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Friday, February 21, 2014

2-21-14 Fred 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.:



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Life in Rahm’s Chicago. But don’t believe the hype. There is no art.
Rahm is so busted. As part of its arts education plan, for example, the “Arts Abstract 2012-2015” states the first goal of its the CPS District Arts Policy is to “make arts a core subject by dedicating 120 minutes of arts instruction per week for elementary schools.” The plan goes on to set “minimum staffing requirements in the arts at once certified full-time employee per school, or an improved


Ten minute drawing. Arizona.

Running for Retired NEA Representative Assembly delegate ain’t beanbag. And I’ll post this again.
“Politics ain’t beanbag,”  Chicago Mayor Harold Washington used to say. And it’s should not be a spectator sport. On the list of political activities being a candidate for NEA RA retired delegate is pretty far down on the list. But, since I am a critic of the current leadership, they don’t make it easy. Unlike local elections, to get elected as a Retired Delegate I have to run state-wide. A lot of


Dennis Van Roekel’s call for Common Core course correction.
The response to NEA President Dennis Van Roekel’s call for a course correction in the implementation of Common Core State Standards has been all over the ideological map. This might be expected when DVR in his statement took a swipe at “the detractors from the left and the right who oppose the standards.” As if those with a vision of what good schools and good teaching should look like are someho
Glen Brown. The Arizona pension ruling and what it means for Illinois.
 - Glen Brown is a teacher and expert on public pension law. “The Arizona Supreme Court says the Legislature can’t cut cost-of-living increases promised to state retirees. The ruling released Thursday [February 20] comes in a case brought after the Legislature cut the increases in 2011 for retirees in the state plan for judges and elected officials. A Superior Court judge ruled in favor of reti
2-20-14 Fred 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.: I just want to read Dillard’s ALEC letter.  Senator Kirk Dillard’s Capitol office yesterday. When the IEA endorsed Senator Kirk Dillard for governor in the Illinois primary I brought up the fact that he was Illinois Chairman of the American Legislative Exchange Council. ALEC is a notorious union busti