NYC Educator: Good Morning World

NYC Educator: Good Morning World:

Good Morning World

by NYC Educator

I just woke up in a friend's apartment. Even though there is power, I haven't got an alarm clock. I have no idea exactly what time Mayor Bloomberg wants me to report to my school to not teach. It's good I'm not teaching because the only clothes I have are jeans, t-shirts and hoodies. Our town is supposed to get power tomorrow so I may be able to do better by Monday.

But we can't turn the power on until we change the circuit breakers, which got wet. Apparently there's a risk of the house blowing up if you do that. While I'm sure teacher homes blowing up is fine with Mayor Bloomberg, I have to send my wife and daughter to make sure those circuits get changed. It's complicated because everyone who can do this job is pretty busy, but 

The Problem With America’s History Books | toteachornototeach

The Problem With America’s History Books | toteachornototeach:

The Problem With America’s History Books

by aristotlethewise

Oliver Stone and Peter Kuznick are co-authors of
The Untold History of the United States (Gallery Books, $30)

by Oliver Stone and Peter Kuznick
It has become commonplace to deplore U.S. students’ dismal performance in math and science when their test results are compared to those of students in other advanced and not-so-advanced industrial countries.
But, it turns out, according to the Nation’s Report Card, or National Assessment of Educational Progress, the federally administered test results released in June 2011, the area in which U.S. students perform most poorly is actually U.S. history. According to the results, only 12 percent of high school students were proficient in U.S. history. And only a scant 2 percent could identify the social problem addressed in Brown v. Board of Education, even though the answer should have been obvious from the wording of the question itself.
Historically-challenged students turn into historically-challenged adults who make for unqualified citizens. Our republican system requires a literate, educated, and knowledgeable public. No wonder Santayana’s famous 

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: 'I'm incentivizing responsible parenting' -- Rahm

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: 'I'm incentivizing responsible parenting' -- Rahm:

'I'm incentivizing responsible parenting' -- Rahm

by Mike Klonsky

Rahm takes the low road once more. This time on so-called "parent involvement".

 He cuts a deal with Walgreen Co. CEO Greg Wasson to offer CPS parents gift cards loaded with 25,000 ”customer loyalty” points (worth $25) for attending report card pick up yesterday.

Rahm claims he got the gift card idea during one of his morning workouts:

'That’s what happens when I start swimming. I start coming up with ideas.' 

On previous swims, the mayor came up with the bonuses for his fave principals for their already-high test scores;bribes to schools that "voluntarily" acquiesced to his longer school day scheme; two failed teacher "merit pay" 

Top 10 List Of Things To Do For NYC Teachers Going To Work On Friday | The Jose Vilson

Top 10 List Of Things To Do For NYC Teachers Going To Work On Friday | The Jose Vilson:

Top 10 List Of Things To Do For NYC Teachers Going To Work On Friday

by Jose

NYC schools are officially closed on Friday … for students. For teachers, Mayor Bloomberg and Chancellor Walcott sent out a memo to all teachers and administrators to go back to school on Friday. The cynical me remembers the few days in the school year when I tell my students they don’t have school but I do and they giggle and point, to which I reply, “It’s OK. We don’t want you here, either.” Gasps from them. “Just kidding.” Exhale. “Kinda.”
The more serious side of me wonders what the heck we’re going to do on a November day. I mean, I had this really awesome unit on scientific notation that ended with us trying to estimate how far the planets were away from each other, and it would have ended with a quiz that I’m sure they would have aced on average. Then, it got me thinking: none of us, and I mean NONE of us, actually knows what we’re going to do tomorrow.
Instead of kvetching about why Bloomberg and Walcott came to this decision, I’ve compiled a list of things 

Educación Nominate Your Candidate for the Immigrant Youth Achievement Award - Hispanically Speaking News

Nominate Your Candidate for the Immigrant Youth Achievement Award - Hispanically Speaking News:

Educación 

Nominate Your Candidate for the Immigrant Youth Achievement Award

Educacion - 11 minutes ago

The American Immigration Council is now accepting nominations for their 2013 Immigrant Youth Achievement Award. Each year the Council receives hundreds of nominations from around the country lifting up exceptional young people whose accomplishments and dreams inspire others. The Immigrant Youth Achievement Award celebrates high-achieving young immigrants, whose personal accomplishments and contributions demonstrate the important impact young immigrants are having on our nation every day. These nominations serve as a reminder that our country was built by hard-working, forward-think... more »

Latina College Scholarship Opportunities Available, Includes Travel to Israel

Educacion - 11 minutes ago

Following a decade of training and developing the next generation of Latina leaders through its unique Washington DC-based program for college-age women, Latinas Learning to Lead (LLL), the National Hispana Leadership Institute, the nation’s premier leadership development organization for Latinas, is taking them overseas in a new continuation of the program. In collaboration with the American Jewish Committee (AJC), a global Jewish advocacy organization, and its educational institute Project Interchange, and The David Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating and insp... more »

MALDEF Members Named to Newly Formed Education Board

Educacion - 11 minutes ago

United States Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, has just appointed Mexican-American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) MALDEF President and General Counsel, Thomas A. Saenz, and MALDEF board member, Jesse Ruiz, among twenty-eight members of the Department of Education’s newly created Equity and Excellence Commission. Composed of education advocates, civil rights leaders, scholars, corporate leaders and lawyers, the commission is tasked with developing ways to close achievement gaps in America’s schools. The body will make recommendations about how federal policies can re... more »

Manuel Rivera-Ortiz Foundation for International Photography Announces Grant Opportunity

Educacion - 11 minutes ago

The Manuel Rivera-Ortiz Foundation for International Photography is currently seeking to award one social documentary photographic project produced in the journalistic tradition of Manuel Rivera-Ortiz. One project based on pressing social issues in the developing world will receive a grant of 5,000 USD to be utilized for the production or completion of a pre-approved project. WHO IS ELIGIBLE Photographers of all nationalities who are 18 years of age or older are eligible to apply. We encourage you to submit your one-page proposal, a portfolio sample of your current work black & whit... more »

AT&T Hosting National High Technology Event for Minority Students

Educacion - 11 minutes ago

AT&T’s Hispanic/Latino Association, HACEMOS, joins forces with Junior Achievement (JA) and its JA Job Shadow® initiative, to host more than 1,400 low-income and at-risk high school students in 22 cities across the country for the 13th Annual HACEMOS National High Technology Day. HACEMOS National High Technology Day is designed to give students a better grasp of the opportunities available in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields—areas where minorities are underrepresented. The sessions and job shadow opportunities will enable minority students to team up with A... more »

Univision Launches 2nd Phase of Education Initiative: Es El Momento

Educacion - 11 minutes ago

Univision Communications Inc., the leading media company serving Hispanic America, today unveiled the second phase of its highly successful, multi-platform education initiative, Es El Momento (The Moment is Now). The initiative’s second phase highlights the importance of children having role models in their lives, encouraging parents to teach by example and instill in their children the importance of education, as the key to their success. “Es El Momento’s second phase illustrates the inspirational journey of Hispanic individuals who were given the support and motivation needed to f... more »

Chicago’s Renaissance 2010: More Success with High Schools

Educacion - 11 minutes ago

Nearly seven years ago, Chicago launched a plan to create 100 new schools. On February 17th, WBEZ released a school-by-school update on how well those “Renaissance 2010” schools are performing on state tests. We compared them to neighborhood schools to ask: has the school district been successful in creating better options for families in those neighborhoods. In our first story, we talked about elementary schools. Today we turn to the city’s new Renaissance high schools, which are more likely than elementaries to be an improvement over current neighborhood schools. In 65 percent of c... more »

Congressional Hispanic Caucus Board Chair, Rep. Charles Gonzalez, Education the Key for Latinos

Educacion - 11 minutes ago

The Congressional Hispanic Caucus’s new Board Chair, Rep. Charles A. Gonzalez, begins his thirteenth year in Congress with a focus on providing opportunities for young Latinos to achieve the American Dream. Eager to lead the community to greater success and prosperity, Gonzalez shares his vision for the Latino community, the Caucus, and more in an exclusive interview for the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) where he noted the following regarding the key role education plays in his vision for the Latino community: What is your vision for the Latino Community? My vision ... more »

Rhythms of Life

Educacion - 11 minutes ago

This time of year, with winter continuing longer that anyone thinks it should, I find myself wanting to do nothing more than stay home curled up with a good book or just puttering around the house doing usually avoided chores. Each year it surprises me; the cold gets to me and I want to stay indoors and almost nothing can lure me out. You would think that by now I would remember that this nesting season comes every year about this time. And, it goes by the time the winds change and the scent of spring is in the air. But each year I honestly have to remind myself that nothing is wrong... more »

Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Launches Young Latino Leaders in Washington Program

Educacion - 11 minutes ago

The Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI), the nation’s premier Latino youth leadership development and educational organization, today announced its newest leadership development initiative, the “Young Latino Leaders in Washington, D.C. Program.” CHCI also released the 6th Edition of its popular and highly-anticipated National Directory of Scholarships, Internships, and Fellowships for Latino Students. Both projects are supported by State Farm Insurance Companies®. In partnership with the Close Up Foundation, CHCI will launch the “Young Latino Leaders in Washington, D.C. P... more »

US Department of Labor Announces Grant Competition to help Former Offenders Gain Career Skills

Educacion - 11 minutes ago

The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the availability of approximately $11.7 million in grant funds to serve adult offenders who are returning from incarceration to high-poverty, high-crime communities. The purpose of these grants is to provide an employment-centered approach to reintegration that improves long-term labor market prospects for ex-offenders. “The Labor Department is committed to getting all Americans back to work and to expanding opportunities for everyone who wants a job,” said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. “Stable employment helps ex-offenders stay out ... more »

The President Unveils a Budget to Win the Future for Our Kids (VIDEO)

Educacion - 11 minutes ago

The budget going through Congress can often come off as boring process, one too mired in details and political back-and-forth to be worth following. But the President traveled to Parkville Middle School and Center for Technology in Baltimore to unveil his budget plan this morning in a reflection of the fact that in the tough choices we face as a nation, our kids’ futures are at stake. That’s why the President’s Budget would get our deficits under control, but it’s also why he stands by investments in education, and it has a lot to do with why he supports investments in building a ... more »

Whose Job is it?

Educacion - 11 minutes ago

How do you know when someone has not only heard what you have to say but actually understood your message? Is it your job, the sender of the message, to make sure the receiver of the message has understood your message in the way you intended? The sender encodes the message in language, verbal and non verbal that is appropriate for the situation. The receiver decodes the message using their own personal frame of reference. So the question is Are we sending and receiving messages using the same frame of reference? Probably not. It isn’t absolutely necessary that all our conversatio... more »

Tips for Mid Terms - They’re Just Around the Corner

Educacion - 11 minutes ago

Second semester is in full swing, and believe it or not, midterms are right around the corner. Many students can feel extremely pressured right about now, especially when their test-taking anxiety sets in. Expert tutor and co-founder interactive tutoring website Virtual Nerd, Leo Shmuylovich, offers helpful suggestions to assist students through the midterm season. It could mean the difference in students maintaining their grades through the rest of the semester or having to spend extra time digging out. 1.) Be Efficient! When studying for midterms, the key is to use homework and st... more »

SAVE OUR SCHOOLS -SELLING KIDS SHORT: A broken education system threatens America’s growth

Educacion - 11 minutes ago

A good education is the lifeblood of the American dream. For millions of young Americans, that dream is now in jeopardy because the education system is failing them. A group of leading educators and reformers gathered at The Daily recently to talk about what needs to be done to save our schools. In a special five-part series, we report on the staggering dimensions of the problem, the institutions so resistant to change and the remarkable people determined to rejuvenate the system. America’s education crisis goes far beyond our biggest cities and poorest children — even the brightest ... more »

Race to the Top Commencement Challenge: Calling High Schools - Deadline 2/25 (VIDEO)

Educacion - 11 minutes ago

Today, the President launched his second annual Race to the Top Commencement Challenge. The 2011 Race to the Top Commencement Challenge invites public high schools across the country to demonstrate how their school best prepares them for college and a career, helping America win the future by out-educating our competitors, preparing today’s students for the jobs of tomorrow, and achieving President Obama’s goal of having the highest proportion of college graduates in the world by 2020. Last year, over 1000 schools applied and more than 170,000 people voted on short videos and essay... more »

Challenging Routines and Beliefs

Educacion - 11 minutes ago

It is very easy to get caught up in the rhythms of our day. We get comfortable with the requirements of home and work, family and friends. We know what to do when to do and often with whom. Because it is comfortable, we surround ourselves with the familiar and with people who think and act like we do. So what would happen if we threw all that out and challenged our routines? I am often surprised to read about polls that show some commonly held belief that challenges my beliefs. Like many people I am surrounded with people who generally think like me. We have discussions about the... more »

Turning Around the Nation’s Lowest-Performing Schools

Educacion - 11 minutes ago

Across the country, states and school districts are focusing on turning around the nation’s lowest-performing schools. Unprecedented federal Race to the Top and School Improvement Grant funding accompanied by a more prescriptive approach for using the funds has raised the profile of turnaround efforts. This focus on school turnaround, while welcome, is not new. State, district, and school leaders have been trying for years to turn around persistently low-performing schools. But while some schools have made significant gains in student achievement, results overall are decidedly mixed... more »

Meeting the Challenge of Preparing Young Americans for the 21Century- Harvard Study

Educacion - 11 minutes ago

The American system for preparing young people to lead productive and prosperous lives as adults is clearly badly broken. Failure to aggressively overcome this challenge will surely erode the fabric of our society. The American Dream rests on the promise of economic opportunity, with a middle class lifestyle for those willing to work for it. Yet for the millions of young Americans entering adulthood lacking access to marketable skills, the American Dream may be just an illusion, unlikely ever to come within their grasp. If we fail to better prepare current and future teens and young ... more »

Tips for Applying for Student Financial Aid

Educacion - 11 minutes ago

It’s probably the first test for many going off to college, and they take it without setting foot inside a classroom. Unfortunately for some, they don’t always get an A. The “test” is filling out The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA. Getting an A means completing it without mistakes, omissions, and within all the deadlines. Marianella Garcia is very familiar with the challenges of filling out the application’s 100 questions that determine whether a student is eligible for scholarships and loans from the federal government. She works for Federal Student Aid, an offi... more »

MassMutual Scholars Program Enters Third Year of Helping Multicultural College Students

Educacion - 11 minutes ago

Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) will offer $5,000 college scholarships to high-achieving students for its third straight year. The company’s annual MassMutual Scholars Program offers a total of $135,000 to college students of African-American/Black, Asian/Pacific Islander or Hispanic descent residing or going to school in nine metropolitan areas across the country. “The MassMutual Scholars program provides financial support and guidance to deserving students striving to obtain a college degree,” said Nick Fyntrilakis, Assistant Vice President of Community Re...more »

Playing Games

Educacion - 11 minutes ago

My children learned basic math by playing Bunco with my mother. They perfected their math skills by betting buttons in family poker games, and they learned the combinations of all number and face cards that add up to 15 by playing Cribbage. In addition to these card games, they played countless Gin Rummy and 500 tournaments late into the night on family vacations staying with their grandmother. Kings Corner’s taught them numeric sequencing and overall strategy. As grown women they have fond memories of the moment they realized they won fair and square with no help from Granny. So... more »

Reflections on the State of the Union: Rebuilding America, One Student At A Time

Educacion - 11 minutes ago

Antero Garcia is U.S. Department of Education Classroom Teaching Fellow, a UCLA doctoral candidate, and a high school English teacher at Manual Arts High School in South Central Los Angeles, Calif. Like millions of Americans, I watched President Obama’s State of the Union Address Tuesday. I watched it particularly with hopes that his words and vision would speak directly to me and to the ninth graders I teach every day at Manual Arts High School in South Central Los Angeles. With shootings at two schools in Los Angeles last week, many of my colleagues anticipating being laid off at ... more »

Hispanic Students in Florida Score Higher on Science Tests

Educacion - 11 minutes ago

In Florida, most students received below average scores on the national science test, yet the Hispanic students scored higher than the national average. On the National Assessment of Educational Progress, Florida’s eighth graders scored slightly below average yet for the Hispanic students, scoring almost 10% more than the national average. State Education Commissioner Eric Smith stated that this news demonstrates the state’s achievements as well as bringing attention to the challenges it still must conquer. “Florida has been paving a path of educational progress within our nation... more »

Banda, School Board say charters would hamper efforts to improve Seattle public schools | Education | The Seattle Times

Banda, School Board say charters would hamper efforts to improve Seattle public schools | Education | The Seattle Times:

Banda, School Board say charters would hamper efforts to improve Seattle public schools

School leaders, educators and parents from 260 of Washington's 295 school districts have signed a letter opposing I-1240, warning that charter schools would siphon off millions of dollars from other publicly funded schools with no guarantee they'd be any better.

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School leaders, educators and parents from 260 of Washington's 295 school districts have signed a letter opposing I-1240, warning that charter schools would divert millions of dollars from existing public schools with no guarantee they'd be better.

The anti-charter campaign released the letter at a news conference in downtown Seattle Thursday after a speech by Seattle Superintendent José Banda.

Banda and the Seattle School Board say charters would hurt their efforts to improve.

Board President Michael DeBell said the state shouldn't allow charters until it fully funds its existing 

Modern School: Another Looming Illinois Teachers Strike

Modern School: Another Looming Illinois Teachers Strike:

Another Looming Illinois Teachers Strike

by Michael Dunn

Last week, teachers from Geneva School District 304, in Illinois, gave formal notice that they intend to strike, after a 12-hour bargaining session failed to reach an accord, the Chicago Tribune. Because state law requires a 14-day waiting period, the earliest the strike could begin would be Friday, November 9.

The main issue is salaries. Teachers say that there is plenty of money in the reserves to not only give them a raise, but to also refund some property tax dollars, as the district did last year. The district, not surprisingly, is crying “fiscal uncertainty” and wants to freeze salaries for the next year, including a freeze on step and experience increases. However, they are willing to 

California's Prop 32: The Most Dangerous Ballot Measure in the Country | MyFDL

California's Prop 32: The Most Dangerous Ballot Measure in the Country | MyFDL:

California’s Prop 32: The Most Dangerous Ballot Measure in the Country

by Leighton Woodhouse

Popout
If you live in California, thanks to the Electoral College system, the box you check next Tuesday in the section of your ballot for the two presidential candidates won’t make an iota of difference to the outcome of the election. But further down the ballot is the second (if not first) most important vote in the country: Proposition 32.
That’s no exaggeration. If Prop 32 passes, it will warp the landscape of California politics dramatically and permanently, by outlawing voluntary payroll deduction for political spending. That sounds technical and mundane, but the upshot is that Prop 32 would effectively silence the political voice of the labor movement while 

BRIBING CLUELESS PARENTS – A CLUELESS EFFORT « Teachers Fight Back

BRIBING CLUELESS PARENTS – A CLUELESS EFFORT « Teachers Fight Back:

BRIBING CLUELESS PARENTS – A CLUELESS EFFORT

by alkleen

Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel and Walgreen company have announced a plan to increase parental involvement in Chicago Public schools. Parents who pick up their children’s report cards and participate in teacher conferences will receive one of the drugstore chain’s “Balance Rewards” cards worth $25 in free merchandise at stores. The plan is to be implemented at 70 schools with low parental involvement. The city will track data on parental involvement to measure the effort’s effectiveness.
Here we go again. Has anyone asked teachers if this plan will work ?  Of course not. Any veteran teacher could have told these city and business leaders that this plan is just plain ridiculous. Yes, there might be some parents motivated to attend a conference that they otherwise might not. What does picking up a report card and attending a conference have to do with a student’s success ?  ABSOLUTELY NOTHING when the parent is 

An Urban Teacher's Education: Too Much Structure and Style; Not Enough Content

An Urban Teacher's Education: Too Much Structure and Style; Not Enough Content:

Too Much Structure and Style; Not Enough Content

by James Boutin

Earlier in my career teaching writing, I often found myself focusing on structure and style. It's important to have appropriate conventions, to make your writing move logically throughout its delivery, to consider the way you communicate your ideas.

But in considering the quality of a piece of writing, there is another factor that affects the outcome more: content.

Perhaps I found it easier to focus on structure and style because they seem more teachable. It is difficult, after all, to look at a student and say, "You need better ideas." (How do you scaffold better ideas?) So I can feel as if I'm doing my job when I help them consider ways to communicate the ideas they do have more clearly and intentionally. Ultimately, though, I always felt empty with this teaching focus. Writing would improve, but it was 

Idaho's education overhaul: a summary of three propositions | OregonLive.com

Idaho's education overhaul: a summary of three propositions | OregonLive.com:

Idaho's education overhaul: a summary of three propositions

by The Associated Press

In this Sept. 7, 2011, file photo, Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna poses for a photo in his office in Boise.AP Photo/Jessie L. Bonner, File

On Tuesday, voters head to the polls in Idaho to weigh in on public schools chiefTom Luna's education overhaul. A "Yes" vote for the three propositions keeps Luna's 2011 "Students Come First" laws in place; a "No" vote repeals them. Here's a brief summary of some of the laws' key provisions. 

Proposition 1: 

• Phases out teacher tenure for those who haven't earned it 

Call me NaNo… « Teaching Between the Lines

Call me NaNo… « Teaching Between the Lines:

Call me NaNo…

by Laura

It’s Day One of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), and my 8th graders wrote for a full hour in class, tap-tap-tapping away on the first chapters of their novels.   They wrote in a Google Doc, which they shared with me, so when I should have been working on my own novel, I was taking peeks at theirs.  Wow!  Some great stuff.  Here are just a handful of opening lines that caught my attention:
My favorite sound in the world is the click of a camera shutter, not the crack of a gunshot.  (AG)
School sucks. Yet another black eye from yet another dumb brute who plays football. (NB)
We barely slid under the first gate before it was slammed shut.  (DH)

Look at those NaNos go! (And hooray for our principal, who worked on her novel with us today!)

My window overlooked New York City and I knew that somewhere past the newly constructed and the