Thursday, February 2, 2012

SOUTH BRONX SCHOOL: The Sycophancy of Little Evan Stone and Educators4Excellence Continues

SOUTH BRONX SCHOOL: The Sycophancy of Little Evan Stone and Educators4Excellence Continues:

The Sycophancy of Little Evan Stone and Educators4Excellence Continues

Every time I see a Little Evan Stone and Princess Sydney Morris propaganda column in The New York Post or in fact anywhere I feel that it must be treated as if one were looking directly at Kollos, the Medusan ambassador. But in reality, Little Evan and Princess Sydney are not Kollos, but more like Twiddle-Dee and

The Washington Teacher: Help Us Expose DC's Equation for Displacement of Our Students

The Washington Teacher: Help Us Expose DC's Equation for Displacement of Our Students:

Help Us Expose DC's Equation for Displacement of Our Students


Won't you please join me along with members of Empower DC, parents, teachers and community as we fight the displacement of our students and the privatization of our public schools. I have featured a guest post by Liane Scott which outlines the plan to expose DC's Equation for Displacement. Hope to see you this Saturday @ 11 am. Details listed below. Spread the word.
Candi Peterson


The Displacement Equation

Guest post By Liane Scott

What do DC’s proposed school closings have to do with the loss of affordable housing in the District of

Jersey Jazzman: Another Broken Christie Promise

Jersey Jazzman: Another Broken Christie Promise:

Another Broken Christie Promise

Remember when Chris Christie told all of us public workers here in New Jersey that we had no choice but to accept his broken promises reforms?
“What this legislation will do will be simply to save the pension system for all of those retirees and public workers who are counting on it,” Christie said. “The only way to do that is to control spending -- there is no magic wand. But affordability comes at a price: There are choices to be made and sacrifices to share." [emphasis mine]
We teachers and cops and firefighters and social workers and nurses and DPW workers and everyone else has to "sacrifice," or our pensions were going to disappear. Straight-shootin' Chris was just telling us saps the truthwe had been denied for so long:
At a town hall-style meeting in Camden County, Christie Tuesday said the state has

An Urban Teacher's Education: The Struggles of a Small School

An Urban Teacher's Education: The Struggles of a Small School:

The Struggles of a Small School

The following is part of a series I'm working on about my time teaching in New York City. This post is an edited version of two posts I wrote while in New York: "Could You Make My Job More Difficult" and "If Only We Had Fewer Resources." You can follow the series by clicking on the label "Teaching in New York" at the bottom of this post.

"I work in a small school." It's what I told myself every time I found myself stealing staples from office staplers or drawing Venn diagrams on twenty papers before class because all of the copiers were broken at my small school in the Bronx. It was sort of like, "This is why I moved to New York," which is what I said every time I talked education with a bunch of progressive educators, got tickets to see Diane Ravitch speak, visited authors' apartments for book clubs, or watched people live their lives in the Manhattan skyline at two in the morning. But one was positive, and the other often proved a hassle.

In the past few decades, much has been made of the benefits of small schools. However, new schools that need

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top 2-2 AM Posts #edreform #ows


Jersey Jazzman: Newsflash: Evangelicals Evangelize!

Jersey Jazzman: Newsflash: Evangelicals Evangelize!:Newsflash: Evangelicals Evangelize!by DukeNew Jersey is giving a lot of churchmen the chance to run their own charter schools. Is there anyone so naive that they think these schools will be completely scrubbed free of religion?Because - and I know this may come as a shock - religious leaders tend to want to proselytize for their religions:In prior meetings, Ortis had been a nappy-looking homeless drug user, down on his luck. He was a layoff victim ... more »

Parents Across America releases a proposal for real parent empowerment in schools | Seattle Education

Parents Across America releases a proposal for real parent empowerment in schools | Seattle Education:Parents Across America releases a proposal for real parent empowerment in schoolsby seattleducation2011…as an antidote to phony “parental choice”Today, Parents Across America (PAA), a non-partisan, non-profit national network of public school parent activists, released a proposal for true parent empowerment that authentically involves parents in collaborative school decision-making and has a strong research base in improving student achievement.Our position paper,“The Empowerment Par... more »

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Late Nite Posts 2-1 #edreform #ows

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Early Afternoon Posts 2-1 #ows #edreformBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-12 minutes agoLAUSD, JOHN DEASY, AND EXTORTING A NEW PARCEL TAX (LAUSD, John DEASY, y extorsionar a un nuevo impuesto sobre parcelas) - Perdaily.comBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-31 minutes agoLAUSD, JOHN DEASY, AND EXTORTING A NEW PARCEL TAX (LAUSD, John DEASY, y extorsionar a un nuevo impuesto sobre parcelas) - Perdaily.com:LAUSD, JOHN DEASY, AND EXTORTING A NEW PARCEL TAX (LAUSD, ... more »

No Country Left Behind (NCLB) and The Race to the Slop | Dailycensored.com

No Country Left Behind (NCLB) and The Race to the Slop | Dailycensored.com:No Country Left Behind (NCLB) and The Race to the Slopby Danny WeilThe 2009 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure grades 15 categories of infrastructure, including levees (http://www.infrastructurereportcard.org/report-cards). So how is America doing? The report notes, “….. for the second time,America’s infrastructure rates a cumulative grade of D. While not all categories fare as badly or are plagued by the same problems, delayed maintenance and chronic under-funding are contributors ... more »

Future of Teaching: I Prefer To Boogie On The Soul Train | The Jose Vilson

Future of Teaching: I Prefer To Boogie On The Soul Train | The Jose Vilson:Future of Teaching: I Prefer To Boogie On The Soul Trainby JoseClassic Soul TrainExcerpt:As I’ve gotten older and seen how different movements work, I’ve noticed that, whether charitable or nefarious, the most effective movements have a small, malleable, and memorable set of core beliefs and tenets for their congregation. Obviously, the core team of Teaching 2030 represents that. The diversity in ed-thought reigned supreme over the ... more »

Modern School: Passing the Buck, Or Robbing Peter and Paul?

Modern School: Passing the Buck, Or Robbing Peter and Paul?:Passing the Buck, Or Robbing Peter and Paul?by Michael DunnThe California Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson, the State Board of Education, the state Department of Education and the attorney general's office all want a judge to drop a lawsuit brought against the state by the ACLU for illegally charging students to participate in classes and extracurricular activities, according to a recent report by California Watch.It is a classic legal pissing ... more »

Love, peace and soul. « Fred Klonsky

Love, peace and soul. « Fred Klonsky:Love, peace and soul.by Fred KlonskyWhen school let out at Shenandoah Elementary School near Cheviot Hills in LA, we would head to Larry Rosenberg’s to watch American Bandstand.A couple of girls and a couple of boys. We wanted to learn the latest steps. We were sixth graders and we desperately were trying to be cool.It was 1959.But American Bandstand only had white kids on it. So how cool could that be?A really cool dance ... more »

These Educators Deserve a Movie Deal - Lily's Blackboard – Lily's Blackboard

These Educators Deserve a Movie Deal - Lily's Blackboard – Lily's Blackboard:These Educators Deserve a Movie Dealby LilyThese Educators Deserve a Movie DealFeb 1st, 2012 by Lily.There are two stories to tell in Chester Upland School District in Pennsylvania. One is a heroic story worthy of a book or movie deal. There are plenty of movies about the lone teacher crusader who against all odds and against the establishment brings students out of the darkness of ignorance and into the ... more »

Sacramento Press / Everyday Law: New Bullying Laws in California

Sacramento Press / Everyday Law: New Bullying Laws in California:Everyday Law: New Bullying Laws in Californiaby Robyn MoltzenBullying has been in the news a lot lately, particularly when something tragic happens to the child being tormented. Students, parents, and educators are wondering what laws are available to help prevent bullying and what can be done to stop it. A bully is defined as “a blustering, quarrelsome, overbearing person who habitually badgers and intimidates smaller or weaker people”.California already has several ... more »

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Early Afternoon Posts 2-1 #ows #edreform

LAUSD, JOHN DEASY, AND EXTORTING A NEW PARCEL TAX (LAUSD, John DEASY, y extorsionar a un nuevo impuesto sobre parcelas) - Perdaily.comBig Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-31 minutes agoLAUSD, JOHN DEASY, AND EXTORTING A NEW PARCEL TAX (LAUSD, John DEASY, y extorsionar a un nuevo impuesto sobre parcelas) - Perdaily.com:LAUSD, JOHN DEASY, AND EXTORTING A NEW PARCEL TAX (LAUSD, John DEASY, y extorsionar a un nuevo impuesto sobre parcelas)by Leonard Isenberg(Mensaje se repite en Espaรฑol)(For a national view of ... more »

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Negative study on longer school day

Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » Negative study on longer school day:Negative study on longer school dayby adminFrom PAA’s Leonie Haimson on NYC Public School Parents blog: Yet another negative study that finds that extended time made little difference in terms of achievement or teacher attitudes.This one, from Abt Associates, examined the results of the much-touted Massachusetts expanded learning time initiative, which provides state funding to selected schools to increase their class time 25-30% over the district ... more »

U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools: For an Education Built to Last | ED.gov Blog

U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools: For an Education Built to Last | ED.gov Blog:U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools: For an Education Built to LastPosted on February 1, 2012 by Andrea FalkenLast week President Obama asked us to work together to create an America built to last — one that thrives on innovation, collaboration, affordable education and spending within our means. As part of this effort, the U.S. Department of Education is working to encourage sustainable schools ... more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Keeping An Eye On The Prize of Quality Legislation

Missouri Education Watchdog: Keeping An Eye On The Prize of Quality Legislation:Keeping An Eye On The Prize of Quality Legislationby AnngieThe Missouri legislature has hit the ground running, as they always do this time of year, and is moving forward rapidly on a number of proposed bills. Yesterday Senate Bill 706, which attempts to provide framework for fixing the problem associated with the unaccredited school districts transferring students to the adjoining accredited districts, got its first public hearing. The cyber ... more »

Summer Meal Site Application - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education)

Summer Meal Site Application - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education):State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Urges Agencies toApply to Become Summer Food Service Program SponsorsSACRAMENTO—In an effort to help keep children well-nourished during the summer recess and ready to learn when they return to school in the fall, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today urged eligible organizations to apply as summer meal sites through the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP)."Often the only nutritious meal a low-income child receives ... more »

Does merit pay really increase teacher retention? - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

Does merit pay really increase teacher retention? - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post:Does merit pay really increase teacher retention?by Valerie StraussThis was written by Eleanor Fulbeck, who has a doctorate in education policy from the University of Colorado at Boulder and is currently a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Pennsylvania. Here she explains that the evidence on whether merit pay increases teacher retention is less than clear — despite recent articles in the media suggesting otherwise. A ... more »

What do teachers do? | Taking Note

What do teachers do? | Taking Note:What do teachers do?by John MerrowJohn wonders: is there one word that can describe the true role of a teacher?If you live in New York, John will be appearing in discussion with former NYC Schools Chancellor Joel Klein on February 15th. You can purchase tickets here.Last night over dinner, a retired educator — still very involved — suggested that the job of a teacher today was fundamentally different from what it was ten or ... more »

THE TWO TEACHER SOLUTION « Teachers Fight Back

THE TWO TEACHER SOLUTION « Teachers Fight Back:THE TWO TEACHER SOLUTIONby alkleenI firmly believe that unless we put two teachers in every elementary classroom we will never get the achievement results that people want. Having only one teacher in a classroom of thirty or thirty-five students is a recipe for disaster. It’s possible for a teacher to succeed with fifteen or fewer students in a room, but not the usual thirty or so. I don’t think any elementary school teacher ... more »

The education competition myth | eSchool News

Viewpoint: The education competition myth | eSchool News:Viewpoint: The education competition mythBy Seth RosenblattRead more by ContributorMost of the fundamental conditions of capitalism don't exist in the world of public education, the author asserts..I received lots of feedback from myeSchool News article last year, “Viewpoint: Why education is not like business,” which postulated there was a fundamental fallacy in viewing the world of public education through the lens of normal business paradigms.An overwhelming number of the comments I received were ... more »

Shanker Blog » Schools' Effectiveness Varies By What They Do, Not What They Are

Shanker Blog » Schools' Effectiveness Varies By What They Do, Not What They Are:Schools’ Effectiveness Varies By What They Do, Not What They Areby Matthew Di CarloThere may be a mini-trend emerging in certain types of charter school analyses, one that seems a bit trivial but has interesting implications that bear on the debate about charter schools in general. It pertains to how charter effects are presented.Usually, when researchers estimate the effect of some intervention, the main finding is the ... more »

LAUSD, JOHN DEASY, AND EXTORTING A NEW PARCEL TAX (LAUSD, John DEASY, y extorsionar a un nuevo impuesto sobre parcelas) - Perdaily.com

LAUSD, JOHN DEASY, AND EXTORTING A NEW PARCEL TAX (LAUSD, John DEASY, y extorsionar a un nuevo impuesto sobre parcelas) - Perdaily.com:LAUSD, JOHN DEASY, AND EXTORTING A NEW PARCEL TAX (LAUSD, John DEASY, y extorsionar a un nuevo impuesto sobre parcelas)by Leonard Isenberg(Mensaje se repite en Espaรฑol)(For a national view of public education reform see the end of this blog post)In the following videos from the January 24th Town Hall Meeting at El Camino High School, LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy ... more »