James Baldwin said it best:
"For these are all our children, and we will profit by or pay for whatever they become."
A Big Education Ape Nite Cap
Standardized Tests Of Tomorrow Behind Schedule, According To Insider Survey
Standardized Tests Of Tomorrow Behind Schedule, According To Insider Survey: Standardized Tests Of Tomorrow Behind Schedule, According To Insider Survey by Joy Resmovits When asked about the problems associated with standardized testing -- cheating, overtesting, blunt measures of student achievement -- U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan often points to a duo of "next-generation assessments" funded by federal money. But a new survey, which consulting group Whiteboard Advisors plans to publish this week, suggests that "education insiders" aren't so sure that the one of the ne... more »
Hidden Anti-Teacher Agenda: Former DC Schools Chancellor Rhee Still Scamming and Posing as Education “Reformer” | Dissident Voice
Hidden Anti-Teacher Agenda: Former Failed DC Schools Chancellor Rhee Still Scamming and Posing as Education “Reformer” | Dissident Voice: Hidden Anti-Teacher Agenda: Former Failed DC Schools Chancellor Rhee Still Scamming and Posing as Education “Reformer” by Dave Lindorff Michelle Rhee, the former chancellor of Washington, DC’s public schools, has made a career for herself by inflating her resume, dodging responsibility, and trashing teachers. Now, two years after leaving her DC post under a cloud after the mayor who appointed her, Adrian Fenty, was defeated in a re-election bid ... more »
Invitation to a Dialogue - An Excess of Testing - NYTimes.com
Invitation to a Dialogue - An Excess of Testing - NYTimes.com: Invitation to a Dialogue: An Excess of TestingPublished: July 17, 2012 - FACEBOOK - TWITTER - GOOGLE+ - E-MAIL - SHARE - PRINT - REPRINTS - *To the Editor:* Enlarge This Image Nick Iluzada [image: Opinion Twitter Logo.] Connect With Us on Twitter For Op-Ed, follow@nytopinion and to hear from the editorial page editor, Andrew Rosenthal, follow@andyrNYT. The common core standards movement seems to be common sense: Our schools should have similar standards, what students should know at each grade. Th... more »
Kimble's Corner: My Time at Bain
Kimble's Corner: My Time at Bain: My Time at Bain by Representative Kimble I was not one of the original investors of Bain Financial when it was founded in 1984. In fact, that year I was still an undergrad at Notre Dame. However, I did well enough for myself and the company that when Mitt Romney left the company in 2002, he retroactively made me CEO beginning in 1999. What people forget is just what a different time those heady days were. America was attacked. At that time, we were worried that al-Qaeda could attack anywhere at anytime. In fact, one of our greatest fears was that ... more »
Introducing EdSource Today!
EdSource Today: [image: EdSource logo]Dear Friends of EdSource: I want to tell you about some exciting changes at EdSource: *Introducing EdSource Today!* [image: John Fensterwald Photo]John Fensterwald I am pleased to let you know that *John Fensterwald*, founder of the highly regarded online education site, "Thoughts on Public Education (TOP-Ed)," has joined EdSource. John's arrival will strengthen EdSource's efforts to promote sound education policies, enhance public engagement, and highlight successful practices and strategies that will result in improved learning outcomes. A... more »
Will Business Own Education in Wisconsin? « Diane Ravitch's blog
Will Business Own Education in Wisconsin? « Diane Ravitch's blog: Will Business Own Education in Wisconsin? by dianerav Rebecca Kemble, a stringer for the *Progressive*, covered a legislative committee hearing in Madison, Wisconsin, where business groups lined up to complain that the schools were not meeting their needs. They complained that they could not find workers with the right set of skills. Despite high unemployment in the area, manufacturers say that they can’t find suitably trained workers. They had no data to back up what they said, just opinions. The extraordinary thin... more »
Is This Accurate? Fact-checkers Needed. « Diane Ravitch's blog
Is This Accurate? Fact-checkers Needed. « Diane Ravitch's blog: Is This Accurate? Fact-checkers Needed. by dianerav I try to be careful in terms of what I write and what I repost from readers. If readers express their personal experiences and strong views, I have no problem with that, and I never repost anything that uses epithets or goes beyond the bounds of civility or fair disagreement. If I err, it is not knowingly. I just received a comment about Tennessee’s evaluation system and its provenance. This was in response to my post today about “legal fraud.” I would appreciate re... more »
School Tech Connect: Our Crazy Times
School Tech Connect: Our Crazy Times: Our Crazy Times by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) People love their schools--- it is true in every community, everywhere. They love them and they don't want them closed. Here are some charter school parents in Long Beach getting booted from a school board meeting for conducting a mic-check. Evidently it's a case of low enrollment but it's very hard to tell what the truth is from afar, as you can see. I've been to a number of these meetings where the school is being closed for one reason or another, and the community is up in arms. It's alw... more »
PSAT for 7-17-12: Five signs the tide is turning – so, let’s turn up the heat! Parents United for Responsible Education
Parents United for Responsible Education » Blog Archive » PSAT for 7-17-12: Five signs the tide is turning – so, let’s turn up the heat!: PSAT for 7-17-12: Five signs the tide is turning – so, let’s turn up the heat! by admin Are the winds shifting? The tides turning? Could the tables already have turned? Here are some reasons I think this may be happening. 1) An op ed in yesterday’s Guardian of London newspaper suggests that the Chicago Teachers’ Union is sending shock waves far beyond our home town for its string of upsets against the offensive moves of the city’s Democratic est... more »
Teacher Evaluation Framework FAQ - California Teachers Association
Teacher Evaluation Framework FAQ - California Teachers Association: CTA TEACHER EVALUATION FRAMEWORK Print Share on twitter Share on facebook_like FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Download DRAFT version of the CTA Teacher Evaluation Framework What is the CTA Teacher Evaluation Framework and why was it developed? Any educator will tell you that the current drive-by evaluation system is not working. The CTA Teacher Evaluation Framework is designed to help educators and CTA to take the lead in our profession, in teacher evaluation discussions nationally, and in California by providing a fra... more »
why can we do? Save a great school! « Deborah Meier on Education
why can we do? Save a great school! « Deborah Meier on Education: why can we do? Save a great school! by debmeier One and all!! Hear from my friend Stephanie Lee whose school(s) I can vouch for! I’ve been there manya times. This is terrible news. What can we do?? hello friends: sorry to interrupt your summer with sad news. we lost a big vote last night – the process has begun to revoke our charter, but the fight will continue in the coming month, major hearing august 20 and final vote august 21. here is what i sent to the local paper this morning, plus pics and links to two great v... more »
ED Mailbag: Arne on Standardized Testing and 360° Accountability | ED.gov Blog
ED Mailbag: Arne on Standardized Testing and 360° Accountability | ED.gov Blog: ED Mailbag: Arne on Standardized Testing and 360° Accountability Posted on July 17, 2012 by Guest Blogger Secretary Arne Duncan recently responded to two questions he received via social media. He first addressed a question from Nate concerning the overreliance on standardized testing. Duncan explained that No Child Left Behind places too much weight on one test, leading to a narrow curriculum. With waivers from NCLB, more than half of the states are creatively moving away from single test scores to oth... more »
RSD seeks to rein in expulsions from N.O. schools - SFGate
RSD seeks to rein in expulsions from N.O. schools - SFGate: RSD seeks to rein in expulsions from N.O. schoolsUpdated 06:55 a.m., Tuesday, July 17, 2012 0 inShare Comments (0)Larger | SmallerPrintable VersionEmail This Font NEW ORLEANS (AP) — In a move to stop charter schools from expelling students too frequently, the state agency running most of New Orleans' public schools has issued new guidelines on what constitutes the kind of behavior that will get a student thrown out. The Times-Picayune reports (http://bit.ly/MEa20L ) that the Recovery School District introduced a list of o... more »
Which way is it Bill Gates? Initiative 1240 or the CRPE report on charter schools? | Seattle Education
Which way is it Bill Gates? Initiative 1240 or the CRPE report on charter schools? | Seattle Education: Which way is it Bill Gates? Initiative 1240 or the CRPE report on charter schools? by seattleducation2011 *“He who pays the piper calls the tune.”* The Center on Reinventing Public Education (CRPE) has been one of Bill Gates’ tools to get what he wants. In 2003 he donated $119,602 to support the University of Washington’s Center on Reinventing Public Education (CRPE) research on legal barriers to the creation and success of small schools . And what did he get for his “investment... more »
Measuring products the Consumer Union way? « Deborah Meier on Education
Measuring products the Consumer Union way? « Deborah Meier on Education: Measuring products the Consumer Union way? by debmeier FairTest’s Bob Shaeffer was interviewed recently by Florida Sentinel editorial writer Darryl Owens about tests. Here’s one of the questions he was asked: QUESTION by Owens: Florida House Speaker Dean Cannon noted in a recent guest column that we measure progress in everything from business to sports. Shouldn’t there be a rigorous process to measure student learning? Interesting and important question. But even Bob–who is one of the best in the field–doesn... more »
Geaux Teacher!: TEACHERS ARE WOLVES IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING
Geaux Teacher!: TEACHERS ARE WOLVES IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING: TEACHERS ARE WOLVES IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING by noreply@blogger.com (Lee Barrios, M.Ed., NBCT) So another piece of junk being used to promote the deprofessionalism of teaching. I read quickly through this article. Now they are comparing teachers to "wolves in sheep's clothing." http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2012/07/sheepskin_effect.html and then quickly researched what I *KNOW* to be the *REALITY* of teacher pay in Louisiana (I have a masters degree) http://www.louisianaschools.net/lde/uploads/17776.pdf and I found... more »
How Do We Want to Engage Parents? | Philadelphia Public School Notebook
How Do We Want to Engage Parents? | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: How Do We Want to Engage Parents?by Timothy Boyle on Jul 17 2012 Posted in Boyle's law - COMMENTS (0)PRINT - EMAIL[image: ""] Tags: - contracting out - community organizing - community partnerships - Home and School Association - parent involvement - privatization - parent organizing - school improvement - site selection In June, the U.S. Conference of Mayors – during the meeting at which Mayor Nutter became its president -- enthusiastically endorsed paren... more »
Cool Cat Teacher Blog: Common Core Standards: Lessons, Ideas, and Discussions #ccchat
Cool Cat Teacher Blog: Common Core Standards: Lessons, Ideas, and Discussions #ccchat: Common Core Standards: Lessons, Ideas, and Discussions #ccchat by coolcatteacher@gmail.com (Victoria A Davis, Cool Cat Teacher) Scholastic has an excellent article on the shifts by Common Core. Read their article for information. This photo is from that article on Scholastic.I've been collecting common core resources as I research and write for my upcoming book,Collaborative Writing in the Cloud, from eye on education. The hashtag for this topic on Twitter is #ccchat . - 500+ High School (Grade... more »
Stephen Krashen on the Common Core Standards « Diane Ravitch's blog
Stephen Krashen on the Common Core Standards « Diane Ravitch's blog: Stephen Krashen on the Common Core Standards by dianerav This letter by Stephen Krashen, professor emeritus of education and linguistics at the University of Southern California, will be posted today on the *New York Times* website. I just received it: *The common core movement seems to be common sense: Our schools should have similar standards, what students should know at each grade. The movement, however, is based on the false assumption that our schools are broken, that ineffective teaching is the problem and ... more »
Hechinger Report | Push for career-technical education meets parent resistance
Hechinger Report | Push for career-technical education meets parent resistance: Push for career-technical education meets parent resistance by Sarah Butrymowicz A student at Oklahoma’s Ardmore High School, works on an assignment for his Biotechnical program, which is designed to lead to careers in fields like chemistry and microbiology. (Photo by Tom Fields/Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education) SAN DIEGO — Career and technical education has come a long way since the days when students could be steered from academics into hairstyling, auto repairs or carpentry. B... more »
LAUSD, Future Is Now Schools announce partnership for 2013-14 - LA Daily News
LAUSD, Future Is Now Schools announce partnership for 2013-14 - LA Daily News: LAUSD, Future Is Now Schools announce partnership for 2013-14 by Barbara Jones, Staff Writer Los Angeles Unified and Future Is Now, a reform organization led by charter pioneer Steve Barr, today announced a partnership to create "hybrid learning" middle and high schools in Silver Lake, Fairfax and Venice in time for the 2013-14 school year. Dubbed the Campaign for Great Los Angeles Public Schools, the effort will create will allow for more autonomy at the designated campuses, with teacher-led programs a... more »
Build a United Fighting Teachers Union with Parent and Community Support
GoToWebinar : Webinars Made Easy. Award-Winning Web Casting & Online Seminar Hosting Software: Build a United Fighting Teachers Union with Parent and Community Support *with Karen Lewis and Jitu Brown Dr Michael Klonsky Narrates * *Webinar Registration* *Save Our Schools Webinar and Fundraiser Build a United Fighting Teachers Union with Parent and Community Support with Karen Lewis and Jitu Brown Dr Michael Klonsky Narrates Wednesday, July 17, 2012 9 PM [EDT] Please Join Us!*
Rebuilding the Village: What Our Schools, and Our Society, Need Now | | AlterNet
Rebuilding the Village: What Our Schools, and Our Society, Need Now | | AlterNet: *Photo Credit: Tom Wang via Shutterstock.com* Rebuilding the Village: What Our Schools, and Our Society, Need NowBy Sabrina Stevens, AlterNet Posted on July 17, 2012 http://www.alternet.org/story/156309/rebuilding_the_village%3A_what_our_schools%2C_and_our_society%2C_need_now *"It takes a village to raise a child.” -- African proverb* As a teacher turned education advocate, I often wonder what America would be like if we actually took our responsibility to the future seriously; if we embraced the ide... more »
The Chicago teachers movement. The whole world is watching. « Fred Klonsky
The Chicago teachers movement. The whole world is watching. « Fred Klonsky: The Chicago teachers movement. The whole world is watching. by Fred Klonsky I could have added that the whole world is watching Chicago teachers and their union. On behalf of the Illinois delegation to the NEA RA, I presented NBI 13. I explained the reason that the entire NEA should pass a resolution specifically in support the AFT Chicago local’s current struggle with the Mayor and his hand-picked school board. “It is a special case,” I said. “We didn’t choose it. Stand for Children, Michelle Rhee and othe... more »
Schools Matter: Debate over common core begins today in the NY Times: the first round
Schools Matter: Debate over common core begins today in the NY Times: the first round: Debate over common core begins today in the NY Times: the first round by skrashen This will be posted today (July 17) online on the NY Times website To the Editor: The common core movement seems to be common sense: Our schools should have similar standards, what students should know at each grade. The movement, however, is based on the false assumption that our schools are broken, that ineffective teaching is the problem and that rigorous standards and tests are necessary to improve things. Th... more »
Shanker Blog » How Often Do Proficiency Rates And Average Scores Move In Different Directions?
Shanker Blog » How Often Do Proficiency Rates And Average Scores Move In Different Directions?: How Often Do Proficiency Rates And Average Scores Move In Different Directions? by Matthew Di Carlo New York State is set to release its annual testing data tomorrow. Throughout the state, and especially in New York City, we will hear a lot about changes in school and district proficiency rates. The rates themselves have advantages – they are easy to understand, comparable across grades and reflect a standards-based goal. But they also suffer severe weaknesses, such as their sensitivi... more »
FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Tuesday, July 17, 2012
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: *Lake Tahoe* Education Headlines *Tuesday, July 17, 2012* Rancho Mar Monte residents want neighborhood moved into Carmel school districtA group of residents at Rancho Mar Monte near Carmel want to carve out their neighborhood from the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District to join the Carmel Unified School District. SD Unified to sell old schools, surplus propertyThe most controversial cost-cutting measure to come from the San Diego school board this year might just be plans to sell off some of its most valuable assets: Souther... more »
Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 7-17 AM Posts #soschat #edreform
*BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK AM POSTS* Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 7-14-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 7-7-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 6-30-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 6-23-12 Recap of Last Week's Best PostBig Education Ape 2nd Banana 6-16-12 Recap of Last Week's Best PostBig Education Ape 2nd Banana 6-9-12 Recap of Last Week's Best PostBig Education Ape 2nd Banana 6-2-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post Big Education Ape Nite Cap 7-16-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2Big Education Ap... more »
Schools Matter: Research Does Not Support Claims by Common Core Advocates
Schools Matter: Research Does Not Support Claims by Common Core Advocates: Research Does Not Support Claims by Common Core Advocates by Jim Horn Got tougher standards and higher cut scores, and expecting big jumps in achievement? Keep wishing. From Ed Week in February: Will the Common Core State Standards improve student achievement? Not according to a new study out today. The crux of the argument in the Brookings Institution report is that there is not much of a connection between standards—even rigorous ones—and student achievement. If there was a connection, we would have se... more »
Is School Funding Fair? | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights
Is School Funding Fair? | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights: Is School Funding Fair? by obriena Not in most states, according to a national report carddedicated to answering that question. Back in 2010, the first edition of a national report card on school funding and fairness was released. Considering “fair” school funding to be “a state finance system that ensures equal educational opportunity by providing a sufficient level of funding distributed to districts within the state to account for additional needs generated by student poverty,” it concluded that most... more »
Jersey Jazzman: Holding Charters Accountable For Equity
Jersey Jazzman: Holding Charters Accountable For Equity: Holding Charters Accountable For Equity by Duke Late yesterday, the NJ education world got the decree from ACTING Lord High Executioner Chris Cerf as towhich charters His Lordship deemed worthy of receiving a seal from his signet ring. Despite Cerf's absurd contention that charters are "the most democratic schools we have," this round of approvals shows just how autocratic the entire system is. With little transparency and no local control - districts have to pay for Cerf's charters, but have no saying in their approval or ... more »
School Tech Connect: Thank You, SB7
School Tech Connect: Thank You, SB7: Thank You, SB7 by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) This is how it's done. Popout Throughout my time in education, I have always found that the people doing the real work of improving the status of the profession, of fighting for conditions in which learning can occur, of taking the risks that accompany the
Campus Safety Is Essential For A Successful Learning Environment: If You See Something, Say Something! | ED.gov Blog
Campus Safety Is Essential For A Successful Learning Environment: If You See Something, Say Something! | ED.gov Blog: Campus Safety Is Essential For A Successful Learning Environment: If You See Something, Say Something! Posted on July 17, 2012 by Martha Kanter As a community college president for 16 years before being appointed the Under Secretary of Education, I wanted to do everything in my power to prevent violence on campus. Building trust among the campus constituencies with the campus chief of police was essential as a first step. [image: Blue light campus safety station] Pho... more »
FairTest: Testing Overkill Earns Florida an “F” | Scathing Purple Musings
FairTest: Testing Overkill Earns Florida an “F” | Scathing Purple Musings: FairTest: Testing Overkill Earns Florida an “F” by Bob Sikes On a day when the big education policy news was a big speech by Jeb Bush, the *Orlando Sentinel* published a Q & A with FairTest director Bob Schaeffer. Editorial page editor Darryl Owens conducted the interview via email. Q: The Florida School Boards Association (FSBA) recently approved a resolution opposing the current use of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. Surprised? A: This grass-roots “revolt” reflects widespread concern that publi... more »
Want suggestions on how to curb violence in the neighborhoods? Did you think of asking Margot Pritzker? « Fred Klonsky
Want suggestions on how to curb violence in the neighborhoods? Did you think of asking Margot Pritzker? « Fred Klonsky: Want suggestions on how to curb violence in the neighborhoods? Did you think of asking Margot Pritzker? by Fred Klonsky *Hyatt heiress Margot Pritzker. “She has an idea,” says the Sun-Times.* Reading the Sun-Times this morning brought back memories of the classic SNL Gilda Radner character, Emily Litella. On Weekend Update Litella editorialized about violins on television. “Teamwork,” suggests heiress Margot Pritzker of the union-busting Hyatt Hotel Pritzker family... more »
Momentum Builds for MA Third Grade Reading Bill «
Momentum Builds for MA Third Grade Reading Bill «: Momentum Builds for MA Third Grade Reading Bill July 17, 2012 by Irene Sege As I reported last week, we are thrilled that the Massachusetts House of Representatives unanimously approved An Act Relative to Third Grade Reading Proficiency and urge the state Senate to follow suit before the current legislative session ends on July 31. (Massachusetts readers, click here to ask your senator to pass An Act Relative to Third Grade Reading Proficiency.) Over the past few months, momentum for the bill has also been building on the editoria... more »
How to Break Free of Our 19th-Century Factory-Model Education System (Joel Rose) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice
How to Break Free of Our 19th-Century Factory-Model Education System (Joel Rose) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: How to Break Free of Our 19th-Century Factory-Model Education System (Joel Rose) by larrycuban J*oel Rose is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of New Classrooms Innovation Partners. This appeared May 9, 2012 in The Atlantic Online.* More than 150 years ago, Massachusetts became the first state to provide all of its citizens access to a free public education. Over the next 66 years, every other state made the same guarantee. The result was a... more »
Collective bargaining works. If both sides want it to. Let the Mayor know we want it to work. « Fred Klonsky
Collective bargaining works. If both sides want it to. Let the Mayor know we want it to work. « Fred Klonsky: Collective bargaining works. If both sides want it to. Let the Mayor know we want it to work. by Fred Klonsky The process of bargaining a contract has mutually agreed upon rules. The process is also is governed by labor laws. From my experience over twenty years of engaging in the process, I can say that it works. *If both sides want it to.* Everyone expects that both sides will
Is This Any Way to Improve the Teaching Profession? « Diane Ravitch's blog
Is This Any Way to Improve the Teaching Profession? « Diane Ravitch's blog: Is This Any Way to Improve the Teaching Profession? by dianerav This is President Obama’s vision for reshaping the teaching profession. I certainly agree with the idea that entry into teacher education programs should be selective and rigorous, but almost everything else about the program is odious. The administration proposes a competitive grant program that would do the following [my comments are in brackets]: *The proposed grant program calls for states and districts to undertake a comprehensive set of ... more »
Schools Matter: Wake County Votes to Restore School Diversity Plan
Schools Matter: Wake County Votes to Restore School Diversity Plan: Wake County Votes to Restore School Diversity Plan by Jim Horn BY THOMAS GOLDSMITH AND T. KEUNG HUI, TGOLDSMITH@NEWSOBSERVER.COM CARY - In a partisan battle that raged into the early hours of Wednesday morning, members of the Wake County school board’s Democratic majority passed a motion calling for a return to a diversity-based student assignment plan for the 2013-14 school year.The vote, which came shortly before 1 a.m., directs staff to come up with a revised student assignment plan that goes back to tying ea... more »
Point to PS 241/STEM Institute as evidence that charter schools are gobbling up public schools' space - NY Daily News
Point to PS 241/STEM Institute as evidence that charter schools are gobbling up public schools' space - NY Daily News: Point to PS 241/STEM Institute as evidence that charter schools are gobbling up public schools' space Parents, teachers teaming with community organizers to amplify complaintsComments (5)BY CASEY QUINLAN / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS [image: Parents and educators protest in June to express their disapproval for the colocation of P.S. 241 and a charter school, Harlem Success Academy 4. The parents say the allocation of resources between the public and charter schools is ... more »
educarenow | Educare- Latin, "To draw out that which lies within." Now- the only time we have.
educarenow | Educare- Latin, "To draw out that which lies within." Now- the only time we have.: Be Human in This Most Inhuman of Ages Posted on July 16, 2012 | 1 Comment All schools have an explicit curriculum, one that is intentionally taught and measured in some way. They also have a “hidden curriculum,” the curriculum through which students learn about things like the power structure of the school, who matters and who doesn’t, values, etc. Sometimes this hidden curriculum is addressed explicitly and consciously by schools and teachers, usually it is not. As schools move towards... more »
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 7-17-12 - Diane Ravitch's blog
Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Who Should Save Detroit? by dianerav Detroit’s state-appointed emergency manager is not only increasing the number of privately managed charter schools, but has imposed a contract that will permit class sizes of 41 in grades K-3 and 61 in grades 6-12. This is a disgrace, as the children of Detroit are being sacrificed to save money. Frankly it is strange that the district schools will be replaced by charter schools, because charter schools in Detroit underperform in comparison to the district schools. As t... more »
Can Georgia learn from Tennessee’s review of its new teacher evals? | Get Schooled
Can Georgia learn from Tennessee’s review of its new teacher evals? | Get Schooled: Can Georgia learn from Tennessee’s review of its new teacher evals? by Maureen Downey Tennessee is ahead of Georgia in developing a teacher evaluation system that considers student outcomes, a factor in its early receipt of a federal Race to the Top grant. (Georgia won its $400 million grant in round two.) In response to concerns about the Tennessee Value-Added Assessment System, t *he state undertook a study that was released this week.* Here are highlights of the Tennessee study, but those of you in... more »
Two years plus and counting: Teachers prep for Common Core | EdSource Today
Two years plus and counting: Teachers prep for Common Core | EdSource Today: Two years plus and counting: Teachers prep for Common Core ** July 17th, 2012 | Add a Comment | By John Fensterwald Share on twitterShare on facebookShare on emailShare on google_plusone More Sharing Services The charge to the teachers and administrators from eight school districts seemed simple enough: Create an activity, called a performance assessment task, that would show, when solved, that students understand a unit covering Common Core standards that California and 45 other states and the District of... more »
School Tech Connect: One Signature At A Time
School Tech Connect: One Signature At A Time: One Signature At A Time by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) That's how you get an elected school board. It was an awesome night down in the 43rd ward collecting signatures for an elected school board. It's an easy sell, believe me. Once people hear that unlike suburban people, they have no democratic access to school policies unless they're a Friend of Rahm, well, they sign pretty quickly. Mind you, a couple people gave me the bum's rush. One fellow came to the door --- a beautiful building, I might add; the 43rd Ward has some schman... more »
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Who at CPS leaked the Benn Report and why?
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Who at CPS leaked the Benn Report and why?: Who at CPS leaked the Benn Report and why? by Mike Klonsky Remember how Rahm's spin machine demanded that teachers hold off on their strike vote until after the release of the fact-finder's report? The implication being that CPS would abide by the report's recommendations for a teacher pay raise. Now the question is, who from CPS leaked parts of the fact-finder's report to the Tribune days before it was supposed to be released, and why? Or let me put it another way. Why, with less than 4 weeks to go before ... more »
Missouri Education Watchdog: In Education Reform, We are all Utahns Now.
Missouri Education Watchdog: In Education Reform, We are all Utahns Now.: In Education Reform, We are all Utahns Now. by stlgretchen Their arguments hold true in your state too. Remember, these standards are "common". Folks in Utah are making a unified effort to get common core standards overturned in their state. How standards were implemented in their state is how it happened in Missouri and other states: standards signed onto by the governor, state board of education officials (appointed, not elected officials in MO), superintendents and union representatives. Did you notice... more »
Jersey Jazzman: Fully Virtual Charters Halted in NJ - For Now
Jersey Jazzman: Fully Virtual Charters Halted in NJ - For Now: Fully Virtual Charters Halted in NJ - For Now by Duke Con Academy Browse Con Academy library of over 3,100 educational videos... Well, well, well... *The state’s first proposed full-time virtual charter school will have to wait at least year to begin educating students.* The state Department of Education today announced approval of nine new charter schools for September, but said the New Jersey Virtual Academy Charter School, a full-time online charter school, would instead be given a "planning" year to further dev... more »
Chicago Teachers Union | Save Our Schools Webinar: Building a United Teachers Union with Local Support
Chicago Teachers Union | Save Our Schools Webinar: Building a United Teachers Union with Local Support: Save Our Schools Webinar: Building a United Teachers Union with Local Support 07/13/2012 Click here to register for this event. *On the March to Save and Transform Public Schools* * **Yes; We Can! Build a United Teachers Union with Local Support * To Hear How Join Us! *[image: SOSBdg] Save Our Schools Webinar* *Build a United Teachers Union with Local Support* *with Karen Lewis, Jitu Brown* and Narrator Dr Michael Klonsky Tuesday, July 17, 2012 9 PM Eastern Daylight Time ... more »
Beaten Down But Don’t Quit « Diane Ravitch's blog
Beaten Down But Don’t Quit « Diane Ravitch's blog: Beaten Down But Don’t Quit by dianerav The combined pressures of No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top have been very demoralizing for teachers across the nation. These misguided federal policies have encouraged the most rightwing forces at the state level, and in state after state, Tea Party governors and legislatures are slashing the education budget, attacking teachers’ tenure and seniority, and devising ways to outsource public dollars to private hands. Almost everyone feels it except the politicians, who don’t seem to care... more »
Jersey Jazzman: This Is What "Democracy" Looks Like?
Jersey Jazzman: This Is What "Democracy" Looks Like?: This Is What "Democracy" Looks Like? by Duke Back to today's truly awful op-ed by ACTING NJ Education Commissioner Chris Cerf: I already explained how Cerf twists facts to make charters look like they serve many poor and minority children when, in fact, compared to their neighboring public schools, they do no such thing. Diane Ravitch gave Cerf a history lesson and explained to him that Albert Shanker, contrary to Cerf's assertions, would never have supported the NJDOE's charter school plans. I'll go back a few months and li... more »
Finding Hope in a Dark Time « Diane Ravitch's blog
Finding Hope in a Dark Time « Diane Ravitch's blog: Finding Hope in a Dark Time by dianerav A reader sent this comment in response to the moving post by another teacher: *Thank you Diane. Your blog gives me hope.* *As a student, I often had to read books I was assigned. Most of them I disliked but one high school English teacher require my class to read Viktor Frankl’s, “Man’s Search For Meaning”. This book moved me greatly. The author, a survivor of four concentration camps, describes his experiences in honest detail.* *Whenever I have experienced the effects of oppressive authori... more »
Seattle Schools Community Forum: UW's CRPE Dumbfounds with Lessons on Charter Law
Seattle Schools Community Forum: UW's CRPE Dumbfounds with Lessons on Charter Law: UW's CRPE Dumbfounds with Lessons on Charter Law by Melissa Westbrook Over at UW's Center for Reinventing Public Education, they wrote a one pager about "lessons for Washington State" on getting high-quality charter schools. I have to laugh as I wonder if they even read I-1240. Highlights: *• Strong authorizing is key to quality o Districts cannot be only authorizer, but authorizers need to build competency* *o Weak or negligent authorizing leads to many low-performing schools* *- Promote authoriz... more »
Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 7-14-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post
Big Education Ape 2nd Banana 7-7-12 Recap of Last Week's Best PostBig Education Ape 2nd Banana 6-30-12 Recap of Last Week's Best Post
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Big Education Ape Nite Cap 6-1-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2