DCPS IMPACT 3.0? | EdCentrist

DCPS IMPACT 3.0? | EdCentrist:

DCPS IMPACT 3.0?

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If DCPS is serious about investing in the 40 lowest performing schools, which I believe it is, then it must reassess current aspects of IMPACT 2.0. During the coming negotiation rounds between the Chancellor and the WTU President, the following questions demand discussions: How has IMPACT 2.0 faired in the 40 lowest performing schools? What is the teacher turnover rate within these schools, especially for Group 1 teachers? Is the current classroom observations’ model helping to develop teachers? What are the shortcomings of IMPACT 2.0? What “software upgrades” are essential for encouraging “out-of-the-box” teacher risks and innovation? How can the system prevent teachers from “burning out” or leaving the District, altogether? If these questions, and more, are “on the negotiation table,” then, perhaps, IMPACT version 3.0 will be worth the wait.

Here’s my negotiation wish list:

1. Teacher “Groups”

Although differentiating between teachers, i.e. “groups,” sounds ideal, it actually creates more wedges. If the aim is to hold all teachers accountable for student learning, then we must reassess the “grouping” effect from a ground-level perspective. In my experience, both as a Group 1 and Group 2 teacher, I find the Group 1 rubric more rigid than Groups 2 and 3. Why is this the case? This differentiated accountability is wholly unfair to Group 1 teachers, 

California Lawsuit Attacks Teacher Rights - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

California Lawsuit Attacks Teacher Rights - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher:

California Lawsuit Attacks Teacher Rights

By Anthony Cody on January 26, 2014 5:26 PM

Back in 2005, California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger placed Proposition 74 on the ballot,  which would have extended the length of time needed to earn tenure from two years to five. But this idea was rejected by a majority of voters.

However, California's voters may be overruled by the courts, if reformers Eli Broad and David Welch have their way. These billionaires have funded a new non-profit called Students Matter to fight the battle. A lawsuit called Vergara v. State of California begins tomorrow. The plaintiffs claim that students are harmed when their teachers have due process and seniority protections.

The Students Matter web site explains: 

The seniority-based layoff or "Last-In, First-Out" (LIFO) statute reduces teachers to faceless seniority numbers. The LIFO law forces administrators to let go of passionate and motivating newer teachers and keep ineffective teachers instead, just because they have seniority.

The lawsuit also contends that teachers gain permanent status too soon, and firing them is too difficult, resulting in poor instruction for children.

I have written about some of the complex problems we face in teacher evaluation. This is an area where our schools could do much better. I worked with a group called Accomplished California Teachers to write a report with concrete suggestions for improvement a few years ago. We 

Principals strike back, file federal suit alleging “conspiracy” to silence critics of “One Newark” | Bob Braun's Ledger

Principals strike back, file federal suit alleging “conspiracy” to silence critics of “One Newark” | Bob Braun's Ledger:

Principals strike back, file federal suit alleging “conspiracy” to silence critics of “One Newark”

H. Grady James, Hawthorne Avenue

The five Newark school principals and one parent leader punished by state-appointed superintendent Cami Anderson for speaking out against her plan for closing public schools have filed suit against her and the school district in federal court, contending their First Amendment rights were violated and they were subjected to “public ridicule and scorn.”

“By their action in suspending the Plaintiffs from their respective school principal positions with the District, the Defendants have launched a concerted effort to undermine, intimidate and coerce employees of the District, including the Plaintiffs, and members of the public…into agreeing with them on all issues related to any proposed organization plan of the school district,” reads the complaint filed Friday in federal court in Newark.

Daryn Martin at the front door of Ivy Hill–but he can’t come in

West Orange attorney Robert Pickett, the former counsel to the Newark school board, filed the suit in behalf of H. Grady James, principal of Hawthorne Avenue School; Tony Motley, Bragaw Avenue School;  Dorothy Handfield, Belmont-Runyon School; Deneen Washington, Maple Avenue School and Lisa Brown, Ivy Hill School.

The complaint also asks the court to lift the ban imposed on Daryn Martin, the 

NYC Public School Parents: What privacy protections are there when states share data with the testing consortia or with the feds?

NYC Public School Parents: What privacy protections are there when states share data with the testing consortia or with the feds?:

What privacy protections are there when states share data with the testing consortia or with the feds?

This year, the issue of student privacy and data sharing has become a huge issue throughout the nation, partly because of the uproar over inBloom Inc., but also as the US Department of Education has pushed states into adopting the Common Core standards and aligned exams, facilitated the widespread disclosure of children’s personal data to third parties without their parents’ consent through weakening FERPA, and track kids from preK onwards through state longitudinal data systems.

(Please check out this important story today – about questions surrounding NY state’s longitudinal data tracking system called P20.)

The danger that the federal government may be interested in collecting this data itself has aroused additional concern among parents and privacy advocates.  We noted in an earlier blog post how the agreement between the US Department of Education and the Common Core testing consortia, PARCC and Smarter Balanced, has the same exact clause:

The Grantee [the testing consortium] must provide timely and complete access to any and all data collected at the State level to ED [the US Dept. of Ed] or its designated program monitors, technical assistance providers, or researcher partners, and to GAO, and the auditors conducting the audit required by 34 CFR section 60.26.

After Joy Pullman of the Heartland Institute and others drew attention to this clause, many parents became even more opposed to their state’s participation in the Common Core testing programs. In order to allay their fears, the Data Quality Campaign, which is funded primarily by the Gates Foundation, undertook a public campaign to convince parents that the feds have no intention of collecting personal student data.

More recently, an EWA webinar featured Jim Shelton, among others, Deputy Secretary of the US Department of Education and formerly of the Gates Foundation, who 

All Things Education: My Yeas, Nays, and Maybes: 2014 Virginia Education Legislation

All Things Education: My Yeas, Nays, and Maybes: 2014 Virginia Education Legislation:

My Yeas, Nays, and Maybes: 2014 Virginia Education Legislation

The Virginia legislature is, once again, in session. Here is my take on various education-related bills.

1. SOL (Standards of Learning) Testing Reform Bill: Unfortunately, I can't locate the legislation for this bill, but I couldn't be happier that this legislation is in the works and that it has such wide and bi-partisan support. It's not the end of what should be done to fix Virginia's accountability structure but it's a start. Among other changes, the bill would reduce the number of SOL tests from 34 to 26 and call for more authentic and higher quality assessments. Two caveats:

a. The Virginia Board of Education and some folks at Virginia's Department of Education are claiming that Virginia's newer SOL tests, for example the math ones, are already of higher quality:

Virginia’s Board of Education has revised its tests so they are more reflective of what students need to know to attend college or begin an entry-level job, said Charles Pyle, a spokesman for the Virginia Education Department. 

Many of the state’s new online tests include “technology-enhanced items” that require students to think critically and solve problems. The more rigorous tests caused scores to drop around the state. 

Greason applauded the work the state has been doing and said the legislature would build on those reforms and codify them.

From what I can tell, the new tests are the same old stuff with some added bells and whistles. The reading test is still a 

The Paul Vallas Legacy: “Bridgeport systematically violated special education laws” by Jonathan Pelto | Reclaim Reform

The Paul Vallas Legacy: “Bridgeport systematically violated special education laws” by Jonathan Pelto | Reclaim Reform:

The Paul Vallas Legacy: “Bridgeport systematically violated special education laws” by Jonathan Pelto

Posted on January 26, 2014by Ken Previti

“Late last week, the Connecticut State Department of Education released a report blasting the Paul Vallas’ leadership and the Bridgeport School System because, among other violations, it ‘systematically failed to identify a number of students determined to be eligible for special education…’”

“The damage done to significant number of Bridgeport’s special education students and the violation of federal and state laws that are in place to ensure special education students get the services they need and deserve, is a direct result of Paul Vallas’ policy of arrogance and deceit.”
READ JONATHAN PELTO’S FULL ARTICLE (complete with five source links) HERE.

The incredible cruelty Vallas has shown to our most vulnerable children, those with special needs, is horrendous. If a professional football player was this cruel to dogs, he would be jailed. Our children should not be abused by those we entrust them to.

What next happens to Paul Vallas who has already ruined the lives and futures of children 

1-26-14 Engaging Parents In School… | Going Beyond Parent "Involvement"

Engaging Parents In School… | Going Beyond Parent "Involvement":

PTA’s National Standards for Family-School Partnerships

The PTA has developed National Standards for Family-School Partnerships, which you can find here (along with additional resources). There was also a recent #ptChat on Twitter about the Standards, which I think is particularly useful. You can find the transcript to it here.

by Larry Ferlazzo / 1h hide  //  save

“Parent Partnerships”

Parent Partnerships is a blog post from Childhood and Education that shares a number of interesting links about parent involvement research. It’s worth a look…

by Larry Ferlazzo / 1h 

1-24-14 Engaging Parents In School… | Going Beyond Parent "Involvement"

Engaging Parents In School… | Going Beyond Parent "Involvement": “Educating, Engaging and Mobilizing Parents: A Conversation with Parents for Public Schools Executive Director Anne Foster”Educating, Engaging and Mobilizing Parents: A Conversation with Parents for Public Schools Executive Director Anne Foster is a good interview from Learning First. Here’s how it begins: Public School Ins

by mike simpson / 22h 

1-26-14 Seattle Schools Community Forum

Seattle Schools Community Forum:

Why Do Students of Different Races Achieve as They Do?

In one heck of an op-ed by Amy Chua and Jed Rubenfeld in the NY Times Sunday Review, they lay out their case for the three conflicting (somewhat) reasons why students in different groups perform the way they do.  The two authors have a book coming out called "The Triple Package: How Three Unlikely Traits Explain the Rise and Fall of Cultural Groups in America."It's long but worth it (esp

by Melissa Westbrook / 19min 

Seattle Schools This Week

A fairly quiet week in the district.Tuesday, January 28thCommunity Meeting with Director McLaren from 8:45-10:15 am at Highland Park Elementary.Thursday, January 30thA day to note as the Washington State Charter Commission is to announce who passed muster to become part of the inaugural class of charter schools.  Spokane has already claimed one space so there are seven left.  The Commission does n

by Melissa Westbrook / 30min 

1-25-14 Seattle Schools Community Forum Week

Seattle Schools Community Forum:Seattle Schools Community ForumPlease Take this PTA SurveyFrom the Seattle Council PTSA:Dear Seattle Council PTSA Members, As you probably know, our state constitution requires ample funding for education.  The Washington Supreme court has directed the legislature to show real and measurable progress by 2018--the McCleary Decision--, and yet, our schools are still u

by mike simpson / 58min 

Teach for America, Inc. at the University of Washington | Seattle Education

Teach for America, Inc. at the University of Washington | Seattle Education:

Teach for America, Inc. at the University of Washington

Someone posted on Facebook this morning the photo above that is a sign advertising for Teach for America, Inc. (TFA) recruits on the University of Washington campus in Seattle.

After reading the thread, I decided to post an article that Sue Peters, our newly elected school board member and co-founder of this blog, wrote on the subject of Teach for America, Inc. This article was first posted on the Parents Across America website and then on the Huffington Post.

Seattle’s Education Reform Hypocrisy

The doublespeak of ed reformers who repeatedly declare that the key to a successful education is to put an “excellent” teacher in every classroom, and then turn around and promote young, Teach for America recruits — with only five weeks’ training, no in-class experience, and only a two-year commitment to the profession — as the answer, has come into sharp focus at the University of Washington in Seattle these past two weeks.

On May 11, the University of Washington’s College of Education announced it would 

Ms. Jablonski's Class Blog 1-26-14

Ms. Jablonski's Class Blog:

Agreement on U.S. Farm Bill

The Washington Post reports that an agreement on the U.S. Farm Bill could be reached and completed, possibly by Monday. The U.S. Farm Bill has been long overdue, with an extension that ended September 30, 2013. The five-year farm bill covers issues ranging from domestic crop subsidies to Food Stamps. One of the most recent disputes of the bill is John Boehner's opposition of dairy price supports i

by Lorenzo Bustos / 8min 

California Drought Triple Threat

From a recent post by Los Angeles Times Editorial Board, they state that Southern Californians are facing not one drought, but three interconnected droughts. The first drought is regional, caused by the lack of rain in the mountains. When the rain goes missing, as it has for three winters now, the ground dries out, the trees and chaparral get dangerously crisp and wildfire becomes an increasing da

by Ray LeBeau / 55min 

UN Rappoteur Anaya Visits Politcal Prisoner Leanord Peltier

Leonard Peltier, an Anishinabe-Lakota Native American and leading member of the American Indian Movement (AIM) is now serving his 37th wrongfully convicted year in pison. After being convicted of the murders of two Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents, Jack Coler and Ronald Williams, during a confrontation involving AIM members on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota on 26 Jun

by Ray LeBeau / 29min 

Not Soo Cheerful Cheerleaders

      Well the playoffs are done for the San Francisco Forty Niners. The team was great and had an even better year. But jus across the bay bridge, things aren't looking soo good for their sister team, The Oakland Raiders.      Their season was rough and it continues even though their season was over a while ago. On Wednesday, the Oakland Raiders were sued by its cheerleading squad.     The team i

by Loni Pooi / 10min 

The Sound of Music

In this generation, everyone has very easy access to their favorite songs but maybe the quality of the sound is not very satisfying. Today the vinyl long-playing records is being re-introduced since the 1930's and apparently it has the best sound quality. Its big and old-fashioned and not portable; it is worth a fortune. Also, if you decide to buy the amplifier and speakers for this music player,

by Vincent Chan / 1h 

Ms. Jablonski's Class Blog 1-25-14

Ms. Jablonski's Class Blog:Medical Marijuana and FootballNFL Commissioner Roger Goodwell said, according to Daniel Kaplan of the Sports Business Journal, that he would consider letting his NFL players to use marijuana for concussion issues. Goodwell believe that since medical doctors say that medical marijuana helps then it would be alright if his players uses marijuana accordingly. But does Goodw

by mike simpson / 48min 

1-26-14 Wait What? All Week

Wait What?:

The Paul Vallas Legacy: “Bridgeport systematically violated special education laws”

Paul Vallas hasn’t even left Bridgeport…In fact; the taxpayers of Connecticut and Bridgeport are picking up his salary and benefits for another month… But his legacy is already becoming clear. Late last week, the Connecticut State Department of Education released a report blasting the Paul Vallas’ leadership and the Bridgeport School System because, among other […]The post The Paul Vallas Legacy:

5 by jonpelto / 49min

 

1-25-14 Wait What? All Week

Wait What?:  Wait What? All WeekDon’t let them fool you: You can and should consider opting your child out of standardized testing frenzyThis week’s commentary piece from fellow education advocate and commentator Wendy Lecker is a message that should be distributed to every parent in Connecticut. As Wendy Lecker explains in her column entitled, “Opting out, parents answer to a higher authority,” t

by mike simpson / 56min 

1-26-14 @ The Answer Sheet

The Answer Sheet:

NY teachers union pulls its support from Common Core, urges removal of state ed chief

The Board of Directors of the New York State United Teachers, a union with more than 600,000 members, has approved a resolution that withdraws its earlier support for the Common Core State Standards ”as implemented and interpreted” by the New York Education Department. It also declares ”no confidence” in the policies of State Education Commissioner John King and calls […]    

4 by Valerie Strauss / 32min 

Poverty and the education opportunity gap: Will Obama step up in SOTU?

President Obama is expected to talk about the issue of wealth inequality in his State of the Union speech on Tuesday. The question is whether he will advocate policies that actually address it or continue to push education policies that ignore the real problems facing poor children. The following  was written by Kevin Welner, director […]    

by Valerie Strauss / 48min 

All Week @ The Answer Sheet 1-25-14

The Answer Sheet:All Week @ The Answer SheetStarr to Duncan: ‘I resent implication that we lifelong public educators are liars’U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan wrote an op-ed in The Washington Post on Friday that talked about school reforms and praised both Tennessee and D.C. Public Schools for increased test scores. He wrote: We don’t know all the reasons why students did better in Tennessee

by mike simpson / 52min