Monday, June 2, 2014

NJEA, AFT: How about a robo-call apology for backing Cory Booker? | Bob Braun's Ledger

NJEA, AFT: How about a robo-call apology for backing Cory Booker? | Bob Braun's Ledger:



NJEA, AFT: How about a robo-call apology for backing Cory Booker?

FacebookTwitterEmailLinkedInGoogle+StumbleUpon
NJEA President Wendell Steinhauer
NJEA President Wendell Steinhauer
The New Jersey Education Association (NJEA) spends a fortune of members’ dues money on what loosely could be called “communications”–advertising, promotion, public relations, marketing, and other methods of getting its message out. And, last year, it put a lot of that effort behind the election of Cory Booker as United States senator despite Booker’s embrace of ultra-conservative educational policies, including vouchers. You’d think that, this year, it would use the same approach to correct that awful mistake–but it hasn’t.
Nearly two years ago, Randi Weingarten, the president of the American Federation of Teachers, stopped by Newark long enough to help seal a hare-brained, privately-financed merit pay deal between its Newark Teachers Union and Cami Anderson, the dictator personally selected by Booker to make Newark the “charter school capital” of the country. Anderson has used the pact to weaken the NTU and other unions. You’d think that, this year, the NTU would try to recover lost ground to the union-busters–but it hasn’t.
Both unions have ways of communicating to its members the sense of its leaders on educational issues. In the past, I have received lectures on bureaucratic procedures aimed at explaining why the NJEA, for example, had to make this decision or that about its views.
“We’re a membership organization,” I’ve been told. “We can’t be far ahead of our NJEA, AFT: How about a robo-call apology for backing Cory Booker? | Bob Braun's Ledger:

Do Teachers Need Dress Codes to Know What to Wear at School? | NEA Today

Do Teachers Need Dress Codes to Know What to Wear at School? | NEA Today:



Do Teachers Need Dress Codes to Know What to Wear at School?

June 2, 2014 by twalker  
Filed under Featured NewsTop Stories
Share
By Edward Graham
Although the vast majority of educators dress in professional attire for the classrooms and schools where they work, some schools districts are nonetheless drafting and implementing dress code policies for school employees. Although the push towards standards may seem relatively benign, these efforts bring up renewed questions about teacher professionalism and what constitutes “required educator attire.”
Teachers in West Virginia’s Kanawha County School District are protesting a proposed dress code that’s currently being considered by the local school board.
The dress code would ban facial piercings, visible tattoos (teachers would have to cover them up), flip-flops, and “immodest” dress. Hair and nails are to be clean and neatly groomed, and those who work around moving equipment will be required to maintain shoulder length hair or secure it in place.
One of the more ambiguous inclusions is the prohibition of blue jeans, unless they are “dress jeans.” It’s these kinds of vague policies and stipulations that have teachers, who move from role to role within a school on a moment’s notice, wondering why standards are becoming a hot-button issue when the vast majority of teachers dress in a professional manner that suits their in-school role.
Several right-wing media outlets naturally have seized upon the episode in Kanawha County as a way to portray teachers’ displeasure as privilege and pettiness. The real issue, of course, is respect, says teacher Donna Hanshew.
“It makes you feel like you’re not considered a professional,” Hanshew told the Charlestown Gazette. “It’s just like everything else — you deal with the people who are the problem; you don’t need to punish the majority. It’s just like in school — you don’t punish the whole class for what one student did.”
“When you’ve got schools that are falling down — literally falling down around you — and then you’re making a big deal out of a dress code for teachers, what does that say about your priorities?” Hanshew added.
For Parents As Well?
In April, a school board member in Palm Beach County, Florida, suggested a new dress code – not for students or teachers, but for parents. Karen Brill said she was miffed at the sight of parents picking up or dropping off their children looking unkempt and wearing ill-fitting pants, pajamas or “short shorts.”
The idea however, failed to gain any traction as members said it was important that schools are inviting to parents, regardless of what they may be wearing.
Debra Wilhelm, president of the Palm Beach County Classroom Teachers Association, strongly opposed dress codes for parents, calling them a waste of time and impractical.
“Who’s going to enforce it?” she asked. “Are they going to have school police arrest parents?”
“Our association believes the administration should address inappropriate dress by professionals on an individual basis as opposed to throwing everyone under the bus,” explains Dinah Adkins, president of the Kanawha County Education Association. “The large majority of educators dress professionally and appropriate for daily activities. In our county only one board member actually supported the implementation of a dress code.”
Although many school districts across the country have defined dress codes for students and educators, teachers become peeved when school and local administrators turn to enforcing stricter dress code policies, often for no reason at all. Many educators object, not because they want to look unprofessional, but because they see this as yet another unnecessary and insulting attempt to limit their rights and demean the profession.
“We are professionals, and we don’t need somebody telling us what we need to wear to work,” says Bill Do Teachers Need Dress Codes to Know What to Wear at School? | NEA Today:

Nite Cap 6-2-14 #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




6-2-14 Seattle Schools Community Forum
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Mining Student Data Stories from KUOW and Politico (highly recommended) and information I learned about what's in a TFA contract today about student data.  One is the KUOW piece about ConnectEDU and SPS.  It fleshed out what I had reported and had a couple of interesting comments.   Again:For the past three years, the school district has uploaded middle and high sc
Book Review: Mercedes Schneider's "A Chronicle of Echoes" Offers Tools for Defense Against Corporate Reform - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher
Book Review: Mercedes Schneider's "A Chronicle of Echoes" Offers Tools for Defense Against Corporate Reform - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Book Review: Mercedes Schneider's "A Chronicle of Echoes" Offers Tools for Defense Against Corporate ReformBy Anthony Cody on June 2, 2014 5:00 PMFans of Harry Potter will recall the most valuable class at Hogwarts: "Def
Journey For Justice and Advancement Project File Title VI Complaints Against School Closures | Advancement Project
Journey For Justice and Advancement Project File Title VI Complaints Against School Closures | Advancement Project: Journey For Justice and Advancement Project File Title VI Complaints Against School Closures 37  74    5  160On behalf of Journey for Justice organizations, Advancement Project filed three complaints under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination in use of fed
D.C. officials allege improper diversion of charter funds - The Washington Post
D.C. officials allege improper diversion of charter funds - The Washington Post: D.C. officials allege improper diversion of charter fundsKent Amos, founder of one of the oldest and largest D.C. charter school networks, allegedly funneled millions of school dollars to a for-profit management company he owns, according to a complaint filed Monday by D.C. Attorney General Irvin B. Nathan.Amos founde
empathyeducates – New Orleans Nearing a ‘Privatized’ Public School System
empathyeducates – New Orleans Nearing a ‘Privatized’ Public School System: New Orleans Nearing a ‘Privatized’ Public School SystemStudents change classes during the first day of school at Landry-Walker High School on August 12, 2013. (Photo by Kathleen Flynn, Nola.com / The Times-Picayune)Introductory Reflection by Raynard Sanders, Ed.D., Host of The New Orleans ImperativeIn this week’s Louisiana
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 6-2-14
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: Report: Ppic Surveys School Policies On English Learners’ Classificationfrom California Institute for Federal Policy Research/California Capitol Hill Bulletin Volume 21, Bulletin 15 - http://www.calinst.org/bul2/b2115.shtml May 29, 2014  ::  In a recent report entitled “Pathways to Fluency: Examining the Link Between Language Reclassification Policies a
empathyeducates – Florida League of Women Voters Blasts Charter School Movement
empathyeducates – Florida League of Women Voters Blasts Charter School Movement: Florida League of Women Voters Blasts Charter School MovementBy Jeffrey S. Solochek | Originally Published at Tampa Bay Times. Thursday, May 29, 2014 9:49amFollowing a year of research, the Florida League of Women Voters issued a report this week that’s highly critical of the state’s charter school movement. Education
Schooling in the Ownership Society: SEC charges UNO with fraud. $37.5M from charter school 'investors"
Schooling in the Ownership Society: SEC charges UNO with fraud. $37.5M from charter school 'investors": SEC charges UNO with fraud. $37.5M from charter school 'investors"Once you get past all the rhetoric about "business models" and charters sharing "innovations" with traditional schools, you're left with this.Everyone in Chicago knows that UNO is too big to jail. But
6-2-14 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): Morning Read: Suspension rates in LAUSD fall, raising questionsL.A. Unified suspension rates fall but some question accuracy In the heart of Watts, where violence in nearby housing projects can spill over onto campuses, two of the city’s toughest middle schools have long dealt with fights, drugs and even
Understanding the Common Core: Resources from AR Ally | National Opportunity to Learn Campaign | Education Reform for Equity and Opportunity
Understanding the Common Core: Resources from AR Ally | National Opportunity to Learn Campaign | Education Reform for Equity and Opportunity: Understanding the Common Core: Resources from AR AllyPosted on: Friday May 23rd, 2014The Common Core State Standards have been adopted by 44 states and the District of Columbia. To say they're contentious is to put it mildly. For various reasons, a nationwid
Edcamp at The US DOE | My Island View
Edcamp at The US DOE | My Island View: Edcamp at The US DOEJune 2, 2014 by Tom Whitby @tomwhitbyAbout a year ago Adam Bellow and I were discussing the possibility and the benefits of doing an Edcamp at the site of the United States Department of Education. Adam had just met with some members of the Department and I was in touch with many of them from the connected educator month committee on which
6-2-14 @ The Chalk Face
@ THE CHALK FACE: Invoking “Oliver Rule (Expanded)” for Education Reform DebateInvoking “Oliver Rule (Expanded)” for Education Reform Debate. via Invoking “Oliver Rule (Expanded)” for Education Reform Debate.by plthomasedd / 2min hide  //  saveEducation’S “Open Door” Policy Opened The Door For Corporate Ed ReformersEDUCATION’S “OPEN DOOR” POLICY OPENED THE DOOR FOR CORPORATE ED REFORMERS.2 by Davi
6-2-14 the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness (the public and scholarly writing by P. L. Thomas, Furman University)
the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness (the public and scholarly writing by P. L. Thomas, Furman University): Invoking “Oliver Rule (Expanded)” for Education Reform DebateWhile it is becoming increasingly common and frustrating that the most perceptive views of political and public claims and policies come from satirical programs and their figure-heads (as I have noted recently)
Interactive: See the state's best performing public schools - Data Center - The Sacramento Bee
Interactive: See the state's best performing public schools - Data Center - The Sacramento Bee: Interactive: See the state's best performing public schoolsPublished: Friday, May. 30, 2014 - 3:39 pmLast Modified: Monday, Jun. 2, 2014 - 8:23 amWhen it comes to stellar performances on public school student tests, the Bay Area dominates.California public schools take end-of-course tests each year. Sta
Morning Wink 6-2-14 AM Posts #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2
BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTSLISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 6-2-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for allDiane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Ohio’s Charter Dropout FactoriesOhio has some of the worst charter schools in the country, which avoid accountability because their owners contribute generously to elected officials. Among the wo
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 6-2-14 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’s Charter Dropout FactoriesOhio has some of the worst charter schools in the country, which avoid accountability because their owners contribute generously to elected officials. Among the worst performing charters are those specifically designed for dropouts. Some of these schools teach students online. Can you imagine how ine
6-2-14 Ed Notes Online Week
Ed Notes Online: UFT Contract - Dissecting MORE Contract Discussion Happy Hours: Should Unity be Worried?I spoke and asked if there were any next steps since after Tuesday, when the contract will most likely pass, it will all be over. She turned to me with a defiant stare, shook her head and said, "No! It isn't." One of the "benefits" of the recent contract struggles is how the
6-2-14 Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL
Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL: Research Studies Of The WeekI often write about research studies from various fields and how they can be applied to the classroom. I write individual posts about ones that I think are especially significant, and will continue to do so. However, so many studies are published that it’s hard to keep up. So I’ve started writing
6-2-14 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.: Representative Christian Mitchell is a part of the Eli Broad collection.When Ben Joravsky and Mick Dumke host their monthly show at the Hideout tomorrow night, Eli Broad will not be appearing on stage with them. But he will be there in spirit. State Representative Christian Mitchell will be channeling
6-2-14 Wait What?
Wait What?: Wait What? NEWS FLASH:  Pryor’s No Bid contract costs taxpayers another $100,000 plusA Hartford Superior Court Judge is being asked today to authorize an “agreement” between the Malloy Administration and Leeds Global Partners, a major player in the national education reform industry.  The agreement will cost Connecticut taxpayers an additional $100,000 on top of the $195,000 the out-of
6-2-14 Answer Sheet
Answer Sheet: Spain’s king-to-be went to Georgetown UniversitySpain’s Prince Felipe, who is about to become the new king of his country, went to high school in Canada, college in Madrid, and earned a master’s degree at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. Felipe’s father, King Juan Carlos, announced Monday morning that he would abdicate in favor of his son, who is 46 and whose […]by Valerie S
6-2-14 Scathing Purple Musings | Color me purple in Florida
Scathing Purple Musings | Color me purple in Florida, red in Washington, dark sky-blue in Israel and public school in Education: Common Core Ties Draw Jeb Bush CriticsJeb Bush’s support for Common Core Standards has drawn the interest of one of the state’ top political reporters. Writes the Tampa Bay Times Alex Leary:  WASHINGTON – Jeb Bush is one of the country’s most visible advocates of Common
6-2-14 The Whole Child Blog — Self-Selecting, Real-World Learning Communities — Whole Child Education
Self-Selecting, Real-World Learning Communities — Whole Child Education: Self-Selecting, Real-World Learning CommunitiesPost written by Walter McKenzie Imagine in your mind, a map of your community. Nothing detailed; just the boundaries and general lay of the land. Got it? Now add in the major areas in your community where people live and work and play. You know, to give yourself some bearings wit
6-2-14 Curmudgucation Week
CURMUDGUCATION: Cato: Why Are Schools Too Expensive?In 2005, David Salisbury published a paper for the Cato Institute entitled "Saving Money and Improving Education: How School Choice Can Help States Reduce Education Costs." As the title suggests, the paper supports school choice as the solution for a particular problem. I've considered the solution elsewhere, and so today I'm just looki
6-2-14 Perdido Street School
Perdido Street School: Education Reformers Should Be Brought Up On Child Abuse ChargesNothing infuriates me more than seeing how the corporate education reform agenda has changed pre-k and kindergarten for children.Gone are the days when children were given the opportunity to learn through play, and experimentation - all of that has been replaced with hours and hours  of "academic" skill
On Teacher Effect vs. Other Stuff in New Jersey’s Growth Percentiles | School Finance 101
On Teacher Effect vs. Other Stuff in New Jersey’s Growth Percentiles | School Finance 101: School Finance 101Data and thoughts on public and private school funding in the U.S.On Teacher Effect vs. Other Stuff in New Jersey’s Growth PercentilesPosted on June 2, 20140      Rate ThisPDF: BBaker.SGPs_and_OtherStuffIn this post, I estimate a series of models to evaluate variation in New Jersey’s school
6-2-14 With A Brooklyn Accent: What We Have Lived Through in Education in NYC the Last 7 Years Thanks to Bloomberg and Obama.
With A Brooklyn Accent: What We Have Lived Through in Education in NYC the Last 7 Years Thanks to Bloomberg and Obama.: What We Have Lived Through in Education in NYC the Last 7 Years Thanks to Bloomberg and Obama.We in New York City have been in an uphill battle to defend public schools from a fierce attack, first by the Bloomberg Administration, then from the Obama Administration for more than 7
A Parable For The Common Core – redqueeninla
A Parable For The Common Core – redqueeninla: A Parable For The Common CoreWritten by redqueeninla in EducationOnce upon a time “Mary” grew older. Approaching the age of 16, it became legally permissible for her to drive a motor vehicle on the public, southern California roads. But she needed to pass two tests administered by the licensing agency, the state Department of Motor Vehicles, first.Mary
The Most Important 2800 Words You Will Read Today about Common Core | Missouri Education Watchdog
The Most Important 2800 Words You Will Read Today about Common Core | Missouri Education Watchdog: The Most Important 2800 Words You Will Read Today about Common CoreinShare(Click on graphic to enlarge.)From Why I am pulling my kids from public elementary school: a letter to the powers that be.A Florida mom and former public school educator, Lynne Rigby, wrote a letter to her school board, Governo
NYC Educator: Dear Mr. Mulgrew--If I Traffic in Myth, Please Tell Me Why
NYC Educator: Dear Mr. Mulgrew--If I Traffic in Myth, Please Tell Me Why: Dear Mr. Mulgrew--If I Traffic in Myth, Please Tell Me WhyWhy wouldn't Mulgrew want his 300-member contract committee to read the M.O.A. (Memorandum of Agreement) before voting?  Why wouldn't he want his Executive Board to do the same?  Why would he want his D.A. (Delegate Assembly) members to receive the M.O.A. only on the
It takes a village to raise a child | Connected Principals
It takes a village to raise a child | Connected Principals: It takes a village to raise a childby John Marschhausen • June 2, 2014 • 0 CommentsThe traditional African proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child” has been widely quoted when examining the partnerships required during the maturation of our youth. Our “village” has never been more necessary than it is today. We live in a face-paced,

YESTERDAY

Resources help decipher the new education funding formula | EdSource Today
Resources help decipher the new education funding formula | EdSource Today: Resources help decipher the new education funding formulaJune 1st, 2014 | Add a Comment | The Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) has spawned an array of resources to help parents, teachers, principals, school board members and district officials make sense of the new law.The material ranges from basic explainers to cloud
A vote for Booker is a vote for Christie | Bob Braun's Ledger
A vote for Booker is a vote for Christie | Bob Braun's Ledger: A vote for Booker is a vote for ChristieJust friends?                New Jersey’s top Democrats are cowards. New Jersey’s top  Republicans are cowards. That is why Cory Booker, who did nothing for Newark but divide it, preside over unprecedented bloodshed in its streets, and form a diabolical alliance with Chris Christie to suppress it
6-1-14 Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools This Week
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools This Week: Seattle Schools This WeekWednesday, June 2ndSchool Board meeting, starting at 4:15 pm. Agenda.It is quite a long agenda with a longer-than-usual Consent agenda.  I was surprised to see a item like this not being discussed with Intro and then Action but they need to get work done on the North Queen Anne  Elementary School as soon as possib
The Working Families Party Regret.southbronxschool.com
http://www.southbronxschool.com: The Working Families Party RegretI was thinking how to respond to theWorking Families Party nominating Governor Andy as it's gubernatorial candidate last night when I came across a Facebook post by SBSB super fan Gail Richmond.Gail had received an email from Bill Lipton, State Director of the WFP, in which Bill defended the WFP's nomination. The Crack Team has rece
Reflections on the 50th Anniversary of Freedom Summer Badass Teachers Association
Badass Teachers Association: Reflections on the 50th Anniversary of Freedom SummerWhy Teach for America and the Common Core are More Civil Wrongs than Civil Rights.Yohuru Williams & Marla KilfoyleOne of the more disturbing narratives employed by corporate education reformers, who support both Teach for America and the Common Core, is the claim that they are cast in the spirit of the Civil Righ
6-1-14 With A Brooklyn Accent: For Many Students, There is No Light at the End of the Testing Tunnel
With A Brooklyn Accent: For Many Students, There is No Light at the End of the Testing Tunnel: For Many Students, There is No Light at the End of the Testing TunnelFor a lot of students, especially those in low or moderate income communities, turning schools into test prep/ Common Core hell makes absolutely no sense. There is no light at the end of the tunnel that makes this kind of sacrifice- of
New Orleans Education Reform: A Guide for Cities or a Warning for Communities? | The New Orleans Tribune
New Orleans Education Reform: A Guide for Cities or a Warning for Communities? | The New Orleans Tribune: NEW ORLEANS EDUCATION REFORM: A GUIDE FOR CITIES OR A WARNING FOR COMMUNITIES?Kristen Buras, Ph.D., assistant professor at Georgia State University, has written extensively on post-Hurricane Katrina education reforms. Her work has appeared in numerous articles and publications. She recently pu
We, the undersigned, demand the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation divest from corporate education reform. | Teachers' Letters to Bill Gates
We, the undersigned, demand the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation divest from corporate education reform. | Teachers' Letters to Bill Gates: We, the undersigned, demand the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation divest from corporate education reform. Dear Bill and Melinda,Prestigious academics from around the world collaborated to write a letter to Dr. Andreas Schleicher, director of the Organization
Nite Cap 6-1-14 #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 CAPWhy are teachers being made scapegoats? | Reclaim ReformWhy are teachers being made scapegoats? | Reclaim Reform: Why are teachers being made scapegoats?Posted on June 1, 2014by Ken PrevitiDavid Graeber: “Spotlight on the financial sector did mak