Saturday, January 9, 2021

THE TOP BANANA: TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES Saturday, January 9, 2021 #REDFORED #tbats #REOPENSCHOOLSSAFELY #COVIDVACCINE #DEVOSRESIGNS

THE TOP BANANA
TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES

COVID-19 relief package doesn’t go far enough - Education Votes - https://educationvotes.nea.org/2021/01/08/covid-19-relief-package-doesnt-go-far-enough/

Delaware Governor John Carney Loses Touch With Reality As Covid Spreads Like A Wildfire In Delaware https://exceptionaldelaware.wordpress.com/2021/01/08/delaware-governor-john-carney-loses-touch-with-reality-as-covid-spreads-like-a-wildfire-in-delaware/

Child Welfare Systems in 2021 https://www.laprogressive.com/child-welfare-systems-in-2021/

California expects record revenues in stunning Covid budget reversal https://www.politico.com/states/california/story/2021/01/08/california-expects-record-revenues-in-stunning-covid-budget-reversal-1353683

Secretary DeVos Announces More than $4 Billion Available in Emergency Education Grants for Governors to Help Students Continue Learning https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/secretary-devos-announces-more-4-billion-available-emergency-education-grants-governors-help-students-continue-learning

Newsom's budget targets reopening, reviving public schools and universities http://feeds.latimes.com/~r/lanowblog/~3/zwMfl9GyD4E/newsom-california-budget-prioritizes-reopening-k-12-schools

Newsom rejects tuition increases for UC and Cal State but proposes more funding than expected http://feeds.latimes.com/~r/lanowblog/~3/UbvnAX4HiwU/newsom-california-budget-rejects-uc-csu-tuition-increases

Reflections on an insurrection, education predictions for 2021 | EdSource - https://edsource.org/?p=646497 on @edsource

Chicago Students Return to School on Monday. Will Their Teachers? https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/09/us/chicago-schools-covid-reopening.html

K-12: The Spring Semester to Come https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/08/us/k-12-the-spring-semester-to-come.html

Surge Since New Years | JD2718 - https://wp.me/pOjh-227 on @wordpressdotcom

SDUSD Superintendent blasts Governor's school reopening plan - https://www.10news.com/news/coronavirus/sdusd-superintendent-blasts-governors-school-reopening-plan on @10news

‘Potential grizzlies’ and Betsy DeVos’s other greatest hits - The Washington Post - https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2021/01/08/potential-grizzlies-betsy-devoss-other-greatest-hits/

OPINION: White mobs rioting have been commonplace in American history - https://hechingerreport.org/?p=76480 via @hechingerreport

The Untold Truth Of Betsy DeVos - https://www.nickiswift.com/309126/the-untold-truth-of-betsy-devos/ on @NickiSwiftCeleb

Higher Education Leaders Celebrate the Resignation of Betsy DeVos - Higher Education - https://diverseeducation.com/?p=200622

DeVos Resigns As Education Secretary, Says, 'Impressionable Children Are Watching' | Georgia Public Broadcasting - https://www.gpb.org/node/552076

Critics hope Betsy DeVos leaving will mean renewed focus on public ed https://hechingerreport.org/column-as-betsy-devos-steps-down-critics-hope-it-is-time-to-put-the-public-back-in-public-education/

Rooting out racism in children’s books https://www.salon.com/2021/01/09/rooting-out-racism-in-childrens-books_partner/

Liberty University the lone holdout after every other college strips Trump of honorary degrees https://www.rawstory.com/falwell-trump/

Laurence Tribe and Joshua Matz: Impeach Trump Without Delay | Diane Ravitch's blog - https://wp.me/p2odLa-t6z via @dianeravitch

The “Little Soldiers” of Chinese Education | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice - https://wp.me/pBm7c-7U7 via @CubanLarry

How billionaires gave us Reagan then Trump – with special guest Ian Haney-López | Eclectablog - https://www.eclectablog.com/?p=72095

Opinion | I Desegregated the University of Georgia. History Is Still in the Making. - The New York Times - https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/09/opinion/sunday/university-of-georgia-desegregation.html

Sticking to My Guns | Teacher in a strange land

by Mike Simpson / 3min

Sticking to My Guns God, I hate that phrase— stick to your guns! — because it represents everything that triggered the Capitol breach on Wednesday: Intransigence. The false glory of never yielding, even when your case is weak or based on falsehoods. Violence as means of accruing power. In the past two days, as conversations sprang up and grew heated on social media, our new town square, a friend

The week in coveducation: Timeline unclear for teacher vaccinations

by Mike Simpson / 3min

The week in coveducation: Timeline unclear for teacher vaccinations The state saw some big news in the education world this week with an announcement from the State Department of Education that Oklahoma public school enrollment has dropped. The timeline for getting all Oklahoma teachers vaccinated was also found to be unclear. In the coming week, the Oklahoma City Public Schools Board of Educati

JOHN FENSTERWALD: Large urban districts object to Gov. Newsom’s school reopening plan | EdSource

by Mike Simpson / 3min

Large urban districts object to Gov. Newsom’s school reopening plan | EdSource Large urban districts object to Gov. Newsom’s school reopening plan They cite funding inequities and want the state to cover the full costs of testing Superintendents of seven urban school districts, including the state’s four largest, are strongly criticizing Gov. Gavin funding plan to allow districts to reopen classr

NEA calls for immediate removal of President Trump - Education Votes

by Mike Simpson / 3min

NEA calls for immediate removal of President Trump Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Mitch McConnell (R-KY), leaders of their respective caucuses, normally don’t agree on much. But they are of one mind when it comes to Donald Trump’s last-ditch attempt to stop Congress from certifying the victory of President-elect Joe Biden and the insurrection fueled by Trump’s seditious rhetoric. Totally unac

Education Matters: Let's talk about social distancing in DCPS

by Mike Simpson / 3min

Let's talk about social distancing in DCPS Social distancing is part of the whole trinity of protecting oneself and others from the coronavirus. It's also a lie that it is happening in our schools. I know it, you know it, and Greene and the board know it too, the difference is where we might be outraged and horrified the board and super are shrugging their shoulders. Have you ever heard the phra

Marie Corfield: What Really Happened Inside the Capitol

by Mike Simpson / 3min

What Really Happened Inside the Capitol Stop what you are doing right now and watch this. THIS is what it was really like inside the Capitol on Wednesday, January 6, 2021 when traitorous thugs, egged on by the man

John Thompson: Is It Time to Apologize to Teachers and Their Unions for Their Caution? | Diane Ravitch's blog

by Mike Simpson / 27min

John Thompson: Is It Time to Apologize to Teachers and Their Unions for Their Caution? John Thompson, historian and retired teacher in Oklahoma, has a beef with “experts” and pundits who criticized teachers and teachers’ unions for refusing to reopen schools when it was not safe and uncertainty was the rule. He writes: The Guardian reports , “Los Angeles is becoming the center of America’s out-o

The Politics of Calling for No Politics: 2021 – radical eyes for equity

by Mike Simpson / 27min

The Politics of Calling for No Politics: 2021 As a part of the education community, I noticed two immediate responses to the insurrection of the U.S. Capitol by domestic terrorists seeking to disrupt the confirmation of the next President of the U.S. One response anticipated that (once again) teachers would be on the front line of addressing trauma by suggesting ways that examining the riot in D

Education Matters: Juking the stats DCPS graduation style

by Mike Simpson / 27min

Juking the stats DCPS graduation style Superintendent Greene sent out an email blast touting the district's improvement in graduation, a stat that has steadily gone up for a decade. This is my question, can any of you point to a specific policy that she implemented that has led to our increase? I can, and that’s the district requiring teachers to promote students whether they deserve it or not.

DAVID L. HUDSON JR: Public Employees, Private Speech: 1st Amendment doesn't always protect government workers - ABA Journal American Bar Association

by Mike Simpson / 27min

Public Employees, Private Speech: 1st Amendment doesn't always protect government workers Public Employees, Private Speech: 1st Amendment doesn't always protect government workers High-profile controversies over police shootings, questionable promotions, racial profiling, attacks on law enforcement and race-based incidents have led to an increase in public employees being disciplined for publicly

Thurmond’s Statement on Governor’s Proposed Budget - Year 2021 (CA Dept of Education)

by Mike Simpson / 27min

State Superintendent Tony Thurmond Issues Statement in Response to Governor Newsom’s Proposed 2021 Education Budget SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond today issued the following statement in response to Governor Gavin Newsom’s proposed education budget for the fiscal year 2021–22: “At a time when a global pandemic has created extraordinary challenges for our stud

ARE BETTER TIMES REALLY AHEAD? – Dad Gone Wild

by Mike Simpson / 27min

ARE BETTER TIMES REALLY AHEAD? “I think the world honestly would be a much healthier place if instead of trying to find rationalizations for our bad behavior we would just say, “I was an asshole. Sure, there were reasons behind it, but that doesn’t matter.” ― Colin Quinn Somebody forgot to give 2021 the memo. This year was supposed to be better. We were supposed to be better. This past week cast

CURMUDGUCATION: Watch Out: K12 Has Changed Its Name

by Mike Simpson / 27min

CURMUDGUCATION: W atch Out: K12 Has Changed Its Name Watch Out: K12 Has Changed Its Name Back in November, when most of us were pre-occupied with a few other things, K12, Inc, the giant cyber-school company, went and gave itself a new name -- Stride, Inc. The rebranding came with some new acquisitions, but underneath it all, K12 is its same old self. K12 is a big fat for-profit cyber-edu-biz oper

THIS WEEK'S WILDNESS Dad Gone Wild Nobody reads it, everybody quotes it. + TENNESSEE EDUCATION REPORT

by Mike Simpson / 27min

Dad Gone Wild – Nobody reads it, everybody quotes it. THIS WEEK'S WILDNESS Dad Gone Wild Nobody reads it, everybody quotes it. ARE BETTER TIMES REALLY AHEAD? by TC Weber / 17h “I think the world honestly would be a much healthier place if instead of trying to find rationalizations for our bad behavior we would just say, “I was an asshole. Sure, there were reasons behind it, but that doesn’t matte

TEACHER TOM THIS WEEK IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

by Mike Simpson / 27min

Teacher Tom Unstructured Play Outdoors Should Be the Foundation of Childhood 1K 1d "I Was a Different Person Then" 93 2d Isn't This Belittling to Children? 2K 3d We're Here on this Earth to Saunter 200+ 3d "This is a Little Princess" 200+ 5d Reflections on This First Day of 2021 93 7d Teacher Tom

SSPI TONY THURMOND: STUFF THIS WEEK FROM THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

by Mike Simpson / 27min

California Department of Education SSPI TONY THURMOND STUFF THIS WEEK FROM THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Thurmond’s Statement on Governor’s Proposed Budget 17h California State Superintendent Tony Thurmond issues statement in response to Governor Newsom’s proposed 2021 education budget. 2020 National ESEA Distinguished Schools Announced 1d State Superintendent Thurmond announces Californ

THIS WEEK WITH NEWBLACKMAN (IN EXILE) #BLM #BLACKLIVESMATTER

by Mike Simpson / 27min

NewBlackMan (in Exile) THIS WEEK WITH NEWBLACKMAN (IN EXILE) One Hundred: The Ed Gordon Podcast with Michael Eric Dyson by Mark Anthony Neal / 10h 'Host Ed Gordon talks with scholar and author Michael Eric Dyson about his new book, A Long Time Coming: Reckoning with Race in America . They also discuss the insurrection and riot that rocked the Nation’s Capitol in January and they explore the futur

THIS WEEK Education Research Report

by Mike Simpson / 27min

Education Research Report New review says the ineffective 'learning styles' theory persists in education by Jonathan Kantrowitz / 2d A new review by Swansea University reveals there is widespread belief, around the world, in a teaching method that is not only ineffective but may actually be harmful to learners. For decades educators have been advised to match their teaching to the supposed 'lear

THIS WEEK IN EDUCATION Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... The latest news and resources in education since 2007

by Mike Simpson / 27min

Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... | The latest news and resources in education since 2007 The Best Resources For Learning & Teaching About The Possible Second Impeachment Of President Trump by Larry Ferlazzo / 1h quinntheislander / Pixabay It appears likely that the House of Representatives is going to consider impeaching President Trump for the second time this coming week because of his

KEEP UP/ CATCH UP WITH DIANE RAVITCH'S BLOG A site to discuss better education for all #REDFORED #tbats #COUP #1984IsHere

by Mike Simpson / 27min

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 Josh Hawley: Bad Karma for Bad Character by dianeravitch / 55min Josh Hawley, graduate of Stanford University and Yale Law School, took the low road, aligning himself with Trumpism and trying to block the pro forma certification of Biden’s electi

YESTERDAY

THE TOP BANANA: TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES #REDFORED #tbats #REOPENSCHOOLSSAFELY #COVIDVACCINE #DEVOSRESIGNS

by Mike Simpson / 19h

Big Education Ape THE TOP BANANA TODAY'S EDUCATION HEADLINES Teachers Union Burns Betsy DeVos With 2 Memorable Words After Resignation https://www.huffpost.com/entry/betsy-devos-good-

Big Education Ape

Sticking to My Guns | Teacher in a strange land

Sticking to My Guns

God, I hate that phrase—stick to your guns! —because it represents everything that triggered the Capitol breach on Wednesday: Intransigence. The false glory of never yielding, even when your case is weak or based on falsehoods. Violence as means of accruing power.

In the past two days, as conversations sprang up and grew heated on social media, our new town square, a friend (a moderate Republican I’ve known for 15 years, through education channels) posted this:

Heartbreaking to see violent crowds breaking into US capitol. Reminds me of Vietnam protests and Kent State.

More than enough people immediately countered this—the two are nowhere close to comparable—but there were also several commenters who noted that the vast majority of Republicans are good people, appalled by low-rent protestors, who don’t represent the modern Republican party. This isn’t the party my father taught me to love, back in the day. Tsk, tsk.

I pushed back: The time for Republicans to redeem themselves was years ago. With the CONTINUE READING: Sticking to My Guns | Teacher in a strange land

The week in coveducation: Timeline unclear for teacher vaccinations

The week in coveducation: Timeline unclear for teacher vaccinations

The state saw some big news in the education world this week with an announcement from the State Department of Education that Oklahoma public school enrollment has dropped. The timeline for getting all Oklahoma teachers vaccinated was also found to be unclear.

In the coming week, the Oklahoma City Public Schools Board of Education will meet Monday, Jan. 11, and Epic Charter Schools’ board, Community Strategies, is set to meet Wednesday, Jan. 13.

Stay up-to-date on the week’s Oklahoma education news with this collection of headlines from reporters around the state in our coveducation recap.

Timeline unclear for teacher vaccinations

Some of Oklahoma’s teachers at the highest risk for contracting COVID-19 received vaccine doses this week. However, it’s unclear when all K-12 teachers in the state will receive vaccinations.

The Oklahoman’s Nuria Martinez-Keel reported this week that officials at the Oklahoma State Department of Health said, at this point, federal vaccine allocations have only CONTINUE READING: The week in coveducation: Timeline unclear for teacher vaccinations

JOHN FENSTERWALD: Large urban districts object to Gov. Newsom’s school reopening plan | EdSource

Large urban districts object to Gov. Newsom’s school reopening plan | EdSource

Large urban districts object to Gov. Newsom’s school reopening plan

They cite funding inequities and want the state to cover the full costs of testing

Superintendents of seven urban school districts, including the state’s four largest, are strongly criticizing Gov. Gavin funding plan to allow districts to reopen classrooms as soon as Feb. 15.

They are urging the governor to design a different funding plan that considers their unique needs and warn: “If nothing changes, many students in high-need communities are at risk of being left behind.”

Their criticisms, in a Jan. 6 letter, indicate they won’t pursue the funding incentives for school reopening that Newsom tied to a series of requirements as proposed. The unified districts are Los Angeles, San Diego, Long Beach, Fresno, Oakland, San Francisco and Sacramento City.

“A funding model which supports only schools in communities less impacted by the virus is at odds with California’s long-standing efforts to provide more support to students from low-income families,” they argue. “It also reverses a decade-long CONTINUE READING: Large urban districts object to Gov. Newsom’s school reopening plan | EdSource

NEA calls for immediate removal of President Trump - Education Votes

NEA calls for immediate removal of President Trump

Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Mitch McConnell (R-KY), leaders of their respective caucuses, normally don’t agree on much. But they are of one mind when it comes to Donald Trump’s last-ditch attempt to stop Congress from certifying the victory of President-elect Joe Biden and the insurrection fueled by Trump’s seditious rhetoric. Totally unacceptable.

January 6 “will live forever in infamy,” Schumer said. “This temple to democracy was desecrated, its windows smashed, our offices vandalized.”

“The voters, the courts, and the states have all spoken,” McConnell said. “If this election were overturned by mere allegations from the losing side, our democracy would enter a death spiral.”

To protect our democracy, NEA is joining Democratic, Republican, business, and civil rights leaders in calling for Trump’s immediate removal from office.

“Our nation is based on a promise that every single person—Black, Latino/a/x, Asian, Native, White, regardless of wealth—can pursue a better tomorrow. That promise is in jeopardy because President Donald Trump and his allies refuse to accept the will of the people and have endangered Americans and American democracy,” said NEA President Becky Pringle.

In government and social studies classes, NEA members teach students about the Constitution and the duties of citizenship. They teach that our elections depend not only on citizens to exercise the right to vote, but also on our willingness to accept the results of elections. They teach that interested parties can and often do challenge election results. But once the challenges have been examined, those on the losing side concede defeat because they prize our democratic traditions over any single Election Day win or loss.

More fundamentally, we teach our children—even before they begin formal schooling—this basic concept of fair play: In any competition, someone wins and someone loses. Conveying this concept is challenging when our children are getting a lesson from some elected “leaders” in what NOT to do: Throw a temper tantrum, discredit the process, attempt to delay the inevitable, and if none of that works, sow as much discord as possible before you exit the field.

NEA has developed materials to help you talk to kids about the violent attempt to stop Congress from certifying that President-elect Joe Biden won the election. Check them out!

NEA calls for immediate removal of President Trump - Education Votes

Education Matters: Let's talk about social distancing in DCPS

Let's talk about social distancing in DCPS

Social distancing is part of the whole trinity of protecting oneself and others from the coronavirus. It's also a lie that it is happening in our schools. I know it, you know it, and Greene and the board know it too, the difference is where we might be outraged and horrified the board and super are shrugging their shoulders.

Have you ever heard the phrase bread and circuses? It's how the Roman emperors kept people content. The idea wasn't to fix their problems but to distract them from their problems. It's also the ancient version of telling parents we will protect your children by having them social distancing.

Let me tell you about my room. My room has nine students and three adults, and social distancing is impossible. Now imagine a class of 15, 20, or 30 children? Well, it's a nightmare because most classes are that size or bigger, a byproduct of Greene and the board cajoling families to send students back to our schools.

From the Tampa Times,

Medical experts stress that masks and social distancing are key to mitigating the illness, noted Joanne McCall, the union’s executive director.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends staying at least 6 feet away from people you don’t live with.

District negotiators said they empathized. But they suggested that, from a practical standpoint, keeping CONTINUE READING: Education Matters: Let's talk about social distancing in DCPS

Marie Corfield: What Really Happened Inside the Capitol

What Really Happened Inside the Capitol

Stop what you are doing right now and watch this. THIS is what it was really like inside the Capitol on Wednesday, January 6, 2021 when traitorous thugs, egged on by the man who's supposed to be the President of the United States, stormed the building and killed a Capitol police officer. They were out for blood, they were out for vengeance, they were trying to overthrow our government. They erected a noose and were looking for Mike Pence to try it out on. They had handcuffs, guns and incendiary devices. They carried Confederate flags and wore clothes emblazoned with Nazi slogans. They attacked members of the press and vandalized their equipment. They spread human feces on the walls inside the building and urinated on it outside. They tried to remove our American flag and replace it with a Trump flag. The broke down doors, smashed windows and completely overwhelmed the Capitol police (some of whom may have aided and abetted them).

They were out for blood. They were after hostages. They were the epitome of an angry, out of control mob. The only things missing were torches and pitchforks. As Chris Hayes says, it's a miracle that the floors of the Capitol weren't covered in blood. It's a miracle CONTINUE READING: Marie Corfield: What Really Happened Inside the Capitol

John Thompson: Is It Time to Apologize to Teachers and Their Unions for Their Caution? | Diane Ravitch's blog

John Thompson: Is It Time to Apologize to Teachers and Their Unions for Their Caution?

John Thompson, historian and retired teacher in Oklahoma, has a beef with “experts” and pundits who criticized teachers and teachers’ unions for refusing to reopen schools when it was not safe and uncertainty was the rule.

He writes:

The Guardian reports, “Los Angeles is becoming the center of America’s out-of-control coronavirus pandemic in these final days before the new year.” Its “meteoric rise in infections is crushing the healthcare system.” Hospitals have set up triage tents, and “doctors will have to make agonizing choices to ration care.”

Reports about L.A.’s “horrific” super-surge stand in stark contrast to the commentaries of a month ago. On November 20, when it should have been obvious that Thanksgiving was coming and would start a series of “surge on surge” spreads, Alexander Russo continued to compile journalism that attacked teachers for excessive caution in reopening for in-person education, and to urge CONTINUE READING: John Thompson: Is It Time to Apologize to Teachers and Their Unions for Their Caution? | Diane Ravitch's blog

The Politics of Calling for No Politics: 2021 – radical eyes for equity

The Politics of Calling for No Politics: 2021

As a part of the education community, I noticed two immediate responses to the insurrection of the U.S. Capitol by domestic terrorists seeking to disrupt the confirmation of the next President of the U.S.

One response anticipated that (once again) teachers would be on the front line of addressing trauma by suggesting ways that examining the riot in DC could be (should be) incorporated into the classroom—notably for those teachers dealing with history.

Another response, however, was the both-sides warning calling for no politics in the classroom.

Some educators received the identical email shared after the November elections, essentially telling teachers not to take political sides in the classroom.

We stand in the first weeks of 2021 once again needing to clarify language and confronting just what being “political” means.

First, to remain neutral or to use the “both sides” approach (or to remain silent) is a form of politics—often imposed by those with power onto those who CONTINUE READING: The Politics of Calling for No Politics: 2021 – radical eyes for equity

Education Matters: Juking the stats DCPS graduation style

Juking the stats DCPS graduation style

Superintendent Greene sent out an email blast touting the district's improvement in graduation, a stat that has steadily gone up for a decade. This is my question, can any of you point to a specific policy that she implemented that has led to our increase? I can, and that’s the district requiring teachers to promote students whether they deserve it or not. Like with COVID numbers, the district's focus is appearing to do good rather than actually doing good.

Before I continue, I just want to say I am not for failing kids. I think we should do everything we can to promote them. I guess a difference between me, and the district is I believe teachers are already doing so.

Two years ago, I did a series of blogs about how the district was limiting teachers' ability to fail students.

https://jaxkidsmatter.blogspot.com/2019/05/dcps-fails-students-when-it-refuses-to.html

Then we shouldn’t forget that Greene left a graduation scandal in her last district.

https://jaxkidsmatter.blogspot.com/2018/12/coal-in-superintendent-greenes-stocking.html

When Times-Union writer Emily Bloch posted a piece on Facebook about our graduation rates improving.

https://www.jacksonville.com/story/news/education/2021/01/07/florida-graduation-rates-released-duval-hits-new-record-high/6587827002/

She received a few dozen comments, overwhelmingly from CONTINUE READING:

Education Matters: Juking the stats DCPS graduation style

DAVID L. HUDSON JR: Public Employees, Private Speech: 1st Amendment doesn't always protect government workers - ABA Journal American Bar Association

Public Employees, Private Speech: 1st Amendment doesn't always protect government workers

Public Employees, Private Speech: 1st Amendment doesn't always protect government workers

High-profile controversies over police shootings, questionable promotions, racial profiling, attacks on law enforcement and race-based incidents have led to an increase in public employees being disciplined for publicly posting commentary deemed offensive or incendiary.

Public employees have been suspended for all manner of speech—supporting the shooting of police officers, lauding officers for shooting citizens, criticizing their students or co-workers, mocking minorities or religions and for a litany of other messages on social media. Consider the following:

• A Nashville, Tennessee, police officer was fired in February after an investigation into a Facebook comment he made about how he would have shot motorist Philando Castile five times instead of four. Castile died last July after a St. Paul, Minnesota, officer shot him four times during a traffic stop.

• A fire captain in Austin, Texas, was suspended in November after posting inflammatory political opinions regarding Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama on Facebook.

• A Mount Vernon, New York, fire lieutenant was suspended last August for an Instagram post expressing support for Micah Johnson, who killed five Dallas police officers and wounded seven others in a sniper attack.

• A New Rochelle, New York, police sergeant was suspended in August because of a Facebook post CONTINUE READING: Public Employees, Private Speech: 1st Amendment doesn't always protect government workers

Thurmond’s Statement on Governor’s Proposed Budget - Year 2021 (CA Dept of Education)

State Superintendent Tony Thurmond Issues Statement in Response to Governor Newsom’s Proposed 2021 Education Budget

SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond today issued the following statement in response to Governor Gavin Newsom’s proposed education budget for the fiscal year 2021–22:

“At a time when a global pandemic has created extraordinary challenges for our students, families, and educators, the weeks and months ahead represent the most important moment for public education in a lifetime. The investments we choose must help our schools urgently and immediately recover from this crisis and accelerate learning for the students and families hardest hit by a global pandemic that has deepened historic inequities. Our priorities should not only help our schools emerge safely from the impacts of COVID-19, but should immediately double down on our efforts to level the playing field for a generation of students.

“I want to thank Governor Gavin Newsom for proposing a budget that—until our educators, school employees and communities are vaccinated—addresses main areas of need as public schools consider how to safely resume in-person instruction. Today’s budget proposal also represents a strong start at tackling the growing access and learning gaps experienced most severely among our students of color, low-income households, children with disabilities, and students learning English.

“As the budget process plays out, we think there are opportunities to engage and solicit input from California’s students, families, educators, and partners to explore ways we can do more to begin offsetting learning gaps now, including identifying more academic enrichment opportunities, expanded learning programs and interventions, and family engagement strategies. Greater investments in mental health also will be critical moving forward to address the severe trauma our students have experienced during this crisis, which we know will have a lasting impact on their ability to learn and succeed through the rest of lives.

“We look forward to working with the Governor’s Office, the Legislature, and all educational stakeholders on the details of today’s budget proposal and to strengthen investments in ways that position all of California’s six million students to succeed.”

View the Governor’s entire budget summary

(PDF) (education spending can be found starting on page 57) on the Department of Finance budget web page

# # # #

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

Thurmond’s Statement on Governor’s Proposed Budget - Year 2021 (CA Dept of Education)

ARE BETTER TIMES REALLY AHEAD? – Dad Gone Wild

ARE BETTER TIMES REALLY AHEAD?

“I think the world honestly would be a much healthier place if instead of trying to find rationalizations for our bad behavior we would just say, “I was an asshole. Sure, there were reasons behind it, but that doesn’t matter.”
― Colin Quinn

Somebody forgot to give 2021 the memo. This year was supposed to be better. We were supposed to be better. This past week casts doubt on those suppositions. Instead of easing the rough waters, the week’s worked to heighten an already tumultuous time. A time that threatens to rend us from each other.

Back in the old days, when we still recognized the value of education as more than just a pathway to future earnings, there was a thing called a liberal arts education. Along with reading, writing, and arithmetic, we taught science, social studies, and civics. Students were expected to become familiar with the basics of several disciplines in order to become better citizens, and not just better earners. This loss of focus has contributed to a loss of the ability to engage in civil discourse

Maybe I’m just looking at things through the lens of nostalgia, but we used to debate ideas and policies. We would try to convince others based on the strength of our argument, not our ability to discredit our opponent. Now more effort is put into dehumanizing those we disagree with, then making the case for our argument based on its merits. This has resulted in an ever-widening breach between us. A breach that allows for those motivated by self-interest to take advantage of CONTINUE READING: ARE BETTER TIMES REALLY AHEAD? – Dad Gone Wild

CURMUDGUCATION: Watch Out: K12 Has Changed Its Name

Watch Out: K12 Has Changed Its Name

Back in November, when most of us were pre-occupied with a few other things, K12, Inc, the giant cyber-school company, went and gave itself a new name-- Stride, Inc. The rebranding came with some new acquisitions, but underneath it all, K12 is its same old self.

K12 is a big fat for-profit cyber-edu-biz operation-- in fact, the biggest and fattest. They were founded by Goldman-Sachs banker and McKinsey alum Ronald Packer with financial backing from junk bond king Michael Milken, who Wikipedia calls "convicted felon, financier and philanthropist (and, fun fact, he was pardoned by Donald Trump in February of 2020). Andrew Tische (Loews) and Larry Elison (Oracle) also tossed some venture capital in the kitty. Oh, and Dick DeVos, too. K12 was launched in 2000, with William Bennett as the public-facing face of the company. Packer is still the CEO of the company.

You'll note that none of the top names in the company have actual education expertise, but that's okay, because K12 is a for-profit company that sells an education-flavored product, not an actual school.

Over the years, K12 has been caught in all manner of naughty behavior. Here's a fairly brutal shot they took from the New York Times way back in December of 2011 detailing how K12's schools are failing miserably, but still making investors and officers a ton of money. Former teachers routinely write tell-alls about their experience, like this more recent guest piece on Anthony Cody's blog. In 2012. Florida caught them using fake teachers. The NCAA put K12 schools on the list of cybers that were disqualified from sports eligibility. In 2014, Packard turned out to be one of the highest paid public workers in the country (as in, people paid with tax dollars) in the country, "despite the fact that only 28% of K12 schools met state standards in 2011-2012."

That low level of achievement is the norm-- so much the norm that even the bricks and mortar CONTINUE READING: CURMUDGUCATION: Watch Out: K12 Has Changed Its Name

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Saturday, January 9, 2021