The Death of Federalism? - Bridging Differences - Education Week

The Death of Federalism? - Bridging Differences - Education Week

The Death of Federalism?

by Diane Ravitch

Dear Deborah,

I have received many informative letters this past year from teachers, principals, parents, and others, who tell me what is happening on the ground. One of the most informative arrived a few days ago. I must keep the letter-writer's identity hidden, for reasons that will be obvious.

A superintendent in a small district in the Midwest wrote to tell me that his district wants to adopt higher standards than the ones prescribed in federal law (which rely on the state tests). His district would like to use the ACT for its standards, because its tests are content-based, not skills-based.

But the district needs a federal waiver to switch to higher standards. The superintendent has received the written

Damn Good Education Daily

Damn Good Education Daily

Damn Good Education Daily

Have a Question for Secretary of Education Arne Duncan? Here's Your Chance to Ask It! - Education

good.is - It's a no-brainer that we need an educated workforce for the 21st century economy, so it's no surprise President Obama's stepping up to the education plate during Tuesday's State of the Union addre...

emilyschoolsyou

Tightrope Teaching « My Island View

tomwhitby.wordpress.com - January 24, 2011 by tomwhitby As an adjunct professor at a local private college, I have the privilege each semester to teach one of several methods courses required for our secondary English educa...

tomwhitby

Unpacking Last Week’s “Students Aren’t Learning” Story « Student Activism

studentactivism.net - There’s a new book out called Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses that got a lot of ink last week. It claims that only 55% of American college students improve their scores on...

studentactivism

What do you want to talk about during this week's (1/25) #edchat? (via @web20classroom)

twtpoll.com - Total: 43 votes 1) Is Portfolio Assessment a viable alternative to Summative Assessment Testing? [ 16% (7 votes) ] 2) Will Merit Pay be applicable to all teachers regardless of their subject, o...

tomwhitby

Viewpoints: Brown sours on rigid reforms for schools - Sacramento Opinion - Sacramento Editorial

sacbee.com - When Gov. Jerry Brown replaced seven members of the State Board of Education earlier this month with seven appointees of his own, the overnight response could have been predicted: This was politica...

TeacherRealit

NJ Spotlight | Local Boards vs. Charter Schools

NJ Spotlight | Local Boards vs. Charter Schools

Local Boards vs. Charter Schools

Communities -- especially suburban communities -- are looking to have some say over charter schools in their districts

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By John Mooney, January 25 in Education |1 Comment

How much say should local school districts and communities have over charter schools within their borders?

Related Links

Christie Doctrine for Charter Schools?

Newark and Glen Ridge: Different Routes, Same Road

With tensions reaching a boil over charter schools in New Jersey -- especially ones in the suburbs -- several proposals are being floated from both sides of the political aisle that would provide communities with some additional say over the semi-autonomous schools.

In a nearly four-hour hearing on charter schools before the Assembly education committee, leading Democrats yesterday said they would support putting new charter schools to a vote by local referendum, much like the local school budget or a school construction project.

“I do believe a local referendum should be required,” said state Assemblyman Patrick Diegnan (D-

Last Stand for Children First: Fire All the Bottom Teachers

Last Stand for Children First: Fire All the Bottom Teachers

Fire All the Bottom Teachers

by Last Stand for Children

The past year was a sobering one for Americans, as we learned just what overpaid thieves the teachers of this country truly are and learned that the only people who care about our children are the billionaires working hard to reform education like Eli Broad, Bill Gates, and the Walton Family. To his credit, President Obama put forward a plan for change that hit the mark, a brilliant stroke that even that reminded us that the key to nurturing a growing child is cutthroat competition. Race to the Top, the competitive grant program that harnesses stimulus dollars to drive reform, convinced a surprising number of governors and legislators to have The Gates Foundation fill out the extensive paper work.

The grants from Race to the Top encouraged 27 states to broaden their charter school laws, which will make it much easier for wealthy entrepreneurs like

Modern School: L.A. Judge Kills Teachers’ Contract

Modern School: L.A. Judge Kills Teachers’ Contract

L.A. Judge Kills Teachers’ Contract As mentioned in an earlier post, the ACLU filed suit in L.A. on behalf of parents to block LAUSD from laying off teachers in low income schools, even when this violated seniority rules in the contract. Judge Wiliam F. Highberger, a Los Angeles County ...

Subpoenas Envy In Chicago Redux On Tuesday, January 25, union members will stand in “solidarity” outside Chicago’s federal court house with activists who are resisting grand jury subpoenas being used as fishing expeditions against the anti-war movement. All of those subpoenaed had ...

Oakland to Encourage Texting (of Police) at School Students in Oakland can now send text messages to the Oakland Unified School District police whenever they feel threatened or in danger. Of course, it remains to be seen if their anonymity will truly be protected or if they will believe it will to ...

The Answer Sheet - Teaching without classroom teachers

The Answer Sheet - Teaching without classroom teachers

Teaching without classroom teachers

Florida is the state that keeps on giving, at least to education writers. What it gives to its students is another question. One thing it isn’t giving to all of them these days is classroom teachers. According to The New York Times, more than 7,000 students in Miami-Dade County Public Schools are now in a program in which they are taking core subjects via computer. There’s no teacher in the class, but, rather, a “facilitator” to help the kids. One especially interesting thing about the arrangement is this: Many and perhaps most of the students had no idea what they were walking into when they started school last fall.

Denver rebuts the Denver Post | DeFENSE

Denver rebuts the Denver Post | DeFENSE

Denver rebuts the Denver Post

by admin

The tide has definitely turned against corporate-reform darling, Nate Easley. But don’t take our word for it. Read just a few of the letters to the editor and other pieces written in response to the cloying propaganda printed by the Denver Post to try to save him.

These are the letters that the Denver Post are too afraid to publish. Read on…

Dear Denver Post,

As a grandparent of children in Denver Public Schools that has been active in education; the most important thing that parents demand is a voice in the process where major decisions are being made that impact our children’s education.

DPS has a history and challenge of transparency in the process of closing “failing” schools and

The Denver Post props up Nate Easley

by admin

(originally sent via email – sign up for our newsletter to the right)

The Denver Post thinks we’re a joke. They say that we’re just a “handful of people” that want to hold Easley accountable. Well, as you know from our reports about the unrest and push-back in response to the hostile takeover of the greater Montbello schools, it’s not just a handful. It’s an entire community, and Easley is feeling it. He even now claims he attended a meeting with parents recently!

Well, it’s about time, Nate. But it’s too little, too late.

Parents must not be an afterthought in plans for educational progress | Thoughts on Public Education

Parents must not be an afterthought in plans for educational progress | Thoughts on Public Education

Parents must not be an afterthought in plans for educational progress

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Posted on 1/25/11 • Categorized as Preschool, Uncategorized

By Gabrielle Miller

As the discussions continue about improving the U.S. public education system, I keep wondering: What about the role of parents?

There are a variety of thoughtful and interesting conversations about everything from resource allocation, to the impact of race on educational achievement, to the most effective uses of technology, to redefining education to meet the needs of the 21^st century – topical and relevant discussions that never seem to include parents. Parents aren’t completely ignored, but more often than not, the role they play isn’t a substantive part of the discussion. Their involvement becomes a less than critical part of any proposed solution. I believe we can make the argument that a significant part of the solution to the educational challenges

Pandora’s Professional Development (1st Installment) « Failing Schools

Pandora’s Professional Development (1st Installment) « Failing Schools

Pandora’s Professional Development (1st Installment) Filed under: humor, Pandora the Swan, standardized testing, teachers

“My calculus book is copyright 1984…but we DID get new metal detectors this year.”" This video is a must watch. Students, teachers, and parents recently turned out in force to defend Jamaica High School in Queens, which currently faces closure. Members of the school community spoke to highlight the gains they’ve managed to make over ...

By the way… …I wasn’t always a critic of 900 Grant. As I’ve said before, I originally believed in what the DPS regime says it is trying to do. There appears to be an illogical belief among some– spread, unfortunately, by the likes of the Denver Post editorial ...

No Laughing Matter Yesterday, The Denver Post published an editorial condemning a community effort to recall Northeast Denver school board member Nate Easley, Jr. After deriding the recall attempt as “a joke,” they (once again) over-simplified the conflict it represents ...

Curriculum for Pre-k? « JD2718

Curriculum for Pre-k? « JD2718

Curriculum for Pre-k?

by jd2718

At last night’s UFT Exec Board the special order of business was to approve 4 resolutions – not to send to the Delegate Assembly – but rather to send directly to the NYSUT Representative Assembly.

One of them (which I wish I had read in advance) called for curriculum for pre-k. I raised a question (unfortunately, I was not well-prepared and did not articulate well), and abstained.

In retrospect, my concern fell in two related categories (not that I expresed myself this clearly):

• Why should poor kids have curricula when rich kids don’t? I should have raised concern about losing playtime as a result.
• In every other area where we have advanced standards for students, students and teachers have been

NYC Public School Parents: Jamaica HS teachers and students fight for their school's survival

NYC Public School Parents: Jamaica HS teachers and students fight for their school's survival

Jamaica HS teachers and students fight for their school's survival

by Leonie Haimson

Jamaica HS Closing Hearing: James Eterno Presents the Real Data from Grassroots Education Movement onVimeo.

This video from Norm Scott is truly stunning. Check out Deputy Chancellor John White, 2010 graduate of the