UPDATE: FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Thursday, October 18, 2012

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team:

'Drop, cover and hold on' for national quake drill

Education Headlines

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Cypress schools drop lawsuit against city

About a year ago, to clear their path, Cypress School District officials sued the city of Cypress, which had made overtures that it would disrupt the district's plans to lease or sell vacant properties in the city. Now both parties have publicly ended the spat, with the district dropping the lawsuit and city officials promising to work with the district on future plans.

Retiree catches glitch in SDUSD Prop Z voter guide

After a careful review of the San Diego Unified School District $2.8 billion Proposition Z bond measure in the sample ballot that landed in M.L. Zeddies’ mailbox, a couple of things caught his eye. The campus-by-campus inventory of bond projects included work at some schools on nonexistent facilities.

School president's email pushes tax measures

San Diego school board President John Lee Evans has been using his district email to coordinate a news conference with the region’s school board presidents to advocate for the passage of two statewide tax increases.

Future of solar power looking bright for Chico schools

Wednesday night, after hearing a report on the success of five solar power facilities, four at schools and one at the district's corporation yard, the Chico USD trustees voted unanimously to investigate putting solar arrays at other school sites.

Families try to adjust as Horizon charter school closes in Rocklin

Horizon Charter Schools gave parents just five days' notice before shuttering the campus and offering a home-school option.

Each $1 from bonds to cost schools $18

Rancho Cordova taxpayers eventually will pay $9.1 million to retire just $514,000 in capital appreciation bonds issued by the Folsom Cordova Unified School District – about $18 in payments for every $1 borrowed.

LAUSD, L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center join forces to stop sexual bullying

With nearly 200 incidents of sexual bullying reported last year in Los Angeles Unified, the school district and L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center on Wednesday announced a campaign designed to curb harassment and prevent youth suicides.

LAUSD says talks with UTLA on teacher evaluations are at impasse

Los Angeles Unified has filed a declaration of impasse in its negotiations with UTLA over teacher evaluations, seeking mediation from the state Public Employee Relations Board, officials said Wednesday.

Livermore school board rejects Tri-Valley Learning Corp.'s charter school petition

For the second time in 12 months, the Tri-Valley Learning Corp. has had its petition to open a third charter school rejected by the Livermore school board.

Lawsuit: Lafayette School District knew of teacher fondling students before 2010 arrest

Lafayette School District employees received complaints of a popular Stanley Middle School teacher fondling female students before the teacher's 2010 arrest for sexually abusing a 14-year-old girl, according to a civil suit filed in Contra Costa Superior Court.

Riley: Deschooling California - Postmodern theory meets Props 30 & 38

Make no mistake, like everyone else who cares about California’s schools and students, I hope the voters pass Proposition 30 to prevent further fiscal Armageddon. Should California voters decide otherwise, however, my hope is that the resulting crisis might finally provoke a serious effort to dramatically rethink and redesign every aspect of our education system.

Freedburg: Preschool math curriculum faces significant challenges

Despite research showing the crucial importance of math at a preschool level for future academic success, preschool programs face significant obstacles in implementing an effective math program, according to interviews with early childhood instructors and preschool administrators.

State to investigate SF’s handling of special education services

The California Department of Education said it would investigate whether the San Francisco Unified School District violated federal regulations by improperly denying summer school services to students with special needs in order to cut costs.

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Stockton USD pilot sites fill gaps for needy

This year, south Stockton's Taylor and Roosevelt Elementary in southeast Stockton are operating extended-hours programs to provide social services to children and their families.

Lodi Unified School District trustees upset by lack of enrollment in general-level courses

A lack of students enrolled in general courses at one Lodi Unified School District high school caused members of the board of trustees to grow visibly agitated during Tuesday's board meeting.

Special ed teachers say e-mail broke law

A San Francisco Unified School District administrator raised the possibility of not offering summer school to some special education students as a way to cut costs, a move that special education teachers and attorneys say violates federal law.

Perceptions of Public Schools…Fiction Trumps the Truth | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights

Perceptions of Public Schools…Fiction Trumps the Truth | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights:

Perceptions of Public Schools…Fiction Trumps the Truth

by Cheryl S. Williams

The October 10, 2012, edition of Education Week features a commentary titled “Public Schools: Glass Half Full or Half Empty?” with both disturbing and hopeful statistics on public education in the United States. The most disturbing part of the article describes the results of a recent Gallup poll showing that public confidence in public K-12 education has fallen to 29 percent – a drop of 29 percentage points from 1973, when Gallup first began including public schools in its survey and public confidence in schools measured 58 percent. The irony in this dismal lack of confidence in such a crucial public institution is that an analysis of performance data on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP—the “nation’s report card”) and high school dropout rates shows that results have actually improved over the past two decades.
NAEP scores for both 4th and 8th graders have been trending upward since the 1970s. Compared with an average scale score of 219 in 1973 for 4th graders, 2008’s average scale score of 243 represents significant progress in math performance. The illustrative graphs included in the Education Week article provide a dramatic visual to illustrate this trend and
read more

Interest in Online Courses Could Be Peaking - US News and World Report

Interest in Online Courses Could Be Peaking - US News and World Report:

Interest in Online Courses Could Be Peaking

A study shows that interest in online courses has remained flat in recent years.

By RYAN LYTLE

October 18, 2012 RSS Feed Print

While participation in online courses is up, adult students still prefer the in-class experience.

When Cedrick Alexander was reviewing the courses he needed in order to complete his journalism degree at theUniversity of Alabama, he found that some classes that fit his schedule were only offered online.

"If I would have had the option, I would have probably gone with in-class options," says Alexander, who is in the process of finishing his degree. "The reason I took online courses was because they were the only ones available, [and] with time commitments, they worked for me."

Alexander notes that there were some benefits to taking 

Blaming Your Own Team - Bridging Differences - Education Week

Blaming Your Own Team - Bridging Differences - Education Week:

Blaming Your Own Team

by Deborah Meier

Editor's note: Deborah Meier is traveling in Belgium this week. She filed this essay before leaving.

Dear Pedro and friends,

It's hardly something new in American political life. The foxes have been guarding the hen house for many years. But what we're seeing in education of late involves more chutzpa than I've ever seen in education circles.
The foxes? Our city mayors and their appointed superintendents. The hens are the schools for which they are presumably accountable.
We're in a "competition" between charters et al and "regular" urban public schools. Competition is good for all, we're told. But not if one side is fighting with both hands tied. The folks who promised us they'd be accountable for our public schools are, it turns out, rooting for the other side. They're doing their best to see that "their" 

Let Me Re-Introduce Responsible Citizen [Future of Teaching] | The Jose Vilson

Let Me Re-Introduce Responsible Citizen [Future of Teaching] | The Jose Vilson:

Let Me Re-Introduce Responsible Citizen [Future of Teaching]

by Jose

An excerpt from my latest at The Future of Teaching:

I propose that, those of us who’ve seen what’s happened with character education instead use the term “responsible citizenship.” I recently Googled the term “responsible citizenship” and found a plethora of definitions, but they all coalesce around the idea that we must teach children to actively participate in their environments and contribute positively to them. Some might take this term and highlight just the “responsible” portion, limiting the discussion to solely taking blame for one’s own actions. I submit to you that we must also emphasize citizenship, meaning we think critically about our roles in society and inform ourselves of what surrounds us to make better decisions 

Morning UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 10-18-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

Diane Ravitch's blog:

Tonight on PBS

by dianerav

When I visited Austin recently, I taped an interview with Evan Smith for his PBS program “Overheard.” It will air tonight on PBS stations in Texas, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Denver, Tampa, New Orleans, and other places.
If you miss it, this is the link that will go live after the show airs.
There was a live and very enthusiastic audience, which made it a lively setting. Just what you would expect in Texas.

Who Needs Higher Education?

by dianerav

The New York City Department of Education intends to ask the state Board of Regents to allow it to grant certification, bypassing the higher education route.
The Regents have already given permission to TFA and to the charter training program Relay to award certification. The Museum of Natural History also has that authority.
Soon there will be Mom-and-Pop certification programs, or maybe online programs, or gosh darn it, just put your money on the barrel, Sony, and presto! You are a certified teacher.
Two thoughts:
1. We are not trying to elevate the profession.
2. Bye-bye Ed schools.

The Absurdity of NCLB

by dianerav

Commenting on an earlier post, a teacher pointed out that students in his/her district in a low-performing school are allowed to transfer (thanks to No Child Left Behind) to a higher-performing school.
In my district, parents have the right to transfer their child to a “higher performing” school in the district if their local school is “lower performing”. Because my local school is in one of the more affluent areas of town, it usually scores a C, which is one of the higher grades in town. Because it scores higher, parents do transfer their kids, which means it has the largest class sizes in the district. I’d sooner send my kids to a “lower performing” school with smaller class sizes.
Now the higher-performing school is overcrowded and has larger classes. In time, it may well become a low-

Ironies of the First Parent Trigger

by dianerav

At Desert Trails Elementary School in Adelanto, California, the “parent trigger” law is taking effect after court battles.
Parents who asked to take their name off the petition to hand their school off to a charter chain were told by a judge that they were not allowed to remove their names.
Now, it turns out, only parents who signed the petition in favor of a charter will be allowed to participate in choosing the charter operator. The others have no voice.
And, hmm, the parent who has been most vocal, will not be a parent in the school when the charter takes over.

A Way to Test the “Bad Teacher” Theory

by dianerav

In response to an earlier post, a reader suggests a simple way to evaluate the oft-repeated assertion tat low test scores are caused by bad teachers:
I wonder why the reformers don’t try this experiment: Take the staff of an underperforming school and switch them for a year with the staff in a high performing school. Let’s see if the results are that different.
I say try it for three years. Compare the results in both schools. Good idea.
I have heard this proposed many times. With privatizers in control of so many districts and states (e.g. 

You Must Not Say What You Think

by dianerav

The new Broad leader in Dallas has hired a communications director and a PR team to craft a list of “power words” and “power phrases” that teachers and principals are supposed to use when communicating with the public.
Dallas principals and teachers: Please take care to say what you are told. Memorize your lines. If you say the wrong thing, you are in trouble. Let the superintendent and his PR team do your thinking for you. Just do as you

Australia Claims the GERM Title

by dianerav

Is Australia the GERM capital of the world?
I was sure that the U.S. was first in the world when it came to testing and accountability, choice, competition, and privatization. Sad to discover we are number 2.
Australia – The GERM Capital of the World
GERM is an acronym for the giant scato-meme that testucators [vis-a-vis educators] have helped to spread 

When Mr. Rogers Saved PBS

by dianerav

At a time when Mitt Romney is threatening to remove federal funding from PBS, please watch what Mr. Rogers said to Congress in 1969 when President Nixon wanted to cut funding to PBS. Senator Pastore got “goose bumps” when he listened. I got tears in my eyes. Please watch.
It reminds you of when we thought about children’s feelings, not their test scores. It reminds you of a man who was gentle and kind. Remember that?

Crucial Referendum in Georgia

by dianerav

In November, voters in Georgia will vote on an important referendum to amend their state constitution.
The goal of the amendment is to allow the government to appoint a commission that can impose charter schools in districts over the objection of local school boards. More than 90% of the money to support the referendum is pouring into Georgia from out of state contributors.
This proposal comes from ALEC, which is so eager to push privatization that it is ready to abandon local control. 

Will Two Very Rich Men Buy the Oakland, CA, School Board

by dianerav

Very strange, the large sums of money suddenly appearing in local school board elections, sometimes from wealthy individuals who have no children in the schools or don’t even live in the district. That happened earlier this year in the Dever school board election and is happening now in A New Orleans school board race.
In Oakland, California, two wealthy men have contributed almost $100,000 to the corporate reform slate.
This description comes from a public school parent in Oakland:
Today I learned about two individuals who are attempting to control Oakland’s upcoming school board election 

A Cry from the Heart

by dianerav

Dear President Obama,
I am disheartened by the state of education and the course we are heading as a nation.
Today, I was forced to administer an assessment which will be used to judge me, as a professional educator. I watched eight year olds crumble under the pressure for fear of getting an answer wrong. I held a young girl who burst into tears because she couldn’t decipher a term she will not be exposed to until January. As a compassionate human being, I reassured her, but deep down inside I was sickened, disgusted and angry 

Marc Tucker Says that Choice Is “Beside the Point”

by dianerav

In a recent essay for Education Week, Marc Tucker took issue with advocates for choice, charters and competition. He dismantled the libertarian argument for free markets in schooling. That’s not what enables top-performing nations to succeed, he says. Worth reading.

Can 10 Very Rich People Change Public Education in Washington State?

by dianerav

Ten people have supplied 91% of the $8.9 million raised to promote a charter school referendum in Washington State.
Prominent among the super-donors are Bill Gates, Walmart heiress Alice Walton, Amazon Titan Mike Bezos, 

‘Rubber Rooms’ In NY Schools Cost City $22 Million A Year For Teachers Awaiting Hearings | toteachornototeach

‘Rubber Rooms’ In NY Schools Cost City $22 Million A Year For Teachers Awaiting Hearings | toteachornototeach:

‘Rubber Rooms’ In NY Schools Cost City $22 Million A Year For Teachers Awaiting Hearings

by aristotlethewise

‘Rubber Rooms’ In New York Schools Cost City
$22 Million A Year For Teachers Awaiting Hearings 

The city and teachers’ union may have agreed to shut down the usage of “rubber rooms” — reassignment centers for educators awaiting discipline hearings in 2010 — but according to a new report, the city is still shelling out to idle teachers.
The Daily News reports traditional rubber rooms have been replaced with unused offices and even cramped utility closets, where although numbers have improved, on an average day roughly 200 teachers sit and collect their normal salaries.
And for their time, the city is projected to shell out a staggering $22 million to teachers doing absolutely nothing 

Preschool math curriculum faces significant challenges | EdSource Today

Preschool math curriculum faces significant challenges | EdSource Today:

Preschool math curriculum faces significant challenges - by Louis Freedberg

by Louis Freedberg

Despite research showing the crucial importance of math at a preschool level for future academic success, preschool programs face significant obstacles in implementing an effective math program, according to interviews with early childhood instructors and preschool administrators.

The greatest obstacle cited in the interviews conducted by EdSource over the past month is the lack of math content and training in how to teach it among preschool staff. Other obstacles cited included the logistics and costs of providing in-service training, the impact of the budget crisis on providing professional development, and widespread “math anxiety” among preschool staff who have often struggled with math earlier in their careers.

EdSource outlined its findings at the CSLNet Summit, which was held this week in San Diego, and was attended by over 300 educators and others working to promote greater involvement in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) curricula and careers. One highlight of the conference was the designation of former basketball star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, now 65, as California’s “After School STEM ambassador” by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson.

In 2007, Greg Duncan, an economist now in the UC Irvine School of Education, shook the world of 

Deschooling California: Postmoder theory meets Props 30 & 38 - by Benjamin Riley

by Benjamin Riley

People who care about California’s children watched in horror this week as the battle between Governor Brown and Molly Munger over their dueling education initiatives descended into a Hobbesian war of all against all (with most of the “all” firmly in the governor’s camp). Brown’s Proposition 30, already barely above 50 percent in the polls, now faces $30 million in “funded opposition” from Munger...

Daily Kos: Nick Kristof tells us more about Scott and Obamacare

Daily Kos: Nick Kristof tells us more about Scott and Obamacare:

Nick Kristof tells us more about Scott and Obamacare

by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken)

in a piece titled Scott’s Story and the Election. He wrote this in part because of the response he got from readers after they read his first piece on Scott, about which I previously wrote in Nick Kristof offers a personal story of why we need Obamacare.
We saw the selfishness that has become too endemic, in part because of conservative rhetoric, in responses Kristof received.
For example:

“Your friend made a foolish choice, and actions have consequences,” one reader said in a Twitter message.

  And also this:

“Not sure why I’m to feel guilty about your friend’s problem,” Terry from Oregon wrote on my blog. “I take care of myself and mine, and I am not responsible for anyone else.

  Those are mild compared to someone named Bruce who argued in part

Extreme age and debility, patients so sick, old, demented, weak, that if families had to pay one-tenth the cost of keeping the poor souls alive, they would instantly see that it was money wasted."

To his credit, Kristof takes a different viewpoint, which I explore below.

Atlanta explains how it calculates value-added scores. Using scores for “improvement, not accountability.” | Get Schooled

Atlanta explains how it calculates value-added scores. Using scores for “improvement, not accountability.” | Get Schooled:

Atlanta explains how it calculates value-added scores. Using scores for “improvement, not accountability.”

by Maureen Downey

I ran a letter a few days ago from the principal of an Atlanta charter school expressing concerns about the value-added scores assigned to his school.
Atlanta is looking at both teacher and school-level value-added as part of its Effective Teacher in Every Classroom initiative. Using test scores, researchers are calculating how much “learning” Atlanta students gain in the standard school year. This sort of calculation is being made for school districts and teachers nationwide and will ultimately be done for every school system in Georgia  as we move to accountability models that measure student progress over time.
There is great debate over whether any value-added system — and Atlanta has hired some of the nation’s top 

Across the United States, a backlash against school closures - The Education Report - Katy Murphy's blog on Oakland schools

Across the United States, a backlash against school closures - The Education Report - Katy Murphy's blog on Oakland schools:

'

Across the United States, a backlash against school closures

Wednesday, October 17th, 2012 at 5:44 pm in No Comments

photo by Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group
Oakland, you’re not alone.
I found this story in Education Week about school closures in New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. to be incredibly relevant to what I’ve observed here. It raises many of the points and questions that Oakland residents and school officials have been grappling with for years. (This particular story is subscription-only.)
The writer, Jaclyn Zubrzycki, touches on charter schools, gentrification, race, enrollment declines, and the reasons districts close schools: when they have fewer students and/or financial pressures — or in response to the idea (advanced by the federal government in its School Improvement Grant program) of closing schools as a way to create new and better opportunities for students.
Oakland Unified’s own Troy Flint even gets the ending quote, after he’s quoted as saying that all students from 

UPDATE: Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle School Board - NO on 1240

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle School Board - NO on 1240:

On-Line Debate on 1240 Today at Noon

by Melissa Westbrook

The Seattle Times is having a live chat at noon today, Thursday, Oct. 17th, with Professor Wayne Au, from UW Bothell, opposing I-1240 and Shannon Campion, from some organization supporting 1240.

About Professor Au:

He is an assistant professor in the education program at the University of Washington, Bothell. He is an editor for the progressive education magazine, Rethinking Schools. He is the author of numerous books, chapters, and articles, and his research focuses on issues of equality and justice in education.

Our moderators are Times reporter Linda Shaw and myself. Feel free to send questions in advance tolshaw@seattletimes.com or jbalter@seattletimes.com. 

Get those questions in!

Seattle School Board - NO on 1240

by Melissa Westbrook

I couldn't stay but it was on Twitter; the Board said No to 1240.

It was a unanimous vote.  Details to come (but if you have input, let us know).  They are the school board for the largest district in the state.  Combine that with Superintendent Banda's no, it's a pretty effective one-two punch.

Others saying No to 1240:
Sally Clark
Both Leg candidates from the 46th: Gerry Pollett  and Sylvester Cann

Support for NO on 1240 Rising

by Melissa Westbrook

Stats from the latest KCTS-9 Washington Poll (via The Stranger Slog):


Initiative 1240 – Charter Schools
Yes 47.5%
No 39.2%
Undecided 13.3%

That is a slight drop for Yes, a slight rise for No and a LOT of undecideds (which is pretty much what I see out there on the campaign trail).  There's a lot of pondering to be done between now and Election Day but I think Elway polling may be right - initiative support tends to drop as you get closer to it.

Other initiatives:

Referendum 74 – Marriage Equality
Yes 56.3%
No 35.6%
Undecided 6.1%

Initiative 502 – Legalizing and Regulating Marijuana
Yes 50.9%
No 40.8%
Undecided 8.3%

Initiative 1185 – 2/3 Majority to Raise Taxes
Yes 53.6%
No 31.2%
Undecided 15.2%

From STEM to Arbor Heights

by Charlie Mas

We have been asked to relay this message:

Dear Arbor Heights Community,

I wanted to thank you for giving the STEM community the opportunity to speak at the Oct 17th School Board Meeting. The fact that you so gracefully ceded your spot to another parent so we could speak to the board speaks volumes about the amazing people you are. We were so disappointed to only have spots on the wait list, so this was truly a gift you gave our community.

We are so hopeful that your communities zealous advocacy on behalf of your children and families will pay off.

With hope, respect, and big props,

Robin Graham
Co-President K-5 STEM

NYC Educator: City Employees Working Together in Mayor Bloomberg's New York

NYC Educator: City Employees Working Together in Mayor Bloomberg's New York:

City Employees Working Together in Mayor Bloomberg's New York

by NYC Educator

We have a very good relationship with our local precinct. They send a guy to our school who faithfully tickets absolutely everyone the day their registrations or inspections expire, and he comes to meetings and lectures us on all the things we can possibly do wrong, like parking more than 12 inches from the curb on days the streets are hopelessly covered with snow. Naturally, everyone adores this great work.

However, when students hang on the street in front of our school, often creating dangerous conditions, there's not much that can be done. The DOT cannot lay out whatever it would take to put one of those speed signs near our school. They are needed 

Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » Pre-reading strategies get banished to the detention room of bad practices…

Reflections on Teaching » Blog Archive » Pre-reading strategies get banished to the detention room of bad practices…:

Pre-reading strategies get banished to the detention room of bad practices…

by alicemercer

Last spring, a number of pieces appeared about David Coleman (Common Core’s co-author), telling us to stop teaching pre-reading strategies. When I asked folks attending Common Core trainings at my district, they had no idea what I was talking about. Clearly, the message has gotten out to the consultant/trainer class over the summer. Here were a couple slide from a recent meeting:
Text-based Questions and Answers:

• Questions that can only be answered with evidence from the text.
• Can be literal, but should also include analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.
• Focus on making meaning at the word, sentence, and paragraph level as well