Sunday links. « Fred Klonsky's blog

Sunday links. « Fred Klonsky's blog

Sunday links.

by Fred Klonsky

“We want our country back.” I don’t think so. Photo courtesy M. Ely

Charter schools: Choosing segregation. A couple of researchers have found that charters tend to be more racially isolated than their regular public school counterpart. “Racially isolated,” is academic speak for “white’s only.” So much for the Civil Rights Movement of our time, eh?
Stephen Krashen writes to the NY Times in response to the increasingly annoying Thomas Friedman, reminding him that the 800 pound gorilla in the room when it comes to improving teaching and learning ispoverty.
Many conversations like this took place this Thanksgiving? The family gathers around the holiday table. Turkey, cranberries and sweet potatoes with marshmallows are passed around. And then the conversation shifts to uncle Bill or Aunt Mary, the school teacher in the family. Fingers are pointed and uncle Bill or Aunt Mary finds

The Wall.

by Fred Klonsky

Schools Matter: Oprah and Eli

Schools Matter: Oprah and Eli

Oprah and Eli

by Jim Horn

For some it has been a mystery why someone with Oprah's public image would be up to her neck in corporate education reform built on planned segregation and exploitation of the poor and the brown. Yet her recent 60-minute infomercial with Gates and Guggenheim to pump Waiting for Superman is indicative of her aggressive parroting of the corporate welfare charter meme. Same with the televised love fest she sponsored for New Jersey's loudmouthed governor, Newark mayor's Cory Booker, and the billionaire twink, Zuckerberg.

But as Bracey always said, just follow the money to find the source of the heartfelt commitment. Most of us

School reform engine may be losing momentum - Wire - Lifestyle - bellinghamherald.com

School reform engine may be losing momentum - Wire - Lifestyle - bellinghamherald.com

School reform engine may be losing momentum

By DAVID HARRISON - Stateline.org

LOUISVILLE, KY. This has been a busy year for education reformers. Primed by billions in stimulus funding, states spent much of 2010 scrambling to complete ambitious school improvement plans outlined in detail in hundreds of pages of applications for federal " Race to the Top" funding.

Many have adopted policies that are central to the Obama administration's education agenda, such as changing the ways teachers are evaluated, giving more latitude to charter schools, revising student tracking systems and putting an emphasis on turning around low-performing schools. As part of a separate but related effort, 41 states have adopted a standard math and English curriculum endorsed by federal officials.

But now, as the year ends, the reform enthusiasm seems to have cooled. Out of 46 applications received, the U.S. Department of Education awarded $4.35 billion in Race to the Top grants to only 11 states and the District of Columbia. The looming end of stimulus

Read more: http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2010/11/28/1743370/school-reform-engine-may-be-losing.html#ixzz16aQL64Iw

Educators must take lead in defining school reform - NJ.com

Educators must take lead in defining school reform - NJ.com

Educators must take lead in defining school reform

Friday, November 26, 2010

SPECIAL TO THE TIMES

Linking the achievements of schoolchildren to the evaluation and compensation of the adults who work with them is an important undertaking. It is so important that the federal government has selected 13 states and the District of Columbia to receive $4 billion in Race to the Top grants to develop education reforms. A primary area for research is the recruitment, development, reward and retention of effective teachers and principals, especially where they are needed most.

The Bill and Linda Gates Foundation is also funding experiments in teacher evaluation and performance pay. The Pittsburgh school district obtained $40 million; Los Angeles charter schools, $60 million; and Memphis schools, $90 million. The Hillsborough County district in Florida, which includes Tampa, won the biggest grant: $100 million. This, the nation's eighth-largest school system, is looking to reshape its 15,000-member teaching corps by rewarding according to student achievement instead of teacher seniority.

New Jersey, which notoriously did not obtain Race to the Top funding, is headed in the same direction, but on a different path. Gov. Christie has

Other school systems unlikely to embrace city's radical teachers' contract - baltimoresun.com

Other school systems unlikely to embrace city's radical teachers' contract - baltimoresun.com

Other school systems unlikely to embrace city teachers contract

Teachers in other districts are represented by a different national unions

Mike McCabe says he has had a "good gig" teaching in Montgomery County schools for the past decade, but the contract that Baltimore teachers approved recently is attracting his attention and making him ponder a move.

"I want the ability to be paid based on how well I do what I do as opposed to how well I survive the school year. It is something I will keep an eye on," he said.

While it is too early to say whether the passage of a radical new teachers' contract in the city will have any effect on how other union contracts are negotiated, or whether teachers from other districts might be attracted to the city, the contract has gotten a lot of attention.

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Text DEALS to 70701 to sign up for Sun deals text alerts and you'll be entered to win a $100 Target gift certificate.

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"I think it is very likely that school systems and negotiating teams will be looking very closely at this agreement. What is in it? What

Pols like City Councilman Charles Barron say they'll sue if Bloomberg pushes ahead with Cathie Black

Pols like City Councilman Charles Barron say they'll sue if Bloomberg pushes ahead with Cathie Black

BY KATHLEEN LUCADAMO AND RACHEL MONAHAN
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS

Sunday, November 28th 2010, 4:00 AM

News, AP

Cathie Black (top left), Mayor Bloomberg (bottom left), Joel Klein (top right) and David Steiner are at center of schools post storm.

RELATED NEWS

• Pols divided on how to proceed with Black dilemma
• Editorial: Give Bloomy Black
• Anti-Cathie Black push gaining strength
• Lisberg: Pigheaded Bloomy made mistake with Black
• Black's next move
• Panel votes down Bloomy's pick for schools head

A day after Mayor Bloomberg made a deal to salvage his pick for schools chancellor, elected officials were threatening legal action to stop it.

The carefully orchestrated compromise to appoint a second-in-command with education experience alongside chancellor candidate and media execCathie Black hasn't silenced her fiercest critics.

City Councilman Charles Barron (D-Brooklyn), who protested with parents and other lawmakers in Brownsville, vowed to file for a restraining order to block Black's appointment.

"We question the legality of her riding on someone else's credentials," said Barron, likening the decision to allowing someone to drive a car without a license if the passenger has one.

Experts said legal action might have to wait until state Education Department

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/education/2010/11/28/2010-11-28_ya_cant_do_this__well_sue_cry_pols.html#ixzz16aNDSO83

Cathie Black claims to have educational experience with charter school board post, but it's moot

Cathie Black claims to have educational experience with charter school board post, but it's moot

BY MEREDITH KOLODNER AND GREG B. SMITH
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS

Sunday, November 28th 2010, 4:00 AM

Handschuh/News

Parents and school officials at the Harlem Village Academies School say they've had little contact with schools chancellor nominee Cathie Black.

RELATED NEWS

• Voice of the People for November 17, 2010
• Molloy: Cathie ought to see how school lifts spirits
• 'Superman' is super
• Harlem gets new school for projects
• Louis: Moskowitz foes offer much ado about nothing
• Harlem Success charter lives up to its name

City schools chancellor nominee Cathie Black insists she's connected to public education via a highly touted charter school - but a close look shows she's had no contact with students, parents or teachers there.

Officials at the Harlem Village Academies admit the school's National Leadership Board, which Black joined just five months ago, has never met.

That board "has no operational or governing authority" over the school and exists for "support purposes only," the school said in response to Daily News questions.

Black primarily advised the school's CEO, Deborah Kenny, on "management, leadership, and the development of a book" Kenny is writing, the school said.

Harlem Village parents and former employees had little knowledge of Black, who is

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/education/2010/11/28/2010-11-28_its_black__her_fuzzy_facts_sits_on_charter_school_board_thats_never_held_a_meeti.html#ixzz16aJ420Nh

Pols prepare legal action to block Black from schools post

by KATHLEEN LUCADAMO and RACHEL MONAHAN, DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS

A day after Mayor Bloomberg made a deal to salvage his pick for schools chancellor, elected officials were threatening legal action to stop it.

Schools Matter: Responding to Thomas Friedman: Poverty, not teachers' rank in graduating class

Schools Matter: Responding to Thomas Friedman: Poverty, not teachers' rank in graduating class

Responding to Thomas Friedman: Poverty, not teachers' rank in graduating class

by skrashen

November 27, 2010

Letter in the NY Times

Raising Performance in Our Schools

Response to Friedman, Teaching for America, Nov. 21:http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/21/opinion/21friedman.html?_r=1&ref=opinion

• To the Editor:

Thomas L. Friedman notes that in countries like Denmark and Finland that

Exposing 8th grade US History textbook obvious lies in wars, money, and power | Dailycensored.com

Exposing 8th grade US History textbook obvious lies in wars, money, and power | Dailycensored.com

Exposing 8th grade US History textbook obvious lies in wars, money, and power

by Carl_Herman

source: Carl Herman, Examiner.com

The following is what I wrote and delivered to meeting participants concerning our school’s 8th grade US History text; a leading national textbook. Surprisingly, the textbook company author in attendance was in agreement (this person co-authored the 7th grade text). All of Social Science teachers and administrator managing our department are also in agreement. We’re developing primary source documents for our students to read and then compare to the text’s account of history to see these lies of omission and commission for themselves.

Consider the 5-minute PuppetGov video, “Simple card tricks for war” on the left as an historic and artistic expression to show how Americans are lied-into wars.

Teaching in a social justice and historically accurate frame

Thank you for meeting with us today to discuss how to best use our text. What I have to communicate is central

Queens Teacher: Another Politician Loses Due to Support of Mayor & Charters

Queens Teacher: Another Politician Loses Due to Support of Mayor & Charters

Another Politician Loses Due to Support of Mayor & Charters

by Queens Teacher

Dishing with Dee: Padavan lost due to UFT backing Avella for Senate
By Dee Richard



It would seem to me that it’s a blame game tactic to divert you from the reality of a local, totally incompetent Republican management of campaigners as opposed to a totally competent Democratic Party management of campaigners. Live and learn, guys — copying a winner’s tactics is not only a good thing but a smart thing. Do not be so angry and upset that you miss the valuable lessons to be learned and do not fall victim to a bait-and-switch game. To be the declared big winners the next time out, you have to run a smarter, tougher campaign.

In spite of all the Monday morning quarterbacking, it is this columnist’s opinion that the real reason for Frank

Schools Matter: John Walton: DFER Catalyst?

Schools Matter: John Walton: DFER Catalyst?

John Walton: DFER Catalyst? John Walton: DFER catalyst? So says Whitney Tilson in an interview from his documentary, A Right Denied. Here is a snippet: [DFER was started] …with a few other friends that are involved with a couple other other charter schools, and they were money ...

Perplexed; Imagine in FL Recently, the state of Indiana released a list of schools that failed to make AYP. I'm not going to discuss the (de)merits of AYP; instead, I'm going to point out something that, as the title of this post suggests, has me a bit perplexed. Two of the ...

John Walton: DFER Catalyst? « DFER Watch

John Walton: DFER Catalyst? « DFER Watch

John Walton: DFER Catalyst?

by kennethlibby

John Walton: DFER catalyst? So says Whitney Tilson in an interview from his documentary, A Right Denied. Here is a snippet: [DFER was started] …with a few other friends that are involved with a couple other other charter schools, and they were money managers like me involved with a couple similarly high-performing charter schools, we [...]

NYC Public School Parents: The Not-Quite-Good-Enough-Chancellor and her Sidekick?

NYC Public School Parents: The Not-Quite-Good-Enough-Chancellor and her Sidekick?

The Not-Quite-Good-Enough-Chancellor and her Sidekick?

by Paola de Kock

Bowing to the painfully obvious, even the stacked panelassembled by Commissioner Steiner voted to deny Cathie Black the waiver she needs to overcome her utter lack of qualifications to be NYC's schools chancellor. But our very clever Commissioner had something up his sleeve: he gave the panel a third choice besides "yes" or "no": a co-chancellorship of sorts with someone who actually knows something about education. Bloomberg promptly submitted a revised waiver application, adding man with education credentials Shael Polakow-Suransky to help out the corporate exec formerly billed as the only person who could do the tough job of NYC schools chancellor.

What good can come of this scenario?

Looking through the very long list of things Suransky will be responsible for, one can’t help but ask: will there be anything left for Cathie Black to do besides wielding the budget ax? That certainly entails “difficult decisions” (as