Teachers association to call for Dallas ISD Superintendent Mike Miles’ termination at news conference | Dallas Morning News

Teachers association to call for Dallas ISD Superintendent Mike Miles’ termination at news conference | Dallas Morning News:

Teachers association to call for Dallas ISD Superintendent Mike Miles’ termination at news conference

By Tawnell Hobbs
thobbs@dallasnews.com
5:04 pm on September 18, 2013 | Permalink

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Another Broadie, Mike Miles class of 2011, bites the dust?

The Alliance-AFT teachers association in Dallas is planning a news conference on Thursday to formally call for the firing of Dallas ISD Superintendent Mike Miles.

The announcement will come the day that trustees meet to discuss an investigation that found Miles had violated district policy and worked to publicly disparage the school board. Trustees also will discuss any possible disciplinary action against Miles, who is expected to give his side at the meeting.

Rena Honea, Alliance-AFT president, called Miles’ leadership “seriously flawed” in a statement.

“Dallas needs a school superintendent who fights for public schools that are laser-focused on teaching, learning, and providing social and health services to meet kids’ needs,” Honea said. “To reclaim the promise of public education in Dallas, the most immediate and best option is to replace Miles with someone willing to 

No “Hand-Holding” in Yemeni Education - Student Voice

Student Voice:

No “Hand-Holding” in Yemeni Education

Katebah Alolefi is currently a student in Oakland California but has just this past summer returned to her home in Yemen to visit and re-explore the education system. 

When I went to Yemen I had a lot of goals in mind: relax, eat a lot, hang out with family who I miss dearly, try new food, stay with my sweet grandma, and learn about new things including the education system.

I didn’t get a chance to interview many different students about their experiences in the education system nor did I get a chance to get a tour by a staff member at my old elementary school because the schools were closed for Ramadan and the Eid holiday. Despite these setbacks I learned about how the education system works in Yemen and It was a bit of shock on how it works. The fact that they didn’t consider 9th grade as the first year of high school didn’t surprise me but the way students attend college definitely did.

In Yemen there is no such thing as a 4 Year university before graduate school. When I talked about how that is and how it works in the USA they all let me know that I was wasting my time because I should already have an idea of what I want to become by the time I graduate. That’s definitely something different than what I was used to hearing. Here in the USA, we students are usually told that we don’t have to know in high school what we aspire to be in the future. It helps that when it comes to senior year applications for the university of our choosing that we can apply undecided for the major. Or we have the chance to take many different classes in freshmen year of college until we find what major we plan to pursue.

In Yemen it is a totally different story. There is no Undergrad where you can try different classes until you find the career that you want to pursue. As soon as you graduate you have to wait one year (if you are attending

- See more at: http://stuvoice.org/blog/2013/09/18/no-hand-holding-in-yemeni-education/?utm_source=feedly#sthash.LLwn9XvH.dpuf

“Reign of Error” by Diane Ravitch: A Review | Parents Across America

“Reign of Error” by Diane Ravitch: A Review | Parents Across America:

“Reign of Error” by Diane Ravitch: A Review

Reign of Error: The Hoax of the Privatization Movement and the Danger to America’s Public Schools

Dr. Ravitch shatters one corporate reform myth after another with clarity providing excellent background information in the Notes and Appendix of this book.

Because of her courageousness and direct approach, expect the corporate media to attack her because no one is left standing in this book, at least on the reform side, from President Obama’s support of school privatization to the machinations of Michelle Rhee.

This book is a perfect reference guide to all things ed reform. Don’t understand much about test scores? Check out the chapters “The Facts About Test Scores” and “The Facts About International Test Scores”. Don’t know the history of Michelle Rhee? Go to “The Mystery of Michele Rhee”. How about the Parent Trigger? Read the chapter “Parent Trigger or Parent Tricker”. (Love the title).

The best part is that after Dr. Ravitch explains all things corporate reform, she provides real solutions to the challenges of public education. The answers aren’t easy, there is no silver bullet as she explains, but the solutions are based on a wide range and depth of knowledge, history, experience and good old-fashion common sense.

And the cover? You can’t miss it. A marketing ploy? Possibly. This book will stand out in bookstores and in

- See more at: http://parentsacrossamerica.org/reign-error-diane-ravitch-review/?utm_source=feedly#sthash.vxILWmlG.dpuf

Dear Mr. Colbert, about that interview with Arne Duncan …:

Dear Mr. Colbert, about that interview with Arne Duncan …

By Valerie Strauss, Published: September 18 at 3:57 pmE-mail the writer

Stephen Colbert in 2010. (Scott Gries/PictureGroup)

Dear Mr. Colbert,

You have proved time and again that you are second to none as a satirical interviewer. I wrote back in 2011 about your brilliant skewering of the Wake County (Raleigh, N.C.) Board of Education’s decision to scrap a successful school diversity plan.

But next time you invite Education Secretary Arne Duncan on your show, like you did Tuesday night, could you please talk to your friend Jon Stewart beforehand for some interviewing tips?

Stewart welcomed Duncan on his show in 2012, and while his interview wouldn’t have won any awards for toughness, he at least tried, politely, to get the education secretary to explain policies that many teachers and parents believe are indefensible. And he did it without sacrificing laughs.

You threw fluffballs to Duncan. When you brought up President Obama’s Race to the Top — a contest for states and school districts to win federal dollars in exchange for implementing Duncan-approved reform — you got a deserved laugh by saying, “Why does everything have to be about race with this guy?” But I wished that you had then asked Duncan why the Obama administration is running a contest for funding (based on untested reform) instead of insisting on school funding equity.

You might, too, have asked him about a revolt around the country among teachers and parents against standardized-test based accountability systems, which in some states means teachers get evaluated in part on 

9-18-13 Wait What?

Wait What?:

Vallas’ Supreme Court Strategy: Brag, whine and insult the Judge and plaintiff

This coming Monday, September 23, 2013, the case of Carmen Lopez vs. Paul Vallas will be heard by the Connecticut Supreme Court. As readers know, a Connecticut Superior Court ruled earlier this summer that Paul Vallas lacks the credentials necessary to serve as a superintendent of schools in the state of Connecticut and must leave […]The post Vallas’ Supreme Court Strategy: Brag, whine and insult

by jonpelto / 6min 

 

9-17-13 Wait What?

Wait What?: Update on the most important Connecticut school funding lawsuit in modern times…Starting this year and next, Connecticut public school teachers will be judged, in no small part, by factors beyond their control such as their student’s standardized test results.  Some will lose their jobs after two years under Governor Malloy’s “education reform” bill.  But as reported in yesterday’s CT

by mike simpson / 2h 

Diane in the Evening 9-18-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

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

Walton Foundation Hires Bloomberg Deputy

With the likely election of Democrat Bill de Blasio as mayor of Néw York City, the educrats at Bloomberg’s Department of Education are updating their resumes and starting to pack their bags. First to jump ship is Deputy Chancellor Marc Sternberg, who is moving to Arkansas to help the Walton Family Foundation in its quest to replace public schools with vouchers and charter schools. This article,

2 by dianerav / 9min 

Jersey Jazzman Reviews “Reign of Error”

Jersey Jazzman connects the dots in his review of “Reign of Error.” He sees the connection between school and society. He writes: “There is one chapter in this part of the book that caught me by surprise: “The Toxic Mix,” as frank a discussion of race, inequality, and segregation as I have read in some time. Ravitch’s candor stands in stark contrast to the bromides of the corporate reformers, who

by dianerav / 8min 

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 9-18-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Mayoral Race in Boston: A Champion of Public Education!One candidate in the crowded field running for mayor in Boston has emerged as a clear-headed supporter of public schools: Rob Consalvo. His statement outlining his plans to support the children in Boston’s schools is coherent, thoughtful, and realistic. Consalvo has taken a pri

by mike simpson / 2h 

The Classroom of the Future is a hotel room with an overhead projector! Motel 6- we’ll leave the classroom on for ya!” | DailyCensored.com - Breaking Censored News, World, Independent, Liberal News

The Classroom of the Future is a hotel room with an overhead projector! Motel 6- we’ll leave the classroom on for ya!” | DailyCensored.com - Breaking Censored News, World, Independent, Liberal News:

The Classroom of the Future is a hotel room with an overhead projector! Motel 6- we’ll leave the classroom on for ya!”

By Danny Weil on September 18, 2013 7:21 pm / no comments

 

Backstage view of the University of Phoenix as workers discuss slow-motion mass layoffs.

The putridity of the for-profit college criminal enterprise is beyond comprehension;  unless one talks to the actual workers and former workers who understand the seedy side of the ‘racket’ we call drive-by predatory colleges.  The public who provides the funds for these debt cancer colleges should be privy to how these profit centers operate and what employees are saying.

Take a look:  Here’s one backstage view at theUniversity of Phoenix campuses as the school slowly downsizes, campuses are closed, assets are sold, and workers are fired. The website is available to employees or former employees to discuss layoffs and working conditions. The layoff website for University of Phoenix has been active since December 2010.

Join the Project Censored Newsletter Here!

Many of the posts are offensive and hateful: racist, sexist, homophobic, and anti-Semitic. You can check them out yourselves at http://www.thelayoff.com/university-phoenix

These posts serve as a window into employee thoughts about University of Phoenix and about the for profit education industry. While a few believe that the school is excellent, this is not the norm. 

Schools Matter: George Schmidt's Review of The Mismeasure of Education

Schools Matter: George Schmidt's Review of The Mismeasure of Education:

George Schmidt's Review of The Mismeasure of Education

We are back home!, and I have to say it feels pretty good.  The folks over at Chalkface are great, and we had a great time there, but you know there's no place like home, right?  

So we will be here at SM until we win, and then we will continue to be here to defend democratic public schools until death do us part.

We are gratified to see that our followers have actually increased since we left and that readership of our archives has keep us way up in page views.  Thank you for your continuing support.

Today George Schmidt, Editor of Substance News, offered the following insightful review essay of TMoE at SN. We thank George for this work and for placing the book within the context of Chicago's current struggle against CorpEd attacks.  Thanks again, George.  

The only change I have made is in the price of the book and the reference to its high price in the text.  TMoE was originally priced at 42.00, but the publisher, Information Age, graciously agreed to lower the price at our request and the request of our readers.  By the end of the month, the online book stores should be reflecting the lowered price of $27.50, which is now available only from IAP, where there is a dynamite processing department that gets books out most often on the same day.

BOOK REVIEW: 'The Mismeasure of Education' shows The Resistance is winning

George N. Schmidt - September 17, 2013

[Editor's reviewer's note: This review began on September 1, 2013. As I was developing it and working through the historical, analytical and contemporary aspects of what the book says and what I wanted to say about it, the review expanded beyond anything normally considered for a "Book Review." Eventually, I told my colleagues here in Chicago that my "review" would be a kind of "New York Review of Books"-type essay, since so much had to be covered and recommended. What you have before you below is the result of those revisions, attempting to put Mismeasure of Education in the context of this amazing month, which includes the publication of "Reign of Error" and at least one other book which will help us all understand and build our struggle].

Everyone in Chicago knows that everyone in Chicago understand that REACH and PARCC are the latest sure-fire ways to make public schooling right. Yesiree! And just to be certain of that, Chicago last December hired this guy from Memphis to explain REACH and PARCC. Why a guy from Memphis? Because everybody doing "school reform" knows that nobody from Chicago or Illinois can do "accountability" better than guys from Tennessee.

And so John Barker's debutante Power Point stint at the August 28, 2013 meeting of the Chicago Board of Education wasn't really the latest in a long series of mumbo-jumbo doubletalking explorations of bamboozeling the public at great expense. And Barker wasn't the latest snake oil salesman of corporate "school reform" to take the pulpit once held by Phil Hansen, then Don Bugler, then Ginger