Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Waiting for Mark Twain « Failing Schools

Waiting for Mark Twain

NOVEMBER 17, 2010

by Sabrina

Some days, I really wish Mark Twain were still around. In a time when schooling is increasingly the biggest thing interfering with children’s educations, he’d have a field day quipping about the hot mess that is “education” reform debate. I’d have a blast watching him.

He might be moved to update his thoughts on school boards. Perhaps he could do so with a little Churchillian twist: “School boards are the worst form of district governance…except formayoral control.” (I’m close to burned out on school board politics, so I won’t say much more, except that a change in mindset is in order. Please remember, it’s not your job to represent the district’s interests to the public. It’s your job to represent the public’s interests to the district. You do that by listening to constituents’ concerns, being well informed about the issues, and ensuring that district officials are making sound, just decisions in accordance with

Science and Religion: Confrontation or Accommodation?

Does being pro-science mean being anti-religion? How should secular humanists respond to science and religion? How do you best deal with conflicts between religion and evolution education? A wide-ranging discussion featuring Genie Scott, PZ Myers, Chris Mooney, Victor Stenger, and Jennifer Michael Hecht. Sponsor: Council for Secular Humanism. Event date: November 8, 2010

Education’s Role in the Great Divergence

by Chad Aldeman

Over a glass of wine with a friend last weekend, he casually suggested that too many people are going to college. I immediately responded that 1. That’s not what he’d tell his kids; 2. He has a bachelor’s and a law degree, so it was nice of him to pull the ladder up after him; 3. The best economic projections suggest we need more college graduates, not less; and 4. A college degree is excellent protection against job market problems. I should have also pointed out an excellent series of articles by Timothy Noah.

Back in September Slate’s Noah did a series on what he called The Great Divergence documenting the growing income inequality in this country over the last 30 years and exploring potential causes for it. He did a series of

School 2 Life - Home

School2Life is a Chicago-based educational management program consisting of two industry experts, Heidi Albert, a financial expert and entrepreneur, and Susan Newman, a career marketing professional. Their goal is to help high school, college students, and recent graduates make a smooth, smart, and successful transition from campus life to real life with their catchy slogan "Don't Just Get a Job. Get a Life." Many students and young adults find it difficult to make their way into the real world or take the next important steps post-high school/college and with a struggling economy, it's hard to keep motivated while under pressure.

The School2Life experts strive to help young adults stay motivated by hosting a variety of career management workshops and networking forums to give students a unique experience and build their confidence. Informational workshops and events include resume-building, interview skills, overall communicating, internship, network building, and more. Life management workshops and events include how to manage in today's economy, spending and saving, financial organization, and more! School2Life has helped hundreds of students find their next job, build their confidence, and overall get a LIFE! More info here: http://school2life.com/

If you're interested in learning more, we'd love to set up an interview with the founders for you or if you'd like to check out their upcoming workshop, "Networking, 30 Second Elevator Pitch, & Basic Budgeting,"

School2Life^TM helps college students and recent graduates make a
smooth, smart, successful transition from campus life to real life.

Networking, 30 Second Elevator Pitch & Basic Budgeting Workshop

900 N Michigan Ave.

FRIDAY, NOV. 26

3:00 - 5:00

Email Heidi@school2life.com to sign up

School2Life on WGN News

Watch Heidi Albert from School2Life on the segment "Money Matters"

click here

School2Life Helps Young Adults Stay Motivated.

Read the Article from the Chicago Tribune

click here

Schools Matter: NCATE, Ed Week, UTRU, and Eli Broad

NCATE, Ed Week, UTRU, and Eli Broad

by Jim Horn

. . . this current effort is focused in large part on undoing the legacy of licensure and preparation decisions made more than a half-century ago. --Rick Hess, Ed Week Commentary on the NCATE Report 11/17/10

In the first coverage by Ed Week of the big NCATE shake-up or shake-down of teacher education, Stephen Sawchuk reports the following:

The report’s main recommendation: Supervised, structured work of teacher-candidates in diverse classroom settings must be the foremost component of preservice teacher training, with other aspects like coursework embedded in that training. It draws heavily on the teacher-residency model and a handful of university-based education programs that take such an approach to training new teachers.

“The general message is that teachers have not been prepared well—or enough—and we need to make changes both on the front end, with preparation, and at the back end, with accountability,”

Hechinger Report | Q&A: Tim King explains what works at Chicago’s all-boys Urban Prep

Q&A: Tim King explains what works at Chicago’s all-boys Urban Prep

by Beth Hawkins

Tim King

In June, the members of Urban Prep Academy’s first senior class gathered for an unusual ritual. One by one, all 150 donned baseball caps from the four-year colleges and universities that had accepted them.

It’s a feat virtually any school would boast about, but Urban Prep had more reason than most: All of the Chicago charter school’s students are African-American boys, and 85 percent come from impoverished homes. They succeed in part because of a strong culture that places an emphasis on teamwork and discipline. All students wear blazers and ties and are addressed as “mister.”

The school is the creation of Chicago native Tim King, who took time earlier this week to describe his work to

Remainders: Could chancellor be a step to mayor for Black? | GothamSchools

Remainders: Could chancellor be a step to mayor for Black?

by Philissa Cramer

Joel Klein’s brief teaching experience won him the waiver in 2002, panel members say. (City Room)
Three former mayors are supporting Cathie Black on mayoral control grounds. (Daily Politics)
Is Cathie Black really running for mayor? Bloomberg might think so. (Observer)
Or maybe she is being sacrificed to ease the way for someone more controversial.(Pissed Off Teacher)
This is likely the biggest decision Commissioner Steiner has had to make on the job. (Chalkboard)
Gadfly Norm Scott on his hug from Joel Klein: “I am not a hater. I love everybody.” (Ed Notes)
If a school is like a basketball team, individual teacher incentives might cause problems. (GS Community)
Bricks are being laid at the addition to PS 8 in Brooklyn Heights. (Brownstoner)
Brooking report: We judge things on semi-reliable data all the time, so why not teachers. (Class Struggle)
Andy Rotherham says the Brookings report is “measured and sensible.” (Eduwonk)
Angry about school bus snafus? Join PIST: Parents to Improve School Transportation. (Insideschools)
Ed Sec Arne Duncan says school districts should boost class sizes before cutting teachers. (Politics K-12)

Leonie Haimson: The Appointment of Cathie Black and Bloomberg's Abuse of Power

Leonie Haimson

Executive Director, Class Size Matters

Posted: November 17, 2010 11:21 AM

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The Appointment of Cathie Black and Bloomberg's Abuse of Power

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The appointment of Cathie Black, a magazine executive who sent her children to private schools and has no education background, as NYC schools chancellor is an important turning point in the history of the Bloomberg administration. Why?

It has provoked a firestorm of controversy, with the entire city waking up to the way in which the mayor's has used his money, power and influence to disregard the normal rules of civil conduct. An editorial in El Diario is good example of the widespread discontent.

This citywide moment of clarity has occurred only two times before during his administration: in 2004, when he fired three members of the Panel for Educational Policy who disagreed with him immediately before a critical vote, called the "Monday Night Massacre," and in 2008, when he overturned term limits.

Parents and education advocates have long known and their kids have long suffered from the way in which the mayor treats the New York City public schools are his personal fiefdom, to do with

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Wednesday, November 17, 2010