Sunday, May 9, 2010

Education News - The New York Times

Six Days of School, and Then a Day Not of Rest

By ELISSA GOOTMAN

David Levin, co-founder of the KIPP charter school network, spends Sundays with his wife, their 1-year-old son and friends and family.

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New Jersey Plan Calls for Bonuses for Effective Teachers and Schools

By WINNIE HU

The proposal is part of an effort to win money through the federal Race to the Top program rewarding educational innovation.

Chris Bates replaced Bill Tierney, who won six national titles in 22 years, as Princeton’s coach.

New Coach Keeps Princeton Winning as Usual, but With More Laughs

By KEVIN ARMSTRONG

Chris Bates, Princeton’s first-year lacrosse coach, has allowed for a lighter, looser feeling on the field.

Private School Screening Test Loses Some Clout

By JENNY ANDERSON

A school coalition says that pretest preparation casts doubt on the value of the exam known as the E.R.B.

Marquette Rescinds Offer to Sociologist

By SAM DILLON

Critics say officials at the Roman Catholic university changed their mind about a deanship after reading the works of a lesbian professor who writes about sexuality.

CAIRO JOURNAL

A Campus Where Unlearning Is First

By MICHAEL SLACKMAN

At American University in Cairo, students are taught to analyze and hypothesize, a method at odds with the country’s traditional method of rote learning.

Teenage Insults, Scrawled on Web, Not on Walls

By TAMAR LEWIN

A relatively new social networking site has become a magnet for comments, many of them nasty and sexual.

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OUR TOWNS

Students head to class at New York Military Academy. It will close its doors at the end of this school year, barring some unexpected financial rescue.

Changing Times and Money Woes Doom a Military School

By PETER APPLEBOME

Decades ago, there were dozens of military academies in New York State, but one by one they have shut their doors.

Bold Brass and Glass, and the World Inside on Display

By NICOLAI OUROUSSOFF

The New School’s new University Center on Fifth Avenue is intended to encourage student interaction, but may be a bit much for some in the Village.

The New School to Build a Multipurpose, 16-Story Building

Michigan High School Snags Obama as Speaker

By JACKIE CALMES

President Obama will speak at the Kalamazoo Central High School graduation. The school won a Race to the Top competition.

Dr. Stanley I. Greenspan in 1989 demonstrated his teaching methods with a mother and her son.

Stanley I. Greenspan, Developer of ‘Floor Time’ Teaching, Dies at 68

By DAVID CORCORAN

Dr. Greenspan was a psychiatrist who encouraged parents, teachers and therapists to participate in playtime as a gateway to learning for some children.

Arne Duncan has been called the most assertive secretary of education ever, breaking sharply from the less-visible role of his predecessors. Mr. Duncan visited recently with Nakiyah Rowe, left, and Lois Appiah-Agyeman at their charter school in Brooklyn.

Education Chief Vies to Expand U.S. Role as Partner on Local Schools

By SAM DILLON and TAMAR LEWIN

Arne Duncan has been called the most assertive secretary of education ever. He is a highly visible proponent of increasing the federal government’s role in how the nation’s schools are run.

State Senate Approves Bill to Increase Charter Schools

By JENNIFER MEDINA

The legislation would also require the schools to enroll more special education students and those still learning English, but its passage by the Assembly in its current form was unlikely.

Early Childhood Programs Expanded

By SAM DILLON

Despite the recession, states continued to expand early childhood programs in the 2008-9 school year.

Williamsburg Collegiate in Brooklyn, whose students outscore their district counterparts.

Despite Push, Success at Charter Schools Is Mixed

By TRIP GABRIEL

Leaders of the school choice movement have come to recognize that raising student achievement for poor urban children is difficult and often expensive.

Photographs: Many Charter Schools, Varied Grades

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.

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Statue at Lewis & Clark College honors York, the slave who accompanied expedition | OregonLive.com

Statue at Lewis & Clark College honors York, the slave who accompanied expedition

By Steve Beaven, The Oregonian

May 08, 2010, 7:51PM

Motoya Nakamura, The OregonianZoe, Owen and Hana Yamaguchi (from left) play on the sculpture of York on Saturday at Lewis & Clark College. York was a slave on the Lewis & Clark expedition. Charles Neal, initiated the project at the college. He was joined by Betty and Don Balmer and artist Alison Saar.Several years ago, Charles Neal was giving a talk about a project he'd created to honor York, a black slave who accompanied Lewis & Clark's expedition through the West.

An undergraduate approached Neal, a law school graduate at Lewis & Clark College, and gave him $2. She explained it was all she could afford.

"That was very touching," Neal said Saturday as a statue of York was dedicated at the Lewis & Clark campus. "It's things like that that gave me and others encouragement."

Saturday was the culmination of an effort begun by Neal to create a memorial to York, a man whose contributions to the Lewis & Clark

South Salem High School wins state choir championship

by James Mayer, The Oregonian

South Salem High School won first place this weekend for 6A schools in the 2010 Oregon School Activities Association / U.S. Bank / Les Schwab Tires state choir championship. The South Salem choir, directed Carol Stenson, received 348 points.

NorthJersey.com: Bonuses, longer wait for tenure among changes in education commissioner's overhaul

Bonuses, longer wait for tenure among changes in education commissioner's overhaul

Friday, May 7, 2010
LAST UPDATED: SATURDAY MAY 8, 2010, 2:22 PM

BY LESLIE BRODY

THE RECORD

STAFF WRITER

1Page 1 2 >>

Education Commissioner Bret Schundler laid out his vision for overhauling public schools Friday, saying he wants to give bonuses to the best teachers and make students’ progress count in tenure and layoff decisions.

FILE PHOTO

Education Commissioner Bret Schundler

To earn tenure, a new teacher would have to wait five years, instead of the current three, and would need to have a solid track record of boosting student achievement.
When teachers need to be laid off to cut costs, Schundler wants districts to keep the most effective ones, not necessarily those with the most seniority. That idea is a direct challenge to rules that require the newest employees in their subject areas get pink slips first.
Schundler said taking these steps to improve schools was “a matter of life and death for children, particularly in neighborhoods like mine” in Jersey City. “It’s morally right.”
He said about half his proposals require legislative approval, and he hopes that by June 1, lawmakers will pass a general statement requiring that student learning become a key part of awarding pay and promotions to teachers and school leaders. That step would bolster the state’s chance to win $400 million in federal grant money in the contest known as Race to the Top.
The New Jersey Education Association has long fought merit pay and using student test scores to judge

NJ education commissioner unveiling plans today for teacher merit pay bill THE RECORD

• NJEA concerned school aid cuts will hurt state's application for federal fundsTHE RECORD

• Teaneck elects new Board of Education president THE RECORD

• Decathlon team is 12th in national tourney THE RECORD

Vee Gees train with a pro

Origami | Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day...

Origami

by Larry Ferlazzo

In the Learning Experience Approach, students do an activity and then used the shared experience to develop a group written description of what just happened, as well as a good speaking, listening, and reading opportunity. It’s a great language learning activity.
Making origami can be a good task for students to do, with students either all doing the same thing or choosing different ones. I know my students love doing origami.

Today’s Resources On The Oil Spill

“Celebrate: Save a Mother”

Some Excellent Classroom Management Advice

“Arabic in First Non-English Web Addresses”

Even More On Mother’s Day

This Is Why We Have To Be Very Careful With Error Correction

Ackerman freezes hiring of teachers | Philadelphia Inquirer | 05/08/2010

Ackerman freezes hiring of teachers

By Kristen A. Graham

Inquirer Staff Writer

Philadelphia Schools Superintendent Arlene Ackerman has ordered a teacher hiring freeze, saying she wants to make sure there are enough jobs for the large number of teachers who need new assignments in September.
In a letter to principals, Ackerman said 1,400 teachers, in all subject fields and at all grade levels, would need new placements for the fall. Currently, there are about 800 teacher vacancies.
The staffing upheaval stems from the Renaissance process, under which 14 schools will be radically restructured - run as charters, by outside managers, or by Ackerman herself.
Every teacher at the 14 schools is technically forced out of his or her current position, though all may reapply for their jobs at the new Renaissance school, which will require longer hours and summer work. No more than half of the current faculty can be rehired at any Renaissance school.
Schools that become charters will not be staffed with union teachers.
"I am concerned that there will not be sufficient vacancies to accommodate all who will need placement," Ackerman wrote in the letter, obtained by The Inquirer.
Estelle Matthews, the district's human resources chief, said Friday that she could not promise that every teacher would have a slot. While she does not expect layoffs, she said, "We don't know. Our intent is to place every teacher we have, but we just don't know."
Some of the 1,400 teachers might choose to leave the district and work at Renaissance charter schools. And though April 15 was the deadline for teachers who plan on retiring or resigning to notify the district, a steady stream of teachers typically quit through the summer and into September.
It is possible that some current teachers won't be placed until late summer, but "I'm hoping it doesn't go that long," Matthews said.
More vacancies will be created when Promise Academies - the Renaissance schools run by Ackerman and staffed

Remembering a Chesco school segregation fight

INQUIRER STAFF WRITER Twenty years before the 1954 landmark Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education forced the policy of separate but unequal onto the national agenda, the families of 212 black children in Tredyffrin and Easttown Townships boycotted their own segregated schools.

New Valley Forge president wants to develop leaders

David R. Gray, the incoming president of Valley Forge Military Academy and College, says he accepted the post because it will allow him to combine his passions for educating students and fostering leadership.

Schundler presents proposed education changes

New Jersey Education Commissioner Bret Schundler has presented a broad public education plan that would make student performance "the primary yardstick" for judging teachers and schools.

Center Unified parents take saving teaching jobs in their own hands | News10.net | Sacramento, California | Education

ANTELOPE, CA - Deep budget cuts have had educators, parents, and students holding numerous rallies, protests and demonstrations this spring. Parents and students in one Sacramento-area school district have gone a step further. SLIDESHOW: Save Our Staff May 7-9

A group of parents whose children attend school in Center Unfied School District in Antelope have pulled their resources and are giving their time and effort to raise funds to help save the jobs of 25 teachers who will definitely be laid off next school year unless ther's more money.

Parent Cindy Crawford spearheaded the idea for a 48-hour fundraiser at a busy Antelope shopping center. There are hot dogs and hamburgers, snow cones and cotton candy, a car wash, a bounce house, and skateboarding apparel for sale. Crawford's husband Joe is spending from 7 Friday night to Sunday night perched in a cherry-picker to draw attention to the plight.

"Our goal is to get our teachers back," said Cindy Crawford, who enthused about passing drivers tossing dollar bills at the students volunteering and others coming up with $10 or $20.

"It's going awesome," Crawford said. "Even to save one teacher, it will go to that teacher."

Fifth grade teacher Cierra High is one of those without a job come fall. But she feels hopeful. She's at

The Education Report For hungry kids, teachers chip in for takeout

The Education Report

For hungry kids, teachers chip in for takeout

By Katy Murphy
Friday, May 7th, 2010 at 6:23 pm in elementary schools, health, preschool,students, teachers
27 Comments »

school lunch trays. image from back_garage's photostream at flickr.com/creativecommons

We all know how common it is for teachers to dip into their own bank accounts to buy classroom supplies. How about buying takeout for kids when the school lunch isn’t served?

A group of Tilden Elementary School teachers wrote to tell me about a memo they received this morning (dated yesterday) from their principal, informing them that “as of today,” lunch would not be served to the preschoolers.

It turns out that the newly enforced lunch policy, which came from the district (via state guidelines), is only supposed to apply to preschool children whose program lasts less than two hours. But some of the children in Tilden’s Pre-K program are there for five hours, so today — amid the confusion and apparent lack of notice – the teachers chipped in for a pizza.

Here’s the memo:

Read the rest of this entry »

Saturday, May 8, 2010

The State of Charter School Authorizing :: Frederick M. Hess

Frederick M. Hess's Blog

The State of Charter School Authorizing

by Frederick M. Hess • May 6, 2010 at 12:47 pm
Cross-posted from Education Week

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Today, the National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) released its second annual survey of charter school authorizers (full disclosure: I'm a member of the NACSA board of directors). The survey included all authorizers with ten or more schools--accounting for nearly two-thirds of the nation's charter schools--and a sample of smaller authorizers.

The report offers some terrifically informative data even before one gets to the survey results (even more disclosure: I'm a member of the research advisory board that assisted with the survey). Discussions of chartering and charter authorizing are frequently clouded by confusion as to just what they entail. The report addresses this with a snapshot of the nation's authorizers, and the picture may surprise some casual observers; of the nation's 872 authorizers, 89 percent are local education agencies (e.g. school districts). Five percent are institutions of higher education. And all the rest of the authorizers combined, including state boards, mayors, non-profits, and so on, barely amount to 5 percent of the authorizer population.

That said, districts account for well under half of the big authorizers (again, those with 10 or more schools),

How do we help students in Oregon's lowest performing schools? | OregonLive.com

How do we help students in Oregon's lowest performing schools?

By The Oregonian

May 08, 2010, 10:10AM

“If Oregon could do one thing differently to help students in the state’s lowest performing schools, what would it be?”

Two weeks ago, we posed the above question to readers.

Today we share the dozens of responses that we received from educators, students, politicians, advocates and members of the public, with the hope that these suggestions provide a springboard for further conversation — and action — around the state.

Go to The Stump, our Opinion blog, to read what people had to say and take a reader poll. "Helping students at Oregon's lowest performing schools"

Pure Aveda Salonspa is Doing Their Part � Tangerine, Florida

Pure Aveda Salonspa is Doing Their Part

Pure Aveda Salonspa's Hair Collection

Pictured above, Pure Aveda Salonspa is doing their part to help clean up the BP Oil Spill. Some of the tribe at Pure Aveda Salonspa shows what 70 pounds of hair really looks like. They shipped all this to the Gulf Coast to be made into oil absorbing hair mats and booms by “Matter of Trust,” a non-profit organization. Hair and pet salons wishing to join in the effort may contact Matter of Trust by clicking on the link.

Schools Matter: Just How Full of S**t are the Bakkes?

Just How Full of S**t are the Bakkes?

by Kenneth Libby

Here's a little snippet from Stephanie Strom's recent NY Times article on Imagine:

Mrs. Bakke said her company “is operated as a not-for-profit.” But Imagine is not a nonprofit group, and it has so far failed to gain status as a charity from the I.R.S.

Imagine applied for federal tax exemption in 2005 and has repeatedly said approval is imminent. It typically takes four to six months for such approvals. “We’re not sure why it’s taking so long,” said Mrs. Bakke, who is 56. “We suspect it’s because we’re trailblazers in a sense, and they haven’t had an application quite like this.”

Imagine has registered both a non-profit and a for-profit company in Virginia. That's likely what makes their

The Profiteers Pedagogy Deputy Undersecretary Robert Shireman caused quite a stir a few weeks back when he compared for-profit diploma mills to "the Wall Street firms whose behavior led to the financial meltdown and called them out individually, one by one, for the vast and ...

Besieged county school chief quits :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Metro & Tri-State

Besieged county school chief quits

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May 8, 2010

BY KATE MCCANN SouthtownStar

Regional Schools Supt. Charles Flowers -- accused of stealing hundreds of thousands in public money -- resigned his post Friday, four months after he was charged with criminal wrongdoing and 10 months after he was sued for fraud by Cook County prosecutors.
The Suburban Cook County Regional Office of Education, which he headed for nearly three years, was permanently closed by state lawmakers earlier in the week.
Flowers' resignation follows a long investigation by the SouthtownStar into the office's finances. The paper uncovered a bloated payroll and alleged gross misuse of public money, including taking out hefty cash advances on the office's credit card, using taxpayer money to dine at swanky restaurants and buying plane tickets to Mississippi for his children.
In January, Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez charged Flowers with felony theft and official misconduct, alleging that in a span of about two years, Flowers skimmed close to $400,000 from the regional schools office.