Parents, Students Report Different Rates of Bullying - High School Notes (usnews.com)

Parents, Students Report Different Rates of Bullying - High School Notes (usnews.com):

Parents, Students Report Different Rates of Bullying

By JASON KOEBLER

September 14, 2011 RSS Feed Print

About 70 percent of parents across the U.S. say that their child has been bullied on school grounds, according to a new survey sponsored by ADT Security Services and the Cherokee County, Ga., school district—a percentage much higher than students report.

The survey, conducted by parental protection website safetymom.com, included parents of 520 students of all grade levels. In comparison, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) reported last month that approximately a quarter of high school students were bullied during the 2008-2009 school year, according to a student survey.

Not only are parents reporting higher rates of bullying, but their

Education | Injunction sought to end Tacoma teacher strike | Seattle Times Newspaper

Education | Injunction sought to end Tacoma teacher strike | Seattle Times Newspaper:

Injunction sought to end Tacoma teacher strike

School was canceled in Tacoma for the second straight day, Wednesday, as the fight between teachers and the school district shifted to a Pierce County courtroom, where district officials will ask a judge to order the striking teachers back to work.

By Adam Lynn and Debbie Cafazzo

The News Tribune

STEVE RINGMAN / THE SEATTLE TIMES

Teachers walk the picket line along South Stadium Way. Tacoma's Stadium High School is in the background.

Top comments Hide / Show comments

The Tacoma Education Association should be given a history lesson regarding illegal...(September 13, 2011, by ChelseaMan) Read more

The last time I checked, strikes by public employees, teachers, cops, firefighters, EMT...(September 13, 2011, by monroesilk) Read more

Sounds like some selfish union thugs just woke up from Summer naps. (September 13, 2011, by Xman 91) Read more

Read all 22 comments >Post a comment >

TACOMA — School was canceled for the second straight day, Wednesday, as the fight between Tacoma teachers and the school district shifted to a Pierce County courtroom, where district officials will ask a judge to order the striking teachers back to work.

Members of the teachers union, the Tacoma Education Association (TEA), reported to picket lines across the city Tuesday instead of to their jobs — an action the district contends is an illegal strike.

The district said some teachers crossed picket lines at about 10 schools Tuesday, but district spokesman Dan Voelpel said he could not say how many teachers

Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… - What Are The Most “Engaging” Education Blogs, According To PostRank?

Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… - What Are The Most “Engaging” Education Blogs, According To PostRank?:

Photo Galleries Of The Week Obviously, photos can be great educational tools with English Language Learners and with any students (see The Best Ways To Use Photos In Lessons). I post about many photo galleries, also called slideshows. To do it in a little more organized way, ...

What Are The Most “Engaging” Education Blogs, According To PostRank? Many people are familiar with PostRank (recently acquired by Google), which ranks blogs by an engagement level. You can see their complete ranking of education blogs here, but I thought I’d share their top fifteen here: 1. Inside Higher Ed 2. ...

“Thoughts On Grade Level Retention & Social Promotion” Thoughts On Grade Level Retention & Social Promotion is the title of my newest column at Education Week Teacher. Feedback is welcome.

“Resources for Teaching the Constitution” Resources for Teaching the Constitution is a nice compilation of resources from The New York Times Learning Network. I’m adding it to The Best Sites For Learning About The Constitution Of The United States. U.S. Constitution Day is September 17th.

House Approves a Bill Supporting Expansion of Charter Schools - NYTimes.com

House Approves a Bill Supporting Expansion of Charter Schools - NYTimes.com:

With Bipartisan Support, Law on Expansion of Charter Schools Passes the House

By SAM DILLON

Published: September 13, 2011

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In a rare display of bipartisanship, the House approved a bill on Tuesday supporting the expansion of charter schools, the first part of a legislative package planned by Republicans to carry out a piecemeal rewrite of the main federal law on public education, No Child Left Behind.

The bill, passed Tuesday by a vote of 365 to 54, tweaks an existing federal grant program that provides start-up money for new charter schools — currently about $250 million— and adds some quality control provisions.

It had the support of charter operators as well as civil rights and school improvement groups. If passed by the Senate, it would replace the charter school provisions of No Child Left Behind, the sprawling school accountability law that President George W. Bush signed in 2002.

“This is an important first step in our efforts to improve current elementary and secondary

Priceless: The cost of free public education | Thoughts on Public Education

Priceless: The cost of free public education | Thoughts on Public Education:

Priceless: The cost of free public education

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Bill would crackdown on illegal school fees

Posted on 9/14/11 • Categorized as Equity issues, Jerry Brown

By Kathryn Baron

Graphing calculator for your child’s algebra class: $120. Your daughter’s cheerleader uniforms: $1,000. Lab fees for AP physics: $150. Being required to purchase these items by your child’s school: Unconstitutional.

It’s been nearly a year to the day since the American Civil Liberties Union filed a class action lawsuit against the State of California and former Gov. Schwarzenegger for not stopping school districts from charging fees for everything from field trips to textbooks, and from band uniforms to art supplies.

A bill on Gov. Brown’s desk would essentially settle the lawsuit. AB 165 by Assemblyman Ricardo Lara (D-South Gate) would create a complaint process for parents and student

The cause of standardized test cheating and how to stop it - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

The cause of standardized test cheating and how to stop it - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post:

The cause of standardized test cheating and how to stop it

By Valerie Strauss

This was written by Lisa Guisbond, a policy analyst for the National Center for Fair & Open Testing, or FairTest, a nonprofit organization that aims to improve standardized testing practices and evaluations of students, teachers and schools.

By Lisa Guisbond

A top-ranked Los Angeles charter school now joins the seemingly endless list of schools and districts suspected of succumbing to a nationwide cheating pandemic: Animo Leadership Charter High School, run by Green Dot Public Schools. In Monday’s cheating news, the New York Board of Regents authorized an independent investigator to study how the state Board of Education handles

Diary of a Social Art-tivist Mommy: DC Parent Power Meeting September 29 6-8pm

Diary of a Social Art-tivist Mommy: DC Parent Power Meeting September 29 6-8pm:

DC Parent Power Meeting September 29 6-8pm

by ART-tivist Mommy

DC Parent Power Meeting

If you’re an education advocate living in and around DC, you are invited to join DC Parent Power or to come to one of our meetings. DC Parent Power looks for common ground for civic engagement around public education in the District.

Meeting Information:

Thursday, September 29, 2011

6:00-8:00pm

Thurgood Marshall Center (directions below)

Directions:

Thurgood Marshall Center (the historic YMCA building)

1816 12th St. NW

Conference Room 1/ first floor

2 short blocks south of the U/Street Cardozo yellow/green metro

(Street parking available, but scarce as it gets later)

This is the third gathering of a group of DCPS parents, educators, State Board of Education Representatives and education advocates coming together to improve public education by re-engaging DCPS, District government education agencies and elected officials with the major constituency who use the schools.

City families, teachers & all interested community members

are welcome and encouraged to participate

We initially came together inspired by the National Save Our Schools event on the Mall and Save Our Schools conference this summer. The initial gathering indicated strong sentiment for bringing together various pre-existing DC education advocate groups and voices throughout the city as well as:

· Authentic public engagement

· Transparency at all stages of policy development

· Less emphasis on standardized testing

· Richer/ well rounded curriculum

· Strong backing for public education, as opposed to increasing privatization

· Decreasing racial and economic school segregation

· Use of proven methods in all levels of school reform

· Equitable funding for all Wards

If interested in attending, RSVP Miriam Cutelis at Miriam.Cutelis@yahoo.com.

**Feel free to forward this invitation to other individuals or groups who might be interested.

The Chicago Teachers Union takes the CEO to school. « Fred Klonsky's blog

The Chicago Teachers Union takes the CEO to school. « Fred Klonsky's blog:

The Chicago Teachers Union takes the CEO to school.

by Fred Klonsky

CTU President Karen Lewis took Chicao CPS CEO J.C. Brizard to school last night at a forum sponsored by the Chicago Tribune.

Union president Karen Lewis greeted CEO Jean-Claude Brizard in his native French, then quipped, “That’s a Chicago Public School education!”

The Chicago Tribune-organized forum was a tough crowd for Brizard. The audience was packed with teachers and union supporters. Lewis was funny and sharp. Brizard was polite and insistent. He highlighted common ground on

FEA to File Lawsuit Against Scott, Florida Legislature | Scathing Purple Musings

FEA to File Lawsuit Against Scott, Florida Legislature | Scathing Purple Musings:

FEA to File Lawsuit Against Scott, Florida Legislature

by Bob Sikes

From WOKV:

The state’s largest teachers’ union says they’re ready to take Governor Rick Scott and the Republican-led legislature to court over a new law that ties teacher pay to student test scores, and ends future tenure.

But, John Kennedy with the Palm Beach Post says both sides may be playing politics with our kids education.

“Heavy shades of partisan politics involved in here,” says Kennedy. “The teachers’ union has lon

Consent | The Jose Vilson

Consent | The Jose Vilson:

Consent

by Jose

"Society Teaches 'Don't Get Raped' Rather Than 'Don't Rape'."

I read a story today by Kathy Dobie for GQ about the 11-year-old girl who was raped by 19 or so men ranging from ages 16 to 27 in Cleveland, TX. The crime as an isolated incident? Heinous, and as an isolated incident reeks of the sexism some of us have numbed ourselves to over the last few decades. As I dug further in the story, I saw the rapers exemplified this country’s culture, which perpetuates the perception of women as objects for a man’s pleasure. Not only did these young men believe they did nothing wrong (they all pleaded not guilty despite the plethora of video, photo, and first-hand accounts as evidence), they had a whole community who forced themselves to believe they did nothing wrong because it was their own. We definitely see elements of

“TEA PARTY” IDEAS TO SOLVE SCHOOL FUNDING PROBLEMS ? « Teachers Fight Back

“TEA PARTY” IDEAS TO SOLVE SCHOOL FUNDING PROBLEMS ? « Teachers Fight Back:

“TEA PARTY” IDEAS TO SOLVE SCHOOL FUNDING PROBLEMS ?

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I’m trying to imagine “Tea Party” suggestions to reduce the problems we have with school funding. I came up with the following possibilities.

1. Do away with the disability laws that mandate schools to provide a “least restrictive” environment for disabled students. There are six million disabled students in our schools today. It’s way too expensive to service such students. Let their families provide for them.

2. Stop all bilingual education. All previous immigrant groups managed to adapt over a period of time. Let the current ones do the same.

3. Stop all guidance counselor, social work, and psychologist work in our schools. If a student is

San Francisco court upholds removal of `In God We Trust' banner from classroom - Inside Bay Area

San Francisco court upholds removal of `In God We Trust' banner from classroom - Inside Bay Area:

San Francisco court upholds removal of `In God We Trust' banner from classroom

Bay City News Service

Posted: 09/13/2011 01:08:07 PM PDT

Updated: 09/13/2011 01:14:29 PM PDT

A federal appeals court in San Francisco upheld a decision by a Southern California school district to order a math teacher to remove classroom banners that included the phrases "In God We Trust" and "God Shed His Grace on Thee."

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed a civil rights lawsuit filed by high school math teacher Bradley Johnson against the Poway Unified School District in San Diego County.

In 2007, school district officials ordered Johnson to take down from his classroom walls two large banners, each about 7 feet wide and 2 feet tall, that contained religious references.

The appeals court said the school district's action didn't violate Johnson's free speech rights because he was in the

Save Seattle Schools Community Blog: Crazy, Busy Day

Save Seattle Schools Community Blog: Crazy, Busy Day:

Crazy, Busy Day

by Melissa Westbrook

So how's your day going? Mine started at the computer at midnight trying to get onto the Target site. (If you have been keeping up, you'll know what I mean; otherwise, carry on.)

Later on, when there was daylight, I had a great talk with Mary Linquist, President of the WEA, and Becky Pringle, the Sec-Treasurer of the NEA. The NEA does these across-the-country school tours and this year's tour was part of their new campaign, Priority Schools.

This campaign is in support of the work of NEA members in SIG schools across the country. Ms. Pringle came to Seattle to see West Seattle Elementary and Hawthorne Elementary (Cleveland is another one but not enough time). She and Ms. Linquist were very impressed with both schools, both with the staffs AND spirit at each school. They both agree that these were two of the best SIG schools they had seen in staff enthusiasm,

L.A. school board moves to include LGBT people in curriculum - latimes.com

L.A. school board moves to include LGBT people in curriculum - latimes.com:

L.A. school board moves to include LGBT people in curriculum

September 13, 2011 | 4:27 pm

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The Los Angeles Board of Education on Tuesday approved a plan to include more positive images of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in lesson plans.

The move, sponsored by board member Steve Zimmer, comes after the state passed a law mandating that textbooks and history lessons include the contributions of gay, bisexual and transgender citizens.

The vote was 6-0, with board member Marguerite Poindexter LaMotte absent.

The resolution calls for including "age-appropriate" materials for elementary and secondary students in the nation's second-largest school district and giving staff safety and anti-bullying training.

Supt. John Deasy is expected to update the board within

solidaridad: How do we win back our schools?

solidaridad: How do we win back our schools?:

How do we win back our schools?

by Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene

"After years of teachers union bashing and corporate-led school 'reform' efforts, anti-public school forces are now on the defensive. And the main reason is that the statistical measurements do not support their arguments, and even show a pattern of falsification." — Randy Shaw


For our students, communities and ourselves.

September 15, 2011 @4:15PM
3303 Wilshire Blvd., Room 816, Los Angeles, CA 90010

PEAC will be holding a forum to talk about how bottom-up reform, community organizing, and union transformation are key to preventing school takeovers and fighting for educational change and full funding!

Come and make a plan for how your school can get involved and