Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Edumoney Shell Games Again? - Politics K-12 - Education Week

Edumoney Shell Games Again?

by Alyson Klein

Fresh off his state's Race to the Top win, Rhode Island Gov. Donald L. Carcieri has plans to use his state's share of the $10 billion in education jobs funding to help plug budget holes in other areas, not to save education jobs, according to this Providence Journal story.

Does this sound familiar? It should ... states diverted much of the education funding in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to other purposes.

In Rhode Island, the state's chief, Deborah A. Gist, is none too happy with the plan, telling the Providence Journal that she, for one, argued that the money should be used "for its intended purpose," which is to prevent teacher layoffs.

So is this allowable? Well, technically, it would appear to be. The education jobs legislation says the money

The Struggle To Save [Fix?] Smyth Elementary - District 299: Chicago Public Schools Blog

The Struggle To Save [Fix?] Smyth Elementary

by Alexander Russo

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It's a story we've heard a thousand times -- a low performing neighborhood school pressured as new families move in and want more options for their kids. Last year it was Pulaski. The year before it was... I forget. The Chicago Journal has the latest version of the story, involving Smyth Elementary

Secret Hiring Process & Payroll Cost Question

by Alexander Russo

How do top schools fill openings without listing job availabilities and getting swamped with candidates? I'm not sure. But it seems to happen all the time, based on comments and emails like this one from a reader: "I interviewed yesterday for an English opening at Payton (didn't get it) and also was tipped off about an opening at Lincoln Park HS (which the department chair said they just filled). Neither of these jobs was posted on the district website, yet others are. I was under the impression that schools have to post the openings." Also, while

Secretary Duncan’s Reflections About the Bus Tour – ED.gov Blog

Secretary Duncan’s Reflections About the Bus Tour

Secretary Arne Duncan reflects on what he learned during the “Courage in the Classroom” bus tour.

Schools’ Financial Cushion Could Get Thinner voiceofsandiego.org: Schooled: The Education Blog

voiceofsandiego.org: Schooled: The Education Blog:

Schools’ Financial Cushion Could Get Thinner

The San Diego Unified school board is likely to dip deeper into its reserves if Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger doesn't sign a bill to restore state funding for students with disabilities. Doing so would leave it with a thin financial cushion as the school system faces more budget cuts.

The board met tonight to go over their options after the County Office of Education put conditions on approving the San Diego Unified budget, partly because it didn't include the last minute cut to special education funds.

While state lawmakers have given the thumbs up to a bill that would reverse that cut, Gov. Schwarzenegger has yet to sign it. Phil Stover, the deputy superintendent who oversees business operations, said the bill could be signed as early as tomorrow.

If that bill passes, the school district doesn't have to dip into its reserves or find any other cuts for this coming school year. If it doesn't, the school board would have to decide

LA Times Series on Teacher Evaluations Provokes Boycott - uprisingradio.org

LA Times Series on Teacher Evaluations Provokes Boycott

Published 31 Aug 2010, 10:13 am - No Comments -
Filed under Feature Stories

Listen to this segment | the entire program

LA Times In a controversial new series of articles, the Los Angeles Times has begun evaluating Los Angeles Unified School District teachers using a new grading system. This so-called “value-added” analysis attempts to explain student test scores by comparing the student with him or herself as opposed to the presently used Academic Progress Index (API) which compares students to their peers. The Times and proponents of this system claim that it mitigates many of the socio-economic discrepancies that have dogged the accuracy of standardized testing since its genesis. Value-added analysis

bit stumps (private notes): Response to Rick Hess

Response to Rick Hess

Rick, I've looked at the ABC "This Week" transcript, and it's indeed very discouraging to see what is going on. Duncan has indeed mastered the art of speaking much and not saying anything. Although deep down if you do some archeological work to cut through, he's still persuaded that American schools would soar if only we fired 10% of the teachers.

What is disheartening is to see how the value-added is playing out in the media. Amanpour mentioned the poll saying that 'amongst parents, 72 percent say, yes, the teachers should be paid based on the quality of their work, and 28 percent say, no, they should be paid standard scale'. Why don't we just put it on the ballot question then?

CSU Faculty Voice: CSU featured again

CSU featured again

From "diploma mill" to "dropout factory"?

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/college_guide/feature/college_dropout_factories.php?page=all&print=true

Washington Monthly -Sept. 1, 2010
College Guide
Feature
College Dropout Factories
by Ben Miller and Phuong Ly

It was money—or the lack of it—that determined where Nestor Curiel chose to go to college. The third of six children in an immigrant Mexican family, Nestor grew up in Blue Island, a gritty working-class suburb near Chicago’s South Side. His father worked, and still works, two jobs—machine operator and restaurant dishwasher—and his mother makes and sells crocheted gifts. Nestor, a polite twenty-one

This Week In Education: USDE: Secretary Rhee?

USDE: Secretary Rhee?

If as expected Michelle Rhee is soon out of a job in Washington DC then where will she go? Sacramento is the conventional wisdom -- after all she's getting married to Sacto Mayor Kevin Johnson this weekend. Another possibility that's fun to think about is that she'd replace Arne Duncan, the current education secretary, after the midterms or as part of a second Obama administration (assuming he gets one). Once a darling of the Obama campaign -- remember the debate fight over who liked her more? -- she's not anyone's favorite in the current Obama

Your Favorite Teacher Bloggers � The Quick and the Ed

Your Favorite Teacher Bloggers

by Kris Amundson

Earlier this summer, we invited four great teacher bloggers to be part of our Finding the Link event. They added real depth to that conversation.

The bloggers continue to offer great insights into teaching. Today on Organized Chaos, you can find a reflection on iPhones, doctors, and the future of elementary education. On ABCDE, you’ll read abou

Dr. Ronald Ricker and Dr. Venus Nicolino: Emotionally Disturbed Inner City Students

Emotionally Disturbed Inner City Students

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The problems facing today's inner city students, particularly those with behavioral and emotional problems, are innumerable and daunting.

Today, there are vastly more single parent families. Fathers, for the most part are totally absent. Child abuse has increased immensely. The proportion of children in the foster care system has increased dramatically. Ordinary familial roles have deteriorated dramatically. Violence, anger, and acting out are the rule rather than the exception in many families. There are very poor boundaries in relationship to others, especially authority and institutions representing authority

Education Week: Calif. Votes to Reject Texas Textbook Changes

Calif. Votes to Reject Texas Textbook Changes

First K-12 Virtual School in Mass. to Open

Canadian Politician Promises Laptops for Students

Senator Jeanne Shaheen on Education Reform – ED.gov Blog

Senator Jeanne Shaheen on Education Reform

Senator Jeanne Shaheen joined the “Courage in the Classroom” bus tour from Manchester to Portsmouth and offered these thoughts on education reform.

Click here for an accessible version of the video.

� School Open House Season Begins Philly School Search

School Open House Season Begins

by llipkin

It’s Fall, and that means school is starting once again. Parents of schoolchildren are busy buying pencils, paper, trapper keepers (do they still make those?) and new clothes. Parents of preschoolers, on the other hand, now turn their attention to visiting potential kindergarten classes and elementary schools. Personally, I have been chomping at the bit [...]

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