Monday, February 27, 2012

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Late Nite Posts 2-27 #soschat #ReclaimingReform


The Neighborhood as Curriculum - Dana Goldstein

The Neighborhood as Curriculum - Dana Goldstein:The Neighborhood as Curriculumby Dana Goldstein Between periods at Crenshaw High School in Los Angeles, May 2011.The role of the curriculum in school "turnaround" efforts is not often acknowledged, which is why I wanted to writethis piece, about Crenshaw High School in South L.A. The school has struggled with difficult demographics, constant administrative turnover, and persistently low test scores. But the district has now empowered a group of activist teachers at Crenshaw to enact ... more »

Teacher Evaluation Bill SB 5895 and why it should be opposed vehemently | Seattle Education

Teacher Evaluation Bill SB 5895 and why it should be opposed vehemently | Seattle Education:Teacher Evaluation Bill SB 5895 and why it should be opposed vehementlyby seattleducation2011There is a Teacher Evaluation Bill SB 5895 which ties test scores to teacher evaluations. At this time the teachers union in the state of Washington has been working with OSPI on an evaluation system that was set forth to be developed in last years legislation. Now certain legislators want to ratchet it up ... more »

Diane Ravitch Addresses NAICU 2012 Annual Meeting on Vimeo

Diane Ravitch Addresses NAICU 2012 Annual Meeting on Vimeo:Diane Ravitch Addresses NAICU 2012 Annual MeetingRavitch warns that changes introduced by No Child Left Behind are coming to higher education. by NAICU 2 weeks agoDiane Ravitch Addresses NAICU 2012 Annual Meeting from NAICU on Vimeo.

New Education Trust—West Report Details How California Shortchanges its Poorest School Districts of Millions in Funding | Education Trust

New Education Trust—West Report Details How California Shortchanges its Poorest School Districts of Millions in Funding | Education Trust:New Education Trust—West Report Details How California Shortchanges its Poorest School Districts of Millions in FundingPrinter-friendly versionContact info: Eric Wagner (510) 465-6444, ext 318; Email: ewagner@edtrustwest.orgPublication date: February 23 2012OAKLAND, CA (February 23, 2012) – A new report released today paints a step-by-step picture of startling inequities in California’s system of education funding that harm our state’s poorest sch... more »

Charter schools could gain power to take over public schoolsv | Gainesville.com

Charter schools could gain power to take over public schoolsv | Gainesville.com:Charter schools could gain power to take over public schoolsBy Zac AndersonTallahassee bureauPublished: Sunday, February 26, 2012 at 8:30 p.m.Last Modified: Sunday, February 26, 2012 at 8:30 p.m.TALLAHASSEE — Charter schools would receive more construction money, greater freedom to expand and the ability to take over struggling public schools at the request of parents under two bills still in play as the legislative session winds down.Conservative education reformers are ... more »

Some California schools get twice the funding -- and more -- of others - San Jose Mercury News

Some California schools get twice the funding -- and more -- of others - San Jose Mercury News:Some California schools get twice the funding -- and more -- of othersBy Sharon Noguchisnoguchi@mercurynews.comPosted: 02/26/2012 05:37:03 PM PSTUpdated: 02/27/2012 03:09:47 AM PSTClick photo to enlargeA third-grade music class at Woodside Elementary, part of one of the best-funded districts in...Compare financesAt the Ed-Data site, click on "District," then "Compare Finances"Related StoriesFeb 26:Document: 'The Cruel Divide,' report of Education Trust-WestDocument: State and Local Per-Pup... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES:WEEKEND QUOTABLESby Mike Klonsky“This is an amazing panel, so I’m thrilled to be part of it,” Mr. Duncan said in his opening comment.Investigator Richard Hyde“I’m shocked that the secretary of education would be fraternizing with someone who could potentially be the target of the investigation. The appearance of a conflict of interest is troubling because it can cause the public to lose faith in the investigation.” -- Amid a Federal Education Inquiry, an Unsettling Sight, ... more »

Financial aid officials question Cal Grants for online degrees Kaplan University| California Watch

Financial aid officials question Cal Grants for online degrees | California Watch:Financial aid officials question Cal Grants for online degreesFebruary 27, 2012 | Erica PerezEd Yourdon/FlickrThe California Student Aid Commission last week explored at a hearing whether, at a time of limited funds for college financial aid, the state should allow Cal Grants to cover all online degree programs.The commissioners held the meeting in part because they have been seeing an increasing number of colleges and universities entering into agreements ... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Poverty, Schmoverty

Jersey Jazzman: Poverty, Schmoverty:Poverty, Schmovertyby DukeChildhood poverty bothers ACTING Education Commissioner Chris Cerf: he's worried the little waifs might be ripping him off:In New Jersey and across the nation, the number of students living in poverty is determined by how many of them qualify for free and reduced-price lunches, a federal program run by the Department of Agriculture. But the count is not just about the federally subsidized meals — schools with poor students in the lunch program receive up ... more »

Outrage Spreads Throughout New York City And State At The Sell-out of Members' Rights By The United Federation of Teachers (UFT) - ParentAdvocates.org

Parent Advocates - ParentAdvocates.org:Outrage Spreads Throughout New York City And State At The Sell-out of Members' Rights By The United Federation of Teachers (UFT) And the Unity CaucusNYC UFT officers are members of Unity, not the UFT. Yet Mike Mulgrew, President of the UFT has the authority to bargain for all members, and has at his side Attorneys Carol Gerstl, Adam Ross, Richard Iannuzzi (NYSUT) and NYC NYSUT Chief Claude Hersh. The recently released teacher evaluation data is sending a ... more »

Document: State and Local Per-Pupil Revenue for California School Districts - San Jose Mercury News

Document: State and Local Per-Pupil Revenue for California School Districts - San Jose Mercury News:Document: State and Local Per-Pupil Revenue for California School DistrictsPosted: 02/26/2012 03:28:23 PM PSTUpdated: 02/26/2012 03:30:04 PM PSTSources: Data compiled by Education Trust-West from Ed-Data.org for per-pupil revenues (2009-10 data), and from the California Department of Education, Free/Reduced Price Meals Program and CalWORKS Data Files for poverty data.Lines in yellow signify districts with highest poverty level.The data is filtered to only include districts with Averag... more »

SOUTH BRONX SCHOOL: Abbott and Costello Meet the Teacher Data Reports

SOUTH BRONX SCHOOL: Abbott and Costello Meet the Teacher Data Reports:Abbott and Costello Meet the Teacher Data Reportsby noreply@blogger.com (Bronx Teacher)It had to happen. The farcical world of Abbott and Costello has hit the NYC DOE.Abbott: Well Costello, I'm going to New York. You know NYC DOE Chancellor Dennis Walcott gave me a job at Tweed as long as you are a teacher.Costello: Look Abbott, if you're at Tweed, you must know how the Teacher Data Reports work.Abbott: I certainly ... more »

Have You Achieved Success at Success at Success? [A Reflection On My Own TDR] | The Jose Vilson

Have You Achieved Success at Success at Success? [A Reflection On My Own TDR] | The Jose Vilson:Have You Achieved Success at Success at Success? [A Reflection On My Own TDR]by JoseSome of you might be asking, “But Jose, isn’t your data in the public view? Aren’t you afraid that your job is on the line somehow?” Sure. On Saturday, after seeing the report in the New York Post, I started to see the scores of my fellow teachers in ... more »

presumption of guilt? in an investigation of Washington schools under the direction of Michelle Rhee. - NYTimes.com

Education Dept.’s Washington Schools Inquiry - NYTimes.com:Amid a Federal Education Inquiry, an Unsettling SightPablo Martinez Monsivais/Associated Press; Alex Wong, via Getty ImagesA spokesman for Education Secretary Arne Duncan, left, cautioned against the presumption of guilt in an investigation of Washington schools under the direction of Michelle Rhee.By MICHAEL WINERIPPublished: February 26, 2012RECOMMENDTWITTERLINKEDINCOMMENTSSIGN IN TO E-MAILPRINTSINGLE PAGEREPRINTSSHAREWhat was Arne Duncan doing sharing the stage with Michelle Rheeat a recent education conference?News, data... more »

Resolution on Challenging Current Education Policy and Affirming Literacy Educators’ Expertise

Resolution on Challenging Current Education Policy and Affirming Literacy Educators’ Expertise:Resolution on Challenging Current Education Policy and Affirming Literacy Educators’ Expertiselast edited 3 months, 1 week agocontent history2011 Annual Business Meeting in Chicago, IllinoisBackgroundThe National Council of Teachers of English has a long history of taking strong positions on the best practices in the teaching of literacy. It has a long history as well of voicing its opposition and proposing alternatives to educational reform based primarily on so-called “standards” of ... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Education Today - The Battle Rages On

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Education Today - The Battle Rages On:Education Today - The Battle Rages Onby Melissa WestbrookSo the on-going battle for the education soul of the Democratic party in Washington State goes on.Over at Publicola, WEA President Mary Lindquist shot back at heavy Dem donor Nick Hanauer over his e-mail to her. (She is right on one point; he made it sound like every single change put forth in the Legislature has been blocked by the WEA. That's ... more »

Schools Matter: Resolution opposing common core standards and national tests

Schools Matter: Resolution opposing common core standards and national tests:Resolution opposing common core standards and national testsby skrashenResolution submitted to NCTE opposing common core standards and national tests. Did not survive NCTE Resolutions Committee, was not presented to NCTE members for voting.Resolution on National Standards and TestsSubmitted to National Council of Teachers of English, Committee on Resolutions, via e-mail, on October 10, 2011, for consideration during the Annual Convention in Chicago, Illinois.The movement for national standards and tests is ... more »

Reading List: VAM (Value Added Measures) - Sacramento City Teachers Association

Reading List: VAM (Value Added Measures) - Sacramento City Teachers Association:Reading List: VAM (Value Added Measures)Formula for deriving a teacher’s value added score in New York CityOne of the biggest topics in education lately has been the use of Value added measures also known by the acronym, VAM. In recent days, New York has been roiling in controversy with the release of teacher reports (more at New York Teacher Ratings Released — “At Best Unwise, At Worst Absurd”). The release ... more »

Teach For America Corps Members Debate: The Leadership Pipeline - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

Teach For America Corps Members Debate: The Leadership Pipeline - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher:Teach For America Corps Members Debate: The Leadership Pipelineby Anthony CodyLast Friday, I posted this essay by Teach For America corps member Jameson Brewer: Hyperaccountablity, Burnout and Blame. One of the comments came from another TFA corps member, duke solaris. This comment and Jameson's response ran yesterday, Teach For America Corps Members in Dialogue: Can this Model Work?Today, in the third installment of this ... more »

JURUPA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT OF RIVERSIDE COUNTY A MINI-LAUSD by Anthony Scott- Perdaily.com

JURUPA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT OF RIVERSIDE COUNTY A MINI-LAUSD by Anthony Scott (Jurupa Distrito Escolar Unificado del Condado de Riverside Un MINI-LAUSD por Anthony Scott) - Perdaily.com:JURUPA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT OF RIVERSIDE COUNTY A MINI-LAUSD by Anthony Scott (Jurupa Distrito Escolar Unificado del Condado de Riverside Un MINI-LAUSD por Anthony Scott)by Leonard Isenberg(Mensaje se repite en EspaƱol)(For a national view of public education reform see the end of this blog post) For readers of Perdaily, it is important to recognize ... more »