What exactly will Common Core standards require in each grade? Handy parent guides spell it out | OregonLive.com

What exactly will Common Core standards require in each grade? Handy parent guides spell it out | OregonLive.com:

What exactly will Common Core standards require in each grade? Handy parent guides spell it out

View full sizeBrent Wojahn / The Oregonian / 2012

The National PTA partnered with experts on the new Common Core State Standards that are being widely rolled out in Oregon schools this year to create grade-by-grade guides for parents.

Click on your child's grade level, or any grade you're curious about, to see what a student  can expect and how you can help.

For high school, there is a single guide in math and another in English for all four grade levels.

Kindergarten

First grade

Second grade

Third grade

Fourth grade

Fifth grade

Sixth grade

Seventh grade

Eighth grade

High school English

High school math

For grade eight and lower, each guide provides an overview of what a student should learn by the end of the grade in mathematics and English language arts/literacy.

PTA leaders say that, as the largest volunteer child advocacy organization — with membership of approximately 5 million parents, families, students, and teachers — PTA is uniquely positioned to be a credible, non-partisan voice in the initiative to move schools to using the Common Core. That initiative matches PTA’s priority of offering equity and opportunity to all children, they say.

-- Betsy Hammond

Two charter schools investigated for financial problems | K-12 Zone | a Chron.com blog

Two charter schools investigated for financial problems | K-12 Zone | a Chron.com blog:

Two charter schools investigated for financial problems

Friday, August 30, 2013

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In case you missed it, we’ve reported recently on two Houston charter schools that have landed in trouble with the Texas Education Agency over financial problems.

• An investigation of the Juan B. Galaviz Charter School found that the school lost its required nonprofit status, owed the IRS $27,000 in payroll taxes, submitted a fake financial audit and lost $40,000 due to its former finance manager embezzling funds. The small school, which served about 70 students last year, has closed at least for this school year, and the state is considering revoking its charter.

The school’s interim superintendent, Victoria Cano, said the problems largely stem from the ex-finance manager, who has since pleaded guilty to felony theft. Cano said she hopes to re-open next school year.

TEA Galaviz investigation by enm077486

• The state education agency questioned millions of dollars in spending at the Varnett charter school, including cruises, first-class airfare, spa services and deals that enriched the superintendent. The agency’s investigation also found that school officials conducted business out of public view, holding board meetings via phone or

Bobby Jindal Lashes Out at Eric Holder Over Voucher Suit, Asks If White House Is Incompetent Or Ideological:

Bobby Jindal Lashes Out at Eric Holder Over Voucher Suit, Asks If White House Is Incompetent Or Ideological

Posted: 08/30/2013 6:09 pm EDT  |  Updated: 08/30/2013 6:24 pm EDT

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) is steamed.

Earlier this week the state was sued by the U.S. Department of Justice over its school voucher system, one of Jindal's major education initiatives.

"A week ago, 7 o'clock at night, I find out that [U.S. Attorney General] Eric Holder, at the Department of Justice, is filing suit against the state of Louisiana -- now listen to this -- to force these children to go back to failing schools," Jindal said Friday at an Americans for Prosperity conference. The audience booed loudly.

School vouchers use public money to help students pay for private, and often religious, schools. In 2012, Louisiana passed a bill that created a voucher system for about 380,000 low-income students who attended public schools that received a C, D or F grade from the state. About 8,000 students were slated to receive the vouchers this school year, but Louisiana's Supreme Court struck down the law this spring, withJustice John Weimer citing the program's funding mechanism.

Jindal found a separate pot of $40 million to pay for this year's vouchers. But the lawsuit, he said, jeopardizes a group of low-income students who previously attended failing public schools and whose parents sought an alternative.

"What's so atrocious is that Eric Holder, the Obama Department of Justice, [is] using

Obama Wants To Fix Education Crisis -- Then Get Out Of The Way - Forbes

Obama Wants To Fix Education Crisis -- Then Get Out Of The Way - Forbes:

Obama Wants To Fix Education Crisis -- Then Get Out Of The Way

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Last week, President Obama added lowering college tuition fees and raising the quality of education to his administration’s agenda. The president rightly lamented the rising costs of tuition in this country, which have ballooned over1,100 percent in the last thirty years — with no abatement in sight.

But, if the president truly wants to fix the ills of higher education, he would be better served by getting out of the way.

How did we even get here?

At odds with the emphasis on a college education in the U.S. is the high cost of higher education. College tuition in the U.S. ranks among the highest of developed countries, costing over 50 percent of the average income per year. In large part, by making tuition loans available to nearly anyone at very low interest rates, the government has aided and abetted colleges in hyperinflating the cost of an education.

Surely, the rising costs of college must mean a commensurate increase in the quality of education, right? Hardly.

Based on his research of higher education, Richard Arum’s book, “Academically Adrift,” highlighted that students earning degrees today achieve limited gains in the all-important skills of critical thinking, complex reasoning, and writing during their education. He goes on to say that 36 percent of students experienced no significant improvement in learning over four years of college.

Furthermore, compared to decades earlier, professors are spending less time in the classroom in favor of research, and students spend significantly less 

Shock Doctrine USA: The Urban School Privatization Script-Philadelphia, New Orleans, Chicago, Newark, Milwaukee, Detroit, New York, California, etc. | Reclaim Reform

Shock Doctrine USA: The Urban School Privatization Script-Philadelphia, New Orleans, Chicago, Newark, Milwaukee, Detroit, New York, California, etc. | Reclaim Reform:

Shock Doctrine USA: The Urban School Privatization Script-Philadelphia, New Orleans, Chicago, Newark, Milwaukee, Detroit, New York, California, etc.

Posted on August 30, 2013by Ken Previti

Your child is being used and abused daily. Public education is in danger. Why?

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

How is the Common Core/ High Stakes Testing/ Privatization Hoax related to the Shock Doctrine that has been used worldwide to create austerity (sequestration) measures while shifting billions of tax dollars into the pockets of a few billionaires & their multinational corporations, hedge fund & equity fund managers and assorted tax free foundations?

Long question – short explanation.

Lance Fialkoff has the shortest, most focused description possible.

1) Manufacture crisis: budget, edu-performance and/or consequences of NCLB/grant compliance failure (measured against often unattainable standards)—>
2) Close neighborhood public schools—>
3) Replace with charter schools linked to private CMOs (Charter 

8-30-13 Jersey Jazzman: When Will the Charter Industry Finally Be Honest?

Jersey Jazzman: When Will the Charter Industry Finally Be Honest?:

When Will the Charter Industry Finally Be Honest?

If you're shocked by this, you haven't been paying attention: The parent of a special education kindergarten pupil at the Upper West Side Success Academy charter school secretly tape recorded meetings in which school administrators pressed her to transfer her son back into the public school system.  The tapes, a copy of which the mother supplied the Daily News, poke a hole in claims by the fast-

by Duke / 0min 

8-28-13 Jersey Jazzman

Jersey Jazzman: Newark's Teachers Get Screwed on Merit PayThe editorial board of the Wall St. Journal may be clinically insane, but Lisa Fleisher at the education desk is paying attention to important stuff: Newark, in a first for a large New Jersey public-school system, has given out bonuses of up to $12,500 to its highest-rated teachers, inaugurating a controversial merit-pay program being watch

by mike simpson / 10h 

What Can Martin Luther King, Jr. Teach Us About Our Education System? | Diane Ravitch

What Can Martin Luther King, Jr. Teach Us About Our Education System? | Diane Ravitch:

What Can Martin Luther King, Jr. Teach Us About Our Education System?

I received a note from an outstanding superintendent in a fine suburban district in New York, someone I greatly admire. He is experienced and wise. He has the support of parents, staff, and community. He runs one of the state's best school districts.

He wrote of the excitement and joy of the beginning of the school year. He talked about the commemoration of Dr. King's legacy. But he ended on a sad note. He said he experienced the sadness and humiliation of telling teachers and students about their test scores and ratings, about how many students had failed the absurd Common Core tests, which meant their teachers too had "failed."

Suddenly, it struck me that the best way to remember Martin Luther King was not to think of him as a statue or an icon, but to take to heart his example. He did not bow his head in the face of injustice. He did not comply. He said no. He said it in a spirit of love and non-violence. But he resisted.

He said no. He resisted. He said, we will not acquiesce to what we know is wrong. We will not acquiesce. We will not comply. We will not obey unjust laws.

How does that apply to the situation of public education today? Public schools are drowning in nonsensical mandates. They are whipsawed by failed ideas coming from D.C. and state capitols that are following D.C.'s demands. They are subject to regulations and programs that no one understands. These mandates are ruining schooling, not making it better. The incessant testing is not making kids smarter, it is making kids bored and turned off by 

Statement on Study of QEIA Impact - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education)

Statement on Study of QEIA Impact - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education):

State Schools Chief Issues Statement on Study of QEIA Impact

SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson issued the following statement today after new research was released quantifying the positive impacts of the Quality Education Investment Act of 2006.

As a legislator, Torlakson authored QEIA to implement the terms of the settlement of the lawsuit CTA, et al. v. Schwarzenegger, et al. QEIA provided about $3 billion to help the state's lowest-performing schools improve student achievement.

"Smaller class sizes, teacher collaboration, professional development, more opportunities for parental involvement: this is what we are talking about when we talk about reform that works. Students across California—every student, no matter their background or where they live—deserve every chance we can give them for success. The evidence suggests that QEIA funding has already helped provide those chances. I'm proud of that past and hopeful for the future."

For more information about QEIA, please visit the California Department of Education's Web site at Quality Education Investment Act (QEIA) of 2006 - District & School Interventions.

# # # #

Tom Torlakson — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5206, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100

8-30-13 Ed Notes Online

Ed Notes Online:

WHY De Blasio? Make Evil Eva Moskowitz Pay the Damn Rent

That's enough for me to vote for him. Do I actually think de Blasio will deliver on his promise to make charters pay rent? Slim to none. I don't see the charter lobby sweating much over his rise in the polls. I wonder if some secret message with a wink has been sent. Fact is I don't trust any politician and I think we will be sold out. But I still don't necessarily see him winning over Lhota. Just

1 by ed notes online / 14min 

8-29-13 Ed Notes Online

Ed Notes Online: Urban Ed Blog Takes Shot at Peter Cunningham....people on the other side will respond with public jeers and snickers and will invoke the children in order to marginalize these very real concerns and discredit the people who express them. This is how their kind always responds to criticism and dissent. ... Urban EdOur pal at Urban Education exposes Peter Cunningham, who used to wor

by mike simpson / 22h 

Diane in the Evening 8-30-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

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

Bobby Jindal Has a Hissy Fit When Justice Department Defends Desegregation

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal went into a partisan rant before a far-right audience, complaining that the U.S. Department of Justice had sued to block the state’s voucher program. The legal action was taken to prevent vouchers from undermining desegregation in counties (parishes) that remain under court order. In a bizarre twist, Jindal portrayed himself as a champion of the civil rights of po

8 by dianerav / 32min 

Cuomo Wants “Death Penalty” for “Failing Schools”

New York Governor Cuomo wants a “death penalty” for “failing schools,” He was referring to the public schools of Buffalo, which is one of the state’s poorest districts. He threatened state takeover, mayoral control, or charters. None of his remedies has ever succeeded. But they will extinguish democracy. Democracy is not the cause of low achievement. If Cuomo ignores poverty and segregation, he

5 by dianerav / 37min mark as read  //  save

A BAT Attends Florida Governor’s Ed Summit

Michael Weston, Hillsborough County teacher, attended Florida Governor Rick Scott’s three-day education summit. But Governor Scott had better things to do. He was busy meeting with Jeb Bush, who is the state’s education expert. They discussed the future of education in Florida. Parents were not happy that the Governor skipped the chance to meet with them. Weston is a BAT, and this is what he saw.

2 by dianerav / 51min 

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 8-30-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Retired, But Still a Teacher, Miss the KidsIn response to a post about a teacher’s last day of teaching first grade, this retired teacher wrote the following: I read this while sitting on the ferry to Martha’s Vineyard and soon was sobbing uncontrollably. My husband returned from the deck, saw me reading on my phone and asked if so

by mike simpson / 2h 

Empathy: The Most Important Back-to-School Supply — Whole Child Education

Empathy: The Most Important Back-to-School Supply — Whole Child Education:

THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG

Empathy: The Most Important Back-to-School Supply

August 30, 2013 by Start Empathy

Post written by Homa Tavangar, author of Growing Up Global and a contributor to Ashoka's Start Empathy Initiative, a whole child partner organization. Originally published for Edutopia's back-to-school blog series.

My most important back-to-school supply doesn't fit in a backpack, and it can't be ordered online. It's as essential as a pencil, but unlike a pencil, no technology can replace it. In a sense, like a fresh box of crayons, it can come in many colors. Better than the latest gadget, it's possible to equip every student with it, and even better, when we do, it can transform our world.

It's actually a "muscle" I've been working on all summer. It's empathy.

WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL ABOUT EMPATHY?

Empathy starts with putting yourself in someone else's shoes—a key step in understanding perspectives that differ from your own. This isn't just a nice thing to do; it's an essential, active skill. It's foundational to embracing differences, building relationships, gaining a global perspective, conducting richer and deeper analysis, and communicating more effectively. This skill is about as "21st century" as it gets. And like a muscle, empathy gets stronger and stronger with practice and can be developed by any grade school child. This is the muscle that allows you to stand up for something, not just stand by.

Also like a muscle, empathy is easy to forget, particularly when operating in a crisis mode, always putting out fires. As a personal example, my daughter had a recent health scare—we discovered she was "skinny-fat." 

8-30-13 Wait What? Malloy/Pryor’s “School Turnaround Office” loses another “major player.”

Wait What?:

Need a TFA recruit? New Haven that will be $2,500… Windham you’ll have to kick in $4,000

In 2011, Teach for America brought in $306.8 million in revenue, up 14 percent from the year before. TFA brags that only 20 percent of their money goes to fundraising and administration. As of two years ago, Wendy Koop, TFA’s CEO and co-founder, pulled down $448,000 in salary and benefits.  Her co-founder, Matthew Kramer made […]The post Need a TFA recruit? New Haven that will be $2,500… Windham y

6 by jonpelto / 16min 

Malloy/Pryor’s “School Turnaround Office” loses another “major player.”

As criticism builds about Governor Malloy, Commissioner of Education Stefan Pryor and the State Department of Education’s “School Turnaround Office,” the latest word is that Gabrielle Ramos, the Broad Foundation Fellow hired by Steven Pryor to help lead the turnaround operation, is leaving the State Department of Education effective immediately. Ramos has been one of […]The post Malloy/Pryor’s “Sc

4 by jonpelto / 4min 

8-29-13 Wait What?

Wait What?: Think Bridgeport’s TFA issue is bad, try Windham’sAs reported yesterday and reprinted in today’s Washington Post, thanks to a deal between Paul Vallas and Nate Snow, the Executive Director for the Connecticut Chapter of Teach for America, Bridgeport hired another 31 TFA recruits this week.  The contract Vallas signed last spring committed the City of Bridgeport to hire 125 mostly out-o

by mike simpson / 22h 

Connected, Semi-Connected, and Unconnected Educators | My Island View

Connected, Semi-Connected, and Unconnected Educators | My Island View:

Connected, Semi-Connected, and Unconnected Educators

August 30, 2013 by tomwhitby

Social media has had an effect on almost every aspect of life in America. Like it or not, use it or not, agree with it or not, social media has changed the way we live our lives in America no matter what the generation is in which we reside. There are some aspects of our culture that are affected more. Certainly News, Entertainment, and Advertising are areas that all would agree have most dramatically been changed with the social media intrusion on our culture. The speed at which that change took place was accelerated by the quick adoption of strategies by those industries to harness the power of social media to advance their respective industries.

Now let us consider the education industry. There are still educators saying things like: We need to prepare our students for the 21^st Century.” Students graduating for the last two years began their education IN THE 21^ST CENTURY! The time for preparation has long past over a decade ago.

Social Media is a large part of the 21st Century, which is our present. Of course to understand and utilize social media to our advantage as educators, we need to call upon our knowledge of digital literacy. It is the very digital literacy that all educators will be held responsible to teach under the common core. Of course for educators to teach digital literacy and administrators to assess lessons on digital literacy, we must assume that our educators are digitally literate. The