Remarks on the 40th Anniversary of the Establishment of the U.S. Department of Education: The Transformation of Federal Education Politics – Federal Education Policy History

Remarks on the 40th Anniversary of the Establishment of the U.S. Department of Education: The Transformation of Federal Education Politics – Federal Education Policy History

Remarks on the 40th Anniversary of the Establishment of the U.S. Department of Education: The Transformation of Federal Education Politics

Source: Cato.org. Kosar remarks start at 29:50.

Chris Cross and Ron Kimberling have spoken of the creation of the Department of Education and its earliest years in operation.

My own comments will focus on a broader issue of the Department of Education (ED) and the transformation of federal education politics. The establishment of ED was a major moment.

In short, the creation of the Department of Education rang the death knell for the very long national debate over the propriety of federal involvement in K-12 schooling. 

Consider one point: Forty years ago, it was well within the bounds of political discourse to argue that we do not need a Department of Education. Today, anyone who takes that position waved off as a libertarian or troglodytic paleoconservative. Today, you cannot be president by arguing that we really do not need a Department of Education.

To fully appreciate how much federal education politics has changed, I want to step back and put the Ed Department in a larger historical context. 

So, let’s think about this in three periods: Pre-1865, 1865 to 1980, and post 1980.

Pre-1865

As a general proposition, it is fair to say that education always has been valued in the United States. Being educated has been thought of as a quality that enables individual liberty and empowers self governance. Jefferson put matters pithily, “If a nation expects to be ignorant and free in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be.”

During this period, there was no question who has authority over education. It was parents, and localities, and eventually state governments.

From the earliest European settlements in America in the 1600s through the CONTINUE READING: Remarks on the 40th Anniversary of the Establishment of the U.S. Department of Education: The Transformation of Federal Education Politics – Federal Education Policy History

Survey: Parents Overwhelmingly Support Educators During Pandemic

Survey: Parents Overwhelmingly Support Educators During Pandemic

Survey: Parents Overwhelmingly Support Educators During Pandemic

When the coronavirus pandemic forced school buildings across the country to close the doors in March, educators reacted quickly, not only to continue students’ education, but help them stay fed, supported and healthy.

Teachers moved their classes online, cafeteria workers are preparing and distributing meals at grab-and-go stations, and school nurses are volunteering at hospitals and conducting virtual wellness checks.

“As they always do, educators are stepping up to help America’s students in the face of this unprecedented global crisis,” said NEA President Lily Eskelsen García.

It’s no surprise then that parents overwhelmingly approve of the job they are doing.
A new National Education Association survey released today found 88% of parents approve of how their children’s teachers are handling the coronavirus pandemic . They also overwhelmingly (81 percent) approve of school support staff (school bus drivers, cafeteria workers, etc.) – a higher rating than they gave their governor (71%), and their mayor or local government (73%).

“Educators and education support professionals make a difference in the lives of millions of students every day in schools and [on] college campuses across the country, and their work and impact extend far beyond the boundaries of the classroom,” Eskelsen García. said. “Never have all of our nation’s educators been CONTINUE READING: Survey: Parents Overwhelmingly Support Educators During Pandemic

Sounds about White – radical eyes for equity

Sounds about White – radical eyes for equity

Sounds about White

All Lives Matter

“Karen” is the same as the “N” word

We value diversity but will hire the most qualified candidate

I don’t see color, race

I grew up poor and built this from hard work

Heritage, not hate

Traditional family values

Just follow the law/rules, and you don’t have anything to worry about

Blue Lives Matter

Make America  CONTINUE READING: Sounds about White – radical eyes for equity

Appeals Court Decision Guarantees Basic Literacy as a Federal Fundamental Right for Detroit’s Children | janresseger

Appeals Court Decision Guarantees Basic Literacy as a Federal Fundamental Right for Detroit’s Children | janresseger

Appeals Court Decision Guarantees Basic Literacy as a Federal Fundamental Right for Detroit’s Children

In a court decision last week in a case brought by students in Detroit, Gary B. v Whitmer, a three judge U.S. Court of Appeals panel recognized that a basic level of education is a federal right under the “due process” clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The appeals court overturned a lower court decision which had dismissed the case.

Derek Black, a professor at the University of South Carolina School of Law explains the significance of this decision: “The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, in Gary B. v Whitmer, just delivered the holy grail of education advocacy: a federal fundamental right to education. The court narrowly defined the right as a ‘basic minimum education,’ but most rights revolutions begin somewhere small.”  Black cautions, however, that the case will likely be appealed to the full Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals and to the U.S. Supreme Court as well.  Prospects for its survival in these higher courts are small.

Why does this case matter so much?  Black explains: “The last 50 years of negative Supreme Court precedent reveals just how momentous Gary B. really is. In the early 1970s, three highly controversial Supreme Court decisions effectively locked in educational inequality.  First, the court held that the U.S. Constitution only prohibits school segregation resulting from the intentional discriminatory acts of public officials. Private segregation is beyond the court’s reach. (Keyes v School District Number 1, Denver)  Second, courts cannot order metropolitan-wide integration in the absence of something approaching segregative collusion between school districts. (Millikin v. Bradley) Third, education is not a federal fundamental right. That means funding inequalities between poor and rich districts are constitutionally irrelevant. (San Antonio v. Rodriguez)…  These outcomes sparked litigation in state courts. Advocates argued that the education clauses in state constitutions obligate states to provide equal and adequate education, winning numerous important victories. But many state legislatures also fought tooth and nail to delay, minimize, and avoid meaningful remedies….”

In last week’s majority Detroit decision, Appellate Judge Eric Clay declares that, “Every meaningful interaction between a citizen and the state is predicated on a minimum level of literacy, meaning that access to literacy is necessary to access our political process.”  Clay CONTINUE READING: Appeals Court Decision Guarantees Basic Literacy as a Federal Fundamental Right for Detroit’s Children | janresseger

School Principals As Reformers | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

School Principals As Reformers | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

School Principals As Reformers

Sometime ago, I taught a one-day session for 30-plus secondary school principals in the San Francisco Bay area. The subject was “Principals as Change Leaders.”

Seems like a contradiction in terms at first since these principals from affluent suburbs and inner cities are often caught in the middle between bosses who tell them to implement district policies in their schools and teachers who want to be buffered from intrusive parents and unpredictable youth. Keeping the ship afloat and passengers happy seems to be the major task, not leading change. But it isn’t a contradiction because these principals—ranging in age from mid-30s to mid-50s and running small high schools, large comprehensive high schools, and middle schools–were mid-career, savvy about organizational politics, and wanted to improve their schools.

So if you are caught in the middle where you look upward to your bosses for direction, sideways to your teachers who do the daily work with students, and outward to parents many of whom believe they know more than you do about schooling–how exactly do you make changes, much less lead others?

They knew well the instructional, managerial, and political roles that they had to perform (see here and here). What they wanted to discuss was not these roles but how do you lead change amid contradictory demands from parents who want particular changes, bosses who expect policies to be put into classroom practice when you are utterly dependent upon teachers to get the daily work done, and, of course, teachers who seek support and resources, not reforms designed by others.

So before we turned to case studies of principals in action, I spoke briefly on principals as reformers. Here is what I said without the pauses, uhhhhs, and hmmmms:

Leading change begins in your head. Knowing which questions you have to ask CONTINUE READING: School Principals As Reformers | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

Thurmond Hosts First Virtual Parent Support Circle - Year 2020 (CA Dept of Education)

Thurmond Hosts First Virtual Parent Support Circle - Year 2020 (CA Dept of Education)

State Superintendent Tony Thurmond Hosts First Virtual Parent Support Circle Event with California Surgeon General

 NOTE: WEBINAR STARTS AT ABOUT 4 MINUTES ON ABOVE VIDEO 

SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent Tony Thurmond hosted the first online event for the new Virtual Parent Support Circle yesterday in the form of a panel discussion with California Surgeon General Dr. Nadine Burke Harris and partners from the California Parent Teacher Association (PTA) and the Parent Institute for Quality Education (PIQE).

The panel highlighted the diverse challenges our parents are encountering. According to Thurmond, the Virtual Parent Support Circle seeks to reach out and hear directly from parents across California and encourage them to do their best while sharing resources and supports as they cope with distance learning and economic challenges.

 “Through this virtual support group, I felt compelled to provide a space to let California parents know they are not alone as this pandemic affects parents differently,” Thurmond said. “Some parents work and don’t have access to reliable child care, or there may be technology limitations and language barriers to consider. Other parents are also teachers, who have poured their hearts into supporting both their own children and their students. As a father of two daughters in public schools, I am committed to ensuring resources—and, yes, emotional support—are reaching parents as they deal with so much uncertainty. The California Department of Education is committed to providing clarity during this unprecedented time.”

Yesterday’s event featured video testimony from parents across the state about their respective challenges and an overview of academic, bilingual, and mental health resources. Dr. Burke Harris spoke about dealing with stress and the importance of daily exercise, and encouraged parents to take care of themselves and reach out to others for support.  

This was the first of many events planned for the Virtual Parent Support Circle series. It can be watched via Facebook Live on the California Department of Education (CDE) Facebook page. The PowerPoint utilized during yesterday’s presentation with information on parent resources will be published on the CDE web page in the next few days and then shared on the CDE’s social media. Comments from parents and educators are welcomed at COVID19@cde.ca.gov.

# # # #

Tony Thurmond — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5602, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100

Thurmond Hosts First Virtual Parent Support Circle - Year 2020 (CA Dept of Education)

WILL MAY BE ‘MORBID’ OR ‘MAGICAL’? | The Merrow Report

WILL MAY BE ‘MORBID’ OR ‘MAGICAL’? | The Merrow Report

WILL MAY BE ‘MORBID’ OR ‘MAGICAL’?

May has been an educational ‘dead zone’ for years.  Because of our national obsession with standardized test scores, teachers–particularly in low income areas–spend class time showing students how to guess at answers, giving practice tests, and even teaching children how to fill in bubbles for the standardized, multiple choice ‘bubble’ tests that await them.  These activities come with a huge opportunity cost for students, because they are of no educational benefit whatsoever and probably set their learning back; for teachers, they are an insult to their profession.  And school districts spend billions of dollars buying, administering, and grading the bubble tests required by their states and the federal government.

When I was reporting I occasionally heard people  complaining–in song–about  “the morbid, miserable month of May,” riffing off an old Stephen Foster tune, “The Merry, Merry Month of May.”  As I recall, the expression surfaced in 2003 or 2004, which is when the unintended consequences of the 2001 federal “No Child Left Behind” law became apparent.  Because NCLB penalized schools that didn’t achieve what it called ‘adequate yearly progress’ on standardized tests, many districts eliminated art, music, drama, journalism, and even recess in order to concentrate on ‘the basics.’ 

That’s when the month of May became a ‘morbid’ dead zone, educationally speaking. 

I don’t remember where I first heard the expression. It might have been in the CONTINUE READING: WILL MAY BE ‘MORBID’ OR ‘MAGICAL’? | The Merrow Report

SPECIAL CORONAVIRUS UPDATE Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... The latest news and resources in education since 2007

Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... | The latest news and resources in education since 2007

SPECIAL CORONAVIRUS UPDATE

Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... 

The latest news and resources in education since 2007

TODAY

It’s “May Day” – Here Are Teaching & Learning Resources

by Larry Ferlazzo / 2h

jonye123 / Pixabay Though May Day is an ancient celebration , since the late nineteenth century it has primarily been recognized as a time to celebrate workers’ rights. Though it’s unlikely that there will be the usual demonstrations today, you still might be interested in The Best Resources For Learning About May Day .

SEL Weekly Update

by Larry Ferlazzo / 2h

I’ve recently begun this weekly post where I’ll be sharing resources I’m adding to The Best Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Resources or other related “Best” lists. You might also be interested in THE BEST SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING RESOURCES OF 2019 – PART TWO Finally, check out “Best” Lists Of The Week: Social Emotional Learning Resources . Here are this week’s picks: High Anxiety: Imagining the

“Assessing the Needs of Black Students During the Coronavirus Crisis”

by Larry Ferlazzo / 9h

Assessing the Needs of Black Students During the Coronavirus Crisis is the headline of my latest Education Week Teacher column. Jamila Lyiscott, Ph.D., writes about the challenges facing Black students before and during the Coronavirus crisis and how schools must invite them to help identify their own needs. Here are some excerpts:

Hmong Community Commemorates 45th Anniversary Of Resettlement In The United States

by Larry Ferlazzo / 9h

Soldier in the Secret War recalls experience 45 years after resettling in U.S. is a long and interesting story from NBC News. Thousands of Hmong live in the Sacramento area and make up one-third of our school’s population. I’m adding it to The Best Websites To Learn About The Hmong .

CBS News Video: “Special education students face new challenges during pandemic”

30by Larry Ferlazzo / 10h

hatice97erol / Pixabay Here’s a new video segment from CBS News:

I Was On A Webinar Panel Today On Distance Learning For ELLs & You Can Watch It For Free

by Larry Ferlazzo / 18h

DarkWorkX / Pixabay I helped do a webinar with the American Federations of Teacher’s Share My Lesson platform, and you can access it for free here . Here is how they described it: Join Diane Staehr Fenner from SupportEd; teacher and author, Larry Ferlazzo, and Lydia Breiseth with Colorín Colorado for a webinar on the challenges of distance learning during the Coronavirus Pandemic.

Statistic Of The Day: 300,000 Teacher Lay-Offs?

by Larry Ferlazzo / 1d

Yesterday, I posted Statistic Of The Day: Upcoming Budget Cuts Will Devastate Schools. For even more depressing news, check out the Learning Policy Institute’s new report, The Impact of the COVID-19 Recession on Teaching Positions.

Are We Going About This Whole “Distance Learning” Thing All Wrong?

by Larry Ferlazzo / 1d

ElisaRiva / Pixabay In talking with colleagues and seeing comments on social media from educators and parents alike, I’ve begun to wonder if we might be going about this whole “distance learning” thing all wrong. I’m going to preface 

Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... | The latest news and resources in education since 2007

CURMUDGUCATION: How Will The Free Market Save The Most Challenging Students

CURMUDGUCATION: How Will The Free Market Save The Most Challenging Students

How Will The Free Market Save The Most Challenging Students

Yesterday, Debbie Meyer put up a post at Project Forever Free that, unfortunately, does not strain the limits of credulity. It's about her journey as a parent and advocate, about the struggle to get her child the educational services that he's entitled to, and her subsequent work in helping other parents learn how to do the same.

Struggles between parents of students with special needs and the public school system are all too common. And yes, sometimes the parents want things that are simply not realistic and yes, the published versions of these battles are often missing critical information because the school cannot defend its position by opening up confidential student records. Even so, there can be no doubt that sometimes it takes a good-sized legal firestorm to get public school administrators off their butts and busy getting those students the educational services to which they are absolutely entitled.

I am not going to argue for a single second about the rightness of Meyer's story or suggest that there's something wrong in the advocacy work she does.

But it brings up a question that nags at me about charters, vouchers, ESAs and the whole spectrum of free market choice-centered ed reform ideas. Aside from my philosophical objections to such systems, I want to ask-- what happens to a child like this in a free market education system?

Early on in the article, Meyer says this:

I successfully advocated for my illiterate, suicidal fourth-grader to get a free and appropriate education at a school specializing in proper instruction for dyslexic kids and struggling readers.

"Free and appropriate education" is only a thing in public schools. If you tell me that parents like CONTINUE READING: CURMUDGUCATION: How Will The Free Market Save The Most Challenging Students