Big Education Ape

Saturday, November 3, 2012

by P. L. Thomas

Recently, I posted a chart highlighting that current “No Excuses” Reform (NER) claims and policies are no different than traditional problems and policies in public education.

The great ironies of NER include that NER perpetuates the inequities of society and the current education system and that NER does not seek a reformed and revolutionary public education system but a dismantling of public schools for private interests (See Ravitch, Flanagan, and Cody).

The problem in education reform parallels the problem in our two-party system: While the competing ideologie

Jersey Jazzman: NJDOE Commissioner Cerf's Ethics: Safety Scissors Sharp

Jersey Jazzman: NJDOE Commissioner Cerf's Ethics: Safety Scissors Sharp:

NJDOE Commissioner Cerf's Ethics: Safety Scissors Sharp

by Duke

Chris Cerf's ethics (artist's conception).

Cross-posted at Blue Jersey.

NJ Commissioner of Education Chris Cerf was the ACTING Commissioner for 18 months. His nomination was blocked by State Senator Ron Rice under senatorial courtesy; Rice wanted Cerf to testify before his committee about his relationship with Mayor Cory Booker and shady dealings with charter schools in Newark. Since Rice is the senator representing Montclair, Cerf's hometown, he invoked his privilege to block the nomination.

So, how did Cerf finally get confirmed? He simply claimed that he had moved to be closer to work. Strangely, he decided to move not to Trenton, but to Montgomery, which just happens to be represented by a Republican senator, Kip Bateman.

At Cerf's hearing, the Senate Judiciary Chairman expressed his displeasure with this slick move:

Sen. Nicholas Scutari (D-Union), the committee chairman, said Cerf’s answers about his residency nearly kept him from voting to affirm the nomination. Scutari said Cerf

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 11-3-12

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

4LAKIDS - SOME OF THE NEWS THAT DOESN'T FIT

DAYLIGHT SAVINGS: Don’t turn the clock back too far

smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 26 minutes ago

on time travel: There was a young lady called Bright Who could travel far faster than light She set off one day In a relative way And returned home the previous night

PROPOSITION 30 FACT CHECK: Four Questions

smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 9 hours ago

Will higher taxes push businesses to leave California? Will we ever know where the money actually goes? California's budget has grown, so how are we broke? Schools are a mess, so why should we pay more? 4LAKids advocates voting YES/YES Yes on 30/Yes on 38 | Vote Yes 4 Kids Twice on Nov 6th by

A LITMUS TEST FOR ETHNICITY+RACE

smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 12 hours ago

A FACEBOOK FRIEND POSTS: November 2, 2012 :: Anybody else think this is problematic? This week after turning in my students' tests, I got all the tests back with a note from the office saying to "kindly fill-in," the race of my students, for those students who hadn't filled it in. Most students had not bubbled in one of the very limited choices. NOTES ON VOLUNTARY

ARE WE WILLING TO BE A CATALYST FOR CHANGE?

smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 20 hours ago

By Heidi Brewington, Legislation Director, 31st District PTSA – that portion of LAUSD in the San Fernando Valley, Sunland and Tujunga \ by email Gandhi once said, “… You must be the change you wish to see in the world...” We talk about the importance of education, and how our children need to be able “think outside the box” and to compete both locally and globally in an economy that is

Survey: BIG DISTRICTS DIVIDED OVER CUTTING SCHOOL YEAR IF PROP 30 FAILS + smf weighs in with some Hawaiian thinking

smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 22 hours ago

by Kathryn Baron and John Fensterwald, Additional reporting by Susan Frey and Christine Strena, EdSource Today | http://bit.ly/ViMOWm smf: hypothesizing on the hypothetical A Hypothesis : one short of the worst case scenario. (if both 30 and 38 fail and if the trigger cuts are implemented)

TEXAS AND CALIFORNIA COMPETE – IN FUNDING RACE TO THE BOTTOM

smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 23 hours ago

Peter Schrag – Commentary in EdSource Today | http://bit.ly/X60wN0 << Peter Schrag October 30th, 2012 | Steve Murdock isn’t a household name in Sacramento – but maybe he should be. Murdock is the former state demographer in Texas. This month, he testified in a trial in which hundreds of Texas school districts are suing the state for failing in its constitutional obligation to adequately fund

Race to the Top: FRESNO TEACHERS+FRESNO UNIFIED WORKING ON IT, LAUSD GOES IT ALONE

smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 23 hours ago

L.A. Unified applies for grant without teachers union -- Howard Blume, LA Times/LA Now | http://lat.ms/SipwL0 Fresno Teachers, Fresno Unified close in on $37.3m federal grant Union discusses proposal revisions. By Barbara Anderson - The Fresno Bee | http://bit.ly/U3ENVv Photo: LAUSD

CALIFORNIA BALLOT HOLDS CREDIT RISK FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS

smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 23 hours ago

Jim Christie Reuters | http://trib.in/YvTOhq 3:51 p.m. CDT, November 1, 2012 SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - If voters in California next week reject ballot measures to raise taxes, school districts in the Golden State will be among the first victims of spending cuts - a major concern not only for teachers and parents but also bondholders. According to the latest polls, support for Proposition 30,

Auto Shop: HIGH SCHOOL GETS PRACTICAL

smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 23 hours ago

Letter to the Editor of the LA Times | http://lat.ms/ThLtLb Re A lot new under the hood in high school auto shop | bit.ly/XKXoop," Oct. 28 November 2, 2012 :: It's about time we restored auto shop and other "less academic" courses to the high school curriculum. As a former math teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School District, I know that many students are not well served by forcing

KING MIDDLE SCHOOL TO SHIFT TO ALL MAGNET CAMPUS

smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 23 hours ago

By Colin Stutz, lOS fELIZ Ledger Contributing Writer |http://bit.ly/QYTPYh Thomas Starr King Middle School's new principal, Paul Naulls.>> 1 November 2012 - SILVER LAKE—Los Angeles Unified School District’s (LAUSD) Thomas Starr King Middle School will start the 2013 school year as an all-magnet campus, transforming its “home school” to a cinematic arts-focused magnet, while

The end of an era: BARBARA FIEGE, CITY SECTION HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS COMMISSIONER FOR 19 YEARS, TO RETIRE

smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 23 hours ago

Fiege will depart what she calls 'a dream job' — overseeing LAUSD high school sports as commissioner of the City Section — in June. She'll leave a legacy of integrity, and a big challenge for her successor. By Eric Sondheimer, LA Times High School Sports Reporter | http://lat.ms/SiBYuh November 2, 2012 :: After 39 years of working in the Los Angeles Unified School District as a teacher,

PARENTS CRITICIZE OFFICIALS AFTER CHEATING ALLEGATIONS ROIL SCHOOL + Excellent Video Backgrounder

smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 1 day ago

by Howard Blume, LA Times/LA Now | http://lat.ms/Roo9JN October 30, 2012 | 3:46 pm :: Leaders of a parent organization at Short Avenue Elementary on Tuesday criticized the school’s former principal and the Los Angeles Unified School District in the wake of alleged cheating and mistakes in administering state standardized tests by teachers. Parents at the school have generally defended the

“Teacher deviated off the script…”: STATE STRIPS 23 SCHOOLS OF API RANKINGS FOR CHEATING, MISCONDUCT OR MISTAKES …two in LAUSD [includes Official Report]

smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 1 day ago

Teachers helped students correct mistakes on standardized tests, prepared them with actual test questions or left instructional posters displayed in the classroom during testing, according to school district reports. By Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times | http://lat.ms/VW0BU0 A student fills in his answer to the practice test question for a standardized test. (Anitta C. Charlson / MCT)

WATCH WITH GLITTERING EYES: The READesign + Grand Opening of the Valerio Elementary School Library

smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 2 days ago

By smf for 4LAKidsNews 31 October 2012 And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it. Roald Dahl - The Minpins (1991) Also from the Minpins: Little Billy’s mother was always telling him exactly what he was allowed to do

YES ON 30 & YES ON 38

smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 2 days ago

Letter To The Editor of the Santa Monica Mirror by Mary Ann Garvey, Treasurer University High (LAUSD) PTSA | http://bit.ly/SvCUib Oct. 30, 2012, 9:18 am Dear editor: Help our schools on November 6th by voting yes on both Propositions 30 and 38! California schools have the largest class sizes in the nation, they rank 50th out of the 50 states. California schools also rank 47th

NEW PLAYA VISTA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL OPENS AFTER OVERCOMING SKEPTICS

smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 3 days ago

By Rob Kuznia Staff Writer, Daily Breeze | http://bit.ly/TTfwx8 Updated: 10/29/2012 10:14:25 PM PDT :: When Marlene Canter, a former Los Angeles school board member, first came up with the idea to build a brand new elementary school in Playa Vista, some people called her crazy, arguing that the Westside neighborhood lacked the density to support a new school. On Monday, the brand-new Playa

FOUR L.A. UNIFIED SCHOOLS TO OFFER FREE FLU CLINICS TO STUDENTS + PARENTS TODAY

smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 3 days ago

— Dalina Castellanos, LA Times/LA Now | http://lat.ms/S9G60b Photo: A nurse loads a syringe for a flu vaccine injection at the Mississippi Department of Health in Jackson, Miss. Credit: Rogelio V. Solis / Associated Press October 29, 2012 | 2:19 pm :: Four schools within the Los Angeles Unified School District will offer free flu vaccination clinics Tuesday for students, their families and

LAUSD UNVEILS STATE-OF-THE-ART SCIENCE CENTER NAMED FOR ASTRONAUT SALLY RIDE

smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 3 days ago

By Tami Abdollah | KPCC 89,33 Fass/Fail | http://bit.ly/S9Ybu9 The late astronaut Sally Ride's mother Joyce Ride and her sister Bear Ride help with the ribbon-cutting on The Sally Ride Center for Environmental Science at L.A. Unified. Democratic Assemblyman Gil Cedillo of Los Angeles helps hold the scissors. School board member Bennett Kayser looks on. -- Tami Abdollah/KPCC

MEASURING THE WORTH OF A TEACHER? + smf’s 2¢

smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 4 days ago

L.A. Unified School District's Academic Growth Over Time measurement system, based on students' progress on standardized tests, spurs debate over fairness, accuracy. By Teresa Watanabe, Los Angeles Times | By Teresa Watanabe, Los Angeles Times | http://lat.ms/U8F3wP Kyle Hunsberger, a math teacher at Johnny Cochran Middle school in Los Angeles, works 60-hour weeks, makes every minute

LAUSD is not alone: MANY DISTRICTS NATIONWIDE FAIL TO AGREE WITH TEACHER UNIONS ON RACE TO THE TOP APPLICATIONS

smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 5 days ago

Glendale, Palm Beach, Waterloo Iowa among the 900 school districts qualified for an anticipated 15-25 grants who will not apply. DO THE MATH/FOLLOW THE (NOT ENOUGH) MONEY…or sometimes the Reward of the Carrot isn’t better than being Beaten with the Stick. smf/4LAKids: That sobbing sound you hear is the woe-is-me-ing from the 24th floor of Beaudry about the free money being left on

A LOT IS NEW UNDER THE HOOD IN HIGH SCHOOL AUTO SHOP CLASSES

smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 6 days ago

Auto shop's long skid in the face of budget cuts and a shift toward college-prep classes may be reversing. Nowhere is that more apparent than in the San Diego Unified School District. Auto shop is revving up again (Don Bartletti, Los Angeles Times / October 3, 2012) By Tony Perry and Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times | http://lat.ms/VSRNyo October 28, 2012 :: SAN DIEGO — The days when

Prop 30 Vs. Prop 38: WHY TEACHERS AND PARENTS ARE DIVIDED

smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 6 days ago

by Karla Robinson | Staff Reporter, Neon Tommy: the online publication of the Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism http://bit.ly/TNh4mb October 7, 2012 | 12:50 a.m. PDT :: The two tax initiatives on the November ballot in California seeking to raise money for education have divided teachers from parents as the two camps look at what's in the fine print, leaving one expert

PROPOSITION 30, 38: SCHOOL SUPPORTERS DUEL OVER TAX MEASURES; Voters have two approaches to weigh in deciding whether to approve higher taxes to fund California schools.

smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 6 days ago

In Napa County, local educators, school board members and college and trustees are urging a yes vote on one and a taxpayers group says no to both. By Karen Jordan and Louisa Hufstader, Napa Valley Patch | http://bit.ly/Y8TsNu October 16, 2012 :: The biggest test is fast approaching for two ballot measures designed to help state schools by raising taxes, but it will be up to voters this

Report: WEIGHTED STUDENT FORMULA ALONE NOT ENOUGH + Tipping the Scale Towards Equity

smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 6 days ago

by John Fensterwald EdSource Today | http://bit.ly/Rma6YB October 26th, 2012 :: Less experienced, lower paid teachers tend to teach in schools with the poorest children, while veteran, higher paid teachers work predominantly in schools with fewer needy children, contributing to significant funding disparities among schools within most of the state’s largest school districts. That gap wouldn’t

PROPOSITION 38 TRIES TO TURN A TAX LIABILITY INTO AN ASSET

smf at 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit - 1 week ago

By Jon Healey, la tIMES oPINION la | http://lat.ms/UQLl9G October 25, 2012, 8:05 a.m. :: Backers of Proposition 38 caught considerable heat from Gov. Jerry Brown and other Democrats for airing a commercial earlier this month that attacked Brown's rival tax initiative, Proposition 30. Now the pro-38 campaign has a pair of new ads that offer no direct criticism of Brown's measure, but

This Week's Education Research Report 11-3-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

Education Research Report:

THIS WEEK'S EDUCATION RESEARCH REPORT

How Strong Are U.S. Teacher Unions? A State-By-State Comparison

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 17 hours ago

This study represents the most comprehensive analysis of American teacher unions’ strength ever conducted, ranking all fifty states and the District of Columbia according to the power and influence of their state-level unions. The study analyzed factors ranging from union membership and revenue to state bargaining laws to campaign contributions. Its metrics included: a unique stakeholder survey and the alignment between specific state policies and traditional union interests. The report sorts the fifty-one jurisdictions into five tiers, ranking their teacher unions from strongest t... more »

Religiously-affiliated Youth Go Further With School

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 23 hours ago

Sociologists from Brigham Young University and Rice University found religiously-affiliated youth are 40 percent more likely to graduate high school than their unaffiliated peers and 70 percent more likely to enroll in college. The researchers note that teens' fellow church-goers are an important factor, serving as mentors who help teens set their sights high. "Youth have a unique chance to form relationships with peers and mentors outside of their classroom at school or their neighborhood at home," said Lance Erickson, the lead study author and a sociologist at BYU. "Mentors es... more »

Migraine in children may affect school performance

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 day ago

Children with migraine are more likely to have below average school performance than kids who do not have headaches, according to new research published in the October 30, 2012, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The study of 5,671 Brazilian children ages 5 to 12 found that those with migraine were 30 percent more likely to have below average school performance than those with no headaches. "Studies have looked at the burden of migraine for adolescents, but less work has been done to determine the effect of migraine on younger chil... more »

Early autism intervention improves brain responses to social cues

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 day ago

An autism intervention program that emphasizes social interactions and is designed for children as young as 12 months has been found to improve cognitive skills and brain responses to faces, considered a building block for social skills. The researchers say that the study, which was completed at the University of Washington, is the first to demonstrate that an intensive behavioral intervention can change brain function in toddlers with autism spectrum disorders. “So much of a toddler’s learning involves social interaction, and early intervention that promotes attention to people a... more »

Common Bond Between School Bullies and Their Targets: Alcohol Abuse

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 day ago

A new study out of the University of Cincinnati finds that both school bullies and their victims are likely to abuse alcohol after a bullying episode. Keith King, a University of Cincinnati professor of health promotion, along with Rebecca Vidourek, a UC assistant professor of health promotion, will present early findings of a new study on Oct. 29, at the 140th annual meeting of the American Public Health Association in San Francisco. The study examined bullying, recent alcohol use and heavy drinking episodes among more than 54,000 7th-through-12th grade students in schools across... more »

Soda consumption, screen time, team sports at school influence students' weight

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 day ago

Soda consumption, TV and video/computer games, and the frequency of meals heavily influenced students' weight in an Indiana University study that examined the impact of a school-based obesity intervention program over an 18-month period. More soda consumption and screen time meant students were more likely to be overweight or to gain weight. The more frequently students ate meals each day, the less likely they were to stay overweight or gain weight during the study, which examined the Healthy, Energetic, Ready, Outstanding, Enthusiastic Schools program. Dong-Chul Seo, associate p... more »

A new approach to early reading skills may be better

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 day ago

Many educators have long believed that when words differ on only one sound, early readers can learn the rules of phonics by focusing on what is different between the words. This is thought to be a critical gateway to reading words and sentences. But scientists at the University of Iowa are turning that thinking on its head. A recent study published in Developmental Psychology shows certain kinds of variation in words may help early readers learn better. When children see the same phonics regularities, embedded in words with more variation, they may learn these crucial early reading... more »

Disciplinary Alternative Education Programs Costly & Ineffective

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 day ago

A new report Breaking Rules, Breaking Budgets, documents the high price tag attached to school districts’ use of discretionary out-of-school suspension, expulsion, and disciplinary alternative schools and spending on school policing—an approach that has failed to reduce student disciplinary referrals in Texas. The 11 surveyed school districts—which educate a quarter of the State’s four million public school students—spent nearly a combined $140 million in 2010-11 on out-of-school suspensions, referrals to Disciplinary Alternative Education Programs (DAEPs), and discretionary expul... more »

“Double-dose” algebra has positive long-term effects

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 day ago

A new study focuses on “double-dose” algebra, in which struggling students are given twice as much instructional time as they would normally receive. The study examined the impact of Chicago Public School's double-dose algebra policy on such longer-run outcomes as advanced math course work and performance, ACT scores, high-school graduation rates, and college enrollment rates. Using data that track students from 8th grade through college enrollment, the researchers analyzed the effect of this innovative policy by comparing the outcomes for students just above and just below the dou...more »

Low literacy rates in pre-teen girls significantly predict child-bearing among teenagers in the US

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 day ago

Supporting previous research, it has been confirmed that independent of other influences, low literacy rates in pre-teen girls significantly predict child-bearing among teenagers in the US, according to a new study presented at the American Public Health Association's 140th Annual Meeting in San Francisco. This is the first research of its kind to analyze the possible link with literacy among US pre-teens and teen child-bearing. The team of researchers, from the University of Pennsylvania, found a connection between 12,339 girls' seventh-grade reading scores enrolled in Philadelp... more »

Anxiety About Math Activates Pain Networks In Brain

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 day ago

Fear of math can activate regions of the brain linked with the experience of physical pain and visceral threat detection, according to research published Oct 31 by Ian Lyons and colleagues at the University of Chicago in the open access journal PLOS ONE. The researchers found that in individuals who experience high levels of anxiety when facing math tasks, the anticipation of math increases activity in regions of the brain associated with the physical sensation of pain. The higher an individual's math anxiety, the more such neural activity was increased. According to the researc... more »

The WWC recently released 7 single study reviews

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 2 days ago

The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) provides a summary of single study reviews at the end of each month. These detailed reports on individual studies of programs, practices, or policies include a user- friendly summary of the study and its findings, along with the WWC’s assessment of the quality of the design of the research. The WWC recently released seven single study reviews: • Chetty, R., Friedman, J. N., & Rockoff, J. E. (2011). The long-term impacts of teachers: Teacher value-added and student outcomes in adulthood (NBER Working Paper 17699). Cambridge, MA: National Bureau of ... more »

Autism early intervention found to normalize brain activity in children as young as 18 months

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 week ago

An intensive early intervention therapy that is effective for improving cognition and language skills among very young children with autism also normalizes their brain activity, decreases their autism symptoms and improves their social skills, a nationwide study has found. The researchers said the study is the first to demonstrate that an autism early intervention program can normalize brain activity. "We know that infant brains are quite malleable and previously demonstrated that this therapy capitalizes on the potential of learning that an infant brain has in order to limit auti... more »

We Need To Better Identify Talented Students from Low Income and Disadvantaged Backgrounds

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 week ago

Greater accountability, better trained teachers, expanded access to supplemental programs and the removal of policy barriers are among the recommendations a newly released report offers to reverse the nation's neglect of its high-potential students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Unlocking Emergent Talent: Supporting High Achievement of Low-Income, High-Ability Students, released by the National Association for Gifted Children, offers a set of priority recommendations that emerged out of a two day National Summit on Low-Income, High-Ability Learners that brought together more than... more »

Charter School Grants Aren't Adequately Monitored

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 week ago

*U.S. Department of Education Office of the Inspector General’s FINAL AUDIT REPORT of The Office of Innovation and Improvement’s Oversight and Monitoring of the Charter Schools Program’s Planning and Implementation Grants * The objectives of this audit were to determine whether the U.S. Department of Education (Department), Office of Innovation and Improvement (OII) (1) had effective oversight and monitoring to ensure grantees of the Charter Schools Program’s State Educational Agency (SEA) Planning and Implementation Grant (SEA grant) and the Charter School Program non-SEA Plannin... more »

Michigan: Higher Standards=Lower Graduation Rates

Jonathan Kantrowitz at Education Research Report - 1 week ago

*The class of 2011, the first group of students exposed to the Michigan Merit Curriculum (MMC) for their entire high school careers, saw mixed results.* The introduction of the MMC reduced graduation rates slightly for students who entered high school with weak academic skills. For those who entered with strong skills, there was no effect of the MMC on high school completion rates. Performance on standardized tests rose slightly for students who entered high school with strong skills. The impact on test scores was small or negative for those who entered high school with weak skil... more »