Monday, March 11, 2013
Colorado Student Walkout March 14th: Sharing the Facts | United Opt Out National
Colorado Student Walkout March 14th: Sharing the Facts | United Opt Out National:
Colorado Student Walkout March 14th: Sharing the Facts
Colorado Student Walkout March 14th: Sharing the Facts
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 3-11-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all:
California Tightens Rules for Teacher Interns
UNO Charters in Chicago Will Allow Unions
Philly Will Close 23 Schools
Occupy the DOE: The Full Details
The Big Lie About New Orleans, Exposed
Retiring Principal: Stop the Madness!
Why Not Vouchers for Special Education Students?
California Tightens Rules for Teacher Interns
In a move clearly intended to require greater supervision of Teach for America, the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing tightened the rules about the training and supervision of interns.
At hearings, civil rights groups argued that it was unfair to put poorly trained interns in charge of students with high-needs, especially English-language learners and students with disabilities. Suporters of TFA argued the other side, claiming that the rules were simply bureaucratic hurdles. The “reformers,” in other words, demanded lower standards for those who teach the neediest children.
This excerpt from the article shows the two sides at their best:
“For us, it’s a fundamental issue of equity and a constitutional right to equal educational resources,” said Tiffany
At hearings, civil rights groups argued that it was unfair to put poorly trained interns in charge of students with high-needs, especially English-language learners and students with disabilities. Suporters of TFA argued the other side, claiming that the rules were simply bureaucratic hurdles. The “reformers,” in other words, demanded lower standards for those who teach the neediest children.
This excerpt from the article shows the two sides at their best:
“For us, it’s a fundamental issue of equity and a constitutional right to equal educational resources,” said Tiffany
UNO Charters in Chicago Will Allow Unions
The UNO charter chain has been in the news lately and not for good reason.
Its number two official resigned amid accusations that he steered contracts worth millions to relatives–his own plus relatives of lobbyists who managed to help UNO get a $98 million state appropriation for three new buildings.
Now UNO is in the news again.
It has decided that it will allow its teachers at its 13 charters to join a union, if they want to.
Here is the funny line in the article:
“Typically, privately run charters hire non-union teachers, which supporters say
Its number two official resigned amid accusations that he steered contracts worth millions to relatives–his own plus relatives of lobbyists who managed to help UNO get a $98 million state appropriation for three new buildings.
Now UNO is in the news again.
It has decided that it will allow its teachers at its 13 charters to join a union, if they want to.
Here is the funny line in the article:
“Typically, privately run charters hire non-union teachers, which supporters say
Philly Will Close 23 Schools
The ax of privatization swings again, this time in Philadelphia, where 23 schools will close. More are on the chopping block.
Charter schools will continue to open, despite ongoing investigations and poor performance, as the city and state retreat from its responsibility for public education.
Charter schools will continue to open, despite ongoing investigations and poor performance, as the city and state retreat from its responsibility for public education.
Occupy the DOE: The Full Details
Here is the full schedule and details for the organized protest against corporate education reform and high-stakes testing on April 4-7 in Washington, D.C.
I will speak on Thursday afternoon.
There is a stellar lineup of speakers and events.
Please come to Washington if you can.
I will speak on Thursday afternoon.
There is a stellar lineup of speakers and events.
Please come to Washington if you can.
The Big Lie About New Orleans, Exposed
Mercedes Schneider here examines how the New Orleans Recovery School District has been falsely portrayed as a “miracle.”
It is an important national story, which the privatization movement has endlessly retold in hopes of persuading the American public that the problem with public schools is that they are democratically controlled. They want us to believe, as Arne Duncan once said, that Hurricane Katrina was the best thing that ever happened to education in New Orleans. It wiped out the public school system, destroyed the teachers’ union, and cleared the way for massive privatization.
It is an important national story, which the privatization movement has endlessly retold in hopes of persuading the American public that the problem with public schools is that they are democratically controlled. They want us to believe, as Arne Duncan once said, that Hurricane Katrina was the best thing that ever happened to education in New Orleans. It wiped out the public school system, destroyed the teachers’ union, and cleared the way for massive privatization.
Retiring Principal: Stop the Madness!
Months ago, I hailed Don Sternberg, the principal of Wantagh Elementary School in Long Island, New York, as a hero of public education. He spoke out loud and clear against the misuse of standardized tests to evaluate students, teachers, principals, and schools.
Please read the letter below, in which he educates the parents of his students about the statistical madness that
Please read the letter below, in which he educates the parents of his students about the statistical madness that
Why Not Vouchers for Special Education Students?
One of the model laws promoted by ALEC creates vouchers for students with disabilities.
ALEC is the far-right group that brings together big corporations and very conservative state legislators to figure out strategies to advance privatization and protect corporate interests. ALEC does not like public education, does not like regulation, does not like unions, and does not like teacher professionalism. It likes vouchers, charters, online learning, all as unregulated as possible, and teachers who can enter the classroom with little or
ALEC is the far-right group that brings together big corporations and very conservative state legislators to figure out strategies to advance privatization and protect corporate interests. ALEC does not like public education, does not like regulation, does not like unions, and does not like teacher professionalism. It likes vouchers, charters, online learning, all as unregulated as possible, and teachers who can enter the classroom with little or
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 3-10-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] What a Professional Teacher Preparation Program Looks Like by dianerav One of the worst sins of Teach for America is that it has convinced politicians and corporate leaders that teachers need little or no professional preparation. Unlike doctors, lawyers, social workers, architects, engineers, or any other profession, teachers are allegedly well prepared to teach simply by holding a college degree and getting five weeks of training. In any other profession, this... more »
Oregon Save Our Schools: The Rebellion Against Testing: A Q&A with Jesse Hagopian
Oregon Save Our Schools: The Rebellion Against Testing: A Q&A with Jesse Hagopian:
Jesse Hagopian is a leader in the group Social Equality Educators focused on social justice unionism within the Seattle Teachers Association (www.socialequalityeducators.org). He has written many articles on education reform. He co-wrote the chapter “Teachers’ Union and Social Justice” for the book Education and Capitalism Struggles for Learning and Liberation (www.haymarketbooks.org/pb/education-and-capitalism). Jesse teaches social studies in Seattle at Garfield High School and is one of many teachers boycotting the MAP Test. I had the opportunity to ask Jesse questions about the role of Social Equality Educators and the increased solidarity for the MAP Test Boycott. Jesse is pictured above with his right hand raised wearing a baseball hat at a MAP Test Boycott Rally.
The Rebellion Against Testing: A Q&A with Jesse Hagopian
Why are educators at Garfield High School boycotting the MAP test?
Quoted from Jesse’s Op-ed in The Seattle Times Why Garfield teachers boycotted the MAP test
‘Storm of reform’ — principal details damage done
‘Storm of reform’ — principal details damage done:
‘Storm of reform’ — principal details damage done
(Naval Research Laboratory)
Principal Carol Burris’ recent post on why she is no longer a fan of the Common Core stirred wide interest and lively debate — enough that Carol decided to follow up with a piece that addresses some of the questions voiced in the comments following the piece, as well as in the emails she received after its posting. Burris, principal of South Side High School in New York, was named the 2010 New York State Outstanding Educator by the School Administrators Association of New York State. She is one of the co-authors of the principals’ letteragainst evaluating teachers by student test scores, which has been signed by 1,535 New York principals. Here’s her first post.
By Carol Burris
My recent blog post, which was critical of the Common Core, surprised some of my friends and critics. I still hold the ideal of the Common Core—to prepare all students for college and career—as my goal as a principal. But I have concluded that the standards, as they are
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES:
UIC Prof. Pauline Lipman
WEEKEND QUOTABLES
UIC Prof. Pauline Lipman
“These school closings have been happening in communities that were already destabilized by the dismantling of public housing, by gentrification and effects of the economic crisis.” -- New York TimesState Rep. Curtis Thomas (D., Phila.)
"I think it is time for the parents, teachers, and students of Philadelphia to go into federal court -
Daily Kos: Krugman: Dwindling Deficit Disorder
Daily Kos: Krugman: Dwindling Deficit Disorder:
Krugman: Dwindling Deficit Disorder
People still talk as if the deficit were exploding, as if the United States budget were on an unsustainable path; in fact, the deficit is falling more rapidly than it has for generations, it is already down to sustainable levels, and it is too small given the state of the economy.that's from the 2nd paragraph of Dwindling Deficit Disorder, Paul Krugman's powerful New York Times column this morning, which I strongly urge you read. As he says in the paragraph immediately before,
A few lonely economists have tried from the beginning to point out that this fixation is all wrong, that deficit spending is actually appropriate in a depressed economy. But even though the deficit scolds have been wrong about everything so far — where are the soaring interest rates we were promised? — protests that we are having the wrong conversation have consistently fallen on deaf ears.As is usual with Krugman, he supports his assertions with irrefutable data and presents it with a clear command of effective phrasing.
Student walkout of TCAP tests coming up this week – @ the chalk face
Student walkout of TCAP tests coming up this week – @ the chalk face:
Student walkout of TCAP tests coming up this week
Student walkout of TCAP tests coming up this week
Popout
Here’s a video diary to learn more.
If any teacher decided to carry a handgun in the classroom…
Here’s a video diary to learn more.
If any teacher decided to carry a handgun in the classroom…
… then they, from my perspective, are unfit to teach. Pull your kids out. From Think Progress.
Pride in Primary
Pride in Primary
Queued in alphabetical order, I was the third to walk through the door to the Queensland Legislative Council Chambers up to the podium where I was introduced to Queen Elizabeth II by name. As she hung the Medal of the Order of Australia on my lapel, someone announced : “For services to education.” Her Majesty asked, ‘In what kind of education are you interested?”
I’d been hoping that she’d ask something like that, so I puffed out my chest and said “I’m a primary school teacher, Ma’am.” That was all.
I did not realise it at the time, but, here I was telling the most important lady in the world that I was more important than she was.
I was a teacher.
I could feel that way at the time, because primary schooling was trying to do the best that it could by its pupils.
The Good, Racist People has key parallels to the inherent racism of #edreform
I’d been hoping that she’d ask something like that, so I puffed out my chest and said “I’m a primary school teacher, Ma’am.” That was all.
I did not realise it at the time, but, here I was telling the most important lady in the world that I was more important than she was.
I was a teacher.
I could feel that way at the time, because primary schooling was trying to do the best that it could by its pupils.
The Good, Racist People has key parallels to the inherent racism of #edreform
A really, really compelling opinion piece from the NYT on the everyday racism and prejudice expressed by apparent “good people.”
This might have to do with education reform measures, as the author already mentioned redlining, blockbusting, and gentrification as part of prejudicial urban renewal:
This might have to do with education reform measures, as the author already mentioned redlining, blockbusting, and gentrification as part of prejudicial urban renewal:
I am trying to imagine a white president forced to show his papers at a national news conference, and coming up blank. I am trying to a imagine a prominent white Harvard professor arrested for breaking into his own home, and coming up with nothing. I am trying to see Sean Penn or Nicolas
UPDATE: The legacy of Jonah Edelman The in box. When did it become acceptable to take money from old people? | Fred Klonsky
The in box. When did it become acceptable to take money from old people? | Fred Klonsky:
The in box. When did it become acceptable to take money from old people?
Senate Bill 7 two years later. The legacy of Jonah Edelman.
The in box. When did it become acceptable to take money from old people?
When did it become acceptable to take money from old people? That’s the question I have been asking. Because the truth is, it is not. And never has been. It is evil to hurt pensioners. It is evil to take money from people who have earned it. The pension is a life savings for years of hard work and study. It is earned, a kind of delayed wages.
So how is this happening? And maybe there is a glimpse of hope in the fact that there has been a delay in enacting the most hurtful legislation. We need to tap into that and celebrate that. We need to call out the leaders who advocate stealing from us. And we need to celebrate as heroes those who fight against a well-organized effort to officially steal from us, as the stealing is social and political in nature.
Go back to the first question. When did it become acceptable to take money from old people? And why is the step the legislature took this past week to limit the pensions of those making over
Senate Bill 7 two years later. The legacy of Jonah Edelman.
Jonah Edelman’s Aspen tape. Note reference to Bruce Rauner in the opening.
Long-time readers of this blog know the story of Senate Bill 7.
Two years ago a corporate school reformer with deep pockets came into the state. To show he was serious, he dropped a couple hundred thousand dollars on some state legislative races.
That got him some attention.
From Michael Madigan. And from the state’s teacher unions.
That was Jonah Edelman of Stand for Children.
The candidates he backed won their races. And Madigan responded by establishing a
The Educated Reporter: EWA Seminar: STEM Students Learn Now, Earn Later
The Educated Reporter: EWA Seminar: STEM Students Learn Now, Earn Later:
EWA Seminar: STEM Students Learn Now, Earn Later
EWA recently held a one-day seminar focused on STEM education at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County. We invited some of the journalists attending to contribute blog posts from the sessions. Today's entry is from education reporter Nichole Journal of the (Del.) News Journal. You can find additional resources from the seminar, including materials from many of the presenters, here.
Session: Why STEM? Why Now?
From the president’s State of the Union address to the local want ads, STEM education and the careers these disciplines can lead to have become a centerpiece of discussions of education reform. This discussion will explore why STEM has become such a hot topic.
Participants:
Right now, it seems like many schools are lining up with examples of how they are in tune with STEM education. But a closer look what is happening in the classroom of K12 and higher education is required to help reveal what the needs are and why it matters. After school programs building robots isn’t the answer, a panelist said.
Science education must not get slighted in education reforms from No Child Left Behind that have focused heavily on reading and math, some say. Research has shown that from 1994 to 2008 almost every state has decreased the amount of time spent on science education in grades 1 to 4, Rosen said.
The ticket to a good paying job is often through STEM fields, said David Saba, COO, National Math and Science Initiative. Often, however, poor children are not given access or exposure to these fields when they are in the K12 system. In Mississippi, 19 black students passed AP exams in STEM fields, he said. There are examples of making progress. After new programs at 10 schools in Dallas those numbers blossomed, and there were 1,100 that passed.
“If STEM is the ticket to the middle class how are any of these kids in Mississippi going to get to the middle class? It’s just as bad in a lot of other states,” Saba said.
The College Board, which administers AP tests, releases these scores by state, and this year they focused much of their annual report on examining STEM fields. Reporters can look to see how many children are taking and passing AP tests in STEM fields, and the data will also show if there’s an achievement gap between student groups. Saba said that just taking the AP test makes children more likely to succeed in college – even if they score low on the AP test in high school. The exposure to college-level material matters, he said.
The panel moderator, Scott Jaschik, co-founder and editor of Inside Higher Ed, encouraged reporters to make sure they are fully exploring AP pass rates. He said that reports in the Dallas Morning News showed that often when states boast an increase in the number of students taking these exams the students aren’t posting passing scores.
Those in the business community and higher education also need to do more to make sure that these jobs are engaging, Saba said. Too often, he said, students trained in STEM fields leave for another career because lose interest in the work.
Jaschik asked Rosen and Saba if a better solution to encouraging more U.S. students to study would be to retain foreign students who are already trained in STEM fields: “Wouldn’t it be easier to let them in?”
Rosen said that the U.S. higher education system is still teaching the majority of these people, but they are often leaving to return home rather than staying. Further, Saba said, employers believe that American students are the most likely to provide creative approaches to the field. The jobs that are staying overseas are rote jobs rather than engineers who are working to solve complex problems.
Have a question, comment or concern for the Educated Reporter? Email EWA public editor Emily Richmond at erichmond@ewa.org. Follow her on Twitter: @EWAEmily.
Session: Why STEM? Why Now?
From the president’s State of the Union address to the local want ads, STEM education and the careers these disciplines can lead to have become a centerpiece of discussions of education reform. This discussion will explore why STEM has become such a hot topic.
Participants:
- Scott Jaschik, Co-Founder and Editor, Inside Higher Ed (moderator)
- Linda Rosen, CEO, Change the Equation
- David Saba, COO, National Math and Science Initiative
A close look at help-wanted ads gives an indication of why there is so much attention on STEM education.
Research by Change the Equation found that there are more job opportunities in STEM fields than there are unemployed people trained in STEM. There are nearly four people lined up for every one job opening in all job fields. There are more encouraging opportunities for those who are trained in STEM – there are two jobs for every STEM-trained person seeking a new job.
Research by Change the Equation found that there are more job opportunities in STEM fields than there are unemployed people trained in STEM. There are nearly four people lined up for every one job opening in all job fields. There are more encouraging opportunities for those who are trained in STEM – there are two jobs for every STEM-trained person seeking a new job.
Right now, it seems like many schools are lining up with examples of how they are in tune with STEM education. But a closer look what is happening in the classroom of K12 and higher education is required to help reveal what the needs are and why it matters. After school programs building robots isn’t the answer, a panelist said.
Science education must not get slighted in education reforms from No Child Left Behind that have focused heavily on reading and math, some say. Research has shown that from 1994 to 2008 almost every state has decreased the amount of time spent on science education in grades 1 to 4, Rosen said.
The ticket to a good paying job is often through STEM fields, said David Saba, COO, National Math and Science Initiative. Often, however, poor children are not given access or exposure to these fields when they are in the K12 system. In Mississippi, 19 black students passed AP exams in STEM fields, he said. There are examples of making progress. After new programs at 10 schools in Dallas those numbers blossomed, and there were 1,100 that passed.
“If STEM is the ticket to the middle class how are any of these kids in Mississippi going to get to the middle class? It’s just as bad in a lot of other states,” Saba said.
The College Board, which administers AP tests, releases these scores by state, and this year they focused much of their annual report on examining STEM fields. Reporters can look to see how many children are taking and passing AP tests in STEM fields, and the data will also show if there’s an achievement gap between student groups. Saba said that just taking the AP test makes children more likely to succeed in college – even if they score low on the AP test in high school. The exposure to college-level material matters, he said.
The panel moderator, Scott Jaschik, co-founder and editor of Inside Higher Ed, encouraged reporters to make sure they are fully exploring AP pass rates. He said that reports in the Dallas Morning News showed that often when states boast an increase in the number of students taking these exams the students aren’t posting passing scores.
Those in the business community and higher education also need to do more to make sure that these jobs are engaging, Saba said. Too often, he said, students trained in STEM fields leave for another career because lose interest in the work.
Jaschik asked Rosen and Saba if a better solution to encouraging more U.S. students to study would be to retain foreign students who are already trained in STEM fields: “Wouldn’t it be easier to let them in?”
Rosen said that the U.S. higher education system is still teaching the majority of these people, but they are often leaving to return home rather than staying. Further, Saba said, employers believe that American students are the most likely to provide creative approaches to the field. The jobs that are staying overseas are rote jobs rather than engineers who are working to solve complex problems.
Have a question, comment or concern for the Educated Reporter? Email EWA public editor Emily Richmond at erichmond@ewa.org. Follow her on Twitter: @EWAEmily.
UPDATE: School Tech Connect: Rogers Park Marches Against Charters
School Tech Connect: Rogers Park Marches Against Charters:
Remember This?
Rogers Park Marches Against Charters
Remember This?
Apropos of nothing in particular, I wanted to run a miniclip from last year, just to remind people about what a remarkably overprivileged and I'm sorry to say horrid person Bruce Rauner is. This clip is where he got into a little tussle with Carol Marin, and it's probably indicative of how he would behave if he ever successfully bought the governorship of Illinois.
Rauner running as the GOP candidate is probably the only thing that could save the Quinn administration, at this point. Maybe that's the plan---- run enough of these really virulent people and over time you push the Democrats to the right.
Popout
Watch the whole thing, in case you missed it last year. He's a piece of work. He reminds me of my dad in his last, angry, xenophobic years, repeating crap he heard on Fox News. He's just such an expert in everything; heknows. Being wealthy means you know things. Plus he and his wife have paid all this money for things. Things that school districts pay for in the suburbs. Where people tax themselves and vote for the governance of the school boards. He's paid
He's the king of the straw man---- his juvenile attempt to make a distinction between the teachers and their union is indicative a person who isn't actually on the ground in the schools. He also thinks parents are morons.
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I wonder if he's making the case for taxation with representation, as in an elected, representative school board. Something tells me no. Noblesse oblige is really much more efficient.
Rauner running as the GOP candidate is probably the only thing that could save the Quinn administration, at this point. Maybe that's the plan---- run enough of these really virulent people and over time you push the Democrats to the right.
Popout
Watch the whole thing, in case you missed it last year. He's a piece of work. He reminds me of my dad in his last, angry, xenophobic years, repeating crap he heard on Fox News. He's just such an expert in everything; heknows. Being wealthy means you know things. Plus he and his wife have paid all this money for things. Things that school districts pay for in the suburbs. Where people tax themselves and vote for the governance of the school boards. He's paid
He's the king of the straw man---- his juvenile attempt to make a distinction between the teachers and their union is indicative a person who isn't actually on the ground in the schools. He also thinks parents are morons.
Popout
I wonder if he's making the case for taxation with representation, as in an elected, representative school board. Something tells me no. Noblesse oblige is really much more efficient.
Rogers Park Marches Against Charters
Hell of a night up on Howard Street. Northside P.O.W.E.R had a community meeting, and something like 600 people showed up. The group is the organizing arm of A Just Harvest, and it's run by some darned impressive people.
Northside P.O.W.E.R works on a lot of issues---- housing, food, a just tax code, closing corporate loopholes----- and it was a thrilling evening, but the place went nuts toward the end when the charter school issue came on deck.
Here's Rev. Marilyn Bates on IRON---- she pretty much summed up the entire ed deform scenario. I had never met her before; she was amazing.
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And here's my friend and colleague, Bridget Harris. She talks about what happened at Gale, and then she raises some hell. When she's done, something like 600 people marched over to Joe Moore's house and planted flags.
Popout
The march itself was a festive affair. We knocked on the door but it was definitely church mouse city inside. We
Northside P.O.W.E.R works on a lot of issues---- housing, food, a just tax code, closing corporate loopholes----- and it was a thrilling evening, but the place went nuts toward the end when the charter school issue came on deck.
Here's Rev. Marilyn Bates on IRON---- she pretty much summed up the entire ed deform scenario. I had never met her before; she was amazing.
Popout
And here's my friend and colleague, Bridget Harris. She talks about what happened at Gale, and then she raises some hell. When she's done, something like 600 people marched over to Joe Moore's house and planted flags.
Popout
The march itself was a festive affair. We knocked on the door but it was definitely church mouse city inside. We
The Opt Out Update: Students and parents opting out around the United States | Seattle Education
The Opt Out Update: Students and parents opting out around the United States | Seattle Education:
The Opt Out Update: Students and parents opting out around the United States
Mike Lofgren:
“Apart from the Medicare Prescription Drug Act and the lucrative war and homeland security cash flows, the Bush administration engineered the No Child Left Behind Act, largely as a sop to the school privatization industry and the educational testing racket…”
Chris Hedges:
Passing bubble tests celebrates and rewards a peculiar form of analytical intelligence. This kind of intelligence is prized by money managers and corporations. They don’t want employees to ask uncomfortable questions or examine existing structures and assumptions. They want them to serve the system. These tests produce men and women who are just literate and numerate enough to perform basic functions and
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Testing madness leading to massive retention of 3rd graders
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Testing madness leading to massive retention of 3rd graders:
“The children all knew if you didn’t pass, you weren’t going on. A lot of them gave up. They weren’t trying to do any work. The attitude was, ‘What’s the difference? I failed.’” -- Paula Peterson, principal at Charles Fairbanks Elementary in Indianapolis
The testing madness, unleashed under No Child Left Behind and still running amok under Race To The Top, is having devastating effects on hundreds of thousands of children and their families. WaPo's Lindsey Laytonreports that many states are now requiring children to pass a reading test in third grade or be held back from fourth grade.
Testing madness leading to massive retention of 3rd graders
“The children all knew if you didn’t pass, you weren’t going on. A lot of them gave up. They weren’t trying to do any work. The attitude was, ‘What’s the difference? I failed.’” -- Paula Peterson, principal at Charles Fairbanks Elementary in Indianapolis
But in an accountability era ushered in by the 2002 No Child Left Behind law, the new retention policies offer little wiggle room. Decisions are based on test scores, not the subjective judgment of teachers and administrators. Parents have little recourse. And
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