Friday, August 27, 2010

Steven Newton: Darwin Was Not Wrong--New Study Being Distorted

Darwin Was Not Wrong--New Study Being Distorted

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Science fares poorly in the media. Most news outlets devote little attention to scientific topics, and if they do have a website with a science section, it is likely to be filled with technology and medical reporting, rather than scientific discoveries. When scientific topics are reported, they are consistently misunderstood and spiced-up with such sensationalism that the original significance is contorted beyond all recognition.

Such misreporting has happened again--this time involving Charles Darwin and evolution.

A recent paper in the journal Biology Letters, "Links between global taxonomic diversity,

US Education official speaks in Vermont - Boston.com

US Education official speaks in Vermont

August 27, 2010

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BENNINGTON, Vt.—The incoming class at Southern Vermont College in Bennington will hear from a distinguished visitor Friday.

U.S. Under Secretary of Education Martha Kanter will speak at the school's Orientation Bookends Ceremony, outlining President Obama's 2020 goal for higher education.

Obama wants the nation to have the best

Santa Clara Unified board: Trustee Bendis overstepped role - San Jose Mercury News

Santa Clara Unified board: Trustee Bendis overstepped role

Santa Clara Unified's board members battled with rancourous words Thursday night over the behavior of fellow trustee Ina Bendis, accused by district employees, board members and residents of the school district of repeatedly overstepping her role.

Low-cost counseling center in Campbell to close after 27 years

Enrollment question delays Pacific Collegiate School charter vote

County school board issues warning to one of its members

Union, data system faulted for state's loss in federal education-grant contest

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Racing to the cliche bar

Racing to the cliche bar

by Mike Klonsky

Duncan sets national speed-rapping record for most ed cliches and "exceeds his wildest dreams" in just a 4-minute interview. "Raising the bar" tops. Count 'em.

Confusing Technology Integration with Instructional Reform � Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

Confusing Technology Integration with Instructional Reform

by larrycuban

For many years the rhetoric and substance of national reports written by bands of technologists eager to see electronic devices work their wonder on children and adults in schools have puzzled me. I am especially puzzled now as I try to make sense of the mountain of data I have collected at Las Montanas, a 1:1 laptop school in northern California (see posts of August 7, 13, and 20). In these national reports issued periodically by U.S. government sponsored agencies (e.g., Office of Technology Assessment, the National Education Technology Plan) or privately-funded groups (e.g., CEO Forum on Education and Technology), I noted two things.

First, on the critical issue of getting new technologies integrated into regular school and classroom routines, advocates differed. Some spoke about integrating technology to advance the content of lessons in reading, math, social studies, science, math, art, music, and other subjects. Others championed learning skills such as critical

Schools Matter: 990 Forms and "The Lottery"

990 Forms and "The Lottery"

by Kenneth Libby

Here's an image from the 2008 990 tax form filed by the Bouncer Foundation (apologies for the size):

Since this is an education blog, you might safely assume I'm interested in the donations to the two school choice advocacy organizations (Alliance for School Choice and BAEO), the Codman Academy Foundation, or

Trenton school parents want forensic audit of Title I grant application - Trentonian.com :News :Serving Trenton Local News, Central New Jersey, Bucks County, Pa

Trenton school parents want forensic audit of Title I grant application

Published: Thursday, August 26, 2010

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By Trentonian Staff

TRENTON - Some parents in the Trenton School District are calling for a forensic audit of the Title I grant applications the district has submitted to the state for more than $6 million in annual federal funding, a group of them said yesterday outside the Trenton Board of Education building on Clinton Avenue.

The portion of the grant application that covers parent involvement in the district was the focus of the contentions.

“A number of the residents’ names on the application have been placed there fraudulently and it was sent to the state. The only person to work on the parent involvement plan was Juan Martinez,” said parent advocate Emerson Simmons, pointing to a number of residents’ names on the 2009 - 2010 application to the State Department of Education.

“There are three people listed that we know didn’t work on the grant. We know this

This Week In Education: Talk Radio: The "Month In Review" Starts At Noon

Talk Radio: The "Month In Review" Starts At Noon

by Alexander Russo

Listen to internet radio with alexanderrusso on Blog Talk Radio

Starting at 12 noon Eastern you should be able to click on the play button above and listen to the Month In Review roundtable conference call about the education news of the month. (And what a month it's been!) If that doesn't work, click here to go to the site page. We're scheduled to have Jay Mathews, Greg Toppo, Dorie Turner, and Beth Shuster on the line. It's raw and unrehearsed and so it should be pretty lively. If you want to comment or ask a question during the show use thisweekineducation at gmail dot com or send me something on Twitter at @alexanderrusso, or press "1" if you're a call-in listener. We'll try and save time for some interaction at the end of the show. For general comments (ie, "this show is great / sucks") use the hashtag #twie to make sure we don't miss your brilliant insights.

Secretary Dunkin’ The Thunder from Downunder – ED.gov Blog

Secretary Dunkin’ – ED.gov Blog

Secretary Dunkin’

TALLULAH, La.—The Madison High School Jaguars brought a ringer onto the basketball court with them Thursday evening: a Cabinet secretary.

After a day of events in Arkansas and Louisiana, Secretary Duncan changed out of his suit and tie for a 30-minute scrimmage with the team. More than 300 students, parents, teachers and members of this 9,200-person community turned out to watch and cheer.

The well-coached Jaguars evidently have developed a system that works for them, running plays smoothly and connecting on their passes. It took Arne’s young teammates awhile to adjust to a new player—his no-look passes seemed to throw them off their game—but they soon found a rhythm. At halftime, Arne’s team trailed 38-42.

Click here for an accessible version of the video.

One of the teachers watching from the bleachers was Hazel S. Suluki. Forty-three years ago, as a senior in college, she was thrust into leading her first classroom when her student-teaching mentor left mid-year. She has been in education ever since—as an elementary school teacher, a principal and director of school-based health. For the last two years she’s been at Madison. Ask her which of the students on the court tonight were hers and she’ll say “all of them.”

Ms. Suluki teaches “life skills” at Madison. She helps high schoolers create résumés and prep for job interviews. She teaches them how to take the knowledge they’ve gained in their academic classes and apply it to their lives beyond the classroom.

“Not all of our children are going to go to college,” she believes, “but they are going to have some type of job.”

As for her own job, this grandmother of eight has no plans to retire.

“I just want to keep giving something back. I want to be a school marm forever,” she said. “I want to wear out, not rust out.”

When the basketball players come to class on Friday, Ms. Suluki plans to discuss what they learned from their pick-up game with the visiting Secretary of Education. She noticed the boys seemed comfortable enough with their temporary teammate to shove him on the court like any other opponent. “It’s like he’s just a big friend out there to them,” she said.

The final score of Thursday evening’s game: 58-56. Arne and his half of the Mighty Jaguars squad pulled out a victory.

“I love the school spirit here,” he told the crowd after the game. “I love the camaraderie. Hope you guys have a great, great school year.”

Massie Ritsch
Office of Communications & Outreach

This entry was written by jjohnson, posted

Straight Up Conversation: Louisiana Schools Chief Paul Pastorek Reflects on RTT :: Frederick M. Hess

Straight Up Conversation: Louisiana Schools Chief Paul Pastorek Reflects on RTT

by Frederick M. Hess • Aug 27, 2010 at 9:29 am
Cross-posted from Education Week

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Less than a month ago, our earnest Secretary of Education described Louisiana as "leading the way" with data systems that monitor teacher preparation programs and student performance. Louisiana has been ranked a top-ten state for teacher policy, data systems, and charter schooling by the National Council on Teacher Quality, the Data Quality Campaign, and the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. (And, for what it's worth, inmy new Fordham Institute study published this week, New Orleans graded out as the nation's most vibrant city when it comes to school reform.) All of this makes Louisiana's failure to win one of the dozen Race to the Top billets more than a little controversial. Louisiana's reformers are frustrated and wondering what to make of the results. Penny Dastugue, a member of the Louisiana's Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, said she was "absolutely shocked... We were confident that we would prevail in round two, and we had strengthened our application after the first round... There's no rational explanation... We're all shaking our heads."

On Wednesday, I chatted with Louisiana's heralded state chief Paul Pastorek about the results. The ever-

Back To School Tour – ED.gov Blog

Courage in the Classroom

Honoring America’s Teachers

As students go back to school, Secretary Duncan is taking a bus tour to visit schools, honor and listen to teachers, meet with parents and students, and highlight success. Come along for the ride. See the schedule.

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Memories from Monroe

August 27, 2010 – 8:35 am

The “Courage in the Classroom” tour pulled our big blue bus into Monroe, La., on Thursday afternoon. Here’s what we did in town:

Growing Good Habits

Just as there’s promise in a new school year, there’s promise in the sprouts that have popped up through the dirt of the garden at J.S. Clark Magnet School. In time there will be peppers, eggplant and herbs.

Teachers, students and families at J.S. Clark have been embarking on a schoolwide health, nutrition and exercise program. The cafeteria menu has been redesigned to include more whole grains and vegetables, and a registered dietitian teaches healthy habits to students—and adults.

“All of us need to be in better shape,” Principal Christie Taylor said during a roundtable with folks involved in this important initiative.

Click here for an accessible version of the video.

We Are Family

We got word that the Louisiana Federation of Teachers was having a back-to-school meeting at a Monroe community center, so we rolled on over for a drop-in before heading out of town. This was no ordinary meeting. For one thing, it had a soundtrack. We had a great time with these teachers. See for yourself.

ASCD Inservice: Closing Opportunity Gaps

Closing Opportunity Gaps

For more than a decade, school reform has focused on closing achievement gaps for minority and economically disadvantaged students—primarily as measured by outcomes on standardized tests. But is it fair to demand equal education outcomes without demanding that students receive equal opportunities to succeed?

This issue of ASCD Express will look at what's happening at the federal, state, district, school, and classroom levels to address inequities in funding, curriculum access, facilities, preschool experiences, health care, and teacher quality. How are schools providing extended learning opportunities? What role can vouchers and

Va.'s New NCLB Targets: To Be Determined - State EdWatch - Education Week

Va.'s New NCLB Targets: To Be Determined

by Stacy Morford

By guest blogger Stephen Sawchuk

So just what percentage of Virginia students have to be on grade level in each school to make "adequate yearly progress" under the No Child Left Behind Act? Well, it has to exceed 81 percent this year, and after that ... the state doesn't actually know yet and neither, apparently, does the U.S. Department of Education.

The genesis of this situation is in this request from the state, to hold its AYP target steady at 81 percent this year, and this letter from the Education Department.

Theoretically this is no big whoop, as states have been permitted to submit amendments to their accountability plans since the early days of the law. In the past, ED has let a handful of states re-set the targets following major changes to their instructional programs, like adopting a harder curriculum. Virginia officials are making the

CNSNews.com - Obama Education Grants Politicized, School Choice Advocates Say

Obama Education Grants Politicized, School Choice Advocates Say
Thursday, August 26, 2010
By Fred Lucas, Staff Writer

(Photo Courtesy of U.S. Department of Education)

(CNSNews.com) - Politics may have played a role in the awarding of some Obama administration education reform grants, say pro school-choice groups that believe the reforms did not go far enough.

Education Secretary Arne Duncan announced Tuesday that nine states and Washington, D.C. qualified for “Race to the Top” grants in the second phase of a program that rewards states for promoting charter schools -- public schools run by non-governmental entities, which tie teacher evaluation to student performance.

With 18 states vying for a $3.4 billion pie, the department awarded grants to the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Maryland, North Carolina, New York, Ohio, and Rhode Island. Only

Senate Report Hints at Future Direction for ESEA EducationNews.org

EducationNews.org

Senate Report Hints at Future Direction for ESEA
8.27.10 - Language buried in a report on a Senate appropriations bill may provide a glimpse of the bar Congress will set for judging the effectiveness of school improvement interventions.

Children's grasp of the 3Rs at its worst in a decade: One in five struggling to spell at age seven
8.27.10 - Almost 105,000 seven-year-old pupils fail to reach the writing standards expected of their age this spring, struggling to use capital letters and spell words. ...

Kindergartens see more Hispanic, Asian students
8.27.10 - The kindergarten class of 2010-11 is less white, less black, more Asian and much more Hispanic than in 2000, reflecting the nation's rapid racial and ethnic transformation....

HISD families could get up to $1,020 if kids master math
8.27.10 - Fifth-graders at select Houston ISD schools will get richer for passing math tests - and their parents will get paid, too - under a rare experiment to try to boost student performance with cash incentives totaling as much as $1,020 per family.

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