans and its charter schools - The Washington Post Bill Gates spent hundreds of millions of dollars to improve teaching. New report says it was a 


Big Education Ape
Posted by at

Shawgi Tell: Charter School Advocates Are Hypocritical and Out-of-Touch | Dissident Voice

Charter School Advocates Are Hypocritical and Out-of-Touch | Dissident Voice

Charter School Advocates Are Hypocritical and Out-of-Touch
On Monday, October 21, 2019, democratic presidential hopeful Elizabeth Warren issued her plan for K-12 public education.
In it, she outlines her opposition to charter schools. A brief excerpt from a section of the plan titled, Combating the Privatization and Corruption of Our Public Schools, states:
To keep our traditional public school systems strong, we must resist efforts to divert public funds out of traditional public schools. Efforts to expand the footprint of charter schools, often without even ensuring that charters are subject to the same transparency requirements and safeguards as traditional public schools, strain the resources of school districts and leave students behind, primarily students of color. Further, inadequate funding and a growing education technology industry have opened the door to the privatization and corruption of our traditional public schools. More than half of the states allow public schools to be run by for-profit companies, and corporations are leveraging their market power and schools’ desire to keep pace with rapidly changing technology to extract profits at the expense of vulnerable students. 
Not surprisingly, this important statement generated great ire from supporters of privately-operated charter schools. For example, Amy Wilkins, senior vice president of advocacy at the National Alliance for Public Charter CONTINUE READING: Charter School Advocates Are Hypocritical and Out-of-Touch | Dissident Voice

Posted by at

Charter Schools Cherry Pick Students & Call it Choice – PART 2: The “EVERYONE’S DOING IT!” Excuse | gadflyonthewallblog

Charter Schools Cherry Pick Students & Call it Choice – PART 2: The “EVERYONE’S DOING IT!” Excuse | gadflyonthewallblog

Charter Schools Cherry Pick Students & Call it Choice – PART 2: The “EVERYONE’S DOING IT!” Excuse
“Got school choice?” asks a charter school supporter.
But who exactly is she addressing – families or charter school operators?
Because it is the later group who is offered choice by school privatization – not parents, families or students.
Billionaire investors and charter school managers answer, “Heck yeah – we’ve got school choice! We get to choose to take your tax dollars but not your child!”
These institutions are funded by tax dollars but privately managed – and the private interests who run them get to decide how to spend that money with little oversight or strings attached. As businesses, they can increase their bottom line by letting in only the easiest kids to teach.
This is not opinion. It is fact.
Admittedly, every single charter school in the country is not guilty of this crime. Yet CONTINUE READING: Charter Schools Cherry Pick Students & Call it Choice – PART 2: The “EVERYONE’S DOING IT!” Excuse | gadflyonthewallblog



Posted by at

Education Votes

Home - Education Votes

 Education Votes


Educators running in 2019 eager to fight for public schools

by Amanda Menas / 17h
By Amanda Menas Educators stepped up to run for office in record numbers in the 2018 midterm elections. That trend has continued through 2019 as teachers, administrators, and support staff are running across the country for state offices. Looking to flip key districts, educators are running to support their students and advocate for public schools. … The post appeared first on Education Votes .
Push for census funding for our students’ sake

by Shumway Marshall / 17h
Funding for next year’s census is among the key issues still to be decided as Congress struggles to finalize spending bills for FY2020, which began Oct. 1. The census is vitally important to America’s students because it determines the allocation of billions of dollars in federal funding for public education, including Title I schools serving … The post appeared first on Education Votes .
Support the Voting Rights Advancement Act

by Shumway Marshall / 17h
The Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2019 (H.R. 4), passed by the House Judiciary Committee last week, would once again require states and localities with histories of voter discrimination to seek approval from the U.S. Department of Justice before making any changes in their election laws. The measure is a direct response to the Supreme … The post appeared first on Education Votes .
NEA members discuss homework gap and immigration with Congress

by Shumway Marshall / 20h
Members of Congress featured NEA members’ views on two key issues: access to digital resources in rural areas and the harmful impact of immigration raids. Anthony Angelini, a teacher at New Oxford Middle School in Pennsylvania, stressed the importance of high-speed internet and the role of E-Rate in bringing it to rural areas at an … The post appeared first on Education Votes .

OCT 23



CANDIDATE COMPARISON: Where do presidential hopefuls stand on gun laws?

200+by Amanda Litvinov / 2d
By Amanda Menas In the wake of a record number of school shootings in 2018 and a string of recent mass shootings in communities across the U.S., students and educators are among the millions of Americans pushing elected leaders to 

Home - Education Votes
Posted by at

Political arm of charter-friendly group The City Fund has $15 million — and is now spending on school board races

Political arm of charter-friendly group The City Fund has $15 million — and is now spending on school board races

Political arm of charter-friendly group The City Fund has $15 million — and is now spending on school board races
The political arm of The City Fund, the organization with ambitions to spread charter schools and the “portfolio model” of school reform across the country, plans to spend $15 million to influence state and local elections over the next three years.
That political group, known as Public School Allies, has already directed money toward to school board races in Atlanta, Camden, Newark, and St. Louis, and  state elections in Louisiana, Georgia, and New Jersey. Donations have ranged from $1 million to as little as $1,500.
The information was shared by Public School Allies and, in a number of cases, confirmed by campaign finance records. The $15 million comes from Netflix founder Reed Hastings and former hedge-fund manager John Arnold, the organization said.
“Public School Allies believes deeply in supporting local leaders running for office who share our belief in the need to create higher quality public school systems across our country,” Gary Borden, Public School Allies’ managing director, said in a statement.
The spending offers a window into the strategy of The City Fund, which has been relatively tight-lipped about its work since it launched in 2018. So far, most of the candidates Public School Allies has supported have won their races — illustrating how relatively small donations can have significant influence in elections with low turnout and limited spending.
“School board races have traditionally been very low visibility,” said Rebecca Jacobson CONTINUE READING: Political arm of charter-friendly group The City Fund has $15 million — and is now spending on school board races

Posted by at

Can An Ethically Challenged School Board Member Pass Judgement On Others?

Can An Ethically Challenged School Board Member Pass Judgement On Others?

Can An Ethically Challenged School Board Member Pass Judgement On Others?
District and Personal Integrity. To maintain our integrity, we are committed to making decisions in the best interests of the District. We will avoid conflicts of interest and the appearance of impropriety.”– LAUSD Employee Code of Ethics
Included on the agenda for the morning meeting of the Los Angeles Unified School District’s (LAUSD) Board was an item described as “Employee Discipline/Dismissal/Release.” For grassroots activists fighting against the privatization of public education, it was ironic that Board Member Nick Melvoin would participate in this conversation given the ethics violations that were revealed by the publication of confidential California Charter School Association (CCSA) documents by Michael Kohlhaas dot org. Before the board retreated into closed session, these parents and grandparents of students enrolled in the district expressed their concerns by reading portions of these charter industry documents into the public record:



Regarding employee dismissals, item number two: should an attorney who is potentially in violation of California Bar Association professional and ethical codes be deciding on the performance of LAUSD employees? Many have suggested that at the very least Nick Melvoin should CONTINUE READING: Can An Ethically Challenged School Board Member Pass Judgement On Others?

Posted by at

NOLA School Admin’s Book-Cooking, “Fix Your Gradebook” Email | deutsch29

NOLA School Admin’s Book-Cooking, “Fix Your Gradebook” Email | deutsch29

NOLA School Admin’s Book-Cooking, “Fix Your Gradebook” Email
New Orleans-based Abramson Sci Academy advertises itself as follows:
Abramson Sci Academy is one of the highest performing open-enrollment high schools in New Orleans. More than 98% of Sci Academy’s seniors received acceptances to college. College acceptances include LSU, Dillard, Bard College, Notre Dame, University of Louisiana Lafayette, Tulane, Wellesley, Wesleyan, Loyola, Morehouse, Xavier, and Amherst.
On October 22, 2019, WWL-TV reported on an email sent by Abramson Sci Academy assistant principal, Whitney Omosefe, to certain teachers whose class grades did not reflect preferred percentage outcomes.
The subject line of the email read, “Fix your gradebook.”
I wanted to read the email and teacher responses for myself, and on October 24, 2019, I submitted a public records request to Abramson Sci Academy. However, I have not received even an acknoledgement from the records custodian, so I searched articles on the incident to see if any linked to the actual emails. The closest I came was the aforesaid WWL-TV article, which includes a video with images of the October 03, 2019, email, sent by Omosefe to numerous teachers.
My goal in seeking the actual email was to offer the full text to my readers.
Below is Omosefe’s complete, “fix your gradebook” email, trascribed using images offered in the WWL-TV video, also linked below.
Date: 10/3/19 7:47PM
Re: fix your gradebook
Hey, Ms. —-
Because the quarter is almost over, I’m taking a close look at gradebook CONTINUE READING: NOLA School Admin’s Book-Cooking, “Fix Your Gradebook” Email | deutsch29

Posted by at

Choosing Democracy: Education Department"s Rip Off on Student Loans

Choosing Democracy: Education Department"s Rip Off on Student Loans

Education Department"s Rip Off on Student Loans

The Education Department’s Rip-Off Schemes Radicalize Its Own Staff

Billionaire daughter-in-law to the Amway fortune Betsy DeVos probably contracts with the U.S. Mint to exclusively reissue $100,000 bank notes so she can light them on fire to light candles in her office. But she’ll have exactly one less, after a federal judge in San Francisco fined her exactly that amount, because the Education Department continues to collect on fraudulent loans issued to students of shady for-profit college network Corinthian Colleges.

Around 16,000 students have been affected by DeVos collecting on illegal loans, so that’s $6.25 each. Nevertheless, seeing any personal liability at all for an Education Department that not only failed to stop Corinthian from lying to students and saddling them with debt for worthless diplomas, but then kept trying to squeeze those students for unlawful payments, must offer at least a little solace. The Education Department resisted compensating Corinthian students at all, until they went on a debt strike. Under Arne Duncan, students ripped off by for-profit colleges were allowed to assert “defense to repayment” to get the loans canceled. 

That process moved at turtle-like speed, with only one-fifth of Corinthian students made whole by the time DeVos took over. She instituted hurdles to prevent loan forgiveness, which Judge Sallie Kim ruled unlawful. This ruling is stayed pending appeal, but DeVos’s department kept trying to collect loan payments anyway, despite the dispute. Three thousand borrowers made these payments. The Education Department even garnished wages on 1,800 students, which it had no right to acquire. 

Essentially nobody abused by Corinthian has had loans canceled during DeVos’s tenure. However, she has created momentum for mass loan forgiveness—inside her own department. A. Wayne Johnson, whom DeVos appointed as chief operating officer for the Office of Federal Student Aid, resigned this week, calling the system “fundamentally broken.” He’s now running for Senate (as a Republican) in Georgia, endorsing the cancellation of $50,000 in student-loan debt for every borrower, while adding a $50,000 tax credit for everyone who had already repaid their loans. This is a more robust student debt cancellation proposal than Elizabeth Warren’s (because it includes no means testing), from a Republican DeVos appointee who’s actually seen the student debt crisis up close. That’s how radicalizing it is. The way we finance higher education cannot sustain itself, and everyone to the left of Betsy Hundred Thousand DeVos ought to demand a reset.

Choosing Democracy: Education Department"s Rip Off on Student Loans
Posted by at

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Times Weighs in on NE Seattle School Board Races

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Times Weighs in on NE Seattle School Board Races

Times Weighs in on NE Seattle School Board Races

I’m not sure you can have a bigger contrast between the Seattle Times’ article about the Board race between Leslie Harris and Molly Mitchell versus this article about the other two races, both in the northend.  The Times is a lot more even-handed here and that’s what you should expect in this kind of article (unless one candidate is severely deficient in skills).

The Times points out that Rankin and Hampson have the support of the teachers’ union (actually the Board because the union membership didn’t vote).

The Times also accurately reports that Rankin and Hampson worked closely together on the SCPTSA.  The Times may not know but, as one reader points out, they both have kids at Eckstein.

The Times reports that Rankin is in favor of dismantling the Advanced Learning program as it currently operates but not HCC “entirely.”  Well, at this point HCC is the whole program. Spectrum was killed off and most schools have no ALO offerings.



In District 2, the Times puts it this way - Experience versus “youthful optimism.”

Here’s the meat of the Times’ discourse on the race:

Muñiz said she is the “product of all the programs Seattle Public Schools is trying to advocate for.”
“I have a really unique perspective coming from a Latinx community, coming from an LGBTQ community, an immigrant community,” she said.
That’s an interesting point from Muñiz as Director Zachary DeWolf has made that point for younger representation on the Board as well as for LGBTQ students and staff. If Muñiz wins, the Board would have three members under CONTINUE READING: Seattle Schools Community Forum: Times Weighs in on NE Seattle School Board Races


Posted by at
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)