Ed Notes Online: MORE's Julie Cavanagh Exposes Eva Charter Schools

Ed Notes Online: MORE's Julie Cavanagh Exposes Eva Charter Schools:

MORE's Julie Cavanagh Exposes Eva Charter Schools

by ed notes online

On May 21, 2011 (2 days after the premiere of the GEM film response to the ed deform film Waiting for Superman, The Inconvenient Truth Behind Waiting for Superman that Julie co-narrated, co-produced and co-wrote), Community Board 12 in upper Manhattan convened a panel to discuss charter schools.

Dennis Walcott was supposed to be on that panel but never showed up [he was as scared of Julie as Mike Mulgrew is]. Also Pedro Noguera, [former] chairman of the SUNY Charter Schools authorizing committee (which authorized both Eva/Success and UFT charter schools) and James Merriman, CEO of the NYC Charter School Center. They said their pieces and left before Julie Cavanagh got to go, clearly not wanting to hear what they were doing to undermine the public school system.

Merriman, as the charter school movement usually does, blamed the UFT for resistance, which if you know Julie, 

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 2-19-13 Diane Ravitch's blog

Diane Ravitch's blog:

Los Angeles School Board Race: Follow the Money

by dianerav

This just arrived in my email box:

LAUSD: Follow The Money by Joseph K

Mensaje se repite en Español)

I have to do this my way. You tell me what you know, and I’ll confirm. I’ll keep you in the right direction if I can, but that’s all. Just… follow the money.

-Deep Throat, “All the President’s Men” (1976) 

If you want to know the direction LAUSD School Board President Monica Garcia and new candidate Kate Anderson want to take the Los Angeles School District after the upcoming election, then follow the money. In this case following the money isn’t difficult because there is just so damn much of it. Start with an astounding quarter of a million dollars by Eli Broad, Superintendent Deasy’s mentor and 

Here Is the Link for Save Texas Schools Rally This Saurday

by dianerav

I will be there.
So will John Kuhn and many more.
Join with thousands of Texas parents and educators to demand a restoration of the budget cuts.
Save Texas public schools: http://savetxschools.org/

Turmoil in Muskegon Heights Charter Schools

by dianerav

When the school district of impoverished Muskegon Heights went broke, Governor Rick Snyder of Michigan felt no obligation to save public education. He appointed an emergency manager to privatize the whole district. The district was handed over to a for-profit operator, Mosaica, which promptly fired all the teachers. It hired a new staff and started fresh. About a quarter of the staff left in short order. There have been three principals at the high school in six months. And the schools have hired uncertified teachers, which is illegal in the state.
Not to worry. The private sector knows best.

Breaking News: The Title of My New Book

by dianerav

My editor at Knopf is one of the best-known figures in the publishing world.
Knopf is the most distinguished publisher in the U.S.
They will be publishing my new book in the fall.
It will explain everything you wanted to know about the corporate reform movement.
Here is the news.
The title is: Reign of Error.
The subtitle will knock your socks off.
I will release that later on.

A Teacher Educator on the Board of NCTQ

by dianerav

Mercedes Schneider adds another installment to her study of the board of NCTQ?

HELP! Privatizers Target Fort Wayne

by dianerav

A member of the Fort Wayne, Indiana, school board writes:
They are coming after Fort Wayne next. Please, all come to the faux public hearing on Carpe Diem application on Tuesday, 26th at 5:30, Taylor campus. I need a couple hundred.

Diane in the Evening 2-18-13 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 3 hours ago

Diane Ravitch's blog: Save Texas Schools Rally This Saturday! by dianerav I will be in Austin this Saturday to support the children and educators of Texas. Please join me! Final Countdown Save Texas Schools March & Rally This Saturday! Dear Save Texas Schools Supporter, WE NEED YOU to join thousands from across Texas calling for an end to under-funding and over-testing our children! This is a crucial week at the legislature, with education funding and testing bills being considered. An overwhelming response on Saturday can provide the momentum to turn the tide. Confirmed speakers... more »

Human intelligence is declining according to Stanford geneticist | toteachornototeach

Human intelligence is declining according to Stanford geneticist | toteachornototeach:

Human intelligence is declining according to Stanford geneticist

by aristotlethewise

Human intelligence is declining according to Stanford geneticist

Ever can’t help but think you’re surrounded by idiots? A leading scientist at Stanford University thinks he has the answer, and the bad news is things aren’t likely to get any better.
Dr. Gerald Crabtree, a geneticist at Stanford, has published a study that he conducted to try and identify the progression of modern man’s intelligence. As it turns out, however, Dr. Crabtree’s research led him to believe that the collective mind of mankind has been on more or a less a downhill trajectory for quite some time.
According to his research, published in two parts starting with last year’s ‘Our fragile intellect. Part I,’ Dr. 

Et tu, Rube? | Gary Rubinstein's Blog

Et tu, Rube? | Gary Rubinstein's Blog:

Et tu, Rube?

by Gary Rubinstein

On a post I wrote last week called ‘The Status Quo Miracle District,” I got a bunch of angry comments from people who seemed to feel betrayed by my ‘debunking’ of the media inflated claims of a ‘public’ school district.
This is the first comment:

Very unhelpful. With friends like you, public education needs no enemies. You help the reformer deformers with this.
And what do you know of Union City? I expect extremely little. You’re so busy venting a blogger’s ATTITUDE, that you’ve lost all thoughtfulness.

Most were much more thoughtful that that, and there were plenty of ‘supporters’ of the point I was trying to make.
I think the fear is that some politician could read my post and think “So investing extra money and doing the kinds of reform that the unions always say is necessary doesn’t bring up test scores.  Therefore we’ve got to 

Parent trigger and charters: As we offer more school choice, what happens to children left behind? | Get Schooled

Parent trigger and charters: As we offer more school choice, what happens to children left behind? | Get Schooled:

Parent trigger and charters: As we offer more school choice, what happens to children left behind?

by Maureen Downey

Shanna Miles is an educator and a parent working in the metro Atlanta area. An avid literacy advocate, she lobbies to ensure that every child has access to a free and public library in a community.
She wrote this piece for the Monday print AJC education op-ed page.

By Shanna Miles
In the 1840s, Irish Catholic parents lobbied for local control of schools so that their children wouldn’t be indoctrinated by a Protestant curriculum.
In 1957, President Dwight Eisenhower had to call in the National Guard to lead nine African-American children past a picket line of angry white parents who were outraged that their school was to be integrated.

Fast-forward a half-century or so, and the war between government and parents still rages with the 

UPDATE: Why is Obama calling for a ‘rigorous curriculum’ for 3-year-olds? + How many ineffective teachers are actually out there?

How many ineffective teachers are actually out there?:

Why is Obama calling for a ‘rigorous curriculum’ for 3-year-olds?

Posted by Valerie Strauss on February 19, 2013 at 10:22 am

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(by David Tulis/EPA)

Given that research clearly shows big benefits of quality early childhood education, President Obama’s new proposal to greatly expand these programs seems like a no-brainer. In fact, the first question to ask might be this: Why didn’t he do this sooner?

As it turns out, his administration did promote an early education initiative in his first term, and that is what raises a big concern about the ultimate fate of the new proposal.

Back in 2011, the administration’s Race to the Top sweepstakes — in which states and even districts can  compete for federal funds based on promises to implement specific school reforms — had a round that focused on early childhood education. The first priority states were asked to consider as they wrote their proposals was this:

“Priority 1: Absolutely Priority — Using Early Learning and Development Standards and 

How many ineffective teachers are actually out there?

Posted by Valerie Strauss on February 19, 2013 at 4:00 am

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Getting rid of ineffective teachers is pretty much the focus of school reform these days but pinpointing who really should go isn’t as easy as it seems. Aaron Pallas, professor of sociology and education at Teachers College, Columbia University, looks at the issue here. He writes the Sociological Eye on Education blog — where this postfirst appeared — for The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, non-partisan education-news outlet affiliated with theHechinger Institute on Education and the Media.

By Aaron Pallas

How many New York City public schoolteachers are so incompetent that they should be fired? That’s the 250-million-dollar question that must be addressed by both sides wrangling over what kind of teacher-evaluation system the city is going to build.

For months now, despite a state mandate to build such a system, Mayor Michael 

WHO CAN POSSIBLY UNDERSTAND A TEACHER’S FRUSTRATION ? « Teachers Fight Back

WHO CAN POSSIBLY UNDERSTAND A TEACHER’S FRUSTRATION ? « Teachers Fight Back:

WHO CAN POSSIBLY UNDERSTAND A TEACHER’S FRUSTRATION ?

by alkleen

I’ve been thinking of people who could possibly sympathize with teachers and understand why teachers are extremely frustrated in their jobs. The following are people who I’m sure understand the plight of teachers. They probably understand the frustration of teachers who are expected to achieve certain results with their students despite dozens of obstacles that make that impossible.
A heart surgeon who is directed by their superior to perform every surgery with one hand tied behind their back.
A salesman who is under tremendous pressure to achieve a certain quota of sales despite being asked to sell an incredibly inferior product.
An auto mechanic who is expected to repair a car despite being unable to obtain the necessary parts to perform 

Phil Hartman Alive and Well at PS 154 in the Bronx.southbronxschool.com

http://www.southbronxschool.com:

Phil Hartman Alive and Well at PS 154 in the Bronx

Yeah, life imitates art. Though PS 154 is not a cooking school, this video succinctly characterizes the shit we go through day in and day out, hour upon hour, seconds forever taking their time turning into minutes. While mayhem is going about, having those tape dispenser cozies are invaluable.

As Stu Schmelz once said, "You won't believe the shit that I have seen."

Cooking is an allegory for education.

Jersey Jazzman: Gulen Charters Expand in New Jersey

Jersey Jazzman: Gulen Charters Expand in New Jersey:

Gulen Charters Expand in New Jersey

by Duke

In New Jersey's latest round of charter school approvals, two new charters were approved for Paterson: Paterson Arts and Sciences and Paterson Collegiate Charter School. Darcie Cimarusti over at Mother Crusader has been letting us know about the man behind PCCS, Steve Wilson, and his rather checkered past. But what about Paterson A&S?

According to the state's records, Paterson A&S's contact is Mr. Nihat Guvercin; he is currently the CEO of anetwork of three charters in Garfield, Hackensack, and Passaic. A little more than a year ago I took a look at Bergen Arts & Sciences in Garfield:

I went to the Common Core of Data at NCES to get the demographic data for all of the schools in the zip code of Bergen A&S. Using Bruce Baker's method, I made another another quick graph:

Many of the schools have a larger population of "free lunch" kids than Bergen, but 

Leonard Cooper’s Genius And What He Represents [Future of Teaching] | The Jose Vilson

Leonard Cooper’s Genius And What He Represents [Future of Teaching] | The Jose Vilson:

Leonard Cooper’s Genius And What He Represents [Future of Teaching]

by Jose Vilson

This is an excerpt from my latest offering at the Future of Teaching blog:

Is it because so many either sympathize or empathize with a story about a kid who, already perceived as unintelligent due to his mannerisms, actually beats the competition? Is it because some of us have a very limited understanding of “knowledge” or what an educated person looks like? Do we still perceive intelligent as natural to some and exceptional in others?
Leonard Cooper represents the potential of all children to transcend the perceptions already laid upon them. How people see his early follies and his manner of speech mattered little at the end when, after working twice as hard for those remaining minutes, felt like he had nothing to lose. He 

The Educated Reporter: Students, Teachers Push Back Against High-Stakes Testing

The Educated Reporter: Students, Teachers Push Back Against High-Stakes Testing:

Students, Teachers Push Back Against High-Stakes Testing

by Emily Richmond

While it's become a common refrain for students, teachers and parents to complain that too much time is spent preparing for – and administering – standardized tests in public schools, the level of dissatisfaction is arguably reaching previously unheard decibels.

In what’s believed to be the first such example of a campus-wide testing boycott, teachers at Garfield High School in Seattle are refused to administer a state-mandated exam to their students. The teachers contend that the Measures of Academic Progress test doesn’t match what students are supposed to be learning, and therefore amounts to little more than an expensive waste – of both instructional time and district dollars.

One of the organizers of the student protests of the test is Caitlin Chambers, a senior at Garfield High School, who shared her views in an opinion piece with Cross Cuts, a local news site:

“Students have no incentive to take the test seriously. There’s no state-wide graduation 

Daily Kos: apropos of nothing of importance

Daily Kos: apropos of nothing of importance:

apropos of nothing of importance

by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken)

I have in the past 24 hours had a myriad of thoughts running through my mind.
They do not on the surface seem to fit together, but in my warped way of thinking they do.
So bear with me while I explore some seemingly unrelated topics,  beginning at home.
This afternoon Leaves on the Current begins chemo and resumes radiation.  She has in the past few days had a positive mindset, as we allowed friends to come and visit - several who came were themselves survivors of medical situations which required chemo, and were able to give her support.  Yesterday we drove around the countryside and then had a pleasant dinner in a country inn we love that has basically all-natural food, and she - normally a strict vegetarian - even ate a (humanely raised and antibiotic free) chicken.  Except, perhaps by anticipation, she has been unable to sleep, because she is keyed up about today.
And then there is the political world.

CPS school closings and the homeless. « Fred Klonsky

CPS school closings and the homeless. « Fred Klonsky:

CPS school closings and the homeless.

by Fred Klonsky

 

WHY THE PLAS EXPERIMENT MUST END AT ROOSEVELT HIGH SCHOOL, Part II: THE NEW EAST LA CLASSIC: ROOSEVELT (PLAS) vs. GARFIELD (NON PLAS) by John Fernandez - Perdaily.com

WHY THE PLAS EXPERIMENT MUST END AT ROOSEVELT HIGH SCHOOL, Part II: THE NEW EAST LA CLASSIC: ROOSEVELT (PLAS) vs. GARFIELD (NON PLAS) by John Fernandez - Perdaily.com:

WHY THE PLAS EXPERIMENT MUST END AT ROOSEVELT HIGH SCHOOL, Part II: THE NEW EAST LA CLASSIC: ROOSEVELT (PLAS) vs. GARFIELD (NON PLAS) by John Fernandez

by Leonard Isenberg

Mensaje se repite en Español)

The Rivals

The NEW EAST LA CLASSIC is about academics--not about football. 

It pits Roosevelt High School against Garfield High School. Roosevelt High School is under the Mayor's Partnership for Los Angeles Schools (PLAS). Roosevelt became a PLAS school on December 7, 2007, when teachers and parents voted 152-62 to become a PLAS school. Roosevelt High School currently has 2,900 students, of which 99% are Mexican/Latino. Roosevelt has a large immigrant student population, with a substantial number of English language learners (ELLs). Roosevelt has a faculty of 170. The Roosevelt faculty is represented by United Teachers-Los Angeles (UTLA). Roosevelt is made up of seven independent small schools with their own principal. An eighth principal oversees the seven schools. Roosevelt has no assistant principals or lead teachers. Roosevelt's six independent small schools, not counting the magnet school have an API for 2012 from 544 to 672. Roosevelt is located in Bole 

CAN LAUSD UTLA REPRESENTED TEACHERS LEARN FROM GERMAN TEACHERS???

by Leonard Isenberg

Mensaje se repite en Español)

German teachers begin nationwide strike

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 201319:29:26

EPA/MAURIZIO GAMBARINI / POOL
German teachers begin nationwide strike

http://www.neurope.eu/article/german-teachers-begin-nationwide-strike
FEBRUARY 18, 2013 - 4:06PM | BY STANISLAVA GAYDAZHIEVA



Teachers and child care workers began their nationwide public sector strike on Monday when staff from nearly 100 schools in Berlin went out on the street.

The warning action is part of a wage dispute in which the teachers insist, among others, for a 6.5% salary rise.

The strike in Berlin will last the whole day on Monday, while it is expected to move