Latest News and Comment from Education

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 10-8-13 #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2


Nite Cap UPDATE

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CORPORATE ED REFORM



Clear Cutting of Our Schools - and Sacramento
by Editorial Board. Rethinking SchoolsNo single policy reflects the bankruptcy of current education reform politics more than the mass closings of public schools. From Chicago to Washington, D.C., to New Orleans, Detroit, and Philadelphia, these mass closings lay waste to communities, negatively impact children's lives, and help to dismantle not just public education but also the broader public se



Nite Cap 10-8-13 #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2
James Baldwin said it best: "For these are all our children, and we will profit by or pay for whatever they become."A BIG EDUCATION APE NITE CAPTODAYED Pulse Poll Results: Where Does Early Childhood Education Fit Within Our National Priorities? — Whole Child EducationED Pulse Poll Results: Where Does Early Childhood Education Fit Within Our National Priorities? — Whole Child Education: T


Enter the "Advancing Justice is..." Photo Contest
Win a free registration to the Advancing Justice Conference, November 14-16 in Los Angeles. The 5th Advancing Justice Conference, the first and only national conference that focuses on civil rights and social justice in the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, is happening November 14-16 in Los Angeles. Want to win a free registration? Then enter the Advancing Justice Photo Contest.

Career Tech Web Enhancements
State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Unveils New Web Help for Students Exploring College and Careers.


Why Are There Less Women In STEM Careers?
This article provides an interesting exploration of why there are still less women than men in science, including stereotypes, lack of encouragement and “The Big Bang Theory.”
If Charter Schools Are Public Schools, When They Go to Court Why Are Some of Them Saying They're Private?
Are charter schools really public schools? Most folks accept that they are, and they receive public funds to educate their student populations. However, over at Education Week, Anthony Cody details how in recent court cases that would've subjected charters to regulation and oversight, some charter schools and the California Charter Schools Association have argued that charters are actually private

Tell The NY Times How You Feel About “Teaching To The Test”
The New York Times will be publishing a “Sunday Dialogue” this…Sunday on the idea of “teaching to the test.” Responses must be submitted by this Thursday. You can read the Invitation to a Dialogue: Don’t Teach to the Test here. You might also be interested in The Best Posts On How To Prepare For Standardized Tests (And Why They’re Bad).


This Is The Face… #StoptheStigma
This is the face of depression.   And this:   Pretty hard to believe, right? Not really. People expect depression to look a certain way, to sound a certain way. And it doesn’t. It’s taken me a LONG time to write this. I have known it was necessary but I have been hesitant. Because I did not know where to begin. And I was afraid of the stigma. When Sonia aka Bohemian Babushka told me about her ex


What the Government Shutdown Means for You
If you have been around any social media over the past week, you are aware of the most recent problem in the United States: the Government has shutdown. Most of you have asked, “How is that even possible?” That’s a question a majority of us don’t really understand. As a student, the next question I’ve been hearing is “How does this affect us?” On the surface, it doesn’t. We still have to go to cla


Ideas for supporting #TeacherEffectiveness with #EdTech - Domain 4
Technology provides teachers with a great way to provide evidence with artifacts of their effective practice. Across the country this has been a priority for schools that are incorporating a teacher evaluation based on the Danielson Framework for Teacher Evaluation. The model contains various components organized into the following four domains. Domain 1: Planning and Preparation Domain 2: Th

Intro to AFT's Civil, Human and Women's Rights Conference
Publication Date:  Tue, 2013-10-08 In October, the OTL Campaign partnered with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), National Education Association and Communities for Public Education Reform to host the AFT's Civil, Human and Women's Rights Conference in Los Angeles. At the opening town hall on Oct. 4th, participants got fired up with this video chronicling the rising grassroots an


PSAT for 10-8-13: A fall tapestry of activism!
Chicago public school advocates never rest. Here are some things you can get involved in over the next few days: Friday October 11: Free School Funding Forum with Ralph Martire When: noon-1 pm (bring a lunch if you like). Where: 70 E Lake Street, Chicago. 3rd Floor Conference room. Why: Martire is the foremost expert on Illinois school funding. Our children and our schools need more funding now.


State Worker: University of California union to ask members to authorize strike
The bare-knuckles contract brawl between the University of California and one of its larger unions has entered the next round, with an announcement Tuesday that AFSCME Local 3299 is planning to take a strike vote at the end of this month. People walk through Sproul Plaza near Sather Gate on the UC Berkeley campus on June 1, 2011.


Poorly rated: Philadelphia dominates new Pa. 'priority' schools list
Not surprisingly, Philadelphia schools account for more than half the schools flagged as among the lowest performing on the Pennsylvania Department of Education's new school rating system for 2012-13. Among about 90 schools statewide designated as "priority" -- meaning that they are rated among the lowest 5 percent in the state -- 47 are Philadelphia District-run schools, and another nin


7. Fluency Boot Camp!
Added by Kristin Jordan on February 26, 2012

Connecticut: Where laws are fricking optional
Question #1:  Must Connecticut teachers and school administrators have state certification? Answer:  Yes, it is mandatory unless you are Paul Vallas or one of a handful of other politically connected elites. Question #2:  Must Connecticut teachers and school administrators be evaluated? Answer:  Yes, it is mandatory unless you are Hartford Superintendent Christina Kishimoto. The Connecticut […]The

St. Marcus Lutheran School; Sectarian or Ecumenical? Deceptive or High Performing?
St. Marcus Lutheran School demands ownership of the Malcolm X site. I find it interesting that some public officials are encouraging that public dollars and facilities be made available to such a sectarian organization that will not serve the whole community, and in fact, makes a mockery of diversity and tolerance. For example, a posting on the St. Marcus Lutheran School web site recently stated,


iPads in the Classroom: How Did Lewisville Independent School District Get It So Right and Los Angeles Unified Get It So Wrong?
Guest post by Los Angeles resident and edublogger Understanding Equity. Contrast between LAUSD and Lewisville ISD, Lewisville, TX: One to One Technology Plan as featured in Ed Week Recently, issues surrounding the rollout of iPads to students in LAUSD have lead to media reports of breaches in security, missing iPads and indecisiveness as to the iPads take-home policy. Rollouts of iPads in other s


Salman Rushdie speaks at Madison High School
Students asked Rushdie questions about his writing process and about living in exile after Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the Supreme Leader of Iran, issued a fatwa against Rushdie in 1989.

Schwyzer Quits. Apparently For Real This Time.
According to a statement posted on his website, Hugo Schwyzer has resigned his teaching position at Pasadena City College effective immediately. Schwyzer had announced his intention to resign late this summer after his admission that he’d had sex with students in the recent past. He sought to delay the resignation’s effective date until he was able to secure a disability retirement settlement from

Remainders: NYC applies — again — for district Race to the Top
New York City is among 219 districts to apply for the latest round of Race to the Top. (Politics K-12) Syracuse’s teacher evaluation s do not reflect national trends, and its union is not happy. (Teacher Beat) Washington, D.C., is inviting parents to grade the schools and other city services. (Greater Greater Ed) Middle school admissions season is here, and  experts have advice on how to proceed.

Sacramento Parents Get First Look At New Testing and Teaching Plans

Capital Public Radio News - ‎2 hours ago‎
Gabe Ross with the Sacramento City Unified School District says the focus of the new Common Core standards is different from the old STAR teaching and testing methods.

Guilford County's broken tablets,K12 outsourcing grades to India and more

The Progressive Pulse - ‎10 hours ago‎
The Idaho Virtual Academy, operated by K12, Inc., outsourced thousands of student essays for grading by reviewers in India, reports Idaho Education News.

Charter SchoolsFear Having de Blasio for a Landlord

New York Times - ‎9 hours ago‎
By JAVIER C. HERNÁNDEZ. Published: October 8, 2013. Charter schools in New York City have flourished over the past decade, attracting donations from Wall Street, praise from leaders in business and government, and free real estate from the city.