Wednesday, January 13, 2016

State board no longer willing to let Washington drive accountability | EdSource

State board no longer willing to let Washington drive accountability | EdSource:
State board no longer willing to let Washington drive accountability

Meeting for the first time since President Obama signed the Every Student Succeeds Act, members of the State Board of Education expressed optimism Wednesday that they can create a single system that meshes federal, state and local approaches to school improvement.
But, in identifying areas of uncertainty and some potential conflicts between the federal demands and the state’s vision, several board members made clear that the state should be driving the design of the system – not Washington. Under the No Child Left Behind Act, the federal law’s predecessor, Congress made the state’s acceptance of $1.5 billion in federal Title I funding for low-income children contingent on adhering to federal rules defining failing schools and dictating how to fix them.
Now the state has become the primary funder of money for low-income children and English learners through the Local Control Funding Formula, with $71 billion in proposed funding next year, said board member Sue Burr, likening Title I dollars to “budget dust” in comparison.

State Board member Sue Burr said that requirements of the Local Control Funding Formula should drive the state's plan for school accountability, not the federal Every Student Succeeds Act.
SOURCE: CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION WEBCAST.
State Board member Sue Burr said that requirements of the Local Control Funding Formula should drive the state’s plan for school accountability, not the federal Every Student Succeeds Act.

The new federal law “gives us a wonderful opportunity” to align the federal and state school accountability systems, Burr said, “but we have flipped the way we fund the system for vulnerable children. I want to flip the equation: How can we make sure the federal government conforms to what we want to do as well?”
The Every Student Succeeds Act does significantly curb the power that former U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan assumed under No Child Left Behind, creating conflicts with California. Instead, the new law adopts California’s approach to determine which low-performing schools need intervention through the use of several measurements, of which standardized test scores will be only one. Others will be high school graduation rates, growth on test scores, how soon English learners become proficient in English and a state’s choice of at least one non-academic indicator. It could be a measurement of college and career readiness, or, if student and civil rights advocates can persuade the state board, measurements of school climate and student engagement, such as chronic absenteeism. (See explanation of new law prepared by attorney Julia Martin, a consultant for the California Department of Education.)
The new law does offer states flexibility, and next week, in a U.S. Department of Education hearing in Los Angeles, state officials will ask federal officials to respect that commitment in forthcoming regulations. They will deliver the message contained in a two-page letter to the department that state board President Michael Kirst and state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson issued on Wednesday, in which they urge federal officials “to grant State board no longer willing to let Washington drive accountability | EdSource:


Ed Notes Online: Detroit Sickout Mystery: Who is Leading and Who is Trying to Stop It?

Ed Notes Online: Detroit Sickout Mystery: Who is Leading and Who is Trying to Stop It?:

Detroit Sickout Mystery: Who is Leading and Who is Trying to Stop It?



Why am I reporting so much on the Detroit wildcat sickout? Because of comments I've seen by dissident teachers here in NYC who are hoping for a UFT loss on Friedrichs and feel that with a weaker union teachers will arise from their slumber and revolt - and Detroit may be a model for a weak union. So I'm trying to decipher exactly what is happening - are there leaders who organized this? To what extent is this spontaneous combustion?

...the DFT [Detroit Federation of Teachers]—discredited for its willingness to sign onto any concessions contract, layoff and school closure handed down by a succession of emergency managers—has been unable to stop or control the sickouts and has gone into crisis mode. For the DFT and its national parent organization, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), it is now ‘all hands on deck’ to try to quell the protests while at the same time trying to prevent further loss of union membership come next June, when members will be able to opt-out under the state’s right-to-work law.

Meanwhile, the corporate media, from the local Detroit press to the New York Times and UK-based Guardian, have falsely claimed ousted DFT president Steve Conn is the leader of the protests. But teachers have gone through an experience with Conn’s brand of pseudo-left racial politics and unprincipled maneuvers with the Democratic Party, and the organizers of the sickouts have specifically dissociated themselves from him.... the 4th International, World Socialist Website
There is too much information coming in on what forces are behind the revolt in Detroit which may be a true rank and file movement independent of the official union, the Detroit Federation of Teachers (DFT) and Steve Conn and his group BAMN.

We've reported on Steve Conn's story of being elected as president and then removed and tossed from the union. Knowing the Ed Notes Online: Detroit Sickout Mystery: Who is Leading and Who is Trying to Stop It?:

My Reaction to the President's State of the Union Address | The Jose Vilson

My Reaction to the President's State of the Union Address | The Jose Vilson:

My Reaction to the President’s State of the Union Address

barackobamasotu2016

Anytime the president of the United States shouts out teachers, that’s definitely a plus. Well, sorta.

As a math teacher, I appreciate the emphasis on STEM in that it has the potential to open doors to students who normally don’t get those opportunities, or that’s the presumption. I graduated with a degree in computer science, and through the four years at Syracuse U, I saw my brethren of color either drop out completely or transfer to another major within the first couple of years. This wasn’t for lack of intelligence, either. The learning curve for some of my colleagues, even the ones who graduated, was steeper than people who already had coding languages in their middle and high school curricula. It taught me that much of the talk around tech needs to start in the K-12 sector across the board, integrated with the maths and sciences in a way that allows students to deconstruct problems on their own.

But, after last night’s State of the Union Address, I had a few questions that pressed upon my chest the minute President Barack Obama was done with the STEM segment in his speech.

First, does every school have the same opportunities to chase their dreams, and, as a corollary, is “college and career-readiness” the prime objectives for schools? If so, how do we assure that the My Reaction to the President's State of the Union Address | The Jose Vilson:





CURMUDGUCATION: ESSA, Fordham and Accountability: An Open Letter to Mike Petrilli

CURMUDGUCATION: ESSA, Fordham and Accountability: An Open Letter to Mike Petrilli:

ESSA, Fordham and Accountability: An Open Letter to Mike Petrilli


TO: Mike Petrilli, Fordham Institute
FROM: Peter Greene, English teacher

RE: Design competition

You recently announced a design competition for developing a state-level design for accountability under the new ESSA. I totally meant to indicate my interest in throwing my hat into the ring, but it's the end of the grading period here and the start of rehearsals for school musical (Beauty and the Beast-- it's going to be good) and I missed the Jan 11 deadline for indicating interest. But since I intend, at a minimum, to roundly criticize your winner, I feel it's only fair to put up so that I don't have to shut up.

The competition is to design a school accountability system for elementary schools in some average-sized, demographically diverse state. The focus is to rate the schools, and not to answer the question of what to do with the ratings.

1. Design objectives. What are the priorities of the system, which I understand to mean what is the system supposed to care about or value, as much as a system can do such a thing.

You listed some options, but of all of them "a holistic view of school quality" comes closest. However, my design would prioritize a holistic view of student, health, well-being, growth and educational achievement. All other priorities are important only insofar as they effect the health and well-being of the child; and the health, well-being and growth are the entire purpose of the school. Period, full stop. 

Strong local control. Well-paid, well-supported autonomous teaching staff. Well-maintained physical plant. Broad, well-rounded, developmentally appropriate educational program. Solid funding. These 
CURMUDGUCATION: ESSA, Fordham and Accountability: An Open Letter to Mike Petrilli:



IS FRIEDRICHS VS. CALIFORNIA TEACHERS ASSOCIATION A DEATH KNELL FOR ALL UNIONS - Perdaily.com

IS FRIEDRICHS VS. CALIFORNIA TEACHERS ASSOCIATION A DEATH KNELL FOR ALL UNIONS - Perdaily.com:

IS FRIEDRICHS VS. CALIFORNIA TEACHERS ASSOCIATION A DEATH KNELL FOR ALL UNIONS

The ramifications of the Friedrichs vs. California Teachers Association (CTA) that is now pending before the United States Supreme Court go far beyond the public sector unions and employees litigating this case with specious allegations of their 1st Amendment free speech rights being violated by what Justice Kennedy called "coerced speech."

In reality, it also has very little to do with the fair-share agency fees required of all public employees like teachers who are exclusively represented by a union like CTA, but choose not to be members of that union, because they do not share the political views and support given by that union to predominantly Democratic candidates and issues. Already public employee unions must segregate the funds collected to defray the costs of collective bargaining on behalf of all workers- who they have had the exclusive right to represent- and any supplemental political actions the union chooses to engage in and fund only from members dues.

In a country where only 6.6% of workers in the private sector and 35.7% of public sector workers remain unionized, the clear purpose of the Friedrichs case seems to be in dealing a final mortal blow to what remains of unions in this country. If Rebecca Friedrichs and her co-plaintiffs being represented by Michael Carvin and other elite conservative attorneys given carte blanche by the billionaire boys club are successful, not only will they not have to pay for union representation, but it is highly likely that a high percentage of the remaining 325,000 union membership in CTA will quit the union in much the same manner as we have already seen after Governor Scott Walker's siege against unions in Wisconsin.

Since Governor Walker's attack on unions, "American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees has lost 18,000 of its previous 32,000 members and has seen its annual revenue fall from $10 million to $5.5 million." In addition, "The state's largest teachers union, the Wisconsin Education Association Council, has lost more than a third of its members." It seems highly unlikely that unions that have spent $1.7 billion in the 2012 elections will be able to do so in IS FRIEDRICHS VS. CALIFORNIA TEACHERS ASSOCIATION A DEATH KNELL FOR ALL UNIONS - Perdaily.com:


How Would California Reshape Accountability in the New ESSA Era? - Politics K-12 - Education Week

How Would California Reshape Accountability in the New ESSA Era? - Politics K-12 - Education Week:

How Would California Reshape Accountability in the New ESSA Era? 

Politics K-12

The No Child Left Behind Act may be a thing of the past, but its replacement, the Every Student Succeeds Act, won't be fully in place until the 2017-18 school year.
So where does that leave states without waivers from NCLB when it comes to some of the most hated vestiges of the old law—"adequate yearly progress" and the requirement that districts set aside money for choice and tutoring if their schools fail to meet targets?
California may soon find out. The Golden State is asking the U.S. Department of Education for a reprieve from both AYP (the yardstick at the heart of NCLB) and the requirement that 20 percent of federal Title I money must be set-aside for school choice and tutoring.
California has asked for the flexibility on Title I funding before and been rebuffed. But the state may have more luck now that ESSA, which doesn't call for the set-aside, is the law of the land.
What's more, other folks seem to be hoping for similar leeway. Jeff Simmering, a lobbyist for the Council of the Great City Schools, pleaded with the department to make it clear that states and districts no longer have to hold back funds for old interventions on Monday, during a public meeting on ESSA regulation.
On the state's other ask: California has already gotten big wiggle room on AYP. But it's unclear if that will continue going forward. ESSA makes provisions for states with waivers (more than 40 states in all). It says those states must continue to focus on their lowest performing schools during the 2016-17 school year, until their new accountability plans are in place. But it's less certain what happens for states that never had waivers, like California. We should find out soon.
Meanwhile, the Golden State, which has arguably been a thorn in the Obama administration's side when it comes to K-12, has some advice for the acting secretary John King and his crew as they try to regulate the new law.
Maybe unsurprisingly, California's state board president, Mike Kirst, and its state chief, Tom Torlakson are going for maximum flexibility here.
Their suggestions dovetail with California's own still-under-construction accountability system, which seeks to look holistically at school performance and put districts in the drivers' seat.
Specifically California officials want states to be able to:
  • Go for "continuous improvement of schools" rather than reaching for a specific long-term goal; 
  • Use multiple measures when examining school performance, not just a single score on an index or state rating system; 
  • Avoid giving a numerical weight to every factor they look at for accountability (like tests, or school climate). States should just make sure they consider each factor in some way to differentiate school performance;
  • Consider a wide range of factors, not just test scores, when figuring out which schools are low-performing; 
  • Rate low-performing districts, not just schools. (Massachusetts and about ten other states already do this.)
More here.
Kirst, Torlaksen, and the rest of the California gang will get a chance to voice these recommendations next week, when the education department holds a public meeting on ESSA regulation out in Los Angeles.How Would California Reshape Accountability in the New ESSA Era? - Politics K-12 - Education Week:




Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 1/13/15


CORPORATE ED REFORM




“Please—a little less love, and a little more common decency.” – the becoming radical
“Please—a little less love, and a little more common decency.” – the becoming radical: “Please—a little less love, and a little more common decency.”I wish that people who are conventionally supposed to love each other would say to each other, when they fight, “Please—a little less love, and a little more common decency.”Slapstick or Lonesome No More!, Kurt VonnegutI was a public high school Engli
Decline in Suspensions and Expulsions - Year 2016 (CA Dept of Education)
Decline in Suspensions and Expulsions - Year 2016 (CA Dept of Education):Decline in Suspensions and Expulsions SACRAMENTO — State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today announced a 13.9 percent decline in the number of students expelled during the 2014-15 academic year and a 12.8 percent decrease in the number of students suspended compared to the year before. This marks the thir
solidaridad: K-12NN Wire: California's charter school law repeal movement update
solidaridad: K-12NN Wire: California's charter school law repeal movement update: K-12NN Wire: California's charter school law repeal movement updateFirst published January 13, 2016 on K-12 News Network“charter schools comprise a divisive and segregated sector” —Frankenberg, E., Siegel-Hawley, G., Wang, J. (2011)Voices Against Privatizing Public Education's (VAPPE) grassroots campaign to repeal th
Connecticut Recommends Thumbscrews | Daniel Katz, Ph.D.
Connecticut Recommends Thumbscrews | Daniel Katz, Ph.D.: Connecticut Recommends ThumbscrewsConnecticut’s Democratic Governor Dannel Malloy does not always grab attention in the annals of corporate education reform.  Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker has made battles with public unions more central to his image.  New Jersey Governor Chris Christie plainly relishes getting to act “tough” and yell at t
Friedrichs v. CTA: Suing for the Right to Freeload - LA Progressive
Friedrichs v. CTA: Suing for the Right to Freeload - LA Progressive:Friedrichs v. CTA: Suing for the Right to FreeloadIwonder if Harlan Elrich, one of the plaintiffs in Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association, was the kind of kid who took his bat and ball and went home if he didn’t get his way on the sandlot.He evidently doesn’t believe in the democratic process or in majority rule.Elrich an
Obama’s Education Legacy Is More of a Mixed Bag Than He’d Like to Admit
Obama discusses K–12 education priorities in final State of the Union.: Obama’s Education Legacy Is More of a Mixed Bag Than He’d Like to AdmitIn his final State of the Union, President Barack Obama addressed an audience that included Acting Secretary of Education John King, the former New York education commissioner who took over from Arne Duncan at the start of this year. The president touted va
Bernie Sanders is Right: We Should Federalize Public School Funding | gadflyonthewallblog
Bernie Sanders is Right: We Should Federalize Public School Funding | gadflyonthewallblog: Bernie Sanders is Right: We Should Federalize Public School FundingBernie Sanders just dropped a massive dose of truth on us Monday night.No politician in my lifetime has ever said anything so dangerous, fraught with problems, unlikely, impractical, and absolutely on the nose right!The Presidential candidate
Across the Country, a New Type of Partnership Between Charters and Districts Emerges
Across the Country, a New Type of Partnership Between Charters and Districts Emerges  : Across the Country, a New Type of Partnership Between Charters and Districts Emerges Increasingly, I’m hearing a question that drives me crazy: “Are you for or against charter schools?”There can only be one legitimate answer to that question: It depends.Are you speaking of the situation in Michigan, in which fo
Stanford study suggests academic benefits to ethnic studies courses
Stanford study suggests academic benefits to ethnic studies courses: Stanford study suggests academic benefits to ethnic studies coursesNew research shows gains in attendance, GPA of at-risk high school students from incorporating culturally relevant pedagogy.A high school ethnic studies course examining the roles of race, nationality and culture on identity and experience boosted attendance and a
What is Corporate Opt Out? – Save Maine Schools
What is Corporate Opt Out? – Save Maine Schools: What is Corporate Opt Out?Confused about “Corporate Opt Out” and how Gates money can possibly be infiltrating this movement?  Here’s a flowchart that might help.What is Corporate Opt Out? – Save Maine Schools:
The College Board Still Has Not Delivered Many Oct 2015 PSAT Scores | deutsch29
The College Board Still Has Not Delivered Many Oct 2015 PSAT Scores | deutsch29: The College Board Still Has Not Delivered Many Oct 2015 PSAT ScoresAfter failing to deliver October 2015 PSAT scores by its initially-promised, mid-December deadline, the College Board re-promised to have those scores electronically available to school counselors by January 6, 2016, and to students, by January 7, 2016
Why England Is Pushing for Privately Sponsored, Charter-Like Government Schools - The Atlantic
Why England Is Pushing for Privately Sponsored, Charter-Like Government Schools - The Atlantic: The Rise of American-Style Charter Schools in EnglandA push by the prime minister for academies has left local schools struggling to adapt to student population increases.Without a doubt, the biggest change to the educational landscape in England over the next few years will be the growth of so-called a
Education Support Professionals Going Above and Beyond for Student Safety - NEA Today
Education Support Professionals Going Above and Beyond for Student Safety - NEA Today: Education Support Professionals Going Above and Beyond for Student SafetyEvery day, in every public school, education support professionals (ESPs) keep students safe. School bus drivers know the proper evacuation routes and safety procedures on the bus. School security staff keep the school campus free of drugs,
Will the safe choice for L.A. Unified chief turn out to be the best? - LA Times
Will the safe choice for L.A. Unified chief turn out to be the best? - LA Times: Will the safe choice for L.A. Unified chief turn out to be the best? No question about it. The selection of Michelle King as superintendent of Los Angeles Unified comes with what PR folks call a nice narrative.King, 54, attended district schools as a student, got her first job as an LAUSD student aide in 1978, became
Is Teach For America telling the truth? #TFA25 – Cloaking Inequity
Is Teach For America telling the truth? #TFA25 – Cloaking Inequity: Is Teach For America telling the truth? #TFA25This is the interview with a recent Houston high school principal that Teach For America doesn’t want you to hear.Recently Teach For America responded to a post on Diane Ravitch’s blog. Here is a summary of their points:We continue to be one of the country’s largest sources of African
Another disturbing message in Lt. Gov Forest’s charter school bullying | The Progressive Pulse
Another disturbing message in Lt. Gov Forest’s charter school bullying | The Progressive Pulse: Another disturbing message in Lt. Gov Forest’s charter school bullying There have been lots of excellent critiques of Lt. Gov. Dan Forest’s recent Soviet-style demands for a rewrite of a report on the not-so-impressive performance of North Carolina’s charter schools. My colleague Chris Fitzsimon authore
Hamilton High provides clues on how LAUSD's new superintendent will lead | 89.3 KPCC
Hamilton High provides clues on how LAUSD's new superintendent will lead | 89.3 KPCC: Hamilton High provides clues on how LAUSD's new superintendent will leadWhen the Los Angeles Unified board named longtime employee Michelle King the district’s newest superintendent Monday, board members cited her three decades of service to the school system -- years in which she worked mostly out of the spotlig
Drama at Supreme Court During ‘Friedrichs’ Oral Arguments Was Blatantly Political | janresseger
Drama at Supreme Court During ‘Friedrichs’ Oral Arguments Was Blatantly Political | janresseger: Drama at Supreme Court During ‘Friedrichs’ Oral Arguments Was Blatantly PoliticalHave you noticed the political and ideological operation of the U.S. Supreme Court lately?  In case you need a refresher on this trend, in a fine Washington Post column, Dana Milbank takes us right inside the drama of the
Detroit public schools teachers continue sickouts - World Socialist Web Site
Detroit public schools teachers continue sickouts - World Socialist Web Site: Detroit public schools teachers continue sickoutsTeachers marching in front of the Detroit Public Schools officeDetroit public school teachers continued rolling sickouts yesterday, forcing the closure of 24 schools or over one-fifth of the district. This follows Monday when 64 schools were closed, as hundreds of teachers
Teachers, Learning Styles, and Using Data to Drive Instruction | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice
Teachers, Learning Styles, and Using Data to Drive Instruction | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: Teachers, Learning Styles, and Using Data to Drive InstructionEveryone likes data that back their prejudices. Academics call it “confirmation bias.” It runs rife among U.S. Presidents, state governors, legislators, school district policymakers, and Moms and Dads. I include myself i
Common Core Standards: It’s all about the money | Seattle Education
Common Core Standards: It’s all about the money | Seattle Education: Common Core Standards: It’s all about the moneyA popular “single” from the 70’s:From Truth in American Education:Textbook Publishers Being “In It For The Money” Isn’t a Real SurpriseJames O’Keefe, a conservative activist who runs an organization called Project Veritas, is well known for undercover video work he has done in the pa
ALERT - Malloy/Wyman attack on parents, students, teachers, public schools (and the “out-out” movement) is a national disgrace - Wait What?
ALERT - Malloy/Wyman attack on parents, students, teachers, public schools (and the “out-out” movement) is a national disgrace - Wait What?: ALERT – Malloy/Wyman attack on parents, students, teachers, public schools (and the “out-out” movement) is a national disgraceYesterday, lawyers for Governor Dannel Malloy, Lt. Governor Nancy Wyman and Attorney General George Jepsen spent the day in a Connect
Netflix chief announces $100 million fund for education - The Washington Post
Netflix chief announces $100 million fund for education - The Washington Post:Netflix chief announces $100 million fund for educationNetflix founder and chief executive Reed Hastings, a longtime supporter of charter schools, is creating a $100 million foundation for education, he announced on his Facebook page Tuesday.The Hastings Fund launched with grants totaling $1.5 million to the Hispanic Fou
We Are Listening, and We Know You Have Something to Say - Lily's Blackboard
We Are Listening, and We Know You Have Something to Say - Lily's Blackboard: We Are Listening, and We Know You Have Something to SayAre you fed up with policies that don’t put students at the center of education? And with “experts” who don’t know the names of the students they keep talking about?Here is your chance to share your experience. What you see happening with your students, in your school
King Would Have Stood with Striking Teachers - LA Progressive
King Would Have Stood with Striking Teachers - LA Progressive: King Would Have Stood with Striking TeachersA the nation prepares to mark what would have been the 87th birthday of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, we should remember Dr. King as a staunch supporter of both public education andorganized labor. This is especially important as teachers in cities across the nation including Chicago a
With new superintendent in place, L.A. school board gears for battle on charter plan - LA Times
With new superintendent in place, L.A. school board gears for battle on charter plan - LA Times: With new superintendent in place, L.A. school board gears for battle on charter planA Day after unanimously selecting a new leader, the Los Angeles Board of Education once again found common ground by offering its first public opposition to a controversial $490-million proposal to increase the number o
Our State of the Union: Unarmed Truth. Unconditional Love. - Lily's Blackboard
Our State of the Union: Unarmed Truth. Unconditional Love. - Lily's Blackboard: Our State of the Union: Unarmed Truth. Unconditional Love.I am writing this having just watched President Obama’s State of the Union speech. I’m an educator. A teacher. A union activist. And so I was listening for his messages on education and students and schools and the men and women who work in them. And he had word
Schools Matter: Teachers in High Poverty Schools Get Lower Evaluation Scores
Schools Matter: Teachers in High Poverty Schools Get Lower Evaluation Scores: Teachers in High Poverty Schools Get Lower Evaluation ScoresDid you ever believe that using test scores to evaluate and reward teachers could be a disincentive to teaching in high poverty schools?  You were right.From Chicago:Teachers who score the lowest under the district’s relatively new evaluation system are overrepr
Blackmon: Testing robs students of real learning opportunities | Online Athens
Blackmon: Testing robs students of real learning opportunities | Online Athens: Blackmon: Testing robs students of real learning opportunitiesYou can’t have your cake and eat it, too.When it comes to college and career readiness, that old saying should be, “You can’t keep all your tests and still produce thinking graduates.” I get so sick of this determination to measure everything by tests, then
The Slippery Slope of School Discipline
The Slippery Slope of School Discipline: The Slippery Slope of School DisciplineTeacher administering a flogging to one of his pupils. (Photo: Reg Speller/Fox Photos/Getty Images)Mayor de Blasio and his schools chancellor, Carmen FariƱa, are experimenting with a new approach to school discipline. Instead of suspending unruly students, misbehaving kids receive “warning cards” with a suggestion: tha
Houghton-Mifflin exec: Common Core is all about the money - New York Business Journal
Houghton-Mifflin exec: Common Core is all about the money - New York Business Journal: Houghton-Mifflin exec: Common Core is all about the moneyAn undercover video posted by New York City-based Project Veritas, the same organization that investigated the now defunct ACORN, shows an executive at one of the nation's largest school booksellers describing how common core education standards are a sche
Acting Secretary of Education Dr. John King Jr. is unfazed by politics - CBS News
Acting Secretary of Education Dr. John King Jr. is unfazed by politics - CBS News:Acting secretary of education is unfazed by politicsView More: Politics News|Live News|More News VideosThe new acting secretary of education, Dr. John King Jr., steps into a role his predecessor, Arne Duncan, left deep in controversy. With support for Common Core waning and student debt skyrocketing, King faces a ser
Bernie Sanders has a bold, simple idea for improving public education - Vox
Bernie Sanders has a bold, simple idea for improving public education - Vox: Bernie Sanders has a bold, simple idea for improving public educationAt Monday night's Brown & Black Democratic Presidential Forum in Iowa, Bernie Sanders came out in favor of a massive change in the way the US funds schools:"One of the things that I have always believed is that, in terms of education, we have to
Teach Your Teachers Well - The New York Times
Teach Your Teachers Well - The New York Times: Teach Your Teachers WellTrisha Matthews teaching fourth graders in Brooklyn. CreditRuth Fremson/The New York TimesLAST month, at the urging of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, New York’s Board of Regents suspended the use of state tests to evaluate teachers. This is a wise first step, but it won’t improve our schools unless we go further and build a professional
State School Board Member Dismantles Federal “Reminder” On Standardized Testing
State School Board Member Dismantles Federal “Reminder” On Standardized Testing:State School Board Member Dismantles Federal “Reminder” On Standardized Testingby Greg on January 12, 2016 · 1 CommentIn December, the United States Department of Education’s Office of Elementary and Secondary Education sent a letter out to all “Chief State School Officers” (i.e., state superintendents) in order to “ta

YESTERDAY

Rainier Prep charter school is anticipating funding from the state as they continue | Seattle Education
Rainier Prep charter school is anticipating funding from the state as they continue | Seattle Education: Rainier Prep charter school is anticipating funding from the state as they continueI’m not sure where this idea is coming from, yet, but Rainier Beach Prep charter school in the Highline School District is anticipating state funding from the state of Washington to reimburse their expenses as th
JUST IN: LA Unified board passes anti-charter growth resolution - LA School Report
JUST IN: LA Unified board passes anti-charter growth resolution - LA School Report: JUST IN: LA Unified board passes anti-charter growth resolutionSteve Zimmer, the LAUSD board presidentThe LA Unified board today put itself on record as opposing a proposal that originated with the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation to expand the number of charter schools in the district in the years ahead.By a 7-0 vo
Schneider’s ESSA Digest, Part IV (Switching Documents) | deutsch29
Schneider’s ESSA Digest, Part IV (Switching Documents) | deutsch29: Schneider’s ESSA Digest, Part IV (Switching Documents)On December 18, 2015, I began writing a series of posts on the Every Student Achieves Act (ESSA), the latest reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA).I began my series using the 1,061-page ESSA conference report draft. Since that time, the 1,
Jersey Jazzman: Dear Reformy Bloggers: B’Bye
Jersey Jazzman: Dear Reformy Bloggers: B’Bye: Dear Reformy Bloggers: B’Bye I'm going to keep this short because one of my New Years resolutions is to stop engaging folks who are not serious. But I do want the following on the record before I move on:Laura Waters is having a debate with Stephen Danley about Camden schooling. As far as I'm concerned, anything Stephen does is worth checking out, so h
Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 1/12/15
CORPORATE ED REFORMMartin Luther King, Teachers' Unions and Social Justice | Yohuru WilliamsMartin Luther King, Teachers' Unions and Social Justice | Yohuru Williams: Martin Luther King, Teachers' Unions and Social JusticeAs the nation prepares to mark what would have been the 87th birthday of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, we should remember Dr. King as a staunch supporter of both public ed