Latest News and Comment from Education

Monday, January 10, 2011

Schools Matter: Little John Tedesco Is A Big Liar

Schools Matter: Little John Tedesco Is A Big Liar

Little John Tedesco Is A Big Liar

The Koch Brothers, the John Birchers, and the segregationists of the John Locke Society will not be satisfied until American society returns to apartheid schooling and segregated living. Toward that end, they have dispatched Little John Tedesco, mouthpiece for Wake County's Gang of Five, to other states to spread poisonous lies about Wake County, specifically, and socioeconomic integration, generally.

Below is a proper smackdown by Patty Williams:

Patty Williams is the coordinator for Great Schools in Wake, a coalition of WakeUp Wake County.
John Adams famously wrote, "Facts are stubborn things," and indeed they are for Wake County School Board member John Tedesco, who is now spreading his false conclusions about Wake County schools on a national scale.

In an OpEd column by conservative Minnesota Star Tribune columnist Katherine Kersten, Tedesco

Starve the Beast Michelle Rhee: In Budget Crises, an Opening for School Reform - WSJ.com

Michelle Rhee: In Budget Crises, an Opening for School Reform - WSJ.com

In Budget Crises, an Opening for School Reform

School systems can put students first by making sure any layoffs account for teacher quality, not seniority.


In the past year, 46 states grappled with budget deficits of more than $130 billion. This year could be worse as federal recovery dollars dry up. And yet, for education reform, 2011 could be the best of times.

California, to name one example, bridged its $25.4 billion budget gap by cutting billions from public education. It is now forced to cut another $18 billion to fill its current deficit. State executives and legislatures face severe choices and disappointments that could undo political careers and derail progress.

On the bright side, public support is building for a frontal attack on the educational status quo. And policy makers are rising to the challenge, not only because their budgets are tighter than ever, but also because they see an opportunity to reverse the current trend of discouraging academic results for our children.

Three weeks ago, I founded StudentsFirst, a national organization to defend and promote the interests of children in public education and to pursue an aggressive reform agenda to make

School Tech Connect: The Devil's In The Details

School Tech Connect: The Devil's In The Details

The Devil's In The Details

For the record, the only honest interpretation of what is being proposed by the Illinois Action is that it is the end of collective bargaining for public school teachers across the state. I don't blame Jessica Handy for trying to sugarcoat it, but that's what it is, and I'm posting it in case there are some people out there who buy into the idea that it's anything else. Listen carefully.

In Must We Trust | Mr. Teachbad's Blog of Teacher Disgruntlement

In Must We Trust | Mr. Teachbad's Blog of Teacher Disgruntlement

In Must We Trust

Sometimes I can’t quite put my finger on it…why my school is such a crappy place to work. But most of the time it’s easy.

Here is a relatively subtle example from just today. (By the way, none of my seniors knew what the word ‘subtle’ meant until six weeks ago. NONE.)

Every Monday morning we get the [Your School Name Here] Bulletin in our boxes and in email. It’s very small. One sheet of paper printed on front and back in black and white. I’m looking at it right now. Most of it is probably white space. Then there is a three-inch header, a couple of pictures, a couple of calendar sidebars, a quote in a box, and some short directives. In other words, they’s not many words.

So I’m reading this little rag in my room and I suddenly start to get agitated. And I don’t know why. I think about

Just so every IEA member is clear on what the leadership is doing. « Fred Klonsky's blog

Just so every IEA member is clear on what the leadership is doing. « Fred Klonsky's blog

Just so every IEA member is clear on what the leadership is doing.

When criticized on the IEA web site for surrendering seniority in their proposals to the legislature, Charlie McBarron responds:

IEA, IFT and CTU have not proposed giving up seniority as a factor in determining layoffs. It is proposed that performance evaluations which occur after the new performance evaluation goes into effect (not until at least 2015 in some districts and 2016 in the remaining districts) would be a factor considered

The Answer Sheet - Duncan: Arizona community college did what it could with suspect

The Answer Sheet - Duncan: Arizona community college did what it could with suspect

Duncan: Arizona community college did what it could with suspect

Education Secretary Arne Duncan said today that the community college that forced out the suspect in the Arizona shooting rampage because he was disruptive did what it could in handling the young man. "If I was the chancellor of that community college, I think that would have been my response," Duncan said in an interview with Washington Post reporters and editors. " ... My question is, lots of folks have mental issues. How's he get a gun?" Jared Lee Loughner, 22, is now charged in the shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and 19 others. Six people, including a federal judge, a Giffords aide and a 9-year-old girl, were killed, and 14, including Giffords, were wounded. Last year, Loughner was asked to leave Pima Community College after campus police were called five times to deal with his disruptions in class and the library, the school said.

George Washington Carver School of Arts and Science Event

Sacramento City Unified School District
4R Carnival @ Carver!
Upcoming Events
4R Carnival
Greetings!

Please join us for our Second Annual 4R Carnival.  Come and learn how to Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Rethink. You will have a chance to meet professionals in Green Careers at the Career Fair.
We hope you will join us!
Sincerely,
 
The Teachers and Students of Carver
recylce
reduce reuse, recylce
Where & When
George Washington Carver
10101 Systems Parkway
Sacramento, California
Friday, January 28, 2011
10 am- 11:30 am

in the gymnasium
Second Annual
4R Carnival and Career Fair
George Washington Carver School of Arts and Science is hosting its second annual 4R Carnival and Green Career Fair
Friday, January 28th
 
10am and 11:30 am

 
Students learn about reducing, reusing, rethinking habits or recycling with fun carnival activities and prizes. 
 

 
A variety of Green Businesses will be present to share ideas about green careers. Businesses include GRAS-Green Restaurant Alliance of Sacramento, City of Sacramento, California Air Resources Board, California Fuel Cell partnership and
 

 
Troupe De Trash will perform the fashion shows of items made from trash.
George Washington Carver School of Arts and Science
10101 Systems Parkway
Sacramento, California 95827
916-228-5751
Enroll
Now
We are accepting enrollment for 2011-2012 school year NOW!  Submit your paper work by January 14th and receive priority admissions status.  Sign up for a Parent/Student visit day January 11, January 18 or February 8 from 8-10 am. Call 228-5751 to reserve your spot.
Offer Expires: January 14, 2011

Mr. President, We Want Your Children's Education, Too

Mr. President, We Want Your Children's Education, Too

Mr. President, We Want Your Children's Education, Too

by: Rachel Levy, t r u t h o u t | Op-Ed

I agree that it was the economy that doomed the donkeys' midterm election results this past November, but something rang true for me in the descriptions of last week's voters as resentful of Obama's tin ear for the common person. I used to think that claims of Obama's elitism were baloney. As Jon Stewart quipped about "arugula-gate": "He's an elitist! He eats … slightly more bitter green leafy vegetables than I do."

But now, given the comments Obama made on NBC's Today Show while talking about why he and the first lady don't send their children to DC public schools, I'm not so sure. Obama's alleged elitism may not deter his ability to govern, but it does undermine his legitimacy in the face of growing populist sentiment (and not just of the Tea Party), and it furthe

New Posts on Parents 4 democratic Schools 1-10-11 Get Involved- Read Education News

New Posts on Parents 4 democratic Schools
Get Involved- Read Education News



The Answer Sheet - More questions for KIPP

The Answer Sheet - More questions for KIPP

More questions for KIPP

Here's the next chapter in a debate about the Knowledge Is Power Program, or KIPP charter schools. Last month I posted a discussion that I had with my great colleague Jay Mathews that involved KIPP and Teach for America. Richard D. Kahlenberg, a senior fellow at The Century Foundation and author of "All Together Now: Creating Middle-Class Schools through Public School Choice," wrote a post that I published last week about KIPP attrition rates referred to in the Valerie-Jay debate. Then this morning I published a response to Kahlenberg from KIPP's Jonathan Cowan and Steve Mancini. Over again to Kahlenberg. By Richard D. Kahlenberg On Jan. 4, I outlined some concerns about attrition rates and intake at KIPP schools, and today, KIPP officials Jonathan Cowan and Steve Mancini responded. What follows is my response to their response. KIPP schools are on the whole impressive, but they are often held up

Higher education takes $1-billion hit in governor's budget| PolitiCal | Los Angeles Times

Higher education takes $1-billion hit in governor's budget| PolitiCal | Los Angeles Times

Higher education takes $1-billion hit in governor's budget

January 10, 2011 | 2:50 pm

Gov. Jerry Brown’s budget proposes additional deep cuts to California’s university systems and would also mean higher fees for those attending community college.

Brown proposed to reduce funding for the University of California and California State University systems by $500 million each, which he said was "a very difficult cut."

For Cal State the reduction represents an 18% cut in funding from the state general fund, according to CSU Chancellor Charles B. Reed, who predicted it will "have serious impacts on the state's economy,

Fact Check TV: Drug Rules and School Reform - voiceofsandiego.org: San Diego Fact Check

Fact Check TV: Drug Rules and School Reform - voiceofsandiego.org: San Diego Fact Check

Fact Check TV: Drug Rules and School Reform

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Posted: Monday, January 10, 2011 10:35 am

The latest edition of Fact Check TV with our media partner NBC 7/39 examines an incorrect portrayal of new prescription drug rules and a misleading school reform pitch from a psuedonymed signature gatherer.

View more news videos at: http://www.nbcsandiego.com/video.

What claim should we Fact Check next? Please contact Keegan Kyle directly atkeegan.kyle@voiceofsandiego.org or 619.550.5668 and follow him on Twitter:twitter.com/keegankyle.