CURMUDGUCATION: ICYMI: Post Show Edition (10/7)

CURMUDGUCATION: ICYMI: Post Show Edition (10/7)

Final performance and set strike last night, so I'm operating on too-little sleep. But that doesn't mean I didn't find you some worthwhile reads for your Sunday afternoon.

Tackling Bro Culture Is Hard

The Kavanaugh spectacle has opened up sopme discussion of dealing with bro culture in high schools. Here's a NYT take on the subject.

School Hopping Brings Chaos

A visit to Detroit shows how the proliferation of shake shady charters leads to a great deal of destructive disruption in students' educations.

The Easiest Money Bill Ackerman Has Made

The umpteenth example of how charters can be great tools for profiteers (particularly if they are also legislators who get to write the rules of the game).

It Didn't Start with Trump

The Guardian takes us back to the roots of modern teacher-bashing. Let's go back to 1983 and Ronald Reagan...

What Top-Rated Schools Have In Common- Fewer Poor Kids

The Nevada Current takes a look at high-achieving schools and discovers a strong link to wealth.

Guilty Verdict for Man Who Defrauded Newpoint Charter Schools

A look at yet another scam artist who uses the unregulated freedom of charters to make himself rich at taxpayer expense. Will you be surprised if I tell this story is from Florida?

Don't Let Richmond Dictate Charter Schools

Laura Bowman's plea to keep Virginis relatively clean of charter blight.

The  Truth About Money in Public Education Politics

Yet another look at how dark money worms its way into local education elections.

What Happens When There Are No Public Schools     

Jeff Bryant takes us to Michigan for a look at the bad outcomes of bad choice programs.

CURMUDGUCATION: ICYMI: Post Show Edition (10/7)

Jerry Brown’s mixed legacy: Is California’s departing governor a Resistance hero or a hypocrite? | Salon.com

Jerry Brown’s mixed legacy: Is California’s departing governor a Resistance hero or a hypocrite? | Salon.com
Jerry Brown’s mixed legacy: Is California’s departing governor a Resistance hero or a hypocrite?
National media celebrates Brown’s accomplishments, but for California progressives the picture’s more complicated

I f anything should be obvious in the wake of the 2016 election it’s that both major American political parties are in deep trouble, reflecting the larger trouble of a society potentially headed for state breakdown. The unacknowledged terrible record of the GOP’s “deep bench” paved the way for Donald Trump. On the Democratic side, Bernie Sanders’ promotion of popular progressive positions and his surprisingly strong 2016 showing challenged more than just Hillary Clinton, it challenged the entire direction of the party for over a generation.

In the aftermath, both parties are struggling to redefine themselves, but in very different ways. The Republicans' redefinition is being driven by Trump, while Democrats are undergoing a more varied bottom-up process.  One such perspective on what that involves can be gleaned by reflecting on the legacy of retiring California Gov. Jerry Brown — and what he’s left undone.

The view from the New York Times, "5 Takeaways From California Gov. Jerry Brown’s Last Bill Signing Session," was a bit of jumble, starting with Brown’s “lasting legacy as ‘the policy trendsetter of the country,’” and ending on the contrary note by mentioning his “a willingness to wield the veto pen,” usually against progressive measures, given Democratic dominance of the state legislature.

That contradiction — unrecognized and unreflected on by the Times — speaks volumes about Brown’s actual record and legacy, while the three other takeaways all reflect the impact of grassroots movements: Black Lives Matter for a “series of high-profile criminal justice measures,” and “[s]weeping changes to police transparency laws,” and the women-led Resistance and #MeToo movement for “[p]ushing back against gender discrimination and sexual harassment,” though vetoes and other caveats applied to those as well.

The good news for Democrats is how little Brown and his governor’s pen had to do with any of that progressive legislation, which actually spans a broad range of specific topics. His retirement won’t decapitate any of the driving forces involved. The bad news is how uneven the actual Continue reading: Jerry Brown’s mixed legacy: Is California’s departing governor a Resistance hero or a hypocrite? | Salon.com

Wick-Ed | Blue Cereal Education

Wick-Ed | Blue Cereal Education

Wick-Ed

Think of something you love.

Not a person – a topic. A hobby. A personal passion.

Now pretend that it’s very important to you to share this passion with others. In fact, you’re getting PAID to spread this interest and your expertise. This is exhilarating and terrifying, because on the one hand you’re being given the opportunity to make a career out of something you deeply care about, but on the other… this passion is part of what defines you.

It’s personal. It matters to you. You care whether or not it’s done WELL.

Still – GIDDY!

Plot Twist: Most of those with whom you’ll be sharing are here against their will and care nothing about your topic, nor do they wish to. Also, they’re supposed to be learning about six other things they don’t care about all at the same time. 

But nothing’s perfect, amiright? And besides, surely once they’re exposed to what you’re really talking about, they’ll start to love it a LITTLE – how could they not? Your interest wasn’t planned or forced – you can’t HELP but dive in. It’s naturally engaging! It’s just a matter of lighting the first few candles in the bucket, surely.

How will you begin?

Well, you should put together some sort of high-interest discussion-starter to get them talking about your passion. You labor for hours trying to find the right entrance point – something accessible, but relevant.

Something rich in possibilities, but which still clearly lays the groundwork for where Continue reading: Wick-Ed | Blue Cereal Education

The Right Wing, Anti-Gay Crusade Behind Marshall Tuck’s Campaign to Take Over California Schools - LA Progressive

The Right Wing, Anti-Gay Crusade Behind Marshall Tuck’s Campaign to Take Over California Schools - LA Progressive

The Right Wing, Anti-Gay Crusade Behind Marshall Tuck’s Campaign to Take Over California Schools

The privatizers’ ideal candidate for California State Superintendent, Marshall Tuck, recently suffered a serious blow to his credibility when he announced he was returning a contribution from a mysterious anti-gay zealot but keeping over $61,000 from a PAC. The situation revealed a campaign scrambling to maintain a narrative that appeals to California’s mostly progressive voters when the reality is much darker.

The race for this officially nonpartisan office pits two Democrats who are miles apart on education policy, underscoring how divisive the charter lobby’s influence is becoming for California’s governing party.

Tuck’s opponent Tony Thurmond is a social worker, former school board member, and current State Assemblymember. He has been endorsed by Senator Kamala Harris; U.S. Congressional Representatives Barbara Lee, Eric Swalwell, and Karen Bass; and the teachers’ union.

Tuck, on the other hand, has the same pro-privatizing platform that voters rejected when he was defeated for the position four years ago, and it’s the same education platform of Republican presidential candidates Jeb Bush and John Kasich, and Vice President Mike Pence: To deregulate public education, to outsource school services, to make it harder for teachers to gain tenure, and to expand the market of “school choice.”

Tuck’s bid to take over California public schools is being bankrolled by familiar names in the anti-public education Billionaire Boys Club, as former Deputy U.S. Secretary of Education, Diane Ravitch, calls them. Looked at through another lens, their support can be politically inconvenient: Doris Fisher (whose Gap retail company has faced numerous child labor scandals), Eli Broad (former top investor at AIG, and whose non-accredited Broad Academy trains privatizing “education leaders”), Alice Walton (heir to the anti-labor Walmart fortune), Reed Hastings (Silicon Valley billionaire who has tried for years to take away the right of local voters to elect their own school boards, and who  Continue reading: The Right Wing, Anti-Gay Crusade Behind Marshall Tuck’s Campaign to Take Over California Schools - LA Progressive

Yong Zhao: Problems with Evidence-based Education: Side Effects in Education Education in the Age of Globalization

Education in the Age of Globalization » Blog Archive » Problems with Evidence-based Education: Side Effects in Education
Problems with Evidence-based Education: Side Effects in Education

The following is the Introduction of my book What Works Can Hurt: Side Effects in Education published by Teachers College Press in June 2018.

Introduction

“Ibuprofen may cause a severe allergic reaction,” you are warned when you buy a bottle of Advil, and “this product may cause stomach bleeding.” Medical products are required to disclose clearly their intended effects and known side effects. The intended effect of the common pain reliever Ibuprofen, for example, is to temporarily relieve “minor aches and pains.” The drug’s known side effects include allergic reaction and stomach bleeding. Hence Ibuprofen products must carry a warning label of their potential adverse effects.

But it is unlikely that anyone has received such warning about educational products.

“This program helps improve your students’ reading scores, but it may make them hate reading forever.” No such information is given to teachers or school leaders.

“This practice can help your child become a better student, but it may make her less creative.” No parent has been given information about effects and side effects of instructional practices in schools.

“School choice may improve test scores of some students, but it can lead to the collapse of American public education.” The public has not received information about the side effects of sweeping education policies.

It is also rare to find published research studies in education that report the potential adverse effects of an intervention. Educational research typically has focused exclusively on collecting evidence to prove or disprove the benefits or intended effects of products, programs, policies, and practices. The recent movement toward evidence-based educational practices and policies is only about gathering and verifying evidence for effects. It shows no concern for negative side effects.

Does this mean that educational products are immune to adverse side effects? Does it mean that all educational products have no negative impact on students?

***

The old Chinese saying “drink poison to quench thirst” was my first thought when the No Child Left Behind Act was enacted (No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, 2002). The law had bipartisan support and was widely viewed as the right solution to some of the most persistent problems in American education: low achievement in reading and math and the growing achievement gap. The only loud protest at the time was that it was an unfunded federal mandate, meaning that if there were more money to support its implementation, the solution prescribed in the law would really lead to transformative changes in American education.

As readers will see in Chapter 1, the main ingredients in the NCLB solution were testing and accountability, a focus on reading and math, and scientifically proven effective instructional materials and strategies. Having grown up in China, I had personal experience with testing and accountability. I knew how high-stakes testing corrupts education, turning it into test preparation. I knew how a test-driven education causes damage to the physical and psychological well-being of students, parents, and teachers. I knew that a test-driven education does not result in citizens who can defend a democracy, nor does it produce the creative and innovative individuals needed in the modern economy. I knew that it does not reduce inequity, either, Continue reading: Education in the Age of Globalization » Blog Archive » Problems with Evidence-based Education: Side Effects in Education

CURMUDGUCATION: DeVos Secret Vist To View Koch Program

CURMUDGUCATION: DeVos Secret Vist To View Koch Program

DeVos Secret Vist To View Koch Program

Betsy DeVos visited Wichita last Monday, but it was a very quiet visit. Her online schedule shows Monday an unscheduled day, and neither the Department of Education nor the group she visited issued any news release. It was a local source-- Suzanne Perez Tobias at the Wichita Eagle-- that picked up the story.

So what did DeVos travel to Wichita to see? She traveled to Koch Industries to meet a teacher and some students from the Youth Entrepreneurs, a group founded by Charles Koch and his wife Liz in 1991. It started out as an eight week course at a Wichita high school "designed to improve the professional potential of at risk students." That's not a shocker-- the Koch brothers have been pretty clear about preferring business solutions to educational problems, as well as their desire to have schools crank out useful meat widgets for the business leaders of America. According to their annual report, the program was in 126 schools with 182 teachers working with 3,487 students.

Their foundational values are unsurprising for a Koch venture. Responsibility-- "take responsibility for your own life." Be principled-- act with respect, integrity and toleration. Knowledge-- seek and use the best knowledge. None of that low-quality knowledge. Freedom-- "respect the rightgs of others and study the links between freedom, entrepreneurship, and societal well-being." Passion-- Find fulfillment by improving lives of others. That may not sound very Kochian, but the next one does. Opportunity-- "You make your own opportunities." Sound judgment-- by which we mean using "economic thinking to create the greatest benefit while using the least resources."(Yes, that's incorrect usage.) Win-win focus-- cooperation creates value for yourself and others. It's an interesting list, a portrayal of the conflicted shore where Christian do-unto-otheriness crashes in to Ayn Randian "take care of yourself and let everyone else rot," a neighborhood where the DeVos and Koch families have long lived. I'm glad this course is only an elective.

The program notes its differences from the Junior Achievement program. YE is a yearlong elective Continue reading: CURMUDGUCATION: DeVos Secret Vist To View Koch Program

Top Posts This Week 10/6/18

Top Posts This Week 10/6/18

• 

  Class Size Really Really Matters: Police Investigate After Video Of Students Engaged In Sex In New Britain High Classroom Circulates On Social Media - Hartford Courant
• 

  CURMUDGUCATION: The Opportunity Myth Myth
• 

  The Reading Wars? Who’s Talking About Reading and Class Size?
• 

  Hundreds of US teacher candidates shake up midterm elections
• 

  Rick Scott can run, but he can't hide from record - enrique baloyra
• 

  Peter Greene: The Promises Charter Schools Don't Make
• 

  The American Dream Is Harder To Find In Some Neighborhoods : NPR
• 

  Google’s School & Student Data Collection | National Review
• 

  A Texas Sized Destroy Public Education IDEA | tultican
• 

  How is today's political culture affecting the way women are treated at home and school? #MeTooK12 #MeToo #TimesUp #Kavanaugh #KavanaughVote

Posts This Week 10/6/18

TODAY

Lift Us Up: Meet the Activists on the Front Lines of the Battle for Educational Justice in America | Schott Foundation for Public Education

by mike simpson / 35min

Lift Us Up: Meet the Activists on the Front Lines of the Battle for Educational Justice in America | Schott Foundation for Public Education Lift Us Up: Meet the Activists on the Front Lines of the Battle for Educational Justice in America Democracy Now! recently looked at the criminalization of Black and brown students that has led to what is known as the school-to-prison pipeline. They spoke wit

Ballot measures that can make or break public education this November - Education Votes

by mike simpson / 41min

Ballot measures that can make or break public education this November - Education Votes Ballot measures that can make or break public education this November As voters head to the polls on Nov. 6, educators in Florida are going to be particularly eager to bring the Rick Scott era to a close. As governor, Scott kept the state’s education funding to crippling lows and never came across a school pri

Fraud can scuttle nonprofits, but the bigger and older ones fare better | Salon.com

by mike simpson / 1h

Fraud can scuttle nonprofits, but the bigger and older ones fare better | Salon.com Fraud can scuttle nonprofits, but the bigger and older ones fare better Fraud has organizational consequences and can doom an NPO A fter a director of the Fairmont-Marion County Food Pantry embezzled more than US$50,000 , it had to close for two months in 2009 — leaving 1,200 West Virginians who depended on it in

Editorial Advocates Destroy Public Education Operative to Lead California’s Schools | tultican

by mike simpson / 2h

Editorial Advocates Destroy Public Education Operative to Lead California’s Schools | tultican Editorial Advocates Destroy Public Education Operative to Lead California’s Schools A recent editorial in the San Diego Union called for electing a former banker and charter school chief as Secretary of Public Instruction (SPI). Following a familiar destroy public education (DPE) script; the editor crea

Betsy DeVos Visits 2 New Orleans Charters Preferred by NOLA’s White Population | deutsch29

by mike simpson / 2h

Betsy DeVos Visits 2 New Orleans Charters Preferred by NOLA’s White Population | deutsch29 Betsy DeVos Visits 2 New Orleans Charters Preferred by NOLA’s White Population When it comes to almost-all-charter New Orleans, if a school has a notable white population, it also tends to have a higher school grade. I wrote about this reality in this July 22, 2018, post , in which I include the following c

YESTERDAY

How is today's political culture affecting the way women are treated at home and school? #MeTooK12 #MeToo #TimesUp #Kavanaugh #KavanaughVote

by mike simpson / 21h

Session with Joel Levin - Quora How is today's political culture affecting the way women are treated at home and school? #MeTooK12 @ ssaisorg stopsexualassaultinschools.org A place to share knowledge and better understand the world. How is today's political culture affecting the way women are treated at home and school? Joel Levin , Co-founder/Program Director, Stop Sexual Assault in Schools Answ

Teacher Strike Wave: By the Numbers | Labor Notes

by mike simpson / 23h

Teacher Strike Wave: By the Numbers | Labor Notes Teacher Strike Wave: By the Numbers Five percent of all U.S. workers in K-12 public education walked out on strike this spring. It’s by far the biggest spike in teacher strikes in a quarter-century. The strike wave this spring was by far the biggest spike in teacher strikes in a quarter-century. The strikers included educators from North Carolina

The truth about money in public education politics

by mike simpson / 1d

Opinion: The truth about money in public education politics The truth about money in public education politics Thurmond will fight back against the billionaires and their pro-charter school industry agenda There is a little watched election that is projected to be the most expensive race in California this fall. More money will be spent on the race for California State Superintendent of Public In

It didn't start with Trump: how America came to undervalue teachers | Education | The Guardian

by mike simpson / 1d

It didn't start with Trump: how America came to undervalue teachers | Education | The Guardian It didn't start with Trump: how America came to undervalue teachers The 1983 report, A Nation at Risk, spoke of a school system in ‘the grip of a crisis’ – kicking off cycles of shortcomings for American schools ‘ My classroom has asbestos and bats’” a message from Betsy DeVos t 4.20pm on 26 April 1983,

What to Do to Support Students Who Are Chronically Absent from School? | janresseger

by mike simpson / 1d

What to Do to Support Students Who Are Chronically Absent from School? | janresseger What to Do to Support Students Who Are Chronically Absent from School? Two new reports—from the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) and from Attendance Works —explore chronic student absenteeism and its consequences for student achievement and graduation. Under the Every Student Succeeds Act, states must begin report

Mike Klonsky's Blog: Why do so many rapes go unreported? The backlash of white male power.

by mike simpson / 1d

Mike Klonsky's Blog: Why do so many rapes go unreported? The backlash of white male power. Why do so many rapes go unreported? The backlash of white male power. Standing on the White House lawn, President Trump was talking about the Kavanaugh confirmation fight when he said, quote , "it's a very scary time for young men in America." On my way to my Urban School Policy class at Loyola yesterday, I

(Special) Education in Puerto Rico: “Here, All of the Parents are Desperate.” | deutsch29

by mike simpson / 1d

(Special) Education in Puerto Rico: “Here, All of the Parents are Desperate.” | deutsch29 (Special) Education in Puerto Rico: “Here, All of the Parents are Desperate.” In an age in which news is “new” for only a moment, it is easy for the unaffected to quickly move past profound issues that deserve attention on behalf of the neediest individuals in our nation– not just in the contiguous US– not j

OCT 04

Betsy DeVos doesn't know what she doesn't know about education | Eclectablog

by mike simpson / 2d

Betsy DeVos doesn't know what she doesn't know about education | Eclectablog Betsy DeVos doesn’t know what she doesn’t know about education “Parents, by their very nature, should decide what, when, where and how their children learn,” DeVos said . Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos is at it again. Currently on her second “Rethink Schools” tour , “DeVos will swing by four states: Georgia, Alabama,

Teachers Union Accuses Supe Of Cozying Up With Charter Groups | Studio City, CA Patch

by mike simpson / 2d

Teachers Union Accuses Supe Of Cozying Up With Charter Groups | Studio City, CA Patch Teachers Union Accuses Supe Of Cozying Up With Charter Groups The LA teachers union released reports claiming the new superintendent spent more time at lavish meals with charter backers than at schools. LOS ANGELES, CA — As state mediation efforts continued Wednesday in hopes of resolving a labor-talk stalemate

Education -- and Betsy DeVos -- are issues in key political races this November - The Washington Post

by mike simpson / 2d

Education -- and Betsy DeVos -- are issues in key political races this November - The Washington Post Education -- and Betsy DeVos -- are issues in key political races this November In Wisconsin, Republican Gov. Scott Walker, in office since 2011, is facing a stiff challenge from Democrat Tony Evers, the state’s superintendent of schools — and education is a key issue. Evers said at a state Democ

Office of Inspector General Again Condemns U.S. Department of Education’s Oversight of Federal Charter School Dollars | janresseger

by mike simpson / 2d

Office of Inspector General Again Condemns U.S. Department of Education’s Oversight of Federal Charter School Dollars | janresseger Office of Inspector General Again Condemns U.S. Department of Education’s Oversight of Federal Charter School Dollars For many good reasons, we are prone to blame Betsy DeVos, our current U.S. Secretary of Education, for weakening regulations in the Department of Edu

Advocates Tell FTC: Facebook is violating children’s privacy law | Parent Coalition for Student Privacy

by mike simpson / 2d

Advocates Tell FTC: Facebook is violating children’s privacy law Complaint says controversial Messenger Kids app doesn’t comply with COPPA | Parent Coalition for Student Privacy ADVOCATES TELL FTC: FACEBOOK IS VIOLATING CHILDREN’S PRIVACY LAW COMPLAINT SAYS CONTROVERSIAL MESSENGER KIDS APP DOESN’T COMPLY WITH COPPA Parent Coalition for Student Privacy signed onto this complaint to the FCC about F

OCT 03

Is the Co-Location of Charters inside Neighborhood Schools a Problem? | Cloaking Inequity

by mike simpson / 2d

Is the Co-Location of Charters inside Neighborhood Schools a Problem? | Cloaking Inequity IS THE CO-LOCATION OF CHARTERS INSIDE NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS A PROBLEM? This past summer I had opportunity to visit the Hawkins community schools in Los Angeles . What I haven’t talked about publicly is that I also was also invited to visit Magnolia Science Academy 3 (MSA3) which is co-located at Curtiss Middl

Teachers at 8 of 10 schools Tuck oversaw rejected his leadership - SFChronicle.com

by mike simpson / 2d

Teachers at 8 of 10 schools Tuck oversaw rejected his leadership - SFChronicle.com Teachers at 8 of 10 schools Tuck oversaw rejected his leadership When choosing between Marshall Tuck and Tony Thurmond for California’s next schools chief, it’s worth remembering, “when the character of a man is not clear to you, look at his friends.” Someone whose supporters are Donald Trump advisers is no friend

Florida voucher schools fail, stiff teachers — and get more money to try again - Orlando Sentinel

by mike simpson / 2d

Florida voucher schools fail, stiff teachers — and get more money to try again - Orlando Sentinel Florida voucher schools fail, stiff teachers — and get more money to try again Watch the Video Two years ago, the Beta Preparatory school in Orlando was being run — with your tax dollars — inside a commercial complex on South Orange Blossom Trail, alongside eight bail-bonds businesses and a drug-test

The Easiest Money Bill Ackman Has Made Lately Is In A Bunch Of Charter Schools

by mike simpson / 3d

The Easiest Money Bill Ackman Has Made Lately Is In A Bunch Of Charter Schools The Easiest Money Bill Ackman Has Made Lately Is In A Bunch Of Charter Schools It turns out that Bill Ackman is making good money in the most unexpected of places: financing charter schools for low-income kids. Since 2011, the billionaire hedge fund manager has invested $20 million of his own money in the Turner-Agassi

A One Issue State Election? | The Range: The Tucson Weekly's Daily Dispatch

by mike simpson / 3d

A One Issue State Election? | The Range: The Tucson Weekly's Daily Dispatch A One Issue State Election? This is the year to vote education. It's been the number one issue in the state for years. It's on everyone's minds and most candidates' lips. The decision voters make, whether to continue with the Republican-majority status quo or shift more power to Democrats, will be a major factor in decidi

Hundreds of US teacher candidates shake up midterm elections

by mike simpson / 3d

Hundreds of US teacher candidates shake up midterm elections Hundreds of US teacher candidates shake up midterm elections Last September, school speech therapist Kathy Hoffman was settling into the new academic year, working with youngsters in her small classroom behind a playground at Sahuaro Ranch Elementary School in a blue-collar neighborhood outside Phoenix. This year, the political novice i

CURMUDGUCATION: The Opportunity Myth Myth

by mike simpson / 3d

CURMUDGUCATION: The Opportunity Myth Myth The Opportunity Myth Myth When it comes to slick, pretty education "research," the folks at TNTP know their stuff. Reformsters have been milking the slick-but-hollow "Widget Effect" for years, and now TNTP has whipped up another sure-to-be-referenced-way-too-much "report" entitled " The Opportunity Myth. " Who are these folks? TNTP used to stand for The N

Congratulations to re-elected PAA Board members! | Parents Across America

by mike simpson / 3d

Congratulations to re-elected PAA Board members! | Parents Across America Congratulations to re-elected PAA Board members! We are especially happy to have four of our strong, accomplished, dedicated board of directors members back for another term on the PAA Board of Directors! Dora Taylor, Nathan Harris, Steven Norton, and Deb Mayer were recently re-elected to serve two-year terms on our seven m

OCT 02

Peter Greene: The Promises Charter Schools Don't Make

by mike simpson / 3d

The Promises Charter Schools Don't Make The Promises Charter Schools Don't Make Because the term "charter schools" often comes with the word "public" attached, parents can be surprised by some of the ways in which charters do not operate like actual public schools. Here are just a few factors that emptors should caveat when considering a charter school. A Stable School Just this week, word that t

Why Electing Tony Thurmond as Superintendent of Public Instruction Is the Most Important Race in California

by mike simpson / 3d

Why Electing Tony Thurmond as Superintendent of Public Instruction Is the Most Important Race in California Why Electing Tony Thurmond as Superintendent of Public Instruction Is the Most Important Race in California Last week in my column on Andrea Gabor’s After the Education Wars: How Smart Schools Upend the Business of Reform , I outlined how her superb study thoroughly exposes the fact that ov

New AQE Report Shows NY's Record of Underfunding Schools in Black & Latino Communities | Schott Foundation for Public Education

by mike simpson / 4d

New AQE Report Shows NY's Record of Underfunding Schools in Black & Latino Communities | Schott Foundation for Public Education New AQE Report Shows NY's Record of Underfunding Schools in Black & Latino Communities A new report released by the Alliance for Quality Education (AQE) reveals that the inexcusable underfunding of New York's public schools hits districts with Black and Latinx students t

The Reading Wars? Who’s Talking About Reading and Class Size?

by mike simpson / 4d

The Reading Wars? Who’s Talking About Reading and Class Size? The Reading Wars? Who’s Talking About Reading and Class Size? …extensive research in the reading difficulties of children show that large classes are the basic cause of failure in reading as well as in other subjects. ~Professor Arthur I. Gates, nationally known authority in the field of reading instruction. Elementary School Journal;

Ed. Dept. Needs to Do a Better Job of Probing Charter Closures, Report Finds - Politics K-12 - Education Week

by mike simpson / 4d

Ed. Dept. Needs to Do a Better Job of Probing Charter Closures, Report Finds - Politics K-12 - Education Week Ed. Dept. Needs to Do a Better Job of Probing Charter Closures, Report Finds The U.S. Department of Education hasn't done a great job of keeping tabs on states that have closed charter schools, according to a report released Monday by the agency's Office of the Inspector General. The OIG—

Growing Number of Undocumented Adolescents Warehoused in Tents, Denied an Education | janresseger

by mike simpson / 4d

Growing Number of Undocumented Adolescents Warehoused in Tents, Denied an Education | janresseger Growing Number of Undocumented Adolescents Warehoused in Tents, Denied an Education Do you remember the thousands of migrant children detained at the border? It is easy to get distracted these days by crisis after crisis in the federal government and forget about important issues. When I found myself

OCT 01

HOW SCHOOLS WORK | Bill Ayers

by mike simpson / 4d

HOW SCHOOLS WORK | Bill Ayers HOW SCHOOLS WORK If you pick up Arne Duncan’s How Schools Work hoping to learn something about, well, unsurprisingly I suppose, about “how schools work,” you’ll be sorely disappointed. There’s no policy prescription here, no substantive analysis whatsoever, and no actual accounts or examples of how schools work. Instead we’re treated to random stories that circulate

Rick Scott can run, but he can't hide from record

by mike simpson / 4d

Rick Scott can run, but he can't hide from record - YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFuHbZkwp4M

A Majority of Teens Have Experienced Some Form of Cyberbullying | Pew Research Center

by mike simpson / 5d

A Majority of Teens Have Experienced Some Form of Cyberbullying | Pew Research Center A Majority of Teens Have Experienced Some Form of Cyberbullying 59% of U.S. teens have been bullied or harassed online, and a similar share says it's a major problem for people their age. At the same time, teens mostly think teachers, social media companies and politicians are failing at addressing this issue. N

Class Size Really Really Matters: Police Investigate After Video Of Students Engaged In Sex In New Britain High Classroom Circulates On Social Media - Hartford Courant

by mike simpson / 5d

Police Investigate After Video Of Students Engaged In Sex In New Britain High Classroom Circulates On Social Media - Hartford Courant Police Investigate After Video Of Students Engaged In Sex In New Britain High Classroom Circulates On Social Media N ew Britain police are investigating after video of two students purportedly having sex in a crowded New Britain High School classroom circulated Thu

Tony Thurmond for California State Superintendent of Public Instruction - NPE Action

by mike simpson / 5d

Tony Thurmond for California State Superintendent of Public Instruction - NPE Action Tony Thurmond for California State Superintendent of Public Instruction The Network for Public Education Action proudly endorsed East Bay Assemblyman, Tony Thurmond, for California State Superintendent of Public Instruction. We are writing today to remind you just how important your support for Tony Thurmond is.

A False Crisis Set Education Reform Adrift for 35 Years + We Set Our Course On The Wrong Destination - The Crucial Voice of the People

by mike simpson / 5d

A False Crisis Set Education Reform Adrift for 35 Years - The Crucial Voice of the PeopleThe Crucial Voice of the People A False Crisis Set Education Reform Adrift for 35 Years The false crisis created by politicians pushing a political agenda focused the nation’s attention on the wrong reforms. The political debate that followed the release of A Nation at Risk kept the public from hearing the po

The American Dream Is Harder To Find In Some Neighborhoods : NPR

by mike simpson / 5d

The American Dream Is Harder To Find In Some Neighborhoods : NPR The American Dream Is Harder To Find In Some Neighborhoods Does the neighborhood you grow up in determine how far you move up the economic ladder? A new online data tool being made public Monday finds a strong correlation between where people are raised and their chances of achieving the American dream. Harvard University economist

SEP 30

Detroit Charter School Votes to Close, Gives Students and Parents Two Days Notice | deutsch29

by mike simpson / 6d

Detroit Charter School Votes to Close, Gives Students and Parents Two Days Notice | deutsch29 Detroit Charter School Votes to Close, Gives Students and Parents Two Days Notice Rather than assess its situation and make the decision to close during the summer break, the board of Detroit Delta Preparatory Academy for Social Justice decided to leave its faculty and students in a profound fix by votin

SEP 29

Audit finds steep salaries, misuse of funds at Clayton Valley charter school

by mike simpson / 6d

Clayton Valley charter school audit released by county Audit finds steep salaries, misuse of funds at Clayton Valley charter school CLAYTON — The married top leaders of Clayton Valley Charter High School raked in almost $850,000 in less than two years before leaving the school last spring, a county investigation found. The probe also revealed that the couple misused school funds, hired people in

Top Posts This Week 9/29/18

by mike simpson / 7d

Top Posts This Week 9/29/18 Thirteen Things I learned While Blogging for Education Week - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher No Thank You to Naviance – Seattle Education Poverty vs Test Scores: Ranking all Ohio