Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Letters to the Sun-Times

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Letters to the Sun-Times:

Letters to the Sun-Times

by Mike Klonsky

Steven L. Kispetik, Portage Park

CPS closings devastating for my son 

Thank you so very much, Chicago Public Schools, for erasing all the progress my son has made with his behavioral/emotional disorders while at Near North Special Education School, which will be closed next week. The anxiety of the closing has caused him to revert to several of his old destructive and disobedient ways.
Prior to the announcement of the school closing, he was doing the best he has ever done, with the support of the Near North staff. He was scoring high and on a Gold level almost daily for several weeks. Since then, he has dropped down to the second-to-last level on the behavior charts and constantly talks about how he won’t see his teacher, Mr. Cunningham, again...  READ THE REST HERE.

CTU Pres. Karen Lewis

Karen Lewis: Time for investment, not austerity 

We are on the cusp of massive reductions in library, art, music and special 

Board Members Ask Deasy To Explain Himself - LA School Report

Board Members Ask Deasy To Explain Himself - LA School Report:

Board Members Ask Deasy To Explain Himself

from LA School Report by Hillel Aron

John Deasy, left, Bennett Kayser, right, at a press conference in May

Some members of the School Board have sent Superintendent John Deasy a letter asking him to clarify comments deriding a Board-passed spending resolution and indicating his plans to include a targeted funding resolution that was not passed by the Board.
“They can’t stop me from doing it,” Deasy said in comments made to LA School Report earlier this week.
Sarah Bradshaw, the chief of staff to Board member Bennett Kayser, told LA School Report she was “surprised” to read the comments, which she called “distressing.”
Kayser and Deasy are on opposite sides of nearly every issue, and animosity has existed between Deasy and 

Diane in the Evening 6-21-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all:

Today is the Day! 5 Million Page Views on This Blog

by dianerav

Today, the blog recorded 5 million page views!
The blog started April 24, 2012. That’s about 14 months ago.
Wow.
As you know, the blog has no advertisements, no funding, and no staff. Just me.
I plan to keep it that way.
Thank you for making the blog a place where everyone who cares about improving education, defending childhood, respecting the dignity of the education profession, and supporting public education has a safe place to converse.
Thank you for agreeing and disagreeing and, with rare exceptions, respecting the basic rules of civility.

How Kevin Huffman Will Cut Teacher Salaries

from Diane Ravitch's blog by dianerav

In his relentless effort to raise teacher quality in Tennessee, Kevin Huffman will cut the salaries of most new teachers.
The ax will fall most heavily on teachers who get an advanced degree.
You see, the way to improve 

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 6-21-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] L.A.: The Context for Steve Zimmer’s Defense of Class Size Reduction by dianerav Last night I blogged about the recent meeting of the LAUSD school board and pointed out Steve Zimmer’s eloquent defense of class size limits. The high point of his six-minute statement was when he compared the class sizes in L.A. public schools–40 or more–with the class sizes in local charter schools, which boast of 20 or so. He did it dramatically, reading out the names of each char... more »

Attracting the Best and Brightest to Teaching

Attracting the Best and Brightest to Teaching:

Attracting the Best and Brightest to Teaching

by Richard Long

Quick: List the most important jobs in America.  Odds are “teacher” made that list.  

According to a Harris Interactive Poll, teachers ranked among the five most prestigious jobs in America. That is why Lee Iacocca, former president and CEO of Chrysler said, “In a completely rational society, the best of us would be teachers and the rest of us would have to settle for something less, because passing civilization along from one generation to the next ought to be the highest honor and the highest responsibility anyone could have.”  

Yet today we face a struggle in recruiting and keeping our best and brightest into the teaching profession.After I graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2011, I was a City Year Corps Member in Washington, D.C. public schools.  I have been on the ground in these schools, I have seen the teachers and befriended them, and I know their struggles.  From my experience, the most pertinent issues that might deter college students from being teachers and keeping quality young teachers in that field are the cost of their degrees compared to the financial benefits and the constant barrage of testing that they will face and be judged upon.

With the rising costs of college and the current state of the jobs market, potential pay 

NYC Educator: Ms. Tisch and the Brilliant Innovation

NYC Educator: Ms. Tisch and the Brilliant Innovation:

Ms. Tisch and the Brilliant Innovation

by NYC Educator

Thank goodness we have Meryl Tisch making policy for us. In the old days, we would have students taking Regents exams, and kids would give the exams to their teachers. Then, the teachers would grade them. This was a terrible system. First of all, no technology was involved. Secondly, no corporations made money from this. And worst of all, every single teacher in the world is a lying, worthless, conniving. self-serving fraud who cares about nothing but appearance.

Because of this, we now have a far better system. First of all, we've paid McGraw-Hill 8 million bucks to scan all the tests. That's a huge improvement. Not only have we given a corporation millions of dollars, but we've also managed to add the element of scanning thousands and thousands of papers. This, clearly, is a great improvement.

Unfortunately, the parents, students and teachers are failing to get on board with this, simply because it's taking an inordinate amount of time for them to get their grades. When are they gonna sit down and figure this isn't about their selfish needs, but about business? We're finally able to take the money we used to fritter away on teacher salaries and classroom supplies and invest it in America's lifeblood--corporations.

The only real drawbacks are that the scanning is taking a long, long time, that teachers are sitting in front of 

National PTA installing first African American male president:

National PTA installing first African American male president

By Valerie Strauss, Published: June 21, 2013 at 1:10 pmE-mail the writer

Otha Thornton (PTA)

The National PTA is installing its first African American male and a veteran of the Iraq war as its president this weekend.

Otha Thornton, a senior operations analyst with General Dynamics in Fort Stewart, Ga., and a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, will become the leader of the National Parent Teacher Association after years of being involved with the organization in Georgia, Maryland, Michigan, Texas and Germany.

The PTA is holding its annual convention in Cincinnati, where Thornton will be installed Sunday. He earned the Bronze Star Medal for exceptional performance in combat operations during Operation Iraqi Freedom 2009-2010.

Thornton once served as vice president and president of the Parent Teacher Student Association at Fort Meade in Maryland and has been a volunteer at other schools.

The PTA is the country’s largest parent involvement organization, with nearly 26,000 local units in every state as well as the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and the Department of Defense Schools overseas.

The ‘neovoucher strategy’ (and why it didn’t work in New Hampshire):

The ‘neovoucher strategy’ (and why it didn’t work in New Hampshire)

By Valerie Strauss, Published: June 21, 2013 at 12:15 pmE-mail the writer

“Neovouchers” is the term that Kevin Welner, director of the National Education Policy Center at the University of Colorado Boulder School of Education, has given to private school tax credit programs. Earlier this week, a judge in New Hampshire ruled that the part of tax-credit program that allows public money to be used for religious school education violates the state constitution. Here’s a piece by Welner on what happened in New Hampshire that has ramifications beyond that state’s borders.

By Kevin Welner

If I wrote a lousy screenplay, I probably shouldn’t then complain about how awful the play is as I watched the actors reciting their lines. So I was amused to see advocates complaining about how a judge in New Hampshire this week struck down that state’sneovoucher law insofar as it funds religious schools.

Here’s what happened. A year ago, then-governor John Lynch of New Hampshire vetoed a bill (Senate Bill 372) that set up a system whereby money that businesses owe to the state in taxes could be diverted to private organizations that would repackage the money and 

Teachers' union ad rips Corbett for building prison amid schools crisis | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

Teachers' union ad rips Corbett for building prison amid schools crisis | Philadelphia Public School Notebook:

Teachers' union ad rips Corbett for building prison amid schools crisis

by thenotebook

Popout
by Sonia Giebel
Philadelphia Federation of Teachers has been airing a radio ad criticizing Gov. Corbett and his fellow politicians for building a $400 million prison – complete with air-conditioned cells, classrooms, and a librarian – at a time when Philadelphia's schools are being cut to the bone.
read more

UPDATE Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Juneteenth Mayoral Forum and talk of Seattle Schools

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Juneteenth Mayoral Forum and talk of Seattle Schools:

Start Time Petition

by Charlie Mas

There are lots and lots of great reasons for Seattle Public Schools to swap around the start times for school so that elementary school starts earlier and middle and high school starts later.

A group called Start School Later Seattle has is looking for a resounding show of support for moving secondary schools to a later start time. They have created a petition. You can express your support for the effort by signing the petition at: http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/later-start-time-for?mailing_id=13345

Good Stuff for Kids this Weekend

by Melissa Westbrook

Honk! Fest West.  

HONK! Fest West is a free, three-day, community-supported music festival devoted to marching bands, drum corps, samba lines, and anything acoustic and mobile that makes a ruckus. We revel in celebration of street band culture by taking mirth and music to the streets and parks of Seattle.
Always family-friendly, always free :: fanciful costumery and audience participation are *highly* encouraged!

HONK! Fest West 2013, Seattle’s free festiva

When to Talk to Kids about (Gulp!) Porn

by Melissa Westbrook

Seattle's Child has a worthwhile article on this topic.  You can say, "Well, I haven't even talked about sex, no less porn."

My reaction is that we are growing up in a very different time than when we grew up vis a vis the access to these kinds of media.  There is a good chance that if your child has access to a computer, they may accidentally (or on purpose) view porn.  (Did you know that whitehouse.com is a porn site?  Yeah, your child is doing research, puts in the wrong letters and there you are.)

Seattle Juneteenth Mayoral Forum and talk of Seattle Schools

by Melissa Westbrook

From the Times:

The candidates who were there had some tough talk for Seattle Public Schools. State Sen. Ed Murray said if he were mayor, he would forge a new partnership with the school district to increase the graduation rate.

“The school district has to change,” he said, vowing to make improvements in the graduation rate and how money is targeted — or, he said, “Please yell at me and vote me out of office.”
  
Usually, the school district blames the state Legislature for district problems, so it was interesting to hear that.

Ed Murray is my senator and yes, I am a bit surprised to hear him say this.  He hasn't said a lot about Seattle schools in any pre-mayor bid venue.  His advocacy has been limited (and appreciated) to the Legislature.  Without specifics, this isn't much (and I'm still waiting to interview him so we'll see).

Also, note to the Times, the district does not blame the Legislature for all its problems; just the funding ones. 

NAESP's 92nd Annual Convention & Exposition 2013

NAESP's 92nd Annual Convention & Exposition 2013:

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This summer, join some of the smartest thinkers in elementary school education and stay ahead of the dynamic changes taking place at the national level. With more than 100 sessions to choose from, this is where you’ll find engaging speakers and like-minded colleagues eager to share solutions on areas such as: Teacher recruitment and retention Integration of the new Common Core Standards Leading school change and improving student learning Running the best possible building – from the cafeteria to the parking lot Baltimore will be a magnet for the most inspired and motivated elementary school principals, assistant principals, teachers, superintendents, and experts in the nation. And that includes you.

Freeman Hrabowski  Opening Keynote Speaker  Creating a Climate of Success for All Students Adam Sáenz Closing Keynote Speaker The Power of a Teacher

Pre-Conference Workshops (July 10) Three educational superstars present dynamic half-day workshops. These are limited to 150 attendees, so sign up now! Robert Marzano: Measuring and Developing Teacher Effectiveness Alan November: Figuring out the Pieces of the Common Core Daniel Pink: Powering Student Learning Through Arts-Infused Education Community Service Day On July 10, help build a playground at a local elementary school. Jeans & Jerseys On July 10, You're invited to wear your favorite team jersey, enjoy live music, food, silent auction and more at this festive NAESP Foundation fundraiser that benefits student leadership programs! Welcome to Baltimore Bash On July 11, at the Renaissance Harborplace Hotel (our welcome receptions are legendary!). Teacher Leader Day  This special program on July 13 provides a full day of focused professional development to inspire and improve the skills of teacher leaders. School and district team discounts are available.

When Students Own the "Why" — Whole Child Education

When Students Own the "Why" — Whole Child Education:

THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG

When Students Own the “Why”

June 21, 2013 by Klea Scharberg

This clip presents several ways teachers have structured learning around big ideas and conceptual patterns so that students can connect to a compelling "why," or reason for doing something. Students design the criteria for assignments and take roles and responsibilities within each assignment to see it to its completion. Students or teachers can identify a real-world problem to work on, and technology can provide new avenues for students to collaborate and express their thinking. Learn more with ASCD Express.

Source: 21st Century Skills: Promoting Creativity and Innovation in the Classroom (DVD), 2009, Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Common Core, common politics: Can someone throw a bucket of... | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com

Common Core, common politics: Can someone throw a bucket of... | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com:

Get Schooled: Common Core, common politics: Can someone throw a bucket of water on Cobb board?

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Georgia math standards align fully with Common Core

Previous Posts

• Federal guidelines on school safety: Don't arm educators 
  June 20, 2013
• Now Gingrey wants schools to teach kids how to be gender appropriate? 
  June 19, 2013
• School sacks 12-year-old girl's football dream. Bad call? 
  June 19, 2013

By Maureen Downey

Can someone please fill a bucket with cold water and throw it on the Cobb County school board? 

During a time of furloughs and larger classes, Cobb is considering squandering $2 million to redesign middle and middle and high school math books to eliminate all icons that reference the "Common Core Georgia Performance Standards."

The AJC reports that it's one of three proposals by administrators to get the board past a political stalemate. 

Let me say it again: At a time when school districts are scouring under sofa cushions to find pennies to pay their bills, the Cobb Board of Education is weighing spending $2 million for a symbolic rejection of the Common Core State Standards.

I use the word “symbolic” because the math standards in Common Core are the same ones adopted by Georgia in its own performance standards. In objective reviews, including one I 

Thinking About Schools: Graduation Gift - An Insurance Policy

Thinking About Schools: Graduation Gift - An Insurance Policy:

Graduation Gift - An Insurance Policy

They say – you know – the infamous “they” say that most people won’t remember a graduation speech a few days or weeks after hearing it.  “Sorry” (to the speakers behind me on the stage).  As for me, that is perfectly ok if you don’t remember this speech because I expect there will be a time when you will in the future.

 

You see, in about ten or twenty years, when you are filming a compelling but controversial documentary – arguing a case in front of the Supreme Court – saving a life from a burning building – writing a letter to the editor - filing a patent for your latest invention – or teaching middle school social studies - - and when all of you are pursuing your dreams there will be a moment when you recall this speech. 

 

Why?  Because this speech is about the insurance policy included in your envelope with your diploma - the most valuable insurance policy you will ever acquire, require or aspire. 

 

What does it insure?  It promotes domestic tranquility. It establishes justice. It 

6-21-13 @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

@ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER:

Good friend “Teacher Nicole” from WI explains common in #commoncore

by Chalk Face, PhD

Here’s her post on CCSS, as an actual educator for ELL/ESL students. We’ve interviewed her on At the Chalk Face, I need to dig those up. Look back here later. She’s great.

education activists gather, talk, strategize: reclaim the conversation

by Barbara Madeloni

On May 4, 2013 a group of educators, parents, students, and community activists gathered at Barnard College to share their experiences within the assault on public education, draw connections of understanding, strengthen ties, and plan actions. One of our first actions was to create the video linked below. In it organizers and participants talk about […]

Did Arne Duncan Give “Reformers” Enough Rope to Hang Themselves?

by John Thompson

The Huffington Post’s Joy Resmovits reports that Secretary of Education Duncan announced a voluntary pause in using test scores in teacher evaluations during the transition to Common Core.  She explains that the new policy is seen by some as a “tacit recognition of the Obama administration’s overreach into nitty-gritty management of America’s schools.” Of course, I […]

6-20-13 @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

mike simpson at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago

@ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: [image: gears] At the Chalk Face is back, this Sunday, June 23rd, 6PM EST by Chalk Face, PhD At the Chalk Face is back, this Sunday, June 23rd at 6PM EST. Educated educators talking education, this time on the recent NCTQ report on teacher preparation. Remember, we are at the helm in the BTR chatroom, live tweeting @thechalkface, and you can always call in to speak with us live, 805-727-7111. Tagged: at the […] Does this qualify as “intimidation” from NCTQ? Watch out #highered and #teacherprep by Chalk Face, PhD I received an email message ... more »