School Tech Connect: Heartland Media To The Rescue

School Tech Connect: Heartland Media To The Rescue:

Heartland Media To The Rescue

This is video from Saturday. Distribute widely.

GOOD Education: Chicago Teachers’ Strike Lesson: We Need Autonomous Educators, Not Corporate Reform « Cooperative Catalyst

GOOD Education: Chicago Teachers’ Strike Lesson: We Need Autonomous Educators, Not Corporate Reform « Cooperative Catalyst:

GOOD Education: Chicago Teachers’ Strike Lesson: We Need Autonomous Educators, Not Corporate Reform

by Nikhil Goyal

This piece originally appeared on GOOD Education: Chicago Teachers’ Strike Lesson: We Need Autonomous Educators, Not Corporate Reform. 
One week ago, the Chicago Teachers Union and the Chicago Board of Education reached an agreement on teacher contracts. But, what most pundits still don’t realize is that the strike wasn’t really about the contracts or the unions. It was about stopping the assault on public education, teachers, and children.
You know what’s hurting kids in Chicago and elsewhere? Contrary to media reports, it’s not the teachers union. It’s the corporate reform takeover—mayoral, not local control, closing schools and turning them over to charter corporations, evaluation of students and teachers with test scores, and weakening teachers unions. These policies are backed by billionaires, many of whom have never stepped foot in a public school classroom in their lives and they’ve blossomed thanks to the passing of President Bush’s No Child Left Behind and President Obama’s Race to the Top initiative.
In Chicago—as in many places—Mayor Rahm Emanuel and corporate reformers have waged a war on teachers. 

IEA is unrepentant in their IPACE recommendation policies. That’s why members are pulling their dollars. « Fred Klonsky

IEA is unrepentant in their IPACE recommendation policies. That’s why members are pulling their dollars. « Fred Klonsky:

IEA is unrepentant in their IPACE recommendation policies. That’s why members are pulling their dollars.

by Fred Klonsky

Yesterday I posted that I had stopped giving money to IPACE. I encouraged others to do the same.
I reported that former IEA President Ken Swanson promised a review of IPACE recommendation procedures. It never happened.
But in a response on his website, IEA Communications Director Charlie McBarron gives a full-throated defense of 

PSAT for 9-25-12: Protest Walmart! Parents United for Responsible Education

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » PSAT for 9-25-12: Protest Walmart!:

PSAT for 9-25-12: Protest Walmart!

by admin

I already forgot my new strategy to call for some boycott or action against a corporate reformer on the first Tuesday of every month, but it’s my blog and I figure I can go after WalMart any time I want.
I have close relatives who work at WalMart and they have been able to build a pretty nice life. I have even been known to go to WalMart once in a blue moon and (also rarely) to order from Walmert online because they usually have the cheapest item of a set of choices. But I’m going to stop doing that for good.
After seeing the “Teachers Rock” infomercial for Teach for America and the “Won’t Back Down” movie, heavily 

Seattle Schools Community Forum: BEX IV Thread

Seattle Schools Community Forum: BEX IV Thread:

BEX IV Thread

by Melissa Westbrook

I would really love to go in-depth on this subject right now but I am running a state-wide campaign against I-1240 (so I have my hands full).

However Facilities has always had a special place in my heart so I digress to put up this post.

Charlie has pointed out the numerous issues of the lack of clarity in this BEX.  Frankly, I'm not sure the district has a real plan.

Again, instead of long-range planning and forecasting (could they please just hire Kellie LaRue already), it's 

President Obama interview for Education Nation — transcript - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

President Obama interview for Education Nation — transcript - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post:

President Obama interview for Education Nation — transcript

By Valerie Strauss

Here’s the transcript of an interview that President Obama gave to NBC News and that was aired on Tuesday during the network’s 2012 Education Nation Summit.

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney also gave an interview at the summit, which you can read here.

During the interview Obama says something that many critics say we don’t hear nearly enough from him: “Part of the problem we've got is we've got a very diverse country. Compared to some — 
(Jin Lee/BLOOMBERG)these smaller countries, where all the kids are coming to school pretty well prepared, they're not hungry, they're not poor — in our country, we — you know, we've got poor 

Mitt Romney at Education Nation — transcript

by Valerie Strauss

Here’s a transcript of Gov. Mitt Romney talking on Tuesday with NBC News anchor Brian Williams about education at the network’s “Education Nation” Summit in New York.
Highlights include a segment when an audience member points out a poll which shows that New York City parents support the teachers union, and Romney says: “I don't believe it for a minute. I don't believe it for a minute. I know something about polls.”
Read full article >>

What do SAT, ACT scores really mean?

by Valerie Strauss

The big news in the world of college entrance exams — that would be the SAT and the ACT — is that the scores from the high school class of 2012 were disappointing.
Newly released reading scores on the SAT hit a four-decade low, and writing scores edged down too, while math scores were essentially unchanged from last year.  SAT average scores have declined by 20 points since 2006, when the test was revised to include a writing section.
Read full article >>

Science professors biased against females — study

by Valerie Strauss

A new Yale University study shows that bias against women persists in the sciences — in this case, at the university level, where science professors of both sexes were found to rate males as “significantly more competent and hireable” than equally qualified female applicants.
Read full article >>

Afternoon UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 9-25-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

Diane Ravitch's blog:

President Obama Explains His Views to Education Nation

by dianerav

TRANSCRIPT: PRESIDENT OBAMA SITS DOWN WITH SAVANNAH GUTHRIE
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW FOR NBC NEWS’ “EDUCATION NATION”
September 25, 2012 — As part of the NBC News 2012 “Education Nation” Summit this week, President Barack Obama sat down with NBC’s Savannah Guthrie to discuss his vision for the future of education in America.
The exclusive interview aired Tuesday on “TODAY” and this afternoon on MSNBC. A full transcript is below. If

The Power of Magical Thinking

by dianerav

No Child Left Behind is widely considered a disaster.
The law mandated that 100% of all students would be proficient, as measured by the standards in each state, by 2014. We now know that no state will meet that requirement. Schools have been closed all over the nation because of this idiotic law. Principals and teachers who were doing their best to meet unrealistic expectations,

More Union Leaders Who Are NBCT

by dianerav

I noted in an earlier post that Karen Lewis is a National Board Certified Teacher.
I said that she was one of the few–if not the only–union leader who is NBCT.
Happily, I was wrong. I published another post that mentioned other union leaders who are NBCT.
Here are more:
Kitty Boltnott was head of the Virginia Education Association from

Study: Charters Putting Catholic Schools Out of Business

by dianerav

A new study says that for every charter that opens, a Catholic school closes.
The author, Abraham Lackman, who worked for the New York state senate when it passed the first charter law in 1998, said that no one anticipated that charters–which are publicly-funded and tuition-free–would drain students from Catholic schools, which are not tuition-free.
He says the charters are not as good as Catholic schools and cost the state additional millions of dollars.
The head of the foundation that supports charters in Albany said that parents make the choice. “We’re more concerned with where they’re going, not with where they’re coming from,” he said.

Don’t Mess with Texas. The Revolution Begins Here.

by dianerav

Texas brought No Child Left Behind to the nation.
Remember that candidate George W. Bush said that Texas had figured out how to fix the schools. He said test every child every year, post the results, reward the schools where scores go up, humiliate those where scores go down. And, wow, a miracle: the scores go up, up, up; the achievement gap closes; graduation rates go up. Win-win-win-win.
Except it didn’t happen. And now the whole country is stuck with a testing regime that is sucking the life out of education.
This report from Texas describes a growing revolution against testing. The schools are up in arms: 77% of the

News About GERM in Australia and New Zealand

by dianerav

Our bad ideas about testing, bad teachers, and failing schools have infected Australia and New Zealand. NZ plans to open “independent public schools,” aka charter schools.
Never mind that Australia and New Zealand have higher scores on the international tests than most other nations, including the US.
Only one nation can be number one, and in the case of PISA, it’s Shanghai, which is not even a nation. Shanghai is not representative of China, but an unusual city whose schools have mastered test prep.
Now every nation in the world is supposed to engage in outrage and flogging a of teachers, because only one 

Another Louisiana Embarrassment

by dianerav

John White, the TFA Commissioner of Education in Louisiana, put out a press release celebrating the state’s increased numbers taking AP exams.
Gary Rubinstein looked at the press release and thought it was a joke. The number taking the exam went up, but the scores did not. As Gary writes:
“In this latest press release they call their AP results a ‘surge’ because the number of students ‘taking’ the AP 

Why Does Democratic Party Support Groups That Support GOP?

by dianerav

This is one of the most puzzling questions of our day.
Rachel Levy asks it in all sincerity.
How can the Democratic Party embrace individuals and groups that are working to elect Republicans? Why does it embrace individuals and groups that are actively working against unions, immigrant rights, gays, and public education?
Can anyone explain it? Is the tent so big that Democrats support those who support Republicans?
I don’t get it.

Conservative Think Tank Promotes Parent Trigger

by dianerav

It sounds so easy.
Take a vote. Get control of your school. Hire a new staff. Next year, your school is a great success.
The Heartland Institute recommends it for everyone.
This think tank in Chicago helped to write the ALEC model legislation to encourage state legislatures to pass a “parent trigger.”
This is meant to privatize public schools

How to Put an End to VAM-Mania

by dianerav

A reader has a suggestion:
I suggest that we create similar VAM tests for doctors, lawyers, and politicians and start ranking them according to their contributions.  Oh, and reporters and news editors too.  That will solve this problem real soon!

Union Leaders Who Are NBCT

by dianerav

When I wrote about the Chicago strike, I said that Karen Lewis was one of the few–if not the only–union leader who was a National Board Certified Teacher.
I have heard of two more NBCT union leaders. Let me know if you are aware of others.
Stacey Miller, the president of the Maumee Education Association in Ohio, won NBCT status in 2001. The other 

What Rahm Emanuel Imagines

by dianerav

This post describes an ad running in Chicago in which Mayor Rahm Emanuel talks about the new contract, while pictures of Chicago schoolrooms are on the screen.
The pictures show a teacher in a library with a class of six students. She is teaching math with an Ipad. They show an art class.
Read this post to learn the truth. Teachers fight for textbooks; they don’t have iPads. Class sizes are not 6 but 

A Great Teacher in Every Classroom?

by dianerav

This teacher has deciphered the absurdity of the reformer crusade to put a great teacher in every classroom. Where are they now?
Periodically, I hear the illogical idea that we need “great” teachers in classrooms, as if great teachers aren’t already in classrooms. From where are all these stealthy “great” teachers supposed to come? Are they now all sitting on their hands at home, waiting to be hired? Is there a secret supply of “great” teachers, hiding 

More about J.C. Brizard

by dianerav

A reader sends in a group of articles about the Chicago superintendent J.C. Brizard:
Brizard is a graduate of the Broad Superintendents Academy
http://www.broadcenter.org/academy/network/profile/featured-jean-claude-brizard
He stirred up churn in Rochester before coming to Chicago:
The Corporate Agenda for Public Schools: Is Brizard on Board?
http://dragonflyeye.net/jongreenbaum/2009/07/24/the-corporate-agenda-for-public-schools-is-brizard-on-board/

Where Was Brizard? UPDATE

by dianerav

Joy Resmovits reports at Huffington Post that Chicago’s Superintendent Jean-Claude Brizard was “nearly invisible” during the strike. He says he was visiting schools.
She says that Brizard got a very bad performance rating and that rumors have been flying that he will soon resign or be fired.
The Chicago saga continues.

What Children Need Most

by dianerav

A reader writes:
We are stripping the young of their youth. Why on Earth are we shoving the technological world on kids 4 to 10 years old? Kids that age need to be learning socializing skills, study skills, teacher interaction skills, learning to take instructions from people other than their parents. They need to develop their creativity, apply their real-world experiences in their relationships with their peers, and to feel comfortable in learning in mildly competitive environments. This is all more about dollars and less about education.

Do You Trust Opinion or Research?

by dianerav

Tim Slekar of Penn State has been watching NBC’s Education Nation, for which we are all grateful. Someone has to do it.
Today he watched the teacher town hall and discovered that a matter that has been settled in research was turned by NBC into a matter of opinion. And whose opinion counted was, in Tim’s view, questionable.

How to Opt Out of Testing

by dianerav

In response to other posts, Peggy Robertson of United Opt Out offers this advice to parents and teachers:
My advice is to take action. Currently we are asking people to begin to canvas neighborhoods and share the word of opt out. WE are going to have to do this. No one will do it for us. And while we sit around and wait for some corporate politician to change policies in our favor we have kids suffering – they do not have time to wait. Imagine how many childhoods will be lost this year at the hands of corporate education reform. I am angry – most angry because we have the ability to stop this – and instead we keep hoping that someone will share our 

Why Great Hearts Appeals to Affluent Parents

by dianerav

A reader sent a blog post from Arizona, where the Great Hearts charter school chain is based.
This is the charter that Tennessee Commissioner Kevin Huffman wants to bring to Nashville, over the opposition of the local school board.
It is expensive to go to Great Hearts. The school asks parents for an upfront contribution (voluntary, of course), of $1200-1500. Then there are extra costs for books, supplies, physical education.
But it is still less costly than paying for private school tuition. So it is entirely understandable that white, affluent parents would want to bring Great Hearts to their neighborhood in Nashville.

UFT: City’s special education reforms causing class size crunch | GothamSchools

UFT: City’s special education reforms causing class size crunch | GothamSchools:

UFT: City’s special education reforms causing class size crunch

by Philissa Cramer

UFT President Michael Mulgrew, flanked by NYC Museum School teachers and Leonie Haimson of Class Size Matters, discussed this year's tally of oversized classes during a press conference this morning.

One in four city schools have overcrowded classes, and the number of oversized special education classes more than doubled since last year, according to this year’s class size tally by the United Federation of Teachers.
Union members reported 270 special education classes with more than the mandated number of students in the early weeks of the year, up from 118 last year.
During a press conference outside a Chelsea school building, UFT President Michael Mulgrew said the city’s

Gains in city’s AP exam pass rate outpaced participation growth

by Philissa Cramer

This slide from a Department of Education presentation compares the number of students taking AP exams to the number of students passing them.

As more city students took exams meant to earn them college credit and credentials last year, more passed.

Jersey Jazzman: Why Are Chicago's Billionaires So Obnoxious?

Jersey Jazzman: Why Are Chicago's Billionaires So Obnoxious?:

Why Are Chicago's Billionaires So Obnoxious?

by Duke

Seriously, Chicago: what is up with your billionaires? It's bad enough that they all want to stick their fingers into the public education pie, even though they and their children attend elite private schools. But is there something in the water that makes them extra obnoxious?

The great EduShyster has a hysterical post about the most insufferable of them, Bruce Rauner:

The award for best strike analysis, though, goes to venture capitalist Bruce Rauner, who summed up the lack of support for corporate education reform among minority parents this way: parents 

Commentary: 'Won't Back Down' won't be real about school reform | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

Commentary: 'Won't Back Down' won't be real about school reform | Philadelphia Public School Notebook:

Commentary: 'Won't Back Down' won't be real about school reform

by Helen Gym

Last week I attended a local screening of Won’t Back Down, the latest flick from the producers behind the controversial documentary Waiting for Superman.
The film stars Viola Davis and Maggie Gyllenhaal as two moms of special needs children, one also a teacher, trapped inside their failing public schools while battling an evil union leadership. They decide to take advantage of a state law called the FailSafe (known as the “parent trigger” in most states) in order to take over their public school, close it down, and re-open it under their personal and private management.

Image: 

Image Caption: 

In this scene from the movie "Won't Back Down," a rally pits "Public School Advocates" against the "Got School Choice?" takeover proponents.

read more

NYC Public School Parents: 6100 classes that violate union contractual limits this fall

NYC Public School Parents: 6100 classes that violate union contractual limits this fall:

6100 classes that violate union contractual limits this fall

by Leonie Haimson

This morning, at a press conference, Michael Mulgrew president of the UFT announced that over 6,100 classes at 670 NYC public schools this fall violate contractual class size limits, compared to 660 schools last year. 

This means that class sizes are above these (already too-high) levels: more than 25 students per class in Kindergarten; more than 32 students in grades 1-5; more than 33 students in non-Title one middle schools; more than 30 students in Title one MS; and more than 34 students in high school academic classes. 

In addition, there are 270 schools where self-contained special education class sizes exceed what is required on their students’ IEPs -- more than double the number last year.  The UFT estimates that nearly a quarter of all students are spending part or all their days in schools in overcrowded classes.  While many of these violations will eventually be addressed, last year the DOE took up to seven months to do so!  The first arbitration hearings are in October. 

Last week, the city released the Mayor’s Management Report, confirming the dismal long term trend in class size; up in every grade since 2007-8, as we already knew:

The number of teachers has also been cut sharply by about 8 percent since 2007-8; a trend that the DOE for 

Schools Matter: 10 Ways Christie and Cerf Promote Privatizing NJ Schools

Schools Matter: 10 Ways Christie and Cerf Promote Privatizing NJ Schools:

10 Ways Christie and Cerf Promote Privatizing NJ Schools

by Judy Rabin

Thank you to Stan Karp and the Education Law Center for keeping a close watch on  the liars and thieves who profit at the expense of the poorest children and communities in New Jersey. The privatizers and profiteers can no longer hide behind "no excuses" and "no child left behind" because thanks to the brave teachers in Chicago the conversation has changed and the genie is out of the bottle. 

At a rowdy community forum in Jersey City last night, parent and community activists challenged NJ education commissioner Chris Cerf over administration policies that promote the privatization of public education. Cerf said the charge is 'palpable, absolute nonsense,' but the 

No on 1240 | Don't be charter fooled

No on 1240 | Don't be charter fooled:

 No On 1240 Campaign

Contact:                                                                                   

Melissa Westbrook - 206-390-0404, 1240mel@gmail.com

PEEKING UNDER THE TENT:

WHO SUPPORTS I-1240 AND WHO DOESN’T

Seattle, Washington, September 25, 2012

Looking at the lists of group endorsers – for and against I-1240 – makes for a good contrast between the campaigns.

No On 1240

Education Organizations

Association of Washington School Principals

Citizens United for Responsible Education

Educational Service District 113

Onion Creek School Board

Parents and Friends for Tacoma Schools

Tahoma Education Association

Washington State PTA

Washington Association of School Administrators

Washington Education Association

Washington State School Directors Association

Community and Civil Rights Organizations

El Centro de la Raza

Japanese-American Citizens League Board

League of Women Voters of Washington

Minority Executive Directors Coalition (MEDC)

NAACP: Alaska/Oregon/Washington State
Area Conference NAACP

Northwest Progressive Institute

Tacoma-Pierce County Black Collective

UW Alumni Asn. Multicultural Alumni Partnership Board

Washington Community Action Network

Labor Organizations

Aerospace Machinists Industrial District Lodge 751

IUOE Local 609 (Operating Engineers)

Martin Luther King Central Labor Council

Pierce County Central Labor Council

SEIU Healhtcare 775 NW

SEIU State Council

SEIU Local 925

UFCW 21

Teamsters

Washington Federation of State Employees

Washington State Labor Council

Political Organizations

Washington State Democratic Party

King County Democrats

Pierce County Democrats

Pierce County Young Democrats

Metropolitan Democractic Club of Seattle

1^st legislative district Democrats

5th legislative district Democrats

11th legislative district Democrats

22nd legislative district Democrats

23rd legislative district Democrats

27th legislative district Democrats

32nd legislative district Democrats

33rd legislative district Democrats

34th legislative district Democrats

36th legislative district Democrats

37th legislative district Democrats

39th legislative district Democrats

40th legislative district Democrats

41st legislative district Democrats

43rd legislative district Democrats

45th legislative district Democrats

46th legislative district Democrats

48th legislative district Democrats

  

Yes on 1240

LEV
Stand for Children
Democrats for Ed Reform
Washington State Roundtable
Seattle Chamber of Commerce
Association of Washington Business

  

Another interesting facet of this initiative is the financial support. 

 Both the People for our Public Schools campaign and the No On 1240 campaigns are grassroots with parent, teacher and community groups providing funding.

 Over 95% of the Yes on 1240’s  funding comes from 10 families, all associated with Microsoft and Amazon.  Bill Gates being the largest single donor at $1M.  Their donors include a Walmart heiress in Arkansas ($600K) and the head of Netflicks in LA ($100K).  Their latest donor is a hedge fund manager in NYC, Robert Karr of JoHo Capital, LLC.

  

If you would like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview with Melissa, contact her at info@no1240.org or 206-524-4733. 

No On 1240 – www.no1240.org

Twitter – No_On_1240

Facebook - No on 1240