Teacher Tom: "The School of Mankind"

Teacher Tom: "The School of Mankind"

"The School of Mankind"

I reckon it would be best if we didn't put so much energy into worrying about our children's futures. It would be best for both us and our kids if we could more often just be here in the present with them, wondering at who they are right now, appreciating the unique human they already are, helping and loving them right now. That would be best, but human parents have never been very good at it. Sometimes we dream big dreams for them, imagining our child, their best qualities flourishing, as a masterful something or other, admired, inspired, passionate, and supremely comfortable in their own skin. But there are times when we fear their worst qualities and fret that they will grow to be spoiled, disrespectful, and lazy, prone to messy bedrooms, selfishness, depression or worse.

Example is the school of mankind, and they will learn by no other. ~Edmund Burke

These thoughts enter our heads because we are the adults, cursed with the disease of believing we have any control over the future. Maybe, we think, if we just lecture our children enough, take them to church often enough, give them enough chores to do, and reward and punish them appropriately we can somehow stave off the bad future and CONTINUE READING: Teacher Tom: "The School of Mankind"

For Defining the Right to Public Education, Constitutional Originalism Doesn’t Work | janresseger

For Defining the Right to Public Education, Constitutional Originalism Doesn’t Work | janresseger

For Defining the Right to Public Education, Constitutional Originalism Doesn’t Work

For a couple of weeks now, since the publication of Derek Black’s history of the constitutional basis for American public education, this blog has been reflecting on the meaning of constitutional principles in our nation’s founding documents and the 50 state constitutions for defining the role and meaning of our nation’s system of public schools.  (See here, here, and here.)

This blog will take a one week break.  Look for a new post on Monday, October 26, 2020

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But this week, Judge Amy Coney Barrett, who defines herself as a constitutional originalist, went through hours of Senate confirmation hearings leading to a Senate vote on her confirmation in the next week or two as President Trump’s latest appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court. All week we have been considering what it means for our society today when members of the U.S. Supreme Court define themselves as originalists who are bound to interpret the constitutionality of today’s laws according to the precise wording of the U.S. Constitution of 1787.

The other day when Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, trained in the law and formerly a federal prosecutor, was asked whether she is an originalist, Mayor Lightfood replied: “You ask a gay, black woman if she is an originalist? No, ma’am, I am not. The Constitution didn’t consider me a person… because I’m a woman, because I’m black, because I’m gay.  I am not an originalist. I believe in the Constitution. I believe that it is a document that the founders intended to evolve and what they did was set the framework for how our country was going to be different from any other. But originalists say that, ‘Let’s go back to 1776 and whatever was there in the original language, that’s it.’ That language excluded, now, over 50 percent of the country. So, no I’m not an originalist.”

Like Mayor Lightfoot, many people today worry about originalist legal interpretation.  In CONTINUE READING: For Defining the Right to Public Education, Constitutional Originalism Doesn’t Work | janresseger

Choosing Democracy: The Sacramento Bee Misinforms About School Budgets

Choosing Democracy: The Sacramento Bee Misinforms About School Budgets

The Sacramento Bee Misinforms About School Budgets

Marcos Bretón today in the BEE,  describes what he thinks are the facts of   the SCUSD budget. Most of the data  are cut and paste from prior articles he wrote. , The title is deceptive.  It is not factual.

SCUSD is not going broke,  SCUSD  has  a $93 million surplus at the end of this year,

And, they claim they will spend $100 million on books and supplies.

They  usually spend  $ 10 million.  

I don't know if he wrote the headline.

This is irresponsible reporting.   The Bee supports the School Board incumbents. But, at least they  should accurately report on  the budget. 

California itself has a major  problem of underfunding of schools. They have been doing so since 1988.  This is on the ballot as Prop. 15.  See the Prop 15 video below. http://choosingdemocracy.blogspot.com/2020/10/what-is-prop-15-explained.html

The Sacramento  funding crisis is not in teachers’ salaries, or health benefits.

California under funds its schools  and that produces large classes- the largest in the nation. We have few counselors and  almost no school nurses. Lets talk about the real issue of California school funding,  

Choosing Democracy: The Sacramento Bee Misinforms About School Budgets

NY State Student Privacy Regulations Summary and Excerpts | Parent Coalition for Student Privacy

NY State Student Privacy Regulations Summary and Excerpts | Parent Coalition for Student Privacy

NY STATE STUDENT PRIVACY REGULATIONS SUMMARY AND EXCERPTS

As the new school year has started this fall, schools across the country are heavily relying on virtual and blended learning to instruct children. To facilitate this remote learning, many schools are using apps and programs developed and operated by third-parties. New York State regulations create requirements and restrictions for the contracts between school districts and app developers/operators regarding data privacy and usage. Below are a summary and excerpts of these regulations for parents to stay informed on whether school districts are complying and protecting students properly.

NYS-Student-Privacy-Regulations-Summary_v2

NYS-Student-Privacy-Regulations-Excerpts v2

NY State Student Privacy Regulations Summary and Excerpts | Parent Coalition for Student Privacy

CURMUDGUCATION: McKinsey Has Ideas For Fixing Schools (Pandemic Edition)

CURMUDGUCATION: McKinsey Has Ideas For Fixing Schools (Pandemic Edition)

McKinsey Has Ideas For Fixing Schools (Pandemic Edition)

McKinsey is the 800-pound consulting gorilla with its hairy hands in everything. That includes dabbling in education; they've consulted with Boston schools and shown how to slash and privatize the crap out of the district, they've made data based advanced analytics explanations of how to improve test scores, and they've made the argument for computerizing classrooms. Their world view is captured by Anand Giridharadas in the must-read Winners Take All, dubbed Marketworld. They are the kings of neo-liberal thinking-- use data, unleash markets, measure everything (especially money). 

So of course it's no surprise that they have some thoughts about how global education should respond to the whole pandemic crisis. Some of it sounds good, but it's important to pay attention to the language (probably a good motto for this blog).

Yet crises often create an opportunity for broader change, and as education systems begin to make decisions about investments for the new school year, it’s important to step back and consider the longer-term imperative to create a better system for every child beyond the pandemic.

Yeah, "investments." Because everything is an investment with these guys, and every investment CONTINUE READING: CURMUDGUCATION: McKinsey Has Ideas For Fixing Schools (Pandemic Edition)

A VERY BUSY DAY 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

A VERY BUSY DAY

Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day...

The latest news and resources in education since 2007

 

 

Big Education Ape: THIS WEEK IN EDUCATION Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... The latest news and resources in education since 2007 - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2020/10/this-week-in-education-larry-ferlazzos_10.html

Everything You Wanted To Know About Listening & Speaking But Were Afraid To Ask

by Larry Ferlazzo / 11h

geralt / Pixabay I have over 2,100 frequently revised and updated “Best” lists on just about every subject imaginable, and you can find them listed three different ways in three different places (see Three Accessible Ways To Search For & Find My “Best” Lists ). I’m starting to publish a series where each day I will highlight the “Best” lists in a separate category. Today, it’s on Listening and Sp

Video: “How systemic racism led to COVID-19’s rapid spread among people of color”

by Larry Ferlazzo / 12h

cromaconceptovisual / Pixabay I’m adding this new USA Today video to A BEGINNING LIST OF THE BEST RESOURCES FOR LEARNING ABOUT THE CORONAVIRUS :

Oct. 17th Is The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty – Here Are Teaching & Learning Resources

by Larry Ferlazzo / 12h

Free-Photos / Pixabay The United Nations has declared Oct. 17th to be the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty . You might be interested in: The Best Visualizations Of Poverty In The U.S. & Around The World The Best Resources About Wealth & Income Inequality The Best Resources On Why Improving Education Is Not THE Answer To Poverty & Inequality The Best Articles Showing Why Education

Friday’s Must-Read Articles & Must-Watch Videos On School Reopening

by Larry Ferlazzo / 12h

mohamed_hassan / Pixabay Here are new additions to THE BEST POSTS PREDICTING WHAT SCHOOLS WILL LOOK LIKE IN THE FALL : U.S. schooling during covid-19 doesn’t deserve a passing grade. Here’s the way forward. is from The Washington Post. Another Sacramento County school district votes to reopen campuses — perhaps next month is from The Sacramento Bee. Up to 1 million California students may still l

Study Finds Even “Lightly Trained” Tutors Can Have Major Impact On Student Learning

by Larry Ferlazzo / 14h

It hasn’t gained any political traction, but education researchers have been advocating for a national tutoring program to support students who may be harmed by school closures. I’d certainly be supportive of it and, perhaps, if Joe Biden wins the Presidency and the Democrats win the Senate, it might have a chance of becoming a reality. The 74 just published Using Tutors to Combat COVID Learning

The Best Online Learning Games To Play During Distance Learning – Share Your Additions!

by Larry Ferlazzo / 1d

cuncon / Pixabay I have a lot of posts about learning games – both online and in the physical classroom. And I have quite a few about dealing with virtual learning . This one is a combination that will list the online games I’m using the most with my English Language Learner students in my English and History classes (feel free to add your own!): Pictionary with Whiteboard.fi is always a winner.

Statistic Of The Day: Eight Million More People In US Fall Into Poverty Since May

by Larry Ferlazzo / 1d

8 Million Have Slipped Into Poverty Since May as Federal Aid Has Dried Up is a depressing NY Times article today. Economic stress has been found to have a huge negative effect on student academic achievement (see The Best 

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