Bruce Springsteen’s Appeal to Conscience « InterACT
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Bruce Springsteen’s Appeal to Conscience « InterACT: Bruce Springsteen’s Appeal to ConsciencebyDavid B. CohenBruce Springsteen (image by GabboT, used by permission, via Flickr)Tonight, I’ll be among the thousands of fans attending the Bruce Springsteen show at the HP Pavilion in San Jose. As often happens before I go to a concert, I’ve been listening to the latest release, familiarizing myself with the new stuff and getting psyched up to sing along and enjoy the show.Springsteen’s new album,Wrecking Ball, opens with ... more »
RheeFirst! » When Pineapplegate meets Erasuregate why, call it a “DC miracle!”
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RheeFirst! » When Pineapplegate meets Erasuregate why, call it a “DC miracle!”: When Pineapplegate meets Erasuregate why, call it a “DC miracle!”byadminDated but highly relevant to the text fixation of corporate reformers like RheeWritten by Laura Clawson for the DailyKos. Read theentire article here.“Data from 2009 and 2010 show that scores dropped at most schools the year after they were flagged for excessive erasures, raising questions about whether heightened security curbed abuses,” and results were flat in 2011, after Rhee ...more »
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Cuts in Salem-Keier District by Husk
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Seattle Schools Community Forum: Cuts in Salem-Keier District by Husk: Cuts in Salem-Keier District by HuskbyMelissa WestbrookNews from the Statesman-Journal in mid-April in Oregon (via one of our readers). I would link to the story but you can't unless you pay.Here's the lead storyline:All library and media jobs at Salem-Keizer elementary and middle schools would be cut under a proposal by Superintendent Sandy Husk. The 48 library and media instructors were notified Thursday of the plan, part of the district's ... more »
Old superintendents. « Fred Klonsky
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Old superintendents. « Fred Klonsky: Old superintendents.byFred KlonskyI got a call yesterday from Dr. Fred.About ten years ago and for about ten years before that he was our district’s superintendent.In case you haven’t noticed, I’m not a great fan of administrators.But every once in a while one comes along that makes me think twice.Dr. Fred called to apologize for missing my retirement party (write me for details about time and place). He retired and is living out west now. He ... more »
NYC Public School Parents: Letter to SUNY board about Success Academy's proposed increase in management fees
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NYC Public School Parents: Letter to SUNY board about Success Academy's proposed increase in management fees: Letter to SUNY board about Success Academy's proposed increase in management feesbyLeonie HaimsonEva Moskowitz credit: NY PostUPDATE: Just heard that today, the SUNY committee tabled the proposed hike in fees.April 24, 2012Dear Chairman McCall, SUNY board of trustees and members of the SUNY charter committee:I hope you have seen Juan Gonzalez’ article in today’s Daily News; “Public kept in dark about sweet deals for ... more »
EDUCATING OUR WAY TO AN ECONOMY BUILT TO LAST: Stopping the Student Loan Interest Rate Hike | The White House
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EDUCATING OUR WAY TO AN ECONOMY BUILT TO LAST: Stopping the Student Loan Interest Rate Hike | The White House: Educating Our Way to an Economy Built to Last:Stopping the Student Loan Interest Rate Hike986,494 Hispanic students would be affected In his State of the Union Address, President Obama laid out a blueprint for an economy built to last—an economy built on American manufacturing, American energy, skills for American workers, and a renewal of American values.The President has worked tirelessly ... more »
Why we Oppose Nato by Bernardine Dohrn/Bill Ayers « Bill Ayers
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Why we Oppose Nato by Bernardine Dohrn/Bill Ayers « Bill Ayers: Why we Oppose Nato by Bernardine Dohrn/Bill Ayersbybillayers The day after the 9/11 attacks the Bush administration took dozens of extreme, transformative actions, including invoking Article 5, the right to collective self-defense, of NATO’s founding charter—a first in NATO’s 50-year history.This marked the fateful expansion of NATO’s mission into new geographical regions (such as Afghanistan) and novel functions, such as the initiation and rationalization of the use of pre-emptive ... more »
Yong Zhao » Blog Archive » My article in Solutions magazine: Reforming Chinese Education: What China Is Trying to Learn from America
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Yong Zhao » Blog Archive » My article in Solutions magazine: Reforming Chinese Education: What China Is Trying to Learn from America: My article in Solutions magazine: Reforming Chinese Education: What China Is Trying to Learn from AmericabyYongZhaoThe Solutions magazine (print version volume 2, issue 2, page 38-43) published my article about China’s education reform in April. Below is the abstract. The entire article is online at:Reforming Chinese Education.When Shanghai, China, was awarded the number one spot for educational achievement ... more »
NYC Public School Parents: More errors on the Pearson's NYS math exams this week
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NYC Public School Parents: More errors on the Pearson's NYS math exams this week: More errors on the Pearson's NYS math exams this weekbyLeonie HaimsonGiven reports today of more errors in this week's 4thgrade and 8thgrade NYS math exams (see below), added tothe absurd passage and questions on the 8thgrade ELA exam, now known as Pineapplegate, we say three strikes and you’re out. Pearson should be made to forfeit their $32 million contract. If our children make errors on these ... more »
Missouri Education Watchdog: The Black Box of Computerized Assessments - Does Anyone Know What's Really In There?
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Missouri Education Watchdog: The Black Box of Computerized Assessments - Does Anyone Know What's Really In There?: The Black Box of Computerized Assessments - Does Anyone Know What's Really In There?byAnngieThere's an old saying about the inmates running the asylum that comes to mind with this story from a science educator in Florida who looked into the science portion of Florida's standardized assessment. Robert Krampf was developing some science test prep questions for 5th graders preparing to take that state's ... more »
Schools for the corporate era - Colorlines.com - Salon.com
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Schools for the corporate era - Colorlines.com - Salon.com: Schools for the corporate eraGov. Jindal has reshaped Louisiana's public education system based on ALEC's blueprintsBYJULIANNE HING,COLORLINES.COM9 more Gov. Bobby Jindal(Credit: AP/Carolyn Kaster)This piece originally appeared onColorlines.com.Gov. Bobby Jindal has remade the Louisiana public schools system with impressive speed over the past legislative session. Last week, he signed into law a suite of landmark reform bills that will likely change the direction of public education in Louisiana forever. But not all ... more »
Yong Zhao » Blog Archive » Mass Localism for Improving America’s Education
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Yong Zhao » Blog Archive » Mass Localism for Improving America’s Education: Mass Localism for Improving America’s EducationbyYongZhaoA version of this post is published inKappa Delta Pi Record, 48(1), p. 17-22in Feb. 2012.To build a better education system, America must build on what we have—differentiation, uniqueness, and diversity.It is one of the happy incidents of the federal system that a single courageous State may, if its citizens choose, serve as a laboratory; and try novel social and economic experiments without ... more »
LAUSD: SCHOOL DISCIPLINE AS A PREREQUISITE FOR EDUCATION (VIDEO #3) - Perdaily.com
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LAUSD: SCHOOL DISCIPLINE AS A PREREQUISITE FOR EDUCATION (VIDEO #3) - Perdaily.com: LAUSD: SCHOOL DISCIPLINE AS A PREREQUISITE FOR EDUCATION (VIDEO #3)byLeonard Isenberg(Mensaje se repite en Español)(For a national view of public education reform see the end of this blog post)The failure to follow LAUSD's own bulletins, the LAUSD/UTLA Collective Bargaining, and state and federal are only part of the reason that LAUSD remains such an unmitigated failure when it comes to educating predominantly minority students that make up the ... more »
Obama honors Burbank educator as National Teacher of the Year - LA Daily News
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Obama honors Burbank educator as National Teacher of the Year - LA Daily News: Obama honors Burbank educator as National Teacher of the YearByBarbara Jones, Staff WriterPosted: 04/24/2012 07:52:43 AM PDTUpdated: 04/24/2012 08:15:45 AM PDTPresident Barack Obama congratulates the 2012 National Teacher of the Year, Rebecca Mieliwocki, who teaches at Luther Burbank Middle School in Burbank, Calif., Tuesday, April 24, 2012, during a ceremony in the East Room at the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak) (Charles Dharapak)CLICK PHOTO ... more »
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH: How stupid items get onto standardized tests « Diane Ravitch's blog
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How stupid items get onto standardized tests « Diane Ravitch's blog: How stupid items get onto standardized tests Many people have wondered how the New York State Education Department permitted the nonsensical story about the pineapple and the hare to get onto the state test.This is not the first time a really bad reading passage got onto the test and it won’t be the last.State Commissioner John King was quick to issue a defensive statement saying that people were reading ... more »
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Pineapple Rebellion in full swing
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Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Pineapple Rebellion in full swing: Pineapple Rebellion in full swingbyMike Klonsky Sometimes it happens that way. A single insipid test question has sparked a rebellion and shone a light, not only on current standardized testing practices, but on the whole testing industry and its leading profiteer,Pearson Publishing.TheN.Y. Times reports:Anti-testing activists have taken up the cudgel, saying that the passage and the multiple-choice questions associated with it perfectly illustrate the absurdity of standardized testing. And by Friday ... more »
NEWS FLASH: Malloy Hits New Low As He Misleads Minority Community on Education Reform - Wait, What?
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NEWS FLASH: Malloy Hits New Low As He Misleads Minority Community on Education Reform - Wait, What?: NEWS FLASH: Malloy Hits New Low As He Misleads Minority Community on Education ReformOne story in today’sHartford Courantis about Governor Malloy’s visit last night to the Faith Congregational Church where he explained that if the 81 state representatives and 27 or 28 senators from the poorest (and most minority) districts voted for his version of the “Education Reform” bill – it would pass. ... more »
A Sociological Eye on Education | Aaron’s fable
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A Sociological Eye on Education | Aaron’s fable: Aaron’s fablePineapple (courtesy of Alvesgaspar)(The fable below will make more sense if you know the following: Last week, New York eighth-graders taking the state’s English Language Arts assessment were subjected to six exam questions based on abizarre and incomprehensible passage featuring a talking pineapple. State Education Commissioner John King Jr.defended the passage, but said that these questions wouldn’t count. Also last week,New York Timescolumnist David Brooks wrote acolumn calling for value-added assessment ... more »
COMMUNITY KILLER? Radical District reorganization, 64 school closings planned | Philadelphia Public School Notebook
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Radical District reorganization, 64 school closings planned | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: Radical District reorganization, 64 school closings plannedbyDale Mezzacappaon Apr 24 2012 Posted inLatest newsCOMMENTS (3)PRINTEMAILTags:District budget INN feedThomas Knudsen Penny Nixon leadership school closingDistrict staff and consultants are recommending asweeping overhaulof how public schools in Philadelphia operate, planning to close 64 schools over the next five years and divvy up those that remain among “achievement networks” led by teams of educators or nonprofit institutio... more »
Now wait, who is that grassroots group Students for Education Reform? - Wait, What?
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Now wait, who is that grassroots group Students for Education Reform? - Wait, What?: Now wait, who is that grassroots group Students for Education Reform?byjonpeltoporcupine backs into a cactus -Beware of AstroTurf Ed Reformersporcupine backs into a cactusOn April 19, 2012, 60 college students held a rally at the State Capitol demanding that the Legislature pass Governor Malloy “Education Reform” bill.Students For Education Reform’s Connecticut director claimed that students were coming from a dozen different Connecticut campuses and that the ... more »
PSAT for 4-24-12: Sign the National Resolution on High Stakes Testing
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Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » PSAT for 4-24-12: Sign the National Resolution on High Stakes Testing: PSAT for 4-24-12: Sign the National Resolution on High Stakes Testingbyadmin Please sign onhere(as individuals and, where appropriate, as organizations such as Local School Councils, etc.) Here’s what and why:Advancement Project – Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund – FairTest – Forum for Education and Democracy – NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund – National Education Association – Parents ... more »
The Innovative Educator: Inform Others of the Harm of Standardized Tests with This Flyer
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The Innovative Educator: Inform Others of the Harm of Standardized Tests with This Flyer: Inform Others of the Harm of Standardized Tests with This Flyerbynoreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen)We are finally reaching a time when parents are standing up for the rights of their children and opting out of tests. Social media has played a great role in this where parents are able tofind others from their statewho are doing the same thing they are and also discover and share information and ...more »
A new teacher evaluation system being tested at two OUSD schools - The Education Report - Katy Murphy's blog on Oakland schools
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A new teacher evaluation system being tested at two OUSD schools - The Education Report - Katy Murphy's blog on Oakland schools: A new teacher evaluation system being tested at two OUSD schoolsMonday, April 23rd, 2012 at 4:04 pm inteachersNo CommentsDave Orphal, a teacher at Skyline High School in Oakland, will write a series of blog posts for The Education Report about teacher evaluations — including a pilot program that two middle schools are using this year. He serves as ... more »
‘Mr. President, public education in the U.S. is on the wrong track’ - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post
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‘Mr. President, public education in the U.S. is on the wrong track’ - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: ‘Mr. President, public education in the U.S. is on the wrong track’byValerie StraussThis is the text ofan open letterwritten to President Obama by Mary Broderick, president of the Arlington, Va.,-basedNational Schools Boards Association,a not-for-profit organization representing state associations of school boards and their member districts. The letter, sent earlier this month to the president, asks for a national dialogue about ... more »
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Banda Profile
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Seattle Schools Community Forum: Banda Profile: Banda ProfilebyMelissa WestbrookThe Times has a goodprofileof the work that superintendent finalist, Jose Banda, has done in Anaheim.Banda was born in Texas, the son of migrant farmworkers who had little formal education. His first language was Spanish.When he was 2, the family moved to California, where he has stayed. His father began picking cotton at a ranch outside Bakersfield and eventually was promoted to supervisor. During breaks and summers, Banda and his six siblings ... more »
Today in DC: Occupy The Justice Department! | OccupyWallSt.org #OWS
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Today in DC: Occupy The Justice Department! | OccupyWallSt.org: Today in DC: Occupy The Justice Department!Posted 6 hours ago on April 24, 2012, 1:28 a.m. EST byOccupyWallStToday @ 11AM!950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC -- at the Dept of Justice (DOJ)viaOccupy The Justice Department:On April 24, 2012, Mumia Abu-Jamal’s 58th birthday, we will gather at the Department of Justice in Washington D.C and amplify our formal request that Attorney General Eric Holder meet with a delegation to discuss police corruption ... more »
Chris Hedges: Why the United States Is Destroying Its Education System | Seattle Education
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Chris Hedges: Why the United States Is Destroying Its Education System | Seattle Education: Chris Hedges: Why the United States Is Destroying Its Education Systembyseattleducation2011Posted originally on April 11, 2012 ontruthdig.Chris HedgesA nation that destroys its systems of education, degrades its public information, guts its public libraries and turns its airwaves into vehicles for cheap, mindless amusement becomes deaf, dumb and blind. It prizes test scores above critical thinking and literacy. It celebrates rote vocational training and the singular, amoral ... more »
It’s almost too juicy Parents United for Responsible Education
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Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » It’s almost too juicy: It’s almost too juicybyadminPineapplegate. Just the kind of incredibly stupid, embarrassing testing scandal that President Obama and other candidates need to take seriously as they head into the summer campaign season.Don’t be on the wrong side of the pineapple, folks.I’ll have to admit that it was a lot of fun watching this story roll out with my friend and PAA co-founder Leonie Haimson when we were in ... more »
ED News Worth Reading April 2012
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ED News Worth Reading April
