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Sunday, May 2, 2010

Challenges in Replicating Charter School Success - NYTimes.com

Challenges in Replicating Charter School Success - NYTimes.com

Despite Push, Success at Charter Schools Is Mixed


Ruth Fremson/The New York Times
Williamsburg Collegiate in Brooklyn, whose students outscore their district counterparts. More Photos »

By TRIP GABRIEL

Published: May 1, 2010

In the world of education, it was the equivalent of the cool kids’ table in the cafeteria.
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Ruth Fremson/The New York Times
Jason Skeeter using an overhead projector to teach math to fifth-grade students at Williamsburg Collegiate Charter School in Brooklyn. More Photos »
Executives from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, McKinsey consultants and scholars from Stanford and Harvard mingled at an invitation-only meeting of the New Schools Venture Fund at a luxury hotel in Pasadena, Calif. Founded by investors who helped start Google and Amazon, this philanthropy seeks to raise the academic achievement of poor black and Hispanic students, largely through charter schools.
Many of those at the meeting last May had worried that the Obama administration would reflect the general hostility of teachers’ unions toward charters, publicly financed schools that are independently run and free to experiment in classrooms. But all doubts were dispelled when the image of Arne Duncan, the new education secretary, filled a large video screen from Washington. He pledged to combine “your ideas with our dollars” from the federal government. “What you have created,” he said, “is a real movement.”
That movement includes a crowded clique of alpha girls and boys, including New York hedge fund managers, a Hollywood agent or two and the singers John Legend and Sting, who performed at a fund-raiser for Harlem charter schools last Wednesday at Lincoln Center. Charters have also become a pet cause of what one education historian calls a billionaires’ club of philanthropists, including Mr. Gates, Eli Broad of Los Angeles and the Walton family of Wal-Mart.
But for all their support and cultural cachet, the majority of the 5,000 or so charter

More Pre-K Pupils Qualify for Gifted Programs

By SHARON OTTERMAN
The minimum score for the most competitive of the programs, which have 300 slots, was achieved by 1,788 students.
Sandra J. Oliveira, executive director of financial aid at Providence College, has 100 appeals for more aid to go through.

A Fairy Godmother to Help With College Aid

By JACQUES STEINBERG
When financial aid is not enough, families can ask for more help. Judging those appeals falls to people like Sandra J. Oliveira.

A New Emotional Intimacy in a Class on Human Anatomy

By JAMES WARREN
Some Northwestern medical students who dissected donated human bodies got to know their donor better thanks to a new wrinkle at a post-course gathering.
The Crouch siblings of Danbury, Conn., from left, Kenny, Martina, Ray and Carol, in December after Yale offered them early acceptance. They were believed to be the first quadruplets ever to have received such an offer from Yale, and this week they said yes.

For Individual Reasons, Quadruplets Pick Yale

By JACQUES STEINBERG
Carol, Kenny, Martina and Ray Crouch considered going their separate ways for higher education, but in the end, they all liked what they saw at Yale.

City Pushes Shift for Special Education

By JENNIFER MEDINA
Principals at 1,500 schools must enroll all but the most severely disabled students by fall 2011.

A Long Walk for a Cause

Four students arrived in Washington, having walked from Miami to support a bill that would give legal status to immigrants who arrived at age 15 or younger.

Found: Matching Funds for Federal Grants

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
A coalition of foundations is offering up to half a billion dollars to match federal grants meant to encourage education reform.
In Newark, students took their protest to City Hall, but the real target of their message was Gov. Christopher J. Christie, who has cut state aid to schools.

In New Jersey, a Civics Lesson in the Internet Age

By WINNIE HU
Inspired by a Facebook message, thousands of students walked out of class Tuesday to protest cuts in school aid.
At Attendance Court, Judge Eileen Koretz, left; Susanna Osorno-Crandall, program coordinator; and Trayvon Johnson, 13.

Lessons in Tough Love at a Court for Truants

By WILLIAM GLABERSON
The court has no power to punish, but students and their parents get helpful advice and offers of counseling and other services.
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Education - On Assignment: Mt. Diablo district superintendent on upcoming challengesContraCostaTimes.com

Education - ContraCostaTimes.com
On Assignment: Mt. Diablo district superintendent on upcoming challenges

This is a sampling of On Assignment, education writer Theresa Harrington's blog on Contra Costa County schools. Read more at www.ibabuzz.com/onassignment.
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Education | Tell us about your most inspirational or memorable teachers | Seattle Times Newspaper

Education | Tell us about your most inspirational or memorable teachers | Seattle Times Newspaper

Tell us about your most inspirational or memorable teachers

National Teacher Appreciation Week begins Monday, May 3, when students, families, schools and communities around the state and country are encouraged to honor teachers
While many of us may not remember what was taught in second grade, or what reading was required for middle school, many of us can easily remember the names of the teachers that made the biggest impression on us, good or bad.
National Teacher Appreciation Week begins Monday, May 3, when students, families, schools and communities around the state and country are encouraged to honor teachers, particularly on Tuesday, May 4, which is National Teacher Day.
In honor of National Teacher Appreciation Week, we're inviting readers to share about their most inspirational or memorable teachers.
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Schools Matter: New Charter Philosophy for the Corporate Celebrity: Let A Few Chain Gangs Flourish

Schools Matter: New Charter Philosophy for the Corporate Celebrity: Let A Few Chain Gangs Flourish

New Charter Philosophy for the Corporate Celebrity: Let A Few Chain Gangs Flourish

by Jim Horn
When charters first came on the scene, the idea was to let a thousand flowers bloom and let innovation reign. The best instructional and curricular ideas could then be spread to other schools, and children and parents and teachers would be the beneficiaries.

Those days are as long gone, and the only innovations that remain in the segregated urban chain gangs that the Secretary of Education advocates are the innovative extinguishing of due process for teachers and students, the innovative application of total compliance techniques, and the innovative bookkeeping that makes the corporate leeches who run these outfits wealthy.

It has taken the New York Times 10 months to report on the CREDO charter study that shows the bankruptcy of the national policy obsession with these undemocratic containment camps, but the facts are not enough to

NY Parents Crazed to Land Gifted Kindergarten Seats

by Jim Horn
If you thought high-stakes tests were just for keeping poor high schoolers from graduating or to guarantee failure at an early age for the children of the poor, then think again. In New York City where the Bankster heist has increased the number of parents who can no longer afford the private kindergartens, competition is cut-throat to earn a seat in one of the high flying gifted public kindergarten programs. And parents who can afford it are hiring tutors to grill babies in strategies for passing the tests to get in--to kindergarten. Meanwhile, the poorer "gifted"

E3 Urges Christie to Deny Diplomas to Thousands of Jersey Teens

by Jim Horn
Stan Karp dissects the lies and distortions of New Jersey's corporate voucher advocacy group, E3. Don't be surprised to hear Governor Christie and his not ready for prime time ed department geniuses spouting some E3's talking points:
‘Big Lies’ and Little Ones: E3 Urges NJDOE to Deny Diplomas to Thousands
On April 28, the pro-voucher group E3 released a statement on the fiasco created by the NJ Department of Education’s mishandling of the new Alternative High School Assessment (AHSA). The press release
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EETT, where art thou? | Reflections on Teaching

EETT, where art thou? | Reflections on Teaching

EETT, where art thou?

by alicemercer
Background: On Thursday, the California State Senate Budget Subcommittee #1 on Education held a hearing that discussed the EETT ARRA money the state has received, but not spent. This was not an “action” item, but simply held for informational purposes. It’s a pain to view the hearing because there is NO fast forward and the part about EETT is about 1 hour in, but the testimony was good. The plan at this point is to abandon both the distribution of formula money and the competitive grant process that was carried out in Fall of 2009, and replace it with a competitive grant process for districts to create/improve Pre-K data and another program for High Schools to collect data related to college and work readiness by adding SAT and AP scores. Then all this data would be massed together into a statewide longitudinal data system. The required 25% of funds for teacher professional development would be used for training teachers on how to use this longitudinal to inform and adjust their instructional delivery to students.
I’ll write below why this is a really bad idea. Those of you who have already figured that out, emails or letters to
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Education - Elementary students wax poetic in published book | Sacramento Bee

Education - Elementary students wax poetic in published book| Sacramento Bee

Elementary students wax poetic in published book
Published: 12:00 am
Seven students at North Avenue Elementary in Del Paso Heights will become published authors after their poems were selected to appear in the Anthology of Poetry by Young Americans.
Sacramento, Elk Grove school workers' benefits rank high
By Diana Lambert and Phillip Reese - Published: 12:00 am
Sacramento City Unified spends more money on employee benefits on a per-pupil basis than any other district its size in California, according to a Bee analysis of recently released state figures.
History of CSU system is topic of book, speech
Published: 12:00 am
Former Sacramento State President Donald R. Gerth is speaking Tuesday about his new book on the history of the California State University system.
Workshops aim to help students bound for college
Published: 12:00 am
Two free workshops for college-bound students will be presented at Arden-Dimick Library, 891 Watt Ave., Sacramento.
Candidates forum planned today at Broadway church
By Melody Gutierrez - Published: 9:23 am
The Black Parallel School Board will host a candidates forum at 11 a.m. today at Oak Park United Methodist Church, 3600 Broadway.
Volunteers sought today for Highlands High beautification
By Melody Gutierrez - Updated: 9:17 am
Volunteers are being sought to help Highlands High School receive a community makeover from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. today.
Critics: Art-exhibit plan 'egregious' while budget cuts imperil Sacramento County kids
By Marjie Lundstrom - Published: Saturday, May 1 2010 - 12:00 am
A proposal to spend more than $500,000 in public money on art exhibits for children is being condemned by some Sacramento leaders and child advocates, who consider the plan an outrage while life-and-death social services programs falter.
San Juan keeps 23-1 ratio of pupils to teacher in K-3
Published: Saturday, May 1 2010 - 12:00 am
San Juan Unified School District will preserve class sizes at 23 students to one teacher in kindergarten through third grades for the next school year.
California to apply for education funds through Race to the Top
By Laurel Rosenhall - Published: Friday, April 30 2010 - 9:48 am
California will once again try to get federal education money through the so-called "Race to the Top" competition among states, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced this morning.


Read more: http://www.sacbee.com/education/#ixzz0mmPjj7DG
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The Crash and Burn Model � InterACT

The Crash and Burn Model � InterACT

The Crash and Burn Model

by Martha Infante
As a new teacher adviser, I have been fortunate to come across some of the most productive and committed teachers in my 15 year career, many from the Teach for America program (TFA). In their stints at our school, all varying in length from 1-5 years so far, I have been impressed with their drive and motivation to improving students’ learning.
But at times, they have worried me. They would show up at new teacher support meetings with bags under their eyes, from their 12 hour workdays, staying up late to lesson plan when they got home, and coming back to work early to do it all over again. Had they been on a traditional career track, I would have advised them against such a strenuous schedule; they do the students or themselves no favors if they burn themselves out. But these teachers were not necessarily going to be career teachers. There was a good chance they would leave after two years. Knowing this, I tried to monitor their mental and physical health like a mother hen, and let them proceed with their plans (with careful oversight.)
I appreciated the difference between a TFA teacher and a regular long-term substitute, the latter which my students used to get regularly before TFA’ers became available. Teacher turnover in urban schools is still an issue. Like the Peace Corp, these teachers are sent to schools like mine to serve the community, and in many cases, they are making a difference. But in the era of education reform, many are pointing to an endless
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Big crowd likely at Phila. teacher-hiring fair | Philadelphia Inquirer | 05/01/2010

Big crowd likely at Phila. teacher-hiring fair | Philadelphia Inquirer | 05/01/2010

Big crowd likely at Phila. teacher-hiring fair

By Kristen A. Graham
Inquirer Staff Writer
Philadelphia School District officials expect a heavy turnout at a Saturday teacher-recruitment fair.
About 1,200 people turned up for a similar event earlier this month, and Estelle Matthews, district human resources chief, said she expected a large crowd.
The fair is to run from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the district headquarters, 440 N. Broad St.
"I think it's the economy," said Matthews. "I think it's New Jersey. We see a lot of career-changers, too." Many New Jersey schools are laying off teachers and bracing for big cuts to district budgets. Philadelphia, where turnover is high, typically hires hundreds of new teachers every year. Matthews said she had already seen a spike in New Jersey applicants.
She said she did not know how many jobs needed to be filled or which content areas were considered especially needy. The district's Renaissance school initiative - radical turnarounds in the 14 lowest-performing city schools - slowed down the hiring timeline this year, she said.


Rutgers-Camden chancellor making his mark

The plan, he thought, was to use the Philadelphia pedigree, the Ivy League credentials, the congressional office experience, the polished persona - and run for office in Philadelphia.
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