Thursday, May 1, 2014

The 2008 Common Core Sales Job: Part One | deutsch29

The 2008 Common Core Sales Job: Part One | deutsch29:



The 2008 Common Core Sales Job: Part One

May 1, 2014


In 2008, the National Governors Association (NGA), the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), and Achieve, Inc., released a report, Benchmarking for Success: Ensuring U.S. Students Receive a World-class Education.
The Gates and GE foundations funded the report.
The content of this report begs for careful examination. Thus, I plan to examine it closely in a series of posts. This first posts centers upon certain economic issues raised by the assumptions in the report, which happen to connect to the title term, “benchmarking.”
According to the authors, the “benchmarking” idea must go beyond the definition in American education (“comparing performance outcomes” or “setting performance targets”) and must consider the business definition, which happens to correspond to the “competitive” definition of “benchmarking” in education in other countries (“identifying top performers or fast improvers, learning how they achieve great results, and applying those lessons to improve one’s own performance”).
In other words, I learn from you, but I do so in order to beat you.
Nice.
The purpose of the report was to promote a now-familiar spectrum of  “education reforms,” including the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). In doing so, NGA, CCSSO, and Achieve assure America that our education system would then be “globally competitive”:
Five Steps Toward Building Globally Competitive Education Systems 
Action 1: Upgrade state standards by adopting a common core of internationally benchmarked standards in math and language arts for grades K-12 to ensure that students are equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to be globally competitive.
Action 2: Leverage states’ collective influence to ensure that textbooks, digital media, curricula, and assessments are aligned to internationally benchmarked The 2008 Common Core Sales Job: Part One | deutsch29:

Retroactively Paying It Forward (On The City - UFT Contract) - The Jose Vilson

Retroactively Paying It Forward (On The City - UFT Contract) - The Jose Vilson:



Retroactively Paying It Forward (On The City – UFT Contract)

by JOSE VILSON on MAY 1, 2014
Michael Mulgrew, Carmen Farina, and Bill de Blasio
Michael Mulgrew, Carmen Farina, and Bill de Blasio
In case it hasn’t already flooded your airwaves already, the De Blasio administration and the United Federation of Teachers reached a tentative agreement to finally get teachers their just due. While I haven’t pored over the details of the contract, I’m certainly happy with any salary increase at this point. After four years without contract, the cost of living has jumped higher and higher without matching recompense for some of the most essential members of any flourishing society.
Of course, lots of people doubted whether the union would get retroactive pay or any contract at all this year after the mess Mayor Bloomberg left, but in fact, two rational sides worked out something they believed would advance the teaching profession.
The reason why so many of us feel comfortable with diverting the conversation around teacher contracts is to “unions” is because teachers themselves aren’t supposed to seek money for themselves. They’re supposed to keep their mouth shut, stay underpaid, and let others negotiate
- See more at: http://thejosevilson.com/retroactively-paying-forward-city-uft-contract/#sthash.A0jVWIHU.dpuf

New Contract! ATR's Thrown Under the Bus! VOTE NO!!! southbronxschool.com

http://www.southbronxschool.com:



New Contract! ATR's Thrown Under the Bus! VOTE NO!!!

I have always said that I will take respect and dignity over a big pay raise in our new contract. Today we found out we are getting neither.

I was with my wife in Valhalla, having just gotten in the car, when the contract announcement came over the radio. I delayed our trip home to tweet and text information that was coming from the Farina/Mulgrew love fest. One thing was on my mind the most. And it wasn't the raises, it wasn't the retro. It wasn't any of the givebacks or little deals made behind our backs. The most important thing to me was the status of the ATR's (Absent Teacher Reserves). To me and The Crack Team that was the deal breaker.

At another time we can delve into the raise, the added hours, the merit pay, etc... But for this evening, the topic of discussion are the ATR's.

The Crack Team and myself have spoken and with and read the blogs of several prominent bloggers.ChazReality Based Educator, and Urban Ed. Now remember, not all the details have been released about the ATR's, but we have been able to get a pretty good general idea. But remember, this post is open to any revision coming down the pike.

It seems that if one is an ATR, you will not be forced into a school that you don't want to be in nor will a ATR be foisted upon a principal. It is has to be mutual.

The ATR will have to interview and if offered a job will have (according to Chaz) a 50 day try out (If the principal thinks you have cooties you are gone), though Farina said it can be as little as 1 day. After that 50th or 1 day, the ATR gets one more chance at remaining in a school. If you flunk out again, that's it, your career is over. There is an expedited hearing to be had within 1 month that is not to be http://www.southbronxschool.com:

5-1-14 Ed Notes Online

Ed Notes Online:







Video and Press Release: NYC High School Teachers Refuse to Administer Test
International HS at Prospect Hts has children from 35 nations speaking about 25 languages. Making them sit through a MOSL test that has nothing to do with their education but only to do with rating their teachers is obscene. These 30 teachers said NO.Was this event worth getting 5 hours sleep? Hell yes. Below this photo is the video of the press conference held across the street from the Prospect


Change the Stakes Next General Meeting - Friday May 2, 6-8pm - CUNY Grad center
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Even more Louis CK Tweets this time about CC and "Bill Hates"!!!
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4-30-14 Ed Notes Online
Ed Notes Online: Breaking: 26 Teachers and Staff of International High School at Prospect Heights Campus in Brooklyn refuse to give NYC ELA Performance Assessment TestOy! Can I get up that early tomorrow to cover this? Well, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden plant sale is still on tomorrow and it's right across the street. Maybe I'll have some sleepy video for you by Friday. Much irony in that so many P




Teachers may begin a “Quinn for #5″ Prison Fan Club | Reclaim Reform

Teachers may begin a “Quinn for #5″ Prison Fan Club | Reclaim Reform:



Teachers may begin a “Quinn for #5″ Prison Fan Club

Pat Quinn could be Illinois Governor #5 to be jailed. 
Teachers may even start a “Quinn for #5″ Fan Club. They would jail him for one set of reasons; federal prosecutors are considering a separate set of reasons.
Why? According to federal prosecutors who are investigating Quinn’s behavior, the old slush fund game got out of control. Take money from where it was supposed to be paid and put it elsewhere while making sure that your cronies get a piece of the action – that kind of thing. Read the Chicago Sun-Times article HERE.
Quinn signs1
What a coincidence! As all the active and retired teachers and state employees know, he gleefully signed the anti-constitutional pension cutting bill, SB1. Of course the state has not paid its legally required share for decades. This used to be called theft but is now euphemism-ized as “underfunding” which sounds better but steals nonetheless – or none of the money stolen is less.
Quinn repeated his personal message from God at various events. According to Quinn, he was put on earth by God to cut teacher pensions. Read HERE.
governorquinnswears1
Gov. Quinn chose the infamous Paul Vallas as his running mate for November’s election. Vallas has cost Louisiana about $1.5 billion in fines for what he did to public school teachers and was declared “legally unqualified” to be a school superintendent by the Supreme Court of Connecticut. Democratic voters in Illinois have been wondering if this was Quinn’s (D) way to throw the race for billionaire Tea Party candidate Bruce Rauner (R) to win. Illinois Teachers may begin a “Quinn for #5″ Prison Fan Club | Reclaim Reform:

Testimony to the CPS Truancy Task Force Parents United for Responsible Education

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Testimony to the CPS Truancy Task Force:



Testimony to the CPS Truancy Task Force

testanger
Student drawing from Wheelock Bebell Haney study
I prepared testimony for one of two public hearings held by the Chicago Public Schools Truancy Task Force, a body mandated by state legislation. The meeting, held in a bank community room on the South Side, attracted more than 150 people, most of whom (including myself) were not given a chance to speak due to the very leisurely manner in which the chair conducted the meeting resulting on only 45 minutes of a 2-hour meeting actually consisting of public comment.
I was able to submit my testimony as written. Here are some excerpts:
Since 1996, the Chicago Public Schools has used various standardized tests as high-stakes measures first just for students, for their promotion after grades 3, 6 and 8, and, more recently as high-stakes measures for teacher, principal and school evaluation. My purpose in testifying here today is to share some concerns about the connection between the high-stakes testing and over-testing of our students and student motivation, truancy and drop out
My comments today will highlight some points raised in three scholarly reports, and offer some recommendations.
The first report is the 2003 paper, “The Effects of High-Stakes Testing on Student Motivation and Learning,” by Audrey L. Amrein and David C. Berliner.
The authors pose the question “Do high-stakes testing policies lead to increased student motivation to learn? And do these policies lead to increased student learning? No, according to four independent achievement measures.”
They add, “The evidence shows that such tests actually decrease student motivation and increase the proportion of students who leave school early. Further, student achievement in the 18 high-stakes testing states has not improved on a range of measures, such as the National Assessment of Educational Progress, despite higher scores on the states’ own assessment.”
The second report is the 2000 study, “High Stakes Testing and High School Completion,” by Clarke, Haney and Madaus. The conclusion of this report is that “high stakes testing programs are linked to decreased rates of high school completion.”
Some of the report’s finding:
  • In schools with proportionately more students of low socio-economic status that used high
- See more at: http://pureparents.org/?p=21292#sthash.nXw2QLmm.dpuf

Classified School Employees of the Year for 2014 - Year 2014 (CA Dept of Education)

Classified School Employees of the Year for 2014 - Year 2014 (CA Dept of Education):



State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Announces California's
Classified School Employees of the Year for 2014





SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today announced the selection of six outstanding classified school employees in recognition of their roles in school operations and student success.
"I offer my congratulations to six hard-working and devoted school employees who exemplify what commitment to school and student really is," said Torlakson. "These highly skilled and talented workers make the extra effort to support their students, schools, and communities."
The annual program recognizes six outstanding classified school employees, each representing one of the following categories: Child Nutrition; Maintenance, Operations, and Facilities; Office and Technical Support; Para-Educator and Instructional Assistance; Support Services and Security; and Transportation.
The 2014 Classified School Employees of the Year, who will be honored by Torlakson at a luncheon held May 22 in Sacramento, are: (The information contained in the following biographical sketches was excerpted from their nomination forms.)
Child Nutrition
Sharon Cliffman, Assistant Cafeteria Manager, Millville Elementary School, Millville Elementary School District, Millville, Shasta County (11 years in current position)
Mrs. Cliffman provides a positive, compassionate, and encouraging approach to serving healthy meals for Millville students. She is responsible for ordering supplies, creating menus, preparing breakfasts and lunches, cleaning up, and then organizing for the next day. She is familiar with state nutrition guidelines and understands well what is required for proper nutrition. From preparing a living history day feast to serving green eggs and ham on Dr. Seuss's birthday to laying out an impeccably displayed salad bar, Mrs. Cliffman has an unwavering commitment to her work and to the children. Part chef, part nutritionist, and part mother, she goes above and beyond all aspects of her profession.
Maintenance, Operations, and Facilities
Marcus Board, Painter, Department of Buildings and Grounds, Oakland Unified School District, Alameda County (seven years in current position)
Mr. Board has a passion for his job. He is well-known throughout the Building and Grounds Department for his compassion and his energy. A highly skilled craftsman, his high ethical standards and vast experience enable him to be an excellent mentor to his colleagues and to the students who intern during the summer. Last year, Mr. Board was called upon to temporarily step in as shop manager and provided a comfortable and open environment for his coworkers. He worked hard, often coming in early and staying late to ensure the work was properly completed and on time. He possesses wisdom beyond his years and knows how to motivate people. He exudes warmth, humility, and compassion and always expresses appreciation to others for their efforts.
Office and Technical
Diana Vita, Account Clerk II, Carmel High School, Carmel Unified School District, Carmel, Monterey County, (six years in current position)
Ms. Vita is an exemplary employee and more importantly an outstanding person. She sees no boundaries of time or defined job parameters when she comes to work. She is the school's financial secretary and that entails managing money, fundraisers, clubs, minutes, rosters, the student store—the list goes on. What she sees are responsibilities and needs—for students, parents, faculty and staff, and the community. When she sees a need you can be sure she will be either leading the charge to address it, or will be working tirelessly to meet it as part of a team. At no time will you find her to be less than professional and she consistently brightens the day of others with her cheerful attitude and willing spirit.
Para-Educator and Instructional Assistance
Lisa Nowels, Instructional Assistant, Sun View Elementary School, Ocean View School District, Huntington Beach, Orange County (eight years in current position)
Ms. Nowels serves as an Instructional Assistant for English learner students and brings to that job a wealth of experience that allows her to suggest changes to improve district procedures and practices on implementing state and federal English learner regulations. She often participates on district-level committees and is a valuable resource for her colleagues. She helps administer the California English Language Development Test, works on English learner related paperwork, and attends English learner staff meetings. She is a team player who is focused on helping meet the needs of English learners district-wide. Described as professional, efficient, helpful, reliable, and dedicated, Ms. Nowels' work performance is summed up in one word: outstanding.
Support Services and Security
Treavor Maddux, Campus Monitor, Oak View High School and Education Center, Yucaipa-Calimesa Joint Unified School District, Yucaipa, San Bernardino County (eight years in current position)
Mr. Maddux is the campus monitor at a community day school where students are considered at-risk because they were expelled or frequently absent from a traditional high school or are substantially behind in credits to graduate. Next door is an education center for emotionally disturbed students. He has the ability to deal with the most challenging students on the high school site and also to interact with a distressed elementary student at the center. He consistently demonstrates that time spent building relationships and by being firm, fair, and consistent shows students that authority figures can be trusted. These relationships have kept many potential issues at a minimum. He is a role model for staff and respected for his high-moral conduct and common sense in difficult situations.
Transportation
Henry Bell, School Bus Driver, Transportation Department, Roseville Joint Union High School District, Roseville, Placer County (12 years in current position)
Mr. Bell is an amazing person to work with and is a true leader in his field. He is respected not only for his ability to maintain a safe and effective bus, but also for how he communicates and builds relationships with students and staff. He works effectively and patiently to resolve issues with students and parents and demonstrates a climate of trust and teamwork. He often gives discouraged students a positive pep-talk about responsibility and making good choices. This has helped students know what is expected of them, and also shows how much Mr. Bell cares about them. He is an outstanding role model for students and a positive representative for the district.
# # # #
Tom Torlakson — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5206, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100

Nite Cap 5-1-14 #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




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The Shriver Report – Raising a Child (and a New Generation) with Autism
The Shriver Report – Raising a Child (and a New Generation) with Autism: Raising a Child (and a New Generation) with AutismJACQUELINE KELLY | 05.01.2014When asked about the challenges of being a mom to a child with special needs, the first thing that comes to mind is that there is not enough time. Not enough time to laugh, to cry, to teach, to learn, to work, to play. You see, my son Jake is 16, a
New Jersey Columnist: Cry for Newark | janresseger
New Jersey Columnist: Cry for Newark | janresseger: New Jersey Columnist: Cry for NewarkPosted on May 1, 2014 by janressegerBob Braun was a reporter for 50 years for the Newark Star-Ledger.  These days he blogs about the public school crisis in Newark, New Jersey.  Newark’s public schools have been under state control for two decades.  As in most places, state takeover has never worked in Newark. 
empathyeducates – My Students Don’t Know How to Have a Conversation
empathyeducates – My Students Don’t Know How to Have a Conversation: My Students Don’t Know How to Have a ConversationBy Paul Barnwell | The Atlantic . april 22, 2014“Students’ reliance on screens for communication is detracting—and distracting—from their engagement in real-time talk.”Recently I stood in front of my class, observing an all-too-familiar scene. Most of my students were covertly—or s
West Side erupts. Where’s Cami? | Bob Braun's Ledger
West Side erupts. Where’s Cami? | Bob Braun's Ledger: West Side erupts. Where’s Cami?A screen shot taken of Cami Anderson in San Francisco Wednesday  Newark’s West Side High School erupts after a popular teacher is fired. Where is Cami Anderson, the state-appointed superintendent? At yet another education conference, this one in San Francisco, extolling the virtues of charter schools.  According t
Is It Worth Being a Teacher? (Dave Reid) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice
Is It Worth Being a Teacher? (Dave Reid) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: Is It Worth Being a Teacher? (Dave Reid)Dave Reid is a high school mathematics teacher in his third year of teaching.   He received his MA in Education and credential in secondary mathematics and physics from Stanford University in 2011.  Dave spent a quarter of a century in high-tech primarily in the w
NYC Educator: Eva Moskowitz Collects 7.5 Million, Buys a Governor
NYC Educator: Eva Moskowitz Collects 7.5 Million, Buys a Governor: Eva Moskowitz Collects 7.5 Million, Buys a GovernorNaturally, I was heartbroken when mean old Bill de Blasio tried to keep his campaign promise and blocked a few Moskowitz academies. After all, if they don't go up, how will all the zillionaires spend their money? What will they invest in? Certainly not public schools that take and

YESTERDAY

I have a teaching job for next year
I have a teaching job for next year: I have a teaching job for next yearbyteacherkenFollow    Email  8 Comments / 8 NewToday I received an email which began as follows:On behalf of the Board of Education, the Department of Human Resources with the Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS) is pleased to offer you an Advance Contract for the 2014-2015 school year.  You are receiving this advance contra
Alfie Kohn: Why giving every kid a trophy is better than... | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com
Alfie Kohn: Why giving every kid a trophy is better than... | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com: Alfie Kohn: Why giving every kid a trophy is better than giving a few an award COMMENT(1) 0 0 0 NewIs failure road to success or is success road to success?Previous PostsKelly Marlow resigns Cherokee school board seat. Faces sentencing Thursday.April 30, 2014Children have unique learning styles: Is this wide
Vergara suit wrong to blame teachers for inequities | UTSanDiego.com
Vergara suit wrong to blame teachers for inequities | UTSanDiego.com: By Randi Weingarten & Joshua Pechthalt7:10 P.M.APRIL 30, 2014In 2013, Christine McLaughlin, who teaches eighth-grade English at Blair High School, was named Pasadena Teacher of the Year. In the video that was made for the award ceremony, a student said, “My favorite thing about Miss McLaughlin is how determined she is to mak
Standardized, the movie: Join us in Seattle for a viewing and discussion | Seattle Education
Standardized, the movie: Join us in Seattle for a viewing and discussion | Seattle Education: Standardized, the movie: Join us in Seattle for a viewing and discussionFor decades, standardized testing has been a part of public education. Within the last ten years, however, education reform has promoted even more testing. Test scores, mistakenly viewed as effective assessments of student ability and
Save the Date- May 17th! | The official website of the PJSTA
Save the Date- May 17th! | The official website of the PJSTA: The PJSTA is among 42 organizations who is participating in this event.  Let’s make a big push to get our membership to this rally!
Nite Cap 4-30-14 #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 CAPSACRAMENTO Education rally to protest Common Core State Standards | Local News - KCRA HomeEducation rally to protest Common Core State Standards | Local News - KCRA Home: Education rally to protest Common Core State StandardsProtesters back bill