Tom Torlakson Appoints New EDMD DIrector - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education)

Tom Torlakson Appoints New EDMD DIrector - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education):

State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Appoints New Director of the
Educational Data Management Division

SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today announced the appointment of Cindy Kazanis as the new director of the California Department of Education's (CDE) Educational Data Management Division.

"Over her years with the Department of Education, Cindy has exhibited a much appreciated level of expertise and dedication to our work serving the students of California," Torlakson said. "Having solid data in hand is vital to that work, and I'm delighted that Cindy will be helping oversee those efforts."

Cindy has over 10 years of experience working with the CDE, having served as the manager of the Federal Program Monitoring Office, a deputy superintendent, an executive office manager, and special advisor to the state superintendent. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and political science from The George Washington University and her Master of Public Administration from Syracuse University.

As director, of the Educational Data Management Division, Kazanis will be a key advisor to leaders of the California Department of Education on compliance monitoring and operation of CDE's major data systems including the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System, the Consolidated Application and Reporting System, and the California Accountability and Improvement System.

She replaces Keric Ashley, who was recently appointed director of CDE's Analysis, Measurement and Accountability Reporting Division.

For additional information please visit the Educational Data Management Division, which collects and manages data from districts and schools, and assists the field using technology to improve learning.

# # # #

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

Big Education Ape - Mid Day Banana Break 1-9-13 #soschat #edreform

Big Education Ape - Mid Day Banana Break

Maryland's Race To The Top Problems, Rhee In Tennessee: Ed Tonight

by Joy Resmovits

Race to the Top: Is Maryland in trouble? Maryland won $250 million from the federal government's Race to the Top competition -- but according to the feds, Maryland isn't holding its end of the bargain. According to a December 6 letter from the U.S. Education Department (noted by Politics K12 today), the government is adding new conditions on $37.9 million of the winnings -- a solid chunk! E.D. is concerned about the school districts' ability to implement the state's RTTT promises. The letter also chided the state for an insufficient use of information from students' standardized tests in high school teacher evaluations. More here.

Labor Sec. Solis out -- who's in?The White House announced Wednesday that after four years with the Obama administration, Labor Secretary Hilda Solis is stepping down. "I am grateful to Secretary Solis for her 

Hinz: 'At its core, the Nekritz-Biss bill was a Republican bill'

by Mike Klonsky

The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight

Speaking, one would think, for a significant section of Chicago corporatists, Crain's Greg Hinz comes out swinging with his post mortem on the failed pension heist -- swinging at everyone he can think of. And even though he's on the wrong side on the pension battle, he still makes some cogent points:

On the Legislature: "...a true witch's brew of ego, greed, arrogance, irresponsibility and plain old political cowardice. But, I guess, what else could you expect from a General Assembly that now includes no fewer than three members awaiting criminal trial on felony 

Big Florida School District Board “Very Uncomfortable” With Teacher Evaluation System

by Bob Sikes

From Karen Yi in the Sun Sentinel:

School officials in Palm Beach County say they’re still uneasy about the district’s new way of evaluating teachers.
They worry the system that kicked in last year and will be tied to teacher pay by 2014, is borderline punitive and could lead to unfair scores for teachers.
Board member Frank Barbieri said if 187 different principals at 187 different schools don’t score in 

Important posts from Glen and John.

by Fred Klonsky

From my two amigos.
John Dillon:

Before making the first attempts to paddle the English Channel back in the late 1800’s, would-be swimmers used to sail large buoyant bags of reeds or plants to make sure it was possible or that tides would actually help bring them across the oftentimes 30 or more mile course.  After that, the swimmers themselves would 

Guitar Hero? No. Musician.

by Nancy Flanagan

Meet Jon Schwartz and his creative work using the blues to teach just about everything. Jon, his ideas and his students are what "school" can and should be. I love the stories he shares he about using music in deep and rich learning.
Last year I surprised my first grade students by bringing an electric guitar to class. They had no idea that their teacher used to be a professional gigging musician, and I figured jamming for them would elicit a yearning for live music and hands-on learning about instruments. Before I struck the first chord, an eager student shouted out the first request: "What's your highest score in Guitar Hero?"
When the overwhelming majority of kids linked my guitar to that popular video game, I began to realize what a 

Meet Adell Cothorne

by John Merrow

Adell Cothorne, the former DC principal who appears in our Frontline film, "The Education of Michelle Rhee," was one of the few educators willing to speak on the record about the widespread erasures during Michelle Rhee’s tenure - and what she has to say is important.

D.C. charter board proposes closing Imagine Southeast for poor performance

by Emma Brown

The D.C. Public Charter School Board is proposing to shutter a Ward 8 school for poor performance and will vote on the measure Thursday night.
Imagine Southeast, which serves more than 500 elementary and middle-school students, opened in 2008 and has since failed to meet four of the five goals laid out in its charter agreement, according to the PCSB.
Read full article >>

Connecticut – The State of the State: But what about poverty?

by jonpelto

“Poverty is the worst form of violence.” Gandhi Earlier today, Governor Malloy stood before a joint session of the Connecticut General Assembly and gave a moving State of the State speech, much of it focused on the unimaginable violence that occurred in Newtown. His remarks reminded everyone who heard or read the speech that the [...]

(Read more...)

WHO’S THE REAL COWARD ?

by alkleen

The Chicago Tribune blasted Illinois legislators in its lead editorial today. The title of the editorial was, “The Cowards Surrender”.  The Tribune editorial board was unhappy with legislators for failing to address “pension reform”, and instead appointing a committee to study the issue.
The Tribune needs to include itself in the list of “cowards” when it comes to pension reform. The Tribune has been unmerciful in its almost daily campaign to bash teachers and public employees and yet they have been too cowardly to reveal their real motive for doing so. They have been cowardly because they have never once suggested an increase in revenue as part of a possible pension solution. They have been cowardly in not 

Occupy DOE 2.0: The March for Public Education

by Server

Occupy DOE 2.0: The March for Public Education

Nationally “Branded”:Occupy DOE 2.0: The March for Public Education
Start: April 4, 2013
End: April 7, 2013
Organizer: United Opt Out National
Venue: U.S. Department of Education
Address: 400 Maryland Ave, SW, Washington, DC, 20202, United States
United Opt Out, hosts of the event asks us to please check their Occupy DOE page frequently to stay updated on our planning for our second occupation of the Dept. of Ed. in DC. Please read HERE for our current update as of December 28, 2012. Also, rsvp on Facebook if you plan to attendhttps://www.facebook.com/events/298659770235984/?context=create

To Read About Last Year’s Events, locally and nationally, Please Travel to United Opt-Out and or Occupy the DOE where videos abound 

Opt-Out Day – January 7, 2013

by Server

Opt-Out Day – January 7, 2013

Download a Flyer; Options For Opting Out of Testing

• Opting Out; Just Say No To Testing FairTest.
• Opt Out of States Standardized Tests. The International Movement.
• The Bartleby Project.
• History off Opting Out. Parents Across America Ongoing Series on Opting-Out
• United Opt Out

National Opt-Out Day – January 7, 2013
How will you opt out of corporate education reform on National Opt Out Day? How will you rebuild public schools and resist from within? There are many ways to opt out of corporate education reform through resistance and 

Traditional Human Wisdom of Child Development

by Cooper Zale

For the first 200,000 years of the human species we were all hunter-gatherers, nomadic tribes of people scattered about the Earth living in sync with the natural ecology of our bountiful planet.  It is only in the past 10,000 years, with our development of agriculture and herding, that we developed what we like to call “civilization”, which according to Wikipedia is…

A sometimes controversial term that has been used in several related ways. Primarily, the term has been used to refer to the material and instrumental side of human cultures that are complex in terms of technology, science, and division of labor. Such civilizations are generally hierarchical and

Cuomo Offers Grants for Longer School Days; More Pre-K

by Beth Fertig

newyorkstateofficeofthegovernor on livestream.com. Broadcast Live Free

Credit: Office of Gov. Andrew Cuomo

Taking the lead from recommendations released last week by his education commission, Gov. Andrew Cuomo proposed competitive grants to encourage districts to extend the number of hours in their school year, and state funding for full-day pre-Kindergarten programs in low-income districts.
“We need more learning time, my friends, if we really are serious about improving education,” Cuomo said to applause during his annual State of the State speech in Albany. He said the old agrarian calendar makes no 

Data King Nate Silver Isn't Sold on Evaluating Teachers With Test Scores

Over the past few years one of the most controversial topics in education reform has been measuring teacher effectiveness with standardized tests. Well, on Tuesday, the Jon Stewart-dubbed "Lord and God of the Algorithm," Nate Silver, participated in a Reddit AMA and the top question tackled the issue head-on.
Indeed, user GrEvTh asked Silver, "What are your thoughts on data-driven metrics for teacher evaluation? Do you 

Repeal of education overhaul leaves $30 million on table for Idaho lawmakers

by The Associated Press

There are at least three options for the money that the repeal of public schools chief Tom Luna's education overhaul left stranded ahead of the 2013 Legislature.

A School Voucher by Any Other Name

A School Voucher by Any Other Name:

A School Voucher by Any Other Name

By Heather L. Weaver, ACLU Program on Freedom of Religion and Belief at 11:25am

Thirty million. That’s the amount of tax dollars that could be diverted annually from New Hampshire’s coffers to private schools by the year 2022 if the state is allowed to implement its new Education Tax Credit Program. Under the tax credit program, in exchange for donations to “scholarship organizations,” New Hampshire businesses will receive tax credits equal to 85 percent of the amount they donate. The scholarship organizations, in turn, will use the funds to award scholarships to private school students, including those attending religious schools. In short, rather than paying their taxes to the state, businesses will instead be able to direct money owed to the state toward religious education.

By 2033, the total could grow as high as $300 million annually. Because the vast majority of that government aid would go to private religious schools, which are free to use the funds for religious discrimination and indoctrination, the ACLU and New Hampshire Civil Liberties Union, along with Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, filed a lawsuit today in state court seeking to halt implementation of the program.

In the first year alone, the Department of Revenue Administration is authorized to award up to $3.4 million in tax credits, and in subsequent years, the amount of taxes due to the state that can be diverted to private schools could increase by up to 25 percent annually. As public school students receive scholarships 

Education reform as a business:

Education reform as a business

Posted by Valerie Strauss on January 9, 2013 at 11:59 am

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Did you know that the education sector now represents nearly 9 percent of the country’s gross domestic product? That for-profit education is valued at $1.3 trillion, and is one of the largest U.S. investment markets?

These facts were part of an advertisement for a conference for investors in for-profit education ventures, just one example of how much the profit motive has entered into the public education arena. The conference is one of two examples of how school reform has become little more than a business in some arenas (and just how removed some reformers have gotten from classrooms and the actual dynamic of teaching and learning).

If you had wanted to attend this conference for private equity investing in for-profit education companies, you missed it, (but you did save the walk-in fee of $1,495). Featured at the conference were “20 education experts,” none of whom are actually teachers.

 Attention – Middle-Market Private Equity

& Mezzanine Investors & Lenders

 Private Equity Investing in

For-Profit Education Companies

How Breakdowns in Traditional Models

& Applications of New Technologies

Are Driving Change

ENCORE ROUNDTABLE

 CHAIRED BY

Harold Levy, Managing Director
Palm Ventures

 FULL-DAY CONFERENCE

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

8:00 am – 5:00 pm
New York City

Designed to Meet the Needs of GPs, LPs, & Managers of Buyout, Growth Equity, Mezzanine, & Lending Funds, as Well as Independent Sponsors, Operating Partners, Portfolio Company Managers, and the Bankers, Lawyers, Accountants, & Other Advisors Who Support Them

 Private equity investing in for-profit education is soaring, and for good reason — the public and non-profit models are profoundly broken.

 This is why for-profit education is one of the largest U.S. investment markets, currently topping $1.3 trillion in value.

 Look at the current state of K-12 public education. School districts across the U.S. are 

The Time Is Now: Make the Case for Educating the Whole Child — Whole Child Education

The Time Is Now: Make the Case for Educating the Whole Child — Whole Child Education:

THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG

The Time Is Now: Make the Case for Educating the Whole Child

January 9, 2013 by Klea Scharberg

Whether you are a parent, educator, or community member, you can help turn political rhetoric about "investing in the future of our children" into reality. Join ASCD in helping your school, district, and community move from a vision for educating the whole child to sustainable, collaborative action. States and school districts across the country are adopting policies and practices to better educate the whole child, but we can do more.

Updated with critical research and real world examples of education policies and practices that ensure students are healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged, Making the Case for Educating the Whole Child (PDF) is a free advocacy tool you can use as you work with policymakers, the media, and other groups. You can also add your local statistics and success stories so that decision makers in your community understand the difference a whole child education can make.

As you're building your case, you can

• Find examples of a whole child approach from around the world on our interactive Whole Child Examples Map.
• Assess your current practices using the ASCD School Improvement Tool and discover evidence-based strategies that support the whole child in the areas of school climate and culture, curriculum and instruction, assessment, leadership, and family and community engagement.
• Stay updated with social media! Like the Whole Child Initiative on Facebook and follow us on Twitter@wholechildadv.

Together we can change the face of education policy and practice. Make the case for why we need to educate the whole child now.

School Tech Connect: Data Driven-- Data Quality Be Damned!

School Tech Connect: Data Driven-- Data Quality Be Damned!:

Data Driven-- Data Quality Be Damned!

by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman)

The most helpful map I've ever seen. 

All-around intelligent person Josh Kalov has taken the Apples to Apples school utilization data and turned it into a visually awesome side-by-side comparison. Basically, you're looking at what CPS says about building utilization and comparing it what the open-source data gatherers working with Apples to Apples say, and you can see where these buildings are around the city.

I would explain how to create these kinds of things using Google Fusion Tables, but that would require me to pretend like I'm capable of understanding it. I generally reserve that kind of thing for meetings at work.

So, on the one hand, you have the pretty-much-for-sure incorrect data that the Board or Commission or Rahm or whoever is going to use to close schools, versus an open-sourced, totally honest and self-critical study that uses more logical numbers, and as far as I can tell, more accurate numbers, as well as an easy-to-understand 

Immigrant Students in Our Classrooms: "Always Scared" - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

Immigrant Students in Our Classrooms: "Always Scared" - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher:

Immigrant Students in Our Classrooms: "Always Scared"

by Anthony Cody

A recent report, Legal Violence in the Lives of Immigrants, from the Center from American Progress, written by Cecilia Menjivar and Leisy Abrego, documents the impact of law enforcement directed at our nation's eleven million undocumented immigrants.
First, the brutal facts. Nearly 400,000 people a year have been deported since 2009. States like Arizona and Alabama have passed harsh laws that require local law enforcement officers to crack down on anyone whose status might be questionable. The "Secure Communities" program allows participating county jails to check the immigration status of anyone that enters. If you are in this country without documentation, you live in a state of constant fear.
The US is now spending $18 billion a year enforcing immigration laws - more than other federal law enforcement combined.
There are sixteen million people living in families that include someone without documents. Many of these are 

Diane in the Evening 1-9-13 Diane Ravitch's blog

Diane Ravitch's blog:

Will Massachusetts Open a Charter to Skim $$ from a Great Public School?

by dianerav

Brockton High School has been hailed as one of the best high schools in the nation, celebrated for its excellent programs and high test scores. What makes its success especially impressive is that the school has 4,100 students and a large immigrant population.
Now enters the SABIS for-profit charter chain, seeking to compete with Brockton High School. In this report, 

Bruce Baker on Rheeformy Logic & Goofball Rating Schemes

by dianerav

Bruce Baker has prepared what may be the most devastating critique of Michelle Rhee’s absurd state rankings. The criteria are without merit, as are her policy ideas.
Best of all, Bruce says he is eager to see some well-known reformers move to Louisiana to take advantage of the schools that Rhee gave top billing in her report.

Hari Sevugan Responds, But Not Here

by dianerav

A few days ago, I posted a letter from Hari Sevugan on this site, in which he defended Michelle Rhee’s agenda of privatization and high-stakes testing.
I invited him to post again. I wrote:
“I hope he will write again to explain why he thinks that Rhee’s support for for-profit charters, for vouchers, and for the agenda of rightwing governors helps our society’s most vulnerable children.”
Rhee has worked closely with Governor Scott Walker, Governor John Kasich, Governor Rick Scott, and other 

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 1-9-13 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Leave a Comment on PBS Frontline Page by dianerav If you watched the PBS documentary on “The Education of Michelle Rhee,” you should let PBS know what you thought of the program. You can leave a comment here or elsewhere on the website. The (D)Evolution of Denver’s Pay-for-Performance Model by dianerav Jeannie Kaplan is an elected member of the Denver school board. Denver is one of the major sites for corporate reform. Several commenters have asked about Denver’s pay-for-performance plan. I invited Kaplan ... more »