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Wednesday, August 12, 2015

Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 8/12/15


SPECIAL NITE CAP 

CORPORATE ED REFORM




Sharp climb in number of students opting out of state standardized tests | Philadelphia Public School Notebook
Sharp climb in number of students opting out of state standardized tests | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: Sharp climb in number of students opting out of state standardized testsBut the overall percentage of opt-outs in Pennsylvania is still minuscule – a fraction of 1 percent. In New York state, 20 percent opt out.In a sign that the opt-out movement continues to grow, the number of elementa
The Hunger Games, Race to the Top, ECAA Bells & Whistles | Reclaim Reform
The Hunger Games, Race to the Top, ECAA Bells & Whistles | Reclaim Reform: The Hunger Games, Race to the Top, ECAA Bells & WhistlesPeggy Robertson and the leaders of United Opt Out National realize the political gambit, a minor exchange of a small compensation to gain full advantage, intended to make compromise appear reasonable while pushing forward the ultimate goal of dismantling public
State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Pissed By Fed's D - California Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program - School Nutrition (CA Dept of Education)
California Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program - School Nutrition (CA Dept of Education):State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Disappointed By Federal DecisionLimiting Local Control over Programs to Help Low-Income StudentsSACRAMENTO—A U.S. Department of Education decision denying California a waiver that has been given to 43 states and eight large districts in California reduces the access of academica
Jersey Jazzman: Anti-Union, Freeloading Teachers Sound Off
Jersey Jazzman: Anti-Union, Freeloading Teachers Sound Off: Anti-Union, Freeloading Teachers Sound OffIf you're a teacher, get ready to hear this name a lot this year: Rebecca Friedrichs. She's the lead petitioner in a case that will go before the Supreme Court in its next term; if she wins, the unions that represent teachers will face an enormous threat.Friedrichs v. California Teacher Associatio
Top Pa. court to decide if SRC can cancel teachers' contract | Philadelphia Public School Notebook
Top Pa. court to decide if SRC can cancel teachers' contract | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: Top Pa. court to decide if SRC can cancel teachers' contractMembers of the School Reform Commission voted to cancel its contract with Philadelphia District teachers last year. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court will decide whether that move was a legal one. (NewsWorks file photo)A battle between the Phi
Schooling in the Ownership Society: Amplify in the dumper. Another Joel Klein/Chris Cerf loser.
Schooling in the Ownership Society: Amplify in the dumper. Another Joel Klein/Chris Cerf loser.: Amplify in the dumper. Another Joel Klein/Chris Cerf loser.Rupert Murdoch and Joel Klein"A lot of poor quality work passed off as final products, most everything is worked out in production leading to many hot fixes and more long hours. Little respect for teachers or end-users in many within the c
CURMUDGUCATION: NY To Parents: Get Stuffed
CURMUDGUCATION: NY To Parents: Get Stuffed: NY To Parents: Get StuffedThe final "official" numbers are in for last year's New York opt out, and they are huge-- in the Empire State, one out of five students did not take the Big Standardized Test.Faced with that kind of massive revolt, one might expect that the Head Honcho of Education in NY might select any of the following strategies;1)
Are Newark’s mayor and the state-appointed school chief cooperating? Well, maybe. | Bob Braun's Ledger
Are Newark’s mayor and the state-appointed school chief cooperating? Well, maybe. | Bob Braun's Ledger: Are Newark’s mayor and the state-appointed school chief cooperating? Well, maybe.Deseret Segura, 16, comforts her sobbing grandmother, Deseret Richardson, 83, outside the “enrollment center” in Newark last year. The older woman was overcome  fear her granddaughter would not be safe traveling fro
Movies: School-Based Comedy Raises Issues Spanning Charter-District This Week In EducationDivide
This Week In Education: Movies: School-Based Comedy Raises Issues Spanning Charter-District Divide: School-Based Comedy Raises Issues Spanning Charter-District DivideThere is much to like about the low-budget mockumentary called "Teacher of The Year (TOTY)" now available for streaming on Netflix and other VOD services. First and foremost, TOTY isn't really about education politics or spe
How many kids opted out of Common Core tests - Business Insider
How many kids opted out of Common Core tests - Business Insider: The numbers are in, and a shocking number of kids boycotted New York's standardized testsA record number of students in New York opted out of statewide standardized tests this year, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.The roughly 20% of opt-outs quadrupled from the previous year, and indicated that the movement to boycott t
My Children are not Guinea Pigs! My battle against Common Core.
My Children are not Guinea Pigs! My battle against Common Core.: My Children are not Guinea Pigs!It is true.  Unelected organizations like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Achieve, Inc. (funded by Gates), NGA, CCSSO and MANY more are dictating how and what your children will learn.  None of these organizations are elected or accountable to the public.  What gives Bill Gates the authority to
What Ohio Gov. John Kasich is doing to public education in his state - The Washington Post
What Ohio Gov. John Kasich is doing to public education in his state - The Washington Post: What Ohio Gov. John Kasich is doing to public education in his stateWith two-term Ohio Gov. John Kasich joining the crowd of candidates for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, it’s a good time to look at the public education mess that has developed in his state under his leadership.Kasich has pushe
Arizona Gets Schooled: Update on Ban of Mexican American Studies « NewsTaco
Arizona Gets Schooled: Update on Ban of Mexican American Studies « NewsTaco: Arizona Gets Schooled: Update on Ban of Mexican American Studiesethnicstudiesnow.com/*A huge victory for Mexican-American studies in general, and for the opponents of Arizona’s ban in specific.Tony Diaz gives us a very complete and detailed account of the issue and the federal court proceedings. Our thanks to Tony for lea
Power to speak: School Choice = Whose Choice? | The Argonaut Newspaper
Power to speak: School Choice = Whose Choice? | The Argonaut Newspaper: Power to speak: School Choice = Whose Choice?The education marketplace concept — a competitive, not comprehensive model — is wrong for public schoolsLast week’s cover story about local schools competing in an evolving education marketplace represents one side of a heated debate. The idea of an education marketplace is an outgr
Residential Concentration of Poverty (and Wealth) and the Impact on Public Schools | janresseger
Residential Concentration of Poverty (and Wealth) and the Impact on Public Schools | janresseger: Residential Concentration of Poverty (and Wealth) and the Impact on Public SchoolsPaul Jargoswky, the Rutgers University professor of public policy and director of the Rutgers Center for Urban Research and Urban Education, has just published a new brief on the growing concentration of poverty in many
Should educational materials be set free for all to use? Some say, yes. - The Hechinger Report
Should educational materials be set free for all to use? Some say, yes. - The Hechinger Report: Should educational materials be set free for all to use? Some say, yes.etter signed by more than 100 educators, scientists, lawyers and techies arrived last week on the digital doorstep of the White House.The correspondence, which is written with constitutional flair, requests something that at first so
With A Brooklyn Accent: The Terrible Price of Fearing for Your Child's Safety- A Very Personal Response to "Between the World and Me"
With A Brooklyn Accent: The Terrible Price of Fearing for Your Child's Safety- A Very Personal Response to "Between the World and Me": The Terrible Price of Fearing for Your Child's Safety- A Very Personal Response to "Between the World and Me"This review essay was originally written for "Jewish Currents"Let me say at the outset that I cannot be objective in reviewing
CURMUDGUCATION: Back To School List
CURMUDGUCATION: Back To School List: Back To School ListI'm a little late on this, since most retailers rolled out Back to School displays months ago and are currently starting to clear those out so that they have room for Christmas Sale displays. But I always mean to write about this because like so many things from which people can make a buck, Back to School shopping has gotten out of hand.So a
Why school districts like Michael Brown’s have suffered ‘rapid resegregation’
Why school districts like Michael Brown’s have suffered ‘rapid resegregation’: Why school districts like Michael Brown’s have suffered ‘rapid resegregation’GWEN IFILL: For the first time this school year, nonwhite children made up more than half of the country’s public school students. But the country’s schools have grown only more segregated since 1988.The most recent data shows the average white
New charter schools face daunting task of attracting enough students to stay afloat | The Lens
New charter schools face daunting task of attracting enough students to stay afloat | The Lens: New charter schools face daunting task of attracting enough students to stay afloatPac-Man Takeover Defense TacticThe head of one of New Orleans’ newest charter schools spent the last year taking care of nearly everything needed for the first day of school Tuesday — leasing buildings, drawing up a budge
Teacher: Why ‘I just can’t work in public education anymore’ - The Washington Post
Teacher: Why ‘I just can’t work in public education anymore’ - The Washington Post: Teacher: Why ‘I just can’t work in public education anymore’Stephanie Keiles has worked as a public school teacher for a dozen years in Michigan. She loves her students — but she just made what she called “one of the hardest decisions” of her life: to quit her job and start teaching at a private school. In this pos
School voucher backers had one of their silliest arguments destroyed - by Jeb Bush - Orlando Sentinel
School voucher backers had one of their silliest arguments destroyed - by Jeb Bush - Orlando Sentinel: School-voucher backers get one of their silliest arguments destroyed - by Jeb BushThere are a lot of fiery debates where I truly understand both sides of an issue – and can even respect both sides.School vouchers are one of those issues. I get it.But there are also issues where it’s hard to take
Chicago Teachers Union Pissed at Tucson Writer Over Political Erotica Novel | The Range: The Tucson Weekly's Daily Dispatch | Tucson Weekly
Chicago Teachers Union Pissed at Tucson Writer Over Political Erotica Novel | The Range: The Tucson Weekly's Daily Dispatch | Tucson Weekly: Chicago Teachers Union Pissed at Tucson Writer Over Political Erotica NovelThe Chicago Teachers Union is pissed at a Tucson writer—who goes by the pseudonym Gabby Matthews—over a political erotica novel he wrote about a teachers strike that shut down part of 
KJ-Marcos Breton Bromance Counselling UPDATE:: The trouble with Kevin Johnson? Himself | The Sacramento Bee
Marcos Breton: The trouble with Kevin Johnson? Himself | The Sacramento Bee: Marcos Breton: The trouble with Kevin Johnson? HimselfThe definition of good government is transparency, but how can you be transparent if you meet in secret?This question and many others elicit silence at City Hall in what has been a peculiar summer.At this point, Mayor Kevin Johnson and members of the City Council shoul
Sacramento City Councilman Says City Isn’t Doing Enough To Prevent Harassment « CBS Sacramento
Sacramento City Councilman Says City Isn’t Doing Enough To Prevent Harassment « CBS Sacramento: Sacramento City Councilman Says City Isn’t Doing Enough To Prevent HarassmentSACRAMENTO (CBS13) — A Sacramento City Councilman says the city isn’t doing enough to prevent sexual harassment after three cases of allegations recently made headlines.City Councilman Steve Hansen’s comments come after allegat
Teach For America Corps Numbers Decline Again Amid Criticism, Recession Rebound
Teach For America Corps Numbers Decline Again Amid Criticism, Recession Rebound: Teach For America Corps Numbers Decline Again Amid Criticism, Recession ReboundParticipation in Teach for America, a nationwide program that recruits recent college graduates for short teaching stints in urban schools, has dropped over the past year. Numbers released Tuesday by the nonprofit organization showed that n
Teachers are losing their jobs, but Teach for America’s expanding. What’s wrong with that? - The Hechinger Report
Teachers are losing their jobs, but Teach for America’s expanding. What’s wrong with that? - The Hechinger Report: Teachers are losing their jobs, but Teach for America’s expanding. What’s wrong with that?For the second week in a row in his new home, Kenneth Maldonado’s evening ritual began with lumping sweaters and sleeping bags into the shape of a mattress in his otherwise empty bedroom. It was
Can We Interest You In Teaching? - The New York Times
Can We Interest You In Teaching? - The New York Times: Can We Interest You In Teaching?Teaching can’t compete.When the economy improves and job prospects multiply, college students turn their attention elsewhere, to professions that promise more money, more independence, more respect.That was one takeaway from a widely discussed story in The Times on Sunday by Motoko Rich, who charted teacher shor

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A Funders’ Guide to the Common Core State Standards | deutsch29
A Funders’ Guide to the Common Core State Standards | deutsch29: A Funders’ Guide to the Common Core State StandardsIn fall 2012, three philanthropic mega-organizations, Education Funder Strategy Group, Grantmakers for Education, and Growth Philanthropy Network, united to form the Common Core Funders Working Group (CCFWG).The goal of this mega-mega philanthropic machine is to cement Common Core in
Scrap the “Newark Education Success Board”–it will only impede local control | Bob Braun's Ledger
Scrap the “Newark Education Success Board”–it will only impede local control | Bob Braun's Ledger: Scrap the “Newark Education Success Board”–it will only impede local controlThe so-called “Newark Education Success Board”–a governmental fiction with no legal standing–was created as a consequence of the same deal cut between Gov. Chris Christie and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka that brought former state
Milestone charter and state school board squabble over CEO credit-card incident | The Lens
Milestone charter and state school board squabble over CEO credit-card incident | The Lens: Milestone charter and state school board squabble over CEO credit-card incident  As part of a continuing spat, Milestone Academy charter school is accusing the Louisiana Department of Education of overstepping its authority, breaching its own policies and possibly violating the state open-meetings law.The s
Are you and your family being threatened by a governor who wants to cut funding? | Reclaim Reform
Are you and your family being threatened by a governor who wants to cut funding? | Reclaim Reform: Are you and your family being threatened by a governor who wants to cut funding? Gov. Bruce Rauner,Your attacks on my hard-earned teacher pension personally threaten me and my wife.You are also unwittingly (?) threatening a degree of social unrest that frightens even your fellow conservative billiona
Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 8/11/15
SPECIAL NITE CAP CORPORATE ED REFORMCalifornia's Teacher Supply in 15 Charts - Paul BrunoCalifornia's Teacher Supply in 15 Charts - Paul Bruno: California’s Teacher Supply in 15 ChartsIf you follow me on Twitter you probably know that I’ve been sifting through many years of reports from the California Department of Education and the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to learn about California’s s