Latest News and Comment from Education

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Nite Cap 8-27-14 #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT



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



empathyeducates – Illinois School Bans Discussions of Michael Brown’s Death
empathyeducates – Illinois School Bans Discussions of Michael Brown’s Death: Illinois School Bans Discussions of Michael Brown’s DeathPhotographic Credit: Photo Credit: wavebreakmedia } Shutterstock.comBy Paul L. Thomas, Ed.D. | Originally Published at AlterNet. August 26, 2014Prohibiting students from talking about events in Ferguson offers them exactly the opposite of what they need.When faced w
Boycott the cruel “One Newark” plan | Bob Braun's Ledger
Boycott the cruel “One Newark” plan | Bob Braun's Ledger: Boycott the cruel “One Newark” planDeseret Segura, 16, comforts her sobbing grandmother, Deseret Richardson, 83, outside the “enrollment center” in Newark.Angry men and women stood in the unforgiving noontime heat before television cameras Wednesday to explain why Newark parents should boycott the opening of school next week–but none  was m
America's public schools remain highly segregated
America's public schools remain highly segregated: America's public schools remain highly segregatedAuthor: Reed Jordan| Posted: August 27th, 2014Fifty million children will start school this week as historic changes are under way in the U.S. public school system. As of 2011 48 percent of all public school students were poor* and this year, students of color will account for the majority of public
Emails prompt LA schools' inspector general to reopen iPad probe | 89.3 KPCC
Emails prompt LA schools' inspector general to reopen iPad probe | 89.3 KPCC: Emails prompt LA schools' inspector general to reopen iPad probeThe inspector general of the Los Angeles Unified School Distict is reopening an investigation into the purchase of iPads and Pearson software based findings in a KPCC investigation into communication between district officials and those companies nearly a ye
Secretary Arne Duncan, Oxygen Sucker | Bill Ayers
Secretary Arne Duncan, Oxygen Sucker | Bill Ayers: Secretary Arne Duncan, Oxygen SuckerIf you need an example of hubris, hypocrisy, and arrogance, here it is. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, the tester-in-chief who has vehemently opposed sensible approaches to evaluation and assessment in favor of corporate-driven high-stakes tests for almost two decades, is now suspending for one year the tes
Teacher Asks Students To Split Into 2 Groups To Simulate Ideal Class Size | The Onion - America's Finest News Source
Teacher Asks Students To Split Into 2 Groups To Simulate Ideal Class Size | The Onion - America's Finest News Source: Teacher Asks Students To Split Into 2 Groups To Simulate Ideal Class SizeGREENSBORO, NC—Hoping that a hands-on demonstration would help students grasp the concept, local teacher Rachel McKenzie reportedly instructed her class of 38 fourth-graders Wednesday to divide into two groups
Everything I know about what kids need I learned in the Utah classroom | Lily's Blackboard
Everything I know about what kids need I learned in the Utah classroom | Lily's Blackboard: Everything I know about what kids need I learned in the Utah classroomAug 27th, 2014 by Lily.SALT LAKE CITY — Lily Eskelsen Garcia will take office Sept. 1 as president of the more than 3.5 million-member National Education Association.Garcia began her career in education as the salad girl in the school lun
Multi-Craft Core Project Launched - Year 2014 (CA Dept of Education)
Multi-Craft Core Project Launched - Year 2014 (CA Dept of Education): State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Launches Pre-Apprenticeship Pilot ProjectSACRAMENTO—Nine California high schools will participate in a pilot project this fall designed to help students earn pre-apprenticeships into the construction trade industries, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson announced today.As pa
8-27-14 Ed Notes Online
Ed Notes Online: Charter Angst: Democracy Prep Parent Ready to Pull Child After 5 DaysAll I see every morning and evening is this tall man dressed in bright clothing yelling at the parents every single day since school started... parent at Democracy PrepDP founder Seth Andrews - or Eva Moskowitz in dragOh the joy in this comment on another beloved crooked charter, especially with today's news (see
8-27-14 @ The Chalk Face
@ THE CHALK FACE: About the radio showJoin Drs. Shaun Johnson and Tim Slekar LIVE Sundays at 6PM EST and Wednesdays at 7PM EST on Blog Talk Radio for progressive, pro-public education talk radio. Call in to speak live with Tim and Shaun during the show, (805) 727-7111. You can also listen to our Monday "Sunday-Replay" at 7PM EST, and re-broadcasts of the archives every Tuesday and Thursd
Eva Moskowitz: Wall Street Stage Mother | deutsch29
Eva Moskowitz: Wall Street Stage Mother | deutsch29: Eva Moskowitz: Wall Street Stage MotherAugust 27, 2014Hedge-funded, politically-connected New York charter pusher Eva Moskowitz is trying to paint herself as a “protector of children.”She insinuates that her charter school forcefulness is.. ahem.. “for the children,” andlikens herself to to a “mama bear”:“I’d be bullied, maybe, if children weren
8-27-14 Curmudgucation
CURMUDGUCATION: Law Professor Says Duncan's Actions Un-ConstitutionalAn upcoming article in the Vanderbilt Law Review argues that the administration's waiver program is both illegal and a very, very bad precedent. University of South Carolina law professor Derek W. Black has written articles about the intersection of federal power and school law before, but none quite as feisty as "Federalizi
Elite Attackers of Public Schools Don't Admit the Impact of Economic Inequality, Racism on Education
Elite Attackers of Public Schools Don't Admit the Impact of Economic Inequality, Racism on Education: Elite Attackers of Public Schools Don't Admit the Impact of Economic Inequality, Racism on EducationWednesday, 27 August 2014 09:56By Mark Naison, Haymarket Books | Book Excerpt3font size   Print Email(Image: Nick Thompson)Wayne Au, editor of Rethinking Schoolsand coeditor of Pencils Down: Rethink
Common Core: Headache or Brain Tumor? | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights
Common Core: Headache or Brain Tumor? | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights: Common Core: Headache or Brain Tumor?By The American Federation of Teachers on August 27, 2014By Amber Chandler, American Federation of Teachers member and 7th grade English Language Arts Teacher at Frontier Middle School in Hamburg, NYReligion. Politics. Sexual Orientation. Breastfeeding. Abortion. Homesc
8-27-14 LA School Report - What's Really Going on Inside LAUSD
LA School Report - What's Really Going on Inside LAUSD (Los Angeles Unified School District): For LAUSD school board a new year, but old problemsFor LAUSD school board a new year, but old problems Alex Caputo-Pearl, President of UTLA It might be the new school year, but it was a series of old problems awaiting the LA Unified school board yesterday as it met long into the night with a full compleme
8-27-14 Seattle Schools Community Forum
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Finding Common GroundI have been an education activist for a long time and I have never had any delusions about my effectiveness. After all, the district officials have all of the power and all of the authority, so they don't have to do anything they don't want to do and they are free to do whatever they like. We have seen that there is almost no accountability or
8-27-14 Schools Matter
Schools Matter: "TeacherTown" Now Paying Charters Over $80 Million Per Year in Projected Enrollment CashNot only is Shelby County and the State coughing up over $80 million each year for corporate reform schools whose test scores are, for the most part, the same or worse than the schools they replaced, but almost $20 million of that is for enrollment that never materialized.  In 2013-14,
8-27-14 Hemlock on the Rocks
Hemlock on the Rocks: Can Supt. Deasy survive LAUSD's iPad fiasco? - Los Angeles Times |http://itcompanyegypt.com/can-supt-deasy-survive-lausds-ipad-fiasco-los-angeles-times-2/ Can Supt. Deasy survive LAUSD's iPad fiasco? – Los Angeles Times So, remember that $1-billion plan to get iPads for each and every Los Angeles Unified student the district has beenby Rene Diedrich / 5min 8-26-14 Hemlock on
What Chicago's upcoming mayoral race says about the power of movements - Waging Nonviolence
What Chicago's upcoming mayoral race says about the power of movements - Waging Nonviolence: What Chicago’s upcoming mayoral race says about the power of movementsKaren Lewis, the former high school chemistry teacher who led the Chicago Teachers Union to an unprecedented strike in 2012, is seriously considering running for mayor of Chicago — and she’s already beating incumbent Rahm Emanuel in the
Is Smart the New Gangsta? | Missouri Education Watchdog
Is Smart the New Gangsta? | Missouri Education Watchdog: Is Smart the New Gangsta?inShareMy daughter has left the nest and been safely delivered to University. Modern communication technology makes this parting not as difficult  as it might have been even 5 years ago. Thanks to smart phones we can Facetime any time we want (make that any time she wants) which means we can have more frequent conver
Morning Wink 8-27-14 AM Posts #edchat #edreform
BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS8-27-14 Wait What? - Jonathan Pelto: Gubernatorial Candidate and A Really Nice GuyWait What?: Wait What? All Week Pelto/Murphy 2014 Barriers for 3rd party challengers are widespread – Here is a new disturbing case in MassachusettsProving that the notion that supporting the Constitution and “Protecting Freedom and Democracy” is a relative term for some peop
Bobby Jindal Sues Federal Government Over Common Core
Bobby Jindal Sues Federal Government Over Common Core: Bobby Jindal Sues Federal Government Over Common CorePosted: 08/27/2014 10:06 am EDT Updated: 4 minutes agoFirst he sued his own school board. Now he's suing the federal government.Buffeted by a state judge who initially struck down his suspension of Common Core testing and said his actions hurt the state's parents, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal
8-27-14 Wait What? - Jonathan Pelto: Gubernatorial Candidate and A Really Nice Guy
Wait What?: Wait What? All Week Pelto/Murphy 2014 Barriers for 3rd party challengers are widespread – Here is a new disturbing case in MassachusettsProving that the notion that supporting the Constitution and “Protecting Freedom and Democracy” is a relative term for some people. Secretary Galvin [Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts] Sued over Rejection of Voter Signatures.  Rejection of
NYC Educator: Revive NYSUT Supporters School Me
NYC Educator: Revive NYSUT Supporters School Me: Revive NYSUT Supporters School MeYesterday on Twitter, I was barraged with various defenses of Revive NYSUT's double-pension grab. I'm going to recount a few here.1. You aren't telling the whole story.That's true. I paint what I see. If there's another side of the story, you're free to tell it. And if you do a good enough job of it, you might persua
8-27-14 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.: Kristin Crowell. Beating Rahm requires deep organizing.[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fs-fT5xCw6w#t=247]by Fred Klonsky / 4min8-26-14 Fred Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacherFred Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacher who is just looking at the data.: “Driv
8-27-14 Perdido Street School
Perdido Street School: Eva Moskowitz Can't Pay Rent For Her Charter Schools But Can Afford $31 Million For New OfficesEva Moskowitz criticized Mayor de Blasio as a hater of children in the latest issue of More Magazine (whatever that is): Controversial Success Academy CEO Eva Moskowitz attacked Mayor de Blasio in an interview with More magazine, calling him a "former operative of the teachers
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 8-27-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Ohio Teacher Says “No Thanks” to StudentsFirst and $5,000Chris Roberts, a new teacher in Ohio, was attracted to the message of StudentsFirst. He was impressed by what he read and by “Waiting for Superman.” He joined and was invited to apply for their Teachers for Transformation Academy. He was offered a stipend of $5,000 to be Stud
8-27-14 Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL
Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL: This Week’s “Round-Up” Of Useful Posts & Articles On Education Policy© 2010 Dave, Flickr | CC-BY-ND | via Wylio Here are some recent valuable posts and articles on educational policy issues: A Quick Look At The ASA Statement On Value-Added is from The Shanker Blog. I’m adding it to The Best Resources For Learning About
The Answer Sheet 8-27-14
Answer Sheet: What new Common Core test scores really showNew York officials recently released the results of the state’s 2014 Common Core State Standards-aligned exams. In this post information award-winning Principal Carol Burris of South Side High School  in the Rockville Centre School District, explains what they mean. Burris has been writing about problems with the controversial school reform
Counties approve high number of LCAPs | EdSource
Counties approve high number of LCAPs | EdSource: CREDIT: KARLA SCOON REID / EDSOURCEParents sort through Post-It notes with funding suggestions at an LCAP planning meeting at Correia Middle School in San Diego Unified in April 2014.Counties approve high number of LCAPsAugust 26, 2014 | By John Fensterwald | No Comments SHARE THIS ARTICLEAn EdSource survey of a sampling of county offices of educa
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 8-27-14
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: REV. JESSE JACKSON SWEARS IN LAUSD BOARD MEMBER GEORGE McKENNABy Thomas Himes, Los Angeles Daily News | http://bit.ly/1qgWq1d George McKenna 8/26/14, 5:25 PM PDT  ::  The Rev. Jesse Jackson swore in Los Angeles Unified’s newest school board member in a ceremony at Tuesday’s meeting. George McKenna, a veteran educator who has held high-ranking positions
The LA School iPad Scandal: What You Need To Know : NPR Ed : NPR
The LA School iPad Scandal: What You Need To Know : NPR Ed : NPR: The LA School iPad Scandal: What You Need To Knowby ANNIE GILBERTSONA massive expansion of classroom technology has come to a grinding halt in Los Angeles.The LA Unified School District had planned to buy some 700,000 iPads for its students and teachers. The Apple tablets would include learning software built by publishing giant Pea
Meeting My Once and Future Classroom - The Jose Vilson
Meeting My Once and Future Classroom - The Jose Vilson: Meeting My Once and Future ClassroomThis was my actual classroom eight years ago, which is the same I have now.Meet my once and future classroom.It once had a exposed wooden door, working lights, nine unmarked boxes, beige lockers, and a second year teacher scared for his career. I know this because I was him eight years ago. Throughout the y
The Bayou state takes on U.S. Dept. of Ed - rightfully :: SI&A Cabinet Report
The Bayou state takes on U.S. Dept. of Ed - rightfully :: SI&A Cabinet Report :: The Essential Resource for Superintendents and the Cabinet: The Bayou state takes on U.S. Dept. of Ed - rightfullyby Lee FunkLouisiana’s new graduation requirements for students with disabilities (SWD) are not sitting well with Washington D.C. and that’s ok. Personalized objectives with carefully tailored instruct
Commentable Version: Chair’s Report on The Common Core Technology Project Ad Hoc Committee
Commentable Version: Chair’s Report on The Common Core Technology Project Ad Hoc Committee: K-12 NEWS NETWORK'S THE WIRECommentable Version: Chair’s Report on The Common Core Technology Project Ad Hoc CommitteeAUGUST 27, 2014 BY K12NN SITE ADMIN LEAVE A COMMENTMany have wondered what the Chair’s Report on the Common Core Technology Project Ad Hoc Committee actually says. This is the committee that
empathyeducates – Ferguson’s Schools Are Just as Troubling as Its Police Force
empathyeducates – Ferguson’s Schools Are Just as Troubling as Its Police Force: Ferguson’s Schools Are Just as Troubling as Its Police ForceFerguson’s Schools Are Just as Troubling as Its Police Force and The City Won’t Heal Until We Fix Them Too.By Tracey Meares | Originally Published at The New Republic. August 22, 2014A day after his visit to Ferguson, Missouri, Attorney General Eric H. Holder
The Con Artistry of Charter Schools - In These Times
The Con Artistry of Charter Schools - In These Times: The Con Artistry of Charter SchoolsIn 2010, billionaire Rupert Murdoch declared for-profit K-12 education 'a $500 billion sector in the U.S. alone that is waiting desperately to be transformed.' (David Shankbone / Wikimedia Commons)Once an effort to improve public education, the charter school movement has transformed into a money-making ventur
A College Professor Teaches History in High School | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice
A College Professor Teaches History in High School | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: A College Professor Teaches History in High SchoolNot a “man bites dog” media story for sure, but university professors who willingly choose to teach at a high school for a semester or a year, well, that does cause a few heads to turn. Previous posts I have published (see here for a math profe
Charter School Activists Suffer From Truth Deprivation - Education Week
Charter School Activists Suffer From Truth Deprivation - Education Week: Charter School Activists Suffer From Truth DeprivationBy Gerald N. Tirozzi''Rarely in the history of education have so many been willing to risk so much on the basis of so little evidence." This cogent statement was included in a 1996 Education Policy Institute report, alluding to the "risky business" of privat

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Charter Schools to Be Defining Issue of Okla State Superintendent Race | Life at the Intersections
Charter Schools to Be Defining Issue of Okla State Superintendent Race | Life at the Intersections: CHARTER SCHOOLS TO BE DEFINING ISSUE OF OKLA STATE SUPERINTENDENT RACEAUGUST 26, 2014 BRETT DICKERSONDemocrats had two unusually good choices in this runoff race for the State Superintendent nomination between two long-time, dedicated education leaders: Freda Deskin and John Cox, the winner.Now it i
Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 8-26-14 #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2
Nite Cap UPDATEUPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATECORPORATE ED REFORMJeff Storobinsky Exposes The Truth in BrooklynThe Crack Team is pleased to welcome once again guest blogger and retired teacher Jeff Storobinsky to share a few words.For those who don't recall these pages shared some of Jeff's story back in June. Jeff is in the process of suing his tormentors with The Crack Team's favorite attorney, Brya
Vergara in New York, Thanks (in Part) to Campbell Brown |
Vergara in New York, Thanks (in Part) to Campbell Brown |: Vergara in New York, Thanks (in Part) to Campbell Brown In a post I wrote about “Vergara Going on Tour,” I wrote about how the financier of the Vergara v. California case was preparing to bring similar suits to New York, Connecticut, Maryland, Oregon, New Mexico, Idaho, and Kansas. As well, the law firm that won the Vergara case for the pl
LAUSD'S SLEAZY DEASY STEALS A LINE FROM THE LATE GILDA RADNER: IPADS? "NEVER MIND" - Perdaily.com
LAUSD'S SLEAZY DEASY STEALS A LINE FROM THE LATE GILDA RADNER: IPADS? "NEVER MIND" - Perdaily.com: (Mensaje se repite en Español)With Superintendent John Deasy's morally challenged behavior in dealing with Pearson, Apple, and IPads, we get another glimpse of the real darkness of the privatization agenda, which is too evil for most to believe or process. It comes down to money and the fur
#Truthy and Common Core Data Sets. Just WHY is the US Government Tracking Us? | Missouri Education Watchdog
#Truthy and Common Core Data Sets. Just WHY is the US Government Tracking Us? | Missouri Education Watchdog: #Truthy and Common Core Data Sets. Just WHY is the US Government Tracking Us?inShareBecome a revolutionary and expose the truth about The CCSSI and the new ‘Truthy’ database designed to track your ‘misinformation’.Data mining of student information via The Common Core States Initiative and
Helping Schools With Limited Internet Connections - Year 2014 (CA Dept of Education)
Helping Schools With Limited Internet Connections - Year 2014 (CA Dept of Education): State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Announces Funding Available to Help Schools With Limited Internet ConnectionsSACRAMENTO—Eligible districts and charter schools are encouraged to apply for new funding to help school sites connect to a high-speed network in time for next spring's new online assessments, State Supe
LA schools' superintendent faces school board after days of questions on iPad plan | 89.3 KPCC
LA schools' superintendent faces school board after days of questions on iPad plan | 89.3 KPCC: LA schools' superintendent faces school board after days of questions on iPad planLos Angeles Unified school board members meet Tuesday afternoon in the first public meeting since Friday, when Superintendent John Deasy began facing a rush of questions about his relationships with executives at Pearson.E
Schooling in the Ownership Society: How Greasy Deasy Funneled $1 Billion to Pals at Pearson, Apple
Schooling in the Ownership Society: How Greasy Deasy Funneled $1 Billion to Pals at Pearson, Apple: How Greasy Deasy Funneled $1 Billion to Pals at Pearson, AppleGreasy DeasyHoward Blume at the L.A. Times reports that L.A. Supt. John Deasy (the man from Gates) and his chief deputy "developed a special relationship" with executives from Pearson and Apple, the companies that won a billion-
Nite Cap 8-26-14 #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT
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 CAP8-26-14 Wait What? - Jonathan Pelto: Gubernatorial Candidate and A Really Nice GuyWait What?: Wait What? All Week Pelto/Murphy 2014 Illinois School Bans Discussions of Michael Brown’s Death (by Paul Thomas)This article was written by fellow pro-p