Latest News and Comment from Education

Saturday, September 1, 2012

This Week's Radical Scholarship 9-1-12

Radical Scholarship:

Paul Thomas

Paul Thomas Explains Why “No Excuses” Fails « Diane Ravitch's blog

P. L. Thomas at Radical Scholarship - 2 hours ago
Paul Thomas Explains Why “No Excuses” Fails « Diane Ravitch's blog

"No Excuses" and the Culture of Shame: The Miseducation of Our Nation's Children | Alternet

P. L. Thomas at Radical Scholarship - 2 hours ago
"No Excuses" and the Culture of Shame: The Miseducation of Our Nation's Children | Alternet

“Missionary Zeal”: The Miseducation of “Other People’s Children” | Dailycensored.com

P. L. Thomas at Radical Scholarship - 23 hours ago
“Missionary Zeal”: The Miseducation of “Other People’s Children” | Dailycensored.com

Schools Matter: "Who else would title it?": Scripting Students to Death

P. L. Thomas at Radical Scholarship - 1 day ago
Schools Matter: "Who else would title it?": Scripting Students to Death

Jersey Jazzman: "No Excuses": Race, Class, & Education

P. L. Thomas at Radical Scholarship - 1 day ago
Jersey Jazzman: "No Excuses": Race, Class, & Education

Daily Kos: "No Excuses" and the Culture of Shame: Why Metrics Don't Matter

P. L. Thomas at Radical Scholarship - 1 day ago
Daily Kos: "No Excuses" and the Culture of Shame: Why Metrics Don't Matter

Public Education's Eight Ball: Student Poverty | One Teacher's Perspective

P. L. Thomas at Radical Scholarship - 1 day ago
Public Education's Eight Ball: Student Poverty | One Teacher's Perspective

War of Attrition at Jersey Jazzman

P. L. Thomas at Radical Scholarship - 3 days ago
War of Attrition at Jersey Jazzman

Defending the Indefensible: KIPP -- Susan Ohanian

P. L. Thomas at Radical Scholarship - 4 days ago
Defending the Indefensible: KIPP -- Susan Ohanian *Note Ohanian's excellent commentary preceding the reposting.*

Educators have no political party: Susan Ohanian

P. L. Thomas at Radical Scholarship - 4 days ago
Educators have no political party: Susan Ohanian

The New Politics of the Textbook: Critical Analysis in the Core Content Areas

P. L. Thomas at Radical Scholarship - 5 days ago
The New Politics of the Textbook: Critical Analysis in the Core Content Areas Sense Publishers Heather Hickman and Brad J. Porfilio (Eds.) In an era when corporate and political leaders are using their power to control every aspect of the schooling process in North America, there has been surprisingly little research on the impact of textbook content on students. The contributors of this volume and its partner (The New Politics of the Textbook: Problematizing the Portrayal of Marginalized Groups in Textbooks) guide educators, school administrators, academics, and other concerned ... more »

Gerald Coles Responds to Jonathan Schorr about KIPP « Diane Ravitch's blog

P. L. Thomas at Radical Scholarship - 5 days ago
Gerald Coles Responds to Jonathan Schorr about KIPP « Diane Ravitch's blog

Jersey Jazzman: Hey KIPP: Take the Camden Challenge!

P. L. Thomas at Radical Scholarship - 5 days ago
Jersey Jazzman: Hey KIPP: Take the Camden Challenge!

Paul Thomas on KIPP Challenge « Diane Ravitch's blog

P. L. Thomas at Radical Scholarship - 5 days ago
Paul Thomas on KIPP Challenge « Diane Ravitch's blog

Schools Matter: Defending the Indefensible: KIPP

P. L. Thomas at Radical Scholarship - 6 days ago
Schools Matter: Defending the Indefensible: KIPP

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 9-1-12

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit:

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit


PENSION REFORM: Top-paid administrators to take biggest hit

By John Fensterwald, Ed Source Today |  http://bit.ly/T659Dl August 29th, 2012  :: The retirement age for new teachers will be pushed back two years; they’ll have to fork over about another 1 percent of their pay into the retirement system. And their bosses – principals and administrators ­– will see a ceiling of $132,120 as the portion of their pay used to calculate retirement pay. Those in the

THE SHORT RUN. THE LONG RUN. AND THE RUN AROUND.

Themes in the News by UCLA IDEA, Week of Aug. 27-31, 2012 | http://bit.ly/T3fHV4 "I tried to find classes online, but most of them were full. So I decided to come the first day to find any free space." "It's hard to get into anything. But I'm going to keep trying because I don't want to wait another year." "...there are so many students trying to get classes; it's chaotic."1 8-31-2012

OBAMA AND ROMNEY EDUCATION POLICIES ARE LEFT UNSAID: 8 Questions Americans Need Answered

By Frank HaglerPolicyMic | http://bit.ly/ObMwtG “Romney made his most detailed remarks at a private fundraiser in Florida, where he said he would combine and eliminate federal departments, including the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and would either consolidate the Department of Education with another agency or make it a ‘heck of a lot

AB5: CALIFORNIA TEACHER EVALUATION BILL ABANDONED BY LAWMAKERS

Legislative time runs out on the bill that education advocates said would have weakened initiatives in Los Angeles and elsewhere to improve the quality of public school instructors. By Teresa Watanabe and Michael J. Mishak, Los Angeles Times | http://lat.ms/UiB6rA Former Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez meets with the family of Assemblyman Felipe Fuentes (D-Sylmar) in 2007. After having revived

Study: LOOPHOLE IN TITLE I MEANS MINORITY-MAJORITY SCHOOLS GET LESS FUNDING

Posted on Latino Ed Beat  by Katherine Leal Unmuth | http://bit.ly/PSvUKG August 31, 2012  ::  A recent report by the Center for American Progress asserts that the promise of equality made by the landmark Brown. v. Board of Education ruling has been broken. Latino and black children tend to be clustered in schools that receive substantially less per-pupil funding than schools with primarily

The results are in: LAUSD MAKES ITS BEST SHOWING EVER ON STAR TESTS; State makes gains in English+Math

By Barbara Jones, Staff Writer, LA Daily News | http://bit.ly/Rur1DZ 8/31/2012 10:03:35 AM PDT  :: Los Angeles Unified students turned in their best-ever performance on statewide achievement tests, with nearly half demonstrating a firm grasp of English and math skills, according to results released Friday. Scores from the Standardized Testing and Reporting program administered in May show that

The First Presidential Debate: MITT vs.. GEORGE ROMNEY ON BLACK-WHITE ACHIEVEMENT GAP, SCHOOL SEGREGATION

By Richard Rothstein from  Valerie Strauss Washington Post Answer Sheet Blog (see note) | http://wapo.st/OyGeW5 This was written by Richard Rothstein, a research associate at the Economic Policy Institute, a non-profit organization created in 1986 to broaden the discussion about economic policy to include the interests of low- and middle-income workers. This appeared on the institute’s website

Day 17: WHERE IS KENNEDY HIGH COACH MANNY ALVARADO?

by Eric Sondheimer/Varsity Times Insider: Times reporters blog about high school sports across the Southland | http://lat.ms/Rwtt0I August 30, 2012 | 10:59 am :: It's Day 17 in the ongoing Los Angeles Unified School District saga known as "Where is Manny Alvarado?" The longtime Granada Hills Kennedy baseball coach was pulled from his teaching and coaching positions on Aug. 14 and sent to an

Q&A: ARTS EDUCATION - INTERVIEW WITH JOE LANDON, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE CALIFORNIA ALLIANCE FOR ARTS EDUCATION

From the Summer 2012 issue California Schools Magazine, published by the California School Boards Association | http://bit.ly/PS2AEc June 28, 2012 :: Joe Landon—executive director of the California Alliance for Arts Education—learned the hard way that being passionate about the importance of the arts isn’t enough to transform an accomplished artist into an effective advocate in the ongoing

YES ON PROP 38: Time to Fix California Schools

The Reporter: Opinion By Paul Boghosian. Op-Ed in the Vacaville Reporter | http://bit.ly/PwK6WI 8/31/2012 01:05:25 AM PDT  ::  Before billions were cut from California's education budget, schools in my district were always staffed with a nurse to aid sick children, a librarian to help foster ideas and a counselor to point students in the right direction. Now, all of these positions have

CHARTERS DRAW STUDENTS FROM PRIVATE SCHOOLS, STUDY FINDS: The switch from private to public schools has added $1.8 billion to public funding obligations

By Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times | http://lat.ms/N3dHKi Jason Espinoza, 10, right, enjoying class at Celerity Nascent Charter School in Los Angeles. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times / August 30, 2012) August 28, 2012, 12:05 a.m.  ::  Charter schools are pulling in so many onetime private school students that they are placing an ever-greater burden on taxpayers, who must fund an already

KEEPIN’ MUSIC BEYOND THE BELL: A Fun(d)Raiser Event for After School Programs @ The Conga Room on Wed. Eve, Sept 5th!

CYA/THE SMALL PRINT: This event is not presented, endorsed, recommended, supported, approved or sponsored by the Los Angeles Unified School District – though LAUSD legal undoubtedly spent hours of lawyer time crafting this disclaimer.   The District assumes no liability for any loss or injury arising out of participation and is merely permitting this material to

NATIONAL PTA REVISES POLICY ON CHARTER SCHOOLS

By Sean Cavanagh, Edweek.org.| http://bit.ly/PSNdZv Published Online: August 28, 2012  ::  The National Parent Teacher Association has revamped its policy to make it clear that it supports giving entities other than local school boards the right to approve charter schools, a new position the group argues will increase its ability to shape policy within the diverse and growing sector of

CalPERS HAILS JERRY BROWN'S "SWEEPING CHANGES" TO PUBLIC PENSIONS + CalSTRS RESPONSE

by Anthony York in Sacramento, LA Times | PolitiCal: On politics in the Golden State | http://lat.ms/SVylOG August 29, 2012 |  6:09 pm  ::  The governing board of the nation's largest public pension system gave positive early reviews to Gov. Jerry Brown's pension deal Wednesday, but said more work needed to be done before they could say how much money the plan would save. The chief actuary for

LAWMAKERS APPROVE TAKEOVER, BAILOUT LOAN FOR INGLEWOOD UNIFIED

By Kimberly Beltran, SI&A Cabinet Report | http://bit.ly/N1yCNL Wednesday, August 29, 2012  ::  The State Assembly, in a unanimous vote on Tuesday, approved an emergency bailout loan for the Inglewood Unified School District, the ninth California district since 1991 to lose local control to the state. Sen. Roderick Wright’s SB 533 authorizes a loan of up to $55 million and requires

Teacher Assessment: MORE AMENDMENTS COMING TO AB 5, INCLUDING SUNSET CLAUSE …and perhaps an “end-around” the courts?

By John Fensterwald, EdSource today | http://bit.ly/SXRMVw August 30th, 2012 | With the list of opponents mounting, the author of a bill to rewrite the state’s 40-year-old teacher evaluation law rushed Wednesday to amend the bill for third time to try to get it through Senate committees and on to the floor of the Legislature by the end of the session tomorrow. <<AB 5 author Felipe Fuentes

SENATE BACKS ELIMINATING SPECIAL ED BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTION PLAN MANDATE; ONLINE LEARNING, MATH ADOPTION MOVE AHEAD

By Tom Chorneau, SI&A Cabinet Report  | http://bit.ly/PQbP7T Thursday, August 30, 2012  ::  In a cost-cutting move that has near unanimous opposition from schools, a majority in the state Senate moved Wednesday to back a plan to eliminate most state funding tied to school management behavior issues of special education students. The preparation and management of Behavioral Intervention

100-YEAR-OLD DRIVER HITS 9 CHILDREN NEAR LAUSD SCHOOL WHILE BACKING UP HIS CAR

Ruben Vives in South Los Angeles and Robert J. Lopez, LA Times/LA Now | http://lat.ms/UdDU9l Photo: Preston Carter, 100, sits in a chair after the accident near Main Street Elementary School. Credit: Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times August 30, 2012 |  4:02 am  ::  Victims were being treated at local hospitals after a 100-year-old man backed his car and struck nine children and two adults

John Deasy: THE TAKEOVER ARTIST?

Takeover Artist: from Wikipedia | http://bit.ly/QydlwF “When [a] company gets bought out (or taken private) – at a dramatically lower price – The Takeover Artist gains a windfall from the former top executive's actions to surreptitiously reduce share price. This can represent tens of billions of dollars (questionably) transferred from previous shareholders to the takeover artist. The former

DING, DONG; CONCEPT SIX IS DEAD!

by Hector Villagra. Executive Director, ACLU of Southern California in the huffington Post | http://huff.to/SUcuWd also (8/30) The happy end to Concept 6 -- the year-round tracks at LA Unified schools - LA Daily News http://bit.ly/QDy8yT Posted: 08/29/2012 2:30 pm   ::  A new school year is set to begin in LAUSD, with all the typical fresh hopes and dreams, but this one will be different. For

Sex scandal, cover-up claims at LAUSD: FORMER SUPERINTENDENT RAMON CORTINES' ACCUSER SPEAKS OUT

By Barbara Jones, Staff Writer LA Daily News | http://bit.ly/Ns9S2C Former LAUSD Superintendent Ramon Cortines, seen above in a file photo, was accused of sexual harassment by LAUSD employee Scot Graham. (Dean Musgrove/Staff Photographer) 26 Aug 2012  :: Sometimes, Scot Graham says, even the deepest secrets have to come out. That's the reason the Los Angeles Unified leasing chief is

EVERYTHING YOU’VE HEARD ABOUT FAILING SCHOOLS IS WRONG

Attendance: up. Dropout rates: plummeting. College acceptance: through the roof. My mind-blowing year inside a "low-performing" school. By Kristina Rizga,  | September/October 2012 Issue of Mother Jones | http://bit.ly/OdpT8Y <<Illustration by Jon Krause “SPEEK EENGLISH, TACO,” The girl with the giant backpack yelled when Maria asked where to find a bathroom.  The backpack giggled as it

Top Content this Week - 9-1-12 The Educator's PLN



Top Content this Week - The Educator's PLN:




150 SMARTPHONE APPS FOR TEACHERS

50 SMARTPHONE APPS FOR TEACHERS

Added by Gianfranco D'Aversa on August 27, 2012
2Why do we need Social Media in schools today?  Facts versus Truths.

Why do we need Social Media in schools today? Facts versus Truths.

Added by Dr. Raymond T. Heipp on August 14, 2012
3The Global Transformation in Education (Updated)

The Global Transformation in Education (Updated)

Added by Thomas Whitby on August 4, 2012
4Are We Reaching Middle Schoolers?

Are We Reaching Middle Schoolers?

Added by ruthschapira on August 30, 2012
5How Does This Work For All Learners? - FAQ - Katie Gimbar's Flipped Classroom

How Does This Work For All Learners? - FAQ - Katie Gimbar's Flipped Classroom

Added by Thomas Whitby on August 27, 2012
6QR Codes: A Wealth of Information Stored in a Little Square

QR Codes: A Wealth of Information Stored in a Little Square

Added by Lynda Hall on August 31, 2012
7Websites for Young Learners of English (YLE)(1)

Websites for Young Learners of English (YLE)(1)

Added by Azize Beşik on August 31, 2012
8Teaching About Pre-Columbian Native Americans

Teaching About Pre-Columbian Native Americans

Added by Debra Collett on August 26, 2012
9Would we want to read a student's mind?

Would we want to read a student's mind?

Added by Richard Nelson on August 31, 2012
10Twitter in 60 seconds

Twitter in 60 seconds

Added by Thomas Whitby on October 14, 2009
1150 EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY TOOLS

50 EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY TOOLS

Added by Gianfranco D'Aversa on August 27, 2012
12Invitation to : Automata in the classroom -  Webinar

Invitation to : Automata in the classroom - Webinar

September 11, 2012 from 7pm to 7:45pm at http://connectpro66674008.adobeconnect.com/euproject/
Organized By: Joel Josephson
13Six Word Memoirs by Teens

Six Word Memoirs by Teens

Added by Thomas Whitby on August 30, 2012
14Common Language not in Common Core

Common Language not in Common Core

Added by Colette Marie Bennett on August 31, 2012
15Teaching About Reconstruction of the U.S. After the Civil War

Teaching About Reconstruction of the U.S. After the Civil War

Added by Debra Collett on August 30, 2012
16A New Year!

A New Year!

Posted by Jennifer Berryhill Carroll on August 28, 2012


This Week's Answer Sheet 9-1-1212 - School Survival Guide for parents (and everyone else). - The Washington Post



The Answer Sheet - School Survival Guide for parents (and everyone else). - The Washington Post:

Answer Sheet


Jeb Bush: How shopping for milk is like choosing a school

Valerie Strauss at The Answer Sheet - 1 day ago
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush said pretty much what you’d expect him to say about education reform at the GOP convention — schools are failing and teachers unions are bad — but you might not have expected this as his pitch for school choice: Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpon]

Jeb Bush’s ed speech at GOP convention — text

Valerie Strauss at The Answer Sheet - 1 day ago
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush addressed the Republican Convention on Thursday night, giving a speech about education reform that is likely to fuel talk that he could be Mitt Romney’s education secretary should Romney win the presidential election. Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpon]

Surviving math class by doodling — video

Valerie Strauss at The Answer Sheet - 1 day ago
Here’s an amusing video that offers a detailed lesson in how to properly doodle to get through math class if you don’t have a smart phone on which to play Angry Birds. The narrator says ...You spent all week memorizing how to graph parabolas. News flash. No one cares about parabolas, which is why half the class is playing Angry Birds under their desk. But since you don’t have a smart phone yet, you have to resort to a more noble and oudated form of boredom relief. That is doodling. And you’ve invented a game of your own, a doodle game that connects the dots in ways your math cla... more »

The Answer Sheet - 1 day ago

Who might be Romney’s education secretary?

Valerie Strauss at The Answer Sheet - 1 day ago
So who might Mitt Romney pick as his education secretary should he win the November presidential election? Here’s a list of some of the probable candidates, based on the people that Romney chose to be on his Education Policy Advisory Group, or that his campaign has used as “surrogates” to speak on education, or that are beloved by Republicans as important education reformers. In the latter category would be people such as *Michelle Rhee *and former Florida governor *Jeb Bush *and even *Joel Klein*. Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add t... more »

It’s not easy being Bill Nye the Science Guy

Valerie Strauss at The Answer Sheet - 2 days ago
It’s not easy being Bill Nye the Science Guy. When Nye told an audience in Waco, Texas in 2006 that the moon reflects light from the sun — which, of course, it does — he was booed, the Waco Tribune reported. Why? He offended some folks who believed he was criticizing Genesis 1:16, which says that “God made two great lights,” the sun and the moon. Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpon]

GOP platform’s contempt for public education

Valerie Strauss at The Answer Sheet - 3 days ago
It was obviously too difficult for the authors of the 2012 Republican Party platform to hide their contempt for public education, because it is evidentthroughout the section on schooling. What’s more, the education section is used to promote the party’s cultural values, going on at some length about support for abstinence education and its opposition to using federal funds in “mandatory or universal mental health, psychiatric, or socio-emotional screening program.” The message appears to be that schools should teach kids not to have sex but shouldn’t use federal funds to screen st... more »

What GOP platform says on education

Valerie Strauss at The Answer Sheet - 3 days ago
Here’s what the 2012 Republican Party platform calls for regarding education: Education: A Chance for Every Child Parents are responsible for the education of their children. We do not believe in a one size fits all approach to education and support providing broad education choices to parents and children at the State and local level. Maintaining American preeminence requires a world-class system of education, with high standards, in which all students can reach their potential. Today’s education reform movement calls for accountability at every stage of schooling. It affirms h... more »

Weingarten: ‘Won’t Back Down’ union stereotypes worse than ‘Waiting for Superman’

Valerie Strauss at The Answer Sheet - 3 days ago
Michelle Rhee’s StudentsFirst organization is playing a big role in screening the not-yet-released, anti-union film “Won’t Back Down” at the Republican Convention in Tampa, complete with a guest discussion panel that features former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpon]

To: Sec. Duncan Re: What you said about New Orleans schools

Valerie Strauss at The Answer Sheet - 4 days ago
To: Education Secretary Arne Duncan Re: What you said about New Orleans schools It was a pleasure talking with you on your recent visit to The Washington Post to speak with journalists from editorial and news about your efforts to reform schools. Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpon]

Why school lunch gets some kids sick

Valerie Strauss at The Answer Sheet - 4 days ago
Two sixth-graders at a Minneapolis public school say kids in the district are being forced to gobble down food at lunch because they have only 15 minutes to eat — which in reality is more like 10 — and that schedules like this are making kids feel sick and contributing to the country’s obesity epidemic. Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpon]

No, algebra isn’t necessary — and yes, STEM is overrated

Valerie Strauss at The Answer Sheet - 5 days ago
This *was written by Roger C. Schank, a cognitive scientist, artificial intelligence theorist, and education reformer. He has taught at Stanford and Yale universities and is the John Evans Professor Emeritus of Computer Science, Psychology, and Education at Northwestern University. The former head of the Institute for the Learning Sciences, he is the author of “Teaching Minds: How Cognitive Science Can Save Our Schools.”* Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpon]