Thursday, April 1, 2010

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NY Education Department wasting money on office furniture

ALBANY -- Welcome to the opulent state Education Department -- where fully outfitted workspaces sit unused, and there's so much furniture on hand that the agency gives away perfectly good "surplus" to employees. As The Post revealed...

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The Broad Foundation Announces 2010 Finalists for $2 Million Broad Prize; Five Urban School Districts Honored for Significant Student Gains

LOS ANGELES – The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation announced today the five school districts that are finalists for the 2010 Broad Prize for Urban Education, an annual $2 million award that honors urban school districts making the greatest progress in America in raising student achievement. ...

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DCF kids can't be jailed for their own `best interest,' court says

A Miami appeals court has ruled that children in state care who also are facing delinquency charges cannot be jailed simply for their own `best interest.' ...

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Texas district streams video wirelessly on demand »

A Texas school system has set up a wireless network infrastructure that is capable of streaming high-quality video to students’ mobile devices—enabling true anytime, anywhere learning to occur with the help of visual media.... ...

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Teacher Surveys Aimed at Swaying Policymakers

Amid more polls on teachers' views, the Obama administration wants districts and states to do their own on schools' working conditions. ...

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East Bay school districts are on state's "watch list" for insolvency

Six districts flagged for upside down budgets in January have made drastic cuts to file 'positive' reports in March, while two others have slipped. ...

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Teaching disabled kids to stay in the game

The basketball players settle into drills with the precision and fluidity of a vintage squad - despite the fact that many of them cannot move their bodies from the waist down. ...

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Inlet bridge a lesson in physics

High school physics teacher Lynn Price taught her students about force and tension and gravity and the theories came to life Wednesday when the physics classes from St. Thomas More Academy near Dover took an in-depth tour of the Indian River Inlet Bridge construction project. ...

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Principal making quick exit at struggling Lee High

The newly appointed principal of Lee High School, one of Houston ISD's most academically troubled campuses, is resigning to work for KIPP charter schools...

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Consultant: Guess sparked TAKS probe

Martha Hammett says a practice essay question she created — a topic that ended up being on the actual TAKS — is to blame for an investigation into possible cheating at an HISD elementary. ...

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Jay Mathews: Are you part of a great teacher's student family?

We know great teachers can be dynamos in the classroom. They turn lessons into conversations. They know each student’s strengths and weaknesses....

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Mississippi A.C.L.U. Rejects $20,000 for Alternate Prom

The gift came from the American Humanist Association, an advocacy group whose mission is to promote “good without God.” ...

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Palo Alto High prize-winner hooked on the 'elegance' of mathematics

Ye's passion for the "elegance" of mathematics -- discovered in childhood and nurtured by her grandmother, her parents and various Palo Alto teachers -- has earned her top rankings this year in two of the nation's most rigorous academic competitions...

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What the Race to Top Judges' Scores Tell Us

Behind the overall scores for the Race to the Top applicants is a complicated 500-point grading scale that weighs each state's plan according to more than a dozen different categories. The peer reviewers' scores and comments shed more light on the method behind the Race to the Top scoring madness....

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S.D. district won’t cut back on ‘minimum days’

San Diego schools will not cut back on “minimum days” to make up for the lost instruction time that will come with five furlough days during each of the next two years. ...

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'Math wars' over national standards may erupt again in California

3.31.10 - Hold on to your graphing calculators: The passionate, contentious debate over how California students should learn math is ready to erupt again...

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City Controller questions payments to charter-school accountant

An accountant was paid $700,561 over four years by three city charter schools and claimed to have worked more than 365 days in each year, City Controller Alan Butkovitz disclosed yesterday. ...

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This $550 exec seat cost kids millions in NY

The state failed to get a penny in education funds doled out by Washington this week after clueless bureaucrats were dopey enough to admit to the feds they would have blown more than $200,000 on expensive furniture for their offices. ...

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Durham parents oppose cutbacks for schools

Parents, teachers, principals and students asked, pled or almost demanded Tuesday night that Durham County commissioners cut no funding for Durham Public Schools next year. ...

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Teachers' union withholds support for furloughs proposal

Three of four Clark County School District employee unions have offered to take unpaid furloughs to prevent mass layoffs, but the teachers union, the largest bargaining group, is withholding its support for the proposal.... ...

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Rise & Shine: State would have bought furniture with RttT spoils | GothamSchools

Rise & Shine: State would have bought furniture with RttT spoils

by Philissa Cramer

1 person liked this

RACE TO THE TOP RECAP:

New York was second to last in Race to the Top’s first round. (GothamSchools, Times, Daily News, Post)
Governor Paterson says the state will apply for funds again in the second round of competition. (NY1)
To boost its chances, New York City is considering applying on its own in the second round. (Daily News)
The state’s Race to the Top application included plans to spend $200,000 on office furniture. (Post)
Lavish spending on desks and chairs appears to be regular at the State Education Department. (Post)
Tennessee and Delaware were the only two states to win funds in the first round. (Wall Street Journal)
Education officials in those states say teamwork was key to preparing a successful bid. (Daily News)
Thomas Carroll says the contest’s outcome shows that NY has to lift its cap on charter schools. (Post)
The Times urges major changes before the competition’s June 1 second-round deadline.
The Post paints the outcome as a triumph of the teachers union over the state’s welfare.

IN OTHER NEWS:

The city is placing students in the schools that were originally set to close. (GothamSchools, Daily News)
Those students’ school placements now depend on the city’s appeal of the closure ruling. (Daily News)
The closure decision could exacerbate the space crunch at several city school buildings. (Times)
A rally at Harlem’s PS 123 targeted Eva Moskowitz relationship with Chancellor Klein. (Daily News)
Errol Louis writes that anti-Moskowitz sentiment is “much ado about nothing.” (Daily News)
For the second time, Gov. Paterson is delaying payments to school districts. (Times, Post, Daily News)
The city’s program to pay its poor for good behavior has yielded mixed results and will end. (AP, Times)
To boost the city’s census response rate, some schools are structuring lessons about the survey. (NY1)
A provision in the state’s new pension law will allow teachers to retire earlier with no penalty. (Post)
The state’s schools hired more teachers in recent years, even as enrollment dropped. (AP)
The Times says the city should institute bridge tolls to pay for student MetroCards.
Diane Ravitch says Ed Sec Arne Duncan is right that standards in the state are too low. (Daily News)
The private school started by the Blue Man Group is struggling to stick to its progressive roots. (Times)
A national watchdog group says New York’s anti-bullying efforts are lacking. (Daily News)
Jaime Escalante, the East L.A. math teacher shown in the movie “Stand and Deliver,” has died. (Times)
A new book argues that only top students should take Advanced Placement classes. (Inside Higher Ed)

NO JOKE:

The Post says schools get too much funding and ought to be “put on a starvation diet.”
An Upper East Side man collects relics from the East New York school he attended in the 1950s. (Times)
The teachers found canoodling in their classroom are being charged with a crime. (Daily News, Post)
A nightclub hosted by a Philadelphia charter school to make extra cash will shut down. (Times, AP)

Notes from the news, Apr. 1 | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

Notes from the news, Apr. 1

by Erika Owens

Nightclub gone, Harambee students to return Monday The Inquirer
The school responded to the District's request to close the nightclub so it will be allowed to remain open.
See also: NEW CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDAL: NOT SURPRISING? Daily News (opinion)
School District Expels Nightclub from Phila. Charter School KYW
Damani/Harambee School, 1 Through 5" rel="bookmark" href="http://www.philebrity.com/2010/03/31/lessons-learned-from-club-damaniharambee-school-1-through-5/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(34, 68, 187); ">Lessons Learned From Club Damani/Harambee School, 1 Through 5 Philebrity
Renaissance School reviews now online The Notebook blog
The school reviews were meant to add a qualitative measure to the selection process. But some schools got positive reviews and are still undergoing turnaround.
See also: Some teachers fear coming school "Renaissance" WHYY
A dispute over keeping schools open on election day The Inquirer
City commissioners say it may be unsafe for students to make up a snow day on election day.
at all" href="http://www.thenotebook.org/blog/102369/more-violence-and-failure-south-philadelphia-high-school-what-hasnt-changed-all" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(34, 68, 187); ">More violence and failure at S. Philly High: What hasn't changed at all The Notebook blog
In the four months since the violence on Dec. 3 we find that not much has changed.
Charter school manager is jury target Daily News
Germantown Settlement subsidiary going bankrupt The Inquirer
CalendarFly to offer free community calendar integration for Philadelphia Charter Schools Technically Philly
School choice PAC gave Williams $250K PA2010.com
Please email us if we missed anything today or if you have any suggestions of publications, email lists, or other places for us to check for news.
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It’s Been One Year Since I Joined Twitter | Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day...

It’s Been One Year Since I Joined Twitter

by Larry Ferlazzo

I joined Twitter — reluctantly — one year ago this month, and it was a great move. I’ve been able to connect with so many more teachers, get answers to many questions, and use it as sort of my own version of a Delicious-like bookmarking service.
I highlight my choices for best “tweets” each month on this blog, and you can see them here.
If you’re already on Twitter, you can “follow” me here.
If you’re not on Twitter, but would still like to get my “tweets,” you can subscribe to my Twitter RSS feed here.
You might be also be interested in a couple

Papunet Word Exercises

by Larry Ferlazzo

Papunet Word Exercises are simple games ideal for Beginning English Language Learners. You’re shown an animated picture, along with various questions you have to answer by clicking on something in the picture (”click on the figure flying the kite”)
I’ve placed the link on my website under Reading.

Broad Goes South For "Best" Districts In US This Week In Education

This Week In Education

Broad Goes South For "Best" Districts In US

by Alexander Russo

This year's Broad Finalists: Charlotte-Mecklenburg, Gwinnett County, Montgomery County, Socorro ISD, Ysleta ISD.

News: Stakeholders Fight Over RTTT Failures

by Alexander Russo

Unions attacked over school funding Denver Daily: “We are not willing to take the fall for this,” said Fallin... Not all Republicans hate Race to the TopHouston Chronicle: Former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist offered some effusive praise today for President Obama's so-called Race to the Top initiative...Minnesota districts cutting ties to charter schools Star Tribune: The new law requires authorizers to submit to a longer certification process and to keep much closer tabs on charter schools... Education" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(34, 68, 187); ">Last Call for Nightclub in a School AP: District officials had demanded an end to the school’s arrangement with Club Damani, which had been operating on the premises during off-hours despite an expired liquor license...Few movies about teachers earn an 'A' Greg Toppo AP: Educational experts agree that 'Stand and Deliver' might be the best of the bunch. Beyond that, it's a fairly weak field...RI school district finds deficit after mistake AP: The East Providence school district will have a deficit for the last fiscal year because it failed to track up to 20 out-of-district special education students...

Cartoon: The 33 Types Of Students

by Alexander Russo

An oldie but a goodie from Life In Hell (precursor to The Simpsons).

Sacramento-area districts deal with problem math books - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Sacramento-area districts deal with problem math books

Published: Thursday, Apr. 1, 2010 - 12:00 am | Page 1ABy Diana Lambert
dlambert@sacbee.com

Five times three equals five.

Second-graders at 79 Sacramento-area schools can find that equation in their new math books.

Other students using the math series are being asked to count the flies in the playground – only there's no picture of a playground on the page.

These are just a few of the errors in the Macmillan/McGraw-Hill math series that two area school districts – Sacramento City Unified and Folsom Cordova – started using this year in kindergarten through sixth-grade classrooms.

Among the others: lesson plans that don't connect to homework assignments; tests that don't match textbook lessons; student texts that don't parallel teachers' books; and mistakes in the answer keys.

"Teachers begin to question themselves," said Folsom Cordova teacher David Chun. "It develops a student mistrust in the program."

It's not unusual to find occasional mistakes in textbooks, according to educators. But the errors popping up in the Macmillan/McGraw-Hill series are unusually pervasive: In Folsom Cordova – where some teachers have students looking for the bloopers as a learning exercise – the fourth

I Have Returned | Intercepts

I Have Returned

It will take some time to get caught up, but in the meantime enjoy this video of staffers from NEA New Hampshire and various other Northeast and Eastern Seaboard NEA state affiliates picketing NEANH’s Delegate Assembly last Friday. Staff and union management have a large number of ongoing grievance disputes and are in the midst of a contentious contract negotiation. NEANH is also looking for a new executive director.

City Controller questions payments to charter-school accountant | Philadelphia Inquirer | 03/31/2010

City Controller questions payments to charter-school accountant

By Martha Woodall

Inquirer Staff Writer

An accountant was paid $700,561 over four years by three city charter schools and claimed to have worked more than 365 days in each year, City Controller Alan Butkovitz disclosed yesterday.
In addition, the accountant, Rhonda Sharif, collected $101,587 in 2008 for "unspecified" credit-card expenses from one of the schools, and authorized paying thousands of dollars for conferences and staff retreats but could provide no documentation for the expenses, Butkovitz said.
"These findings raise very troubling questions and serious concerns about oversight and financial accountability," Butkovitz said.
Charters, he said, operate under fewer rules than traditional public schools, "but in the end, these are taxpayers' dollars."
Records show that Sharif was the business manager of the Harambee Institute of Science and Technology Charter School in West Philadelphia at the same time she held that position at the Khepera Charter School in West Mount Airy and served as the chief financial officer of the Mathematics, Civics and Sciences Charter School at 447 N. Broad St.
Butkovitz said his office began examining operations of these and 10 other city charter schools and the School District's oversight of them in 2009 after The Inquirer reported allegations of financial mismanagement and a widening federal criminal probe of area charter schools.

14 Phila. schools to get radical makeovers

Fourteen low-performing Philadelphia public schools will undergo radical transformation in the fall, opening as charters or schools run directly by Superintendent Arlene Ackerman or outside managers.

Beloved Frankford High teacher gets Rachael Ray kitchen

Wilma Stephenson, whose dedication, tough love, and success with Frankford High School culinary students was immortalized in the 2009 documentary Pressure Cooker, was flabbergasted yesterday to learn that her kitchen classroom would get an extreme makeover, courtesy of the celebrity chef Rachael Ray.

Christie would add aid for teacher wage freeze | Philadelphia Inquirer | 03/31/2010

Christie would add aid for teacher wage freeze

By Rita Giordano

Inquirer Staff Writer

In an attempt to ramp up the pressure on New Jersey's teachers and the state's largest teachers' union, Gov. Christie yesterday offered additional aid to school districts whose teachers agree to a one-year wage freeze.
"I don't think it's wrong to say in these difficult times, that they step up and make some sacrifice," Christie said in a statement. "We're not talking about forgoing raises forever."
The New Jersey Education Association, which represents most of the state's teachers, was quick to attack the proposal. And although some school officials said they welcomed anything that would lessen the cuts their districts were facing, others - especially in smaller districts - said Christie's offer would not yield much beyond salary savings.
Some superintendents also expressed disapproval of Christie's continued hammering on teachers and the escalating battle between the governor and the NJEA.
"The NJEA didn't cause the $11 billion [budget shortfall]. Teachers are not the problem in our schools," said Gary Dentino, superintendent in Waterford Township. He said some of Christie's statements have belittled teachers, who he said work hard and often spend their own money on students.
"This lobbing of grenades back and forth has to stop," Dentino said.

An elementary PR strategy The Education Report

The Education Report

An elementary PR strategy

By Katy Murphy
Wednesday, March 31st, 2010 at 4:43 pm in Uncategorized
1 Comment

I wish more kids wrote news releases. I’ve been meaning to post this one from Katherine Irving, a fourth-grader from Hillcrest Elementary, for awhile now. She makes a pretty good case for educational opportunity, don’t you think?

Fourth graders at Hillcrest Elementary School have started a campaign for Pennies for Peace, a program made by the Central Asia Institute, otherwise known as the CAI. The CAI is a non-profit organization that helps to build schools all over Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Everyone knows that pennies don’t matter much in

Race To The Top's "Blackmail" While California Schools Suffer California Progress Report

California Progress Report

Race To The Top's "Blackmail" While California Schools Suffer

Posted on 31 March 2010

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By Robert Cruickshank

Calitics alum David Dayen takes a look at the recent announcement that Delaware and Tennessee have won a chunk of the "Race To The Top" funds awarded by Education Secretary Arne Duncan, and reaches a conclusion I wholly endorse:

I hope we can be honest about what this actually represents: blackmail. It forces states to change their education laws to fit particular notions about how to manage public education in America. And it does so at a time of crippling state budgets, when the Race to the Top funds mean the difference between thousands of teachers laid off or kept on the job, between class sizes expanding or shrinking. Basically, Arne Duncan and the White House are leveraging crisis to make preferred changes in education policy....

But the metrics for winning these stimulus funds comes down to "what Arne Duncan likes about education policy."...What we do know is that only one side of this debate is withholding funding until their preferred policy prescriptions are enacted. And they're doing it at a time when the biggest obstacle to education in America in the near-term can be measured in dollars and cents. Giant budget shortfalls in the states mean layoffs for teachers and worse opportunities for students, whether your state has a cap on charter schools or not.

I've been slamming Arne Duncan's shock doctrine attack on public education for some time now, calling on Sacramento to repeal policy changes recently enacted to pursue the Race To The Top funds, only for Secretary Duncan to deny California's grant application. I also similarly called on the Washington State legislature to reject proposals that would make that state eligible for RTTT funds.

It makes no sense for states to adopt unproven educational reforms merely because

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Thursday, April 1, 2010

EducationNewsToday

Sacramento-area districts deal with problem math books

City Controller questions payments to charter-school accountant

Christie would add aid for teacher wage freeze

Race To The Top's "Blackmail" While California Schools Suffer