Latest News and Comment from Education

Saturday, June 29, 2013

All Week 6-29-13 @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER



@ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

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Thought for the Day

plthomasedd at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 3 hours ago
On my WeatherBug smartphone App, the pollen tab notes: This lack of change in airborne pollen will continue to affect those who suffer from allergies and those who live with allergy sufferers. How is it, then, that the “no excuses” education reform crowd is unable to admit that poverty affects those living in poverty and […]

Have Four Decades of Test Based Accountability Closed the Public and Catholic School Score Gaps?

Jim Horn at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 14 hours ago
One way to gauge the effects of over four decades of more testing with higher stakes is to examine how NAEP public school scores compare over time with the Catholic schools, which have not and do not use high stakes standardized testing, even though they have participated in NAEP since 1980. The Catholic schools have […]

No schools shut down that opted out, many shut down that opted in

plthomasedd at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 16 hours ago
Reclaiming the Conversation on Education See 9:19 in, Ceresta Smith Tagged: high-stakes accountability

In Case You Were Wondering…?

Timothy D. Slekar at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 18 hours ago
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgPePk3kGZk http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jKahlEKo0Q http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_fM_TBn_Do Follow Tim Slekar on Twitter: @slekar

Center for American what? Progress? I don’t think so. @EdProgress

Chalk Face, PhD at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 23 hours ago
My behavior on social media differs from others. Folks claim RTs aren’t endorsements and that to me seems rather silly. Why would I propagate information and send it forward to followers if I don’t think it should be spread? Seems like lots of folks are getting busted for errant RTs, so perhaps there’s some genuine […]

The ridiculousness in the resistance of #commoncore

Chalk Face, PhD at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 23 hours ago
Last evening, I saw a link posted on social media about an organization hosting an anti-CCSS conference call. Interesting. The organization? Concerned Women for America. They.Are.Ridiculous. They’re already calling for the end of civilization because of the recent SCOTUS ruling on marriage equality. I see folks calling for collaboration in resisting CCSS between various locations […]

After Forty Years of Test-Based Acccountability, Almost Nothing and Less than Zero

Jim Horn at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 1 day ago
The federal information clearinghouse, ERIC, had 9 entries for the subject, “educational accountability,” in 1970. By 1972, there were 440 entries for that year. In 2010, the number of entries peaked at 2,200. You may say, with good evidence to back it up, that “educational accountability” has essentially dwarfed or completely erased every worthy […]

Perhaps the NEA and AFT both adhere to an old model of lesson planning

Chalk Face, PhD at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 1 day ago
This whole idea of monetizing lesson plans seems like a very antique method. This from the Huffington Post on a very similar initiative soon to be released by the NEA that is strikingly similar to AFT’s Share My Lesson, or whatever. The NEA’s is called, what, BetterLesson or something? I mean, OK, I guess. Who […]

Charter Schools, the Invisible Hand, and Gutless Political Leadership | the becoming radical

plthomasedd at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 2 days ago
What connection is there among Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five, charter schools, the Invisible Hand, and gutless political leaders?* Read this to find out: Charter Schools, the Invisible Hand, and Gutless Political Leadership | the becoming radical. * WARNING: You may become unstuck in time.

Arne Duncan, Civil Rights Visionary of Our Era

Jim Horn at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 2 days ago
When he attended the star-studded premiere in 2010 for Davis Guggenheim’s slick propaganda film, Waiting for Superman, Arne Duncan called it a “Rosa Parks moment.” In making this stunning analogy, it became clear that corporate education reform schoolers were no longer going to sit at the back of the corporate jet. No longer would they […]

When Jeanne Allen Comes Out Against the CREDO Study, the News Can’t Be Good for Charters

Jim Horn at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 2 days ago
Apparently, world champion charter industry promoter, Jeanne Allen, did not get the memo from the corporate ed offices that all corporate education welfare recipients should pretend that the new CREDO study was full of good news for the corrupt charter school industry. Jeanne, who otherwise is a lifelong member of the Test and Punish Society […]

Duncan: Pay no attention to who is behind the #CCSS curtain

Chris Cerrone at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 2 days ago
Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has been quite busy lately making the rounds defending the Common Core. Yesterday Duncan gave a speech to the American Society of Newspaper editors which Valerie Strauss titled “Arne Duncan tells newspaper editors how to report on the Common Core.“ Duncan stated that opponents of the Common Core were “spreading […]

Ultra badass student activists in Chicago giving it to CPS #stuvoice

Chalk Face, PhD at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 2 days ago
I am quoting, via Facebook: Just spoke out against the Board of Education with students from the CSOSOS! Most bad ass thing in the world! Security had no idea what was going on as students across the room stood up and spoke against the Board. It was pure chaos! My thirty second stand up speech: […]

Duncan: Pay no attention to who is behind the #CCSS curtain.

Chris Cerrone at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 2 days ago
Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has been quite busy lately making the rounds defending the Common Core. Yesterday Duncan gave a speech to the American Society of Newspaper editors which Valerie Strauss titled “Arne Duncan tells newspaper editors how to report on the Common Core.“ Duncan stated that opponents of the Common Core were “spreading […]

Let’s Unite in Opposition to Criminalization of Absenteeism in Texas

John Thompson at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 2 days ago
A couple of weeks ago, I tackled the daunting task of posting constructive criticism of the UCLA Civil Rights Project’s support for data-driven efforts to end some types of school suspensions. Now, I get to issue full-throated praise to a federal civil rights lawsuit against criminal prosecutions of Texas students for truancy (while acknowledging the […]

Propaganda, Plagiarism, and Public Misleading on CREDO

Jim Horn at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 2 days ago
The corporate charter industry is working every angle to put the best makeup on the CREDO charter study of 2013. And “news coverage” in Tennessee shows their efforts paying off. Two examples of Tennessee media “coverage” of the 2013 CREDO charter school study are provided below, and as you can see, they are both lifted from […]

Evidence? Secretary Duncan, You Can’t Handle the Evidence

plthomasedd at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 3 days ago
Secretary of Education Arne Duncan appears now to be assuming the mantle of self-righteous indignation—a tenuous perch for someone who is leading a field in which he has no experience or expertise. As Valerie Strauss has reported, Duncan has lambasted news editors, berating them for failing to demand evidence for claims against the precious Common […]

A fun graduation song

Chris Cerrone at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 3 days ago
A music educator gives a nice presentation via song at the graduation ceremony for Williamsville East High School in suburban Western New York. Please bear with the video, the first part is a little blurry. Song starts around one minute mark. Lyrics: Is it an A, or a B, or a C, or a D? […]

Reclaiming the conversation video series, check it out.

Chalk Face, PhD at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 3 days ago
Some very familiar names throughout this series. Listen, learn, share. Tagged: edu4, reclaiming the conversation

Reclaiming the conversation video series, check it out.

Chalk Face, PhD at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 3 days ago
Some very familiar names throughout this series. Listen, learn, share. Tagged: edu4, reclaiming the conversation

CREDO Charter Study Finds Over 70 Percent of Charters Testing Worse or No Better than the Poorest Public Schools

Jim Horn at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 3 days ago
The new CREDO charter school study is out, which means that we point out once more the wasted billions in tax dollars that are now going to corporate apartheid schools that are, in the majority of cases, underperforming the poorest matched public schools in the same communities. Even though you have to dig through the […]

Helpful tips from an #education #reformer

Chalk Face, PhD at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 3 days ago
I may have forgotten all about these. But I have a few images from a rather helpful ad campaign, “Tips from an Education Reformer.” Hopefully you find them as helpful as I do in dismantling a free system of public education. Tagged: certification, public schools, racism, TFA, tips from an education reformer

CREDO v. Kids Count

plthomasedd at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 3 days ago
I make a predication, about the fact that kids still don’t count. Please read HERE about CREDO’s new charter study and the 2013 Kids Count report. Tagged: CREDO, Kids Count

Meaningless Debates

Activism in paradise - Voices from down under at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 4 days ago
by David Hood Retired after 50 years in education Career includes 25 years as teacher and principal, Department of Education official, senior manager of Education Review Office, establishment CEO of New Zealand Qualifications Authority, and consultant since 1996. Author of Our Secondary Schools Don’t Work Anymore [1998] davidhoodassoc@xtra.co.nz ———- Debates on (New Zealand’s) National Standards, […]

Understanding NCTQ’s Essential Role in Eliminating Caring Teachers

Jim Horn at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 4 days ago
NCTQ, ELC, and their ilk were/are like cockroaches that have slightly evolved brains. They still scurry when the light is turned on, but they do their best to create diversions or fake scares aimed to make sure you don’t flip the switch or shine the light their way. But they are many and well-fed. What they […]

Tennesseans Respond to Chief Kevin’s Latest Assault on Teaching

Jim Horn at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 4 days ago
The other news that got buried by Huffman’s new brain disorder to rob teachers of future step increases in pay has to do with the accompanying plan to cut the professional license from 10 to 6 years and to require arbitrary student test score gains in order to renew a license. Huffman tried to defend […]

Is #ISTE13 a substantive debate on #edtech or just a business convention?

Chalk Face, PhD at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 4 days ago
I’m guessing the latter based on sponsorship (Microsoft, Pearson, DELL, etc.). The really interesting thing is to examine the various presentations and you start to wonder who’s an actual scholar versus some company hack trying to sell something. It’s difficult with all of the organizations and research firms that are made to sound like some […]

Our recent show on NCTQ. Consider this the end of the discussion.

Chalk Face, PhD at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 4 days ago
We returned to the air last evening to discuss the various reactions to the latest NCTQ report. This for me is the end of the debate. We need not comment on it further unless further developments ensue. Other authors are welcome to continue the dialogue, however. One of our callers raised a very excellent point. […]

And Still I Teach….

antiqueteacher60 at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 5 days ago
In the past 6 days, the Badass Teachers Association has grown from a handful to over 12,000 members. Earlier this week, Dr. Mark Naison, one of the founders, put out a challenge to all the BATs to take a stab at recreating Maya Angelou’s “And I Still I Rise”. With permission from the author, Sue […]

Be Ready #optout #refusethetest

peggyrobertson at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 5 days ago
Obama is planning to roll out high speed internet connection for our public school students within the next 5 years. This was my comment on FB after reading Stephen Krashen’s post: Cut off from good nutrition, health care, libraries much more serious than cut off from the web. While hungry children wrap food […]

Chief Kevin Huffman Leads Effort To Kill Teacher Recruiting in Tennessee

Jim Horn at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 5 days ago
We know that Tennessee has become the poster state for every untried corporate reform idea that ALEC can craft in a statute and pass on to the semi-literate Republican Taliban which now runs the State–with the support of homegrown oligarch, Bill (Pilot Oil) Haslam. And thanks to coaching by Gates Foundation drones in late 2009, […]

Who’s Building the “Army of Teachers”

Kris Nielsen at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 6 days ago
The National Center for Teacher Quality is a bogus organization, since it comes to us from a non-scientific point of view and tons of people who know next to nothing about teaching. When an agenda and a bunch of policy ideas are predetermined, and the studies comes later, you know something’s going on. But the […]

End slacktivism in education

Chalk Face, PhD at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 6 days ago
I modeled these images off of a very poignant UNICEF campaign, that “liking” Facebook pages and groups, while important initially, fails to do anything of real substance. There is indeed a lot of this same bluster in education. Maybe we need to end slacktivism in education […]

Good friend “Teacher Nicole” from WI explains common in #commoncore

Chalk Face, PhD at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 1 week ago
Here’s her post on CCSS, as an actual educator for ELL/ESL students. We’ve interviewed her on At the Chalk Face, I need to dig those up. Look back here later. She’s great. Tagged: at the chalk face, common core, nicole, WI

education activists gather, talk, strategize: reclaim the conversation

Barbara Madeloni at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 1 week ago
On May 4, 2013 a group of educators, parents, students, and community activists gathered at Barnard College to share their experiences within the assault on public education, draw connections of understanding, strengthen ties, and plan actions. One of our first actions was to create the video linked below. In it organizers and participants talk about […]

Did Arne Duncan Give “Reformers” Enough Rope to Hang Themselves?

John Thompson at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 1 week ago
The Huffington Post’s Joy Resmovits reports that Secretary of Education Duncan announced a voluntary pause in using test scores in teacher evaluations during the transition to Common Core. She explains that the new policy is seen by some as a “tacit recognition of the Obama administration’s overreach into nitty-gritty management of America’s schools.” Of course, I […]

At the Chalk Face is back, this Sunday, June 23rd, 6PM EST

Chalk Face, PhD at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 1 week ago
At the Chalk Face is back, this Sunday, June 23rd at 6PM EST. Educated educators talking education, this time on the recent NCTQ report on teacher preparation. Remember, we are at the helm in the BTR chatroom, live tweeting @thechalkface, and you can always call in to speak with us live, 805-727-7111. Tagged: at the […]

Does this qualify as “intimidation” from NCTQ? Watch out #highered and #teacherprep

Chalk Face, PhD at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 1 week ago
I received an email message the other day from someone at NCTQ regarding an account I had of a meeting with them in 2011. In my first year as a faculty member, I decided to meet and speak with a number of education policy and advocacy organizations to see how folks in my position could get […]

A Letter to Educators Who Embrace the #commoncore

peggyrobertson at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 1 week ago
Dear Educator Friends, While the common core may not be an issue for you, or your school, do know that for others it will be a major issue. And the problem is this, while the standards might work for you and your school, there are many standards in CC that do not work for many […]

Deborah Carter: The Reality of #Teaching

Kris Nielsen at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 1 week ago
Maryland Teacher and member of the Badass Teacher Association, Deborah Carter, summarizes the reasons she teaches. This week, a girl called me a bitch. A mom emailed the same day, demanding that her 11th grade son receive full credit for an assignment that did not come close to following the directions (and was turned in […]

#Occupylafayette, happening now, shaking my head

Chalk Face, PhD at @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER - 1 week ago
Parents, students, and educators occupied Lafayette ES in Chicago, slated for closure. This is a brilliant form of protest, everyone there should be applauded for their courage. This is quite a beautiful building in the picture. I cannot imagine what the city is planning to do with it. Below is an image from a friend […]