Latest News and Comment from Education

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Feds back English learner lawsuit against state | EdSource

Feds back English learner lawsuit against state | EdSource:



Feds back English learner lawsuit against state

CREDIT: ACLU OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Mark Rosenbaum, chief counsel of the ACLU of Southern California, speaks at a press conference in Los Angeles regarding a lawsuit filed in 2010, Reed v. California, challenging teacher layoffs in Los Angeles Unified. The current case involves the unmet needs of English learners.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California has found an ally in the U.S. Department of Justice for its lawsuit charging that the state abdicated its obligation to ensure all students classified as English learners get extra instructional services to become fluent in English. The lawsuit, filed in April 2013, is set for a one-day trial next week in Los Angeles County Superior Court.

The state Department of Education and the State Board of Education “have the duty, the data and the tools” to meet their responsibility under federal law, wrote Jocelyn Samuels, Acting Acting Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Justice, wrote in a brief for the case filed last week. “California’s (English learner) students cannot afford to wait any longer.”
The ACLU claims the state has done nothing to force school districts to provide appropriate services for the approximately 20,000 English learners who, according to a 2010-11 survey of school districts, are receiving no services. Those services include  materials in the student’s primary language, parallel instruction for parts of the day taught by bilingual teachers, or a specialized teaching approach called Specially Designed Academic Instruction In English, used for teaching academic content in science or social studies.
The 20,000 students comprise less than 2 percent of the state’s 1.4 million English learners, but those numbers are self-reported by districts and likely represent “the tip of the iceberg,”  ACLU Chief Counsel Mark Rosenbaum said.
The ACLU says the state is violating the federal Equal Education Opportunities Act, which requires the state to meet the language needs of all English learners, as well as the state Constitutional guarantee that all students are equally entitled to an opportunity for an education. The state education department and the state board “have washed their hands of ensuring district compliance, even though the students who have been denied service are disproportionately ethnic minorities and many from low income families lacking the resources and opportunities to otherwise become fluent” in English, the suit says.
The 20,000 students comprise less than 2 percent of the state’s 1.4 million English learners, but those numbers are self-reported by districts and likely represent “the tip of the iceberg” of students not getting help, ACLU Chief Counsel Mark Rosenbaum said.
The 2011 survey found that the students were in about a quarter of the state’s 1,000 districts. The biggest violators Feds back English learner lawsuit against state | EdSource:

Sam Pirozzolo Cries Tears of a Clown southbronxschool

http://www.southbronxschool.com:



Sam Pirozzolo Cries Tears of a Clown


Everyone loves a clown, right?

Sam Pirozzolo is giving clowns a bad name.

But we here at SBSB appreciate Sam and the material he gives us. It's just too easy, like fishing for a whale in a barrel.

Sam must have been bursting with pride this morning when his handler, Mona Davids, posted this tweet with a link to a Facebook conversation on his wall;


 


What got Sam's bloomers all tied in a not? The UFT decided to add it's two cents against the frivolous lawsuit that Sam has placed his, and his children's names on, and decided to defend teachers. Gee, Sam, what is our union supposed to do, let the ignorant have their way?

So Sam took to Facebook and was promptly p3wned by some actual educators. 

Sam blabbered; Once again the UFT shows that they are ONLY interested in themselves and their membership - not students. It's too bad that parents cound not intervine during the recent UFT contract negioations. Very selfish! Teachers union president Michael Mulgrew said in an http://www.southbronxschool.com:

State Schools Chief Announces 2014 Finalists for Prestigious National Teaching Award | Crown City News

State Schools Chief Announces 2014 Finalists for Prestigious National Teaching Award | Crown City News:



State Schools Chief Announces 2014 Finalists for Prestigious National Teaching Award




State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today nominated six outstanding elementary school teachers as California finalists for the 2014 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST).
The math nominees are Andrew Kotko, a first grade teacher at Mather Heights Elementary in the Folsom-Cordova Unified School District, Sacramento County; and Sara Norris, a first grade teacher at the Mills College Children’s School, School of Education at Mills College, Alameda County.
The science nominees are Kirsten Johnson, a fifth grade teacher at Ninety Third Street Elementary School in the Los Angeles Unified School District, Los Angeles County; Julie McGough, a first/second grade combination class teacher at Valley Oak Elementary in the Clovis Unified School District, Fresno County; Stefanie Pechan, a fifth grade teacher at Robert Down Elementary in the Pacific Grove Unified School District, Monterey County; and Erica Rood, a third grade teacher at CHIME Charter School in the Los Angeles Unified School District (charter authorizer), Los Angeles County.
“The subjects these outstanding educators teach so well are part of STEM education, an area that is critically important to the success of our students and our state,” Torlakson said. “From these early grades, and with such engaged and inspired instructors, we will be able to encourage more students to pursue science, technology, engineering, and mathematics—the building blocks of learning.”
The California Department of Education (CDE) partnered with the California Science Teachers Association and the California Mathematics Council to recruit and select nominees for the PAEMST program—the highest recognition in the nation for a mathematics or science teacher. Each applicant must demonstrate a mastery of math or science, appropriate use of instructional methods and strategies, effective use of assessment strategies, lifelong learning, and leadership in education outside the classroom. Each candidate also was required to submit a 45-minute video lesson in support of their application. State finalists were selected by a review panel of their peers who reviewed each candidate’s content knowledge, pedagogical effectiveness, achievement results, and professional involvement.
Mathematics Finalists
Andrew Kotko is a first grade teacher at Mather Heights Elementary in Mather. He has been teaching for 12 years, including four years in his current position. He achieved National Board Certification in 2007. In March 2014, he spoke to members of the U.S. Congress on behalf of the National Board “advocating for increased concentration of certified teachers and mirroring the medical residency model in teacher prep.” He also serves as vice-chair of the California Teacher Advisory Council. He was a California PAEMST finalist in 2012. The topic he chose to teach in his lesson as part of his application was that of the fundamental mathematics concept “base-ten place value.” Mr. Kotko has a Bachelor of Science in physics from California State University, Sacramento.
Sara Norris is a first grade teacher at the Mills College Children’s School in Oakland. She has been teaching for 11 years, including six in her current position. She has been highly involved in the Lesson Study Collaboration at Mills 
State Schools Chief Announces 2014 Finalists for Prestigious National Teaching Award | Crown City News:

BESE President Roemer Might Have to Sue for the Right to Sue Jindal | deutsch29

BESE President Roemer Might Have to Sue for the Right to Sue Jindal | deutsch29:



BESE President Roemer Might Have to Sue for the Right to Sue Jindal

July 24, 2014


So, I thought that there might be more lawsuits to add to the two that were filed on July 21 and 22, one against the Louisiana State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) by 17 lawmakers regarding the slighting of proper procedure for Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in July 2010, and one against the governor and Division of Administration (DOA) in an effort to keep Louisiana in CCSS and (especially) its associated consortium-created tests via the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC).
Now, I though that the next lawsuit would be either 1) BESE/Louisiana Department of Education’s (LDOE) suing Jindal, or 2) BESE/LDOE’s suing for the right to sue Jindal.
It appears that it might be the latter.
On July 24, 2014, the Jindal administration denied BESE approval to secure legal representation that could involve BESE’s suing Governor Jindal.
In short, the Jindal administration will not approve counsel for one part of the state to sue another part of he state. As the Times-Picayune reports:
The Jindal administration has said it cannot let the state school board hire an outside lawyer specifically to try and win a legal case against another part of the state government. “The code of ethics prohibits [the state school board] from taking an adverse action against the state,” said Kristy Nichols, the governor’s chief administrator.
So, for what can BESE sue? AP News offers the following clarification:
The education board voted this month to hire a law firm that has agreed to represent it for free. But in a complication, state law has a provision requiring boards that hire outside lawyers to get approval from the attorney general and the governor.
The attorney general’s office approved the contract. It was submitted to 
BESE President Roemer Might Have to Sue for the Right to Sue Jindal | deutsch29:

Kimble's Corner: On the Border with Rick and Louie

Kimble's Corner: On the Border with Rick and Louie:


Kimble's Corner


On the Border with Rick and Louie


When something important like the border crisis comes along, I don't believe in patience.  I certainly didn't believe in waiting until Congress has the month of August off to do something about the problem.   Yesterday, I joined fellow Congressman Louie Gohmert and Texas Governor Rick Perry for a morning patrol of the border region.

I find myself outraged when I see immigrants from Central American countries like Guatemala, Honduras, or El Salvador when the United States has spent so many years looking out for the welfare of their people.  When a government that was too socialist or wanted some crazy scheme to take unfarmed land and give it to poor people, we have always been willing to intervene.  When the people of those countries rose up against socialist governments, we have always been willing to support democracy by training rebels at the CIA and supporting militaries when the will of the people was for a coup.  After we gave their countries the American dream, it seems like such ingrattitude that they reject it to come here to the land we stole from Mexico fair and square 160 years ago regardless of what Abraham Lincoln said.

Don't let malnutrition fool you.  These illegals are wiry and they are a Kimble's Corner: On the Border with Rick and Louie:

PISA Envy | WagTheDog

PISA Envy | WagTheDog:



PISA Envy



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Tests confirm…ed reformers are suffering from impaired judgement and diminished critical thinking skills due to an acute case of PISA envy.
Ed reformers should reconsider their admiration for education systems that prepare young people to live and work in closed societies that don’t value creativity, freedom of expression, and independent thinking.
In a free and open democratic society education should serve the needs and interests of students, rather than data miners, corporations, or the state.
Common Core may “promise” deeper learning and critical thinking but the sterilized and standardized curriculum of scripted modules, discipline of thought, and continuous test prep would be more appropriate for classrooms in nations that expect conformity and require obedience from their citizens and workers.
In their quest for higher PISA scores, other nations will cultivate compliance and competition in the classroom rather than creativity and collaboration so that students willingly attend after-hours tutoring, Saturday classes, and even hook themselves up to PISA Envy | WagTheDog:

If You Thought I Was Perfect, You Weren’t Paying Attention | Connected Principals

If You Thought I Was Perfect, You Weren’t Paying Attention | Connected Principals:



If You Thought I Was Perfect, You Weren’t Paying Attention

Screen Shot 2014-07-24 at 7.27.42 PM
Did you know that great teachers feel slightly disappointed and somewhat unappreciated with a perfect evaluation? Take a look at the following quotes.
“I want to be better. Telling me how great the lesson was does not help me to grow. I want student and teacher growth.” – Janice Cizek
“I never got any constructive criticism except to make my plan book easier to read. I begged for real feedback.” -Larry Fliegelman
“During my first year, I had two perfect evals… sort of wanted something on there to improve on.” – Phillip Whitelaw
“I need to know a weakness. No feedback = lack of attention, if you ask me.” – Brian Bennett
“I want honest feedback. I want to be given extra ideas and ways to take it further, angles I haven’t thought of myself.” – Pernille Ripp
“If you thought I was perfect, you weren’t paying attention.” -Elizabeth Nelson
Did you know what’s happening in the classroom differs between a good principal and a great principal. A good principal spends time at the back of the room focusing on teaching. A great principal spends valuable time in the center of the learning focusing on students. Take a look at the following chart. Review each principal’s notes taken during the same If You Thought I Was Perfect, You Weren’t Paying Attention | Connected Principals:

New database details pay of California public school employees - LA Times

New database details pay of California public school employees - LA Times:



New database details pay of California public school employees







Last year, James Hammond, the superintendent of the Montclair-Ontario Unified School District in the Inland Empire, was paid $492,077. Jonathan Eagan, the principal of a junior high school in the Bay Area city of Martinez made $279,669.

And 31 custodians at California public schools were paid more than $100,000 in 2013.

That is a sample of statistics found in a newly released online database that allows users to search and download detailed employee compensation figures for superintendents, teachers, principals and other staff members at school districts across the state.

The figures were added to Transparent California, which compiles compensation data for a variety of public sector employees. The education section of the website is composed of more than 581,000 individual compensation records from last year for about two-thirds of districts statewide.

The California Policy Center, a Tustin-based, nonpartisan think tank that operates the database, submitted Public Records Act requests with more than 1,058 school systems, but have so far only received data from 653, said Jordan Bruneau, a spokesman for the center.

The Los Angeles Unified School District, the second-largest system in the nation, has yet to provide the documents.

"The public votes on tax measures, bond measures without complete knowledge about how the money is being spent,” said Ed Ring, the center's executive director. “Taxpayers are paying these salaries so they have a right to know.”

The California Teachers Assn. supports the release of salary schedules and school district budgets, which show the range of pay teachers receive and overall staffing costs, said Frank Wells, a spokesman for the union.

"However, we see no legitimate purpose in taking that down to the individual teacher level by name, and a database like this would seem to be an invasion of privacy that doesn’t really serve any New database details pay of California public school employees - LA Times:

Nite Cap 7-24-14 #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



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Morning Wink 7-24-14 AM Posts #edchat #edreform
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YESTERDAY

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Why I am Suiting Up And Showing Up for the BATS Rally (and You Should Too) - UNITED OPT OUT: The Movement to End Corporate Education Reform: Why I am Suiting Up And Showing Up for the BATS Rally (and You Should Too)BY PEGWPEN · JULY 23, 2014By Morna McDermottUnited Opt Out administratorThe BATS are holding an event at the steps of the US Dept. of Education this coming Sunday and Monday. There are
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 7-23-14
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: FIRE BURNS GREEN DOT CHARTER SCHOOL CAMPUS …as ‘Mystery Drone’ hovers overheadFire has Animo South Los Angeles Charter High looking for a new location before school starts Aug.12   -   School called total loss after massive fire. By Howard Blume and Veronica Rocha, Los Angeles Times | http://lat.ms/1A7SRzM Antwan Shepard sprays his house with water as s
Nite Cap 7-23-14 #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 CAP7-23-14 Seattle Schools Community ForumSeattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Downtown School - Is the Fix In?I make no secret of the fact that I had been pushing for the district to consider applying to take over the empty Federal Reserve buil