Latest News and Comment from Education

Saturday, December 21, 2013

Subtract Teachers, Add Pupils - Math of Today’s Jammed Schools - NYTimes.com

Subtract Teachers, Add Pupils - Math of Today’s Jammed Schools - NYTimes.com:

Subtract Teachers, Add Pupils: Math of Today’s Jammed Schools


Overcrowding in Classrooms: Cuts to payrolls in school districts have resulted in unwieldy class sizes and a lack of specialists to help those students who struggle academically.


 COATESVILLE, Pa. — The recession may have ended, but many of the nation’s school districts that laid off teachers and other employees to cut payrolls in leaner times have not yet replenished their ranks. Now, despite the recovery, many schools face unwieldy class sizes and a lack of specialists to help those students who struggle academically, are learning English as a second language or need extra emotional support.


Donna Guy’s fourth-grade class at Caln Elementary School here is too big — 30 pupils — for the room, so some of them sit halfway into a coat closet. Across town at Rainbow Elementary School, the 36 third graders in Kristen Pleasanton’s gym class rotate on and off the bench during 25 minutes of seven-a-side soccer games, because she cannot supervise all of them playing at once.
And during social studies class at Scott Middle School, Keith Lilienfeld tries to keep control of a class of 25 students, 10 who need special education services, four who know little or no English and others who need more challenging work than he has time to give.
“I’m up there putting out fires like you wouldn’t believe,” said Mr. Lilienfeld, who used to have the help of two or three classroom aides. “There’s only one of me, and there’s a need 

I Believe in Human Rights: Youth Homelessness and Education | ED.gov Blog

I Believe in Human Rights: Youth Homelessness and Education | ED.gov Blog:

I Believe in Human Rights: Youth Homelessness and Education


For two years in a row, I have been honored to speak with the recipients of the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth’s LeTendre Education Fund Scholarship (NAEHCY/LeTendre). The recipients are undergraduates who have demonstrated an incredible commitment to education during their experience of homelessness.
These young people – typically in college by the time I’ve met them – are among the most courageous students I have ever met. Their stories are heartbreaking, yet hopeful at the same time. This year, they shared their experiences of surviving domestic violence, helping their parents and younger siblings gain access to food and shelter, dealing with constant stress and worry, working through high school, and getting by without much sleep. For many of them, these experiences began early in their lives and came full force during middle school. 
And yet, these students fought, and still fight, to take full advantage of every opportunity that crosses their paths – be it community service, school athletics, extracurricular activities, and Honor Society. I’m not sure I’ve ever met a more focused, and more dedicated group of people, and I am humbled that they continue to reach for a brighter future in the face of so many obstacles.
Yet, the sobering truth is this – homelessness is no obstacle that any child should have to face. While I’m awed by the strength and persistence of the human spirit – especially in our young people – I am a firm believer that the true measure of a society’s greatness is in its treatment of our most vulnerable people.  The stories of the 13 NAEHCY/LeTendre undergraduates are inspiring, and yet, even they continue to struggle for the basic necessities of life – including shelter and food – and they are the exception among homeless youth, not the norm.  There are far too many homeless youth who are left behind and cannot find the strength or resources to face another day without the basic necessities which leaves them with little, if any, hope.
We must do better.
The Department provides about $60 million per year to support the education of homeless youth, from kindergarten through grade 12.  These funds are vital to supporting State and local efforts to keep these highly mobile youth in their school of origin — minimizing the disruption that sudden or chronic homelessness may cause to their academic careers and community supports.  However, these dollars are thinly stretched and, over the past few years, school districts have reported more and more students in need of stable housing and basic necessities.
During the 2011 – 2012 school year, school districts reported 1,166,436 homeless youth – a 10 percent increase over the previous year. Seventy-five percent of these youth are “doubled-up” – that is, they are residing temporarily with other people, with or without their parents.  The remaining 25 percent stay in shelters, motels, or are completely unsheltered.  Too many of them are left wandering.
To give homeless youth the best possible chance to succeed, it is critical that we provide them with high-quality education services, wherever they go, and maintain strong partnerships between local education agencies and housing authorities.   However, after meeting with the NAEHCY/LeTendre recipients, I strongly believe that we must to do more to prevent youth homelessness in the first place and, for those students who become homeless, rapid rehousing must become our first priority.  What we offer to our children tells them what it is that we value.  By prioritizing the needs of homeless youth, we tell them that we believe in them and are willing to be advocates on this challenging pathway called life.
Deb Delisle is the assistant secretary for elementary and secondary education at the U.S. Department of Education.

Should your local public school have to pay for charter and county vocational school sports programs?

Save Our Schools NJ:

Save Our Schools NJ



Should your local public school have to pay for charter and county vocational school sports programs?

The New Jersey Legislature is about to vote on legislation that would do just that!
Assembly Bill 3421/Senate Bill 3043 require public school districts to allow students attending charter or county vocational schools, or being home schooled, to play on the local public school sports teams, if the charter and county vocational schools do not offer those sports.
However, this legislation does not require charter or county vocational schools to contribute to the cost of their students participating in the local public school  sports programs, even though New Jersey public schools are dealing with severe, multi-year funding cuts from the State.
This legislation also does not give local public school students the same opportunity to play sports, or take part in any other extra curricular activities, at charter or vocational schools.
This legislation actually creates an incentive for charter and county vocational schools not to fund their own sports programs, instead encouraging their students to play on the local public school teams.
Charter schools and county vocational schools are taxpayer funded. In fact, vocational schools areamong the highest funded schools in New Jersey.  Public school districts also pay to transport students to charter and county vocational schools, at significant cost. Why must local public schools be forced to bear the cost of these schools’ sports programs as well?
Public school districts already have the option to allow any child who lives within the school district to play on a local public school sports team, but this legislation would FORCE school districts to do so, taking away their ability to determine what is best for their students.
Please ask the Legislature not to force this requirement on our local public schools.

Nite Cap 12-21-13 #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 CAP


#StackRanking and Other Immoral Horrors: The Invisible Hands and Invisible Morals of Bill and Melinda Gates | Teachers' Letters to Bill Gates
#StackRanking and Other Immoral Horrors: The Invisible Hands and Invisible Morals of Bill and Melinda Gates | Teachers' Letters to Bill Gates: #StackRanking and Other Immoral Horrors: The Invisible Hands and Invisible Morals of Bill and Melinda GatesPosted on December 21, 2013by Teachers'LettersToBillGatesDear Bill and Melinda,I would like to explore the cause and effect of your Microsoft system o
12-21-13 Saturday Matinée Special Double Feature News Breakout
Saturday MatinĂ©e Special Corporate Reform School Girls News BreakoutSpecial  Sneak Preview - Witch Hunter starring Campbell Brown  News BreakComing to a theater near you!:Variation Found in Rates of Restraint and Seclusion Among Students With a Disability | The Carsey InstitutePublications | The Carsey Institute:  Publication Title:Variation Found in Rates of Restraint and Seclusion Among Students
:Variation Found in Rates of Restraint and Seclusion Among Students With a Disability | The Carsey Institute
Publications | The Carsey Institute:  Publication Title:Variation Found in Rates of Restraint and Seclusion Among Students With a DisabilityRegion:NationalPublication Type:Issue BriefPublication Number:67Publication Date:December 27, 2013Publication PDF:Download PDFAbstract:The restraint and seclusion of individuals—practices usually associated with highly restrictive environments—are extreme resp
Math topics that need to be put out of their misery. Part 2: Absolute value | Gary Rubinstein's Blog
Math topics that need to be put out of their misery. Part 2: Absolute value | Gary Rubinstein's Blog: Math topics that need to be put out of their misery. Part 2: Absolute valueThe old math standards, say common core defenders, were “a mile wide and an inch deep.”  I’m inclined to agree with this.  Too many topics and too little time led to teachers having no choice but to teach many topics at a s
Sometimes it’s all about the chairs | Connected Principals
Sometimes it’s all about the chairs | Connected Principals: Sometimes it’s all about the chairsby Ron Sherman • December 21, 2013 • 0 CommentsI can recall the first time I toured my school, being struck by the fact that there was a lot of stuff there.  I mean, a lot.  Storage rooms were filled with unopened manipulatives; curriculum guides from the 1990s, still in the shrink wrap.  Files, books, p
Is California “Common Core Unrest State # 23″? | deutsch29
Is California “Common Core Unrest State # 23″? | deutsch29: Is California “Common Core Unrest State # 23″?December 21, 2013In response to my post, UPDATE: Common Core Unrest in 22 States, I received the following comment:You should include California. It is the sleeping giant that no one is paying attention to and here is why: First, this past summer, California Republican Party overwhelmingly pas
Some Thoughts on Meghan Murphy, Internet Ethics, and the Morality of Quoting |
Some Thoughts on Meghan Murphy, Internet Ethics, and the Morality of Quoting |: Some Thoughts on Meghan Murphy, Internet Ethics, and the Morality of QuotingDecember 21, 2013 in StudentsSo last night, as the internet explosion over Justine Sacco was petering out, I got a series of tweets from Meghan Murphy.Ironically, in light of what follows, I can’t quote them since she’s (I assume unrelatedly) l
China Moon Landing: 'Jade Rabbit' Rover Basks in Lunar Bay of Rainbows | Space.com
China Moon Landing: 'Jade Rabbit' Rover Basks in Lunar Bay of Rainbows | Space.com: China Moon Landing: 'Jade Rabbit' Rover Basks in Lunar Bay of RainbowsBy Leonard David, SPACE.com's Space Insider ColumnistChina's lunar rover Yutu ("Jade Rabbit") is seen by a camera on the country's Chang'e 3 lander after both successfully landed on the moon together on Dec. 14, 2013. It is China's firs
2nd Banana 12-21-13 Recap of Last Week's Best Post #EDchat #EDreform #RealEdTalk #p2 #1u
BIG EDUCATION APE 2ND BANANARECAP OF LAST WEEK'S BEST POSTSpecial Late Nite Cap UPDATE 12-16-13 #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2Nite Cap UPDATEUPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATECORPORATE ED REFORMThe 2013 Legislative Audit of Louisiana Voucher SchoolsOn December 11, 2013, Louisiana Legislative Auditor (LLA) Daryl Purpera released the 2013 Performance Audit of Louisiana’s voucher program. The purpose of t
Morning Wink 12-21-13 AM Posts #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2
BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTSNYC Educator: BREAKING: Bloomberg Says God Wants Bill de Blasio Homeless, Declares Martial LawNYC Educator: BREAKING: Bloomberg Says God Wants Bill de Blasio Homeless, Declares Martial Law: BREAKING: Bloomberg Says God Wants Bill de Blasio Homeless, Declares Martial LawIn a surprise move, Mayor Michael Bloomberg today announced that he had decided to void
NYC Educator: BREAKING: Bloomberg Says God Wants Bill de Blasio Homeless, Declares Martial Law
NYC Educator: BREAKING: Bloomberg Says God Wants Bill de Blasio Homeless, Declares Martial Law: BREAKING: Bloomberg Says God Wants Bill de Blasio Homeless, Declares Martial LawIn a surprise move, Mayor Michael Bloomberg today announced that he had decided to void the recent mayoral election, and declared himself Mayor for Life. Mayor Bloomberg stated he was fully prepared to have his private army,
Edu Orgs Shortcomings | My Island View
Edu Orgs Shortcomings | My Island View: Edu Orgs ShortcomingsDecember 21, 2013 by tomwhitbyCollaborative learning has always been with us. Educators have for ages shared ideas and methods with other educators that they came in contact with on a face-to-face basis. Most educators insist that face to face connections are their best connections. Unfortunately, for some educators, it is their only for
De Blasio Launches Campaign for Universal Pre-School With this Video | janresseger
De Blasio Launches Campaign for Universal Pre-School With this Video | janresseger: De Blasio Launches Campaign for Universal Pre-School With this VideoPosted on December 21, 2013 by janressegerHere is the very lovely little video  that New York City mayor-elect, Bill de Blasio is using to promote his proposal for universal pre-school in New York City and after school programs for all students in
12-21-13 Scathing Purple Musings | Color me purple in Florida, red in Washington, dark sky-blue in Israel and public school in Education
Scathing Purple Musings | Color me purple in Florida, red in Washington, dark sky-blue in Israel and public school in Education:You Can Be Sure Florida Ed Policymakers Know All About NY’s Common Core’s Rocky RolloutMost of the politicians who have to face voters are survivalist, so you can be sure Florida’s -like, say, Rick Scott – are tuned into what happened in New York with the roll-out of Comm
12-21-13 Open Congress : Major Bill Actions Education This Week - U.S. Congress - OpenCongress
Education - U.S. Congress - OpenCongress:Bill Introduced: S. 1796: STEM Gateways ActA bill to increase the participation of women, girls, and underrepresented minorities in STEM fields, to encourage and support students from all economic backgrounds to pursue STEM career opportunities, and for other purposes.3d Bill Introduced: H.R. 3690: STEM Gateways ActTo increase the participation of women, gi
Ms. Jablonski's Class Blog 12-21-13
Ms. Jablonski's Class Blog:Woman Caught After 36 Years On The RunCheck this out you guys!Kathlyn Huff, 58, of Farmington Hills, Michigan, was arrested Tuesday, in her driveway, at her home – forcing her to finally face charges from a 1976 incident when she tried to kill her common-law husband by shooting him in the head. US Marshals tracked her across the country until her arrest this week. The wo
teacherken at Daily Kos This Week 12-21-13
teacherken at Daily Kos:teacherken at Daily Kos This WeekTeaching as a relationship of trustParker Palmer has been my guide in many things, especialy in the importance of relationship in teaching.  In his seminal work, The Courage to Teach: Exploring the Inner Landscape of a Teacher's Life, he describes teaching as a series of overlapping relationships - between teacher and students, among the stu
With A Brooklyn Accent Go BATs All Week 12-21-13
With A Brooklyn Accent: With A Brooklyn Accent Go BATs All Week The Child Abuse Taking Place in our Classrooms - A Bronx Teacher Reflects on the Toll from Uncontrolled TestingI had a student leave my classroom in an ambulance last year during the middle of a practice test. He was having an asthma attack brought on by panic. He kept saying, "I can't do this." As his teacher, I knew him. I
All Week @ The Answer Sheet 12-21-13
The Answer Sheet:All Week @ The Answer Sheet‘Duck Dynasty’s’ Phil Robertson: A former teacher with a master’s degree“Duck Dynasty’s” Phil Robertson, now  famously suspended from his family’s popular cable reality television show for making shockingly offensive remarks about blacks and gays in a GQ interview, once taught in Louisiana schools, has a bachelor’s degree in physical education and a mast
12-21-13 Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Schooling in the Ownership Society All Week
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog:Schooling in the Ownership SocietyMike Klonsky's SmallTalk Schooling in the Ownership SocietyUNO laying low 'til the heat blows overThe Reader's Ben Joravsky is at it again. He's still dogging UNO charter school hustlers who have handily ripped off the taxpayers for more than $98 million, thanks to the largesse of Gov. Quinn, Boss Madigan, and Mayor Emanuel.Ben tells
12-21-13 Wait What? All Week
Wait What?:  Wait What? All WeekFoxes guarding the chicken coop or Hartford politics as usual.With relatively little fan-fare last fall, Board of Education Chairman Matt Poland appointed a 13 member search committee to choose a new superintendent of schools for the Hartford School System. Poland, who is not only appointed to the Board of Education by Mayor Segarra, is also the Director of the Hart
12-21-13 Seattle Schools Community Forum Week
Seattle Schools Community Forum:Seattle Schools Community ForumYoo Hoo, Seattle Times and OSPI - See You in the New YearI called and left a message for two different people at OSPI today to get a comment about OSPI signing an agreement with the Seattle Times for student and teacher data (it was November 13, 2013 to be exact).  No one called back.I called and talked to Jim Simon, who is the managin
12-21-13 Ed Notes Online Week
Ed Notes Online: Ed Notes OnlinePortelos Update: A Para for the Defense, Part 2The story below is a warning to anyone who might think that taxpayer supported DOE Legal has any interest in the truth.Part 1 is here: Portelos Update: A Para for the Defense, DOE Pulls Race Card, Theresa Europe Sits in to Intimidate Hearing OfficerPORTELOS HEARING DEC. 18, 2013CROSS EXAMINATION by DOE Legal Jordana She
12-21-13 Jersey Jazzman Jammin' All Week
Jersey Jazzman:Jersey Jazzman Jammin' All WeekLocal Control Is a White People Thing: Ask Asbury ParkIs it wrong of me to feel a little embarrassed when someone catches something reformy going on in New Jersey that I completely missed? Luckily, some Facebook friends hipped me to this pick-up from the always excellent folks at Schools Matter, quoting the Asbury Park Press:ASBURY PARK — Where is the
12-21-13 Fred All Week Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacher
Fred Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacher who is just looking at the data.: Fred All Week Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacher The Stream is showing the Nekritz/Klonsky episode again on Sunday, December 22nd.  The Stream, Al Jazeera’s social media based show, which featured a hot debate between me and Illinois State Senator Elaine Nekritz, will be shown
12-21-13 Perdido Street School Week
Perdido Street School: Perdido Street School WeekCarol Burris: Tisch Did Blame Cuomo, But It Was Over APPR Teacher EvaluationsI managed to miss this tweet when I was writing up this morning's post about Andrew Cuomo going Corleone on Merryl Tisch over Common Core.First, let's recap the story:Newsday reported that a principal from a middle school in Red Hook said the following:Karyann (Katie) Zahed
12-21-13 the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness by P. L. Thomas, EdD
THE BECOMING RADICALRadical Scholarshipthe becoming radical  A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness by Supporting Common Core Is Supporting Entire Reform MachineSupporting Common Core is supporting either an increase or diversion of education tax dollars for funding CC-aligned textbooks, CC-aligned materials, CC-based high-stakes tests, CC-related teacher inservice and workshops, and expanded analysis
Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Week… 12-21-13 …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EF
Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFLLARRY FERLAZZO’S WEBSITES OF THE DAYMy Favorite Posts In 2013 — Part TwoI regularly publish a list of my personal favorites posts during the year, and it’s usually my last annual “Best” list of the year. You might also be interested in: My Best Posts Over The Years — Volume One, focused on the year 2007 and includes a fair am
This Week's Education Research Report 12-21-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2
Education Research ReportTHIS WEEK'S EDUCATION RESEARCH REPORTPreparing for the Common Core: Using Performance Assessment Tasks for Professional DevelopmentPreparing for the Common Core: Using Performance Assessment Tasks for Professional Development presents findings from three school districts in California that piloted performance assessment tasks aligned to the Common Core State Standards. It
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 12-21-13
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit:4LAKIDS - SOME OF THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T FIT  IT’S TIME TO INVESTIGATE PEARSON IN TEXAS, TOO …but why stop there? California’s nice this time of year!In New York the Pearson Foundation  illegally helped develop products for its corporate parent, including course materials and software.  That’s just as illegal in California  and violates the federal tax co
NPE News Briefs ← from The Network for Public Education 12-21-13
NPE News Briefs ← from The Network for Public Education:NPE News Briefs ← from The Network for Public EducationNPE News BriefsWhy No Common Core at the School The Obamas Chose for Their Children? | Diane Ravitch’s blogThis is a description of the philosophy of the lower school the Obamas chose for their children. Here is the academic program. No mention of the Common Core. Sounds like a wonderful
12-21-13 Schools Matter All Week
Schools Matter:  Schools Matter All WeekPearson's $300 Toll Road to TeachingIf you need some extra holiday cash, you might consider working part-time from home to help Pearson decide who will become teachers and who won't. It's easy--just complete a few online tutorials, and Pearson will send you a bunch of student teaching portfolios, complete with video clips of student teachers and classes with
All Week 12-21-13 @ THE CHALK FACE
@ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: All Week @ THE CHALK FACE Supporting Common Core Is Supporting Entire Reform MachineSupporting Common Core Is Supporting Entire Reform Machine. via Supporting Common Core Is Supporting Entire Reform Machine.by plthomasedd / 1h YESTERDAYUPDATE: Common Core Unrest in 22 StatesOn November 23, 2013, I wrote a post briefly detailing the 17 states in which official
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH ALL WEEK LONG Diane Ravitch's blog 12-21-13 #thankateacher #EDCHAT #P2
Diane Ravitch's blogLISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH ALL WEEK LONGDIANE RAVITCH'S BLOGWhy a D.C. Charter School Teacher ResignedCaleb Rossiter resigned as a math teacher at Friendship Public Charter School in D.C. He wrote an open letter to the Board of Trustees of the school explaining why. Here is a selection from his brutally frank letter. “I recently resigned from a position as a ninth grade Algebra 1

YESTERDAY

Daily Kos: Charles M. Blow on Duck Dynasty's Phil Robertson
Daily Kos: Charles M. Blow on Duck Dynasty's Phil Robertson: Charles M. Blow on Duck Dynasty's Phil RobertsonbyteacherkenFollowis a column well worth reading, in part because Blow, a black man, grew up about 50 miles from where Robertson is based.  He knows the Louisiana white culture, the history of the state with respect to segregation and discrimination (remember, Plessy v Ferguson is a case fr
CASU | CALIFORNIA STUDENT UNION : : Our struggles are one. Our victories are one. *** This site is currently under construction. Please bare with us as we update resources, links, etc. Thank you. ***
CASU | CALIFORNIA STUDENT UNION : : Our struggles are one. Our victories are one. *** This site is currently under construction. Please bare with us as we update resources, links, etc. Thank you. ***: CASU Fall Newsletter ‏ 2013Posted on September 4, 2013 by CASTUDENTUNION •Leave a commentHello all! I hope you’re having a great start to your fall semester! Below are some updates from CASU campuses
OSPI says KUOW data agreement story inaccurate | Education Lab Blog | Seattle Times
OSPI says KUOW data agreement story inaccurate | Education Lab Blog | Seattle Times: OSPI says KUOW data agreement story inaccuratePosted by Linda ShawThe state Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) said Friday that a recent story aired by KUOW inaccurately asserted that a data agreement between OSPI and The Seattle Times authorized The Times to receive personally identifiable info
Two-week delay in posting spending regulations for new K-12 funding formula | EdSource Today
Two-week delay in posting spending regulations for new K-12 funding formula | EdSource Today: Two-week delay in posting spending regulations for new K-12 funding formulaDecember 20th, 2013 | Add a Comment | By John FensterwaldThere’ll be no pre-holiday look at the much-anticipated spending regulations for the Local Control Funding Formula. Instead, the draft rules for California’s new school finan
Nite Cap 12-20-13 #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 CAP mark as readChoosing Democracy: The Paucity of Dan Walters' Commentary on School IssuesChoosing Democracy: The Paucity of Dan Walters' Commentary on School Issues: The Paucity of Dan Walters' Commentary on School IssuesThe column by Dan Walters