Latest News and Comment from Education

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Crimes of the State:Creating New Definitions | Dailycensored.com

Crimes of the State:Creating New Definitions | Dailycensored.com

Crimes of the State:Creating New Definitions

indoctrination 195x300 Crimes of the State:Creating New Definitions

Crimes of the State: Defining What is and is not being done in “Our Name”

By: Solomon Comissiong

Definitions are important…however who defines “what” and “how” is even more important. Definitions often provide much needed substance to terms that are purposefully vague at best. Terms without contextual definitions, much like historical epochs, prevent individuals from gaining a comprehensive understanding of a broad range of important political issues. This, however, is not by accident. It has often been the modus operandi for duplicitous rulers (especially those not wanting to ever relinquish power) to obfuscate and create limited definitions as a means towards programming the masses. Governmentally sanctioned “educational” centers, to mass media, play integral roles in disseminating revisionist history and warped terminologies. As masses of non-critically engaged thinkers become older this scheme becomes more effective. They, in essence, like trained dogs, have been taught how and what not to think. Unfortunately, in most cases, the use of deductive reasoning, along with discursive logic—are underutilized skills. This well oiled system of mass

The American Spectator : Mutually Contradictory

The American Spectator : Mutually Contradictory

Mutually Contradictory

Barack Obama managed a spectacular feat last year when he convinced fellow congressional Democrats to set aside $5 billion from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for what became his Race to the Top school reform initiative. Obama won some well-deserved praise for using those dollars, along with his bully pulpit (and that of his Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan), to coax even states such as California to remove restrictions on the expansion of charter schools and subject teachers to private sector-style performance management. This has weakened the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers, which have long counted on the Democratic Party (and their influence in statehouses) to dominate

Opinion: Education spurs innovation - Wendy Hawkins - POLITICO.com

Opinion: Education spurs innovation - Wendy Hawkins - POLITICO.com

Education spurs innovation

A teacher and student go over a science lesson.
Opinion: Students in the U.S. are falling behind in math, science and engineering. | AP PhotoClose

The new “basic” level of understanding required of all students today is significantly higher than in the past. They must understand math and science at levels that allow them to participate fully in the 21st century.

This means knowing how to use technology – an ever-more ubiquitous tool in every kind of work environment – effectively. Students must be scientifically and mathematically literate to understand the news of the day and how to budget for their families. They need to be able to manage their own health care effectively. They need to be able to understand crucial topics, like



Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1210/46053.html#ixzz17Qr8ODLL

Inquisitorial Squad or Dumbledore's Army? - Ed Thoughts

Inquisitorial Squad or Dumbledore's Army? - Ed Thoughts

Inquisitorial Squad or Dumbledore's Army? - Ed Thoughts

While watching the latest Harry Potter this past weekend, I couldn't help making a lot of cheesy ed reform jokes after laying eyes on Dolores Umbridge again. "From the Ministry of Education comes Educational Decree Number 2001: The No Child Left Behind Act."

Her appearance (and my subsequent re-reading of HP5...love Order of the Phoenix!) reminded me of an important historical fact: it is typically totalitarian regimes that attempt to exercise the most control over education.
potter2.jpg
At the present moment, I don't think our government is such a regime...but they may very well be making us vulnerable to one in the future, with their mandatory emphasis on a narrow set of frequently (and intrusively) tested, low-level skills. We should be more concerned about students' ability to use both basic and critical

Seattle Public Schools community blog: Dammit Oprah! (Let's Get Diane Ravitch on Her Show)

Seattle Public Schools community blog: Dammit Oprah! (Let's Get Diane Ravitch on Her Show)

Dammit Oprah! (Let's Get Diane Ravitch on Her Show)

I tape Oprah because she sometimes does a worthwhile show but this, her last season with this format, has been dismal.

You can imagine my dismay when I saw that Oprah's show opened today with her favorite...Michelle Rhee. Turns out Rhee isn't taking any job (I'm sure she would have had Meg Whitman won the governorship in California). She's going to start a program for "kids". She complains there is no one to speak for kids.

First, I'm sorry but what an ego. There are many, many groups that speak for children in the country who have existed for a long time (even speaking for education). She claims that if you ask kids they all say they want a good teacher. I'm sure that's true but they also want a pony and an iPhone. We can all be for kids but we also know as adults we have to make decisions for them. It's always been a cheap argument to say "do it for the

Achievement ≠ Test Scores « JD2718

Achievement ≠ Test Scores « JD2718

Achievement ≠ Test Scores

DECEMBER 7, 2010 AM31 1:12 AM

Growth ≠ Test Scores
Learning ≠ Test Scores
Teacher Performance ≠ Increase in Test Scores

Achievement ≠ Test Scores
Growth ≠ Test Scores
Learning ≠ Test Scores
Teacher Performance ≠ Increase in Test Scores

And those who disagree – Rhee, Klein, Kaplan, TfA, Duncan, and even Obama, they don’t really disagree. For their own kids, those that have them, they don’t disagree. For their friends’ kids, they don’t disagree. For the children of the wealthy, they don’t disagree. For the children of the

Shael Polakow-Suransky reiterates Bloomberg party line - Cathie Black is in charge

Shael Polakow-Suransky reiterates Bloomberg party line - Cathie Black is in charge

Shael Polakow-Suransky reiterates Bloomberg party line - Cathie Black is in charge

Tuesday, December 7th 2010, 4:00 AM

Cathie Black agreed to an appointment of a deputy in a compromise to secure her state waiver, but there's no doubt about who's calling the shots.
Seth Wenig
Cathie Black agreed to an appointment of a deputy in a compromise to secure her state waiver, but there's no doubt about who's calling the shots.

The new top deputy to incoming Schools Chancellor Cathie Black says he's not completely clear on what his new job entails.

"We're going to start Jan. 1, so we have some time to work those things out," Shael Polakow-Suransky said Monday night after addressing the Staten Island Community Education Council.

Polakow-Suransky, currently a deputy chancellor, was named last month to the new post of chief academic officer - part of a deal to win a state waiver for Black, who has no education background.



Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/education/2010/12/07/2010-12-07_shael_polakowsuransky_reiterates_bloomberg_party_line__cathie_black_is_in_charge.html#ixzz17QkZPwqw

Queens Teacher: The Downside of Mayoral Control of Schools

Queens Teacher: The Downside of Mayoral Control of Schools

The Downside of Mayoral Control of Schools

The Downside of Mayoral Control of Schools
By Walt Gardner

Faced with the daunting task of turning around failing schools, a number of cities over the past 20 years put their mayors in charge of the job. Although this strategy ran counter to a long tradition of school board independence, it was seen as the most effective way to speed up the pace of reform.

The most dramatic example was New York City, home of the nation's largest school district. In 2002, Mayor Michael Bloomberg convinced the state Legislature to grant him the power he sought. Whether he has been successful depends largely on who is queried. What is undeniable, however, is the controversy surrounding Bloomberg's recent appointment of Cathleen Black to be the new chancellor, replacing Joel Klein, who will take a post with News Corp.

The problem for Bloomberg was that New York State requires a waiver for anyone who lacks education qualifications. The mayor succeeded in getting the waiver by agreeing to allow Shael Polakow-Suransky to be

The Answer Sheet - Assessing teachers without fetishizing test-based reforms

The Answer Sheet - Assessing teachers without fetishizing test-based reforms

Assessing teachers without fetishizing test-based reforms

This was written by Kevin Welner, a professor of education policy and program evaluation in the School of Education at the University of Colorado at Boulder, and director of the National Education Policy Center. He can be reached at welner@colorado.edu. By Kevin G. Welner Remember how “the soft bigotry of low expectations” beautifully encapsulated a serious equity issue and then led to a destructive No Child Left Behind law that has narrowed the curriculum and forced educators to over-test students and teach to tests? We are, I fear, now at the same point with teacher quality. Lost within the ongoing craziness of leaders using teacher and principal dismissal as a primary strategy to fix public schools (along with the echo chamber of irresponsible punditry and filmmaking) are some important truths about teacher quality.

The Robert Bobb Sad Saga Continues: Part 2 | Seattle Education 2010

The Robert Bobb Sad Saga Continues: Part 2 | Seattle Education 2010

The Robert Bobb Sad Saga Continues: Part 2

This just in.

Robert Bobb

Remember Robert Bobb, the Emergency Financial Manager in Detroit who made a mess of things in the Detroit Public Schools? The person who I wrote about in, Robert Bobb: The Sad Saga Continues? The one who Eli Broad still thinks would make a great DC Chancellor of Schools? The one who I wrote about on the Huffington Post ? That Bob Bobb? Well, BAMN came through and was victorious along with the Detroit School Board ontaking back their schools.

Here is the press release:

COURT DECLARES EMERGENCY FINANCIAL MANAGER’S TAKEOVER OF DETROIT PUBLIC SCHOOLS ILLEGAL

BAMN (By Any Means Necessary) and Detroit School Board Score Major Legal Victory Against Market-Based Corporate Education Models.

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: New report: The right way to evaluate teachers

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: New report: The right way to evaluate teachers

New report: The right way to evaluate teachers

What is presently being pawned of by corporate reformers as a reform of teacher evaluation has little grounding in education research and makes for bad policy. This according to a policy brief

School Tech Connect: Pearson Education-- Always Learning

School Tech Connect: Pearson Education-- Always Learning

Pearson Education-- Always Learning

Back to this fabulous expose of the life of a test-scorer, by Dan DiMaggio.

What? A corporation

DPS, Gates to announce charter compacts | EdNewsColorado

DPS, Gates to announce charter compacts | EdNewsColorado

DPS, Gates to announce charter compacts

Logo for Denver Public SchoolsOfficials from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation today are scheduled to announce district-charter partnerships in nine key city school districts, including New York, Los Angeles and Denver.

The partnerships differ by district but in Denver, elements of a compact signed by 25 charter school leaders include locating schools in the city’s highest-needs areas and providing quality programs for all students, including English language learners and those with special needs.

The charters also agree to open their doors to students moving in the middle of the school year. This fall, 11