National Teacher of the Year Nominee - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education)

National Teacher of the Year Nominee - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education):

California Teacher of the Year Chosen as Finalist
for National Teacher of the Year Title

SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today said he is extremely pleased that Rebecca Mieliwocki, a 2012 California Teacher of the Year from Los Angeles County, has been selected as one of four finalists nationwide for the 2012 National Teacher of the Year award.

"I am elated that Rebecca, who is remarkably gifted and innovative, is being considered as the nation's next top teacher," Torlakson said. "I nominated her for this prestigious title because she is an inspiration to other teachers as well as her students, who are learning and succeeding due to her tremendous classroom skill."

Mieliwocki (pronounced like Milwaukee) was named in November as one of five California Teachers of the Year. Her selection as a national finalist was announced today by the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), a nonpartisan, nationwide, nonprofit organization of public officials who head departments of elementary and secondary education.

She and three other state Teachers of the Year from Florida, Alabama, and the Department of Defense Education Activity in Italy were chosen by a National Selection Committee representing the major national education organizations. The winner will be announced in April.

Mieliwocki has been teaching for more than 13 years, including nine years at Burbank Middle School, where she teaches general education and Gifted and Talented Education classes. She is faculty chair and serves on the school leadership team. Her lessons are infused with a wide array of technical tools that, as her principal says, "brings lessons to life."

She earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Speech Communication at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo; and a Single Subject Professional Clear Credential in English at California State University, Northridge.

For more information on the four 2012 National Teacher of the Year finalists, please visit the CCSSO Web site at: The Council of Chief State School Officers (Outside Source).

Related Content

• California Teachers of the Year - Recognizes exemplary teachers who best represent all of California's teachers and symbolize the profession's contributions to quality education.

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Tom Torlakson — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5206, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100

Schools Matter: It's the Socioeconomic Segregation, Stupid

Schools Matter: It's the Socioeconomic Segregation, Stupid:

It's the Socioeconomic Segregation, Stupid

by Jim Horn

In a piece for The Nation a few days ago, Linda Darling-Hammond demolishes most of the remaining chunks of any size within the crumbling structure of corporate education’s most ironically-titled reform ever — No Child Left Behind. NCLB is rubble, even though many unseen victims continue to be buried beneath its mammoth pile.

Darling-Hammond, who was recruited to get Team Obama up to speed on education issues following the 2008 election, entitled her piece, “Why Is Congress Redlining Our Schools?” It should be noted that as soon as Team Obama got a lay of the edu-land, they dismissed Darling-Hammond and brought in corporate lackey, Arne Duncan, to serve as titular head of the Education Department while the corporate foundations run the show.

Now that I think about it, she might have more appropriately entitled her piece “Why are the White House and

Jersey Jazzman: The Outsiders

Jersey Jazzman: The Outsiders:

The Outsiders

by Duke

James Osborne at the Philadelphia Inky had a great piece on the secretive, unaccountable charter application process in New Jersey. I want to add a few things to his report:

New Jersey education officials had a dilemma last summer: Following the approval of a record number of charter schools, questions were flying about how closely the applications had been screened.

It's worth noting that the only reason we know who screened the charter applicants is because the ACLU and the Education Law Center filed a lawsuit to get the names released. Officials in the NJ DOE reported said they would "go to the mat" to protect the names of the reviewers. This is what passes for transparency in the word of Chris Christie and Chris Cerf.

The National Association of Charter School Authorizers, a Chicago nonprofit, had

Portland Mayor Sam Adams shops a new urban renewal district dubbed the 'education' zone: Portland City Hall roundup | OregonLive.com

Portland Mayor Sam Adams shops a new urban renewal district dubbed the 'education' zone: Portland City Hall roundup | OregonLive.com:

Portland Mayor Sam Adams shops a new urban renewal district dubbed the 'education' zone: Portland City Hall roundup

Published: Thursday, January 19, 2012, 9:49 AM Updated: Thursday, January 19, 2012, 2:37 PM

By Beth Slovic, The Oregonian
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A new proposal for a downtown Portland urban renewal district includes Lincoln High School, the Portland State University campus and Oregon Health and Science University's Marquam Plaza.

Dubbed the Education Urban Renewal Area, the new zone would give Mayor Sam Adams the opportunity to burnish his image as a schools advocate and deliver on a stalled effort to funnel more development money downtown. He has just 11 months left in office.

The push won't be easy.

Adams' earlier efforts to create a larger downtown zone -- then referred to as the Central City Urban Renewal Area -- drew criticism, particularly from Multnomah County officials who worried about the financial hit to their budgets. (Urban renewal zones route property taxes away from jurisdictions such as the county.) In March 2009, then-Chairman Ted Wheeler panned Adams' proposal to tap a new zone to help pay for a Major League Soccer renovation at what's now Jeld-Wen Field. "With all due respect, I'm new to the

Northrop Grumman Foundation and Conservation International Launch ECO Classroom

Northrop Grumman Foundation:

Northrop Grumman Foundation and Conservation International Launch ECO Classroom
Innovative Development Program Takes Teachers out of Classrooms and into the Field

WASHINGTON – Jan. 19, 2012 -- Wes Bush, chairman, chief executive officer and president of Northrop Grumman, and Peter A. Seligmann, co-founder, chairman and chief executive officer of Conservation International, today announced the launch of ECO Classroom, a unique and innovative nationwide professional development program for public middle and high school science teachers. The Northrop Grumman Foundation, in collaboration with Conservation International, created the program which begins this summer and was unveiled this morning at the National Press Club in Washington.

“Both Northrop Grumman and Conservation International understand the value of science,” said Bush. “We need to leverage the capability of science to address the challenges of international conservation and we have joined forces to create a program to motivate more young people to pursue technical careers in science, engineering and other STEM fields.”

“Today we face a number of unprecedented environmental challenges on a global scale that need solutions, many of which will be based in science,” said Seligmann. “Together with our partner Northrop Grumman, we are pleased to announce ECO Classroom – a new program designed to enable teachers to inspire the next generation of scientists and environmental stewards.”

Under the ECO Classroom program, a team of public school teacher participants – from all over the United States – will travel to Conservation International’s Tropical Ecology Assessment and Monitoring (TEAM) Network (http://www.teamnetwork.org/en/about) Volcan Barva site in La Selva Biological and Braulio Carrillo National Park in Costa Rica, to experience firsthand field collection of biodiversity and climate data using TEAM scientific protocols, and bring these unique learning opportunities into their classroom.

“The Northrop Grumman Foundation has been pioneering programs to inspire science teachers for many years now,” said Sandra Evers-Manly, president of the Northrop Grumman Foundation. “We have turned our focus to the environmental sciences in recognition of the importance of international environmental sustainability to the health and security of future generations. We believe that providing a hands-on environmental experience to science teachers will give them insight and inspiration that they can pass on to their students.”

Applications for the inaugural class of teachers to attend the July 2012 program are now available. To learn more about or to apply to participate in ECO Classroom, visit www.northropgrumman.com/ecoclassroom. The application deadline is March 15, 2012.

The goal of ECO Classroom is to help teachers inspire students to pursue science and technical careers and become our next generation of environmental scientists. It is widely acknowledged among educators and policymakers that insufficient numbers of students are entering into science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. One way to address this issue and emphasize environmental stewardship is to motivate educators to engage students in the sciences and to bring unique learning opportunities into their classrooms with real-world curricula and hands-on experiences.

Teachers will return to their schools with an in-depth understanding of the interrelationship between biodiversity, climate change, and human activities, and will be equipped with new techniques and resources to enhance their own classroom teaching. Additional teacher trips are planned for subsequent summers.

Building upon a strong foundation of science, partnership and field demonstration, Conservation International (CI) empowers societies to responsibly and sustainably care for nature, our global biodiversity, for the long term well-being of people. Founded in 1987 and marking its 25^th anniversary in 2012, CI has headquarters in the Washington D.C. area, and 900 employees working in nearly 30 countries on four continents, plus 1,000+ partners around the world. For more information, please visit at www.conservation.org , or on Facebook or Twitter.

The Northrop Grumman Foundation supports diverse and sustainable programs for students and teachers. These programs create innovative education experiences in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. For more information please visit www.northropgrumman.com/foundation.

An Open Letter to Potential Applicants to the U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools Program | ED.gov Blog

An Open Letter to Potential Applicants to the U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools Program | ED.gov Blog:

An Open Letter to Potential Applicants to the U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools Program

Posted on January 19, 2012 by Andrea Falken

Dear School,

Thank you for your enthusiasm regarding the U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools. The intent of this new award is to encourage as many schools as possible to look at environmental impact, health and education in new ways and to make much needed improvements. We are thrilled with the overwhelming support for and consensus around the award and the fact that many of you are already taking steps to improve your schools in these areas.

With the program’s three Pillars, we have identified for state, local and school programs what areas of action are necessary to become an U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon School. But we are confident that the scope and impact of the award will extend far beyond the 100 or so winners of the pilot year. This is because the award is designed so that every school applying across the country will be encouraged to embark upon a critical learning process and, in doing so, connect to more resources, knowledge and programs to further its green school aims.

Under the program’s rules, states nominate their own schools, and the application form is a little different in each state, so you should carefully review your nominating authority’s requirements. States’ forms serve not only as applications but also as self-assessment tools for schools to learn about and address all important areas of the award: to foster health, wellness and productivity; to reduce costs; to provide a well-rounded education; to increase STEM skills; improve civic engagement; and to generally ensure students’ college and career preparedness.

State applications may not be an easy lift, but you’ll find that they constitute a different kind of work than most awards. In completing the application and reviewing our online materials and those posted by your state authority, your school will learn about technical, financial and volunteer resources. Equally important, your school will obtain a baseline assessment of where it stands and can improve in the future in the three Green Ribbon Schools Pillars, as well as some other requirements in the areas of health, safety and environment.

This means that the very act of completing an application in your state or jurisdiction can lead to change and improvement in your school. For this reason, I encourage you to apply and to take advantage of the many resources on our site. We know that every school can reduce its environmental impact, improve health and provide effective environmental education. What’s more, current financial constraints and national academic outcomes demand this shift toward sustainable facilities, health and education practices – not just among a few winners, but by all schools across the nation.

With best wishes for your school greening efforts,

Andrea Suarez Falken
Director, U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools

Apply to your state.
Connect with resources to meet your green schools aims.
See previous Green Ribbon blogs.

Please note: U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools is a federal recognition award and should not be confused with any green schools program conducted by non-governmental entities.

Making College More Affordable

Posted on January 19, 2012 by Cameron Brenchley

Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan are traveling the country hosting conversations nationwide addressing the cost of college tuition and student debt on American families.

Watch the Video:

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Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Early Evening Posts #ows #edreform 1-19

Missouri Education Watchdog: The Education Reformer Cabal (Rhee, Duncan, Gates) Gets Called out at a Data Quality Campaign Conference. It was NOT Appreciated.

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Missouri Education Watchdog: The Education Reformer Cabal (Rhee, Duncan, Gates) Gets Called out at a Data Quality Campaign Conference. It was NOT Appreciated.:The Education Reformer Cabal (Rhee, Duncan, Gates) Gets Called out at a Data Quality Campaign Conference. It was NOT Appreciated.by stlgretchenThe Data Quality Campaign group had a meeting in Washington DC yesterday about the data to be extracted and supplied by public school children. From the DQC website:

The values behind ‘value-added’ | Taking Note

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The values behind ‘value-added’ | Taking Note:The values behind ‘value-added’by John MerrowJohn investigates the new turn towards "value-added" measures in education.Does the current push for “Value Added” measures mean that education has finally figured it out, or is this yet another silver bullet that will fail — and perhaps do more harm than good along the way?While that is an interesting question, a number of prior questions need answers:1. What exactly do we mean by ‘value’?2. Who adds ‘value,’ and ... more »

Follow up on Fire First, Ask Questions Later « School Finance 101

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Follow up on Fire First, Ask Questions Later « School Finance 101:Follow up on Fire First, Ask Questions Laterby schoolfinance101Many of us have had extensive ongoing conversation about the Big Study (CFR) that caught media attention last week. That conversation has included much thoughtful feedback from the authors of the study. That’s how it should be. A good, ongoing discussion delving into technical details and considering alternative policy implications. I received the following kind note from one of the study ... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Rahm's retreat was phony

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Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Rahm's retreat was phony:Rahm's retreat was phonyby Mike KlonskyProtesting the mayor's latest assault on free speech.With protesters chanting “We vote no” outside, a compliant city council approved Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s plan to deny First Amendment rights to the thousands of protesters who are expected to come Chicago for the NATO and G-8 summits. The cost to taxpayers for the summits will likely exceed a billion dollars, if past summits are

Shanker Blog » Income And Educational Outcomes

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Shanker Blog » Income And Educational Outcomes:Income And Educational Outcomesby Matthew Di CarloThe role of poverty in shaping educational outcomes is one of the most common debates going on today. It can also be one of the most shallow.The debate tends to focus on income. For example (and I’m generalizing a bit here), one “side” argues that income and test scores are strongly correlated; the other “side” points to the fact that many low-income students do very well and cautions ... more »

Teachers, Superman and the ‘anti-Michelle Rhee’ - News - Local Stories - January 19, 2012 - Sacramento News & Review

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Teachers, Superman and the ‘anti-Michelle Rhee’ - News - Local Stories - January 19, 2012 - Sacramento News Review:Teachers, Superman and the ‘anti-Michelle Rhee’Education historian Diane Ravitch says education reformers are killing the American school systemBy Cosmo Garvin cosmog@newsreview.comRead 1 reader submitted commentThis article was published on 01.19.12.You’ve seen Waiting for Superman and were thrilled ateducation-reform superstar and part-time Sacramentan Michelle Rhee roughing up those bad teachers.Bill Gates too is spreading the gospel of more testing and technology in... more »

Diane Ravitch: Embattled teachers need support, not more testing - Lodi News-Sentinel: News

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Diane Ravitch: Embattled teachers need support, not more testing - Lodi News-Sentinel: News:Diane Ravitch: Embattled teachers need support, not more testingStoryCommentsShareSharePrintCreate a hardcopy of this pageFont Size:Default font sizeLarger font sizePosted: Thursday, January 19, 2012 12:00 amBy Sara Jane Pohlman/News-Sentinel Staff Writer | 0 commentsDiane Ravitch believes public school teachers are getting bashed for problems beyond their control. She's strongly critical of standardized testing, which she says is corroding public education, not building it.She is an author, ...more »

NYC Educator: Getting Even?

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NYC Educator: Getting Even?:Getting Even?There are many good reasons for teachers not to bully children. First and most obviously, it's wrong, followed closely by the fact that it is illegal and you could lose your job if you engage in it. We as educators are meant to build the capacities of children, be honest with them but also fair and kind, and if we humiliate, belittle, and hurt children, those very basic goals are not going to get accomplished. We ... more »

Retired D.C. teacher says he was thrown out of ed data summit - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

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Retired D.C. teacher says he was thrown out of ed data summit - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post:Retired D.C. teacher says he was thrown out of ed data summitby Valerie StraussA retired D.C. teacher who has written critically about Education Secretary Arne Duncan and Michelle Rhee said security guards escorted him out of an education data summit where the two were speaking on Wednesday.Read full article New problems found in 4th-grade Virginia history textbookby Valerie StraussThis was written ... more »

How Effective Family Engagement Makes a Difference : NEA Today

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How Effective Family Engagement Makes a Difference : NEA Today:How Effective Family Engagement Makes a DifferenceJanuary 18, 2012 by twalker Filed under Featured News, NEA Priority Schools Campaign, Top StoriesLeave a CommentBy Cindy LongIf it hadn’t been for parental involvement at Glendale Middle School, a large group of girls would be failing gym class for one simple reason – they couldn’t wear the uniform.Nearly a quarter of the student population at Glendale is Muslim, and for religious reasons, Muslim girls ... more »

DIANE RAVITCH AND THE SELF-DEFEATING PUBLIC EDUCATION NO DIRECT ACTION AGENDA - Perdaily.com

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DIANE RAVITCH AND THE SELF-DEFEATING PUBLIC EDUCATION NO DIRECT ACTION AGENDA - Perdaily.com:DIANE RAVITCH AND THE SELF-DEFEATING PUBLIC EDUCATION NO DIRECT ACTION AGENDAby Leonard Isenberg(Mensaje se repite en Español) (For a national view of public education reform see the end of this blog post)One year ago Diane Ravitch spoke at Immanuel Presbyterian Church across from the United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) headquarters. Her analysis of how the corporate agenda was proceeding unimpeded for privatizing public education and in the process ... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Really? We're Winning? It Doesn't Seem Like It

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Seattle Schools Community Forum: Really? We're Winning? It Doesn't Seem Like It:Really? We're Winning? It Doesn't Seem Like Itby Melissa WestbrookReader Caroline commented on this post by Alexander Russo at This Week in Education (late December, 2011). It's a pretty funny lament over how the ed reformers can't seem to sell their message. These two lines made me laugh:In contrast, reformy folks have lacked a SWAT team of feisty and prolific school-level champions defending articulating their message. The now middle-aged ... more »

Schools Matter: Save Ethnic Studies

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 9 hours ago

Schools Matter: Save Ethnic Studies:Save Ethnic StudiesAmigos,This information is being sent to you by Roger Norma Cazares . . . PLEASE DISTRIBUTE WIDELY! If you want someone to address this issue further at any gathering, let us know.As you may know, Arizona has banned the teaching of ethnic studies, specifically targeting Mexican-American Studies in the Tucson Unified School District. Eleven TUSD teachers, administrators and students are suing the state to bring back Ethnic Studies.To fight blatant discrimination and the spread ... more »

School Tech Connect: On Data, and Fundamentalism

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School Tech Connect: On Data, and Fundamentalism:On Data, and Fundamentalismby noreply@blogger.com (Tim)I stopped teaching kids English at the end of the of the 2004-2005 school year to become a testing coordinator and media specialist, and then administrator and finally, a computer guy. I'm trying to think of a time in the classroom or after when there was a data point generated from testing that surprised me or highlighted a trend I couldn't guess from working with kids all day long.I ... more »

Paulo Freire’s book, ‘A Pedagogy of the Oppressed’ banned in Tucson: A note from Bill Bigelow and ReThinking Schools | Dailycensored.com

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Paulo Freire’s book, ‘A Pedagogy of the Oppressed’ banned in Tucson: A note from Bill Bigelow and ReThinking Schools | Dailycensored.com:Paulo Freire’s book, ‘A Pedagogy of the Oppressed’ banned in Tucson: A note from Bill Bigelow and ReThinking SchoolsWritten by Danny WeilDaily Journal (Opinion), EducationJan 18, 20120diggShareDear Rethinking Schools friends,Did you see the news last week? On Friday, we learned that our book Rethinking Columbus was banned — along with other books used in Tucson’s Mexican American Studies program, including ... more »

Geaux Teacher!: REFORM OR BUST - JINDAL STYLE!!!

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 18 hours ago

Geaux Teacher!: REFORM OR BUST - JINDAL STYLE!!!:REFORM OR BUST - JINDAL STYLE!!!by noreply@blogger.com (Lee Barrios, M.Ed., NBCT)http://theadvocate.com/newsletters/breakingnewsnewsletter/1826105-77/jindal-gives-education-specifics.htmlGovernor Jindal finally "revealed" his agenda for the demise of true public education today. The full article can be found at the URL above and a concise FACT SHEET as distributed to the press is below. I'll try to address each point in separate blogs - I guess you could call it a translation or transliteration - because the language and syntax Jindal ... more »

All Things Education: Opportunity to Expand Choice (Maybe)

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 18 hours ago

All Things Education: Opportunity to Expand Choice (Maybe):Opportunity to Expand Choice (Maybe)by Rachel LevyI've been busy responding to my governor's education agenda. On Monday, I wrote about the initiative to advance literacy. On Tuesday, I wrote about possible implications of repealing the Kings Dominion Law. Today will be a much meatier post about choice. I want to take a minute to acknowledge that school choice is a very thorny and complex issue; I do my best to approach it as ... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: More Leadership Voices Speaking Out Against Charter Legislation

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 18 hours ago

Seattle Schools Community Forum: More Leadership Voices Speaking Out Against Charter Legislation:More Leadership Voices Speaking Out Against Charter Legislationby Melissa WestbrookBraving the snow day, the president of WSSDA (Washington State School Directors' Association), Mary Fertakis, testified today before the Senate committee hearing testimony about SB 6202, the charter schools bill.Here's a link to the story at the Seattle Education blog. It is clear from her testimony that she has read this bill thoroughly and spotted several of the issues I ... more »

Schools Matter: Arizona Oppressors Ban Discussion of Oppression in Classrooms

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 18 hours ago

Schools Matter: Arizona Oppressors Ban Discussion of Oppression in Classrooms:Arizona Oppressors Ban Discussion of Oppression in Classroomsby Jim HornFrom Democracy Now:Public school officials in Tucson, Arizona, have released a list of seven banned books that can no longer be used in classrooms following their suspension of the district’s acclaimed Mexican American Studies program. Last year, Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction John Huppenthal ruled the program violated a new state law, saying it "promote[s] resentment toward a race or class of ... more »

The Washington Teacher: Vote For The Washington Teacher Blog's Fascination Award!

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 18 hours ago

The Washington Teacher: Vote For The Washington Teacher Blog's Fascination Award!:Vote For The Washington Teacher Blog's Fascination Award!by Candi PetersonDear Washington Teacher blog readers:I want to thank many of my loyal readers who continue to check out The Washington Teacher blog regularly. As you may have noticed, I have taken a short-term break from blogging. After writing this blog for three years, while maintaining my full-time job at DCPS- I felt the need for a little R R (rest and ... more »