Seattle Schools Community Forum: Ethnic Studies in Seattle Schools

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Ethnic Studies in Seattle Schools:

 Ethnic Studies in Seattle Schools

(Editor's note: you are welcome to chime in with ideas, feedback, whatever.  You are welcome to disagree with my viewpoint.  You are not welcome to personally attack me.  I should not have to say that but there are a few people who have made it their mission to deny my own ethnic background for their own purposes.  This thread is about this subject, not me.)

You may have seen the article on KUOW that the district is considering a proposal from the NAACP for ethnic studies throughout Seattle schools and that it be a graduation requirement.  

"In Washington state, it’s mandatory that you have to teach Native American history, but it’s not mandatory that you have to teach ethnic studies for other cultures," said Rita Green, the NAACP Education Chair. (Tribal history became mandatory in 2015.)

Given that Native Americans were here for a much longer time than anyone else, that 2015 date is not all that impressive.  

The NAACP proposal does not strictly define ethnic studies, but the subject is often described as an interdisciplinary study of power, race, ethnicity and national origin, often including gender and sexual orientation, from the perspectives of marginalized groups.

Last year, Portland Public Schools made ethnic studies part of the required high school curriculum. And there’s a bill in the Washington state legislature to create a model ethnic studies curriculum for middle and high school students. That’s something California will soon do for its high schools.

The NAACP’s model would go further, and make ethnic studies part of required courses at every school in Seattle, and a graduation requirement. The roll-out would begin in 2017, and be in full effect in 2019. 

Director Rick Burke, Chair of the Curriculum and Instruction Committee, has Seattle Schools Community Forum: Ethnic Studies in Seattle Schools:

Ethnic Studies Now Coalition http://bit.ly/24vIwvP

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Washington State Charter Schools Update (Plus a New Private One)

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Washington State Charter Schools Update (Plus a New Private One):

Washington State Charter Schools Update (Plus a New Private One)

Where are we with charter schools in Washington State?

- the latest lawsuit against the current charter law was turned down by the King County Superior Court (who also left the door open for it to be revisited).  The plaintiffs have not yet announced whether they will continue on at this time or wait for a time of "ripeness."

- There are currently eight charter schools operating in Washington State, two in Seattle.

- There are currently three charter schools scheduled to open in 2017. 

Via the Charter Commission:
- Willow Public School in Walla Walla (the first that the Commission has opened in Eastern Washington)
-  Summit's Atlas 6-12 School in West Seattle (Summit has two high schools; Sierra in Seattle and Olympus in Tacoma.)
- Green Dot's 6-12 School, somewhere in Seattle, tbd. (GD has a middle school in Tacoma.)

Submitted Notices of Intent to apply for new charter schools submitted to the Charter Commission (applications due March 31).
- Impact: Seattle -  I note that the filer is Jen Wickens, a former TFAer, who works for Summit.  Impact seems to be a school group created for low-income students of color.

Christine Wright heads this group and was a former teacher at a KIPP charter school for a year, then in SPS for a year and then Issaquah for two years.  Previous to that she taught at Lakeside.

Launching K-5 public charter micro schools in the Seattle area via Cascade Micro Schools.

Incubating our first public charter elementary school to open Fall 2018. The school's mission is to prepare students of diverse backgrounds to lead communities as empowered creators who invent the world in which they want to live.

- New Horizons Academy.  The filer is Dr. Wanda Billingsly and it appears this K-5 school will operate in the south Puget Sound Region.  Dr. Billingsly is currently the CEO/Executive Director at First Place School ( a private school which had been the first charter school opened in the state but left the charter world). 

(Partial) New Horizons Academy strives to address the opportunity gap for marginalized student populations (under-performing and under-identified gifted).  

- Washington College Prep.  A 6-12 school to open in Everett.  This would be the first charter to open in northern Puget Sound.  It has a fairly bland statement on their mission.

- Whole Elephant Chinese Charter School.  A K-12 school, it says it will be affiliated with UW and Benaroya Research Institute.  The filer is Dr. Lotus King Weiss with a New York state phone number.  

To establish an innovative education system which integrates the most frontier science of the West with the ancient science of mind-body-spirit from the East, with the goal to bring out the Master within each child whose unique passion and talent will be cultivated to blossom and whose mind will be cultivated to reach true maturity with great wisdom of human life and the universe.

Some interesting "applicant questions" submitted to the Charter Commission:

Are charters allowed to develop Private Placement Memoranda to gain private funds?

The short answer: no.

Can we issue Certificates of Participation? The short answer:Seattle Schools Community Forum: Washington State Charter Schools Update (Plus a New Private One):

Jersey Jazzman: NJ Charter Schools - A Fool's Gold Rush: Franklin

Jersey Jazzman: NJ Charter Schools - A Fool's Gold Rush: Franklin:

NJ Charter Schools - A Fool's Gold Rush: Franklin

Here are all the parts of this series so far:

- Prelude

I was in Franklin, NJ a few weeks ago for a panel on charter school expansion. The town already has two charters, and a third is in the works (founded by, of all people, a winner on The Apprentice). One of the schools currently open, Central Jersey College Prep Charter School, has been granted a huge expansion by the NJDOE. This expansion is part of what appears to be a rush to swell charter enrollments across the state before Chris Christie leaves office next year.

What's so discouraging about the Franklin charter expansion is that the community has been split apart. The charter families feel they have been served well by their schools, and want to see them grow. The families of public district school students, on the other hand, rightly worry that the charters are harming their district's finances.

This tension is being played out across the state and across the nation: charter families' demand for "choice" inherently conflicts with public district school families' demand for adequately funded schools. There are also the interests of other taxpayers, who want efficient schools and worry that charters, because they are redundant andusually inefficiently small, waste funds that could be used to either expand programs or reduce taxes.

The conflict is so great that citizens in towns like Franklin are now bringing civil rights complaints against charters, alleging the charters enroll a fundamentally different student Jersey Jazzman: NJ Charter Schools - A Fool's Gold Rush: Franklin:

An Interview with Kenneth Zeichner: Relay Graduate School of Education | Seattle Education

An Interview with Kenneth Zeichner: Relay Graduate School of Education | Seattle Education:

An Interview with Kenneth Zeichner: Relay Graduate School of Education

 

The reason that I use Lisa Delpit’s term “other people’s children” here is to underline the point that few if any Relay staff and advocates for the program in the policy community would accept a Relay teacher for their own children.

Ken Zeichner is the Boeing Professor of Teacher Education at the University of Washington. He is a member of the National Academy of Education and a Fellow at the National Education Policy Center at the University of Colorado.

A former elementary teacher and longtime teacher educator in NY, Wisconsin, and Seattle, his work has focused on creating and implementing more democratic models of teacher preparation that engage the expertise of local communities, K-12 educators and university academics in preparing high quality professional teachers for everyone’s children.

He has also challenged the privatization of K-12 schools and teacher education by exposing the ways in which venture philanthropy has sought to steer public policy in education, and the ways in which research has been misused to support the privatization process. His new book “The Struggle for the Soul of Teacher Education” will be published later this year by Routledge.

This interview took place via email between January and February of 2017. It’s presented in full, with only very slight editing for style.

Editor’s Note: On March 8th, the Senate  voted to roll back the Obama Administration teacher education regulations. Ken contacted me to say this regulatory change will NOT affect what he said in this interview about Relay and the teacher preparation academy provisions in ESSA.  -Carolyn Leith

As an introduction, could you explain for our readers: What is the Relay Graduate School of Education and why we should be concerned.
Relay Graduate School of Education is an independent institution not affiliated with a legitimate college or university that prepares new teachers and principals and provides An Interview with Kenneth Zeichner: Relay Graduate School of Education | Seattle Education:

Episode 29: Book Banning, Nazi Resistance and Choice | BustED Pencils

Episode 29: Book Banning, Nazi Resistance and Choice | BustED Pencils:

Episode 29: Book Banning, Nazi Resistance and Choice 

Feature Interview: Rivera Sun joins us to talk about the Norwegian Teacher Resistance to the Nazi Occupation of 1942.

Matt Damon’s Mom surprise visit.

BustED Pencils VIP: Denisha Jones of DEY talks about what Early Childhood Centers in American can tell us about the future of school choice.

The Schools Our Children Deserve: Hayley Breden

Two Trending News Stories and of course A Moment of Zinn.

Let’s Bust Some Pencils!

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Episode 29: Book Banning, Nazi Resistance and Choice | BustED Pencils:

Retweet to @aurorak12 please re: PARCC incentives at Jewell Elementary

Posted March 10, 2017 by Peggy Robertson

If you read my post from last Sunday you will know that there is currently a PARCC incentive plan afoot in my former school, Jewell Elementary in the Aurora Public School District. The plan will reward students who show great effort on PARCC and who attend on all testing days. It will punish children who… Read more »

Jewell Elementary Offers PARCC (CMAS) Incentives

Posted March 5, 2017 by Peggy Robertson

On Friday, March 3rd, Jewell Elementary parents received a letter regarding PARCC incentives. Yes – it’s THAT time of year. Many Colorado schools refer to PARCC as CMAS. To catch new readers up to speed before I launch into the information about PARCC incentives, let me give you a quick recap. I taught at Jewell… Read more »

Let’s Change Teacher Licensure to Address the Teacher Shortage: FAILURE!

Posted February 23, 2017 by Tim Slekar

“Teachers are leaving the classrooms in droves all across the state and enrollment in teacher education programs is plummeting. We have a teacher exodus problem. Our elected officials will use this as evidence of a “teacher shortage” and then bitch to lower standards to let any jackass teach. There is no “shortage.” Those that have… Read more »

Fired For A Day. Guest post by Michelle Gunderson.

Posted February 3, 2017 by Tim Slekar

Our school system is falling apart, and what solution do Rahm Emanuel and his appointed school CEO, Forrest Claypool have? Firing us for four days. It might seem as an extreme statement, but that is essentially what we are experiencing. Chicago teachers have been furloughed for four days, and today is one of them. Our… Read more »

John Thompson: Oklahoma Education Battles Are Worthy of National Attention - This Week In Education

This Week In Education: Thompson: Oklahoma Education Battles Are Worthy of National Attention - Linkis.com:

Thompson: Oklahoma Education Battles Are Worthy of National Attention

This is a fascinating time for Oklahoma schools. As school funding was cut by more than 20% over the last five years, and in the face of a $610 million state budget shortfall, out-of-state corporate reformers, ranging from the American Federation for Children and ALEC to the Parent Revolution, have stepped up their attacks on traditional public schools. The most noteworthy assaults include the secretive local effort to cut funding for Oklahoma City Public Schools to pay for tax breaks for the downtown corporate elites, and the now-defeated state voucher bill.

On the other hand, a grass roots rebellion by parents against high-stakes testing swept out the former Chief for Change Janet Baressi. Now, State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister has rebuilt the partnerships with professional educators, started a public dialogue, and taken the first steps towards ending the test, sort, and punish policies that have been wrecking our schools.

A growing body of education bloggers along with innovative media outlets like the Red Dirt Report and Oklahoma Watch, as well as more Old School progressive institutions such as the Oklahoma Observer, the Oklahoma Gazette, and the Oklahoma Policy Institute, are publicizing the facts that, previously, the conservative press never deemed fit to print.

This week, the venerable Oklahoma Observer, under its masthead which promises to “Comfort the Afflicted and Afflict the Comfortable,” published an email informing Oklahoma City staff about SB 68 which had quietly passed the state Senate. (Scroll to the bottom of the post to read the memo.) It would allow Oklahoma City and Tulsa to unilaterally authorize charters. Republican Sen. David Holt emailed, “I wanted to give you a brief heads-up on a bill that passed the Senate today that has flown a bit under the radar, and that’s partly by design. But, the progress it is making might eventually be noticed, and I want you to hear from me what is intended. If it becomes law, it is a game changer for our city.”

Holt then explained, “Here at the Capitol, I have not portrayed the bill as a request bill, which of course it is not. I have told my colleagues it is important that OKC not publicly ask for the bill, as that may cause tension in the relationship with OKCPS.”

The rationale for this secretive effort to allow the city to compete with the school system is, “You meet with OKCPS, and they promise to do better, but you have a different perspective than OKCPS. They want their current school sites to succeed, and that’s a worthy goal, but that is the extent of their ambition.”

But, the Red Dirt Report’s Brett Dickerson reports that City Councilman Dr. Ed Shadid broke with This Week In Education: Thompson: Oklahoma Education Battles Are Worthy of National Attention - Linkis.com:

 

Patti The Parent Teacher Conference Helper Doll.. - YouTube

Patti The Parent Teacher Conference Helper Doll.. - YouTube:

Patti The Parent Teacher Conference Helper Doll.. 

Patti The Parent Teacher Conference Helper Doll.. - YouTube:

The War Report on Education 2016- 2017 - An Assessment

The War Report on Education 2016- 2017 - An Assessment:

The War Report on Education 2016- 2017 - An Assessment

Please join Internet radio host Dr. James Avington Miller Jr. for a special three year anniversary show. The show will assess the War Report in 2016 and 2017. Dr. Miller will be discussing the GOOD, the BAD, and the UGLY.

We will assess what did and did not happen, the state of the war (winning, losing ground ), what we did and didn't do to fight a good fight, were we all talk and no real action, and what was the best and worst of Dr. Miller and The War Repot. This will be a deep inspection of the work The War Report completed, attempted to complete, and failed to complete.

Finally, Dr. Miller will offer a tribute TO THE LADIES WHO ARE THE WAR REPORT.

Please join us and listen and call in. You are what makes our show live and breathe week after week.

Knowledge is power!

RESISTANCE MATTERS
RESISTANCE IS NOT FUTILE
RESISTANCE IS THE HIGHEST FORM OF EXPRESSION OF DEMOCRACY
RESISTANCE IS SURVIVAL


Please click on the website below to listen live:
http://bbsradio.com/thewarreport


2:00 PM PDT
4:00 PM CDT
5:00 PM EDT
or
A direct listen-in line only
Station 1 - 716-748-0150
To call-in and interact live

 The War Report on Education 2016- 2017 - An Assessment:

Spring Forward with Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

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

Spring Forward with Diane Ravitch's blog 

A site to discuss better education for all

Pence Lies About ACA in Kentucky

7by dianeravitch / 29min

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5by dianeravitch / 1h

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by dianeravitch / 12min

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Denis Smith: Block Grants Produce Waste, Fraud, and Abuse

3by dianeravitch / 1h

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2by dianeravitch / 2h

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YESTERDAY

Fake Pro-Trump Website with Fake Stories Wins One Million Views in Two Weeks

29by dianeravitch / 13h

What a crazy world. The idea was simple enough: publish as many absurd, obviously fake stories imaginable, and see if anyone actually falls for it. The results of this experiment were both fascinating and disheartening. “BREAKING: Satire Makes Fools Of Gullible Trump Supporters.” That’s the headline James McDaniel published on his intentionally fake news website, UndergroundNewsReport.com, earlie

Christine Langhoff on the Latest Trumpian Evil: Deporting Parents, Putting Their Children in Foster Care

19by dianeravitch / 22h

Yesterday I heard from my friends at Pastors for Texas Children about parents who had been deported while their American-born children were left at the church, in East Texas. Christine Langhoff added that this is now policy: cruel, inhumane, and swift: “Here’s an example of Trumpian evil: “Head of Homeland Security John Kelly proposes to separate children from their mothers when they are detained

Ethics Agency Criticizes Kellyanne for Promoting Ivanka Products on TV; White House Says WH Employees Not Subject to Ethics Law

15by dianeravitch / 23h

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10by dianeravitch / 23h

In this article , the Washington Post tries to figure out where Steve Bannon has lived for the past three years. He is now the most powerful advisor to the president. But who is he? Where does he vote? Where is his home? Does he have one?

Denver Charter Chains Seek to Fulfill DeVos Privatization Agenda

33by dianeravitch / 1d

Now that the U.S. Department of Education has an advocate for privatization in charge, Denver’s charter chains have moved for rapid expansion. Denver has been under corporate reform control for several years. The charter industry and equity investors have poured large sums into school board elections, squeezing out ordinary candidates who wanted to help public schools. Now the district, with a bo

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12by dianeravitch / 1d

A parent in Chicago discovered a massive breach of private data about students in private schools receiving special education services. The data was controlled by Chicago Public Schools, but obviously with little regard for privacy. The parent was a student Privacy activist, Cassie Creswell. The following post is by Cassie Creswell, a Chicago parent activist from Raise Your Hand Illinois and a ke

Singapore Will Drop Grades, Reduce Testing

78by dianeravitch / 1d

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30by dianeravitch / 1d

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