LAUSD Board Filing Period Opens Monday - LA School Report

LAUSD Board Filing Period Opens Monday - LA School Report:

LAUSD Board Filing Period Opens Monday

by LA School Report

Starting Monday, November 5, LAUSD Board candidates for the District 2, 4, and 6 seats can take the next necessary steps towards running for office by filing a “Declaration of Intention to Become a Candidate” with the City Clerk’s office. Official announcement here. Official candidate and election information here. But they shouldn’t wait too long.  Prospective candidates have less than a week to submit their paperwork.  The filing period ends Saturday, November 10 at noon. via Brentwood Patch.
Previous posts: Another Likely Board Candidate, Possible Board Candidates: District 2, Possible Board Candidates: District 4, Possible Board Candidates: District 6,

Testing Problems at 2 LAUSD Schools

by LA School Report

Two of the 23 schools recently stripped of their API rankings by the state for testing 

News Flash: Mayor Finch and “Education Reformers” spend record amount to take away Bridgeport voter’s rights! - Wait, What?

News Flash: Mayor Finch and “Education Reformers” spend record amount to take away Bridgeport voter’s rights! - Wait, What?:

News Flash: Mayor Finch and “Education Reformers” spend record amount to take away Bridgeport voter’s rights!

by jonpelto

Mayor Mike Bloomberg and The Money Fairy  have visited Bridgeport 

Welcome to 21st Century America

Lennie Grimaldi, Bridgeport’s leading political pundit, and author of the blog, Only in Bridgeport, broke the news today that Mayor Mike Bloomberg gave $20,000 to Residents For A Better Bridgeport, the political action committee behind the campaign to support Mayor Bill Finch’s power grab to eliminate a democratically elected school board and replace it with one appointed by him.

But the $20,000 donation from Bloomberg is only the tip of a much bigger iceberg and Residents for a Better Bridgeport is only one of a series of corporate funded political groups spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to make sure Bridgeport’s parents and other voters don’t get a direct role in selecting who sets education policy in Bridgeport.

Here are just a few of the companies and organizations that are funding the anti-

Commentary: Parents deserve a better measure of school quality | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

Commentary: Parents deserve a better measure of school quality | Philadelphia Public School Notebook:

Commentary: Parents deserve a better measure of school quality

by Helen Gym on Nov 02 2012 Posted in Blogger commentary

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• school choice

Every once in a while, it becomes apparent just how differently parents view quality education from the reformers out there defining it purportedly for our own good. The GreatPhillySchools website (GPS) is just one of those examples. 

GreatPhillySchools launched Oct. 15, touting its “groundbreaking” schools database for parents and caregivers. The database is a project of the Philadelphia School Partership with collaboration from groups like the Notebook. The database claims to rank schools according to five metrics - academics, safety, attendance, achievement gap gains, and college bound numbers.

According to those metrics, only 13 of the 400-plus schools in the database earn a rating of 10/10 (10 out of 10) in overall excellence. And according to such metrics, Masterman is a 10 and Alcorn is a 1, but do we ever learn why?

I can’t deny that I am a bit weary of yet another ranking system for our schools. We have AYP, SPI, and a slew of 

Fresno teachers union backs controversial federal grant - latimes.com

Fresno teachers union backs controversial federal grant - latimes.com:

Fresno teachers union backs controversial federal grant

After a marathon debate, the Fresno teachers union early Friday agreed to endorse its school district's application for a federal grant that will require controversial changes in instructor evaluations.
The Fresno Teachers Assn. became one of the few teachers unions in California to back a federal Race to the Top grant proposal by signing off on it just before 2 a.m. The $40-million grant application proposes to boost literacy skills for young students in 67 elementary schools with a blend of new technology and traditional instruction.
The Los Angeles Unified School District planned to submit its $40-million proposal without union backing, which it could not obtain, but a federal official said that omission would disqualify the application. United Teachers Los Angeles officials have said they are concerned about the grant's cost to the district. 

rezoning District 15, diversity, petitions and contacts - my sidewalk chalk blog - nyc school help

rezoning District 15, diversity, petitions and contacts - my sidewalk chalk blog - nyc school help:

rezoning District 15, diversity, petitions and contacts

by joyce

Fascinating information from Michael Kamal about the effects of rezoning on diversity in the schools.

He has a gift for graphs: Historical trends for diversity in the affected schools.
Give your general feedback on this issue to:
Community Superintendent Anita Skop: 718-935-4317, Subject: District 15 zoning, email:ASkop@schools.nyc.gov
Office of Portfolio Management: Subject: District 15 zoning, brooklynzoning@schools.nyc.gov
District 15 Community Education Council (the body which will vote on the proposal in November)CEC15@schools.nyc.gov
Brad Lander, City Council lander@council.nyc.gov.
Sign the petitions here:
"Mayor Bloomberg, NYC Dept. of Education, CEC District 15: Maintain Existing District 15 Zoning and Reject the Proposed Rezoning"
Coalition of Residents for Fair Rezoing

The Weekly Update: Chomsky on Public Education, SWF’s need only apply, a Stand for Children Fail in Chicago and more | Seattle Education

The Weekly Update: Chomsky on Public Education, SWF’s need only apply, a Stand for Children Fail in Chicago and more | Seattle Education:

The Weekly Update: Chomsky on Public Education, SWF’s need only apply, a Stand for Children Fail in Chicago and more

by seattleducation2011

The Weekly Update for the news and views you might have missed

This week we’ll start with EduShyster and their article

Single White Female

Many studies show that young white teachers are fresher and more innovative than their LIFO lifer peers of other races.

The achievement gap is the civil rights issue of our time—which is why it may be necessary for us to destroy a large part of the Black middle class in order to achieve our goal of closing said gap.

During the Chicago Teachers Union strike I encountered a stunning statistic. 

Transform Principals into Instructional Leaders — Whole Child Education

Transform Principals into Instructional Leaders — Whole Child Education:

THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG

Transform Principals into Instructional Leaders

November 2, 2012 by Efrain Mercado

ASCD has released a new report titled Fulfilling the Promise of the Common Core State Standards: Moving from Adoption to Implementation to Sustainabilityilluminating activities educators and policymakers at all levels can undertake to successfully implement the Common Core State Standards across the nation, including "transform principals into instructional leaders."

Until now, principals have been the overlooked constituency as states have sought to gain acceptance of the standards from rank-and-file classroom teachers while simultaneously working with district-level leaders to create systemic supports and reforms aligned to the standards.

However, principals and related administrators hold the power to leverage the Common Core State Standards in schools: they are the linchpins in either delivering or facilitating the delivery of resources and supports to classroom teachers. One of the most pressing needs is to provide powerful resources and professional development to school building leaders.

The stakes have never been higher for principals as they deal with the transition to the Common Core State Standards and the push in many states for principal evaluation. A recent research report published by the Wallace Foundation (PDF) identified five main functions that effective principals perform well:

• Shaping a vision of academic success for all students.

Are Education "Reformers" Becoming Privatizers? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

Are Education "Reformers" Becoming Privatizers? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher:

Are Education "Reformers" Becoming Privatizers?

by Anthony Cody

Quite a few "liberal" education reformers ought to be doing a bit of soul searching these days, as their movement seems to be veering into territory previously occupied by segregationists and anti-union business and political leaders. Diane Ravitch has begun calling people whom we used to know as "education reformers" by the more loaded term "privatizers."
In California, we are seeing where this path is leading some of our state's most prominent "liberal" politicians, and it is not pretty. The former state senate Democratic majority leader, Gloria Romero, has become the "face" of Proposition 32, an initiative funded by the Koch brothers, which will disallow unions from making political contributions. The initiative has language that makes it appear even-handed, but due to court decisions such as Citizens United, corporations will continue to have few limits on their ability to make contributions.
Education reform has long been an easy ticket to political credibility for liberals. But in the past, this meant

UPDATE: Diane in the Evening 11-2-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

Diane Ravitch's blog:

Big $$$ to Convince Bridgeport Voters to Abandon Democracy

by dianerav

Connecticut blogger and political insider Jonathan Pelto broke the story:
Corporate reformers and privatizers have poured record amounts of campaign cash into Bridgeport, Connecticut, to persuade voters to turn control over their schools to the mayor.
One of the big givers was NYC Mayor Bloomberg, who gave $25,000 to help Mayor Finch gain control over the 

NYC Marathon Cancelled

by dianerav

Responding to growing outrage, Mayor Bloomberg reluctantly canceled the annual marathon scheduled for Sunday.
Hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers have no power, heat or water.
First responders are still recovering bodies of victims.
The city is not ready to celebrate.

What Can We Learn from PISA?

by dianerav

Pat Buoncristiani raises interesting questions about what can be learned from PISA.
Some nations see the international tests as a giant race, and their leaders all want to be number 1. This leads to more and more testing, but not the kind of thoughtful education policies that prepare young people to live in the world. There are no jobs that require bubbling-in skills.
If we could forget the horse race, we might learn what top-performing nations do and sort through it.
Pat is alarmed that New York State is blowing away $32 million on testing. How do you think she would feel about Texas spending nearly $500 million for the same testing?

This Is What the Public Library Does in a Crisis

by dianerav

I recently met Tony Marx, the president of the New York Public Library (and former President of Amherst College).
As you know, New York City is in the midst of a terrible crisis following Hurricane Sandy. Hundreds of thousands of people are without heat, hot water, electricity, or food.
Guess where many are finding refuge?
I received the following email from Tony Marx just minutes ago:
“I am here at Mid-Manhattan [a major branch library] which like 61 branches is open for second day despite 

NYC’s Disrespect for Its Teachers and Principals

by dianerav

A reader in NYC writes:
Diane,
People in Staten Island, which is the borough with the greatest loss of life, is getting very little assistance compared to lower Manhattan. Some areas are not getting food or water. Those people are desperate. When Bloomberg said yesterday that temps in the low 50s is not cold, I wanted to slap him through the TV since this is the same man who had a window-sized air conditioner installed in his SUV so the interior can remain cool during the summer when it’s parked outside City Hall. But the marathon will go on. I suppose if people from 

Angry! (But grateful to be back on line, worried for the 239,000 who aren’t and the thousands who have lost so much) - Wait, What?

Angry! (But grateful to be back on line, worried for the 239,000 who aren’t and the thousands who have lost so much) - Wait, What?:

Angry! (But grateful to be back on line, worried for the 239,000 who aren’t and the thousands who have lost so much)

by jonpelto

But since there are still a few days until Election Day, I’d like to re-post a comment that I made earlier this week on Facebook, thanks to the generator at the local community center.

Let us take a moment to IMAGINE a world in which instead of giving $115 million in taxpayer funds to hedge fund criminals, or tens of millions to UBS who then lay-off 10,000 people or giving scarce public funds to the carrion-birds called “ticket-re-sellers,” all the while postponing vital transportation projects so the money could be shifted to the transportation fund to cover up the deficit in the General Fund, we actually invested in real infrastructure upgrades like burying key electric lines or creating these so-called micro-grids.

Yes, there would still be many people who would have lost power.  There might even be 

Jersey Jazzman: NJDOE Meddles In Local Politics

Jersey Jazzman: NJDOE Meddles In Local Politics:

NJDOE Meddles In Local Politics

by Duke

Not even superstorm Sandy can calm the rancor in Perth Amboy's schools:

A final decision from the state assistant education commissioner on a judge’s ruling upholding the school board’s May vote to place Superintendent of Schools Janine Walker Caffrey on administrative leave has been delayed.

On Wednesday, Board of Education President Samuel Lebreault said the board received a decision from the assistant state education commissioner that sent the case back to the administrative law judge because certain issues required further study.

“We are disappointed by the delay that these proceedings will pose to implementation of the lawful will of this board and we are confident that we ultimately will prevail,” Lebreault said.

So the duly elected local school board made a personnel decision. An administrative judge upheld their decision. 

NYC DOE Stop the colocation of a Success Academy in the Washington Irving HS Campus Coalition for Public Education/Coalición por la Educación Pública

Coalition for Public Education/Coalición por la Educación Pública:

New York City Department of Education: Stop the colocation of a Success Academy in the Washington Irving HS Campus

TO SIGN, GO TO:

https://www.change.org/petitions/new-york-city-department-of-education-stop-the-colocation-of-a-success-academy-in-the-washington-irving-hs-campus

Petition by SOS from Eva

1. Six expanding high schools already reside in the building, with only one shared cafeteria and limited gym space.

2. Placing an elementary school in the building, which will occupy three floors, will divert resources from the growing high-need populations already established in the building.

3. An elementary school can not collaborate to strengthen the community and share resources in a campus of 

New York State Graduation Rates for Black, Hispanic Boys Lowest in Nation

By Melissa Russo and Tom Burke Monday, Sep 24, 2012 
October 30, 2012  •  wnbc.com
New York State with 266,933 Black males only graduates 37% from high school in four years versus 78% for White males

For African-American and Hispanic male students, New York has the worst four-year high school graduation rate in the 

NYC Public School Parents: Update on plans for Monday and tragic losses suffered due to storm

NYC Public School Parents: Update on plans for Monday and tragic losses suffered due to storm:

Update on plans for Monday and tragic losses suffered due to storm

by Leonie Haimson

Jessie and her dog, Max

After a week of disruption due to Hurricane Sandy, NYC public schools are due to restart on Monday.  Yet according to Schoolbook, forty-four school buildings were severely damaged, and students at those schools will likely be relocated to other buildings on Monday. The DOE is supposed to announce which schools will NOT re-open and the re-location sites, hopefully soon.  Check back here or goschools.nyc.gov for further updates.

Meanwhile, many families across NYC have suffered due to the storm.  One of the worst tragedies are the deaths of Jessie Streich-Kest and her friend Jacob Vogelman, who were struck by a falling tree while walking Jessie’s dog on Monday night in Ditmas Park. Jessie was a teaching fellow at Bushwick School for Social Justice; Jacob a theater design student at 

Is Distance Education Opposed to Face-To-Face Education? | Education | M.A.Escotet

Is Distance Education Opposed to Face-To-Face Education? | Education | M.A.Escotet:

Is Distance Education Opposed to Face-To-Face Education?

by Miguel Angel Escotet

Open education is particularly characterized by the removal of restrictions, exclusions and privileges; by the accreditation of students’ previous ex­perience; by the flexibility of the management of the time variable; and by substantial changes in the traditional relationship between professors and students. On the other hand, distance or virtual education is a modality which permits the delivery of a group of didactic media without the necessity of regular class participation or face-to-face interaction, where the individual is responsible for his own learning.

However, there exists a similar use of both terms as a result of the transfer to other countries of the concept which originally was produced in England, derived from the term ‘University of the Air’ and reinforced by other concepts such as ‘lifelong learning’, ‘permanent education’, ‘endless edu­cation’, etc. The transition which the English leaders made with the terms University of the Air and Open University is a product of a reorientation of the objectives 

ARE LAUSD TARGETED TEACHER STILL UTLA UNION MEMBERS WITH RIGHTS? - Perdaily.com

ARE LAUSD TARGETED TEACHER STILL UTLA UNION MEMBERS WITH RIGHTS? - Perdaily.com:

ARE LAUSD TARGETED TEACHER STILL UTLA UNION MEMBERS WITH RIGHTS?

by Leonard Isenberg

(Mensaje se repite en Español)

(For a national view of public education reform see the end of this blog post)

There is an interesting practice that UTLA engages in vis a vis teachers that have been targeted on bogus charges for removal by LAUSD, e.g. rubber room and others. This practice consists of UTLA depriving teachers put on "unpaid administrative leave" by LAUSD- pending a hearing- of all rights as union members. During the last election of UTLA officers, I was able to vote in the initial election, which took place before LAUSD put me on "unpaid administrative leave," but UTLA would not let me vote in the runoffs, even though there had been no adjudication of my culpability of any of the bogus charges that LAUSD had brought against me. I can understand this kind of reprehensible behavior from LAUSD, but why is UTLA rubber stamping LAUSD action against its members without any due process of law or the assumption 

UPDATE: Disenfranchising the old folks in the IEA. « Fred Klonsky

Disenfranchising the old folks in the IEA. « Fred Klonsky:

Disenfranchising the old folks in the IEA.

by Fred Klonsky

I’ve been to every state convention of the IEA for the past twenty years.
I won’t be a delegate at the next one.
It’s not that I don’t want to sit through four days of meetings, speeches and bad food.
I can’t.
The deadline for nominations for IEA-Retired is past. I never got a copy of the nominations form in the mail (yes, the  IEA still does these things by mail).
Ballots went out this week. I didn’t get one of those either.
I don’t take this personally. Even as a critic of the leadership, I don’t

Ten minute drawing. IEA Communications.

by Fred Klonsky

Click on drawing to enlarge.

Des Moines Education Association: Just Let Me Teach!

Des Moines Education Association: Just Let Me Teach!:

Just Let Me Teach!

by Andrew Rasmussen

A teacher group in Indiana has gained some attention in education circles for little black wristbands they have created. (LINK) On the wristbands is a simple request, “Just let me teach!” The wristbands are the brainchild of 35 year old Indiana teacher Justin Oakley. He is 10 year veteran of teaching and also the president of his local teacher’s association. He created the wristbands because he had grown tired of so-called school reformers telling teachers how to do their jobs. The “Just Let Me Teach” wristbands have become a hot item, leading to a Facebook page with 1,240 likes and sales of over 4,000 wristbands to teachers across the country. (LINK) So what has led so many teachers to snatch up these wristbands? The answer is a loss of professional autonomy.

When I started my teaching career 17 years ago, it was a much different world. Teachers were seen as professionals who were allowed to use their creativity to produce countless numbers of approaches to provide learning opportunities that fit the diversity of the children they served. I taught the same subject, Civics, but every 

Seattle Times Buries Info that is Critical of Initiative I-1240 | Seattle Education

Seattle Times Buries Info that is Critical of Initiative I-1240 | Seattle Education:

Seattle Times Buries Info that is Critical of Initiative I-1240

Posted on November 2, 2012 by seattleducation2011 | Leave a comment

Over at the Seattle-McKenna Times, the ‘copy editors’ continue to allow errors in the headlines of stories that contain negative viewpoints on I-1240, the pro-charter initiative its publishers support.

Take a look: The headline in yesterday’s Letters section about the charter school initiative(1240) erroneously lists the number for the legalizing marijuana initiative (502).

See: Initiative 502: Charter schools in Washington state

It’s hard to believe this is accidental. There are layers of editors and copy editors and the writers themselves who all could have and should have caught