School Tech Connect: Don't Forget Sunday

School Tech Connect: Don't Forget Sunday:

Don't Forget Sunday

by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman)

Just a public shout-out to my representative, Kelly Cassidy, for the No vote on the CPS extension. I didn't even check with my senator, Senator Charter School Jones.  I think that when you actually sit down with these folks and explain what you think and how you feel (in spite of what David Coleman says), they get it. And if they feel like their job is to represent the people in their district, they act on it.

These folks who want just voted for the extension, they're practicing a weird sort of hands-off micromanagement, if you asked me. The law was in place to protect people from the chaos on Clark Street. The extension might have been wise if there had been any remote history of above-board dealings. And if Barbara Flynn Currie thinks CPS is going to go out and engage the communities in an honest way over the next four months, she's drunk. Although, to be fair, of all the people in the House, she'd probably be the most fun to hang with in that particular condition.

She may feel that her constituency is the CPS Board. Who knows? I'm guessing that not a lot of kids have been dispersed in her neighborhoods.

Again, we're meeting up in Rogers on Sunday at 3 PM, and we've got a lot on our plates, so if you live in the neighborhood and want to get involved, don't be a stranger.

CPS Bill Live

by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman)

Ok, I've taken the House video feed down. They're on to other topics now. It was pretty hard to keep lunch down listening to Barbara Flynn Currie's nonsense. There is no evidence that she's been paying attention to what's been going on with CPS over time. According to her, CPS is going to go out and consult with the communities affected.

Possibly in a Potemkin way. But I've really lost a ton of respect for Currie.

SB 548, the extension, passed. If we're doing community protests, we need to be sure to include Representative 

Annual Technology Post

by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman)

I realize that this technology is a bit fragile, but why is it that the CTA Chicago Plus Card readers work consistently at some stations (Oakton, for example) and never at others (Howard, for example)? Did I punctuate that correctly? It's early.

NYC Educator: Is It the New York Times, or Is It the Onion?

NYC Educator: Is It the New York Times, or Is It the Onion?:

Is It the New York Times, or Is It the Onion?

by NYC Educator

I don't know what to say anymore when I read the news. Does anyone remember the deal the UFT made with the Gates Foundation? They were going to do some sort of research on value-added, and they would score the teachers, and it would be a big secret. The secret part made sense, since there was no validity whatsoever to the methodology. Why we agreed to it in the first place I can't say. In any case, when the papers demanded the results, Tweed said, oh my gosh, it's the law, so we must release it. Papers printed scores, teachers were publicly humiliated, and one poor woman was called the worst teacher in New York on the front page of the execrable New York Post.

Yet Bloomberg swears he'll go to the Supreme Court before anyone sees the emails between him andbrilliant educator Cathie Black. Because junk science that makes working teachers look bad must be made public ASAP, but whatever passed between Bloomberg 

Diane in the Evening 11-28-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

Diane Ravitch's blog:

What Would Happen if Arne Became Secretary of State

by dianerav

You may recall that Thomas Friedman of the New York Times proposed that Arne Duncan should become Secretary of State and extend his Race to the Top internationally.
Leonie Haimson of Class Size Matters in New York City sees the implications:
“Close &/or privatize embassies that are struggling in terms of diplomacy & conflict resolution?”
Any readers with better ideas?

Ohio Starts New Group to Support Public Schools

by dianerav

Citizens of Ohio have launched a new organization to support strong public schools.
Is there an organization like this in your community or state?
Please let me know.
I will compile a list and circulate it to everyone.

All Those Errors!

by dianerav

Sorry about typos in last few posts.
Typing in airport on cellphone.
Auto correct tool control.
Then I was in air and just landed in NYC
Sad funeral in Houston.

Judge Halts Voucher Program Temporarily

by dianerav

A Federal judge in Louisiana put a halt to the state voucher program and the new teacher hiring laws in one parish, saying they was likely to undercut the desegregation program.
The State Department of Education will appeal. TFA Commissioner John White believes that choice and privatization matter more than desegregation.

Podesta: how to help privatization movement

by dianerav

John Podesta, who heads the Center for American Progress and headed the 2008 Onama transition team, was a keynote speaker at Jeb Bush’s DC gala.
He called on the privatization movement to work in harmony with unions, even though nearly 90% of charter schools are non-union schools.
“Reform” (I.e. privatization) “is not a foregone conclusion.”
It is important to win the acquiescence of unions, especially now that the public is pushing back and trying to ward off the attack of the billionaires and hedge fund managers.
It seems the public is not yet completely sold on the idea of handing the public schools over to entrepreneurs.
Funny, that.

Jeb Bush: Testing and Privatization Are the Rightath

by dianerav

Jeb Bush recognized at his summit meeting that he policies he champions were soundly rebuffed by voters in Indiana (and did he mention Idaho?).
But he assures his rightwing allies that testing, evaluating teachers by student scores, vouchers and charters are the right course, even if educators, parents, and other citizens don’t agree. He apparently compared himself to Lyndon Baines Johnson, fighting to push civil rights legislation when it was unpopular.
Someone should inform him that he is fighting to preserve a failed status quo, not a struggling dissident 

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH Gangnam Style 11-28-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] *Diane Ravitch Gangnam Style* Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab! John Kuhn Explains Why the Status Quo is Wrong by dianerav John Kuhn is superintendent of a small school district in Texas. But his voice is mighty and powerful. Those who have heard him wish he were Commissioner of Education for the state of Texas or in another position where everyone would learn from his wisdom. Kuhn was the first person to be named to the honor roll for his eloquence and courage in support of public... more »

Student Debt, Delinquencies Skyrocket | FDL News Desk

Student Debt, Delinquencies Skyrocket | FDL News Desk:

Student Debt, Delinquencies Skyrocket

by David Dayen

The New York Fed released their household credit and debt reportyesterday, and they show increases in student loan debt relative to other forms (mortgage, credit card, auto loan and others). To keep this in perspective, mortgage debt represents 71% of all debt, and student debt represents about 8-9%. So there’s still a wide gulf here, and we shouldn’t jump to call this the “student loan bubble.” The scales of the markets are in no way similar.
However, student loan debt is defaulting at higher and higher rates, and that should raise a lot of concern, since it has downstream effects for recent college graduates throughout the economy.

A recent New York Fed study found that 94% of recent graduates had borrowed to help pay for their education, and average debt levels among student borrowers is $23,000. Remember, that average includes seasoned borrowers, who presumably borrowed less and also in many cases reduced the principal amount of their loans, so the average amount borrowed by recent grads is 

Arne Duncan’s second term?

Arne Duncan’s second term?:

Arne Duncan's second term?

by Valerie Strauss

 Why would Education Secretary Arne Duncan not directly address questions put to him about his second-term agenda at Jeb Bush’s school reform summit in Washington D.C. Wednesday?

Here are some possible reasons:

1) White House officials don’t want him (or other cabinet members) talking about their policy plans now because they want the focus to remain on budget negotiations with Congress.

2) Duncan doesn’t have a second-term agenda yet. He and Obama’s domestic advisers are still discussing where to put their focus in a second term. Early education and higher 

Confusion lingers over handling of cheating probes at charters | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

Confusion lingers over handling of cheating probes at charters | Philadelphia Public School Notebook:

Confusion lingers over handling of cheating probes at charters

by thenotebook

This article is an updated version of a story that appears in our print edition.
By Bill Hangley and Dale Mezzacappa
Walter Palmer knows it sounds odd to ask a school suspected of cheating to investigate itself. And he knows it might raise eyebrows when the state closes that investigation when the school can’t explain its suspicious test results.
That’s exactly what happened at the Walter D. Palmer Leadership Learning Partners Charter School, where an internal investigation found no explanation for what state officials called “extensive evidence of testing irregularities.” But its founder and board chair insists that his school and its investigation can be trusted.

Featured Title: 

State, Walter Palmer disagree on whether the probe is "closed"

Image: 

Photo Credits: 

Harvey Finkle

read more

Schools Matter: New science standards: the rip-off continues

Schools Matter: New science standards: the rip-off continues:

New science standards: the rip-off continues

by skrashen

Next Generation Science Standards
“The second public draft of the Next Generation Science Standards, developed by Achieve, is due for release before the new year.”

I posted this comment:

To enforce the standards, there must be tests. And as is the case with other common core tests, they will be administered online. And they will be revised, updated, changed every year, old equipment will be replaced with new equipment. This means not only an initial boondoggle for the computer and publishing world, but a continuing boondoggle forever. 

RheeFirst! » Remember that nutty lawsuit over the GA charter ballot initiative? It was filed by a StudentsFirst lobbyist…

RheeFirst! » Remember that nutty lawsuit over the GA charter ballot initiative? It was filed by a StudentsFirst lobbyist…:

Remember that nutty lawsuit over the GA charter ballot initiative? It was filed by a StudentsFirst lobbyist…

by admin

You may have heard about the wacky lawsuit filed in October alleging a vast “education empire” conspiracy to defeat the GA education privatization amendment.  Don’t worry if you can’t remember it.  You probably missed the coverage, given that the suit was quickly thrown out of court.
As it turns out, the “education empire” lawsuit was filed by StudentsFirst lobbyist Rich Thompson.  When Thompson isn’t filing nonsense lawsuits, or regaling Tea Party ralliers with tales about how women lack business acumen, he’s out doing Michelle Rhee’s bidding.  He lobbied for StudentsFirst in the Georgia legislature, andeven turned up in Missouri to speak in favor of a StudentsFirst-backed bill (on the same day as several other StudentsFirst employees).  Thompson was also featured in a video supporting the Georgia initiative, released by Koch-backed Americans for Prosperity, which partnered with StudentsFirst to push for the statewide charter authorizer law.

Daily Kos: "Value Added" Offers No Value for Education Reform

Daily Kos: "Value Added" Offers No Value for Education Reform:

"Value Added" Offers No Value for Education Reform

byplthomasEdDFollow

U.S. public education has been mired in a technocratic paradigm—a narrow pursuit of efficiency through metrics-based science—since the early 1900s (Kliebard, 1995; Kincheloe, Steinberg, & Hinchey, 1999). In recent years, the accountability era has shifted deeper into that technocratic hole, adding to school and student accountability based on high-stakes test the use of value added measures (VAM) for identifying teacher quality and reforming teacher accountability.

Often the debate about VAM rests on how (or how better) to implement VAM—not whether it is a legitimate process to address the key problems facing public education.

Stepping back from how to address if and why, Joe Kincheloe (Thomas & Kincheloe, 2006) envisions a different paradigm, postformalism:

"[P]ostformalists insist that educational psychologists and educators must avoid placing complex multidimensional problems of teaching and learning into simple psychological boxes and blaming the victims of socio-political forces. Postformalists point out that such reductionist approaches illustrate yet again the decontextualizing tendencies of too much of the psychological educational practices that find their way into schools, as they substitute individual remedies for larger social problems....

"In the pathologizing and victim-blaming deficit model of contemporary educational 

Education: A System for Sorting or for Learning? — Whole Child Education

Education: A System for Sorting or for Learning? — Whole Child Education:

THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG

Education: A System for Sorting or for Learning?

November 28, 2012 by Sean Slade

Caught up in the middle of the debates and discussions around educational reform over the past few years lies a fundamental difference in how people view education. Is it a system designed for sorting or is it a system designed for learning?

Many of the reforms and innovations that are proposed appear to slot education into the sorting category rather than the learning category. Whether it is an emphasis on high-stakes testing or the expansion of fast-track teacher training programs, both of these education trends appear to be designed to test and label rather than to help them learn and grow.

Both take the presumption that the individual has it (skill, knowledge, and talent) or they don't and both tend to put more emphasis upon ascertaining if the person has the ability or knowledge and less emphasis on how to develop or grow that ability and knowledge. You either have it or you don't and it is the system that will weed out, sort, divide, and determine whether you are up to it or not. Maybe that's not what is intended but it appears to be what is happening.

Take fast-track teacher preparation as an example. The number of fast-track teacher preparation programs 

Jersey Jazzman: Tom Friedman to America's Kids: "Suck On This!"

Jersey Jazzman: Tom Friedman to America's Kids: "Suck On This!":

Tom Friedman to America's Kids: "Suck On This!"

by Duke

NY Times columnist Tom Friedman has said many stupid things over the years. Many stupid things. I mean, really stupid. Just... stupid.

Today, however, I believe he has outdone himself:

That said, my own nominee for secretary of state would be the current education secretary, Arne Duncan. 

Yes, yes, I know. Duncan is not seeking the job and is not the least bit likely to be appointed. But I’m nominating him because I think this is an important time to ask the question of not just who should be secretary of state, but what should the secretary of state be in the 21st century? [emphasis mine]

Tom, you might also point out the man is in no way qualified in the slightest to conduct foreign policy. He has 

UPDATE: NYC Public School Parents: Arne Duncan as Secretary of State? Please help us shape the next administration's education agenda!

NYC Public School Parents: Please help us shape the next administration's education agenda!:

Arne Duncan as Secretary of State? What would he do?

by Leonie Haimson

Tom Friedman of the New York Times opined that  Arne Duncan should be the Secretary of State because he can do to the world what he has done to education.  This column provoked much hilarious comment on Twitter last night.

Here is a sample:

Friedman pushes Arne Duncan for Secy of State Nocera wants Petraeus for Sec Defense; what are they smoking at NYT? nytimes.com/2012/11/28/opi…
— leonie haimson (@leoniehaimson) November 28, 2012

@jbarro Gabby Douglas for Secretary of State. Because diplomacy is a delicate balancing act.

Please help us shape the next administration's education agenda!

by Leonie Haimson

The race for mayor is heating up. Last week, the mayoral candidates spoke about their vision for education. I can’t think of anything more important than trying to ensure that the next mayor is committed to improving our public schools, rather than overcrowding them, replacing teachers with computers, privatizing schools or shutting them down. But we want to hear from YOU about what YOU think the next mayor should do!

Shaping the Next Administration's Education Agenda

Co-sponsored by Class Size Matters, the A+ Coalition and NYC Kids PAC

When: Tuesday, December 11, 1012 at 5:30pm 

Where: NYU Pless Hall, 3rd Fl. Lounge, 82 Washington Square East (map)

Click here or enter your info below to reserve your seat now. Seats are limited due to space. 

At this event, we will also be introducing NYC Kids PAC, a parent-led organization developing and submitting surveys to all the mayoral candidates, and issuing candidate scorecards based on the results.  Please come if you’d like to hear more about this effort and to provide input on what issues should be addressed.   

Any questions?  Just email us at info@classsizematters.org or call us at the phone number below.

Open Letter To Chancellor Dennis Walcott and Others on The Idea of Assessment | The Jose Vilson

Open Letter To Chancellor Dennis Walcott and Others on The Idea of Assessment | The Jose Vilson:

Open Letter To Chancellor Dennis Walcott and Others on The Idea of Assessment

by Jose

Chancellor Dennis Walcott Visits School of the Future

To Chancellor Dennis Walcott, David Coleman, Merryl Tisch, and McGraw-Hill Publishers:
First, I’ll mention that, since the discussions of the Common Core Learning Standards came to the fore, I’ve had a plethora of chances to immerse myself in the new vision for a quasi-nationalized education paradigm. In NYC, as usual, education policy makers feel the need to set the standard for the nation, from Bloomberg’s mayoral control dictates to the plethora of interim, field-testing, and high-stakes standardized assessments from third grade onwards. On the surface, one might think I’m at the forefront of the work done around the Common Core.
Yet, my earlier concern about the chaotic approach to transforming education via the Common Core concerns me still.
We can obviously start with Dr. Diane Ravitch’s contention that we haven’t actually field-tested whether the standards would actually get our students “college and career ready.” From a teacher’s perspective, I’d like to get more focused, coherent, and yes, rigorous about my argument.
We can talk all day about these standards and the three tenets of focus, coherence, and rigor, but without the means to make pedagogy more viable and focused on the whole child, we miss out on yet another opportunity to do something important: growing better people.
For instance, yesterday and today, New York City elementary and middle school children had to take an English-Language Arts and Math test (respectively) as part of the NYC Benchmark Assessments, with the assumption that these tests will give stakeholders a chance to see how much students learned in the past few months.
After a careful glance of the material along with conversations with students and teachers, these assessments seem to do more to assess what students don’t know than anything else.
If the intent is to help teachers, principals, and others get a feel for the tests in April / May, then why not let these parties into the assessment process rather than excluding them? If the intent is to show growth from today to the tests, then why give a test where you know the majority of students haven’t even covered all of this material? If the intent is to signal to everyone that they must raise their expectations, then why must we let them down so frequently with our lack of clarity?
From people I’ve spoken to throughout the city, we’ve had almost three re-arrangement in priorities in the last five months. At first, people thought we would have to address both New York State and Common Core Standards, specifically because the Common Core in New York State’s eyes was a draft. Then, people thought we would teach according to the first testing schedule given sometime in late August / early September.
For eight grade teachers, that meant we would teach exponents first. Sometime last week, however, the state sends out a document shifting priorities on topics again, giving some topics greater emphasis over others after almost three months of teaching.
We’re almost begging for schools to fail.
Even when schools had a clear roadmap like in the state of Kentucky, schools still dipped by as much as 35% in scores, and for good reason. Anyone familiar with the standards already sees the forestand the trees.
But we continue to perpetuate the myth that higher accountability will improve schools, no matter what the cost. After today’s interim assessment, I am convinced that, if we cannot make our school system more focused on children and their communities’ needs, we will continue to fail them, with or without a state test.
We can do better.
I’m not angry; I’m simply seeking answers. While I don’t speak for all teachers, I do speak because of them, and a plethora of other concerned citizens. Hope to hear from you soon.
Best,
Jose Vilson

Missouri Education Watchdog: Reforms No Silver Bullet For Education

Missouri Education Watchdog: Reforms No Silver Bullet For Education:

Reforms No Silver Bullet For Education

by Anngie

Reuters reporter Stephanie Simon reviewed Jeb Bush's education reform efforts in Florida and found no silver bullet among them. These reforms; charter schools, literacy requirements for 3rd graders, intense focus on reading, cyber classes, and vouchers, were instituted during his tenure as governor, and did initially show improvements in student scores and graduation rates. But, as they say, time will tell, and time has told the public that these gains were generally short lived.

"After the dramatic jump of the Bush years, Florida test scores edged up in 2009 and then dropped, with low-income students falling further behind. State data shows huge numbers of high school graduates still needing remedial help in math and reading."

It must not be forgotten that all of the things they tried in Florida came with a price tag. While property values were high and the state's economy was doing well, it was easy to push things like reading coaches and teacher bonuses for Advanced Placement scores through the legislature. For other states looking to adopt those measures now, the extreme cost is prohibitive.

"States adopting the policies now, in a time of austerity, tend to leave out the costly support 

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: A ROAD MAP FOR L.A. UNIFIED …when maybe GPS is needed?

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: A ROAD MAP FOR L.A. UNIFIED …when maybe GPS is needed?:

A ROAD MAP FOR L.A. UNIFIED …when maybe GPS is needed?

A six-year study provides a wealth of information on how to recruit, assign, pay and, when necessary, lay off teachers in ways that help students most.

LA TIMES EDITORIAL | HTTP://LAT.MS/10WGUA9

November 28, 2012  ::  There are big differences in how well Los Angeles' teachers help their students learn, a new study shows — bigger variations than in other districts, where teaching quality appears more even. The study also indicates that teachers in the L.A. Unified School District who receive advanced degrees aren't more effective than others, but those with national board certification are. The district's program for training teachers, pulling mostly from its ranks of classroom aides, produces more effective teachers than those who come from traditional teacher colleges, and they're much more likely to stay with the district than recruits from the prestigious Teach for America organization.
This six-year study of L.A. Unified depends on reliable, robust test data — using it to measure classifications of teachers rather than individuals — to provide a wealth of sometimes surprising information on how to recruit, assign, pay and, when necessary, lay off teachers in ways that help students most. Often the obstacle to doing so is the contract with the teachers union — but not always. The study was conducted by the Harvard-affiliated Strategic Data Program, which is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Despite the study's link to that reform-minded foundation, though, its conclusions don't always mesh with a reform agenda.
For example, it found that teachers who were laid off in recent years were no more effective than their colleagues who weren't laid off. That weakens the argument of those who contend that the seniority-based layoff system keeps less effective teachers on the job while 

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Wednesday, November 28, 2012

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team:

About that “Atmospheric River” thing headed for Sacramento…

Education Headlines

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Sausalito Marin City school sees test scores jump, but it soon may close

Bayside Elementary School in the Sausalito Marin City School District, which has long struggled to improve student achievement, is now ranked as a "high performing school," according to the most recent state scores. But the much improved result comes as the district board looks at a plan to close the Sausalito school and merge it with Martin Luther King Jr. Academy school in Marin City.

School districts face ‘sequestration’ cuts

Despite the passage of school-related state propositions earlier this month, local school districts are still facing thousands in sequestration cuts.

Long-time Pomona Unified administrator heads off to Inglewood

Pomona Unified School District Board of Education members along with district employees said farewell to long-time district administrator Ofelia Lariviere Tuesday evening.

Lindsay Unified School District earns Race to the Top success

The Lindsay Unified School District learned Monday that it's one of only four districts in California to be named a finalist for federal Race to the Top education improvement funds. Its innovative program might have given the rural district a leg up in the competition.

Denair school district on brink of insolvency

Denair Unified School District got official notice Tuesday that it is on the brink of insolvency and could run out of cash by February. The financial report prepared by an outside expert gives the budget a "negative" declaration, the first such designation in Stanislaus County history. Last year, there were 12 districts statewide at risk of insolvency.

Third Jane Doe files sex abuse-related claim against Moraga School District

third Jane Doe has filed a $10 million claim against the Moraga School District and three former district administrators over sex abuse allegations dating back to the 1990s.

San Jose district names teachers union chief as CBO

In an unusual move, the San Jose Unified School District has named the president of its teachers union as its next chief business officer. Stephen McMahon will start in January, taking over from Ann Jones, who is retiring.

Biomedical science courses give students hands-on, career-oriented lessons

The biomedical science class launched this year at both El Segundo and Redondo Union high schools isn't your older sibling's biology course.

Baron: Incomparably comparable graduation rates

For the first time ever, the U.S. Department of Education has released high school graduation rates based on a common, rigorous measure that makes it possible to compare states, and California falls into the bottom half.

Walters: High school grad rates tell a tale

Thanks to a new report from the U.S. Department of Education, which for the first time provides state-by-state comparisons of graduation rates on common criteria, we now know where California ranks – and it isn't very high.

Frey: Rural district serves as model for offering healthy meals

By emphasizing partnerships with community nonprofits and businesses, taking advantage of statewide grants and making good nutrition a financial priority, rural Fort Bragg Unified has continued to provide healthy food and nutrition education to its primarily low-income students, despite budget cuts.

LAUSD 'jails' fill with teachers as misconduct complaints rise

They call it "teacher jail" - the administrative offices where nearly 300 Los Angeles Unified educators accused of misconduct spend months on end reading, blogging or texting. The cost is enormous: $1.4 million a month in salaries while district and law-enforcement investigations proceed, and $865,000 to hire substitutes to fulfill their classroom duties.

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Civil rights groups raise concerns about Novato charter school plan

In the latest twist in a contentious debate over a proposed Novato charter school, two San Francisco civil rights groups have entered the fray, arguing the school could isolate minorities and poor students.

Galt high school district administrator Audrey Kilpatrick takes new job

Audrey Kilpatrick, who has served as Galt Joint Union High School District's chief business official since 2007, began a new job Monday in Placer County. She is Western Placer Unified School District's new assistant superintendent for business and support services.

District uses test scores to spotlight students, teachers

Without apologies or much controversy, the Chula Vista Elementary School District has been crunching test-score data to identify and honor its most effective teachers for the past six years.