Sunday, November 28, 2010

N.J. schools struggle with increasing class sizes as budgets, teachers are cut | NJ.com

N.J. schools struggle with increasing class sizes as budgets, teachers are cut

Published: Sunday, November 28, 2010, 9:00 AM Updated: Sunday, November 28, 2010, 9:08 AM

Jeanette Rundquist/The Star-Ledger
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Ed Murray/The Star-LedgerTwo physical education classes of 120 students run in class at the Herbert Hoover Middle School in Edison on Tuesday November, 16, 2010.

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EDISON — The gymnasium at Herbert Hoover Middle School in Edison was bouncing with energy one recent morning as 120 seventh-graders, dressed in shorts, T-shirts and sneakers, lined up and began doing calisthenics.

Teachers Phil Bouchard and Kim Baldassare walked along the rows, each taking attendance of the 60 students in their classes. Last year, before state aid cuts led Edison to reduce teaching staff, phys ed classes at Herbert Hoover numbered around 40 kids.

"Most of the time is devoted to organization, not instruction," Bouchard said, pausing as he checked off names. "It’s very difficult."

Edison eliminated 150 teaching positions, including 6½ at Herbert Hoover, after the school budget was cut by more than $16 million. Herbert Hoover now has math classes of 25 or 26 students, up from last year’s average of 22; foreign language classes of 29

Queens Teacher: Deeper Look at Harlem Village Academies & Black's School "Experience"

Deeper Look at Harlem Village Academies & Black's School "Experience"

by Queens Teacher

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

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.

Another lie.

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

The Answer Sheet - Why non-educator school chiefs aren't the answer

Why non-educator school chiefs aren't the answer

This was written byLarry Cuban, a former high school social studies teacher (14 years, including seven at Cardozo and Roosevelt high schools in the District), district superintendent (seven years in Arlington, Virginia) and professor emeritus of education at Stanford University, where he has taught for 20 years. His latest book is "As Good As It Gets: What School Reform Brought to Austin." This appeared on his blog. By Larry Cuban Many questions accompany the current reform effort for mayors and urban districts to hire non-educators. Here are a few. 1. Where do non-educator superintendents serve? Lawyers Harold Levy and Joel Klein served as Chancellors in New York City. Publishing executive Cathie Black was selected to replace Klein. Paul Vallas, former budget chief for Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, headed that city's schools. Colorado governor Roy Romer went to run Los Angeles schools. Generals John Stanford in Seattle and Julius Becton

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

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

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

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 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.

"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

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

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

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

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

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

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Sunday, November 28, 2010