Latest News and Comment from Education
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Dear West: Your "Age of Monsters" Has Begun - Antonio Gramsci was not a professional philosopher. His intellect was refreshingly situated within an inherent bias towards the common people, the ‘su...4 hours ago
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Covid Sucks!!!! - So here I am on a beautiful day laying on my couch feeling like my head is going to leak everything out of it. I want to sleep but I can’t. Four and a half...4 hours ago
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Restorative Practices and School Discipline - Restorative practices can contribute to the development of a positive school climate and discipline policies that are humanistic and inclusive, while incre...4 hours ago
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Trump Party's "Project 2025" on Education - Media Matters has a great synopsis of the major policy changes that in store beginning next year if convicted felon and malignant narcissist, Donald Tru...5 hours ago
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Big decrease in teens who used commonly prescribed and misused prescription drugs - Since 2009, U.S. high school seniors have reported steep declines in medical use, misuse and availability of the three most commonly prescribed and misu...5 hours ago
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Fact-Checking What Vance Said about Kamala - The anticipated barrage of misleading ads about Kamala Harris has begun. Expect nasty racist and sexist tropes as well as inflammatory exaggerations both o...8 hours ago
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Nancy Jefferson and the west side of Chicago. - They tell me it will take five years before I can say I’m “Brooklyn.”9 hours ago
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This and That - Update: it appears that former SPS senior staffer *Keisha Scarlett* is out as superintendent of St Louis Public Schools. Just after a year in that positi...1 day ago
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AIN’T IT AWFUL - As the terrible feelings of dread and angst spread across the world the great majority of the American people feel powerless before the onslaught of those ...1 day ago
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Welcome to the Three-month Campaign! Seriously. Welcome. - More than four years ago, in April 2020, I wrote this ridiculously optimistic piece: A Dozen Good Things that Could (Just Maybe) Happen as a Result of this...1 day ago
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Shame of the Nation: Netanyahu lying to US Congress, gets 58 standing ovations. - Hundreds of Jewish anti-genocide protesters arrested in D.C. Harris attacks Union Station protesters as 'unpatriotic."1 day ago
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How Should Teachers Teach (Part 2) - “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.”* Novelist William Faulkner’s quote captures the connection between “progressive education” in public schools ...1 day ago
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The UFT is Hard at Work for You - *A scorpion wants to cross a river but cannot swim, so it asks a frog to carry it across. The frog hesitates, afraid that the scorpion might sting it, b...3 days ago
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Say No To VP Shapiro - Josh Shapiro has been a swell governor of Pennsylvania, certainly far superior to some of the far right wingnuts that we've had running in this state. Bu...3 days ago
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The Undermining of Rhode Island Public Schools - By Thomas Ultican 7/23/2024 Gina Raimondo, Rhode Island’s unpopular governor, appointed the clearly unqualified Angélica Infante-Green as Commissioner of E...3 days ago
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Has Joe Ricketts abandoned Richard Corcoran's New College grift? - Word has it the fake college is canceling its online joint venture with "Ricketts Great Books College" because of lack of student interest; and the billion...3 days ago
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RIP, Lynn Harrill - Strands of the webs of my life keep breaking. That is an inevitable consequence of living into your 60s, and hopefully beyond. I received a text message th...3 days ago
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antiracismdsa: Mass Deportations _ - antiracismdsa: Mass Deportations _: Left unity is more important than ever around this issue. Now is the time for US socialist organizations to come togeth...4 days ago
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Letter to Commissioner Rosa: please require DOE to produce & implement a real class size plan now! - June 22, 2024 This morning, Class Size Matters sent the following letter to Commissioner Betty Rosa, urging her to require that NYC revise and fundamentall...4 days ago
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Its All Looking A Little Hazy - “There are no self-proclaimed villains, only regiments of self-proclaimed saints. Victorious historians rule where good or evil lies.” ― Glen Cook, Chronic...4 days ago
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What Is the Essence of Good Government? - The good news is we do have leaders in Washington who come from our communities and fight for our values. Let’s be honest. It’s hard to get excited about o...5 days ago
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Lots Of Teaching & Learning Resources About The Paris Olympics - Here are new additions to The Best Resources For Learning About The 2024 Paris Summer Olympics: The Olympic Museum has lots of lesson plans. The ISL Coll...6 days ago
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July’s Parent Engagement Resources - Nuestro nuevo Playbook para Familias sobre disciplina, suspensiones y justicia restaurativa en @ChiPubSchools comparte hallazgos importantes y formas en qu...1 week ago
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Dear Mr. President - July 11, 2024 Dear President Biden, You have been the most consequential and effective American president since FDR, and I believe that you will eventually...1 week ago
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Ohio Seems to Be Throwing Away Public Education, Arguably America’s Most Important Institution - As chair of the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, Senator Bernie Sanders just released a comprehensive and compelling argumen...1 week ago
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Project 2025: Politicking for Jesus. - Project 2025 identifies itself as “The Presidential Transition Project,” further described as “an agenda prepared by and for conservatives who will be read...1 week ago
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Announcing the 2024 Black Education Matters Student Activist Award winners: Jayden Watts and Anya Souza-Ponce - The Black Education Matters Student Activist Award board is proud to announce the 2024 winners: Jayden Watts and Anya Souza-Ponce! These two exceptional yo...1 week ago
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Project 2025’s Plan for Public Education - Project 2025 has an agenda for public schools: Destroy your neighborhood public schools and make parents shop for schooling using vouchers. Even as that ...1 week ago
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of violence and force - Those who have read my posts over the past 2+ decades since joined DK know that I am by choice, and after a long period of exploring and wandering throug...1 week ago
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Hiding, Disappearing, and Getting Lost - People are often surprised when I say or write that safety is our number one responsibility when it comes to our work with young children. After all, hum...2 weeks ago
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15 Questions for the Candidates - Those citizens who fantasize about defying tyranny from within fortified compounds have never understood how liberty is actually threatened in a modern bur...2 weeks ago
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In response to our legal challenge, DOE will now require parent consent before assigning students to online classes - In a big win for parents and students, the DOE significantly revised its guidance to schools about online learning after Class Size Matters and five par...2 weeks ago
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Project 2025: Ending Public Education for Students with Disabilities - The whole people must take upon themselves the education of the whole people and be willing to bear the expense of it. ~John Adams, President and Statesm...2 weeks ago
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PROJECT 2025 - NAZIFICATION OF AMERICA - IS THIS REAL OR IS THIS FOX NEWS - *PROJECT 2025 - NAZIFICATION OF AMERICA* *IS THIS REAL OR IS THIS FOX NEWS* Have you heard about the latest and greatest project to hit America? No, ...3 weeks ago
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There are two men running for president, but only one choice. - We Are Asking the Wrong Question …3 weeks ago
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Won in court, won at the ballot - No matter what anyone says... Medicare Advantage for UFT Retirees was defeated, by retirees, In the courts and In the Retired Teachers Chapter election.4 weeks ago
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Inside Higher Education Podcast: A Bird’s Eye View of Higher Education During Turbulent Times - As we move further into 2024, the landscape of higher education continues to evolve, presenting both challenges and opportunities for academic leaders. The...1 month ago
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Did Darryl Willie lie or interfere in the whistleblower investgation? Why not both? - Willie said below to Action News Jax [image: image.png] It's troubling for quite a few reasons. First he is saying the board knew about the complaint an...1 month ago
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Father’s Day 2024: A Reminder to Read Aloud to Your Children - Father’s Day is next week. Here’s a Father’s Day post…with updates and additions from 2021. READING ALOUD I read aloud to my students from the very first d...1 month ago
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No Lie! - In reply to:To be clear, are you really claiming that NLT is building a TopGolf in Rock Creek? Because that’s not just misleading, it’s blatantly false. I ...1 month ago
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They’re Still Not Like Us (Math and Our Values) - In 2015, C-SPAN’s Washington Journal invited me to discuss education reform and my book, This Is Not A Test: A New Narrative on Race, Class, ... Read Mor...2 months ago
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Should The Success Academy SPRINT Program Be Investigated? - About four months ago I received an unusual DM in my Twitter account. Though over the years several different Success Academy parents have reached out to m...2 months ago
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No more student data sales by College Board/ACT! - Here is the presentation we gave to parents from many states throughout the nation, with tips on how to ensure their children’s data is not sold by the Col...2 months ago
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What Country Has The Longest School Day? A Comprehensive Guide - In today’s fast-paced world, education plays a crucial role in shaping the future of individuals and nations...3 months ago
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Bibliography for History Posts on This Blog - I remember when school reformers insisted the biggest problem in education was that teachers didn't come from the best colleges. Bibliography VER...3 months ago
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Focused: Understanding, Negotiating, and Maximizing Your Influence as a School Leader - INTRODUCTION Focus, focus, and focus! Focus is what this book is about. Here we aim to help school leaders understand what they should focus on and why. We...4 months ago
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March 5, 2024: The time for delay has passed - It is time to open the ballot sitting on my kitchen counter. Only, the more I learn of politics, the… The post March 5, 2024: The time for delay has pass...4 months ago
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Book Review: “The Bill Gates Problem: Reckoning with the Myth of the Good Billionaire” - By Anthony Cody What impact has Bill Gates had on the world since he launched the most wealthy tax-exempt foundation in the world? We finally have a book t...5 months ago
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We are making a CPESS documentary! - In 2020, I was approached by Deborah Meier and Jane Andrais and I decided we should document the story of Central Park East Secondary School (CPESS). This ...5 months ago
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Radical Eyes for Equity: Media Misreads Reading Science (Again) - Radical Eyes for Equity: Media Misreads Reading Science (Again) For more than five years, mainstream media has been obsessed with two false but compelling...6 months ago
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From Asa to A. Phillip: Nothing But a ‘Sigma’ Man by Mark Anthony Neal - Richard Avedon, *A. Philip Randolph, Founder, Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, New York City, April 8, 1976* *From Asa to A. Phillip: Nothing But a...6 months ago
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Could This Be Gadfly’s End? Top 12 Articles From 2023 Read By Fewer Than Ever - After 9 years of pounding my head against the wall - well, it seems like the wall is winning.7 months ago
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Volunteer in 2024 - Be the change, volunteer and make the difference! Let’s face it, the world is in turmoil, and divisive politics in our country is threatening our democracy...7 months ago
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The Sky is Falling, or is it? - Well, this is the first anniversary of the introduction of Generative AI in the form of ChatGPT to the world of education. Before it was a week old, over o...7 months ago
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Redesigning School Governance: Beyond Mayoral Control - From time to time the legislature passes a bill with a sunset provision, unless the law is reauthorized by a specific date the law reverts to the law it re...8 months ago
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20 Best Mph Programs In New York, NY (2024 Updated) - 20 Best Mph Programs In New York, NY 1. Pace University Rating: (4.2 ) Address: One Pace Plaza, New York, NY 10038... The post 20 Best Mph Programs In...9 months 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 reading10 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...1 year 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 more1 year 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...1 year 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...1 year 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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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...2 years 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...2 years 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.2 years 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...2 years 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 →2 years 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...2 years 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...2 years 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...2 years 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...2 years 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...2 years 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 ...2 years 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...3 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 ...3 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...3 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...3 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 →3 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.3 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...3 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...3 years ago
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www.job-applications.com - https://www.job-applications.com/bed-bath-and-beyond-job-application/3 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 ...4 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 García in her final keynote address to the 2020 NEA Representative Assembly and it’s up...4 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...4 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...4 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...4 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...4 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...4 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.4 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...4 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...4 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 →5 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...5 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...5 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...5 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...5 years ago
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The World According to Michelle Rhee - The men behind the curtain fashioning the brave new world of corporate run education in America! Michelle Rhee is the founder of StudentsFirst, The New T...5 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...6 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...6 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...6 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...6 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...6 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...6 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...6 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 ...6 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...7 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 ...7 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...7 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...7 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...7 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...7 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...7 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...7 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...7 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...8 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...8 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 ...8 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...8 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...8 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...9 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...9 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...13 years ago
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The MAP Test - Teachers will be voting this afternoon on the contract that has been tentatively agreed upon. I am asking all teachers to not allow an evaluation system th...13 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