Latest News and Comment from Education

Monday, June 15, 2015

Kevin Johnson welcomes GOP presidential candidate Ben Carson | The Sacramento Bee

Kevin Johnson welcomes GOP presidential candidate Ben Carson | The Sacramento Bee:

Kevin Johnson welcomes GOP presidential candidate Ben Carson




Republican Ben Carson, the former neurosurgeon and unconventional presidential candidate, has no doubt received some glowing receptions during his career.
But it’s unlikely he expected such a warm welcome from Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, a Democrat who once borrowed the Chicago Bulls theme music to introduce President Barack Obama at the White House.
Johnson relied on fewer theatrics Monday in Sacramento’s Oak Park neighborhood, where he talked up the long-shot GOP contender in front of a large picture of his latest book, “One Nation.”
Johnson commented on Carson’s “impressive” education (Yale, and medical school at the University of Michigan), and his Presidential Medal of Freedom. And he gently ribbed Carson, who used to favor an afro hairstyle, for his more recently coiffed look.
“Look how smooth he looks now,” Johnson said to laughter, comparing Carson to the actor who played Lando Calrissian in “Star Wars.”
“Man, he’s smooth. He got a little Billy Dee (Williams) in him,” he added to more laughter, including from Carson.
Admired by evangelicals, Carson came onto the national stage with a speech at the National Prayer Breakfast in 2013. Speaking then next to a poker-faced Obama, he focused on the dangers of political correctness and warned about America going the way of the Roman Empire, drawing praise from conservative commentators.
Still, Johnson’s lauding went beyond his looks.
“Our goal should be the best that we can be. And when you strive for excellence, and you become excellent, nobody ever cares where you’re from or what you look like or the color of your skin,” Johnson told the crowd of about 325 people at his Indivizible African-American empowerment organization.
“And the person that to me best represented that was Dr. Ben Carson.”
For his performance, Carson, before getting down to signing books, reprised much of what he’s been saying on the campaign trail, notably his opposition to Obama’s health care overhaul.
Carson touched on his rags-to-riches tale in which he rose from a childhood of poverty to, by his mid-30s, the youngest-ever division head at Johns Hopkins University. Monday’s audience heard a little about his methods for separating conjoined twins.
Johnson wanted to know his favorite food (vegetarian chili), book (The Bible, Book of Proverbs), and movie (“True Lies”). But he wasn’t getting off that easy. The mayor alsoKevin Johnson welcomes GOP presidential candidate Ben Carson | The Sacramento Bee:







Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article24562219.html#storylink=cpy

Wisconsin Public Education Network ALERT : blue cheddar

Wisconsin Public Education Network ALERT : blue cheddar:

Wisconsin Public Education Network ALERT

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Please review this important alert from the Wisconsin Public Education Network and take action.

The deadline to gain additional co-sponsors is Friday.
THANK YOU.
————————————————-
Two education bills are circulating for co-sponsorship that deserve support from every legislator, taxpayer & parent in Wisconsin!
At this stage the bills are given “LRB Numbers” before formal introduction. These bills respond to the needs and concerns shared by parents and school districts all over the state, and provide an opportunity for legislators to come together in bipartisan support of the public schools that are the hearts of our communities.
Contact your legislators TODAY and ask them to co-sponsor these bills. Then call on your local school board and administrators to show their support for this legislation. And be sure to thank them for their support of our public schools when they do!
LRB-2356 would allow locally elected local school boards to increase local levy limits to keep up with inflation. This would bring us back to a standard established by former Governor Tommy Thompson that puts control of levy limits in the hands of locally elected officials, who are accountable to local taxpayers. School districts all over the state have been asking for this flexibility, which would allow them to off-set the effects of decreased state funding to local schools.

LRB-2357 would provide some relief to local districts by increasing the state-level support for special education costs to 33%. While the state used to fund over 70% of special education costs, Wisconsin currently only pays for 26% of these high and growing expenses.

Special education funding has been frozen for 8 years at this rate, and school districts all over the state have long been asking for more support. This modest increase would be a dramatic improvement from the current situation and help districts meet the needs of all students.
Deadline for co-sponsorship is Friday, June 19. Urge your legislators to sign on to this bill and vote YES on any bill or budget amendment that allows for more local control and fair funding of our excellent public schools!
See the bills here:
Find your legislators here: http://maps.legis.wisconsin.gov/

Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 6/15/15



SPECIAL NITE CAP 

CORPORATE ED REFORM




Take Me To Church [On TFA, #BlackLivesMatter, and Education] | The Jose Vilson
Take Me To Church [On TFA, #BlackLivesMatter, and Education] | The Jose Vilson: Take Me To Church [On TFA, #BlackLivesMatter, and Education]Whenever conservative pundit Michelle Malkin’s name comes up, you know it’s going to be a bloodbath of lies and obfuscation.Her latest article, reposted by the diabolical folks at that news rag, poses Teach for America (TFA) as a once-well meaning do-gooder or
Informed Citizens - The Crucial VoiceThe Crucial Voice
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Why would Norwalk hire one of Malloy’s key witnesses against fair school funding for Norwalk - Wait What?
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4LAKids - TORLAKSON GREEN-LIGHTS TEACHER PAY RAISES IF THEY FURTHER LCFF GOALS
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Turkish religious movement influence alleged at Ohio school - Yahoo Finance
Turkish religious movement influence alleged at Ohio school - Yahoo Finance: Turkish religious movement influence alleged at Ohio schoolFiling alleges Turkish religious movement at work inside Ohio charter school; operator says noCOLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- A recent court filing raises anew allegations a Turkish religious movement is wielding influence inside a chain of Ohio charter schools targeted in
Divided, Conquered: “Everybody blogs. Nobody reads.” | the becoming radical
Divided, Conquered: “Everybody blogs. Nobody reads.” | the becoming radical: Divided, Conquered: “Everybody blogs. Nobody reads.” In her 14 June 2015 email update about her blog, Susan Ohanian offered an opening statement:When I started this website of resistance 13 years ago, I posted a lot of outrage, outrage I tried to buttress with research. Of late, I’ve cut way back because I feel there’s fa
Ohio Charter School Operators Choose Financial Success Over Ethics
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Oregon opt-out bill draws Education Dept. threats
This week in the war on workers: Oregon opt-out bill draws Education Dept. threats: This week in the war on workers: Oregon opt-out bill draws Education Dept. threatsParents are allowed to opt their kids out of standardized tests, and doing so has become an important part of the movement against over-testing. But the U.S. Department of Education is threatening education funding for Oregon over a b
CURMUDGUCATION: Magical Magical Standardized Tests
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Teachers for Teachers | The Philadelphia Citizen
Teachers for Teachers | The Philadelphia Citizen: Teachers for Teachers As school days offer less time for prep and collaboration, teachers find what they need elsewhere—in networks all over the cityby Roxanne Patel ShepelavyLike so many new teachers, Lisa Hantman entered the classroom ambitious and enthusiastic, with grand plans for how she would engage her young students at the very beginning of
With A Brooklyn Accent: The Coming Education Bloodbath in New York State
With A Brooklyn Accent: The Coming Education Bloodbath in New York State: The Coming Education Bloodbath in New York StateSchool districts in New York State are extraordinarily diverse in terms of the resources they have available, as well as in the racial and economic background of their students. Some districts have schools which have an incredible array of arts programs, excellent libraries, an
The school that puts kids in charge of their own education | Deseret News National
The school that puts kids in charge of their own education | Deseret News National: The school that puts kids in charge of their own educationOn a recent Friday afternoon in a sleepy suburb just west of Chicago, 5-year-old Zeke Banks faces several teenagers seated at a table.Attentive but unperturbed, with big eyes and curly blonde hair, he peers up at them, answering questions about how and why h
What if all teachers were scholars? SmartBlogs
What if all teachers were scholars? SmartBlogs: What if all teachers were scholars?SmartBlog on Education will highlight summer learning and enrichment for educators during June. In this blog post, English teacher Mike Saenz explores the concept of “teachers as scholars.”As an English teacher, I often find it interesting to pick apart the way we use language. For instance, when asking someone what
What Kind of Workplace Would I Like to Teach in? - Rick Hess Straight Up - Education Week
What Kind of Workplace Would I Like to Teach in? - Rick Hess Straight Up - Education Week: What Kind of Workplace Would I Like to Teach in?  I spent last week at a pretty nifty gathering hosted by the Spencer Foundation. The second of their "disciplined dialogues," the exercise brought about two dozen practitioners, academics, and others together to discuss what it would mean to create a
State lacks info on 1,700 Ohio charter-school students | The Columbus Dispatch
State lacks info on 1,700 Ohio charter-school students | The Columbus Dispatch: State lacks info on 1,700 Ohio charter-school studentsAs the Ohio Department of Education attempts to close the financial books on last school year, one thing is certain: Making sure charter schools get the right amount of money is no easy task.The state is continuing to withhold or reduce payments to schools that educ
Pension investment fees: Very little transparency and it’s our money. | Fred Klonsky
Pension investment fees: Very little transparency and it’s our money. | Fred Klonsky: Pension investment fees: Very little transparency and it’s our money.Leon Black, head of Apollo Global Management, receives discounts paid for by public pension fundsOn Sunday The New York Times business writer Gretchen Morgenson discusses pension theft. This time not by politicians, but by Wall Street private eq
Refresher: What's in the House ESEA Bill? - Politics K-12 - Education Week
Refresher: What's in the House ESEA Bill? - Politics K-12 - Education Week: Refresher: What's in the House ESEA Bill? House Republicans are hoping to resurrect debate this week on a bill that would overhaul the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which was yanked from the floor in February after it unexpectedly began losing support from GOP members.The measure was not on the Majority Leader's
Somebody wants to stop charter schools from having to open their records. - Hartford Courant
Somebody wants to stop charter schools from having to open their records. - Hartford Courant: Stop Sneak Provision To Derail Charter OpennessThe day before the General Assembly's session adjourned, lawmakers voted in overwhelming numbers to make it clear that charter schools and their management companies are subject to the state's Freedom of Information Act — just like traditional public schools.
Principal: ‘I cannot be part of reforms that eat away at the moral fabric of our schools’ - The Washington Post
Principal: ‘I cannot be part of reforms that eat away at the moral fabric of our schools’ - The Washington Post: Principal: ‘I cannot be part of reforms that eat away at the moral fabric of our schools’K. Butler, right of Benton, Miss., and Lynn Wagner of Hickory, second from right, speak to students as they are guided past their Opponents of Common Core table in the rotunda of the Mississippi Sta
D.C. Council considers steps to restrict public access to teacher evaluations - The Washington Post
D.C. Council considers steps to restrict public access to teacher evaluations - The Washington Post: D.C. Council considers steps to restrict public access to teacher evaluationsThe Washington Teachers Union and open-government advocates are urging the D.C. Council to slow down a vote that would curb access to information related to teacher evaluations, one of the most controversial aspects of edu
Why ‘I believe all students should have the same standards’ — principal who backs Common Core - The Washington Post
Why ‘I believe all students should have the same standards’ — principal who backs Common Core - The Washington Post: Why ‘I believe all students should have the same standards’ — principal who backs Common CoreIn this photo taken Feb. 12, 2015, students in Carrie Young’s sixth grade class work through an exercise on their laptops during a practice session to prepare for the the Common Core State S
Connecticut Coalition for Justice in Education Funding | Adequate and Equitable Educational Opportunity for PreK-12 Students and Their Communities
Connecticut Coalition for Justice in Education Funding | Adequate and Equitable Educational Opportunity for PreK-12 Students and Their Communities: CCJEF is fighting to ensure that all CT public school children have equal opportunity to a quality education.CCJEF is a broad-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that seeks to achieve an adequately and equitably funded PreK-12 public education system that is bas
From Around the Web: Rumblings in WI - Living in Dialogue
From Around the Web: Rumblings in WI - Living in Dialogue: From Around the Web: Rumblings in WIIn this trenchant look into the battle for Milwaukee schools, teacher/journalist Jay Bullock asks whether City Alderman Tony Zielinski’s recent proposal to reel in charter authorization is an act of principle or politics. Whatever it is, charters, like Rocketship, don’t like it. Is that why his fellow al
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Opinion: Torlakson green-lights teacher pay raises for union allies | The Sacramento Bee
Opinion: Torlakson green-lights teacher pay raises for union allies | The Sacramento Bee: Opinion: Torlakson green-lights teacher pay raises for union alliesBY DAN WALTERSdwalters@sacbee.comFrom its inception, the most worrisome aspect of Gov. Jerry Brown’s overhaul of public school finances was his insistence on “subsidiarity.”As he defined it, it meant that the state would pump more money into s
The CTU rallies for a contract and a lot more | SocialistWorker.org
The CTU rallies for a contract and a lot more | SocialistWorker.org: The CTU rallies for a contract and a lot moreGala M. Pierce reports from a rally called by the Chicago Teachers Union to prove that teachers and their supporters are ready for another fight against Rahm Emanuel.Chicago teachers and their supporters rally for a fair contract and a just Chicago NO SUPERMAN will swoop down to save t
The Washington Teacher: No Teacher Left Behind: The Story of Ballou Senior High Reconstitution
The Washington Teacher: No Teacher Left Behind: The Story of Ballou Senior High Reconstitution: No Teacher Left Behind: The Story of Ballou Senior High ReconstitutionBy Candi Peterson, WTU General Vice PresidentBallou teachers stage a sit-in in the cafeteria with their students in protest of their schoolsreconstitution on Monday-June 15th. Followupdates @TheWashTeacher - hashtag #TeachersMatterIn

YESTERDAY

Fraud at the Heart of Current Education Reform | Creative by Nature
Fraud at the Heart of Current Education Reform | Creative by Nature: Fraud at the Heart of Current Education ReformFor many Americans it is becoming increasingly clear that the people behind current education “reforms” in the United States are purposefully attempting to sabotage the nation’s schools and deceive the public. Such is the story shared in a new book Common Core Dilemma by Mercedes Schn
Schools for Democracy – Deborah Meier | Creative by Nature
Schools for Democracy – Deborah Meier | Creative by Nature: Schools for Democracy – Deborah MeierPosted on June 11, 2015by Christopher ChaseI’d like to share some insightful observations from one of the “real” pioneers in education reform, Deborah Meier. In this presentation she made in Chicago, from 2006, Dr. Meier talks about how most of America’s schools function as authoritarian institutions,
First Marylin Zuniga – Now Art and Humanities Classes – Cops Calling the Shots in Discourse at NJ Public Schools
Decarcerate The Garden State: First Marylin Zuniga – Now Art and Humanities Classes – Cops Calling the Shots in Discourse at NJ Public Schools: First Marylin Zuniga – Now Art and Humanities Classes – Cops Calling the Shots in Discourse at NJ Public SchoolsIt started with the persecution of Marylin Zuniga.  She is the elementary school teacher whose students wanted to send get well cards to Mumia A
Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 6/14/15
SPECIAL NITE CAP CORPORATE ED REFORMCURMUDGUCATION: Building Social CapitalCURMUDGUCATION: Building Social Capital: Building Social CapitalTop of my serious summer reading list is Robert Putnam's new book, about which I expect I'll blog plenty once I've read it. But I assigned myself a pre-reading exercise. I'm going to write out what I think I understand about social capital and where it comes fr