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Wednesday, December 12, 2012

MORNING UPDATE: LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 12-12-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

Diane Ravitch's blog:

Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch





When Silence is Not Golden

EduShyster gets amazing tips.
This is a description of the typical day of a child in a new “no-excuses” school.
She answers questions with a programmed response.
She walks in silence.
She does exactly what she is told.
The teacher speaks in scripted language.
The child obeys.
What did this child do to 


Will John Dewey High School Survive?

Gail Robinson writes about education in New York City. This post is about the fate of John Dewey High School in Brooklyn, about which I posted earlier.
In this article, published in June, she detailed the dreams and anticipated demise of John Dewey High School. Once it was seen as the cutting edge of progressive reform. Over time, the school became a dumping ground for students excluded from other schools, and city officials expected the school to die a quiet death. Dewey was one of 24 schools slated to close over the summer, but the execution was stayed by a judge.
But WAIT! I just received an email from an anonymous student who insists that John Dewey WILL NOT DIE.
He writes:
Hello Ms. Ravitch,
I am a student at John Dewey High School, as you may know, JDHS is one of the schools the NYCDOE


Yong Zhao on TIMSS Results

The release of the latest international test scores has set off a new round of wailing and gnashing of teeth about America’s schools.
Yong Zhao has a completely different take on the scores and what they mean. It is a long post but well worth reading.

A Scholar Joins the Honor Roll

Bruce Baker of Rutgers joins the honor roll, not as a champion of public education, but as a champion of honesty, accuracy and integrity.
Scholars must go where the evidence takes them, not where it is popular or politically expedient,
Today, Baker is outraged that the Néw York state education department continues to press for adoption of its

The Good News on TIMSS Tests

GF Brandenburg has a great post on the latest TIMSS test.
It puts paid to the customary hand-wringing (did you hear that, Wall Street Journal?) about the international test scores.
No crisis.
The real question, aside from the horse race, is whether the scores mean anything at all. The US came in last 

Hats Off to TFA!

Teach for America is an amazing organization. It has a board of directors with some of the most powerful corporate leaders in the nation. In its twenty two years, it has sent about 33,000 young college graduates to teach for a while in the nation’s neediest schools. This year, about 10,000 corps members started teaching.
Wendy Kopp often says that the TFA mission is not to replace the nation’s teachers, which is clearly impossible at the rate of 10,000 per year or even double or triple that number, but to produce leaders. It is interesting to note 

Brilliant! Opposite Day in Ohio with StudentsFirst

This may be the best blog post of the year. Read it. It is priceless!
Welcome to Opposite Day in Ohio!
Veteran educator Maureen Reedy explains what “education reform” meant on Opposite Day.
This is the day when StudentsFirst came to the Ohio Legislature to tout the virtues of charter schools, even 

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

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: Karen Lewis: Where Corporate Reform Is Going by dianerav A Comment from Karen Lewis about the simultaneous deluge of “reforms,” none of which is grounded in research or experience: “Any decent researcher knows that when you change more than one variable in an experiment, you have to do some pretty heavy lifting in order to determine which one had more effect than another. So in Chicago we have a new evaluation, Common Core, a longer day and year, a new contract, school closings and the usual suspects Teacher: Please Hear Me, Mayor Bloomberg by dianerav ... more »

Achievement First: Expanding discrimination in New Haven - Wait, What?

Achievement First: Expanding discrimination in New Haven - Wait, What?:


Achievement First: Expanding discrimination in New Haven

Experts Challenge High Schools to Revamp Outdated School Day, Year - High School Notes (usnews.com)

Experts Challenge High Schools to Revamp Outdated School Day, Year - High School Notes (usnews.com):


Experts Challenge High Schools to Revamp Outdated School Day, Year

December 12, 2012 RSS Feed Print
High schools don’t need a longer day, but need to be smarter with the time already allotted, one expert says.
High schools don’t need a longer day, but need to be smarter with the time already allotted, one expert says.
Students at select public schools inColoradoConnecticut,MassachusettsNew York, and Tennessee will spend more time in class next school year—at least 300 hours more.
The move will impact more than 19,500 students at 40 elementary, middle, and high schools across 11 school districts, according to a joint announcement last week 

Bobby Jindal’s alternative education universe

Bobby Jindal’s alternative education universe:


Bobby Jindal’s alternative education universe

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, architect of a statewide voucher program that sends public money to religious schools which teach that humans and dinosaurs co-existed, ventured to the Brookings Institution in Washington to present his alternative education universe. Jindal, a rising figure in the Republican Party, spoke for more than an hour defending his voucher program — which was declared unconstitutional by a Lousiana state judge who said it improperly diverts public state and local money to private institutions — without actually mentioning the word “vouchers,” instead using euphemisms such as “scholarships.” Quite a feat.
You can watch the video here:

Jindal said in his keynote speech that the ruling against his voucher program would be 

Proposed Loudoun charter school loses supervisor's support

A member of the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors has withdrawn his support from a proposed charter school -- which would be the first in Loudoun if allowed to open -- because of "controversy" and concerns over a number of key operational issues.
Read full article >>

The Educated Reporter: Measuring Up: District Race to the Top Winners and International Test Scores

The Educated Reporter: Measuring Up: District Race to the Top Winners and International Test Scores:


Measuring Up: District Race to the Top Winners and International Test Scores


The U.S. Department of Education has announced the 16 district-level winners that will receive between $10 million and $40 million each to fund school improvement efforts. There were 372 applications nationwide. The winners represent 55 school districts (smaller districts were encouraged to join forces), 11 states and the District of Columbia.
 
Among the winners is the Carson City School District, which will use its $10 million grant to hire new teachers and implement a new data system aimed at making it easier for parents to track their children's academic progress.

I'm still interested in answers to Politics K-12's Five Unanswered Questions about the selection process. 

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: What would Dr. King say about 'Right-to-Work' Michigan?

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: What would Dr. King say about 'Right-to-Work' Michigan?:


What would Dr. King say about 'Right-to-Work' Michigan?

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. speaks at a 1968 strike support rally for public sanitation workers in Memphis seeking recognition under AFSCME. ( Pan-African News Wire File Photos)
What would Dr. King tell Michigan's Tea Party Gov. Rick Snyder about the so-called "right to work" bill his party is rushing into law? Here's what he said in 1961:
“In our glorious fight for civil rights, we must guard against being fooled by false slogans, such as 

Impressions From a Florida State Board of Education Meeting | Scathing Purple Musings

Impressions From a Florida State Board of Education Meeting | Scathing Purple Musings:


Impressions From a Florida State Board of Education Meeting

Yesterday’s live feed of the Florida state board interviews with candidates for education commissioner provided me the first opportunity to see board members unplugged and without the protection of prepared press releases, sound bites or filtered quotes to reporters. Here are some take-aways.
* I actually came away liking Charles Hokansons Jr. Although clearly in the camp of the “privatization choicers” (It was clear those are the type of candidates this board would want to interview) the former George W. Bush-era DOE official was measured and thoughtful. A bit on the wonkish side, Hokansons was the anti-Tony Bennett, approachable and a consensus builder.  And he displayed a bit of moxie by appearing to take a swing at 

Ed Notes Online: MORE Says: Raise your voice on the evaluation issue! Bring petition and copies of the resolution to the DA

Ed Notes Online: MORE Says: Raise your voice on the evaluation issue! Bring petition and copies of the resolution to the DA:


MORE Says: Raise your voice on the evaluation issue! Bring petition and copies of the resolution to the DA

Approaching a thousand sigs and a number of school chapters have passed resos in support. MORE will attempt to place a resolution -- see below -- in front of the DA tomorrow. Last time the meeting ended ---cough, cough -- before the opportunity came up. The Unity leadership does not want this reso to see the light of day. I will be there holding up the above sign and with petitions for you to take back to your school. Let's get the numbers into the thousands by the January deadline. We know that this is a contract change and legally should be voted on but what does legal mean in the UFT?

Here is the post from the MORE web site:

Facing an arbitrary 12/21/12 deadline imposed by Chancellor Walcott, a growing wave of bloggers have begun speaking out against any teacher evaluation scheme that harms teachers and ignore

Teachers Don't Suck !: Why We Should Expect Disrespect !

Teachers Don't Suck !: Why We Should Expect Disrespect !:


Why We Should Expect Disrespect !



This memo was distributed to the staff at a local suburban high school was posted on the town's Internet message board.
******
Folks- oversight on my part - but an important piece from Mr. F as we move to the mid-point of the year.
Quoting Mr. F
"As many of you are aware we have had an inexcusable number of fights and events in our building over the last few weeks. As Dave and I work together to manage discipline I have been experiencing a number of extremely disrespectful students. This behavior is not acceptable on any level. If you confront a student who is disrespectful please send them down and they will be dealt with accordingly. To help alleviate discipline problems please aim to plan lessons and activities that begin and continue through the bell. Also, your presence in the hallway between periods is 

It’s good to be King: More Misguided Rhetoric on the NY State Eval System « School Finance 101

It’s good to be King: More Misguided Rhetoric on the NY State Eval System « School Finance 101:


It’s good to be King: More Misguided Rhetoric on the NY State Eval System

Very little time to write today, but I must comment on this NY Post article on the bias I’ve been discussing in the NY State teacher/principal growth percentile ratings. Sociologist Aaron Pallas of TC and economist Sean Corcoran of NYU express appropriate concerns about the degrees of bias found and reported in the technical report provided by the state’s own consultant developing the models. And this article overall raises concern that these problems were simply blown off. I would/and have put it more bluntly. Here’s my replay of events – quoting the parties involved:
First, the state’s consultants designing their teacher and principal effectiveness measures find that those measures are substantively biased:

Schooling in the Ownership Society: TFA rakes in the cash

Schooling in the Ownership Society: TFA rakes in the cash:


TFA rakes in the cash

Diane Ravitch posts:

TFA may be the most effective fund-raising operation in the education sector. Between 2006 and 2010, TFA raised $907 million dollars in gifts from foundations, corporations, and other sources. -- Hats off to TFA

J. Crew...
is selling a $32.50 cotton t-shirt with a giant orange apple on the front to benefit Teach for America. (JCPenney has also supported Teach for America; earlier this year, the retailer asked customers to make donations to the group.) Only x-small and xx-small are 

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Special Late Nite Cap UPDATE 12-11-12 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2



Nite Cap UPDATE

UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE









What Can We Learn From Today’s Most Depressing Piece Of News?

Though it could easily fit the label of “today’s most depressing piece of news,” the title of this post is not referring to the Michigan Governor’s signing of awful “right to work” legislation.
No, it’s referring to a major new report summarized by Sarah Sparks at Education Week in a post titled Students Who Struggle Early Rarely Catch Up, Study Says.
Here’s an excerpt:
ACT found that only 10 percent of students who were far behind their peers in college- and career-readiness benchmarks in reading in 8th grade were able to meet readiness benchmarks in 12th grade. Other subjects 

Creating A Sliver of Hope Whenever Possible, Wherever Possible


hope
Hope
We’re in the hallway.
My rubber soles screech in a stuttered pace as I monitor the halls before the change of period.
A couple of students walk out of the science lab directly in front of me and salute me. I made one of them a student ambassador because he had little involvement anywhere else. The other just came back from a long suspension.
“What’s up, Mr. V?”
“Nothin’ much. Just watching the hallway. Where are you both off to?”
“We got lunch next, but we have to take care of this business real quick before

Great News for Newark and Neptune, NJ!

Whew!
The Newark and Neptune school districts — New Jersey’s only finalists in a competition for millions of dollars to bolster school improvement efforts — were denied the prize money they sought, the U.S. Department of Education said today.
The two districts were among 61 finalists from 28 states and the District of 


Will Bar Exam Turn Teachers Into Shysters?


The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) has launched a new initiative to raise entry standards for teacher-preparation programs, calling it a “bar exam” for teachers. My first thought on hearing the news was that they were trying to turn us into shysters, but then I remembered that we are already considered disreputable and unscrupulous by much of the public.

What's black and tan and looks good around a teacher's neck? A doberman!

So how will the bar exam change matters?

The AFT and its bigger sister, the National Education Association (NEA) have both been 

Rosie Castro Among NHLI Mujer Award Honorees

By Raisa Camargo, Voxxi
The National Hispana Leadership Institute honored four Latinas for their lifelong contributions to society and of those awarded include civil rights activist Maria del Rosario “Rosie” Castro, the mother of both Julian and Joaquin Castro.
The awards are recognized annually to highlight Latina women and their achievements. It featured a gala dinner with each of the honorees placed in the limelight through a video that summarized their background and accomplishments.
“After 25 years our mission is still relevant. If we were not to exist, someone would have created this organization to serve this audience,” said NHLI board chairwoman, Marieli Colón-Padilla.
Colón-Padilla is herself an NHLI alumna. NHLI is a non-profit organization that has provided one-on-

ASCD Whole Child Bloggers

Giveaway: Classroom Instruction That Works DVD Series

Enter by December 16 for a chance to win this ASCD professional development DVD bundle!
ASCD Whole Child Bloggers

Transitioning to Standards-Based Learning

Standards-based grading asks, "Is the grade an accurate reflection of the desired learning?" And it requires educators to determine whether they want to reward working or learning.
Klea Scharberg

A Progress Report on Teacher Evaluation

In the past three years, 36 U.S. states and the District of Columbia have changed their teacher evaluation policies. Is your state (and school) going through these changes?

Modern School: Will Bar Exam Turn Teachers Into Shysters?

Modern School: Will Bar Exam Turn Teachers Into Shysters?:


Will Bar Exam Turn Teachers Into Shysters?

Proudly Sponsered by http://edushyster.com/



The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) has launched a new initiative to raise entry standards for teacher-preparation programs, calling it a “bar exam” for teachers. My first thought on hearing the news was that they were trying to turn us into shysters, but then I remembered that we are already considered disreputable and unscrupulous by much of the public.

What's black and tan and looks good around a teacher's neck? A doberman!

So how will the bar exam change matters?

The AFT and its bigger sister, the National Education Association (NEA) have both been 

Numbers Can Lie: What TIMSS and PISA Truly Tell Us, if Anything?Education in the Age of Globalization

Education in the Age of Globalization » Blog Archive » Numbers Can Lie: What TIMSS and PISA Truly Tell Us, if Anything?:


Numbers Can Lie: What TIMSS and PISA Truly Tell Us, if Anything?

“America’s Woeful Public Schools: TIMSS Sheds Light on the Need for Systemic Reform”[1] “Competitors Still Beat U.S. in Tests”[2] “U.S. students continue to trail Asian students in math, reading, science”[3] These are a few of the thousands of headlines generated by the release of the 2011 TIMSS and PIRLS results today. Although the results are hardly surprising or news worthy, judging from the headlines, we can expect another global wave of handwringing, soul searching, and calls for reform. But before we do, we should ask how meaningful these scores and rankings are. “Numbers don’t ...


Sandra Stotsky: The Leading Critic of Common Core « Diane Ravitch's blog

Sandra Stotsky: The Leading Critic of Common Core « Diane Ravitch's blog:


Sandra Stotsky: The Leading Critic of Common Core

I just posted an article written by David Coleman and Susan Pimentel, explaining that the Common Core standards are not antagonistic to literature and fiction, and that they promote a higher quality of both fiction and nonfiction.
Within minutes, I received a post from Sandra Stotsky, expressing her vehement opposition to the Common Core standards. Stotsky was in charge of the development of the highly praised Massachusetts standards. The English standards in that state were especially strong on literature. Stotsky is still upset that Massachusetts replaced them with the Common Core.
Read them both. Then read the standards.
The problem is that, no matter what Coleman may say, publishers and districts believe the standards call for 

Bobby Jindal Defends Louisiana School Vouchers, Says Equal Education Opportunity Is A Lie

Bobby Jindal Defends Louisiana School Vouchers, Says Equal Education Opportunity Is A Lie:


Bobby Jindal Defends Louisiana School Vouchers, Says Equal Education Opportunity Is A Lie

WASHINGTON -- Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) took to the nation's capital on Tuesday to make the case for school vouchers.

"To oppose school choice is to put the wishes of the adults who control the status quo ahead of the needs of our children," Jindal said. "To oppose school choice is to oppose equal opportunity."

As the Republican Party tries to reconnect with voters, and as Republican state legislators try to expand school voucher programs, Jindal, a rising GOP star who heads the Republican Governors Association, is driving his points on education and pro-market reforms with strong language. School vouchers use taxpayer money to pay for students to attend private schools, but there is limited evidence of their success. Under Jindal, Louisiana expanded its voucher system dramatically, but a court recently struck down the program.

"We're taking our fight to the state Supreme Court, and I'm confident that we'll prevail," Jindal said at a Brookings 

Fiscal Cliff Would Hurt Young Children, Advocates Warn

As headlines warn of a looming fiscal cliff that could result in massive cuts to government programs, advocates are worrying about the fates of people who can’t yet read them.

“You hear a lot of people who want to protect defense or different tax cuts,” said Patricia Cole, the policy director for Zero to Three, a Washington-based organization that advocates for young children. “But there's not a real champion out there saying, ‘You know, we really need to take children off the table, especially young children'.”

Early-childhood education advocates, including Cole, recently reached out to President Barack Obama and congressional leaders in an effort to protect programs that serve low-income young children. Twenty-three experts in infant and toddler development, all members of the board of Zero to Three, wrote letters to Obama last week arguing that cuts to federal programs for young low-income children could place them at “significant risk for falling behind on the path to school readiness.”