Reinventing schools as community institutions | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

Reinventing schools as community institutions | Philadelphia Public School Notebook:

Reinventing schools as community institutions

by thenotebook on Mar 11 2013 Posted in Commentary

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by Solomon Jones

The sight of children lamenting the School Reform Commission’s decision to close 23 schools was heart-wrenching. And while I feel for those students, I’m convinced that the decision to close some of Philadelphia’s schools is the right one, because a school district with 70,000 empty seats is unsustainable.

Still, I understand the angst of those who live in the affected communities, because the city has spent decades earning their mistrust. When Blacks from states like South Carolina moved to Philadelphia in the 1940s, racial attacks and employment discrimination were followed by White flight and disinvestment. The unease of the fifties and sixties preceded police abuses under Frank Rizzo, and when drugs poured into poor communities like Kensington in the 1980s -- destroying lives regardless of race -- increased violent crime and mass imprisonment ensued. We have yet to recover.

Today, with neighborhoods like Francisville, Northern Liberties, Point Breeze and others on the upswing, the impoverished are being pushed out in favor of well-heeled-newcomers, and new property tax assessments could accelerate that process.

Read the rest of this story at NewsWorks

Our Story. Our Time. Our Future. — Whole Child Education

Our Story. Our Time. Our Future. — Whole Child Education:

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THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG

Our Story. Our Time. Our Future.

March 11, 2013 by ASCD Whole Child Bloggers

ASCD's 68th Annual Conference and Exhibit Show kicks off this weekend, March 16–18, at McCormick place in Chicago, Ill., and features more than 400 sessions on some of the most important topics in education. Built on the theme “Learning: Our Story. Our Time. Our Future.," the conference will inform, engage, help, and challenge educators from across the globe to better support student success.

The first general session of the conference will feature the president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Freeman A. Hrabowski III, who will share his thoughts about educating students in the new century. Hrabowski has been president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, since 1992. His research and publications focus on science and math education, with a special emphasis on minority participation and performance. He was named by President Obama to chair the newly created President's Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for African Americans.

Hear Hrabowski's thoughts on the importance of reading for success in life; the current state of education and the mixed results of learners from different backgrounds; and the future of education and the role of technology, science, and math in the videos below and in his guest ASCD Inservice blog post.

Our Story: Growing Up Reading

Our Time: The Current State of Education

Sam Chaltain: Your Education Stories (for a Price)

Sam Chaltain: Your Education Stories (for a Price):

Your Education Stories (for a Price)

It's suddenly in vogue to gather and tell stories as part of an organization's larger strategy to build an audience and effect change. On one level, I love this development -- indeed, I've been gathering people's stories about their most powerful learning experiences for years, which has resulted in a website, a radio story series, and even a book(proceeds of which do not go to me, by the way).

I've done this because I believe that before we can solve the riddle of how to provide every child with a great education, we need to develop a deeper understanding of what great teaching and learning really looks like -- and requires. Over time I've also reflected a lot on the core elements of a great story -- one that can inspire and edify -- and tried to apply those principles in the current 10-part video series A Year at Mission Hill. Like all things, it's a work in progress, but we're clearly onto something -- as the appeal of this Prezi attests.

Recently, I received an email from Michelle Rhee's organization, Students First, relating to an effort underway there to gather people's stories about why they choose to put students first. We're told that Michelle nodded along as she read "the same frustrations and motivations that drive me 

Bill Gates Has a Solution for Higher Education: Yoda | Inside Higher Ed

Bill Gates Has a Solution for Higher Education: Yoda | Inside Higher Ed:

Bill Gates Has a Solution for Higher Education: Yoda

by John Warner

Blog: 

Just Visiting

Bill Gates has diagnosed what ails higher education, and the cure is all about technology, and also Yoda.
Speaking at the SXSW technology conference, as reported by CNN Money, “Gates’ main theme was personalized learning, which can be enhanced by new technology.”
And Yoda.
Again according to CNN Money, Gates maintains that, “Yoda was a great teacher because the Jedi master understood when Skywalker is losing interest.”
In Gates’ own words, “With this wave of software that's being created that personalizes to the student ... there's real promise here that the kids can go back and engage in a way they couldn't before."
So Bill Gates and I, and just about everyone else I’m aware of, agree on two big things: 1. That large lecture classes are non-ideal atmospheres to engender learning. 2. The better alternative is personalized learning 

Introducing Student Voice Live! Keynote Speaker: Jamira Burley Student Voice

Student Voice:

Introducing Student Voice Live! Keynote Speaker: Jamira Burley

by admin

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Jamira Burley, 23, is the first of sixteen children to graduate high school and recently college.  Drive, perseverance, and passion, are just a few characteristics that this Philadelphia native is built with.  Recent graduate of Temple University, with dual degrees in International Business and Legal Studies. Currently,  Jamira is the Executive Director for the City of Philadelphia Youth Commission.
Previously, Jamira worked as the Student Leadership Coordinator for the School District of Philadelphia, where she was entrusted with the responsibility to implement student government councils in all 63 public high 

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools This Week

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Schools This Week:

Seattle Schools This Week

by Melissa Westbrook

Monday, March 11th
Curriculum&Instruction Committee meeting, 4-5:30 p.m.  Agenda
Hey, they're going to discuss Advanced Learning; I'm calling this one a "must attend."  Also, they will be discussing a math adoption timeline.   I appreciate an agenda that doesn't look like overreach on the part of how much a committee can get done and discussed in the time available.

Tuesday, March 12
Special Education Advocacy&Advisory Council Meeting from 6:30-9:00 p.m.

Wednesday, March 13th
Executive Committee meeting, 8:30-10:00 am.  Agenda.   Review of agendas for upcoming Board meetings, "timeline for community engagement for BEX projects", Race&Equity PD training request, Strategic Plan.  Wish I could go to this one.

Operations Committee meeting, 10:30 am- noon.  Agenda.  Discussion seems

How 2 Talk 2 Ur Kids About Testing | EduShyster

How 2 Talk 2 Ur Kids About Testing | EduShyster:

How 2 Talk 2 Ur Kids About Testing

by edushyster2012

That smell in the air can only mean one thing: it’s pre-testing time, which means that the real deal, high-stakes testing season, is just around the corner. But how should parents explain to their kids that these tests are really important, and also that the tests are hard because life is hard and if you think that filling in bubbles with a #2 pencil is hard, just wait until you get your first 21st century job with your new skillz. Fortunately you and your young test taker are not alone. The New York City Department of Education has helpfully prepared this helpful guide so that you can help your 3rd grader prepare for the intensity and excitement of test time. Note: these are the actual helpful tips merely copied and pasted from the helpful guide.
How should I talk with my child about the new standards? [Cue ominous soundtrack...]

• Begin a conversation by asking your child about what he or she is doing in school. What subjects or assignments are most interesting? Which ones seem harder this year? What feels different from the work she has done in the past?

• Explain to your child that most of the jobs she will want when she grows up will require her to be a good reader and writer. She will need to be able to do math problems that come up in the real world and use 

The Harvard ‘plumbers’:

The Harvard ‘plumbers’

Posted by Valerie Strauss on March 11, 2013 at 12:24 pm

We at the Washington Post are all too familiar with important people who feel the need to find and close leaks to the media.

We knew back in the 1970s when Richard Nixon’s ‘plumbers’ secretly tried to find who leaked classified information and then decided to expand their activities to include breaking into the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate building. A big scandal followed.

But one of the last places we expected officials to be secretly scouring e-mail accounts to plug a leak was at Harvard University, which is held up as a bastion of academic freedom where respect for professional educators and freedom of thought is paramount.

Alas, we learn that not even Harvard is exempt from the plumbing mentality. The Boston Globe reported that top administrators at the university secretly went through the e-mail 

State looking to terminate decades-long agreement with GED test vendorSI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources

SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources:

State looking to terminate decades-long agreement with GED test vendor
By Tom Chorneau
Monday, March 11, 2013

For the first time in 40 years, students taking the general educational development test as a pathway out of high school are likely to have a new exam administrator by 2014.

As a result of a corporate shuffle, the American Council on Education – which has owned the general education assessment used in California since 1974 – has assigned the testing services to a new firm operated in partnership with Pearson PLC – the London based publishing and education giant.

But the new firm, GED Testing Service, has placed conditions on states wishing to continue with its testing programs – some of which are likely to cost a lot more money. As a result, state schools chief Tom Torlakson will be asking the California State Board of Education this week for permission to seek out other options.

The general educational test is taken by about 50,000 students in California each year. It is by students in alternative education and those who left school without graduating and wish to attain a certificate with some equivalency to a diploma. Also, anybody may take the exam to indicate school completion within 3 months of his or her 18th birthday.

The test is typically used by adult learners, especially those in the criminal justice system.

Under California law, the State Superintendent of Public Instruction is required to issue a high school equivalency certificate to qualified students who pass the general educational test. The equivalency certificate is recognized under 

Bank Street to Host Diane Ravitch at Sold-Out Education Reform Event:

Bank Street to Host Diane Ravitch at Sold-Out Education Reform Event

Special guest speaker Diane Ravitch will headline the sold-out “What NYC’s Next Mayor Needs to Know About the Education Reform Movement,” hosted by Bank Street College of Education.

• 

Diane Ravitch headlines Bank Street's March 28 event on education reform.

While once I had been hopeful, even enthusiastic, about the potential benefits of testing, accountability, choice and markets, I now found myself experiencing profound doubts about these same ideas...

New York, NY (PRWEB) March 11, 2013

In an effort to share knowledge and empower education leaders, Bank Street College of Education, a leader in adult and childhood education and development, is hosting the sold-out “What NYC’s Next Mayor Needs to Know About the Education Reform Movement,” featuring special guest speaker Diane Ravitch, an education policy analyst and historian of education.

The March 28th discussion will be held at The McGraw-Hill Conference Center in New York City, and will center around Diane Ravitch, a former champion of “reform” ideas such as test-based accountability who served as the Assistant Secretary of Education under President George H.W. Bush. Ravitch now sees a different path ahead—one that lifts up teachers and schools.

“While once I had been hopeful, even enthusiastic, about the potential benefits of testing, accountability, choice and markets, I now found myself experiencing profound doubts about these same ideas,” Ravitch explained in her book, "The Death and Life of the Great American School System."

Faculty from Bank Street Graduate School of Education’s leadership and teacher preparation programs will lead a panel discussion after Ravitch’s talk. New York principals, teachers, museum and nonprofit educators, and others in attendance will have a chance to share their thoughts about how the ideas Ravitch presents play out on the ground, and on what policymakers should know.

Limited space is reserved for media who wish to attend this sold out event. Diane Ravitch, Jon Snyder(Dean of the College), and Virginia Roach (Dean of the Graduate School) will be available to media for commentary. Please contact Nicholas Gray at ngray@bankstreet.edu to attend.

ABOUT BANK STREET COLLEGE
Bank Street is a leading voice for progressive education in the policymaking arena, in New York and nationwide. With its focus on experiential learning and advocacy of effective approaches to early childhood education, Bank Street is among the nation’s most effective graduate schools for teacher preparation.

For more information, visit http://www.bankstreet.edu.

Student protests against standardized tests spreading

Student protests against standardized tests spreading:

Student protests against standardized tests spreading

Posted by Valerie Strauss on March 11, 2013 at 10:58 am

Colorado students are planning to walk out of the state’s mandatory assessment this week and protest at the state Capitol, the latest in growing student pushback against high-stakes tests around the country.

In Providence, R.I., students recently dressed up as zombies and marched at the State House; in Oregon, students are organizing an opt-out campaign to persuade other students not to take state standardized tests; in New York, California and other states, students are increasingly opting out of standardized testing.

Here are two videos made by students in Colorado who are planning a walkout Thursday, the day the Transitional Colorado Assessment Program tests are being given. The videos explain why the walkout and protest at the state Capitol are being planned and give 

UPDATE: Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans Midcourse Report Released Today — Whole Child Education

Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans Midcourse Report Released Today — Whole Child Education:

THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG

Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans Midcourse Report Released Today

March 8, 2013 by ASCD Whole Child Bloggers

In an effort to increase physical activity levels of all American youth, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services today released the report, Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans Midcourse Report: Strategies to Increase Physical Activity Among Youth (PDF), as a five-year follow-up to the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans.

The report identifies interventions that can help increase physical activity in youth in a variety of settings. It outlines evidence-based recommendations for focusing more efforts on five key settings: schools, preschools and childcare centers, community, family and home, and primary care locations.

The trend continues toward decreased physical activity among youth, which increases the risk of several chronic diseases in children 6–17 years of age. The 2011 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey found that youth are still not getting the recommended 60 minutes of daily physical activity. Research also shows that 

THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG

Caring Is Essential: School Librarians’ Roles in the Whole Child

March 1, 2013 by ASCD Whole Child Bloggers

Post submitted on behalf of whole child partner American Association of School Librarians by Jami L. Jones, associate professor, Department of Library Science, East Carolina University, Greenville, N.C.

The quintessential role of educators is to provide safe environments for children to flourish emotionally, academically, and physically. As we discuss safety, it is important to consider care—a magic bullet in this conversation.

In its May/June 2012 issue of Knowledge Quest, the American Association of School Librarians (AASL), a division of the American Library Association, weighed in about care, which is so vital to ASCD's Whole Child Initiative. In this issue, aptly titled "Caring Is Essential," Nel Noddings and Sonia Nieto join school librarians to consider the importance of the school librarian's role in creating safe havens. Noddings is well known for her commitment to keeping alive John Dewey's focus on the centrality of care to learning. Nieto writes about the power of care and respect to transform the lives of students and teachers.

In her article "The Transformative Power of Care," Olga M. Nesi, a library coordinator for New York City schools, presents nonnegotiable requirements of the school librarian to show care, respect, and genuine 

Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans Midcourse Report Released Today

ASCD Whole Child Bloggers at The Whole Child Blog — Whole Child Education - 14 minutes ago

The report outlines evidence-based recommendations for focusing more efforts on five key settings: schools, preschools and childcare centers, community, family and home, and primary care locations.

Throughout March: Reducing Barriers and Expanding Opportunities

Klea Scharberg at The Whole Child Blog — Whole Child Education - 14 minutes ago

Join us this month as we take a look at schools that have taken a challenge and turned it into a win.

Relationships Key to School Safety

Melissa Mellor at The Whole Child Blog — Whole Child Education - 14 minutes ago

Fostering trusting relationships between adults and students is the most effective way to improve school safety, a panel of experts told members of Congress during a recent House Education Committee hearing.

Three Strategies for Encouraging and Developing Student Voice

Dawn Imada Chan at The Whole Child Blog — Whole Child Education - 14 minutes ago

School leaders can take several important steps to incorporate student voice into their classrooms and schools.

No Kid Hungry Starts with Breakfast

Kumar Chandran at The Whole Child Blog — Whole Child Education - 14 minutes ago

More than 16 million children in the United States struggle with hunger, or one out of five kids. The solution is breakfast.

National School Breakfast Week 2013

Kristen Pekarek at The Whole Child Blog — Whole Child Education - 14 minutes ago

The benefits of a healthy, balanced breakfast at school show positive, large-scale outcomes in education, economics, and health. Learn more and celebrate this week.

Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans Midcourse Report Released Today

ASCD Whole Child Bloggers at The Whole Child Blog — Whole Child Education - 1 hour ago

The report outlines evidence-based recommendations for focusing more efforts on five key settings: schools, preschools and childcare centers, community, family and home, and primary care locations.

UPDTE: FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Monday, March 11, 2013

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team:

Adult education's fate in limbo in California

Education Headlines

Monday, March 11, 2013

School merger talks on

A group of Tuolumne County voters plans to collect thousands of signatures and put the question of school district unification on the 2014 ballot, with the goal of creating a “Tuolumne County Unified School District.”

Monterey County school districts plunge into Common Core testing challenge

A select group of seventh-graders from Carmel Middle School recently took part in a test trial to help debug exams to be used when new California educational standards are in place.

Tamalpais school district, staffers hit impasse in negotiations

After more than a year of negotiations and a failed attempt at state-led mediation, the Tamalpais Union High School District and a key employee union remain deadlocked on salaries and benefits and have called in a state fact finder.

Long Beach's Jordan High prepares for campus overhaul

In early 2014, the Long Beach Unified School District will break ground on its major $135.6 million renovation project at Jordan.

Several Pomona Unified School District programs to relocate in June

Some of Pomona Unified School District's programs this summer will move to the closed Pueblo Elementary School and the nearby Village at Indian Hill.

Many Coachella Valley teachers skipping out on school

Teachers at two of the Coachella Valley’s three school districts racked up more absences than their peers at the national and state levels, new federal data show.

Bucking fiscal advice, Twin Rivers board rejects layoff notices

The Twin Rivers Unified school board decided last week not to issue layoff notices for next school year, a move that could leave the north area district in financial trouble.

Romoland School District considering staff reductions

The governing board of the Romoland School District on Tuesday will consider a number of staff reductions to begin balancing its 2013-14 budget.

Some win, some lose in new school funding plan

School officials getting their first look at Gov. Jerry Brown’s pitch to push more money into public education are cautiously concerned that the proposal creates a wide chasm between potential haves and have-nots.

Schools add to central office pay, staff

The San Diego school board has boosted central-office personnel in recent months, raising salaries and adding jobs even as it prepared to sell off surplus property, increase class sizes and pare back its teaching force through attrition to help balance its budget.

Riverbank Unified School District vote beats budget update deadline

Facing a March 15 deadline to update its budget or stop writing checks, the Riverbank Unified School District board chose the update with a 3-2 vote Saturday.

Modesto City Schools to weigh layoff warnings for 36 employees

Tonight, the Modesto City Schools board will consider tentatively laying off 36 teachers, nurses and others, including most elementary school librarians.

Moreno Valley school board member gets 14 years for pimping

A Moreno Valley school board member who was convicted of running a prostitution ring out of his home — once flashing his district business card to recruit a young woman — was sentenced Friday to 14 years in state prison.

Plan to rename Union City school sparks controversy

A proposal to rename Alvarado Middle School has sparked controversy within New Haven Unified, with one side urging the school board to honor the city's large Filipino community, while opponents say that would detract from the area's diversity and drain funds from an already cash-strapped district.

School abuse reporting: Training murky despite horrifying cases, survey finds

A survey by the Bay Area News Group of 94 local school districts reveals the problem of haphazard compliance with child abuse laws is far larger than three errant districts.

Stricter state controls placed on teaching interns

Action by California credentialing panel seems to settle a debate over the rights of students who speak only limited English, the effectiveness of interns and the flexibility of districts in hiring instructors.

Teachers union to vote on aggressive stand against Deasy policies

The Los Angeles teachers union has scheduled an April vote for an initiative that would, if passed, call for a more aggressive posture against the leadership of the L.A. Unified School District.

Adult education's fate in limbo in California

School districts throughout California are weighing the fate of adult education courses that serve dropouts, recent immigrants and others at the margins of the economy as Gov. Jerry Brown proposes shifting the classes from K-12 to community colleges.

After 63 years, Palisades High English teacher closes the book

Rose Gilbert, who retired three weeks ago at 94, achieved celebrity status for being the oldest full-time teacher in the L.A. Unified School District. A drama classroom has been named in her honor.

Keep Foster Youth Services out of governor’s funding formula

Governor Jerry Brown’s new funding formula for education threatens to leave more than 40,000 school-age foster children in California without the essential support they need to succeed in school.

Friday, March 8, 2013

San Luis Coastal weighs cutting summer school

The San Luis Coastal Unified School District is contemplating a one-year hiatus for the majority of its summer school courses to save money as the district grapples with a $6 million deficit.

Fresno Unified wants energy funds linked to poverty, climate

Fresno Unified leaders Thursday afternoon urged state lawmakers to consider poverty and extreme weather conditions when granting $2.5 billion in Proposition 39 funds to improve energy efficiency in schools.

Sacramento City district trustees vote to keep open Tahoe, Twain schools

Sacramento City Unified School District trustees Thursday night, as expected, gave a unanimous thumbs-up to continued operation of both Tahoe Elementary and Mark Twain Elementary schools.

Rowland Unified celebrates new school building at Oswalt Elementary in Walnut

The academy finally gets a permanent home with a shiny new science lab and nine other classrooms.

School board member Rios faces sentencing Friday

Moreno Valley school board member Mike Rios faces sentencing Friday, March 8, for his 23 convictions on felony pimping, pandering and insurance fraud charges. He could get up to 33 years in prison.