Saturday, September 20, 2014

9-20-14 Hemlock on the Rocks (The Big Gulp)

Hemlock on the Rocks





Human Capitol Unbound
http://mobile.edweek.org/c.jsp?cid=25919971&bcid=25919971&rssid=25919961&item=http%3a%2f%2fapi.edweek.org%2fv1%2fblog%2f111%2f%3fuuid%3d41872Benjamin Franklin dropped out of school when he was ten years old. J.K. Rowling was a single mother on welfare when she began writing the Harry Potterseries. And it's reported that a studio executive once wrote about Fred Astaire, "Can't sing
AFT connects dues hike to defense and militancy ...What do you think this means to members under fire ?
http://mobile.edweek.org/c.jsp?DISPATCHED=true&cid=25983841&item=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.s.org%2Fedweek%2Fteacherbeat%2F2014%2F07%2Faft_dues_increases_will_suppor.html
“A Chronicle of Echoes: Who’s Who in the Implosion of American Public Education: a book by Mercedes K. Schneider Reviewed by Patrick Walsh
By Patrick WalshLike every American teacher working in the public school system over the past 10 years or so, I have both witnessed and experienced the relentless and reckless experiments performed upon my students, my profession and, indeed, the entire American public school system itself in the name of "education reform," a phrase that has become synonymous with privatization. Ten year

The LA Times’ Love Affair with John Deasy
http://www.citywatchla.com/neighborhood-politics-the-valley/7566-the-la-times-love-affair-with-john-deasy The LA Times' Love Affair with John Deasy VOICES-The LA Times is on a roll.  This week, in their lead editorial, they put the blame for the LAUSD dysfunction squarely on the Board of Ed for questioning Deasy about the wasted costs of approximately $500 million for the iPad debacle, and for th

Lausd Botched Ipad Roll Out After Brokering Bids
http://www.dailynewsen.com/m/?OAngeles Unified College District's efforts to teach students with iPads, according to a report released Wednesday.The 95-web page report by American Institutes for Research (AIR) — a nonpartisan group hired by LAUSD — also makes suggestions for the district to move forward with its effort to place tablets in the hands of all 650,000 students.𠇊 essential challenge wa
Hack Education Weekly News: LAUSD, iPads, and Grenade Launchers by Audrey Watters — Beacon
https://www.beaconreader.com/audrey-watters/hack-education-weekly-news-lausd-ipads-and-grenade-launchers Hack Education Weekly News: LAUSD, iPads, and Grenade Launchers Audrey Watters Overview In this week's education-related news: AIR releases a report on LAUSD's iPad project. And LOL. It's pretty bad. Only one teacher reported using the Pearson curriculum, which is costing the district $
the difference between external and independent evaluation
http://evalcentral.com/2014/09/19/the-difference-between-external-and-independent-evaluation/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-difference-between-external-and-independent-evaluation the difference between external and independent evaluationOriginally posted at E-Valuation The terms external and independent evaluation are often conflated, largely because external evaluations

More on Deasy, LAUSD from Karen Klien
History repeats itself: L.A. Unified Supt. John Deasy and school board members are back to butting headsThis would be a difficult period for Supt. John Deasy and the Los Angeles Unified School District even if he and the school board were intent on working together for the benefit of students. But these aren't the most cooperative of times, to put it mildly. The questions surrounding the superinte

YESTERDAY

Market Ethics No Ethics at All | the becoming radical
http://radicalscholarship.wordpress.com/2014/09/18/market-ethics-no-ethics-at-all/ MARKET ETHICS NO ETHICS AT ALL Standard In the wake of this country's premier professional sports league fumbling several cases of domestic violence by its players, one high-profile player has become the focus of equally disturbing cases of child abuse. While the league and teams struggled with concerns about du
KAREN KLIEN DISCUSSES THE URGENCY AND EXTRAORDINARY IMPORTANCE OF LAUSD DEASY's MISSION and Provokes Blow Back from the Trenches
At L.A. Unified, tensions are high and crisis is in the air. The  between Supt. John Deasy and the school board that oversees him is at what is perhaps an all-time low. Deasy is again muttering about quitting; others are grumbling that he should be fired.Leadership  is about forging relationships that are productive and . I find it troubling that  this writer, Karen Klein, will blame the BOE and t
Don't Forget South Central: iPads Are Good For Students, Aren't They?
http://dontforgetsouthcentral.blogspot.com/2014/08/ipads-are-good-for-students-arent-they.html iPads Are Good For Students, Aren't They? If you believe technology can replace teachers, then yes. I do not believe it. Let me back up. Hi! My name is Martha Infante and I have been in education for 24 years. I love teaching. I would also love a class set of computers for my students to do researc
A Teacher in Los Angeles Has a Message for Karen Klein, Editorial Writer of the LA Times | Diane Ravitch's blog
http://dianeravitch.net/2014/09/19/a-teacher-in-los-angeles-has-a-message-for-karen-klein-editorial-writer-of-the-la-times/comment-page-1/#comment-2236874Yesterday, the Los Angeles Times published an editorial chastising critics of Superintendent John Deasy and accusing them of wanting to go back to the "good old days" when the teachers' union–United Teachers of Los Angeles (UTLA)—had mo
L.A. Unified survey finds little use of iPads' curriculum - LA Times
http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-ipad-eval-20140918-story.htmlIn the first formal evaluation of the troubled iPads-for-all project in Los Angeles schools, only one teacher out of 245 classrooms visited was using the costly online curriculum. The reason, according to the report, was related to the program's ambition, size and speed.The analysis found that district staff was so focused on distribu
THEATER OF THE ABSURD: LAUSD BOE AGREES TO DOUBLE STAFF For IPAD ROLLOUT:
Check out this comment: http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-computers-la-schools-20140918-story.html#vf-1776500014872www.hemlockontherocks.com
NYC TEACHER - CRUSADER Francesco Portelos : How to Use FOIL in LAUSD
On Sat, Sep 13, 2014 at 1:21 AM,   wrote:LA educators,Use the information here http://achieve.lausd.net/Page/3137 in conjunction with our FOIL resources here www.dtoe.org/resources.You may be able to request it by emailing pra@mail.lausd.netOr call and ask for Public Records Officer  contact info. We've had much success here in NYC with FOIL. Emails,  purchases,  video sur
How About a UFT Cut-the-Strings, Free-the-Puppets Caucus?
NYC Educator: How About a UFT Cut-the-Strings, Free-the-Puppets Caucus?: I didn't start out criticizing our Union.  I started out with a sincere concern for the current state of affairs in education and the loss of respect among "reformers" for my profession.  This will always be my bottom line.  I thought my Union would always be with me, but I soon learned this was not the case.  I lea
HIRED GUN : David Boies Attacks Teacher Tenure
David Boies helped California gay couples win the right to marry. Now he's attacking teacher tenureDavid Boies is an accomplished civil rights attorney who is probably best known for his Supreme Court cases, in which he has represented Al Gore and Californian gay couples seeking to marry. Now he is working on behalf of kids in urban schools, but his approach is a controversial one. He argues that
LAUSD: Armed, Dangerous & Stupid | Friendly Fire
http://blogs.dailynews.com/friendlyfire/2014/09/18/lausd-armed-dangerous-stupid/ LAUSD: Armed, Dangerous & Stupid Los Angeles Unified School District has decided to give back the Rocket Powered Grenade launchers (RPGs) that they got from the Department Homeland Security. That's probably a good idea–particularly for an organization that can't figure out how to buy, maintain and use iPads. That

SEP 18

TELL THAT TO ELI BROAD: Patient Capitol Drives Change
Editor’s note: Matthew Pittinsky is the CEO of Parchment.In 2001, Arthur Levine, then president of Columbia University Teacher’s College, predicted that one day faculty members would become free agents, increasingly independent of their colleges and universities. “It is only a matter of time before we see the equivalent of an academic William Morris Agency,” Levine, now president of the Woodrow Wi
Important US Victories for Teachers
Important US Victories for Teachers
Data Command Force (Susan Ohanian Speaks Out)
http://www.susanohanian.org/data.php?id=565 Data Command ForceStop the Data Abuse--NOW! Much of the data warehoused about students comes from standardized tests. John Merrow devised this questionnaire, which he recommends parents give to their superintendents. It's a good first step in getting people to think about excessive testing. Note: The Questionnaire comes from Merrow's column. by John
Editorial: LAUSD's Pre-Deasy days weren't as great as you thought says LASR ,ECHOING EMPTY defense offered by LAT... READ THE PROSECUTORS' comments
http://laschoolreport.com/editorial-lausds-pre-deasy-days-werent-great-thought/#comment-2646 Editorial: Pre-Deasy days weren't as great as you thought Via LA Times | by the TImes Editorial Board At L.A. Unified, tensions are high and crisis is in the air. The relationship between Supt. John Deasy and the school board that oversees him is at what is perhaps an all-time low. Deasy is again mutterin
The bad-old days at LAUSD - LA Times
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-lausd-utla-teachers-union-superintendent-dea-20140918-story.html?track=rss The bad-old days at LAUSD At L.A. Unified, tensions are high and crisis is in the air. The relationship between Supt. John Deasy and the school board that oversees him is at what is perhaps an all-time low. Deasy is again muttering about quitting; others are grumbling that he

SEP 17

LAUSD School Police Will Give up Grenade Launchers - COLORLINES
DOOOOONTCHOOOO BELIEVE IT! http://colorlines.com/archives/2014/09/lausd_school_police_will_give_up_grenade_launchers.html LAUSD School Police Will Give up Grenade Launchers a Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle Photo: Wikimedia Commons Los Angeles Unified School District police officials announced Tuesday that the agency will return three grenade launchers to the federal governmen
LAUSD Students Stage A Walkout In Classrooms Without Air-Conditioning: LAist
http://laist.com/2014/09/17/lausd_might_have_a_tank.php LAUSD Students Stage A Walkout In Classrooms Without Air-Conditioning Franklin High School (Google Maps) LAUSD might have a tank that was built to fight insurgents in Iraq, but students and teachers are complaining that it doesn't have are functioning air conditioning units in all of its classrooms. The situation reached a breaking point t
LA Times Blames LAUSD School Board for Deasy’s Mistakes | Diane Ravitch's blog
http://dianeravitch.net/2014/09/16/la-times-blames-lausd-school-board-for-deasys-mistakes/ LA Times Blames LAUSD School Board for Deasy's Mistakes Howard Blume of The Los Angeles Times has done a remarkable job of reporting about Superintendent John Deasy's huge problems in managing the school system, the most monumental of them being his decision to borrow from a construction bond issue to buy A

SEP 16

Gloria Romero: Email retention essential for L.A. school district - The Orange County Register
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/district-635168-emails-lausd.html Gloria Romero: Email retention essential for L.A. school district Things seem to just keep disappearing in California's largest school district, Los Angeles Unified. First there was the revelation that iPads purchased for students were "missing," uncovering the bungled rollout plan. That was followed with news that the
What if LAUSD teachers strike and the administrators have to teach? - Los Angeles Public Education | Examiner.com
http://www.examiner.com/article/what-if-lausd-teachers-strike-and-the-administrators-have-to-teach What if LAUSD teachers strike and the administrators have to teach? The school district gets paid for each student in school. So, if the teachers go on strike, parents will be encouraged to have their children attend school. The district spokespeople will contend that everything will be in order and
Armored Vehicle, Grenade Launchers At Disposal Of LAUSD Police Force « CBS Los Angeles
http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2014/09/15/armored-tank-grenade-launchers-at-disposal-of-lausd-police-force/ Related Tags: LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Los Angeles Unified School District police officials are considering whether they need the armored vehicle and grenade launchers they received from the U.S. military. The military hardware at the disposal of LAUSD police officers includes a 20-foot-l

SEP 15

Do You Have VIABLE Complaints Against LAUSD? Check this out ....
Teaching Community, Have you filled out your Grand Jury Complaint Form asking for theLos Angeles Grand Jury to investigate Superintendent Deasy forabuse of power ? If not review the forms attached.1) Grand Jury Complaint Example Form with 2nd Page Instructions2) Blank Grand Jury Complaint Form (to be printed out for mass dissemination) A) Any adult can file a complaint. Superintendent Deasy has wa
'Email delete' policy is misunderstood according to LAUSD
http://laschoolreport.com/email-delete-policy-misunderstood-according-to-lausd/ED NOTES: ZIMMER AND LYDIA Ramos have little credibility. I know few people who are more corrupt and soulless than Lydia Ramos. He comportment is despicable and self-serving. She steals, she lies and she cheats . It is easy to verify all this by way of audits at her former positions and a background check, but she is no
Common Core: It Seemed Like a Good Idea Until It Existed
deutsch29 posted: "In 2008, Education Next asked 3,200 respondents (700 of whom were public school teachers) about their thoughts on having "the same set of educational standards" in order to "hold schools accountable." Respondents were divided into sub-samples and asked on" Respond to this post by replying above this line New post on deut
WATCH: Teacher Blames Teach For America For Layoffs, TFA Responds
http://huff.lv/1mukFa4 Teacher Blames Teach For America For Layoffs, TFA Responds Some public school teachers are speaking out against Teach For America, alleging that the organization's training is insufficient and that it threatens existing jobs. Katie Osgood, a teacher in Chicago, and Justin Fong, Teach For America's VP of Internal Communication, join to discuss.www.hemlockontherocks.com
rene diedrich's invitation is awaiting your response
                rene diedrich would like to connect on LinkedIn. How would you like to respond?       rene diedrich   writer/poet at Freelance     Confirm you know rene    
LAUSD's students need better libraries, not iPads - LA Times
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-constantino-lausd-ipads-or-libraries-20140915-story.html Op-Ed By Rebecca Constantino Like Supt. John Deasy and others in the Los Angeles Unified School District, I am concerned about the educational civil rights of the district's students. While the iPad-for-every-student controversy has gotten much media coverage lately, a long-term prob

SEP 14

Weingarten Hearts Cuomo (By Proxy); Willing to Undercut Teachout via Last-minute Robocall – @ THE CHALK FACE
ed notes: RANDi  Wiengarten, WTF? Is there no low she will not stoop to? On September 9, 2014, New York State democrats voted in a primary election that turned out to be an embarrassment for incumbent Andrew Cuomo. His most viable opponent was a relatively unknown Fordham University professor with no political machine behind her, Zephyr Teachout. Teachout lost, but not without taking a notable bit
Time for LAUSD to end email deletion plan - LosAngelesRegister.com
Galatzan Girlhttp://www.losangelesregister.com/articles/district-604732-emails-policy.html Critics call on LAUSD to end email deletion planAmid growing criticism of a Los Angeles Unified School District policy that calls for automatically deleting many year-old emails, district officials said Thursday they will re-examine the policy. The decision followed a recommendation from the district's Gene
Common Core: What’s true, false and fuzzy - The Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014/09/11/common-core-whats-true-false-and-fuzzy/ Common Core: What's true, false and fuzzy Thomas Scarice, the superintendent of Madison Public Schools in Connecticut, has been a vocal critic of high-stakes test-based school reform. This year  he sent a letter to state legislators explaining why these "reforms will not result in improve
Deasy Speaks on LA, TFA and other Nonsense
HP ON TFA
Seniors Forced Into Poverty As Education Department Demands Payment
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/11/seniors-education-department-student-debt_n_5807820.html?utm_hp_ref=education&ir=Education Seniors Forced Into Poverty As Education Department Demands Payment The Education Department is demanding so much money from seniors with defaulted student loans that it's forcing tens of thousands of them into poverty, according to a government audit.At least 2
Deasy , Media, BLUME and the BOE Collide - Los Angeles Public Education | Examiner.com
ED NOTES While I agree that Howard Blume should not be mistaken for a glorified stenographer like Watanabe or BuddhaUpholstery  Jones, I do  not think he WAS THE reporter who got the old emails using the FOIL act, though he has been really on top of this who iPad mess. I believe it was KPPC which is pretty interesting given their weirdness with LAUSD and Sharon MCNary's alleged deference to the st
LAUSD Super Finally Exposed … An Audit and Grand Jury Should be Next
http://www.citywatchla.com/8br-hidden/7451-lausd-super-finally-exposed-an-audit-and-grand-jury-should-be-next LAUSD Super Finally Exposed … An Audit and Grand Jury Should be Next EDUCATION POLITICS-Finally the lack of transparency of the mismanaged leadership of LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy is seeing the light of day.  The excellent investigative journalism by the LA Times education reporter,
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: Updated: LA SCHOOL BOARD TO RECONSIDER ITS EMAIL ARCHIVING POLICY
http://4lakidsnews.blogspot.com/2014/09/updated-la-school-board-to-reconsider.html Updated: LA SCHOOL BOARD TO RECONSIDER ITS EMAIL ARCHIVING POLICY   by Annie Gilbertson| 89.3 KPCC  | http://bit.ly/1owOzcV School board member Monica Ratliff in her former classroom at San Pedro Street Elementary. Rebecca Hill/KPCC September 10, 06:11 PM  ::   The Los Angeles Unified School District said Wedne
What LAUSD is doing with its military-surplus grenade launchers and assault rifles - LA Times
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/opinion-la/la-ol-lausd-school-grenade-assault-rifles-20140912-story.html "But as a police department, he said, LAUSD's finest engage in mutual-aid pacts with other police agencies, and the ability to move those launchers out of storage might come in handy then." Aha! Now I understand why all those agencies like the post office order tons of ammo....What LA
Due Process Should Include Peer Assistance and Review - Living in Dialogue
http://www.livingindialogue.com/due-process-include-peer-assistance-review/ Due Process Should Include Peer Assistance and Review Friday, September 12, 2014 12:49 pm  Teachers Unions   Anthony Cody  9  190  This week Mark Naison took an axe to the Peer Assistance and Review program, citing research done by Brian Crowell, a math teacher in Berkeley, California. Crowell states that his
Big Education Ape: Lies My Corporate Ed Reformers Told Me: The Truth About Teacher Tenure and the Civil Rights Movement | Yohuru Williams
http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2014/09/lies-my-corporate-ed-reformers-told-me.html Lies My Corporate Ed Reformers Told Me: The Truth About Teacher Tenure and the Civil Rights MovementThe champions of corporate education reform insist that efforts to strip teachers of the procedural guarantees of due process embedded in tenure are somehow an extension of the Civil Rights Movement. In the late

SEP 13

After release of damning emails, LAUSD wants old emails ... | Town Square Exiles
http://townsquareexiles.boards.net/thread/41256/after-release-damning-emails-lausd?page=1&scrollTo=1148423 After release of damning emails, LAUSD wants old emails ... After release of damning emails, LAUSD wants old emails ... Thread started 5 hours ago Post by MeMyselfandI on 5 hours ago After release of damning emails, LAUSD wants old emails destroyed at $294,500 costL.A. school boar
Are Lausd Superintendent John Deasy'S Emails Above The Law?
ARE LAUSD SUPERINTENDENT JOHN DEASY'S EMAILS ABOVE THE LAW?In order to realize just how much unbridled political power the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) has that it continues to wield with complete impunity, one only need look at the recent Ray Rice Affair and ask if NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell could have gotten away with such questionable and potentially illegal behavior- that LA
Teacher Dismissal Flow Chart From Lausd
The EducRAT$’ Way to Deal with Suicidal Students: Pretend You Don’t Know!
http://endteacherabuse.org/Montanye.html Below is a story from a courageous teacher punished for helping a suicidal child - a story sure to ignite change or end the façade that this country cares about its children. A system that treats its students and teachers with this much disdain has the outcome we should all expect – dismal! And for those of you thinking that management MUST maintain param
Are You Being Bullied At Work? | Workplace Bullying Institute
http://www.workplacebullying.org/individuals/problem/being-bullied/ Being Bullied? Start Here Welcome. To help you get started, read the material below to make a difference in your health and your life. This website is for you and supportive or skeptical family and friends. You will find answers to your many questions. Take your time reading through it. Dealing with emotional abuse triggers stro
Detention CAMP for OUTSPOKEN TEACHERS
http://www.teacherabuse.com/teacherstories/rogue_principals.htm THE RUBBER ROOM OR THE DOE'S GUANTANAMO BAY DETENTION CAMP FOR OUTSPOKEN TEACHERS, WHISTLEBLOWERS, OVER-FORTY TEACHERS, ETC. False accusations of verbal abuse, corporal punishment, incompetence, etc. against teachers, have been taking away the dignity, and the livelihood in many instances, of hundred of them .They vegetate in the rubb
Teacher's nightmare after false assault charge | Mail Online
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-41339/Teachers-nightmare-false-assault-charge.html Teacher's nightmare after false assault charge by ANDREW LOUDON, Daily MailA teacher told last night how he had been 'to hell and back' after a 13-year- old girl pupil falsely accused him of indecent assault. John Tallon was speaking after being cleared by a jury which took just 20 minutes to agree on his
NEA - Rights Watch: Falsely Accused
http://www.nea.org/home/16921.htm Rights Watch: Falsely Accused It's the worst thing that can happen to an educator. So how do you avoid it? Virginia teacher and NEA member Ron Mayfield Jr. committed suicide two weeks after being wrongly accused of hitting a wheelchair-bound middle school student. He jumped off a bridge into the Roanoke River, not far from where he often had fished with his fath
Tacoma kindergarten teacher fired after students had sex in class fights to get job back | Crime | The News Tribune
http://www.thenewstribune.com/2014/08/15/3332800/tacoma-kindergarten-teacher-fired.html Tacoma kindergarten teacher fired after students had sex in class fights to get job back A Tacoma kindergarten teacher fired for "exceptional misconduct" — including failure either to notice or report sexual activity among her students — is fighting to get her job back.Sandra Holmes, who taught at G