Friday, May 14, 2010

"Waiting for Superman" | Philadelphia Public School Notebook Notes from the news, May 14

"Waiting for Superman" | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

"Waiting for Superman"

by Dale Mezzacappa

I am out here in San Francisco where the Education Writers Association, of which I am the current board president, is holding our annual meeting. EWA is a national organization committed to improving the quality of education journalism, and this is our 63rd annual meeting.
Last night, we heard from Davis Guggenheim, director of "An Inconvenient Truth," and saw clips from his movie"Waiting for Superman." In "Waiting" he gives public education the same treatment he gave global warming, in

Notes from the news, May 14

by Erika Owens

South Phila. principal, lacking credential, resigns The Inquirer
LaGreta Brown resigned effective immediately on Thursday, in advance of a scheduled no confidence vote by teachers. Her principal certification is inactive. Springfield Township principal Otis D. Hackney, III will be South Philly's new principal.
See also: S. Philly High principal resigns over missing certification Daily News
South Philadelphia principal steps down WHYY
Reaction to Brown's departure from S. Philly The Notebook blog
Springfield Township High School principal to step down Springfield Sun
Principal of South Philadelphia High School Resigns KYW
LaGreta Brown steps down from S. Philly The Notebook blog
South Phila. High principal steps down 6 ABC
S. Philly High Principal quits Young Philly Politics

Editorial: Justify bonuses The Inquirer
Calls for the SRC and Ackerman to explain the reasoning for Superintendent Ackerman's $65,000 bonus.
Williams' charter school has had rocky times The Inquirer
State Sen. Williams is running for governor with the support of school choice advocates, but his charter school has missed AYP for the past three years and has had financial issues.
See also: Williams campaign driven by school choice, hefty donors WHYY
Hybrid built by West Philadelphia students wins another round WHYY
We want to know what you're thinking The Notebook blog
Improve a School, Improve a Neighborhood Philly School Search
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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Notes from the news

THE DAILY RIFF - Be Smarter. About Education.

Stephen's Sound Advice: How To Ace The SAT's

We Give "The Colbert Report" A Perfect Score
For His Tips
#1: "Spend A Lot Of Money" . . .

Amidst all the relentless charter school debate and lay-off news over the last couple weeks, we thought a mental health break was due.

Stephen Colbert was in A+ form the other night on "The Colbert Report", prepping our young men and women about to embark on their quest for the highest SAT scores, with a his top tips on "How To Ace The SAT's" in the 5 min. video below:

(For related stories from The Daily Riff, check out: "The Underground Guide: Outsmarting The SAT Test" for resources, and "Florida SB6 - Our High-Stakes Standardized Testing Culture" and skip down to the second half of post with specific books on the subject, such as "Making The Grade: My Misadventures In
Continue Reading at The Daily Riff

Eduflack: The Future of Education Media

The Future of Education Media

by Eduflack

What is the future of education journalism? For the past several years, we have been hearing how national and regional newspapers have either dramatically reduced or downright eliminated their education news teams (with the most recent being the Associated Press' plans to no longer have a single national K-12 education reporter, and instead distribute education responsibilities across a team of six great reporters who already have other responsibilities).

A reduced education reporter pool undoubtedly leads to reduced education coverage. Last year, at a time when all in the education sector were abuzz about Race to the Top, i3, teacher quality, teacher layoffs, and general education reform, Brookings released its Invisible report, finding that only 1.4 percent of the national news in the first three quarters of 2009 was about education. (A caveat, though, there are many who raise questions about

Rural Schools Partnership Conference – ED.gov Blog

Rural Schools Partnership Conference

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Rural Outreach, John White, shares the Department perspective on rural education at the Rural Schools Partnership Conference in Thomasville, MO.

Rural educators and leaders from across the nation, including Deputy Assistant Secretary for Rural Outreach, John White, recently gathered in Thomasville, Missouri, to discuss rural education issues and share best practices.
The May 6th event, sponsored by the Community Foundation of the Ozarks (CFO), took place in a school-turned-community center in the isolated town with an estimated population of 50. Attendees enjoyed a range of events, including speeches, break-out sessions, and recognition of student accomplishments and innovative new programs, such as the Ozark Teachers Corps.

The Ozarks Teacher Corps is a cadre of talented teaching candidates who will explore rural education issues, serve as teacher interns in small schools, and commit to teaching in their respective home communities for at least three years. Awardees receive an annual scholarship of $4,000, must maintain excellent academic credentials, and will be members of the national Rural School and Community Trust’s Rural Schools Innovation Network. The program is made possible by the Chesley and Flora Lea Wallis Scholarship Fund, a $1.7 million CFO charitable fund.
White said he came to the Ozarks to see this new program as a model to help fill critical teacher shortages in rural communities across the country. “One of the things we want to do from Washington is figure out what will be most applicable and will work at a local level,” White said, citing innovations such as using Internet video conferencing technology for distance learning and technology on school buses for learning during long daily commutes. “We want to provide support in different ways instead of a one-size-fits-all approach.”
At the end of the day, remaining participants gathered around a bonfire for one last brainstorming session. Some of the attendees opted to sleep outside in a tent under the star filled sky rather than at the nearest hotel, which was 20 miles away.
To hear more about the day, listen to the following report produced by Ozarks Public Radio. You can also find more information at the following websitehttp://www.ruralschoolspartnership.org/.
Patrick Kerr
Office of Communications and Outreach

This entry was written by pkickbush, posted

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Inside Chicago's school "Renaissance"

Inside Chicago's school "Renaissance"

by Mike Klonsky

“Our Soldiers know how to shoot, but they may not always understand when to shoot — or not to shoot,” Munsey said. “Was there a hostile act? With VBS2, we train on their weaknesses.”

Chicago Public School District representatives met with Combined Arms Center-Training team members at Fort Leavenworth in April to learn first-hand about the U.S. Army’s approach to virtual training. Their goal as members of the school district’s Office of School Turnaround was to learn about possible approaches to help prepare teachers and administrators to succeed in the Windy City’s toughest schools.

“We need to make it so people are constantly growing,” said Dr. Donald Fraynd,

Hawaii wraps up a year of short school weeks - Boston.com

Hawaii wraps up a year of short school weeks

By Mark Niesse

Associated Press Writer / May 14, 2010

Text size – +

HONOLULU—When Hawaii ran short on money, it made students and teachers pay by slashing 17 Fridays from the school calendar, resulting in three-day weekends and the nation's shortest school year.

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More than 170,000 students in the nation's only statewide school district spent their so-called "furlough Fridays" playing video games, roaming the mall or studying at home. But that ends Friday , the last day off of the school year.

After missing so much class time, students, educators and parents are evaluating what they've lost. They hope the state's elected leaders and teachers union will strike a deal to prevent furloughs next school year, when 17 more days off are scheduled in a public education system that

Archdiocese to help banned student

The Archdiocese of Boston said yesterday that it would help find a new Catholic school for a boy who was barred from a Catholic elementary school in Hingham because his parents are lesbians. (By Lisa Wangsness, Globe Staff)

Teachers union, Johnson reach stalemate on plan

The Boston Teachers Union and School Superintendent Carol R. Johnson have reached stalemate over her plan to extend the school day and make other changes at 12 underperforming schools, pushing the monthlong dispute into the hands of an arbitrator. (By James Vaznis, Globe Staff)

Why are so many moms smitten with today’s teen idols?

Like many mothers and daughters, Mary Irizarry and her 12-year-old argue sometimes. But their disputes aren’t over texting or clothing. They disagree about which male “Twilight’’ star is cuter. (By Beth Teitell, Globe Correspondent)

Wayland mosque opens a dialogue on what it means to be a Muslim in America

WAYLAND — Months ago, the Islamic Center of Boston began planning an open house and lecture, “Everything you wanted to know about Islam but were afraid to ask,’’ to celebrate its 30th anniversary. (By Erica Noonan, Globe Staff)

Schools move to educate staff, students on response to bullying

For the longest time, bullying has fallen into the “kids will be kids’’ category, a negative yet somewhat unavoidable part of growing up. But following the suicides of Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover, a Springfield 11-year-old who took his own life last year after being bullied, and Phoebe Prince, the 15-year-old Irish immigrant in South Hadley who hanged herself in January ... (By Christine Legere, Globe Correspondent)

LATEST EDUCATION NEWS WIRE UPDATES

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This Week In Education Thompson: Reform Advocates Mis-Stating The Record

This Week In Education

Thompson: Reform Advocates Mis-Stating The Record

by john thompson

The best practice from academia that I miss the most is the convention where a scholar summarizes his or her own thesis, what his evidence does and does not prove, and the positions of her opponents. Had The New Teacher Project obeyed such an ethic in "The Widget Effect," it would have not misstated the record of the AFT's peer review system... If the Education Trust was duty-bound to summarize its previous claims that "its being done," and that 15.6% of high-poverty schools are "high-fliers," when the better estimate is 1.1% of those schools, then readers would be better equipped to evaluate the Trust’s equally simplistic attacks on collective bargaining

Events: Fritz Has Bills, Hearings, Jobs, & More

by Alexander Russo

Fritz's table of contents -- lots of new and useful stuff there for the busy education professional (or whatever you call yourself): 8 New -- Legislative Activity: floor and committee action; bills and resolutions introduced 2 New -- Hearings, Meetings, Webinars, Etc: May 18, 19 4 New -- Other Information of Interest and Importance: School Choice book by Paul Hill; NCES report on school choice data; National Comprehensive Center on Teacher Quality; Dash+ voting; 3 New -- Newest Job Openings - Hamilton County Principal Leadership Academy; Public Education Network; Association of Independent Schools of Greater Washington; 25 Other Jobs Opportunities -- Previously Posted and Still Open 1 New -- Useful URLs for Grants, Policies and Programs -- i3 Registery information. Sign up here to join the list.

Quote: Journalism's Dirty Little Secret

by Alexander Russo

"The actual news of the day -- and especially in-depth reporting -- is often some of the least-read content in a paper." -- Village Voice blogger Foster Kamer

The Washington Teacher Open Letter To AFT President Randi Weingarten From WTU Executive Board Members

The Washington Teacher

Open Letter To AFT President Randi Weingarten From WTU Executive Board Members

This open letter below was sent to me by Washington Teachers' Union Executive Board members, Willie Brewer, Agnes Dyson and Sheila Gill who were wrongfully terminated in what many believe was a manufactured reduction in force created by the Rhee administration. Their email is addressed to American Federation of Teachers (AFT) President, Randi Weingarten requesting that our national union order that all 265 wrongfully terminated union members be reinstated their full membership rights pursuant to AFT's Constitution. - Candi Peterson, blogger in residence

May 13, 2010

Dear President Randi Weingarten,

As you well know, we are elected WTU Executive Board members who were laid off October 2, 2009. We have been denied our right to complete our elected term of office and right to continue our membership by WTU President George Parker. As a result, 265 other WTU members have been damaged by the loss of health insurance and other membership benefits directly attributable to these actions. Upon attempting to maintain those benefits, we were provided misinformation including a WTU parliamentary opinion thereby robbing us of our rights as a WTU, AFT, and AFL-CIO members. At no time were we advised of AFT’s constitution addressing the laid off member policy by the aforementioned or AFT personnel. AFT Constitution & Bylaws, art. III - Membership, §6, cl. C.

After our own research yielded the above, President Parker undertook obstreperous actions to disallow WTU Executive Board members consideration of our concerns. Constitutionally mandated Union meetings-executive board, delegate assembly and

Firing won't be on Houston teacher's record | Houston & Texas News | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

Texas law on charter schools has big loophole

By ERICKA MELLON
HOUSTON CHRONICLE

May 12, 2010, 9:03PM

A Harris County charter school teacher caught on video beating up a student last month could face criminal charges, but she will not lose her teaching certificate.

That's because Sheri Lynn Davis, 40, doesn't have one.

As a science teacher at a charter school, she didn't need to be certified. Texas law requires charter schools to hire certified teachers only in the areas of bilingual and special education.

The state's charter school law is designed to give the campuses more freedom in hiring, but Davis' case illustrates a little-discussed loophole: If teachers aren't certified by the state, then the state has no power to sanction them. Their records are clean if they apply for other teaching jobs. In fact, they don't have a record at all with the State Board for Educator Certification.

Any punishment would have to come through the court system, said Debbie Ratcliffe, spokeswoman for the Texas Education Agency.

The Harris County Sheriff's Office is investigating allegations against Davis, who was fired this week from Jamie's House Charter School in north Harris County. A cell phone video, shot by a student, shows the teacher dragging a 13-year-old boy across the floor, apparently kicking him in the back, slapping his face and slamming his head against a classroom wall.

Davis has not made any public comments.

Jamie's House Charter School did not respond Wednesday to questions about Davis' qualifications but said she had worked there for three years without any complaints. Her 10-month salary was $32,000.

‘Got to be a way'

State Rep. Rob Eissler, who chairs the House Public Education Committee, said he will ask his colleagues to study whether there's a way to ensure that non-certified teachers who get in trouble can't hide in the system.

“There's got to be a way to prevent that,” he said.

The Republican from The Woodlands noted that a 2007 state law requires all Texas public schools, including charters, to fingerprint and conduct national criminal background checks on all teaching applicants. If a noncertified teacher were charged with a crime, the school should be alerted through the check.

State Rep. Scott Hochberg, a Houston Democrat, suggested another solution: Require charter schools to hire certified teachers, just like traditional public schools.

“There are so many avenues available to become certified that I don't think we should be allowing noncertified teachers to teach,” he said.

High school diploma

To get certified in Texas, a candidate must have a bachelor's degree, complete an educator preparation program (through a

Art of protest - News - Local Stories - May 13, 2010 - Sacramento News & Review

Art of protest

Four local artist/activists launch the Decimation of the Public Education System art show

By Seth Sandronsky
More stories by this author...

This article was published on 05.13.10.

Artist Amy Hines (left) stands with Deena Karagaines (right) and her daughter Eleni in front of Karagaines’ photos of a local elementary school that is scheduled for closure next month.

PHOTO BY SHOKA

To get involved in the Decimation of the Public Education System art exhibition, call (916) 508-6951 or e-mail yamshines@gmail.com.

On Friday, May 14, at 8 p.m., the art exhibition will serve as a backdrop to a global music deejay set at the Sol Collective in Midtown Sacramento.

Amy Hines’ canvases for Sol Collective’s new art show feature illustrations of children, literally painted over a school district’s budget. “Artists have historically been the conscience of society,” said Hines about her newly created work. “Now is our time to be that conscience for California’s budgetary priorities.”
Hines’ creation is part of the Decimation of the Public Education System art show that opened at the Sacramento art center on Mother’s Day to raise awareness about state government budget cuts to public schools. Four local women, Cathy Hackett, Deena Karagaines, Hines and Jenny Berg organized the artist/activist exhibition.
Indeed, the situation is grim for the state’s public schools.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell reports that 22,000 classroom teachers and support staff throughout the state have received layoff notices due to budget cuts in 2010. These notices came after more than 16,000 teachers lost their jobs last year. Further, about 10,000 classified schoolworkers were laid off in the past few budget years.
Back at the Sol Collective, the 22 pieces of art, framed and mounted, spoke of local people’s lives at public schools.
Deena Karagaines is an artist and mother of an infant and toddler. Her black-and-white and color photos show scenes at Garfield Elementary School in Carmichael. “What struck me was that this is a great elementary school, full of life, with children playing,” she said. However, Garfield, in the San Juan Unified School District, is slated for closure next month.
Hackett created “Save Publication Education,” made of acrylic, ink tissue paper and watercolor. “I believe working people should protest so our voice is heard,” she said.
Berg’s medium is newsprint and pencils for her “Barriers.” According to Berg, “Children need opportunities and resources that will allow them to flourish and grow.”

“Evil Money Grubbing Robot Seeking to Destroy Public School” was offered by an anonymous high-school student for use in the Sol Collective art show.