Friday, October 29, 2010

John Milewski: Is Waiting for 'Superman' Kryptonite for Real Education Reform?

John Milewski

Host of "Dialogue" (Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars)

Posted: October 29, 2010 11:16 AM

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Is Waiting for 'Superman'Kryptonite for Real Education Reform?

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For weeks now the ad banner for the film, Waiting for "Superman" has been very prominent on The Huffington Post. The film has generated rave reviews (91% positive on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer). More importantly, it has stimulated robust conversation and debate around the subject of education reform. But will the film's ideas, fueled by its pop culture success, lead us down the wrong path?

Most films about education, dramas and documentaries alike, are drawn to the heroic model for fixing problems. If Clark Kent would just give up the newspaper job (before he's downsized?), and move his "S" to an inner city school, he could transform it into a super-powered charter school that could leap test scores in a single bound as

Portland State University's Homeless Problem: Insensitive Students | End Homelessness | Change.org

Portland State University's Homeless Problem: Insensitive Students

by David Henderson

Portland State University has a homeless problem. A recent opinion piece in the student newspaper, the Vanguard, laments the intrusion of so-called "transients" into the university's libraries and other buildings. The author of the piece, Janieve Schnabel, fears that "as the weather gets colder and the rains come, the problem is only going to get worse."

Indeed, Portland State has a homeless problem. It seems their student newspaper is grossly insensitive toward the homeless. Tell Portland State's newspaper to retract these stereotypes of the homeless!

Schnabel tries to excuse her bigotry by writing, "Don't get me wrong — this is not about inherent prejudice

Portland School Board subcommittee reviews two charter school applications, expresses concern over one for elementary | OregonLive.com

Portland School Board subcommittee reviews two charter school applications, expresses concern over one for elementary

Published: Friday, October 29, 2010, 9:00 AM

Molly Hottle, The Oregonian
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Several Portland School Board members puzzled over a proposed charter school's application Tuesday, expressing concern that the submission was missing fundamental elements.

A proposed location and curriculum plan were notably absent from the proposal for the Global Learning Charter School, an elementary geared toward disadvantaged students, said Kristen Miles, charter schools manager for Portland Public Schools. A charter schools subcommittee, made up of three school board members, conducted a review of the application at a meeting with other district staff members.

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"These are just basic things that don't make sense," said school board and subcommittee member Trudy Sargent.

The meeting allowed district staff to share with the subcommittee the review of two charter applications -- Global Learning and another for Golden Leaf Charter High School. Golden Leaf had eight organizers at the meeting, but no one from Global Learning attended.

Oregon has allowed charter schools to be formed since 1999; nine

The Answer Sheet - Waiting for sanity in education reform

Waiting for sanity in education reform

My guest is George Wood, principal of Federal Hocking High School in Stewart, Ohio, and executive director of the non-profit Forum for Education and Democracy, a collaboration of educators from around the country. By George Wood This fall brought not only the start of another school year but plenty of noise about schools as well. A movie, a manifesto, and a mayoral election in Washington D.C. all amplified the ongoing debate about who the real education reformers are. Noise and more noise. Thank goodness for the sane voices that arose in the midst of all this. There is Diane Ravitch with her continued campaign that brings us back to what is really at stake when filmmakers try to bend public opinion. And Mike Rose, always close to the ground, reminding us of what school reform really involves. Now comes the news that, in light of whatever is going to happen

Towards an Organic Learning Community (ARTICLE) | Democratic Education

Towards an Organic Learning Community (ARTICLE)

2010 OCTOBER 28

tags: Community Education, community-based education,Democratic Education, Manish Jain, organic education, organic learning, Shikshantar, Shilpa Jain, udaipur

by Democratic Education

The Shikshantar team building a meeting space beneath the trees.

Shilpa Jain and Manish Jain

In 1998, a few friends got tired of hearing that they were “too idealistic”. Every time they raised critical questions about the dominant thinking on education and development, they were either asked for the magical all-encompassing Solution (to be given in thirty seconds or less) or pushed aside with comments like, “That’s all true, but how will we financially survive without the System?” They came from different contexts—UNESCO, a very large NGO in India and a major private school in Pakistan. Yet, each felt the global system of factory-schooling they were being asked to promote was causing far more harm than good, both to individuals and to local communities. This model of

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: The 100 schools with the most "posh"

The 100 schools with the most "posh"

The Sun-Times headline reads, "Posh Schools Make Grade." They aren't kidding. Of the 100 top elementary schools in Illinois, not one has 50% or more, low-income kids.

Among the 100 top high schools and elementary schools, there's not a single charter school and all 100 have unionized teachers.

As usual, standardized test scores are the only criteria used in determining "top schools." If you take them seriously, students seem to be getting dumber as them move from elementary to high school.

Meanwhile, state Schools Supt. Christopher Koch noted the increasing "disconnect'' between the Illinois Standards Achievement Tests, which 80.9 percent of all third- through

Vote -- All the Cool Kids Are Doing It | California Progress Report

Vote -- All the Cool Kids Are Doing It

by christine

By Rebecca Greenberg
California Labor Federation

We come from all walks of life. Some of us are students, some are workers, and some are jobless. Some of us are laden with student debt. Some of us work to support our children, some work to support our parents. Some of us have had to postpone starting a family, and some of us have had to move back in with our parents just to make ends meet. But we all have one thing in common -- we are the young voters of California. And it’s time for us to flex our muscle at the polls, take control of California’s future and fight off the right wing’s attempt at a hostile corporate takeover of our state.

Field Poll: Latino Voters Give Brown Solid Lead Against Whitman

by christine

By Ngoc Nguyen

In the final week before the midterm elections, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brown now has a commanding 10-point lead over GOP contender Meg Whitman, 49 percent to 39 percent, according to the latest Field Poll.

The new poll, released Thursday in collaboration with New America Media, found that Brown is edging ahead among women, Latinos, independents and voters in all-important Los Angeles County.

A year ago, about 50 percent of voters said they favored Brown, but that number had been trending downward in recent months, reaching its lowest point (41 percent) this past September. A year ago, Whitman began with about 29 percent of voter support, pulling even with her Democratic opponent (41 percent) by September. Since then, however, a number of key factors have swung the race back toward Brown.

No IEA RA at the Hyatt Regency. � Fred Klonsky's blog

No IEA RA at the Hyatt Regency.

by Fred Klonsky

Hyatt owner Penny Pritzker.

I posted yesterday that the union representing the workers at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare was asking for a boycott. I’m running as a delegate, but will not attend if the meeting is held at that hotel.

Unite Here:

Union contracts covering Hyatt O’Hare workers and approximately 8,000 other Chicago-area hotel workers expired on August 31, 2009. On July 29, 2010,

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