Friday, May 18, 2012

by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman)

Via Glen Brown, via Mike Ellberg:

Popout

The whole "these people aren't even state employees" fits nicely into the anti-teacher sentiment that's been fanned by Arne Duncan, Jonah Edelman, et al. It's all the rage.

The individual sign-up thing is interesting, but I'm still pretty confident that it won't "stand up to constitutional pressure" if it's one of these "sign up and we'll continue to send you checks" type of non-deals.

“Whose School? Our School!” On Pranks, Punishments, and the Campus « Student Activism

“Whose School? Our School!” On Pranks, Punishments, and the Campus « Student Activism:

“Whose School? Our School!” On Pranks, Punishments, and the Campus

by Angus Johnston

On Monday evening a group of six seniors snuck into their Indiana high school. Armed with stationery supplies and a borrowed key, they proceeded to redecorate the place. Nobody was harmed, no actual damage was done. They just slapped up a few thousand Post-Its.
The pranksters included the school’s valedictorian, salutatorian, and senior class president. The key came from the mother of one of the students, who was a school board member and was aware of their plans. A custodian kept an eye out to make sure things didn’t get out of hand. The group even planned to take down the Post-Its themselves.
But when school officials arrived the next morning, they suspended all six for trespassing, and moved to fire the custodian (also the mother of a student, as it happens). When supportive students staged a gym sit-in protest, another 57 were suspended.
I’ve always found this kind of trespassing charge ridiculous, and more than a little chilling. A school (or a college)

Missouri Education Watchdog: Data Driven Decisions For Control or Cover

Missouri Education Watchdog: Data Driven Decisions For Control or Cover:

Data Driven Decisions For Control or Cover

by Anngie

David Clemens of the National Association of Scholars has a great piece about the new "data driven" culture in education. Like him, I think if I hear one more person tell me that their process is data driven I am going to scream. Data, on it its own, is like the wind for a sailboat. It can be used to move you, but without sophisticated equipment and navigation knowledge it tends to just push you in one random direction. Like the wind, data can be manipulated to move you in any direction you like. The data itself is not as important as the person using it to steer. When anyone tells you their process is data driven, take a good look at who is at the helm. (to complete the sailing metaphor) Watch when they pull the tiller hard to windward, you are about to jibe and could get smacked in the head by the fast moving boom.

Higher Education and the Perfect Data Storm

David Clemens teaches English at Monterey Peninsula College, where he founded and coordinates the Great Books Certificate Program.

Consensus has it that we are living in the Age of Big Data. When our college president was hired, he declared himself “data driven”; during interviews for vice president of academic affairs, all three finalists announced that they, too, were “data driven” (though none could

L.A. students and teachers display learning beyond tests - latimes.com

L.A. students and teachers display learning beyond tests - latimes.com:

L.A. students and teachers display learning beyond tests

About two dozen teachers and their students assembled Thursday after school near downtown to demonstrate academic prowess beyond a standardized test score.
Preschoolers from MacArthur Park Primary Center, for instance, had prepared watercolors based on Kandinsky. Dahlia Heights fifth- and sixth-graders demonstrated robotic engineering with Legos. And seventh-graders from Julie Van Winkle’s class at Logan Elementary dissected cow eyeballs. They also prepared “cameras obscura”

LACDP Sets the Record Straight in AD 46 and Reasserts Position That Democrats for Education Reform Must Cease Its Disregard for State Law — Los Angeles County Democratic Party

LACDP Sets the Record Straight in AD 46 and Reasserts Position That Democrats for Education Reform Must Cease Its Disregard for State Law — Los Angeles County Democratic Party:

LACDP Sets the Record Straight in AD 46 and Reasserts Position That Democrats for Education Reform Must Cease Its Disregard for State Law

May 17, 2012 By clarklee Comments (0)

DFER Fake Democrats for Education Privatization (click on Picture)

LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles County Democratic Party Chair and California Democratic Party Vice Chair Eric C. Bauman released the following statement reaffirming LACDP’s stance that Democrats for Education Reform (DFER) must cease and desist illegally operating in Los Angeles County without a valid charter:

“Democrats for Education Reform still doesn’t get it. The Los Angeles County Democratic Party’s cease and desist order is not an attack on individuals for their stance on any issue. It is a necessary challenge to an organization operating in California in violation of the California Elections Code by illegally using the name of the Democratic Party and misleading voters.

“The independent expenditure that is promoting DFER’s endorsement is heavily funded by EdVoice and

Daily Kos: "... we do not have a sustainable society"

Daily Kos: "... we do not have a sustainable society":

"... we do not have a sustainable society"

by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken)

when too few have too much and too many have too little, we do not have a sustainable society

The words are from Bernard Rapoport, known to his friends simply as B. I have been reflecting upon them for the past few days, because of having attended his memorial on Tuesday, about which I wrote yesterday in this post, which I think may be as important as anything I have ever posted here.
We are seeing the continued development of an America were too few do have too much and an ever-increasing percentage have too little.
The situation will be made worse if the Affordable Care Act is overturned by the Supreme Court.
The situation has been made worse by a series of decisions about campaign finance, going back to Buckley v Valeo equating money with speech, and when combined with the idea that corporations are persons culminating in Citizens United, along with the existence of 527s, Super Pacs, and the abuse of 501(c)(4) organizations by the likes of Karl Rove.
B Rapoport once asked a close friend "Moyers, what can I do to make this world a better place?" I have some thoughts on this, and they are combined with the third of the three things he learned from his father, that he needed to have a sense of outrage at injustice.
I invite you to continue to explore some ideas with me.

Charters, Ed Coalition at odds over buildings | Thoughts on Public Education

Charters, Ed Coalition at odds over buildings | Thoughts on Public Education:

Charters, Ed Coalition at odds over buildings - by John Fensterwald - Educated Guess

by John Fensterwald - Educated Guess

Charter Schools - Dividing Communities since 1991

The Education Coalition, the organization that represents mainstream education groups, announced its opposition Thursday to Gov. Jerry Brown’s plan to require a school district to offer charter schools any building that it decides it no longer needs.

The proposal is one of several that the governor included in his May budget revision to benefit charters, which, the budget notes, receive lower state reimbursements than district schools and generally face higher facilities costs. But the Coalition noted that selling surplus property and using the proceeds for general fund purposes is “one of the few ways districts have mitigated cuts.”

“This proposal comes at a time when school districts have taken over $20 billion in cuts

School Tech Connect: What Can You Do?

School Tech Connect: What Can You Do?:

What Can You Do?

by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman)

From Bob Haisman:

What can you do? You don't have to do all - pick one! or two or three!

1. Keep it up! Send another E-mail. Call again. and again and again!

2. Contact five teachers who might be clueless or uninformed or in denial . Convince them, urge them to send an E-Mail! Help them call their legislators. Help them use the ..... "We Are One" (http://www.weareoneillinois.org/) automated contact system or the IEA system (WWW.IEANEA.ORG)! Legislative staffs are counting the number of calls they are getting!

3. Seek out your local association president and offer to help contact members! Suggest you will help with a cell phone and lap top contact your legislator party!!

4. Make an email list of every teacher you know and forward them this Pension 101!   Play Paul or Pauline Revere -- make sure your colleagues know we are in the fight of our life!

5. If you are retired -- talk to the retired teacher lunch group -- the Friday breakfast group -- be persistent! The pension You help save will be Your Own! URGE them to do more than shake their heads -- urge action -- Give them the websites!!

6. Get a group of teachers together and visit your local state Representative and local state Senator this weekend -- just the fact you call for an appointment is enough! Let them know Teachers vote and they care about their pensions! They will be home!

7. Write up a simple -- "Don't Cut My Pension" petition and have your grade level, your school , your retired lunch group -- sign it and ....present the petition this weekend to your local Representative's office!

8. Ask your colleagues (forward VIA E-Mail) to sign the following Quinn petition on line.....
http://signon.org/sign/governor-quinn-leave?source=s.em.cr&r_by=1424651&mailing_id=3617

9. There have been demonstrations in front of legislators offices in Naperville, Rushville, Westmont, Peru... organize one! Make your own signs! March for fair treatment. Attend the Orland Park Rally Friday night see how it is done!

10. http://www.weareoneillinois.org/ ---  WWW.IEANEA.ORG

GO to Springfield next week and lobby with the IEA!!  Pension Emergency Lobby Week!!!!
IEA is encouraging retired IEA members or members who are out of school to volunteer in a lobbying effort along with AFSCME and We Are One Illinois labor coalition partners scheduled for the week of May 21 in the state's capitol!!! There will be kick-offs/briefings held each day in a tent behind the Illinois State Federation of Labor located at 534 S. 2nd Street. The schedule for the week is:

Monday, May 21: Kick-off/briefing at 2:00 p.m.
Tuesday, May 22 through Friday, May 25: Kick-off/briefing at 11:00 a.m.

The Innovative Educator: What makes a great teacher? - A student says, "This!"

The Innovative Educator: What makes a great teacher? - A student says, "This!":

What makes a great teacher? - A student says, "This!"

by noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen)

Guest post by Irene, High School Junior

My old Language Arts teacher never smiled. She kept the blinds closed to keep the sunlight out. She often professed her raging dislike for the art of writing, yet she droned on class after class on the correct format of an outline. I often entertained thoughts that she was an evil witch who fed upon the souls of children. Therefore, you may imagine that after my experience with her, my expectations of Language Arts teachers were, well, low. However, after I changed schools I was lucky enough to take Classical Mythology, as my teacher for that class completely shattered each and every one of my preconceptions.

My Classical Mythology teacher recently transformed his classroom into a temple complete with candles, incense, and offering platters and brought in a woman to pose as an oracle. He told us to prepare for our meeting with the oracle by washing our hair, opening our minds and bringing a

hctiB G: Education Is Not a “Business” | The G Bitch Spot

hctiB G: Education Is Not a “Business” | The G Bitch Spot:

hctiB G: Education Is Not a “Business”

by G Bitch

originally posted May 8, 2009

The more time you spend in school, the more you see the influence of business practices. … The corporate bible Good to Great sits on the bookshelf of nearly every principal, and a lot of Stephen Covey gets quoted at education conferences (98).

Jim Collins, the author of Good to Great, published a monograph after learning that so many educators and other social service providers were relying on his book. In Good to Great and the Social Sectors: Why Business Thinking Is Not the Answer, he clarified that while the fundamentals of leadership success translate throughout fields, people like principals not only are measured by

- The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

- The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post:

How standardized tests are affecting public schools

by Valerie Strauss

Florida’s standardized testing program is being misused and has “severely impacted student learning,” according to a new white paper that says that school districts in the state are required to give as many as 62 tests a year to some students.
Read full article >>

Why college tuitions are rising: A contrarian view

Valerie Strauss at The Answer Sheet - 3 hours ago

This *was written by Gary C. Fethke, professor and former dean of the Henry B. Tippie College of Business at the University of Iowa, and Andrew J. Policano, dean of the Paul Merage School of Business at the University of California, Irvine. Their new book, “Public No More: A New Path to Excellence for America’s Public Universities,” will be published this month by Stanford University Press*. Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpon]

What teachers don’t need (but are getting anyway)

Valerie Strauss at The Answer Sheet - 1 day ago

This *was written by Paul Thomas, an associate professor of education at Furman University in South Carolina. A version of this first appeared on dailykos.com. * By Paul Thomas Just days ago, I completed my 28th year as a teacher — 18 as a high school teacher of English followed by 10 years as a professor of education. Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpon]

The (college) kids are alright

Valerie Strauss at The Answer Sheet - 1 day ago

This *was written by Stephen Whittaker, a professor of rhetoric at The University of Scranton.* By Stephen E. Whittaker For three decades, I have taught rhetoric in a university honors program, so I see the academic cream of the crop. Many of my former students today are doctors, lawyers, educators, managers, editors and non-profit leaders, and when I see them at reunions, they strike me as articulate, humane and conscientious. Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpon]

Parents Across America: Parent “Choice” is Not Parent “Voice” | Scathing Purple Musings

Parents Across America: Parent “Choice” is Not Parent “Voice” | Scathing Purple Musings:

Parents Across America: Parent “Choice” is Not Parent “Voice”

by Bob Sikes

Influential public school advocacy group Parents Across America weren’t invited to Rep. Duncan Hunter’s House Education and Workforce sub-committee hearing on “Exploring State Success in Expanding Parent and Student Options.” No surprise there. PAA explains why:

Yesterday, a subcommittee of the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce held a hearing which was promoted as a discussion on “state efforts to expand parental engagement.”
However, the title of the actual hearing (see heading above) and the testimony of three of the four invited speakers, made it clear that the leadership defines parent engagement solely as parental choice.
In his opening comments, subcommittee chair Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) essentially equated parental empowerment with expanded charter schools, parent trigger laws, and school vouchers, i.e., the privatization agenda of corporate reform
Chairman Hunter even tried to tie those strategies to the research showing the many positive

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Jobs for Adults and Teens

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Jobs for Adults and Teens:

Jobs for Adults and Teens

by Melissa Westbrook

From City Year, jobs for adults:

It’s an exciting time for City Year Seattle/King County. We are growing, and we are looking for the best talent around to join our team, and we need your help to do so.

We are hiring for four different positions:

· Director of Impact, who will powerfully lead our entire effort and our team in our mission to maximize the number of at-risk kids we bring back on track to graduate.

· Training and Events Senior Manager, who will create and implement a potent, rigorous and exemplary training strategy for City Year corps member development and classroom practice.

· Senior Program Manager, who – like the Program Manager – will with great skill lead his or her team of corps members toward remarkable impact in a single school and will cement a seamless and organic partnership between the school and City Year. The Senior Program Manager will also coach and supervise a Program Manager, and participate in cross-departmental initiatives.

MGJ Hires Gregory King for Detroit

by Charlie Mas

According to the Detroit Free Press Gregory King has been hired as a principal for one of the elementary schools in the Education Achievement Authority of Michigan, the school district of struggling schools administered by Dr. Maria Goodloe-Johnson.

The press release from the EAA referred to his twenty years as a teacher and a principal and that he won an award in Atlanta. It doesn't mention his service in Seattle and it certainly doesn't mention his recent ethics violation.

EAA elementary school principals will be paid $120,000 a year. And that's in Detroit.

I guess Lowell should be looking for a new principal.

NYC Educator: Waffles Walcott's Words of Wisdom

NYC Educator: Waffles Walcott's Words of Wisdom:

Waffles Walcott's Words of Wisdom

by NYC Educator

Hi, it's me, your old buddy Dennis "Waffles" Walcott. I've just made a tough statement about teachers, because Mayor Bloomberg thinks the way to support our hard-working staff is to let them know we're working on new ways to fire them, and I agree completely. From now on, get two U-ratings and we'll try to remove you from your job, whether or not your principal thinks it's a good idea. This may be tough, since some of our principals give U-ratings for arbitrary and frivolous reasons, but I don't care about any of that.

It's true that right now the burden of proof is on us, and we're likely to waste a great deal of city money going after teachers who haven't actually done anything wrong. However, I'm certain the NY Post will not see it that way, and will gleefully do stories on the perfidy of these teachers even after they're acquitted. So for me, it's kind of a win-win.

Of course, once we get that new evaluation system up, we figure the burden will be on the teachers and we can

Naperville teachers rally. « Fred Klonsky

Naperville teachers rally. « Fred Klonsky:

Naperville teachers rally.

by Fred Klonsky

From the speech by Roger Sanders at the Naperville pension rally Thursday.

What needs to be done:
First, the Governor needs to get off the corporate welfare wagon, and stop giving millions of dollars in tax breaks to corporations.
Second, the General Assembly needs to take a critical look at the state’s tax structure.
Third. the General Assembly and the Governor need to get real about spending priorities.
Fourth, the General Assembly and Governor need to be serious about reforming the culture of

Life in Rahm’s Chicago.

by Fred Klonsky

Parents sign petition against use of FCAT - Schools - MiamiHerald.com

Parents sign petition against use of FCAT - Schools - MiamiHerald.com:

Parents sign petition against use of FCAT

The petition, gaining traction in parts of Florida and around the country, urges education administrators to rely less on standardized tests and use other measures to evaluate students, schools and teachers.

FAIRTEST CALLS FOR INDEPENDENT AUDIT OF FCAT, PEARSON

by Bob Sikes

GO TO

National Resolution on High-Stakes Testing

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/05/14/2799459/parents-sign-petition-against.html#storylink=cpy

Occupy Chicago NATO/G8 Guide | OccupyWallSt.org

Occupy Chicago NATO/G8 Guide | OccupyWallSt.org:

Occupy Chicago NATO/G8 Guide

by OccupyWallSt

via Occupy Chicago:
To better empower travelers and Chicagoans new to Occupy Chicago, we are releasing the Occupy Chicago NATO/G8 Guide.
This guide:
-Provides travelers with information they need when coming into Chicago, such as how to find housing and food resources
-Provides protestors details on their legal rights, a bank of information on all the actions of Occupy Chicago's Ten Days of Action, points of contact useful to protestors, and more.
-Presents information to make it easier for new-comers to beginning working with Occupy Chicago.
-Explains often esoteric details on Occupy Chicago infrastructure, gives information on how to get involved in Occupy Chicago, and explains the History of Occupy Chicago and The Chicago Principles.
Educate, Empower, Occupy!
If you wish to print and distribute this information, please print it out in booklet format, which you can do by printing from Adobe Reader, double sided page. Under the “page scaling option” select “Booklet Printing”. This will print this information out in form that looks like a small book.
The guide is attached to this post.
map of NATO and Occupy Chicago locations is available here:
http://www.mediafire.com/?dv67zyun8l8g8o3
Attachment:
OCNG8 Guide - Booklet ver.pdf

TODAY: Women Occupying Wall Street Reclaim Feminism In Citywide Gathering

OccupyWallSt at OccupyWallSt News - 1 day ago

[image: 1st feminist GA] Occupy Wall Street reignited a movement for economic justice. Now WOW — Women Occupying Wall Street — aims to do the same for feminism. They’re bringing together a broad range of New York City feminists—and unapologetically using the word—to launch a new, inclusive activism for gender justice and against the War on Women. *The First Feminist General Assembly is Thursday, May 17 at 6:30 in Washington Square Park.* Yes, it’s a meeting—but not just any meeting. The invitation list ranges from SisterSong: Women of Color Reproductive Justice Center to the Sex...more »

Stop the Neo-Liberal Crisis Politics – Dispossess the Beneficiaries!

OccupyWallSt at OccupyWallSt News - 1 day ago

[image: Blockupy Frankfurt] via stop-neoliberal-crises-politics.org: We are experiencing the deepest crisis of capitalism since the great depression of the 30s – and the European governments continue to pour oil on the fires! From the very beginning, some governments have prevented a solidarity-based solution to the crisis in Europe and are significantly responsible for its exacerbation. This refers particularly to the German government, which, in August 2008, blocked a substantial economic stimulus package for Europe. Hardly had the recession reached its lowest point in Germany... more »

Latest News and Comment from Education

Friday, May 18, 2012

LACDP Sets the Record Straight in AD 46 and Reasserts Position That Democrats for Education Reform Must Cease Its Disregard for State Law

Parents sign petition against use of FCAT

The petition, gaining traction in parts of Florida and around the country, urges education administrators to rely less on standardized tests and use other measures to evaluate students, schools and teachers.

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