Latest News and Comment from Education
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When Media Misinformation Becomes Conservative Education Legislation Over-Reach: Reading Proficiency Edition - What happens when years of media misinformation become a powerful talking point for extreme conservative advocacy groups and extreme conservative elected o...4 hours ago
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Diane Ravitch's Blog: Heather Cox Richardson: The Lies Embedded in Florida’s Social Studies Curriculum - Diane Ravitch's Blog: Heather Cox Richardson: The Lies Embedded in Florida’s Social Studies Curriculum Heather Cox Richardson, a historian, analyzed the c...6 hours ago
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Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley, Arlington Virginia, September 29, 2023 - “Today is not about anyone up here on this stage…. It’s about something much larger than all of us. It’s about our democracy. It’s about our republic…...7 hours ago
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THE BANALITY OF EVIL: TRUMP'S FOLLOWERS AND THE DANGERS OF BLIND OBEDIENCE - *THE BANALITY OF EVIL: TRUMP'S FOLLOWERS AND THE DANGERS OF BLIND OBEDIENCE* As we reflect on the events of January 6th, it's easy to label Trump's follo...7 hours ago
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Steve Hinnefeld: What Happens When Charter Schools Close - Indiana blogger Steve Hinnefeld reviews the damage left behind when charter schools close, often mid-year. The possibility of a sudden closing is an unadve...9 hours ago
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"Toss Up The Chips And See Where They Land" - The midlife crisis is no doubt different for everyone, but at some level, it comes down to people of a certain age looking around and asking themselves...9 hours ago
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Should Bonesaw Jesus execute Gen. Milley -- and other questions for Gary Clark, part 2 - Is Lakeland's self-appointed veterans/military czar "pissed off" that Democrats helped a few Republicans overcome U.S. Rep. Scott Franklin's vote to shut d...12 hours ago
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Ed Tech Digest - Ten years ago, in another somewhat futile attempt to reduce the backlog of resources I want to share, I began this occasional “Ed Tech Digest” post where...19 hours ago
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PA: One Moms For Liberty Alternative--Grandmas for Love - Shirley Hershey Showalter's has certainly had a journey, and right now that journey has led her to help lead a group set up to counteract the influence of ...1 day ago
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Whatever Happened to School Lunches? - Hard to believe that school hot lunches began in some urban districts in the 1890s. Federal and state subsidies over the decade expanded the school lunch p...1 day ago
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Johanna Garcia on the long, hard struggle for smaller classes - I interviewed Johanna Garcia, chief of staff to Sen. Robert Jackson and co-chair of the Class Size Working Group, on my podcast, Talk out of School. She...1 day ago
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Are We Replaceable? The UAW and Writer Strikes and Technology: Lesson for Teacher Unions - For the last half century unions have been under attack and the numbers of non-government workers in unions has steadily declined, today only 6% of non-gov...1 day ago
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Letter from France. The French defense industry seeks an expanded position in the Ukraine military marketplace. - My Crohn’s flare has retreated and I’m feeling pretty good today. Thanks for all the messages wishing me well. Tomorrow we fly back to JFK and then sweet h...1 day ago
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How to Improve Public Schools: Expanded Homerooms - “Homeroom” for most high school students is the equivalent of the starting blocks in a track meet. They touch base, listen to (or maybe ignore) morning ann...2 days ago
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NIH study suggests measurement bias in common child behavior assessment tool - *Researchers identify less biased questions that could reliably capture childhood behavior problems.* [image: ECHO logo] IMAGE: ECHO INVESTIGATORS ...2 days ago
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The Hidden Bias Against Male Teachers - Male teachers are not seen as teachers first and foremost. We’re the enforcers of school rules. And it’s driving so many of us from the field or discouragi...2 days ago
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Grassroots Education Network- September 2023 Newsletter - The NPE Grassroots Education Network is a nationwide network of over 195 grassroots organizations that have joined together to preserve, promote, improve...2 days ago
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Invitation for RDRSSP Appointment - An invitation by the California State Board of Education (SBE) for applications for appointments to serve on the Reading Difficulties Risk Screener Selecti...3 days ago
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Thinking Ought to Trump Believing - “Believing is a disposition. We could tire ourselves out thinking, if we put our minds to it, but believing takes no toll.” ― Willard Van Orman Quine Mor...3 days ago
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Alexandria Ocasio Cortez - Solidarity Is the Strategy. UAW - AOC Speaks at UAW Strike Rally Solidarity IS the strategy3 days ago
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Items of Note - Update: Here's the info for the candidate forum; thanks to a great reader. *A consortium of education nonprofits is proud to announce a public, communit...3 days ago
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How the attacks on small class size don’t add up - September 28, 2023 I wanted to share with you my piece in Monday’s Washington Post, written in response to Michael Bloomberg’s attacks against the new clas...4 days ago
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Protecting Public Education to Protect Democracy: A Challenge for Our Times - I find myself struggling these days to understand how those of us who prize our U.S. system of public education seem to have lost the narrative. As I liste...4 days ago
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Keep your nose on - Advice from my mother, “Don’t cut off your nose to spite your face.” FEEDING THE ECONOMY We’ve been told that to keep society running smoothly, people shou...5 days ago
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How PICTURE Books Help TEACH Comprehension and Phonics! - When he looks at the pictures, he’ll get so excited he’ll want to draw one of his own. He’ll ask for paper and crayons. ~Laura Joffe Numeroff, illustrat...5 days ago
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What Tenure-Track Professors at UF May Expect - The NYTimes has an extensive piece on Ron DeSantis's choice for president of Florida's flagship public university, and there's lots to consider, particul...5 days ago
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Gompers Preparatory Academy is Non-Union - By Thomas Ultican 9/25/2023 In June, the school named after famed labor leader Samuel L. Gompers voted 25-17 to become non-union. This San Diego Unified Sc...1 week ago
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Will KIPP NYC Be Disqualified (Again) From U.S. News & World Report Best High School Rankings? - There is exactly one KIPP high school in New York City. KIPP NYC College Prep High School was started in 2009 to serve students graduating from KIPP middle...1 week ago
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My Restroom Humiliation - Last week, I was humilated in front of my students by an administrator for needing to use the bathroom. It was awful. This year is my 22nd teaching public ...1 week ago
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September’s (2023) Useful Parent Engagement Resources – Part One - The #EL Family Toolkit consists of 6 chapters and each chapter includes an overview, family and student rights, questions to ask schools, tips, and #resour...2 weeks ago
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How Deep Canvass Conversations Can Transform America - Here at People’s Action Institute, we feel the way Jill Murphy, a Michigan schoolteacher who is now a full-time organizer for one of our affiliates, felt w...2 weeks ago
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Florida’s New College Entrance Exam: Is CLT A Trojan Horse for Ideological Indoctrination? - The education community is buzzing about Florida’s new Classic Learning Test (CLT) college entrance exam, a significant departure from traditional standard...2 weeks ago
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9/12 - I did not want to write about 9/11 on 9/11. I was in Christopher Columbus High School. Teaching Math. My AP showed me the news, but I assumed that it was a...2 weeks ago
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Left of Black S13 · E20 | Left of Black | Dr. Kimberly Mack & Groundbreaking Black Rock Band Living Colour's Album 'Time's Up' - In 1988, the world was introduced to the groundbreaking Black rock band, *Living Colour*, with their debut record, *Vivid*, which dominated the charts and...2 weeks ago
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Abolish School Supply Lists, Too - My son and I ran over to a super convenience store (you’ll know which one) to do some last-minute grocery shopping when we happened upon ... Read More T...3 weeks ago
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The Worst Medical School In The United States - Deciding which medical school to attend is one of the most important decisions a future doctor can make. While there are... The post The Worst Medical Sc...3 weeks ago
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Multiple acting Oscars in one picture - Not necessarily for that picture. I can think of two pictures in which the actors appearing during their careers won a total of 8 Oscars *Bad Day at Bla...3 weeks ago
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POSTPONED: Florida’s Impact on Social Studies - POSTPONED: discussion with Florida and DC educators and advocates on the impact of Florida's new laws Continue reading3 weeks ago
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Teacher Shortage, or Good Job Shortage? - We have long heard the statement that 3 out of every 5 new teachers will leave the profession in the first five years. However, it seems that the survey on...4 weeks ago
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Jacksonville Van Winkle - Saturday, a violent racist young white man decided that it was time for him to murder Black people for being Black. I do not apologize if that’s too blunt ...5 weeks ago
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Rethinking the time spent at school: Could flexibility improve engagement and performance for students and teachers? - Is it possible to reduce the time students spend in classrooms and schools? Would such a reduction be better for learning and retaining teachers? How shoul...1 month ago
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WHY IS ‘WOKE’ DANGEROUS? - July 4, 2023: First and foremost, a “woke” populus scares the stuffing out of grifter politicians. Imagine trying to convince people to ignore facts and bu...2 months ago
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Lying Liars of the NYC DOE - The APPR travails continue. When last I blogged I shared how my principal, XXXXXXXX XXXXX of PS XXX did an end run around me. I was refused to be obser...2 months ago
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Got Standards? - When I was teaching I noticed that new standards, objectives, goals, and buzzwords, goals, objectives and standards got rolled out every few years or so, o...2 months ago
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Announcing The 2023 Black Education Matters Award Winners—Meet The Young Changemakers Challenging Educational Injustice! - We are excited to announce the 2023 Black Education Matters Award winners: Marta Sisay and Joyin Akinola. These two exceptional young people have done extr...3 months ago
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Vote NO on the UFT Contract. Here is Why: - The best reason to vote no on this contract is this: UFT Unity* lied* to us in 2018. They misrepresented that contract. It was predicated on deals we wer...3 months ago
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What Is The Most Important Subject In School? A Comprehensive Analysis - Education is a crucial aspect of our lives, and the subjects we learn in school shape our...3 months ago
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Let’s talk about Dana Kriznar - There is a good chance she will be DCPS’s interim super come June 2nd, for at least six months, and because the superintendent job will be so unattractiv...4 months ago
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Learning to Teach the Middle East, Palestine, and Sabra and Shatila - by Paul Horton “Mr. Whorton, we cannot understand a wurd you sayin! You talk waaay tooo fas and you use words that are too big! You talk about places we ne...4 months ago
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Metaphors in ‘I Have a Dream’ Speech - In this article, we will explore the powerful use of metaphors in Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” ... Read more5 months ago
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Louisiana legislates student protections from digital device health risks: 4th state to create health and safety guidelines for schools - by Cindy Eckard www.screensandkids.us @screensandkids on Twitter Children using digital devices are at risk for several impacts to their health, especially...7 months ago
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1825 - The wife of President John Quincy Adams. As early as 1744, Ben Franklin had worried that wood as a fuel for heating and cooking was becoming scarce ...7 months ago
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What ever happend to John Deasy, the Man From Gates? - * Here's an update on Deasy from 2020* By Thomas Ultican 7/29/2020 April 21, the Stockton Unified School District (SUSD) board accepted John Deasy’s let...7 months ago
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Two years later - It’s been two years since Joe Biden was inaugurated as our 46th President. His presidency has been an astounding success in many ways. First and foremost, ...8 months ago
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Tell Me Again What The Democratic Party Actually Is? - Well mostly, it’s a collection of folks striving to see that the Party winds up looking like what they envision…10 months ago
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Testimony to the CPS Truancy Task Force - I prepared testimony for one of two public hearings held by the Chicago Public Schools Truancy Task Force, a body mandated by state legislation. The meetin...10 months ago
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Skin Deep - She spends so much time on her outward appearance. There is never a hair out of place. Her makeup is perfect and her clothes are stylish and match to ...1 year ago
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Tennis Memories from a Time When Racism and Anti-Semitism Still Prevailed - I learned tennis at a public park in Brooklyn- Lincoln Terrace- where the teaching pro was a mailman named Phil Rubell. Almost all the kids who took lesson...1 year ago
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There Is A Teacher Shortage.Not. - THERE IS A TEACHER SHORTAGE. And just to be sure you understand, it’s not that teachers don’t want to teach. It’s not that there aren’t enough teachers cer...1 year ago
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Reason #1 to pick Dr. Grace over Mr. Walters: The future we’ve already seen - In 2014, Oklahoma voters corrected the mistake we made in 2010. In 2022, let’s not make the mistake in the first place. Elect Dr. April Grace instead. She ...1 year ago
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THERE IS A TEACHER SHORTAGE. NOT! - There is a teacher shortage.And just to be sure you understand, it's not that teachers don't want to teach.It's not that there aren't enough teachers certi...1 year ago
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Addendum to Mission Hill Statement - Follow up blog, Dear friends and colleagues, My friend and long-time colleague, Bonnie Brownstein, had some interesting thoughts about my Blog in regards t...1 year ago
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Abortion: Only For Those Who Need It! - NOTE: This post contains my opinions on Catholicism based on my experiences as a child in the 1960's and 70's. Take what you like and leave the rest. I m...1 year ago
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Want to know the condition of a Philly school building? New map to help. - [image: Two students walk by a Philadelphia school building.] Aging infrastructure has been an issue for Philadelphia schools for years. A new interactive...1 year ago
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Hello world! - Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start writing! The post Hello world! first appeared on Just another WordPress site.1 year ago
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What can we learn by modeling existing variations in school spending and outcomes? (Reprise) - There are those in the ed reform world who would tell us that existing public schools and districts are simply inefficient in their use of existing funding...1 year ago
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STREET LIFE - My mom told me, “You should treat all people equally, but don’t bring a “colored” into the house.” I believed … Continue reading →1 year ago
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Schools Matter: Reflecting on Green Dot’s Disastrous Locke Takeover - *“Green Dot came and made it into more of a jail.” — Chris* My history of opposing the Green Dot Charter School Corporation back when I was an activist i...1 year ago
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Book Banning Turns to Dick and Jane - Breaking News: Dateline February 4, 2022 - Parents in Dimwitty, Alabama have asked the Dimwitty Board of Education to ban the children's primer *Fun with...1 year ago
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On the Edge of Silence - “There is but one truly serious philosophical problem and that is suicide. Judging whether life is or is not worth living amounts to answering the fundamen...1 year ago
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The Howlers of History and How We Must Reclaim the Narrative - “There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all judgments and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignor...1 year ago
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Have You Heard Has a New Website - TweetHave You Heard has a new website. Visit us at www.haveyouheardpodcast.com to find our latest episodes and our entire archive. And be sure to check out...1 year ago
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Follow me at Substack - I've moved. Follow me at Substack I'm now posting regularly at Substack. You can subscribe for free to my new Edu/Pol blog at michaelklonsky.substack.com ...1 year ago
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On Remote Teaching and Learning In an Ongoing Pandemic - Some recent stories I've been thinking about (all emphases mine). Tennessee: Gov. Bill Lee’s administration is getting pushback in Memphis on new Tenness...2 years ago
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Milwaukee Bradley Foundation at Center of Attacks on U.S. Voting Rights - The Big Money Behind the Big Lie Donald Trump’s attacks on democracy are being promoted by rich and powerful conservative groups that are determined to win...2 years ago
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Milwaukee Bradley Foundation at Center of Attacks on U.S. Voting Rights - The Big Money Behind the Big Lie Donald Trump’s attacks on democracy are being promoted by rich and powerful conservative groups that are determined to win...2 years ago
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Aspiring Teachers Get New Help Paying For College - [image: colorful classroom pattern] *; Credit: shuoshu/Getty Images* Cory Turner | NPR New rules kick in today that will help aspiring teachers pay for c...2 years ago
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Major victory over a corporate charter school chain and their trade association - Original post at Robert’s page on Medium. On Tuesday, March 23, 2021, I got my second big win in court against a charter school corporation. It was also a ...2 years ago
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Tips Akses Situs Judi Qq Tanpa Perlu Takut Nawala - Kegiatan berjudi slot melalui situs judi qq online, sekarang sudah dilakukan oleh banyak penjudi Indonesia. Tentu, Kamu yang sedang membaca artikel ini a...2 years ago
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CEJ’s Virtual Mayoral Candidate Forum; Racial Justice in Public Schools - On Thursday, February 18th, over 1,000 students, parents, educators, community members, and activists alike, joined CEJ to hear the mayoral candidates’ vis...2 years ago
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GA run-offs need your help! - Extremely important. Volunteer if you can. Thank you if you are already doing so. Out of state opportunities here: Ralph … Continue reading →2 years ago
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Pandemic Teaching – What’s up? - Responding to the call from Pocketful of Primary to answer questions about how teaching during the pandemic is going.2 years ago
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The Threat of Integration - I have lived in the same house in the Miracle Mile section of Los Angeles for over 30 years, where up until now I have had little or no interaction with th...2 years ago
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New Teacher Evaluation Report Released by the Network for Public Education - A new report on current teacher evaluation systems throughout the US was just released by the Network for Public Education. The report is titled, “Teachers...2 years ago
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www.job-applications.com - https://www.job-applications.com/bed-bath-and-beyond-job-application/2 years ago
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Teacher Creates National Database Tracking COVID-19 Outbreaks in Schools - Kansas educator Alisha Morris's online coronavirus news-tracker goes viral, now hosted on a new NEA website.3 years ago
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School Year 2020-21: We Are Asking the Wrong Questions - It is perfectly understandable that many in our country want public school buildings to be open for in person instruction this year. Among the many hardshi...3 years ago
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Correction for July 10th Post on School District Audit - On July 10, 2020 we published a post “School District Caught Manipulating Attendance Records to Get More Money” which incorrectly cited Valley Park School ...3 years ago
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We fight for a democracy worthy of us all! - The nation stands at a crossroads, said NEA President Lily Eskelsen GarcÃa in her final keynote address to the 2020 NEA Representative Assembly and it’s up...3 years ago
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A Citizens’ Rebellion 2020 - The United States began to form after the rebellion against the King of England when the settlers in the colonies along the eastern coast reacted to the in...3 years ago
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Giving Private Schools Federal Emergency Funds Slated for Low-income Students Will Shortchange At-risk Kids - Low-income Seattle students began to pick up bagged lunches in March after their school closed. Karen Ducey/Getty Images Derek W. Black, University of Sout...3 years ago
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A Fundamental Redesign of Our Schools - I climbed the hill leading up to one of my favorite coffee shops in Seattle this morning to enjoy a coffee while taking in a phenomenal view of the city o...3 years ago
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The Passing Of Chaz 1951-2020 Age 69 - I am the son of Chaz and like to inform you that he passed away this afternoon from the COVID virus. My father passed in peace beside his loved ones. We ar...3 years ago
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Thoughts on schooling in the era of COVID-19 - Well, a whole lot has changed since I returned to blogging a month and half ago. In case you didn't notice, and I'm sure everyone reading this did, there's...3 years ago
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What are You Going to Do when Disaster Capitalism Knocks on the Public-School Door? - “Schools will be closed until at least April 20, after the upcoming spring break, but could stay closed for significantly longer, Mr. de Blasio said.” Whe...3 years ago
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Let The Next Round Of Anti-Semitic Ads Begin - All four pro-public education candidates came in first in their LAUSD school board elections, but two will face run-offs in November.3 years ago
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NAEP scores and "the science of reading" - *Sent to US News. They just informed me that they no longer publish letters to the editor. * *Re: “National reading emergency” November 12* *[https://www...3 years ago
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2019 NAEP Scores: Achievement Gap or …? - Here you go: A ‘Disturbing’ Assessment: Sagging Reading Scores, Particularly for Eighth-Graders, Headline 2019’s Disappointing NAEP Results NAEP 2019: Re...3 years ago
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Glasgow High School In Middle Of Scandal With Fake IEP Meetings & Loss Of Funding - The quickest way to lose special education funding is to lie about holding IEP meetings. Such is the case with Glasgow High School in the Christina School...3 years ago
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Cara Menang Bermain Judi Bola Online - Bermain judi bola online tentu saja memiliki kesenangannya tersendiri baik itu mendapatkan keuntungan maupun ketika menantikan hasil skor pada sebuah perta...4 years ago
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What Cory Booker isn’t telling us about the Newark water crisis. - BY GUY STERLING Guy Sterling, a longtime resident of Newark and a member of the Newark Water Group, spent almost 30 years as reporter with The Star-Ledger ...4 years ago
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A Storm is Coming! (…again) - A new Commissioner will have as much impact on our state ed system as a new meteorologist will have on … Continue reading →4 years ago
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JerseyCAN Can't Hide From Opioids Crisis Billionaire Founder - [image: Image result for jerseycan] NJ Spotlight needs to stop giving space to billionaire-backed corporate reform groups like JerseyCAN. JerseyCAN does n...4 years ago
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Déjà vu: 2019 ELA Assessment: Dear Board of Regents - Dear Board of Regents, I have copied below an email I sent to you almost a year ago, after the 2018 ELA assessment's computer-based testing failures and mo...4 years ago
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This Week in Education Organizing - February 15, 2019 - Coalition for Education Justice to Release Report on CRE Eighty-five percent of public school students in New York City are Black, Latinx, or Asian and y...4 years ago
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Black Lives Matter at Schools National week of Action: Feb 4 - Feb 8 - Join the National Week of Actions for Black Lives Matter at Schools. Starting Monday, February 4th educators in cities across the country will draw closer...4 years ago
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Judi Togel - Permainan Judi Togel Online Mudah Dijalankan Di Indonesia Permainan judi online Indonesia terpercaya kini memang menjadi salah satu tempat bermain game yan...4 years ago
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13 Things I Learned While Blogging for Education Week - This is the 500th blog I've written as the Teacher in a Strange Land, for Education Week Teacher. As it turns out, it's also my final blog for EdWeek. Here...5 years ago
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Blockchain: Life on the Ledger - Originally posted on Wrench in the Gears: I created this video as a follow up to the one I prepared last year on Social Impact Bonds. It is time to examine...5 years ago
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New York Times piece on '68 Democratic Convention Protest - ‘The Whole World Is Watching’: The 1968 Democratic Convention, 50 Years Later On Aug. 28, 1968, violent clashes in Chicago between demonstrators and the ...5 years ago
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My Letter to the NYS Board of Regents and Commissioner Elia Regarding ESSA Opt Out Provisions - commissioner@nysed.gov Regent.cashin@nysed.gov ESSARegComment@nysed.gov Regent.Rosa@nysed.gov Regent.Reyes@nysed.gov Regent.Chin@nysed.gov Regent.Young@n...5 years ago
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Corruption on Top of Corruption: How Rahm’s Response to Sexual Abuse of Students Reveals His Core Function - Rahm Emanuel’s response to the Chicago Tribune investigation that found CPS failed to protect hundreds of students from sexual abuse is cowardly. It is co...5 years ago
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New Local Businesses in Sacramento - Starting a new local business in Sacramento is a monumental task, but can be accomplished with footwork, perseverance and knowledge. One must learn the loc...5 years ago
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3rd Grade Reading: Who is Failing? - Education Trust Midwest has just released its study on third grade reading and, predictably, the results aren’t great. This study uniquely compares Michiga...5 years ago
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Why Poetry? Why Now? – a poem from Linda Christensen and an invitation - My dear friend Dr. James Avington Miller Jr. sent me a phenomenal book on poetry called Rhythm and Resistance – Teaching Poetry for Social Justice. Here is...5 years ago
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Opting out of the Dinosaur (end of year test) - Today I sent in a second letter to refuse PARCC/CMAS for my son, Luke. The first email I sent at the beginning of the year was not sufficient as they requi...5 years ago
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Resurrection - I realized it's Lent, but this blog, bless Jesus Christ, can't wait. Ok, so with that said, I plan to discuss Class Action suits in existence, as well as w...5 years ago
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Chicago Collegiate Charter School Must STOP Expansion Plans - So I did a little digging into Chicago Collegiate Charter Schools, the tiny school looking to expand into the empty Kohn Elementary School building. A sch...5 years ago
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IDEA Is Still The Law Of The Land - Unless you've been living under a rock, you know the US Department of Education (USDOE) rescinded 72 Dear Colleague and other letters of explanation to ...5 years ago
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Education Is a Civic Question - In their final post to end Bridging Differences' decade-long run, Deborah Meier and Harry Boyte urge readers to put the energy, talents, wisdom, and hard w...6 years ago
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Education reform should come from within by Wendy Lecker - In her latest Stamford Advocate commentary piece, education advocate Wendy Lecker observes, Education reform should come from within. Wendy Lecker write...6 years ago
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Site News: New Home for Education News & Commentary - Quick! Get over there! The daily education news roundup and education commentaries that you're probably looking for are now being published over at The Gra...6 years ago
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An Open Letter to NC Lawmakers - An Open Letter to NC State Lawmakers and NC State Superintendent Mark Johnson: I am a NC native, voter, and public school teacher. I am addressing you all ...6 years ago
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CANCER IS BACK AND THIS TIME IT HURTS RIGHT OFF THE BAT! - APRIL IS STILL POETRY MONTH AND LIBRARY MONTH. MANY WONDERFUL THINGS TO CELEBRATE. But in the middle of the month I received some bad news about my ca...6 years ago
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The Secret to Fixing Schools (My Next Bestseller) - The Secret to Fixing Schools (My next bestseller) Prologue I just finished watching a fascinating documentary on Netflix entitled, “The Secret”. The film p...6 years ago
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Farewell, Sleep - Today is the official last day of my spring break. I've done a scientific survey: My natural bedtime is 2 AM, and my natural wake up time is 9:41 AM. Tom...6 years ago
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IBO REPORT: NYC Charter School Costs To Grow More Than Budgeted! - *New York City Charter School Costs To Grow More Than Budgeted!* Although the preliminary budget forecast of charter school enrollment is lower than project...6 years ago
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Education Bloggers Daily Highlights 3/2/2017 - Education Bloggers Daily Highlights 3/1/2017 Education Bloggers Daily Highlights Courtesy of Big Education Ape A special thank you to education blogger Mik...6 years ago
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Attitude Determines Altitude* (*conditions apply)… and the Importance of Humane District Themes - It has been a tumultuous few years in the South Brunswick community, specifically the South Brunswick School District. All you have to do is google the dis...6 years ago
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Capturing the Spark - It’s been a long time since InterACT was an active education blog, though I remain quite proud of what we did here. Those of us who wrote blog posts here h...6 years ago
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Prison Gerrymandering: Incarceration Weakens Vulnerable Voting Communities - One person equals one vote: seems simple enough. Unfortunately, that hasn’t worked out for many Americans throughout history, specifically women and peop...7 years ago
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Random Musings and Observations. . . . - I’ve been gone a while from the blogging scene. Some of my more regular readers no doubt noticed but did not hassle me about it. Thank you for that. Sinc...7 years ago
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WTU Peterson Slate: Not a 1 Woman Dictatorship - Candi Peterson & GeLynn Thompson Candidates for WTU Prez & GVP 2016By Candi Peterson, WTU Gen. Vice President *Statements or expressions of opinions herein...7 years ago
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WHY SCHOOL START TIMES PLAY A HUGE ROLE IN KIDS’ SUCCESS - Teens are severely sleep-deprived. This needs to change. Rebecca Klein Editor, HuffPost Education| https://t.co/zInVJoy29W evgenyatamanenko via Getty Image...7 years ago
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Feminism-in-Schools Featured at First International Girls’ Studies Association Conference - Leaders in the feminism-in-schools movement recently made history at the inaugural International Girls’ Studies Association (IGSA) conference when we were ...7 years ago
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MY NEW BLOG - My new blog will consist of fictitious headlines, meant to be a blend of humor and satire. I apologize ahead of time if any other satirical site has simila...7 years ago
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Thank you - Dear Readers, Thank you for visiting *The Perimeter Primate*. This blog is being retired for the time being. Although I no longer post here, I do still s...7 years ago
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GLSEN Massachusetts Educator Retreat - *GLSEN Massachusetts Educator Retreat* *SAVE-THE-DATEMarch 8-10, 2019 • Provincetown, MA* The GLSEN Massachusetts Educator Retreat in Provincetown is a s...8 years ago
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I am Retiring - I have some news: I am retiring from the PBS NewsHour and Learning Matters. [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other conte...8 years ago
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Flaws at the Heart of Current Education Reforms - Originally posted on Creative by Nature: “Teaching is an art form rooted in the wise and careful use of educational research and assessment tools. When gove...8 years ago
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Joanne Barkan: One of my favorite writers on #EdReform… - I’ve been going through some of my Twitter “favorites” and retweeting them. I thought I would pass on to you some information about one of my favorite writ...8 years ago
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Pay Teachers Less to Improve School Efficiency - hmmm! - As I was reading through education news on several of the news sites I regularly visit, I came...9 years ago
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Kimberly Olson, Broad Superintendents Academy Class of 2005 - Kimberly D. Olson, Colonel, USAF (retired), is currently the Executive Director of *Grace After Fire*, an online social support network for women veteran...12 years ago
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Tuesday, August 11, 2020
We Got Racism. Right Here in River City. | Teacher in a strange land
How many NYC parents chose “blended learning”? | JD2718
June Survey Results
How comfortable are you going to in-person school every day this fall, if there are health and safety measures like social distancing? | Citywide Average |
Very comfortable | 25% |
Mostly comfortable | 31% |
A little comfortable | 27% |
Not at all comfortable | 17% |
Betsy DeVos publicly absent as critical decisions are made on public school reopenings
Betsy DeVos publicly absent as critical decisions are made on public school reopenings
Betsy DeVos publicly absent as critical decisions are made on public school reopenings
DETROIT — As public schools grapple with the challenge of reopening during a pandemic, public education advocates are criticizing Education Secretary Betsy DeVos for working remotely from Michigan, where she owns a sprawling waterfront estate with a round-the-clock security detail paid for by taxpayers.
And while keeping herself largely physically distanced as the coronavirus continues to spread, DeVos has been a forceful advocate for President Donald Trump's demand that schools reopen in full and in person — potentially placing millions of teachers and students at risk of infection.
It's a striking bit of mixed messaging for DeVos, a billionaire heiress, major GOP donor and charter school advocate who had no experience with public education before she became education secretary. DeVos is the nation's top education official as school administrators deal with one the biggest health crises facing the nation: how to safely bring 51 million American children back into classrooms or administer virtual education during a pandemic
Questions persist as to why DeVos requires full-time protection from the U.S. Marshals Service, which NBC News reported she began receiving shortly after she was confirmed — the only Cabinet official with such an arrangement. In all, her security detail has cost taxpayers at least $25 million, NBC News has learned.
The Marshals Service wouldn't comment on the arrangement or any specific security threat DeVos faces.
Full coverage of the coronavirus outbreak
Rather than actively offer guidelines to public schools as they struggle with the immense financial and logistical challenges of reopening, DeVos told the Washington Examiner in June that she was working mostly remotely from Michigan, her home state — CONTINUE READING: Betsy DeVos publicly absent as critical decisions are made on public school reopenings
Listen to this – 2020 #3 | Live Long and Prosper
Listen to this – 2020 #3 | Live Long and Prosper
Listen to this – 2020 #3
COVID-19, PUBLIC HEALTH, STARTING SCHOOL
Education is the largest portion of the budget in Indiana, yet it’s underfunded. People want services — like good public schools — but aren’t willing to pay for them. Hoosiers, like many Americans, are shortsighted and selfish. We aren’t thinking about the future when we underfund schools….and we have a tendency to think, “my kids have good schools, too bad for those other kids,” without realizing that the “other kids” futures have an impact on all of us. What could be more foolish than to allow more than half our children to live in poverty? As Carl Sagan said,
What kind of a future do we build for the country if we raise all these kids as disadvantaged, as unable to cope with the society, as resentful for the injustice served up to them? This is stupid.
We all benefit from good schools for everyone. We all do better…when we all do better.
From Nancy Bailey
Suddenly it’s important to have clean air to contain the virus. Crumbling facilities with poor ventilation systems have always made air questionable for the children and teachers in poor schools. I’m remembering past CONTINUE READING: Listen to this – 2020 #3 | Live Long and Prosper
Teacher Tom: No One Knows How to Do this Better than You: A Short List of Things to Think About
Why Dorothy Counts? – radical eyes for equity
Why Dorothy Counts? – radical eyes for equity
Why Dorothy Counts?
“I must admit this is a strange book,” Eddie S. Glaude Jr. explains in the “Introduction” to Begin Again, explaining:
It isn’t biography, although there are moments when it feels biographical; it is not literary criticism, although I read Baldwin’s nonfiction writings closely; and it is not straightforward history, even though the book, like Baldwin, is obsessed with history. Instead, Begin Again is some combination of all three in an effort to say something meaningful about our current times. (p. xviii)
One such “something meaningful” is quite large: “A moral reckoning is upon us, and we have to decide, once and for all, whether or not we will truly be a multiracial democracy” (p. xix).
Addressing that large scope for the book, Glaude navigates James Baldwin witnessing and confronting “the lie“:
The lie is more properly several sets of lies with a single purpose. If what I have called the “value gap” is the idea that in America white lives have always mattered more than the lives of others, then the lie is a broad and powerful architecture of false assumptions by which the value gap is maintained. These are the narrative assumptions that support the everyday order of American life, which means we breathe them like air. We count them as truths. We absorb them into our character. (p. 7; see Chapter One excerpt for a full explication of “the lie”)
But as Glaude notes about his own transition form Ralph Ellison to Baldwin CONTINUE READING: Why Dorothy Counts? – radical eyes for equity
Mr. G for District 3: Chris Guerrieri's Education Matters: Some of the problems with Duval Homeroom. SOME!!!!!!
I have since heard it is up to principals and asked the district for clarification.
Speaking of principals, I am told they have incredible leeway as to who is assigned teach in Duval Homeroom or not.
Several teachers told me their principals told them they were too strong, and they needed them in the classroom. The reward for doing a good job just became to risk your life.
Numerous teachers who signed up have said they are being turned into hybrid teachers who will see DHR children and those in the building, sometimes at the same time and sometimes at different times. This means their first period may be entirely B&M, their second entirely DHR, and their third a combination of both.
I am having a hard time visualizing being both a DHR and a B&M teacher at the same time, but I guess that CONTINUE READING: Mr. G for District 3: Chris Guerrieri's Education Matters: Some of the problems with Duval Homeroom. SOME!!!!!!
Jack Hassard: Georgia Is Not Ready to Open Schools | Diane Ravitch's blog
Indiana Education Head On Reopening Schools: Contact Tracing Is A 'Beast'
Indiana Education Head On Reopening Schools: Contact Tracing Is A 'Beast' | 89.3 KPCC
Indiana Education Head On Reopening Schools: Contact Tracing Is A 'Beast'
In Indiana, school has started up for many students — or will in the next week. It's one of a majority of states where local districts will make most of the decisions about what school will look like this year.
Many districts across the state are bringing students back in person but are also offering online learning for those nervous about returning. Schools have already recorded positive coronavirus cases since reopening and had to adjust their plans, including shutting down temporarily.
In-person or online, staggered schedules and hybrid models, different criteria for when to open and when to shut back down — plans are changing "nonstop, which is frustrating for everybody involved," says Jennifer McCormick, who heads the Indiana Department of Education.
For students and staff who attend in person, and their families, contact tracing is key to keeping coronavirus cases down, public health experts say.
But McCormick tells NPR that that in particular has been one of the biggest challenges.
"That contact tracing is a beast," she tells Steve Inskeep on Morning Edition. "And in order to manage that and have the people to do it is really hard. And then on the CONTINUE READING: Indiana Education Head On Reopening Schools: Contact Tracing Is A 'Beast' | 89.3 KPCC
Learning Relationships In The New Normal | The Jose Vilson
NYC Public School Parents: Risks and benefits in reopening NYC schools & how fewer than half of parents appear to have decided
- “The recommended models are not feasible given space, staffing, family choice and expected in-person attendance.”
- “Schools have unique programmatic needs that must be addressed, to better meet the needs of the community and the proposed exception has staff and parental support. “
NYC Educator: UFT Executive Board August 10, 2020--What the Hell Is Going On Here?
Roll call--5:50
UFT Secretary LeRoy Barr--welcomes us 6:01 PM.
Minutes--approved via email
UFT President Michael Mulgrew--6:04--We need to look at numbers within last two weeks. Appears that there's no neighborhood at 3% or over at this moment. We will continue to check.
We are considering legal actions, and we need to say there's a clear and present danger to prevail. Anything we went to court over would simply give city a month to fix it at this point.
We must prepare for either opening or remote. We have to do all we can to keep everyone safe, hold city's feet to the fire. They have a plan, but not many details. We know what we need, but it isn't there yet. We will train 100 people as COVID task force. We've already started visiting schools. Largest problem is ventilation.
We need eyes on PPE, eyes on processes at school level. Thanks 100 people for taking on this process.
As far as strike or job action, we are prepared to do whatever we need to do if we don't feel things are safe. Everyone has to understand, if we go to court and fail to get an injunction, members need to understand what striking means. We will talk about them. We're not near that yet, but we need to give people good information on which to base decisions.
We will be in every school building in NYC before they open up.
Around rest of country, we see school after school closed right after they open. These states are on fire with COVID. We aren't near that, but we shouldn't open unless we are safe. City Hall has completely lost our trust. We will continue to do our work and prepare. I'm prepared to face whatever penalties if necessary.
15% of teacher have medical accommodations. 20% or more of students have opted out. Parents can opt out at any time. These numbers will continue to grow.
21 districts opened today with high COVID levels, and are closing quickly. How can we insure we won't go through the same thing? Should we test everyone who enters a school CONTINUE READING: NYC Educator: UFT Executive Board August 10, 2020--What the Hell Is Going On Here?
TIME WAITS FOR NO ONE – Dad Gone Wild
TIME WAITS FOR NO ONE – Dad Gone Wild
TIME WAITS FOR NO ONE
“What you do in this world is a matter of no consequence. The question is what can you make people believe you have done.”
― Arthur Conan Doyle, A Study in Scarlet
“Where’s jazz going? I don’t know. Maybe it’s going to hell. You can’t make anything go anywhere. It just happens.”
― Thelonious Monk
The day begins as most do around the Weber household. My nine-year-old son Peter is in the recliner with his Ipad. I’m sitting with my laptop catching up on the morning’s news. A record plays in the background, providing the soundtrack for our lives. This morning it happens to be the Beatle’s Rubber Soul.
“Daddy,” Peter says from the chair, “They should just wait to start school till they can do it in person.”
“Yeah buddy, that’s not going to happen,” I respond.
“Why?”
“Because that’s the decision they’ve made.”
“And you agree with every decision they make? Come on Daddy.”
He goes on to expound on why he’s not a fan of online learning. It’s boring. Kids have trouble learning in person, how do we expect them to do it on a computer. There are so many glitches that you don’t really get to learn. Don’t people know what real school looks like? He closes with the observation that many of those making decisions about schooling haven’t actually been in class for a decade and so he graciously volunteers his spot in order to provide them the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the classroom.
His comments are not unlike those I hear frequently expressed on social media and in private parent conversations on a regular basis. Teachers and administrators are working diligently to smooth the rough edges, but digital learning is very much a work in progress. That is the essential thought to remember right now – It’s a work in progress
The way virtual learning looks today is not the way it is going to look next month. And it will CONTINUE READING: TIME WAITS FOR NO ONE – Dad Gone Wild
CURMUDGUCATION: James Blew: Pushing More Headscratching Arguments for USED
CURMUDGUCATION: James Blew: Pushing More Headscratching Arguments for USED
James Blew: Pushing More Headscratching Arguments for USED
These days, James Blew's official title is Assistant Secretary for Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development at the US Department of Education. He's held that job since the Senate confirmed him in July of 2018.
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This guy. |
That confirmation was a narrow 50-49 party line vote, perhaps because Blew's previous history is focused on dismantling US public education. He was director of Student Success California, part of the 50CAN reformy network, and he served a stint as president of StudentsFirst, the national reform advocacy group founded by Michelle Rhee, former DC chancellor and ed reform's Kim Kardashian. He was the director of the Walton family Foundation's K-12 "reform investments" for 11 years. His background is, of course, not education, but business, politics and "communications."
In short, he's a solid part of the team of foxes guarding the US education hen house.
In late July, he showed (virtually) up at the annual national (virtual) seminar held by the Education Writers Association. The session underlines the current batch of talking points being used by the department, in particular capturing some of the serious cognitive dissonance and headscratching involved. Beth Hawkins covered the interview, and did a handy job.
Blew joined in the declaration that Covid-19 highlights the need for choice, because parents might CONTINUE READING: CURMUDGUCATION: James Blew: Pushing More Headscratching Arguments for USED
NANCY BAILEY: The Covid-19 Experiment: Facing the Sins of a Nation that Quit Caring About Public Education Long Ago
The Covid-19 Experiment: Facing the Sins of a Nation that Quit Caring About Public Education Long Ago
The Covid-19 Experiment: Facing the Sins of a Nation that Quit Caring About Public Education Long Ago
Using the word “experimenting” when it comes to opening schools is not comforting to parents and teachers. For teachers, it’s like rubbing salt in a wound. What this pandemic has brought to light are the past inequities of public education, inequities that have been all about dismantling America’s public schools. It has included the disregard and disrespect of professional teachers who hold schools together.
Suddenly it’s important to have clean air to contain the virus. Crumbling facilities with poor ventilation systems have always made air questionable for the children and teachers in poor schools. I’m remembering past students who dealt with allergies and asthma, who’d come to school ill and struggle to learn. Their test scores obviously affected my school’s standardized testing performance. Who listened then?
I’ve been in a modern school that likely practiced deferred maintenance to save money. The classrooms had large intake valves in the ceilings surrounded by dust. The same school lacked soap in the restroom during flu season. Suddenly, America’s schools are supposed to be immaculate to ward off the virus.
Teachers have been mocked by politicians and reformers for years when they begged to have class sizes lowered. Now the huge numbers of students and overcrowded CONTINUE READING: The Covid-19 Experiment: Facing the Sins of a Nation that Quit Caring About Public Education Long Ago
DID YOU MISS DIANE RAVITCH'S BLOG TODAY? A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all