Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Mayor Cory Booker to call for policy of greater transparency in Newark schools philanthropy | NJ.com

Mayor Cory Booker to call for policy of greater transparency in Newark schools philanthropy

Published: Tuesday, March 01, 2011, 7:15 AM Updated: Tuesday, March 01, 2011, 8:15 AM

By David Giambusso/The Star-Ledger
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Tony Kurdzuk/The Star-LedgerNewark Mayor Cory Booker in this February file photo.

NEWARK — Every dollar of private money raised for Newark public schools will now be publicly accounted for and every donor will be publicly named.

The new policy will be announced tonight as part of Newark Mayor Cory Booker’s fifth state of the city address. This comes in response to a week of questions and criticisms surrounding the role of philanthropic dollars as they drive school reform in the state’s largest and most-watched school district.

"Every donor to the fund should be 100 percent named," Booker said yesterday during a lengthy meeting with The Star-Ledger Editorial Board. "There shouldn’t be a strategy

8th State Board opening for Brown | Thoughts on Public Education

Few certificates at community colleges - by John Fensterwald - Educated Guess To meet the growing market for jobs demanding post-high-school education, the state’s community colleges must sharpen their focus to encourage more students to get vocational certificates and associate degrees in technical subjects, a new study has ...

8th State Board opening for Brown - by John Fensterwald - Educated Guess Gov. Jerry Brown already has nominated seven of 11 members of the State Board of Education; he now can make it eight. Greg Jones resigned last month with one year to go in his first term. He told me in an e-mail that his decision to leave “had been ...

Update On Wisconsin | Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day.. #WIunion #SolidarityWI

Update On Wisconsin | Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day...

“BIL” Is The “Unconference” For TED Many are familiar with TED and TED Talks (and several of its imitators). In fact, I’ve posted about them at The Best Teacher Resources For “TED Talks” (& Similar Presentations). What I didn’t know, though, that there was an “unconference” organized ...

Contribute To The Next ESL/EFL/ELL Blog Carnival! David Deubelbeiss at EFL Classroom 2.0 will be hosting the April 1st edition of the ESL/EFL/ELL Blog Carnival. Any posts related to teaching or learning English, including examples of student work, are welcome. You can contribute a post to it by ...

Update On Wisconsin Here are the newest additions to The Best Resources For Learning About Attacks On Teachers & Other Public Sector Workers In Wisconsin: Protesters Defy Deadline in Wisconsin is a slideshow from The NY Times. Poll Shows Support for Embattled Public ...

Interview Of The Month: Ted Appel, An Exceptional Principal As regular readers know, each month I interview people in the education world about whom I want to learn more. You can see read those past interviews here. Ted Appel is the exceptional principal at the school where I teach, Luther Burbank High ...

The Best Articles & Sites For Teachers & Students To Learn About Phonics How best to help students learn phonics? Now that’s a question that can get a lot of teachers going. I personally can’t imagine teaching or learning phonics in the mind-numbing way I’ve sometimes seen it used in classrooms. I believe some explicit ...

Democurmudgeon: Anonymous goes after Koch's Americans for Prosperity for undermining Wisconsin's Political Process. #WIunion #SolidarityWI

Democurmudgeon: Anonymous goes after Koch's Americans for Prosperity for undermining Wisconsin's Political Process.

Anonymous goes after Koch's Americans for Prosperity for undermining Wisconsin's Political Process.

Anonymous attacked the Koch brothers web site, Americans for Prosperity, shutting it down. AnonOps is the group within a the group. RT's Alyona Show has the story:

Yes Scott Walker, the Clock IS ticking, Thom Hartmann on Walker and Capitol Blocks Public Access

by Democurmudgeon

Walker says clock is ticking on refinancing debt!! Yes, it is ticking, isn’t it Scott.

Thom Hartmann (email newsletter): Governor Walker...but Wait! There's More...
ThinkProgress has pointed out some lesser-known provisions that Scott Walker and his Republican colleagues are trying to slip through the state legislature that should worry many Wisconsinites. Even if protestors successfully defend their rights to collectively bargain - they still have to deal with a GOP-led assault on the several health, environmental, and economic programs including a bill that will allow the state's uber-conservative Health and Human Services Secretary

This Week In Education: AM News: 82 Different Federal Teacher Quality Programs

AM News: 82 Different Federal Teacher Quality Programs

by Alexander Russo

Billions in Bloat Uncovered in Beltway WSJ: On teacher quality, the report identified 82 programs that often have similar descriptions and goals and are spread across 10 federal agencies... Majority in Poll Back Employees in Public Sector Unions NYT: Americans oppose weakening the bargaining rights of public employee unions by a margin of nearly two to one: 60 percent to 33 percent... The importance of teachers in education Marketplace: Entrepreneur and philanthropist Bill Gates talks about why education is the key issues facing our country, why it's important to help teachers be more effective and how to get schools to adapt technology... Bias is alleged in school closings Boston Globe: The USDE is investigating a complaint that the Boston school system’s plan to close or merge more than a dozen schools to save money discriminates against black and Latino students and their parents... Ed board in Mass. approves 16 new charter schools Boston Globe: A state board has given the green light to 16 proposed new charter schools in Massachusetts... Eight-year-old arrested in school for fifth time Yahoo News: An Appleseed Texas report (pdf) examining 22 of the largest school districts in Texas found that where a child went to school--as opposed to the specific nature of his infraction--was a more accurate gauge of whether he would be disciplined by an educator, or by cops and the court system... Union puts Cass Tech teacher on trial Detroit News: In a January runoff election, Conn lost the presidency by 40 votes and has alleged irregularities in the tally... Education Writers Association honors 2 Post reporters Washington Post: Bill Turque, a reporter for The Washington Post, has won first prize for print beat reporting in a national contest held by the Education Writers Association.

Top Ten Reasons to Kill the Budget Repair Bill « Larry Miller's Blog #WIunion #SolidarityWI

Institute For Wisconsin’s Future: Top Ten Reasons to Kill the Budget Repair Bill « Larry Miller's Blog

Institute For Wisconsin’s Future: Top Ten Reasons to Kill the Budget Repair Bill

by millerlf

Top Ten Reasons

10. “This bill will shatter relationships among educators and school leaders, undermining current innovations around teacher compensation, evaluation, and improvement. It will have a chilling effect on teacher recruitment and sends a terrible message about the value of public service.” Tony Evers – Wisconsin Superintendent of Public Instruction

9. The bill allows “the Department of Administration to sell or contract for the operation of state heating, cooling and power plants without oversight from the legislature or the Public Service Commission.” The Oshkosh Northwestern

8. Walker’s budget repair bill, introduced last week, “would give the state Department of Health Services the

#UCDavis may ax 500 jobs to cope with budget cuts - Sacramento Bee

UC Davis may ax 500 jobs to cope with budget cuts - Sacramento Business, Housing Market News | Sacramento Bee

UC Davis may ax 500 jobs to cope with budget cuts

By Laurel Rosenhall
lrosenhall@sacbee.com

Published: Tuesday, Mar. 1, 2011 - 12:00 am | Page 1B

UC Davis will probably eliminate 450 to 500 jobs, charge students extra fees and make it harder for California students to be admitted as a result of Gov. Jerry Brown's proposal to cut $500 million from the University of California's statewide budget.

UC Davis Chancellor Linda Katehi listed those changes in a letter to UC President Mark Yudof that outlined how the cuts would affect the campus.

UC Davis' plan assumes the campus will face a $107 million shortfall in 2011-12, Katehi wrote,

4LAKids - In case you don’t have a life …or papers to grade - 2 HOUR DEBATE: DON’T BLAME TEACHERS UNIONS FOR FAILING SCHOOLS

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: In case you don’t have a life …or papers to grade - 2 HOUR DEBATE: DON’T BLAME TEACHERS UNIONS FOR FAILING SCHOOLS

LET US VOTE!: Parents Race Against Time to Prevent More School Budget Cuts

by smf

from NBC Bay Area/Class Action | http://bit.ly/i0waBN 26 Feb 2011 - Crystal Brown, founder of Educate Our State, tells us about her organization's massive online campaign to fend off more cuts to schools. More than 14,000 people have sent emails to legislators in Sacramento encouraging them to add tax extensions to the next statewide ballot by a March 10 deadline. View more videos at: http:/

In case you don’t have a life …or papers to grade - 2 HOUR DEBATE: DON’T BLAME TEACHERS UNIONS FOR FAILING SCHOOLS

by smf

from Intelligence Squared US | http://bit.ly/e6kaXR March 16, 2010 - Teachers unions: They’re powerful, they’re defensive, and they’re stubborn. And if it seems their leadership places a premium on protecting its members – above all other interests – we should not be surprised, because protecting jobs and wages is what unions were created to do. And there’s the rub, say critics who argue the

Daily Kos: Save Our Schools March and National Call to Action #WIunion #SolidarityWI

Daily Kos: Save Our Schools March and National Call to Action

Save Our Schools March and National Call to Action

by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken)

Hello,

I’m teacherken. I am a teacher who also blogs, most visibly here. I am a member of the executive committee of Save Our Schools and National Call to Action. Perhaps you have been blogging about the recent attacks on teachers and public schools. Our national grassroots movement is asking the “real” ed reform bloggers to join with us so that we can all speak with ONE VOICE all across the country during the month of March.

Our theme is “Waking the Sleeping Giant”, which was inspired by the events in Wisconsin and other places around the country. The public is finally beginning to wake up to what’s been happening for the last few years – we’re seeing evidence of this not only in Wisconsin but in places such as Seattle and Rochester.

We are asking you to keep your readers informed by mentioning our July 30 march in D.C. and by providing a link to our website in one or more of your posts during the month of March.

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: In case you need more evidence #WIunion #SolidarityWI.

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: In case you need more evidence...

In case you need more evidence...

by Mike Klonsky

Only five states do not allow collective bargaining for educators, effectively banning teachers unions. Those states and their SAT/ACT rankings are as follows:

South Carolina – 50th
North Carolina – 49th
Georgia – 48th
Texas – 47th
Virginia – 44th

Meanwhile ground zero of the union battle, Wisconsin, is ranked 2nd in the country.-- Business Insider

Public Universities Join Attack on Progressive Activism | California Progress Report

Public Universities Join Attack on Progressive Activism

Posted on 01 March 2011

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By Randy Shaw
Beyond Chron

As Republican attacks on public employees garner headlines, public universities are also driving to stamp out progressive activism. The University of California, Santa Cruz has abolished its Community Studies department, which allowed students to major in a curriculum focused on social change, and provided field studies placements with nonprofit groups. The University of Oregon, whose campus is dominated by buildings funded by Nike founder Phil Knight, has seen the administration’s longtime hostility to OSPIRG (the Oregon State Public Interest Research Group) backed by conservative student representatives seeking to defund the campus' leading activist and community service group.

Santa Monica is another progressive city where local college administrators seek to squelch student activism; in this case, a CALPIRG chapter at Santa Monica College. These attacks on

The Answer Sheet - Ravitch: 'A moment of national insanity '#WIunion #SolidarityWI

The Answer Sheet - Ravitch: 'A moment of national insanity'

Ravitch: 'A moment of national insanity'

This was written by education historian Diane Ravitch for her Bridging Differences blog, which she co-authors with Deborah Meier on the Education Week website. Ravitch and Meier exchange letters about what matters most in education. Ravitch, a research professor at New York University, is the author of the bestselling “The Death and Life of the Great American School System,” an important critique of the flaws in the modern school reform movement. Dear Deborah, I'm beginning to think we are living in a moment of national insanity. On the one hand, we hear pious exhortations about education reform, endlessly uttered by our leaders in high political office, corporate suites, foundations, and the media. President Obama says we have to "out-educate" the rest of the world to "win the future." Yet the reality on the ground suggests that the corporate reform movement --- embraced by so many of those same leaders, including

Education tax, parent ‘trigger’ surface | EdNewsColorado

Find your district’s proposed budget cuts [image: Image of school desk atop a dollar bill.] Gov. John Hickenlooper’s proposal to cut K-12 funding by $332 million in 2011-12 would drop school spending to 2007-08 levels, reducing the average per-pupil allocation from $6,823 this school year to ...

Districts face another round of cuts [image: Audience members at Aurora's budget town hall asked questions and offered suggestions.] Audience members at Aurora's budget town hall asked questions and offered suggestions. AURORA – They could have been spending their winnings from Oscar ...

Education tax, parent ‘trigger’ surface *Monday roundup* - Trigger bill - Private college stipends - Counselor Corps A proposed temporary tax bailout for education and a bill that could give parents a big tool to force closure of failing schools rolled out at the Colorado ...

How Many Straws Before The Last One? | Dailycensored.com

How Many Straws Before The Last One?

Written by Ken_SayersDaily Journal (Opinion)Mar 1, 2011

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We are in dire economic straits in many states, counties, cities in this country of ours. We are closing schools, laying off police andfire fighters. Our streets are eroding. The GOP is waging war on the middle and lower classes and we have a president who has an egg noodle for a backbone. I just read that Obama is backing down on requiring states to adhere to the new health care law and the GOP said, “NO, they want to destroy health care for the poor and middle classes.”

And NOW, what do I hear? The Central Bank, in Afghanistan, was looted again by Karzai, his brother, and his brother-in-law. We are told that this most corrupt government will fall because it cannot make its payroll due to the fact that the Karzai family stole one billion dollars. The only solution being offered is that the taxpayers in this country have to bail them out, too? NO FRAQING WAY. We have pounded too many G-D dollars down

Charles G. Koch: Why Koch Industries Is Speaking Out - WSJ.com

Why Koch Industries Is Speaking Out

Crony capitalism and bloated government prevent entrepreneurs from producing the products and services that make people's lives better

Years of tremendous overspending by federal, state and local governments have brought us face-to-face with an economic crisis. Federal spending will total at least $3.8 trillion this year—double what it was 10 years ago. And unlike in 2001, when there was a small federal surplus, this year's projected budget deficit is more than $1.6 trillion.

Several trillions more in debt have been accumulated by state and local governments. States are looking at a combined total of more than $130 billion in budget shortfalls this year. Next year, they will be in even worse shape as most so-called stimulus payments end.

For many years, I, my family and our company have contributed to a variety of intellectual and political causes working to solve these problems. Because of our activism, we've been vilified by various groups. Despite this criticism, we're determined to keep contributing and standing up fo

NYC Educator: Dispatch from Wisconsin #WIunion #SolidarityWI

NYC Educator: Dispatch from Wisconsin

Dispatch from Wisconsin

by Miss Eyre

What follows here is an excerpted from an e-mail from Chris Blythe, a Wisconsin state worker and (undoubtedly long-suffering) spouse of a Wisconsin teacher. Chris's enthusiasm and passion speak for themselves. Enjoy!

Unbelievable rally yesterday!! Temperature was about 18 degrees and it snowed the whole time. Still, close to 100,000 people showed up!! (...) The square was packed shoulder to shoulder - couldn't even hardly move in the streets. There were so many people marching in the street before the rally that it took us about 30 minutes to go 2 blocks!! It was amazing to just see a sea of people in every direction. I have never seen/felt so much energy and togetherness, not even from the presidential candidate rallies I've been to here. Just imagine what will happen when we actually get a NICE day!!

Started out with Peter Yarrow (Peter, Paul & Mary) singing a bunch of union songs. Then a bunch of speakers - some union, an actor (Bradley Whitford of "The West

solidaridad: The First Step: Protect Children from the Effects of Poverty

The First Step: Protect Children from the Effects of Poverty

by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene

With so much money and power aligned against the neighborhood public school and against education as a profession, public education itself is placed at risk. — Diane Ravitch (celebrated education professor and author)

CMO Corporate Charters discriminate against SWD, Special Ed, and ELL students!

CMO Corporate Charters discriminate against SWD, Special Ed, and ELL students!

Dr. Krashen takes on plutocrat William "Bill" Gates's specious and vapid op-ed in the Washington Post. In all fairness Gates is an expert on writing error prone software rife with security holes, whereas Krashen is an expert on education. While Class Size Matters' Leonie Haimson also does an excellent job rebutting the convicted predatory monopolist and

Tuesday, March 1, 2011