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Thursday, July 19, 2012

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 7-19 AM Posts #soschat #edreform



BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Thursday, July 19, 2012

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 4 minutes ago
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: The Redwoods of California Education Headlines *Thursday, July 19, 2012* Olinda School demolition leaves questions for residentAfter weeks of preparation, construction crews started demolishing the vacant former Olinda School campus off of Carbon Canyon Road on Wednesday so the Brea Olinda Unified School District can sell the land it sits on. Hundreds of schools overdue for repair fundsEight years after California settled a landmark lawsuit promising hundreds of millions of dollars to repair shoddy school facilities, more than 70... more »

The “Deceit Behind Raising the Bar” in Florida | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 47 minutes ago
The “Deceit Behind Raising the Bar” in Florida | Scathing Purple Musings: The “Deceit Behind Raising the Bar” in Florida by Bob Sikes College english professor and newspaperman John Young unpacks the flawed rhetoric of Florida’s education policy-makers by using a letter-to-the-editor from Florida student Alyssa Sturgeon. The Vero Beach fourth-grader wrote the *Vero Beach Press Journal to ask how the state could *flunk 73 percent of students in her grade across the state in FCAT Writes. She reasonably asserted that something must be wrong. Was there ever. Professor Young explains... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Duncan's new tests may be worse than the old ones

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 57 minutes ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Duncan's new tests may be worse than the old ones: Duncan's new tests may be worse than the old ones by Mike Klonsky Arne Duncan's been telling us for years now, that the only problem with current standardized testing mania is the quality of the tests. So he's put together a consortium of testing experts, using $330 million in stimulus money through the federal Race to the Top competition, to design new "next-generation assessments" intended to measure critical thinking, particularly the critical skills emphasized by the Common Core State Standards. ... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Where's Cerf's Charter Report? - Day 500!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 57 minutes ago
Jersey Jazzman: Where's Cerf's Charter Report? - Day 500!: Where's Cerf's Charter Report? - Day 500! by Duke *We may be lost, but we're making great time!* It was 500 days ago today that ACTING NJ Education Commissioner Chris Cerf said this: Vowing to create "more transparency," acting Education Commissioner Christopher Cerf today said *the state will ask an outside agency to analyze why some charter schools out-perform traditional public schools*. Speaking at a meeting of the state Board of Education, Cerf said "we stand by" controversial data about charter school performance rel... more »

NYC Educator: Status Quo from Quinn

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 58 minutes ago
NYC Educator: Status Quo from Quinn: Status Quo from Quinn by NYC Educator Christine Quinn has a very sharp sense of what's good for Christine Quinn. That's why she enabled a third termfor Mayor Bloomberg--it bought her one too. Others, like Tony Avella, declined to continue when Quinn, Bloomberg and company decided to overturn the twice-voiced will of the voters and extend their political careers. Yet when it comes to others, Quinn is not all that concerned. Should New Yorkers get paid sick days? This, apparently, is not the sort of thing that keeps Quinn up at night. So what if ... more »

Louisiana Educator: The Need for Educators to Unify

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Louisiana Educator: The Need for Educators to Unify: The Need for Educators to Unify by Michael Deshotels I was very pleased this week to accept an invitation by my professional organization, the Louisiana Association of Educators to write a guest blog for the Association web site. I am now a retired member of LAE but I find that the Association has welcomed me to participate in education issues just as much as if I were still an active classroom teacher. I have enjoyed renewing old friendships with teachers and administrators in our common fight for public education, and my blog ... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 7-19 - Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] Should Children Eat Tests? Or Should Pearson? by dianerav Jason Stanford wrote a blistering critique of the misuse of testing in Texas and Sandy Kress responded. Sandy Kress was the architect of No Child Left Behind, which imposed a testing regime on the entire nation. Kress is now a lobbyist for testing giant Pearson. Stanford summarized his original column, called “Let Them Eat Tests,” as follows: 1. Texas taxpayers are paying Pearson $470 million for the STAAR test. 2. Sandy Kress, the father of N... more »

Colbert skewers Texas GOP on ‘critical thinking’ - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Colbert skewers Texas GOP on ‘critical thinking’ - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post: Colbert skewers Texas GOP on ‘critical thinking’ By Valerie Strauss I thought I’d heard enough about the Texas Republican Party’s platform that rejects the teaching of critical thinking skills until I heard Stephen Colbert’s take on it. I wrote about this recently here, quoting from the platform: *Knowledge-Based Education – We oppose the teaching of Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) (values clarification), critical thinking skills and similar programs that are simply a relabeling of Outco... more »

School Tech Connect: No More Blind Trusts

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
School Tech Connect: No More Blind Trusts: No More Blind Trusts by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) I was watching this clip from Lawrence O'Donnell's show--- it's pretty interesting. It seems that out Freeport, Illinois-- where in the 70's some kid dislocated my shoulder in a freestyle wrestling tournament *and to this day I can barely lift my right arm without it popping out of the socket-- *the whole town is trying to get Mit Romney's attention. He's outsourcing their jobs to China because he's not rich enough yet. Watch. (There may be a 30 second commercial first.) Visit NBC... more »

Schools Matter: Biblical Capitalists and Philanthropods in Crusade to Destroy Public Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Schools Matter: Biblical Capitalists and Philanthropods in Crusade to Destroy Public Education: Biblical Capitalists and Philanthropods in Crusade to Destroy Public Education by Jim Horn From AlterNet: [image: AlterNet] The DeVos Family: Meet the Super-Wealthy Right-Wingers Working With the Religious Right to Kill Public Education By Rachel Tabachnick, AlterNet Posted on May 6, 2011, Printed on July 19, 2012 http://www.alternet.org/story/150868/the_devos_family%3A_meet_the_super-wealthy_right-wingers_working_with_the_religious_right_to_kill_public_education Since the 2010 elections... more »

HELP WANTED: SEEKING EXPERIENCED LAUSD ADMINISTRATOR - Perdaily.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
HELP WANTED: SEEKING EXPERIENCED LAUSD ADMINISTRATOR - Perdaily.com: HELP WANTED: SEEKING EXPERIENCED LAUSD ADMINISTRATOR by Leonard Isenberg [image: Help Wanted.jpg] *(Mensaje se repite en Español) (For a national view of public education reform see the end of this blog post)** * *Help Wanted* *-Seeking experienced LAUSD administrator*; * -Must be honest, ethical, courageous;* * -May have been recently fired or is being targeted for same;* * - Prefer someone fired for refusing to engage in illegal or unethical activities (free legal services possible);* * -Must have documentary evide... more »

The Educated Reporter: Obama Proposes `Master Teacher Corps,' More NCLB Waivers On The Way

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
The Educated Reporter: Obama Proposes `Master Teacher Corps,' More NCLB Waivers On The Way: Obama Proposes `Master Teacher Corps,' More NCLB Waivers On The Way by Emily Richmond It's a busy week for the U.S. Department of Education. On Wednesday, President Obama proposed spending $1 billion to fund a "Master Teacher Corps" initiative, which would reward top-performing educators with $20,000 annually. And on Friday, it's expected that seven additional states will receive waivers from some of the toughest provisions of No Child Left Behind, bringing the total number of exemptions t... more »

NJ Spotlight | Top Democrat Joins Debate Over Outside Money in DOE

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
NJ Spotlight | Top Democrat Joins Debate Over Outside Money in DOE: Top Democrat Joins Debate Over Outside Money in DOE One of Senator Weinberg's goals, who's paying for what at the Department of Education print | email | share By John Mooney, July 19, 2012 in Education |2 Comments Credit: Amanda Brown Sen. Loretta Weinberg It’s not a typical request from a ranking legislator, but state Sen. Loretta Weinberg (D-Bergen) doesn’t always follow the beaten path. Last week, Weinberg announced in a press release that she had filed an Open Public Records Act request to the Christie administ...more »

Missouri Education Watchdog: Will the ACLU File Suit to Stop Privacy Gathering on Citizens' Physical Traits? Now the Government is Tracking Tattoos.

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Missouri Education Watchdog: Will the ACLU File Suit to Stop Privacy Gathering on Citizens' Physical Traits? Now the Government is Tracking Tattoos.: Will the ACLU File Suit to Stop Privacy Gathering on Citizens' Physical Traits? Now the Government is Tracking Tattoos. Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to Facebook Will tattoo information appear on student data sets? If a student has the wrong tattoo on his/her body, it may not bode well if FBI information is shared with the Departments of Education, Labor, and Health and Human Services. From next.gov: *The FBI is consu... more »

Bill Gates Says…. « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
Bill Gates Says…. « Diane Ravitch's blog: Bill Gates Says…. by dianerav Are you ready? Bill Gates says that game-based learning is the future of education. He has a dream. A dream of children sitting around and playing games on their computers or their iPads or their Whatevers. They will be wearing galvanic skin response monitor bracelets, or they will have a little chip in their heads to measure their level of excitement, and they will be excited all the time. Every classroom–if there are classrooms–will buzz with their excitement. Little and big squeals of sheer joy as

Geaux Teacher!: PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUEST #1 ROUND ONE

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
Geaux Teacher!: PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUEST #1 ROUND ONE: PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUEST #1 ROUND ONE by noreply@blogger.com (Lee Barrios, M.Ed., NBCT) Sunday night I sent a Public Record Request to Supt. White regarding Jeff. Parish School Supt. Meza's claim that White had promised him $200,000 a year for three years for every new charter he opens in Jefferson Parish. From: lpbharley To: john.white Sent: Sun, Jul 15, 2012 11:46 pm Subject: Public Information Request Dear Superintendent White: Pursuant to the Public Records Act of Louisiana, R.S. 44:1 et seq., I respectfully request t... more »

Getting the Results You Want — Whole Child Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
Getting the Results You Want — Whole Child Education: [image: ASCD Whole Child Bloggers]Getting the Results You Want July 18, 2012 by ASCD Whole Child Bloggers *Post submitted by Whole Child Blogger Matt Swift* During Baruti Kafele's ASCD Summer Conference session,"Motivating Black Males to Succeed in school and in Life," the former principal grabbed the audience's attention with his commanding presence and no-nonsense discussions about how to help struggling black students. He started the session by asking members of the audience to share their classroom stories to create a convers... more »

Chicago teachers respond to fact-finder: Not just fair compensation. Reduce class size. Not just a longer day. A better day with art, music, foreign language and physical education. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
Chicago teachers respond to fact-finder: Not just fair compensation. Reduce class size. Not just a longer day. A better day with art, music, foreign language and physical education. « Fred Klonsky: Chicago teachers respond to fact-finder: Not just fair compensation. Reduce class size. Not just a longer day. A better day with art, music, foreign language and physical education. by Fred Klonsky Here is the response from CTU President Karen Lewis following the vote of the House of Delegates which unanimously rejected the fact-finder’s report: Thank you. I’d like to introduce Chicago... more »

“…where we’re going, we don’t need roads.” | Teaching Between the Lines

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago
“…where we’re going, we don’t need roads.” | Teaching Between the Lines: “…where we’re going, we don’t need roads.” by Laura I’m feeling like Marty McFly this summer, jumping from the futuristic world of 24/7 technology at the ISTEconference, to the distinctly old-school peace and quiet of our total no-tech Sierra summer cabin… and then back to the future again at the Google Apps for Education Summit. I kicked off my summer by co-teaching a flipped-class workshop, then flew down to San Diego for ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education). I spent four days lugging my... more »

Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » Unions and Professional Development

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 17 hours ago
Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » Unions and Professional Development: Unions and Professional Development by alicemercer One of the perks of getting a press pass to ISTE was that I was sent press releases from vendor. One of the more interesting ones was about a venture, Share My Lesson being supported by AFT, the American Federation of Teachers. I wanted to find out more about this, so I chatted with the folks at the booth to find out why AFT decided to do this: Popout Here is one of the teachers who was involved in reviewing materials on Share My Lesson on what he gets f...more »

A Dialogue about Teaching « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
A Dialogue about Teaching « Diane Ravitch's blog: A Dialogue about Teaching by dianerav This is a site to discuss better education for all, so here is a discussion about teaching. As faithful readers know, we have had a discussion here about the Relay Graduate School of Education and its methods. It trains teachers for charter schools. See here and here and here and here. Carol Corbett Burris objected to its narrow pedagogy. I objected to the very fact that it is a “graduate school of education” since its faculty includes no scholars, it teaches nothing other than classroom manage... more »

Virtual Schools, Real Profits, Troubling Results - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
Virtual Schools, Real Profits, Troubling Results - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: Virtual Schools, Real Profits, Troubling Results by Anthony Cody Follow me on Twitter at @AnthonyCody Private enterprise is often portrayed as a mighty engine of innovation. If we break the "government monopoly" on education, entrepreneurial opportunities will inspire new solutions to problems that have not been licked by the public schools. But corporations are funny people. They do not actually care so much about how they make money - just so long as they do. Innovation is not their ... more »

A shout-out from the great Diane Ravitch! | The Bleader

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
A shout-out from the great Diane Ravitch! | The Bleader: A shout-out from the great Diane Ravitch!Posted by Ben Joravsky today at 02.57 PM [image: Diane Ravitch has gone to Ben Joravskys head.] - - Diane Ravitch has gone to Ben Joravsky's head. You may not know this, but I'm a big-time fan of Diane Ravitch. She’s the supersmart historian and former White House policy maker who's been blowing the bugle for years about the bullshit coming out of the so-called school-reform movement. You know the refrain—charter schools are great, unionized teachers are awful, what we need t... more »

Someone Else's Child | OurFuture.org

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
Someone Else's Child | OurFuture.org: Someone Else's Child by Terrance Heath Before Andrew Leonard's paean to paying taxes (inspired by his house catching fire) sparked me to write a different post on Friday, I'd intended to write a wrap-up post, comparing Mitt Romney's NAACP speech to Joe Biden's speech. Something Vice President Biden said in his speech reminded me of something else I heard from a speaker at the closing plenary of the Take Back the American Dream conference this year; something brings into focus the stark choice facing voters in November, and why the NAACP audien...more »

Will parents speak up in time to end the standardized testing madness? - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
Will parents speak up in time to end the standardized testing madness? - Wait, What?: Will parents speak up in time to end the standardized testing madness? by jonpelto Yesterday’s New York Times included a letter to the editor from Stephen Krashen, a retired professor from the University of Southern California Rossier School of Education. Professor Krashen wr0te… “The common core standards 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 ... more »

Teachers Don't Suck !: A Preview of Privatized Education

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
Teachers Don't Suck !: A Preview of Privatized Education: A Preview of Privatized Education by Walt S. This article was brought to my attention by Frank Vespa on FB. I had already read the previous NYT article *"An investigation into New Jersey’s halfway houses.* *Unlocked, Part 1* *As Escapees Stream Out, a Penal Business Thrives* *(June 17, 2012)"* and this adds more fuel to the fire. It surely demonstrates the direction privatized education will take once it is firmly established New Jersey. ****************** Finances Plague Company Running Halfway Houses By SAM DOLNICK Publ... more »

Why the Demand for Virtual Charter Schools? « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 19 hours ago
Why the Demand for Virtual Charter Schools? « Diane Ravitch's blog: Why the Demand for Virtual Charter Schools? by dianerav Con Academy Browse Con Academy library of over 3,100 educational videos... We know from studies and reports that online charter schools provide inferior education. We know that they have lower graduation rates and lower test scores than brick-and-mortar schools. We know that they have high attrition rates, as students enroll and leave within a year or two. We know that children enrolled in virtual charter schools do not have the opportunity to interact on ... more »

Not Such Good News from Florida « Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Not Such Good News from Florida « Diane Ravitch's blog: Not Such Good News from Florida by dianerav I said in a post this morning that there was “a glimmer of hope” in Florida because the state board had upheld Miami-Dade’s decision to turn down three virtual charter schools. But Florida parent leader Rita Solnet wrote to correct me. She attended the state board meeting, and she says the state board offered no glimmer of hope, as I thought, because the Puppetmaster was behind the curtain, pulling the strings. The state board overturned the decision of the Palm Beach County school... more »

The State Worker: More about why teachers' unions don't like Prop. 32 supporter Gloria Romero

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
The State Worker: More about why teachers' unions don't like Prop. 32 supporter Gloria Romero: More about why teachers' unions don't like Prop. 32 supporter Gloria Romero Following our report on her support of a controversial ballot measure, Los Angeles Democrat *Gloria Romero* asked The State Worker to expand on why she drew fire from teachers' unions when she served in the state Assembly and Senate. The former Senate majority leader's request came after we reported that Romero supports *Proposition 32*, the campaign contributions reform initiative on the November ballot. Our Mo... more »

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Grants for Youth Problem-Solving

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Grants for Youth Problem-Solving: Grants for Youth Problem-Solving by Melissa Westbrook From Youth Changing the World (via the Mayor's office): Want to make a difference? Take action? Solve a tough community problem? YSA can help! Each year, YSA supports youth-led service with over $1 million in YSA Grants. Deadlines for many of our programs for the 12-13 school and program year are fast approaching! YSA Grants with application deadlines this month include: *YSA Grants & Awards for K-12 Schools* - State Farm Good Neighbor Student Achievement... more »

First Lady Michelle Obama Joins Local Elected Officials From Across the Country to Announce Public and Private Sector Commitments to Getting Our Kids Healthier | The White House

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
First Lady Michelle Obama Joins Local Elected Officials From Across the Country to Announce Public and Private Sector Commitments to Getting Our Kids Healthier | The White House: First Lady Michelle Obama Joins Local Elected Officials From Across the Country to Announce Public and Private Sector Commitments to Getting Our Kids Healthier PHILADELPHIA – First Lady Michelle Obama joined Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and local elected officials from across the country today to announce public and private sector commitments to support the goals of *Let’s Move!*... more »

Tony at the Red Line Tap. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Tony at the Red Line Tap. « Fred Klonsky: Tony at the Red Line Tap. by Fred Klonsky “What’s up, Klonsky?” “Give me a bottle of whatsever cold,” I mumbled to Marty behind the bar. We’ve had thirty-one days of 90 degrees and above in Chicago so far this summer. “It’s so hot, the sun makes me woozy,” I told Tony. “The beer will help. Just pour it over your head,” said Tony. “I think I’ll just drink it.” “Your blog’s been kind of quiet about the union bosses lately. Nothing to complain about?” “Nothing’s happening with our pensions. At least that I’ve heard.” I said. “It’s all behind clos... more »

Gerard Robinson, BOE Member Offer Self-Contradictory Defense of FCAT and the State’s Accountabilty System | Scathing Purple Musings

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Gerard Robinson, BOE Member Offer Self-Contradictory Defense of FCAT and the State’s Accountabilty System | Scathing Purple Musings: Gerard Robinson, BOE Member Offer Self-Contradictory Defense of FCAT and the State’s Accountabilty System by Bob Sikes Gerard Robinson’s FCAT Apology Tour So Gerard Robinson’s FCAT Apology Tour continued yesterday in Fort Lauderdale. This time, he brought back-up in the form of Board of Education member Barbara Feingold. Different town, same show. From the *Sun Sentinel’s *Scott Travis: Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson remained upbeat about w... more »

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Wednesday, July 18, 2012

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: *Morro Bay* Education Headlines *Wednesday, July 18, 2012* Valley schools tap state repair fund for $36 million, hope for moreCentral San Joaquin Valley school districts have received nearly $36 million in state Emergency Repair Program money and are waiting for more than $12.8 million that the state has approved but not yet paid. Tustin school district, city heading to court over landLand on the former Tustin Marine base is at the center of multiple lawsuits between the city and Tustin Unified that have dragged on for two years ... more »

Education Research Report: Students Attending K12 Inc. Cyber Schools Fall Behind

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Education Research Report: Students Attending K12 Inc. Cyber Schools Fall Behind: Students Attending K12 Inc. Cyber Schools Fall Behind by Jonathan Kantrowitz A new report released today by the National Education Policy Center (NEPC) at the University of Colorado shows that students at K12 Inc., the nation’s largest virtual school company, are falling further behind in reading and math scores than students in brick-and-mortar schools. These virtual schools students are also less likely to remain at their schools for the full year, and the schools have low graduation rates. “Our i... more »

Modern School: Welfare By The Elite, For the Elite at CSU

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Modern School: Welfare By The Elite, For the Elite at CSU: Welfare By The Elite, For the Elite at CSU by Michael Dunn The California State University (CSU) trustees decided to offer three of its presidents nearly $85,000 in raises on Tuesday, despite its ongoing budget shortfalls that have led to layoffs, slashing of course offerings, wage freezes and double digit tuition hikes (including a 12% tuition increase last year). The university faces another midyear tuition increase, pay cuts for teachers and hundreds more layoffs if the November tax measure fails. The trustees have ju... more »

Geaux Teacher!: I TOLD YOU SO MOMENT #3 VIRTUAL SCHOOLS

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Geaux Teacher!: I TOLD YOU SO MOMENT #3 VIRTUAL SCHOOLS: I TOLD YOU SO MOMENT #3 VIRTUAL SCHOOLS by noreply@blogger.com (Lee Barrios, M.Ed., NBCT) I am posting a press release that I received today regarding on-going research into the viability of virtual charter schools. Much has been said by many, including me, about the limitations, pitfalls and opportunities for abuse with the current reform supported proliferation of on-line learning for K-12 students. Bottom line - in too many cases virtual charters feed the corporate bank accounts and political aspirations of one "He-Who-C... more »




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FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Thursday, July 19, 2012

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team:

The Redwoods of California


Education Headlines

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Olinda School demolition leaves questions for resident

After weeks of preparation, construction crews started demolishing the vacant former Olinda School campus off of Carbon Canyon Road on Wednesday so the Brea Olinda Unified School District can sell the land it sits on.

Hundreds of schools overdue for repair funds

Eight years after California settled a landmark lawsuit promising hundreds of millions of dollars to repair shoddy school facilities, more than 700 schools still are waiting for their share of funds as students take classes on dilapidated campuses with health and safety hazards.

Request to waive cost of Clayton Valley Charter High denied

The state Board of Education has denied a request by the Mt. Diablo Unified School District to waive $1.7 million in costs the district must pay to Clayton Valley Charter High.

Inspire School to stay on Chico High's campus for two more years

Inspire School of the Arts and Sciences will remain on Chico High School's campus for at least another two years, with direction regarding its final home to be determined sometime in September, the Chico Unified School District School Board decided Wednesday.

SBE floats return to matrix sampling assessments

With many questions still to be settled over the future of student testing in California – the notion was broached at Wednesday’s meeting of the California State Board of Education of returning to sampling assessments – and to the days before the No Child Left Behind Act required assessments of every student, every year.

Education officials discuss transfer of Monterey Peninsula USD territory into Carmel school district

A 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.

Security breach delays STAR test results two weeks

The state's annual release of Standardized Testing and Reporting results, known as STAR, will be delayed approximately two weeks due to a breach of security that occurred when some of the questions were posted online from a dozen schools, including two in San Jose, the state Department of Education announced Wednesday.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Valley schools tap state repair fund for $36 million, hope for more

Central San Joaquin Valley school districts have received nearly $36 million in state Emergency Repair Program money and are waiting for more than $12.8 million that the state has approved but not yet paid.

Tustin school district, city heading to court over land

Land on the former Tustin Marine base is at the center of multiple lawsuits between the city and Tustin Unified that have dragged on for two years and frustrated residents and officials on both sides of the issue.

Schools decay as they await state emergency repair funds for years

Eight years after California settled a landmark lawsuit promising hundreds of millions of dollars to repair shoddy school facilities, more than 700 schools still are waiting for their share of funds as students take classes on dilapidated campuses with health and safety hazards.

Brown signs double-dipping bill

Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill into law Tuesday allowing some retired educators to continue collecting their pensions without penalty after returning to work at a school or community college district.

Corona-Norco school officials hold bond vote for further study

District officials shifted gears at the last minute and decided not to vote Tuesday, July 17, on a bond for school improvements that would increase 

The “Deceit Behind Raising the Bar” in Florida | Scathing Purple Musings

The “Deceit Behind Raising the Bar” in Florida | Scathing Purple Musings:


The “Deceit Behind Raising the Bar” in Florida

College english professor and newspaperman John Young unpacks the flawed rhetoric of Florida’s education policy-makers by using a letter-to-the-editor from Florida student Alyssa Sturgeon. The Vero Beach fourth-grader wrote the Vero Beach Press Journal to ask how the state could flunk 73 percent of students in her grade across the state in FCAT Writes. She reasonably asserted that something must be wrong. Was there ever.  Professor Young explains that debacle ccurred because Florida “bought into the folly of “raising the bar” on standardized tests.” From Hays Free Press:
Almost nothing is good when policies are driven by the belief that standardization is education and competence is excellence.
The cult of standardization serves almost no one, except for companies like Pearson that make the tests.
Overemphasis on testing narrows the curriculum. Students above grade level are dragged into the 

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Duncan's new tests may be worse than the old ones

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Duncan's new tests may be worse than the old ones:


Duncan's new tests may be worse than the old ones

Arne Duncan's been telling us for years now, that the only problem with current standardized testing mania is the quality of the tests. So he's put together a consortium of testing experts, using $330 million in stimulus money through the federal Race to the Top competition, to design new "next-generation assessments" intended to measure critical thinking, particularly the critical skills emphasized by the Common Core State Standards.

Problem is, some of these new tests are in many ways even worse than the old ones. This according to a survey of  "education insiders" due to be published this week. 

Joy Resmovits at Huffington reports: 
Beyond the tests, the insiders believe that the Common Core itself faces a rocky path. School 

Jersey Jazzman: Where's Cerf's Charter Report? - Day 500!

Jersey Jazzman: Where's Cerf's Charter Report? - Day 500!:


Where's Cerf's Charter Report? - Day 500!

It was 500 days ago today that ACTING NJ Education Commissioner Chris Cerf said this:
Vowing to create "more transparency," acting Education Commissioner Christopher Cerf today said the state will ask an outside agency to analyze why some charter schools out-perform traditional public schools.
Speaking at a meeting of the state Board of Education, Cerf said "we stand by" controversial data about charter school performance released in January, but acknowledged that "deeper analysis" is necessary.
That data showed that 79 percent of charter schools outperformed district schools 

NYC Educator: Status Quo from Quinn

NYC Educator: Status Quo from Quinn:


Status Quo from Quinn

Christine Quinn has a very sharp sense of what's good for Christine Quinn. That's why she enabled a third termfor Mayor Bloomberg--it bought her one too. Others, like Tony Avella, declined to continue when Quinn, Bloomberg and company decided to overturn the twice-voiced will of the voters and extend their political careers.

Yet when it comes to others, Quinn is not all that concerned. Should New Yorkers get paid sick days? This, apparently, is not the sort of thing that keeps Quinn up at night. So what if people wake up sick and need to go to work? It's not like Christine Quinn has that problem. So why worry about it?

And that, apparently, is the character of the front-runner 

Louisiana Educator: The Need for Educators to Unify

Louisiana Educator: The Need for Educators to Unify:


The Need for Educators to Unify


I was very pleased this week to accept an invitation by my professional organization, the Louisiana Association of Educators to write a guest blog for the Association web site. I am now a retired member of LAE but I find that the Association has welcomed me to participate in education issues just as much as if I were still an active classroom teacher. I have enjoyed renewing old friendships with teachers and administrators in our common fight for public education, and my blog has brought me many new friends who encourage me every day. 

I hope my readers will click on this link to the LAE Blog site and read what I had to say to both members of LAE and to all other public school educators and even parents of public school children. I believe that public education in Louisiana is in serious crisis created by the actions of our Governor with his so called education reforms. 

Yes, public education in Louisiana has been struggling for years partly because of court ordered desegregation, 

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 7-19 - Diane Ravitch's blog

Diane Ravitch's blog:


Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch


Should Children Eat Tests? Or Should Pearson?

Jason Stanford wrote a blistering critique of the misuse of testing in Texas and Sandy Kress responded. Sandy Kress was the architect of No Child Left Behind, which imposed a testing regime on the entire nation. Kress is now a lobbyist for testing giant Pearson.
Stanford summarized his original column, called “Let Them Eat Tests,” as follows:
  1. Texas taxpayers are paying Pearson $470 million for the STAAR test.
  2. Sandy Kress, the father of No Child Left Behind, lobbies for Pearson in Texas.
  3. The school taxes I pay fund a system that corrupts the classroom experience for my two sons who attend 

A Wise TFA Teacher

Whenever I meet young people who have joined Teach for America, I am always impressed by their idealism and enthusiasm.
As readers of this blog know, I am not as impressed with the organization, TFA, which is filled with hubris, self-promotion, and ambition. No amount of money ever seems to be enough, as this organization grows and grows and collects hundreds of millions of dollars from foundations and corporations (no matter how rightwing they may be), and paints itself as the saviour of American education from those “others,” the veteran teachers. Periodically


What Reformers Don’t “Get” about Education

I have so many brilliant readers. I am happy to share this space with them. They understand so much more than the pundits, reformers, think tank experts, and foundation deep-thinkers who are paid six figures to tell educators how to “reform” the schools. When I worked in journalism many years ago, there were two terms that described arm-chair experts: thumbsuckers and ankle-biters. We hear from them all the time in the media. But they are not the true experts. The true experts are the people who do the hard work of educating kids every day: their teachers, principals and parents.
this is what “educational reformers” don’t seem to “get” about education–education is not a business, it’s a

Credibility of Florida’s Accountability System Near Collapse

The roiling controversy about the legitimacy of Florida’s testing regime is growing by the day.
Many school boards have passed their version of the Texas anti-high-stakes testing resolution.
FAIRTest says that Florida may be the worst “misuser” of testing of any state in the nation. Students spend 38-40 days each year preparing to take tests and taking tests. That is a bit more than 20 percent of the school year. What reasonable person would want their child to spend 20 percent of his or her school life on testing? That time should be reallocated to instruction, to physical education, to art and singing and play, to activities


The Lessons of Louisiana’s Voucher Program

We will have to wait for court challenges to be resolved before we know whether Bobby Jindal’s voucher plan meets the requirements of both the Louisiana state constitution (which says that public money is for public schools) and the U.S. Constitution, which says nothing about education.
The U.S. Supreme Court did uphold a voucher plan in Cleveland a decade ago, and this blogger analyzes whether Louisiana’s plan meets the same criteria. (Of course, no one now points to Cleveland as an example of


A New Teacher Says He Is Not “Highly Qualified”

Dave Reid is an engineer who decided to become a public school teacher after a career of 25 years in the high-tech sector.
He has been blogging about his experiences as a new teacher of math in California.
He sent this comment to add to our discussion of whether five weeks of training is enough to be considered a “highly qualified teacher.”
As a new, second career teacher, I find it amazing that the adverb “highly” is prepended to “qualified” for any teacher with less than ten (10) years experience. What profession designates its rookies and junior staff with the same descriptor as if they were on par with 





Colbert skewers Texas GOP on ‘critical thinking’ - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

Colbert skewers Texas GOP on ‘critical thinking’ - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post:


Colbert skewers Texas GOP on ‘critical thinking’

I thought I’d heard enough about the Texas Republican Party’s platform that rejects the teaching of critical thinking skills until I heard Stephen Colbert’s take on it.
I wrote about this recently here, quoting from the platform:
Knowledge-Based Education – We oppose the teaching of Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) (values clarification), critical thinking skills and similar programs that are simply a relabeling of Outcome-Based Education (OBE) (mastery learning) which focus on behavior modification and have the purpose of challenging the student’s fixed beliefs and undermining parental authority.
After this was ridiculed, Texas GOP Communications Director Chris Elam told TPM.com that it was a mistake and that opposition to “critical thinking” wasn’t supposed to be part of the platform. Since a party 

Why we need to relentlessly pursue diversity in schools

This was written by Eric J. Cooper, president and founder of the National Urban Alliance for Effective Education. He can be reached at www.nuatc.org.

By Eric J. Cooper
“In education, the road worth traveling.”
Read full article >>


School Tech Connect: No More Blind Trusts

School Tech Connect: No More Blind Trusts:


No More Blind Trusts

I was watching this clip from Lawrence O'Donnell's show--- it's pretty interesting. It seems that out Freeport, Illinois-- where in the 70's some kid dislocated my shoulder in a freestyle wrestling tournament and to this day I can barely lift my right arm without it popping out of the socket-- the whole town is trying to get Mit Romney's attention.

He's outsourcing their jobs to China because he's not rich enough yet. Watch. (There may be a 30 second commercial first.)

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking newsworld news, and news about the economy


I'm sure someone from Mark Kirk's staff will jump in to help these people. If not, the man should be run out of the Senate--- he can COBRA his health insurance or use the VA's system. Romney's his candidate; it's his responsibility to step in.

In any event, it's all relevant to me right now because as many of you know, I too am fabulously wealthy. Having 

Schools Matter: Biblical Capitalists and Philanthropods in Crusade to Destroy Public Education

Schools Matter: Biblical Capitalists and Philanthropods in Crusade to Destroy Public Education:


Biblical Capitalists and Philanthropods in Crusade to Destroy Public Education

From AlterNet:


AlterNet

The DeVos Family: Meet the Super-Wealthy Right-Wingers Working With the Religious Right to Kill Public Education


By Rachel Tabachnick, AlterNet
Posted on May 6, 2011, Printed on July 19, 2012
http://www.alternet.org/story/150868/the_devos_family%3A_meet_the_super-wealthy_right-wingers_working_with_the_religious_right_to_kill_public_education

Since the 2010 elections, voucher bills have popped up in legislatures around the nation. From Pennsylvania to Indiana to Florida, state governments across the country have introduced bills that would take money from public schools and use it to send students to private and religious institutions.


The Gates Techno-twits and Data Miners Are Ready to Ruin the University, Too

The NYTimes has an extensive piece today on the National Center for Academic Transformation (NCAT), which is now bringing to campus the same kind of algorithm-driven-peering-over-your-shoulder creepiness that now suffuses any visit to Facebook or Netflix.

With money from Gates and his Gang at ED, things are moving quickly.  Since 2009 when things were put in gear by a Gates grant, the philanthrocapitalist machine has become much more efficient, as evidenced here witha piddling grant to Missouri that demands matching funds and that gets into 14 state colleges in one whack.

From NYTimes:


. . . .This is college life, quantified.
Data mining hinges on one reality about life on the Web: what you do there leaves behind a trail of digital breadcrumbs. Companies scoop those up to tailor services, like the matchmaking of eHarmony or the book recommendations of Amazon. Now colleges, eager to get students out the 

HELP WANTED: SEEKING EXPERIENCED LAUSD ADMINISTRATOR - Perdaily.com

HELP WANTED: SEEKING EXPERIENCED LAUSD ADMINISTRATOR - Perdaily.com:


HELP WANTED: SEEKING EXPERIENCED LAUSD ADMINISTRATOR

Help Wanted.jpg
(Mensaje se repite en Español)
(For a national view of public education reform see the end of this blog post)

Help Wanted

-Seeking experienced LAUSD administrator;

-Must be honest, ethical, courageous;

-May have been recently fired or is being targeted for same;

- Prefer someone fired for refusing to engage in illegal or unethical activities (free legal services possible);

-Must have documentary evidence (notes, memos, emails); be willing to testify under oath; be able to provide names, dates, other witnesses, incidents.

Compensation:  

Salary = $0

Benefits = regain self respect; enjoy the admiration from your subordinates (if you still 

The Educated Reporter: Obama Proposes `Master Teacher Corps,' More NCLB Waivers On The Way

The Educated Reporter: Obama Proposes `Master Teacher Corps,' More NCLB Waivers On The Way:


Obama Proposes `Master Teacher Corps,' More NCLB Waivers On The Way

It's a busy week for the U.S. Department of Education. On Wednesday, President Obama proposed spending $1 billion to fund a "Master Teacher Corps" initiative, which would reward top-performing educators with $20,000 annually. And on Friday, it's expected that seven additional states will receive waivers from some of the toughest provisions of No Child Left Behind, bringing the total number of exemptions to 33.

Not everyone's on board with the proposed Master Teacher Corps, which is aimed at boosting student achievement in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). As an aide to Rep. John Kline, R-Minn., chairman of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, told the Associated Press,  the federal government already has more than 80 teacher quality programs. Kline spokeswoman Alexandra Sollberger 

NJ Spotlight | Top Democrat Joins Debate Over Outside Money in DOE

NJ Spotlight | Top Democrat Joins Debate Over Outside Money in DOE:


Top Democrat Joins Debate Over Outside Money in DOE
One of Senator Weinberg's goals, who's paying for what at the Department of Education

 print |  | 

Credit: Amanda Brown
Sen. Loretta Weinberg
It’s not a typical request from a ranking legislator, but state Sen. Loretta Weinberg (D-Bergen) doesn’t always follow the beaten path.
Last week, Weinberg announced in a press release that she had filed an Open Public Records Act request to the Christie administration for information on a now-familiar topic: who’s paying for what jobs in the state Department of Education.
The request was largely a repeat of an OPRA request made by one of the administration’s prime antagonists, the Education Law Center of Newark, Weinberg said, and it appeared to raise few new lines of inquiry.
But for Weinberg to jump into the debate was notable. She is the Senate Majority Leader, the second highest 

Missouri Education Watchdog: Will the ACLU File Suit to Stop Privacy Gathering on Citizens' Physical Traits? Now the Government is Tracking Tattoos.

Missouri Education Watchdog: Will the ACLU File Suit to Stop Privacy Gathering on Citizens' Physical Traits? Now the Government is Tracking Tattoos.:


Will the ACLU File Suit to Stop Privacy Gathering on Citizens' Physical Traits? Now the Government is Tracking Tattoos.




Will tattoo information appear on student data sets?  If a student has the wrong tattoo on his/her body, it may not bode well if FBI information is shared with the Departments of Education, Labor, and Health and Human Services.  From next.gov:

The FBI is consulting local police and vendors about technology currently in use that can spot crooks and terrorists by interpreting the symbolism of their tattoos, according to government documents. The inquiry follows work already underway at the bureau and Homeland Security Department to add iris and facial recognition services to their respective fingerprint databases.

If tattoo data sets are added with other data to be gathered on public school studentssuch as eye color, voting status, blood type and wage earnings, the government will have