Presidential Proclamation -- National Charter Schools Week, 2012 | The White House

Presidential Proclamation -- National Charter Schools Week, 2012 | The White House:

Presidential Proclamation -- National Charter Schools Week, 2012

NATIONAL CHARTER SCHOOLS WEEK, 2012

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

As a Nation, we share a responsibility to provide our children with a world-class education.  By keeping our young people engaged in learning, we help them develop the skills and values that will not only guide them in life, but also prepare them to thrive in the global economy.  For years, charter schools have brought new ideas to the work of educating our sons and daughters, and during National Charter Schools Week, we recognize their role in strengthening American education.

Whether created by parents and teachers or community and civic leaders, charter schools serve as incubators of innovation in neighborhoods across our country.  These institutions give educators the freedom to cultivate new teaching models and develop creative methods to meet students' needs.  This unique flexibility is matched by strong accountability and high standards, so underperforming charter schools can be closed, while those that consistently help students succeed can serve as models of reform for other public schools.

In an economy where knowledge is our most valuable asset, a good education is no longer just a pathway to opportunity -- it is an imperative.  Our children only get one chance at an education, and charter schools demonstrate what is possible when States, communities, teachers, parents, and students work together.  This week, let us recommit to ensuring all our children receive a high-quality education that expands their horizons, inspires them to develop their talents, and instills in them a sense of possibility for their futures. 

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim May 6 through May 12, 2012, as National Charter Schools Week.  I commend our Nation's charter schools, teachers, and administrators, and I call on States and communities to support charter schools and the students they serve.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this seventh day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand twelve, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-sixth.

BARACK OBAMA

CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS WEBSITE

CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS

A compilation of news articles about charter schools which have been charged with, or are highly suspected of, tampering with admissions, grades, attendance and testing; misuse of funds and embezzlement; engaging in nepotism and conflicts of interest; engaging in complicated and shady real estate deals; and/or have been engaging in other questionable, unethical, borderline-legal, or illegal activities. This is also a record of charter school instability and other unsavory tidbits.

Couldn't Find Your Own Special Charter School Scandal
Just Type the name of your city or charter school in the box below

CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS

If you don't find yours today

Keep checking

CHARTER SCHOOL SCANDALS

Be sure to check out two other Great blogs:

-THE BROAD REPORT (as in Eli) 

-THE PERIMETER PRIMATE

U.S. Department of Education Kicks-Off Teacher Appreciation Week with a National Dialogue on Strengthening and Elevating the Teaching Profession | U.S. Department of Education

U.S. Department of Education Kicks-Off Teacher Appreciation Week with a National Dialogue on Strengthening and Elevating the Teaching Profession | U.S. Department of Education:

U.S. Department of Education Kicks-Off Teacher Appreciation Week with a National Dialogue on Strengthening and Elevating the Teaching Profession

MAY 7, 2012

Contact:  

 Press Office, (202) 401-1576, press@ed.gov 

A vision document for reforming the teaching profession created by active classroom teachers working temporarily for the U.S. Department of Education has been posted for public comment on the Department’s website today as part of Teacher Appreciation Week. The 14-page document reflects input from more than 2,500 teachers across the country who participated in approximately 200 roundtable meetings over the past six months.

“Teacher input is essential to strengthening the teaching profession,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. “Teachers are the greatest in-school factor that impacts student achievement. To elevate our education system, we need educators’ voices driving the national dialogue around improving teacher preparation, development, career ladders and compensation.”

The RESPECT Project, which stands for Recognizing Educational Success, Professional Excellence and Collaborative Teaching, is the Obama Administration’s effort to honor and elevate America’s educators. The administration’s proposed 2013 budget seeks $5 billion for a new competitive program to support states and districts working to reform the teaching profession.

“Our goal is to make one of America’s most important professions into one of America’s most valued professions. We encourage educators nationwide to join this important conversation and share their ideas for transforming the field of teaching,” said Duncan.

As part of its work to better support teachers, the administration has held two international conferences with labor leaders and education ministers from high-performing countries around the world. And, later this month, the administration, national teacher unions, school superintendents, school boards and labor mediators are convening for two days in Cincinnati to focus on reforming the teaching profession.

RESPECT explores transformative ideas for improving classroom instruction, making the most of the school day and year, strengthening the relationship between principal and teachers, and distributing talent to high-need schools and subjects. In addition, it discusses effective methods for recruitment, training, development, and creating career pathways that encourage talented teachers and leaders to maintain professions in education.

Duncan has also called for dramatically boosting teacher salaries so they are more competitive with professions like medicine, law and engineering. He repeated the call for higher salaries in an op-ed posted today on The Huffington Post and the Department’s website.

The vision document, titled “The RESPECT Project: Envisioning a Teaching Profession for the 21st Century”, is available for public comment June 19, 2012 at http://www.ed.gov/documents/respect/discussion-document.doc.

RESPECT Vision Released for Comment | ED.gov Blog

RESPECT Vision Released for Comment | ED.gov Blog:

RESPECT Vision Released for Comment

Posted on May 4, 2012 by jreeves

What would it take to make America’s most important profession also America’s most valued profession?

To answer this question, 16 Teacher Ambassador Fellows — active classroom teachers working temporarily for the U.S. Department of Education — have been listening to teachers all over the country. They have held over 200 roundtable discussions with thousands of their colleagues to talk about how they envision a transformed teaching profession.

The result is a teacher-written vision document, available on our website here [MS Word, 164KB].

We invite you to review and comment on the newly-released vision statement for the RESPECT Project. The new vision statement has been divided into sections so that readers are able to comment on a particular part of the vision at a time.

• Section I—Introduction
• Section II—A New Vision of Teaching And Leading, and a Reorganized Classroom
• Section III—A New School Day and School Year
• Section IV—An Environment of Shared Responsibility among Teachers and Principals: Strong Principals and Distributed Leadership
• Section V—Entering the Profession
• Section VI—Career Pathways and Professional Advancement
• Section VII—Teacher Evaluation and Development
• Section VIII—Compensation and Conclusion
• Section IX—Appendix: Sample Teacher Role Structure

• More Sharing ServicesShare
 

This entry was posted in Teachers and tagged RESPECT, Teaching Ambassador Fellows. Bookmark the permalink.

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Monday, May 7, 2012

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team:

Education Headlines

Monday, May 7, 2012

Two Stockton USD schools to go full service

Children will have the chance to stay long after school closes to participate in homework clubs or recreational activities. Parents will turn out to study English, take nutrition classes and receive dental services.

Schools preparing for new teaching standards

How are local school districts preparing for a new set of teaching strategies and tests that will start in 2014?

Humboldt school districts update bullying policies

Humboldt County educators will be updating their anti-bullying policies in anticipation of three new state laws, two of which go into effect this summer.

Desert Sands Unified School District hopes new hires will save money

Desert Sands Unified School District has created two positions charged with improving energy efficiency to save the district money.

California now into fourth year of teacher layoffs

School districts sent out 20,000 warning notices in March -- the fourth consecutive year of mass cuts due to continued state funding shortfalls, but if the past three years are anything to go by, roughly a quarter of those teachers will actually lose their jobs.

Court ruling could expel high-achieving charter school

A court ruling has invalidated the lease of a high-performing charter school in Glassell Park, threatening it with closure when the school year ends in June.

Former Miramonte students' lawsuit accuses LAUSD of negligence

The Los Angeles Unified School District was named in a negligence lawsuit filed this week on behalf of 20 former Miramonte Elementary School students who say they were victims of sexual abuse by a former teacher at the school.

In controversial move, LAUSD's Deasy wants to raise high-school graduation requirements

Superintendent John Deasy is now poised to launch the next big piece in his model for reforming the Los Angeles Unified School District, a controversial move that would toughen the curriculum and grading scale to make every high school graduate eligible for entry to a state university.

Brown’s weighed funding for schools up for review, revision

With only a week to go before release of the revised May budget, there are storm signs ahead for Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposal for restructuring school finance and perhaps a signal in response from the administration.

Fensterwald: ‘Getting Down to Facts’ revisited

The principal author and other contributors to the massive research project on California education known as Getting Down to Facts are marking the fifth anniversary of its release by examining its impact and discussing what still needs to be done. Clearly, a lot.

LAUSD charter elementary with low test scores gets a reprieve

Academia Semillas del Pueblo, a Los Angeles Unified School District elementary charter school in El Sereno, teaches in three languages and has ambitious goals, but it narrowly escaped closure recently because of low test scores.

Friday, May 4, 2012

Ocean View district, teachers enter fact-finding stage of impasse

Health insurance benefits continue to be the sticking point between the Ocean View School District and its teachers as the contract dispute reaches the fact-finding stage.

Palm Desert High School crisis offers harsh portrait of social media

Teacher Appreciation Week - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education)

Teacher Appreciation Week - Year 2012 (CA Dept of Education):

State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Releases
Top 10 List of Ways to Appreciate Teachers

SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson urged all Californians to find ways to appreciate teachers during May 6-12, designated as National Teacher Appreciation Week.

"Teaching is the most important job there is," Torlakson said. "Ask just about anyone about the person who made the biggest difference in their life, chances are that person is a teacher. Let's all take a moment this week to say `thank you' to California's teachers."

Here's Torlakson's top 10 list.

For students:

1. Thank your teacher for all of his or her hard work.
2. Do your best on homework and in-class assignments.
3. Behave in class, so your teacher can devote more time to teaching.
4. Respect your teacher and your fellow students. This will create a better learning environment for everyone in the classroom.
5. Raise your hand to answer your teacher's questions and participate in learning.

For parents:

6. Send an e-mail or a note with your children to school, thanking their teachers for their hard work.
7. Appreciate teachers for the professionals that they are, and give them the same respect you would give a good friend who takes care of your children.
8. Provide a helping hand in the classroom, during sporting events, on field trips, or at the school site.
9. Donate school supplies. Teachers often pay out of their own pockets to provide their students with the tools they need to learn.
10. Hold fundraisers and donate the proceeds to schools that have been hard hit by state budget cuts.

May 8 is National Teacher Appreciation Day, an annual tradition continued by the National Teaches Association. May 9 is California Day of the Teacher, a day established under California Education Code Section 37222, to encourage schools to conduct exercises commemorating and directing attention to teachers and the teaching profession.

For the California Day of the Teacher, two organizations created themes to honor educators. The California Teachers Association  theme is, "Great Teachers: Building a Better State for Public Education." The Association of Mexican American Educators  theme is, "Educating Students for a World of Opportunities."

# # # #

Tom Torlakson — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5206, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100

NEA - National Teacher Day

NEA - National Teacher Day:

May 8, 2012

Great Teachers Make Great Public Schools

On National Teacher Day, thousands of communities take time to honor their local educators and acknowledge the crucial role teachers play in making sure every student receives a quality education.

Planning Materials and Artwork

Download our 2012 artwork including poster, web buttons, and banners.

My Amazing Teacher Campaign

Join the National Education Association and Parenting.com in honoring public school teachers for their unwavering passion, dedication and commitment to educating America’s future. Watch these online tributes to teachers and upload your own.   

5 Days, 5 Ways Teacher Giveaway

Throughout Teacher Appreciation Week (May 7-11), our friends at Teaching Channel are celebrating with a 5 Days, 5 Ways Giveaway to thank educators for all their hard work. Tch is giving away more than 200 thank you gifts throughout the week, finishing up with a Friday Grand Thank You! Visit the 5 Days, 5 Ways Giveaway web page for more information.

Help Us Spread the Word!Tweet Teacher Week messages. Be sure to use our #thankateacherhashtag.

Sample tweets:

• If you can write your name, #thankateacher
• If you followed your dreams, #thankateacher
• If you can read, #thankateacher

National Teacher Day Spotlights Key Issues Facing Profession

The teaching profession has changed dramatically over the past 50 years. Take a look at some key trends facing the teaching profession.   

NEA’s Teacher Thank-You Project

Unveiled in 2009 by NEA President Dennis Van Roekel and U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, NEA's "Teacher Thank-You Project" is a collection of thousands of thank-you cards artfully displayed on a larger-than-life mural measuring 8 feet tall and 75 feet wide. View photos from the Teacher Thank-You Project event.

The project is an unprecedented effort to collect thank-you messages for teachers around the world. Thousands of cards from celebrities, athletes, lawmakers, notable public figures, and individuals were compiled. To see a virtual version of the mural and view pictures, go to Teacher Thank-You Project.

Nominate a Classroom Superhero!

They don’t have the cape or the flashy tights, but educators are rising to a superhero challenge every single day. Few people have such an impact on all of our lives, and the lives of our children, as educators.

NEA’s Classroom Superheroes campaign allows parents, students, and community members to show educators the support they deserve. Find out more and then nominate your classroom superheroes.   

Celebrities Name Most Memorable Teachers

Behind every famous face is an educator. Actress Hilary Swank said, "Mr. Sellereit (Eric Sellereit, Happy Valley Elementary School, Bellingham, Washington) gave me my first acting job in my school production of The Jungle Book."

Check out our list of Celebrities' Most Memorable Teachers (PDF, 306 KB, 38pp).

History of National Teacher Day

The origins of National Teacher Day are murky. Around 1944 Arkansas teacher Mattye Whyte Woodridge began corresponding with political and education leaders about the need for a national day to honor teachers. Woodridge wrote to Eleanor Roosevelt, who in 1953 persuaded the 81st Congress to proclaim a National Teacher Day.

NEA, along with its Kansas and Indiana state affiliates and the Dodge City (Kan.) Local, lobbied Congress to create a national day to celebrate teachers. Congress declared March 7, 1980 as National Teacher Day for that year only.

NEA and its affiliates continued to observe National Teacher Day in March until 1985, when the NEA Representative Assembly voted to change the event to Tuesday of the first full week of May.

Happy Teacher Day!

Common Core Challenges our Unity - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

Common Core Challenges our Unity - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher:

Common Core Challenges our Unity

by Anthony Cody

Follow me on Twitter at @AnthonyCody
In recent weeks controversy over the Common Core standards has heated up. As we get closer to the decision point at the state level across the country, it has become clearer what a massive overhaul the Common Core represents. New curriculum, new professional development and most controversial of all, new assessments, with no relief in sight from the heavy-handed accountability systems that are the legacy of NCLB,
I have been outspoken in my own views about the Common Core, since I first heard about them three years ago. I think any system that is designed to make NCLB more efficient is unlikely to do much good. More recently I have carried more detailed critiques, from Stephen Krashen and Susan Ohanian, Jack Hassard, Jeffery Golub,myself, Alfie Kohn and Yong Zhao. I am categorically opposed to the federal armtwisting that has led states to adopt the Common Core, and I am deeply concerned about the plans to significantly expand high stakes tests in 

With Arne down the rabbit hole. « Fred Klonsky

With Arne down the rabbit hole. « Fred Klonsky:

With Arne down the rabbit hole.

by Fred Klonsky

Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and of having nothing to do: once or twice she had peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it, `and what is the use of a book,’ thought Alice `without pictures or conversation?’
So she was considering in her own mind (as well as she could, for the hot day made her feel very sleepy and stupid), whether the pleasure of making a daisy-chain would be worth the trouble of getting up and picking the daisies, when suddenly a White Rabbit with pink eyes ran close by her.
There was nothing so VERY remarkable in that; nor did Alice think it so VERY much out of the