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Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Karen Lewis for Chicago mayor? Laughable | Articles | News | AustinWeeklyNews.com

Karen Lewis for Chicago mayor? Laughable | Articles | News | AustinWeeklyNews.com:



Karen Lewis for Chicago mayor? Laughable

Opinion
Columnist
Lastly why do I think a Karen Lewis candidacy is laughable? Because it stands for: Lewis' All-Chicago Unites Gays, Hispanics, Asians & Blacks: Loose Emanuel! L.A.U.G.H.A.B.L.E!



A recent poll for mayor had Toni Preckwinkle easily beating Rahm Emanuel for mayor. That is not a hard thing to imagine when one considers that the current mayor isn't popular with the majority of city residents. Truth is—he isn't a "real" Chicagoan. He spent his formative years in the suburbs, his children are too good to go to the Chicago Public Schools (CPS), and his ambitions are grander than just being the mayor of this hick town. So when Preckwinkle held a press conference and said she wasn't interested in running, I'm sure the mayor kissed the ground she walks on. 
The next person who if the election were held who could win against the mayor was Karen Lewis. She is the feisty head of the Chicago Teachers Union and the woman who the mayor once told, "F U Lewis." Something I might add that he has been doing to the rest of us in this city—but I digress. There is no love lost between the two of them. Karen Lewis was raised in Chicago and went to CPS. 
When the witty people on the mayor's staff were told of the poll results, their response was loud and clear: Laughable.
Now I must confess that I did agree with Rahm's staff. The image of a mayoral race featuring Karen Lewis vs. Rahm Emanuel did have me laughing. I was Karen Lewis for Chicago mayor? Laughable | Articles | News | AustinWeeklyNews.com:

Teacher Responds to Whoopi's Response


Whoopi Goldberg recently stood by her initial comments regarding teacher tenure. I thought it'd be helpful to ask her for another revision to her original work, to improve her understanding of "tenure."




Here are my thoughts on tenure...
What do you all think

8-4-14 Wag The Dog Week - Common Core Cheerleaders

WagTheDog | Everyone has been made for some particular work, and the desire for that work has been put in every heart. ~ Rumi:







Common Core Cheerleaders
There clearly is a lack of research and evidence regarding the efficacy of the Common Core Standards but even more troubling is the absence of local leadership. There is a great difference between a nationally recognized Common Core cheerleader and a locally respected education leader. NY Governor Andrew Cuomo and NY Education Commissioner John King should be less concerned with leading the natio




8-4-14 Wag The Dog Week
WagTheDog | Everyone has been made for some particular work, and the desire for that work has been put in every heart. ~ Rumi: Care To LearnImage: Rutu Modan   “What does it take to be a good parent? We know some of the tricks for teaching kids to become high achievers. For example, research suggests that when parents praise effort rather than ability, children develop a stronger work ethic and be

Feds will probe firing of black school administrators | Bob Braun's Ledger

Feds will probe firing of black school administrators | Bob Braun's Ledger:



Feds will probe firing of black school administrators

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Tony Motley
Tony Motley
Newark’s state-imposed school superintendent, Cami Anderson, now armed with a new three-year contract and the unrelenting love of presidential aspirant Chris Christie, has found yet another way to waste public funds on legal fees–violating the civil rights of employees, parents and children. Just little more than a week after the US Department of Education announced it would investigate potential civil rights violations inherent in the “One Newark”  redistricting plan, the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is looking into personnel actions taken against the city’s school principals.

The principals contend the Newark Public Schools under Cami Anderson’s leaders has engaged in a “practice of removing, demoting, and replacing  black tenured administrators.”
The complaint also contends:
“There has been a pattern of discrimination in rating administrators and such ratings have been utilized as pretext for the aforementioned practice.”
So far, three school administrators–Tony Motley, Fred Chatman, and Aretha Malloy–have filed affidavits in support of the complaint. But Motley says more are expected to sign on.
Motley was removed as principal of the Bragaw Avenue School so it could become a charter operation run by TEAM Academy, a privately operated but publicly funded school whose leaders have close personal and business ties toFeds will probe firing of black school administrators | Bob Braun's Ledger:

Nite Cap 8-5-14 #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




What Do Teachers Unions Say About Tenure - Due Process And A Little History from the CA Dept. of ED
What Teacher Tenure Is — And What It’s NotSeptember 17, 2010 by khart  Filed under ESEA/NCLB Reform, Featured News, Teacher Firings,Teacher Quality, Top Stories23 CommentsBy Kevin HartA recent Time magazine poll asked members of the public how they felt about teacher tenure. And, in the course of a 26-word question, Time managed to perpetuate three myths that educators say are contributing to the
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel Cuts Schools, Pensions While Preserving Fund For Corporate Subsidies
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel Cuts Schools, Pensions While Preserving Fund For Corporate Subsidies: Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel Cuts Schools, Pensions While Preserving Fund For Corporate SubsidiesBy David Sirota@davidsirotad.sirota@ibtimes.comon August 05 2014 1:05 PM Months after Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said budget constraints forced him to push for pension cuts and mass school closures, an analys
Civic Education Initiative - Initiatives & Programs (CA Dept of Education)
Civic Education Initiative - Initiatives & Programs (CA Dept of Education): Civic Education InitiativeInformation on the latest in Civic Education initiatives and programs sponsored by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson.Revitalizing K–12 Civic Learning in California: A Blueprint for Action (PDF; 2MB; New 05-Aug-2014)The product of the California Task Force on K-12 Civic L
Markey, Hatch Introduce Legislation to Protect Student Privacy - U.S. Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts
Markey, Hatch Introduce Legislation to Protect Student Privacy - U.S. Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts:Markey, Hatch Introduce Legislation to Protect Student PrivacyWednesday, July 30, 2014Focuses on need to protect students, provide tools to parents when information is shared with third partiesWashington (July 30, 2014) – Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) today introd
This Week In Education: Thompson: Common Core Will Double Dropout Rate, Says Carnegie Foundation
This Week In Education: Thompson: Common Core Will Double Dropout Rate, Says Carnegie Foundation: Thompson: Common Core Will Double Dropout Rate, Says Carnegie FoundationHow did I miss it? The single most important study on Common Core implementation was published by the Carnegie Foundation in 2013, but its key finding has been ignored.Hat tip to Tom Hoffman and Larry Ferlazzo for showcasing the e
8-5-14 With A Brooklyn Accent: The rush to expose"Bad Teachers."
With A Brooklyn Accent: The rush to expose"Bad Teachers."The rush to expose"Bad Teachers."    From the mid 1940's to the mid 1950's, leaders in government, themedia, the trade union movement and the private sector spent anenormous amount of time and energy trying to expose and root outalleged Communists and Communist sympathizers. In the process, tens ofthousands of people lost
8-5-14 Seattle Schools Community Forum Week
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Tuesday Open ThreadHard to believe at this late date that this is news but the company Land's End is producing - by popular demand- shirts for girls that are science-themed.Still on the clothing theme, there's a new campaign by a group, Too Small To Fail, to impress upon parents to teach their pre-school children news words by talking to them more.  How?  The cute
The path forward: Q&A with Helen Gym of Parents United | Philadelphia Public School Notebook
The path forward: Q&A with Helen Gym of Parents United | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: The path forward: Q&A with Helen Gym of Parents UnitedBy Bill Hangley Jr. on Aug 5, 2014 01:11 PMHelen Gym ranks among Philadelphia’s best-known education advocates, and one of the most vocal critics of education reform as practiced in the city.A co-founder of Parents United for Public Education,
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: The last laugh is the best laugh
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: The last laugh is the best laugh: The last laugh is the best laughGetting a late start this morning after doing the Patti Vasquez show on WGN Radio last night. Didn't get home til after 1 a.m. I really like her format and WGN's big late-night (11:00pm-2:00am) audience. Patti, a local  stand-up comedian, likes quick, both humorous and serious banter back and forth on
Kimble's Corner: Reforming Education Must Be Our Number One Priority
Kimble's Corner: Reforming Education Must Be Our Number One Priority:Reforming Education Must Be Our Number One PriorityTo look at it, it's not a very imposing school building.  It almost looks more like a home or a lodge than an educational institution.  You wouldn't find a computer lab or a playground for the little ones, but Frank Lloyd Wright's Prairie School is exactly the type of education t
8-5-14 The Whole Child Blog — Homework in a Flipped Classroom
The Whole Child Blog — Whole Child Education: Homework in a Flipped ClassroomASCD author Aaron Sams explains how flipped classrooms use class time to practice and apply skills learned during prerecorded lectures. Homework becomes classwork, and lectures and other content traditionally presented during class time are viewed outside of class, at home, on a personal device, or in a school-based resou
Student-Centered Learning with a POP | National Opportunity to Learn Campaign | Education Reform for Equity and Opportunity
Student-Centered Learning with a POP | National Opportunity to Learn Campaign | Education Reform for Equity and Opportunity: Student-Centered Learning with a POPPosted on: Tuesday August 5th, 2014Here's How We Get Student-Centered Learning RightA Blueprint for Developing "Personal Opportunity Plans"Download the executivesummary here!What if we could design our nation's public education s
Geaux Teacher!: Should a Gubernatorial Candidate Be FOR or AGAINST Common Core?
Geaux Teacher!: Should a Gubernatorial Candidate Be FOR or AGAINST Common Core?: Should a Gubernatorial Candidate Be FOR or AGAINST Common Core?Louisiana folks know that John Bel Edwards is a Democrat running for Governor against a group of Republican candidates vying for "The Most Conservative" title. Arguably one of the most important issues currently being debated in this campaign is
Bill of Rights Fifth Amendment: Due Process | ALL Americans, Including Teachers have a Unalienable Right to Due Process of Law
Bill of Rights Institute: Fifth Amendment: Due Process | Bill of Rights Institute: Fifth Amendment: Due ProcessThe government may not deprive citizens of “life, liberty, or property” without due process of law. This means that the government has to follow rules and established procedures in everything it does. It cannot, for example, skip parts of trials, or deny citizens their rights as protected
The education-reform movement is too white to do any good - The Washington Post
The education-reform movement is too white to do any good - The Washington Post: The education-reform movement is too white to do any goodAt this point, it seems like everyone agrees what “education reformer” means. The phrase conjures Teach for America: messianic, white Ivy Leaguers wearing thick-rimmed glasses and speaking in questions, or the Maggie Gyllenhaal vehicle “Won’t Back Down.” For som
8-5-14 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: Education bills pile up for returning CA lawmakersMorning Read: Education bills pile up for returning CA lawmakers Lawmakers face long list of education bills Standardized testing inaccuracies, funding for new adult education programs and new Common Core assessments for students with disabil
The Public School Counterinsurgency Field Manual | T. Elijah Hawkes
The Public School Counterinsurgency Field Manual | T. Elijah Hawkes: The Public School Counterinsurgency Field ManualExtreme Campbell BrownPRIVATIZATION EXTREMISTSTheir means may not be military, but across this great land, insurgent extremists are at work attacking public institutions and undermining the citizenry's confidence in the same. Our public schools are on the front lines.In certain regi
8-5-14 The New Living in Dialogue | hosted by Anthony Cody
Home | Living in Dialogue: Follow LiDLiving in Dialogue | hostedby Anthony Cody:LivinginDialogue@LIVINGNDIALOGUEOn Facebook Living in Dialogue CommunityFrom the AFT Convention, Looking ForwardNotes on building our movement and the AFT following the Los Angeles convention By Kipp Dawson (rank-and-file delegate to the AFT convention from Pittsburgh) This is a life-or-death time for the American Fede
The Two Worlds of Education | My Island View
The Two Worlds of Education | My Island View: The Two Worlds of EducationAugust 5, 2014 by Tom Whitby @tomwhitbyBeing connected as an educator offers a unique perspective. It is almost as if there are two different world’s in education, and a connected educator must travel within both. Technology in our computer-driven society has enabled collaboration to occur at a level and pace never before ava
Louisiana Educator: Teachers Need Due Process (Tenure) Now More Than Ever
Louisiana Educator: Teachers Need Due Process (Tenure) Now More Than Ever: Teachers Need Due Process (Tenure) Now More Than EverI have received many confidential emails from individual teachers over the last year expressing concern that they were in danger of losing their jobs because of pressures caused by our so called education reforms. Some teachers were being pressured to give passing grades
And Now Another Word from Our Sponsor, K12 | EduShyster
And Now Another Word from Our Sponsor, K12 | EduShyster: And Now Another Word from Our Sponsor, K12 Operators are standing by…The soul-searching phase of the summer has arrived, reader—when one has no choice but to confront a fiercely urgent question: what to watch now that the Bachelorette’s journey has at last reached its end. There is Big Brother, of course, but one was already watching that, n
Morning Wink 8-5-14 AM Posts #edchat #edreform
BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTSA response to suit to overturn tenure laws | MSNBCA response to suit to overturn tenure laws | MSNBC: A response to suit to overturn tenure lawsThe American Federation of Teachers’ Randi Weingarten and fmr. Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa join Morning Joe to discuss efforts to overturn teacher tenure laws in New York.by mike simpson / 0min LISTEN TO
A response to suit to overturn tenure laws | MSNBC
A response to suit to overturn tenure laws | MSNBC: A response to suit to overturn tenure lawsThe American Federation of Teachers’ Randi Weingarten and fmr. Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa join Morning Joe to discuss efforts to overturn teacher tenure laws in New York.
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 8-5-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Peter Greene: Pick Your Fights CarefullyPeter Greene regretfully, apologetically disagrees with Susan Ohanian, who recently expressed disappointment that the two national unions did not call on teachers to boycott testing. He says it would do no good because they would be fired and replaced by teachers happy to give tests and have
8-5-14 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.: In Hinsdale, Tea Party takes an axe to their teachers.Tea Party Hinsdale school board member Claudia Manley. Hey folks. Keep an eye on those local school board elections. Out in Chicago’s western suburbs the Tea Party extremists who were recently elected to the Hinsdale High School District 86 are in
8-5-14 Ed Notes Online
Ed Notes Online: Gypsy Finale - Joy and SadnessThe Sunday matinee was our last performance - 9 out of 10 were sold out. The cast party afterwards was also a howl as the little kids did their version of the grown-ups acting. An 8-year old doing the strippers had us in stitches.Sadly, today we struck the set and started building the set for Godspell. When a show ends it is like a school year ending
8-5-14 Wait What? - Jonathan Pelto: Gubernatorial Candidate and A Really Nice Guy
Wait What?:   Wait What?  Pelto/Murphy 2014“We need a school that’s going to promote God’s principles”The observation comes from a member of the Varick Memorial A.M.E Church community as she explains by the State Board of Education should approve a “revised” charter for the Booker T. Washington Elementary School in New Haven. The Board of Directors of the new Booker T. Washington School is led by
8-5-14 Answer Sheet
Answer Sheet: Michelle Rhee has a new positionMichelle Rhee just got a new position. According to the Sacramento Bee she was just named interim board chairwoman of St. Hope Schools, a small group of Sacramento charter schools. The new position gives “Rhee a powerful new role in the charter school system founded by her husband, Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson.” But she isn’t […]by Valerie Strauss / 
8-5-14 Schools Matter
Schools Matter: Get Visas for the Entire Family with $500,000 to a Charter SchoolI came across this Reuters story yesterday while researching funding for charters.  Don't know how I missed this in October 2012, when it was first printed:. . . .Wealthy individuals from as far away as China, Nigeria, Russia and Australia are spending tens of millions of dollars to build classrooms, libraries, basket
8-5-14 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: It’s Called Backdoor Legislation, Senator Gardiner, and the Florida Constitution Says You Can’t Do ItVice President of the Florida Education Association Joanne McCall provides an effective response to Andy Gardiner’s shrill attack on the teacher’s she represents for thei
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 8-5-14
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: L.A. Times Editorial: SCHOOL BOARD RACE TURNS NASTY FOR NO GOOD REASONAlex Johnson's attacks on George McKenna are misleading, if not downright inaccurate By The Times Editorial Board | http://lat.ms/1s9QdDU  Aug 5, 2014  ::  Negative campaigning is a legitimate if overused tactic. If a candidate for elected office has flaws, his opponent has every righ
8-5-14 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): A Call for the Next Phase in the ResistanceTeachers at every level of schooling have struggled against two powerful social claims: (i) education has always been labeled a failure by political leaders and the media (notably in the context of international comparisons and
8-5-14 Hemlock on the Rocks
Hemlock on the Rocks: SXSWedu: How to Keep Friends and Influence No New PeopleYSXSWedu: How to Keep Friends and Influence No New Peopleby Rene Diedrich / 3h hide  //  saveTeach for America’s Wendy Kopp Embraces New Unionism in LEE and Retains Close Ties with Alex Caputo Pearlhttp://prospect.org/article/teach-america%E2%80%99s-deep-benAlex Caputo-Pearl is a member of Teach for America's inaugural c
8-5-14 Curmudgucation
CURMUDGUCATION: Without Tenure...Yesterday, twitter blew up with responses to Whoopi Goldberg and the View having one more uninformed discussion of tenure (and, really, we need to talk about why education discussions keep being driven by the work of comedians)."#WithoutTenure I can be fired for...." was the tweet template of the day, and even though I rode that bus for a bit, it occurs t
8-5-14 Perdido Street School
Perdido Street School: The "Air Of Inevitability" Around Cuomo's Re-ElectionLaura Nahmias at Capital NY:ALBANY—More than half the 50 top donors to the state’s Republican party between 2003 and 2006 have given more to Cuomo and the Democrats this campaign cycle than they have to the G.O.P. and Rob Astorino, an analysis by NYPIRG’s Bill Mahoney shows. Of the 50 donors who gave the most to
Campbell Brown and Joe Nocera Trash Teachers; Education Experts Respond | janresseger
Campbell Brown and Joe Nocera Trash Teachers; Education Experts Respond | janresseger: Campbell Brown and Joe Nocera Trash Teachers; Education Experts RespondPosted on August 5, 2014 by janressegerAgain in the past week, two prominent media personalities—neither one a school teacher by profession or training and both with an ax to grind—have attacked school teachers, the programs that train teache
NYC Educator: If Ed. Deformers had a Rubric...
NYC Educator: If Ed. Deformers had a Rubric...: If Ed. Deformers had a Rubric...Do you ever find yourself wondering whether Ed. Deformers have a rubric of their own?  Much to my horror, in my mind, I stumbled upon the first page of one.  If we saw page two, we might add other elements like mining young children's data!Ed. reformer name* ________________  *Hint:  You may wish to keep your identity

YESTERDAY

Eugene Robinson: Time to tame the intelligence monster
Eugene Robinson: Time to tame the intelligence monster: Eugene Robinson: Time to tame the intelligence monsterbyteacherkenFollow    8 Comments / 8 NewThat is the title of this op ed for Tuesday's Washington Post.Here's the opening paragraph:  The CIA now admits that it spied on a Senate investigation into the agency’s shameful program of secret detention and torture. Do we need any more proof that
8-4-14 Wag The Dog Week
WagTheDog | Everyone has been made for some particular work, and the desire for that work has been put in every heart. ~ Rumi: Care To LearnImage: Rutu Modan   “What does it take to be a good parent? We know some of the tricks for teaching kids to become high achievers. For example, research suggests that when parents praise effort rather than ability, children develop a stronger work ethic and be
8-4-14 Hemlock on the Rocks
Hemlock on the Rocks: Local Accountability and Astroturf: Local Control without the Local Control | Cloaking InequityHow can we banish No Child Left Behind's top-down and narrow paradigm? Local control has been a bedrock principle of public schooling in America since its inception. NCLB sent us in the opposite direction of this traditional notion. A return to a traditional locally based educationa
Former Obama Aides Broke With Democratic Firm Over Anti-Teachers Union Project
Former Obama Aides Broke With Democratic Firm Over Anti-Teachers Union Project: Former Obama Aides Broke With Democratic Firm Over Anti-Teachers Union ProjectWASHINGTON -- Every day throughout the summer of 2006, seemingly without end, things just kept getting worse for Washington Republicans. Iraq was spiraling out of control, President George W. Bush was at the depth of his unpopularity. Congres
Nite Cap 8-4-14 #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 CAPResearch Made Me Do It | The Crucial Voice of the PeopleResearch Made Me Do It | The Crucial Voice of the People: Research Made Me Do It “Research” can be defined as a careful investigation to discover facts…and so my Common Core saga began.Asked