Saturday, May 14, 2011

ex-KIPP teachers, tell your stories « JD2718

ex-KIPP teachers, tell your stories

by jd2718

Former KIPP Teachers: Share Your Story

I am very much interested in talking with former KIPP teachers who may want to take part in an interview study on the KIPP teaching experience. All participants are guaranteed complete anonymity, and no names, locations, or other information will be used that may jeopardize your privacy. I have completed three interviews so far, and I am interested in talking with another dozen or so former KIPP teachers. Email me if interested at james.horn@cambridgecollege.edu.

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I think Schools Matters is the only blog I am actually banned from. And to make matters worse, I gave them a hard time for making fun of New Jersey Governor Christie for being a fat jerk. (Jerk, yes, but I do not think it is right to make fun of people’s weight). But it stays in my reader; it is well worth following. They select interesting articles to reprint, much of which I would not otherwise see. And Steve Krashen writes good stuff.

Thoughts and Pics of the San Diego Teachers’ Rally

by Frank Gormlie

Since Andy Cohen covered the meat and potatoes of the teachers' "State of Emergency" rally already, I wanted to share some other thoughts about the event and display a sampling of the numerous photos I took yesterday, Friday the 13th while at the Embarcadero in downtown San Diego.When I heard that the rally was going to be at the Embarcadero, I told Patty that parking would be horrendous downtown and next to impossible, so we agreed to take the trolley from Lemon Grove. She wrapped up our banner, we gathered our camera and notepad, and we hopped the 3:44 pm trolley (although by time it got to us, it was 3:50). After grabbing our seats, we looked around and saw several women wearing red T-shirts that spelled out "STOP" - Students and Teachers Our Priority. And during the ride downtown, we heard several guys who were standing up having quiet an intellectual conversation - even hearing the name "Chomsky" come bouncing out. Are these teachers? we wondered on their way to the rally.

4LAKids - L.A. SCHOOL BOARD RUNOFF GROWS EXPENSIVE AND CONTENTIOUS

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: L.A. SCHOOL BOARD RUNOFF GROWS EXPENSIVE AND CONTENTIOUS

From my cold plastic chair: LAUSD TEACHER-LIBRARIAN COURT Settle in, it’s a long one. from The Library is Not a Fruit: One middle school li-berry, so much to say - a blog by MizzMurphy | http://bit.ly/lNKSPi Monday, May 9, 2011 - In the basement of the California Mart building in downtown Los Angeles, one can ...

PARTISAN RHETORIC INFLAMES COLLEGE BOARD RACE The main issue in the election had been waste in the Los Angeles Community College District's massive building project. But political name-calling in the nonpartisan race has injected a new element. By Gale Holland, Los Angeles Times | ...

L.A. SCHOOL BOARD RUNOFF GROWS EXPENSIVE AND CONTENTIOUS The teachers union is backing Bennett Kayser against Luis Sanchez, whose campaign has Villaraigosa's support in a $3 Million race By Jason Song, Los Angeles Times | http://lat.ms/kaRrl6 May 14, 2011 - The race for the last available Los Angeles school ...

NEW YORK TEACHER REVIEWS WILL PUT MORE FOCUS ON STATE TESTS + BIG ROLE OF TEST SCORES IN IN NEW YORK TEACHER EVALUATIONS Teacher Reviews Will Put More Focus on State Tests By SHARON OTTERMAN | NT Times | http://nyti.ms/mdU1Ct May 13, 2011 Responding to criticism from Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and others, state education officials on Friday revised their plans for evaluating ...

San Diego Education Coalition rally draws nearly 2,500 by car, trolley, bus, train, even bicycle « State of Emergency

San Diego Education Coalition rally draws nearly 2,500 by car, trolley, bus, train, even bicycle More than 2,500 persons from throughout San Diego, Imperial, Orange and Riverside counties traveled by car, trolley, bus, train and even bicycle to participate in the huge Not Business As Usual State of Emergency rally for public education at San ...

San Bernardino Rally draws nearly 1,000 Inland Empire participants With talented public school students leading the way, close to 1,000 education coalition leaders from the Inland Empire gathered with teachers, parents, education support professionals, administrators, public employees, and students from elementary ...

“You’re not worth union wages.” « Fred Klonsky's blog

“You’re not worth union wages.”

Here is the list of Illinois State Reps, Democrats from Chicago, who voted to take away Chicago teachers’ right to strike and Illinois teachers’ right to seniority. *State House Representative Robyn Gabel from Rogers Park and Evanston and every other Chicago Democrat in the House voted to take away Chicago teachers’ rights, except for Monique Davis*. Note: Some on this list represent part of Chicago and part ...

School Tech Connect: Feelin' The Love At Whittier

Feelin' The Love At Whittier

by effacethefacade@yahoo.com (Tim)

Here was the (fotoflexed) view from inside Whittier Elementary on this drizzle-chilled day. I thought it appropriate because it seems like it's going to take a million acts of faith or even a downright miracle to save traditional, neighborhood-based public education in Chicago. Whittier was the site today of The Quality Public Schools for All Parent Summit, sponsored by the Whittier Parent Committee and Blocks Together.

There was a remarkable lack of media at the event, so I'm going to see if I can write up an actual story later;

Bravo, Mr. Governor | Billionaires for Educational Reform

Bravo, Mr. Governor

by Smellington

I say, this Andrew Cuomo is a smashing chap, just smashing. When I read a plan like this one, I’m heartened to see that all that money we gave him is finally paying off. It appears we’re dispensing with that nonsensical plan that the Regents cooked up with that odious union, and finally coming up with something we can manipulate any way we please.

This way, we can send teachers to classes where we know no progress will be made, and in a mere two years we can get them off the payroll. This will free up job opportunities for those whom we feel actually merit them. It could be in-laws, cousins, or reliable contributors to political campaigns. After all since we really represent 1% of

No Obama endorsement this July. « Fred Klonsky's blog

No Obama endorsement this July.

by Fred Klonsky

The reports are that NEA President Dennis Van Roekel wants the NEA RA to endorse Barack Obama for a second term at this summer’s meeting with no strings attached and no questions asked.

I’m a delegate.

If it comes to a vote, I’m voting no.

What I’ll do in November of 2012 is a different matter. That remains to be seen.

But this July?

No way.

In March of 2010, when 100 of my colleagues were fired from their teaching jobs in Central Fall Rhode Island, this is what Barack Obama said to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce,

“If a school is struggling, we have to work with the principal and the teachers to find a solution. We’ve got to give them a chance to make meaningful

An Urban Teacher's Education: An Open Letter to the Anti-Corporate Reform Community

An Open Letter to the Anti-Corporate Reform Community

by The Reflective Educator

Dear Fighters of Educational Corporate Reform,

I think we can all agree that it's in all of our best interest, in fighting corporate reform, to point out the many inaccuracies in the CR argument. However, there is something to be said for doing it gracefully, with dignity. On the other hand, there is something destructively polarizing about doing it with vitriol. Demonizing those who disagree with us, to the point where anyone standing on middle ground would look at the debate and be disgusted or unimpressed with our side, is not a useful technique for demonstrating the merits of our argument. I sincerely doubt the utility of anger and hate as a method for advocating for the best interest of public education and children. To that end, I think it's incredibly important that those who are used to debating in this manner rethink the way they choose to address the ideas and people they disagree with. I also think it's in all of our best interest to stop promoting those people until they do. Their rhetoric only provides fodder for anyone out there looking to prove that teachers and parents resisting corporate reform are a bunch of crackpots uninterested in listening to the other side because we're only interested in self-preservation or some sort of arthritically misguided ideology. Furthermore, the treatment of anyone, regardless of whether they're rich, privileged, idealistic, or TFA corps members as if anything they say or think is worth less than a pile of shit

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: CALIFORNIA TEACHER PROTESTS: Thousands Rally Against Education Cuts

CALIFORNIA TEACHER PROTESTS: Thousands Rally Against Education Cuts JULIET WILLIAMS, Associate Press, from the Huffington Post | http://huff.to/lqmYtx 05/13/11 09:00 PM ET SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Thousands of California teachers rallied in cities throughout the state Friday to demonstrate against the threat of deep ...

$12 BILLION IN CUTS SEEN: 5,000 teachers rally for funding in Pershing Square By Connie Llanos, Staff Writer | LA Daily News | http://bit.ly/mQmmUq Thousands of local teachers, parents, students and community members protest state cuts to education at Pershing Square in Los Angeles Friday, May 13, 2011. (Hans Gutknecht/Staff ...

Bill Maher’s “Real Time” education debate failure - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

Bill Maher’s “Real Time” education debate failure

By Valerie Strauss

This was written by Paul Thomas, an associate professor of education at Furman University in South Carolina. It was published ondailycensored.com.

By Paul Thomas

A new slogan has appeared from the ranks of educators who know the new education reform movement to be misguided, uninformed, and powerful: “Those who can, teach. Those who cannot pass laws about teaching.”

This is a parody of the demeaning, “Those who can, do. Those who cannot, teach.” It is this saying that is at the heart of the cultural disrespect that much of the United States holds and voices about educators.

But the newer slogan, in the second part, hits the key problem with how our schools are run and who takes the blame: The reality is that

United Way report aimed at education action - SignOnSanDiego.com

United Way report aimed at education action

BY KAREN KUCHER, UNION-TRIBUNE

SATURDAY, MAY 14, 2011 AT 4 A.M.

On display

The “Voices for the Common Good” report at a reception at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Westfield Mission Valley shopping mall. An outdoor photo installation featuring larger-than-life images of San Diego kids with a call to action for adults will be on display outside Nordstrom Rack and Michaels.

Saying the nation has reached a turning point in education, United Way of San Diego County is releasing a report Saturday it hopes will galvanize individuals and businesses to take steps to get involved and improve schools in the region.

The report, a mix of national and local voices developed after parents, students, business leaders and educators were interviewed in nearly 40 communities around the country, finds that people overwhelmingly believe the country is failing its schoolchildren, that education is a key to success and that communities need to focus more on the needs of children.

As part of the project, the local United Way took a close look at data about San Diego County’s public schools. Among the troubling results they highlight: about a third of the fourth graders in

A few updated NJ charter figures: Write your own story… « School Finance 101

A few updated NJ charter figures: Write your own story…

by schoolfinance101

Performance

A few updated NJ charter figures: Write your own story… « School Finance 101

Daily Kos: The data speaks - poverty and American education

The data speaks - poverty and American education

by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken)

Please watch the following video from the Texas Tribune. In its brief four minutes Michael Marder explains how readily available data on Texas schools makes clear the real issue on college readiness is the connection with poverty.

Popout

There is more video below the fold, as well as some comments from yours truly

Weblogg-ed » “There are Some People Who Don’t Wait”

“There are Some People Who Don’t Wait”

by Will Richardson

This quote from Robert Krulwich of NPR caught my eye yesterday:

But there are some people, who don’t wait.
I don’t know exactly what going on inside them; but they have this… hunger. It’s almost like an ache.
Something inside you says I can’t wait to be asked I just have to jump in and do it.

He was talking about beginning journalists, but I couldn’t help thinking about the many teachers who I have met over the years who haven’t waited. People like Shelley Blake-Plock and Dolores Gende and Anne Smith andKathy Cassidy and Brian Crosby and Shannon Miller and Shelley Wright and Jabiz Raisdana and a whole slew of others who had some type of hunger overcome them, something that made them jump right in and really change the way the thought about teaching and learning and classrooms. For some, I know, what’s happened over the past decade or so has simply afforded a way for them to do more of what they always believed, to give kids the reins and let them learn about learning. But for others, and I would count myself in this second category, the last 10 years have brought to life a way of thinking about education that is decidedly different from

Saturday coffee + Old school. « Fred Klonsky's blog

Saturday coffee. « Fred Klonsky's blog

Saturday coffee.

by Fred Klonsky

Hey, Chicago. How did you enjoy your summer?

It was 90 degrees on Tuesday. We had the AC on Thursday night. Now we have the heat back on and it’s 44 degrees.

In the mean while, a happy birthday wish to my son-in-law in Brooklyn. And we celebrated my brother and sister-in-law’s 43 years of marriage at Irwin’s last night.

I had the soft shell crab. Chef Irwin served me three of them with fresh asparagus and purple potatoes. I started the meal with fried green tomatoes and applewood bacon. Yes.

And let’s not even speak of the desserts we shared. Okay. I will speak of them. Sour cherry pie with home-made ice cream and peanut butter something or other with whipped cream and chocolate sauce.

My brother, who is definitely a chocoholic, actually passed on the dessert with four “chocolates” in the title. But

Old school.

by Fred Klonsky

The Kinks.

Popout

Mathematical Intimidation: Driven by the Data by John Ewing | Seattle Education

Mathematical Intimidation: Driven by the Data by John Ewing

by seattleducation2011

Of course we should hold teachers accountable,
but this does not mean we have to pretend
that mathematical models can do something they
cannot. Of course we should rid our schools of
incompetent teachers, but value-added models are
an exceedingly blunt tool for this purpose. In any
case, we ought to expect more from our teachers
than what value-added attempts to measure.
John Ewing, PhD, Mathematician and President of Math for America

I came across this article by Mathematician John Ewing and wanted to share it with you.

Dora

Mathematical Intimidation: Driven by Data

by John Ewing

Mathematicians occasionally worry

Big role of test scores in New York teacher evaluations — Joanne Jacobs

Big role of test scores in New York teacher evaluations

by Diana Senechal

Last year, the New York State Legislature passed a measure that allowed 20 percent of a teacher’s evaluation to be based on students’ scores on standardized state tests.

Now it has gone up to 40 percent. This means they will count more than any other single measure. The new regulations are expected to be enacted on Monday by the state’s Board of Regents.

This change may be largely due to pressure from Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, who, according to the New York Times, said that a high-quality evaluation system had to be in place before he could support Mayor Bloomberg’s push to end seniority protection in layoffs.

But is this a high-quality evaluation system? It gives a great deal of power to tests that we don’t even have yet (as they are being revised) and to a value-added formula that has turned up many eccentricities, to put it mildly.

Maher’s “Real Time” Education Debate Failure Redux: Legend of the Fall, pt. VII | Dailycensored.com

Maher’s “Real Time” Education Debate Failure Redux: Legend of the Fall, pt. VII

Written by Paul ThomasEducationMay 14, 2011

0digg

This is a parody of the demeaning, “Those who can, do. Those who cannot, teach.” It is this saying that is at the heart of the cultural disrespect that much of the U.S. holds and voices about educators, but the newer slogan, in the second part, hits the key problem with how our schools are run and who takes the blame: The reality is that teachers in K-12 U.S. public education have little autonomy and professional power–and that is even more pronounced today than 40 years ago–but the architects of how schools are run, politicians and self-appointed education experts, have somehow shifted all the blame and accountability onto those teachers who are mandated to implement the misguided policies dictated by elected officials, who are overwhelmingly

Interesting “Take” On Why We Need Immigrants | Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day...

Interesting “Take” On Why We Need Immigrants

by Larry Ferlazzo

“Why America Needs Immigrants” is an article by Jonah Lehrer in The Wall Street Journal.

He discusses the usual stuff you’d expect about the need for highly skilled entrepreneurs, but also adds an interesting perspective:

But the advantages of immigration aren’t limited to those with particular academic backgrounds. In recent years, psychologists have discovered that exposing people to different cultures, either through travel abroad or diversity in their hometown, can also make them more creative. When we encounter other cultures we become more willing to consider multiple interpretations of the same thing. Take leaving food on one’s plate: In China, it’s often a compliment, signaling that the host has provided enough to eat. But in America it can suggest that the food wasn’t good.

People familiar with such cultural contrasts are more likely to consider alternate possibilities when problem-