Friday, March 15, 2013

SES IS A MESS: Read Dallas, Garland and San Antonio ISD complaints about tutoring companies | Education Blog

Read Dallas, Garland and San Antonio ISD complaints about tutoring companies | Education Blog:

Read Dallas, Garland and San Antonio ISD complaints about tutoring companies

By Holly K. Hacker
hhacker@dallasnews.com
12:40 pm on March 15, 2013 | Permalink

The education agency is still investigating other complaints against those and other tutoring businesses. I’ve posted copies of complaints that Dallas, Garland and San Antonio ISDs sent recently to TEA. Below those, you’ll find Boost Academy’s responses to TEA about getting kicked off the state list.

Several school districts around Texas have complained about the tutoring, also known as supplemental education services, that are required under the federal No Child Left Behind law. New TEA Commissioner Michael Williams recently asked the feds to let Texas get out of the tutoring requirement. Several states have made the same request. In Florida, the tutoring industry has successfully fought back. The tutoring lobby has been active here in Texas, too.

Tutoring Complaints

Boost Academy Responses

Duncan to Florida: Tutoring Doesn't Work

By Alyson Klein on May 17, 2012 3:39 PM

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said today he doesn't understand why Florida passed a law requiring districts to continue offering free tutoring to students in struggling schools.

Florida is one of 11 states that got a waiver from many of the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act. That means districts in the Sunshine State no longer have to put aside 20 percent of their Title I money for tutoring and school choice.

But lawmakers in Florida still think tutoring is a good idea and passed a law requiring districts to set aside 15 percent of their Title I funding for the program. The law takes effect in July.

Duncan doesn't think that was a smart move, and said so at a meeting of the Florida Council of 100, a non-profit organization comprised of business leaders in the state that advises the governor and other policy makers on key issues.

He pointed to a recent U.S. Department of Education study, which examined so-called

SES WHAT A MESS: More on Dallas ISD & the federal tutoring program | Dallas ISD Blog | dallasnews.com

More on Dallas ISD & the federal tutoring program | Dallas ISD Blog | dallasnews.com:

Matthew Haag & I wrote Sunday about DISD's frustrations with a tutoring program required under the No Child Left Behind law. Twenty-six DISD schools must offer the tutoring, also called Supplemental Educational Services, to poor kids. DISD said they've found evidence of fraudulent billing by at least two SES providers. Beyond that, district officials say, they see little evidence that the tutoring actually helps, given all the money spent on it. Here's what Patricia Burch, a researcher at the University of Southern California, had to say:

The SES program is a good idea in principle. It is a good idea to use Title I funds to provide more instruction as needed to kids whose families might not be able to afford private tutors. But much of the

SES IS A MESS- #askArne - Fraud, waste hijack tutoring program | StarTribune.com

Fraud, waste hijack tutoring program | StarTribune.com:

FRAUD, WASTE HIJACK TUTORING PROGRAM

Article by: JEFFREY MEITRODT and DAAREL BURNETTE , Star Tribune
Updated: June 3, 2012 - 7:18 AM

A decade of problems has failed students, schools and taxpayers.

This Week In Education: Thompson: Trauma Treatment At Heart Of "Harper High"

This Week In Education: Thompson: Trauma Treatment At Heart Of "Harper High":

Thompson: Trauma Treatment At Heart Of "Harper High"

by john thompson

This American Life's brilliant radio documentary about Harper High School describes a "Turnaround" school as it comes off a year in which 29 current and recent students were shot. Eight died, and there were dozens of other incidents where bullets were thrown.
Reporter Alex Kotlowitz, author of the masterpiece, There Are No Children Here, reporting with Linda Lutton, Ben Calhoun, and Ira Glass, spent five months at Harper.
Nearly every time Kotlowitz visited the school's social work office, a student named Thomas would be there. Asked why he hangs out there so much, Thomas replied in a "muffled and sluggish" voice, as if he's "speaking from deep inside a cave:"
"Nay, I ain't gonna give you no answer for that. Every time I come here, you come. And I'm for real."
Thomas sounds like the type of black male who frightens so many people who don't understand his world. "His braided hair hangs over his eyes. He often has a hood on. He won't look you in the

Raise Your Voice for Healthy Food in Schools « MomsRising Blog

Raise Your Voice for Healthy Food in Schools « MomsRising Blog:

Raise Your Voice for Healthy Food in Schools

Lisa Sharma Creighton at MomsRising Blog - 57 minutes ago

These days there is a lot of talk about why we should have healthier food in schools –from childhood obesity prevention to positive nutrition messaging to the connection between healthy diet and academic performance. These are all great reasons, but for me it really boils down to that offering healthy food choices is the right [...]

MomsRising.org Food Power! Conference Recap

Nellie Acevedo at MomsRising Blog - 57 minutes ago

marketing unhealthy food to our children Earlier in the day we watched this short video which I forgot to include in Part one of the MomsRising FoodPower Conference Recap: Moving. Disturbing. Incredibly true. After watching the Soul Food Junkie documentary, we headed upstairs for the breakout sessions: The one I chose was: Junk Food Marketing [...]

5 Ways to Improve School Snacks

Katy Farber at MomsRising Blog - 57 minutes ago

Research shows that 40 percent of students buy and eat snack foods at school in a typical day. I can see this daily in my classroom. Many parents are too busy to pack snacks, especially healthy ones. Some of my students are on their own to pack lunches and snacks, and the result can be [...]

Sugar, Diabetes and Whack-a-mole

Casey Hinds at MomsRising Blog - 57 minutes ago

Dr. Robert Lustig’s groundbreaking study linking sugar and diabetes should motivate all parents to up their game of junk food whack-a-mole. The researchers found that in countries where the incidence of diabetes went up, the availability of sugar had increased earlier and in roughly the same proportion. By establishing a dose-response relationship, the study allows [ ...]

Even before they are school aged, toddlers are fed junk food at day care

Sarah Griswold at MomsRising Blog - 57 minutes ago

By trade, I am a registered dietitian. So, I know a lot more than the average mom about what to eat and what not to eat. In fact, my mother is also a registered dietitian, so the basics of a healthy diet were part of everyday life for me growing up. As a dietitian, I [...]

Stop Feeding My Kids Junk Food At School

Stacy Whitman at MomsRising Blog - 57 minutes ago

Last night at dinner, my first grader described the big cupcake that he ate yesterday at school in honor of a classmate’s birthday. Between bites of pasta mixed with spinach-walnut pesto, he offered a detailed account of chocolate cake, colored sprinkles and a copious pile of frosting. I, of course, couldn’t help but wince. Because, you see, [...]

What’s All This Talk About Competitive Foods?

Yoli Ouiya at MomsRising Blog - 57 minutes ago

Competitive foods has been the buzz phrase in the food policy social world for a few weeks. You have probably figured out by now that is has something to do with kids, schools, passionate parents, junk food, and cunning lobbyists bribing kids with candy. If so, then you’re on the right track. Competitive foods and [...]

Reducing Junk Food Access in Schools: Just About Obesity?

Chinara Tate at MomsRising Blog - 57 minutes ago

Under current USDA guidelines, a 10 year old child attending public school can opt to consume the following on any given school day: a can of Coca-Cola and a HoneyBun for breakfast; a Snickers bar for a snack; an a la carte pizza, bag of potato chips, packaged chocolate chip cookie and an additional soda [...]

Junk Free Schools: A MomsRising.org Blog Carnival

Bryant Terry at MomsRising Blog - 57 minutes ago

As a chef, food justice activist, and author, I’m thrilled to introduce this MomsRising Blog Carnival – Junk Free Schools! Many children consume up to half of their daily calories at school, and 40% of students purchase snack food at school. Today, schools across the country are serving healthier breakfasts and lunches because of recent [...]

UPDATE: Words of Wisdom on Ed Reform Seattle Schools Community Forum: Friday Open Thread

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Friday Open Thread:

Words of Wisdom on Ed Reform

by Melissa Westbrook

It is sad that we had such a plethora of smart people in the last School Board election who didn't win.

One who comes to mind is Jack Whelan who would have been the thinking person's Board Director. He wrote this comment at the thread about Ron Sims and it's worth reprinting in case you missed it. His words are the canary in the coal mine to what I believe will happen when the weight of ed reform starts to collapse on itself in about 10 years.

He doesn't mention Obama but he might have been speaking of him. I love that he mentions Jerry Brown who has been one of the hardest-working public servants in our country. (Bold mine.)

Every politician presents him or herself as an agent for change, but we're living in a time when almost everything

More Food for Education Thought

by Melissa Westbrook

Fran Lebowitz in an interview with Mirabella in 1994:

When asked what she would do as President she said:

I would be the education dictator. First, I would federalize the public school system.

(She was speaking of getting kids into educational setting as early as possible.)

I would make them wear uniforms. I think there's nothing more unattractive than fashion-consciousness in children.

I would teach the 3Rs, give or take arithmetic. I'd also teach them how to eat. People will think table manners are a stupid thing to talk about if you're running the world, but civility is, after all, the key to civilization.

It used to be that school reinforced things that you heard fifty thousand times at home.

From What I've Learned: Neil Young

Our education system basically strives for normal - which is too bad. Sometimes the exceptional is classified

Friday Open Thread

by Melissa Westbrook

First up, there are community townhalls tomorrow for legislative districts. Go weigh in and talk to your legislators about education issues in our state. I'm going to mine in the 43rd.

What education bills are still alive in the Legislature (from the Times):

Grading schools: The Senate has advanced a measure to assign A-F grades to schools based on factors including improvement of student test scores. Supporters say parents could get a clear sign of how a school is doing. Opponents insist it would be punitive and often unfair. (SB 5328)

Third-grade reading: The Senate has advanced a measure to require third-graders with inadequate reading skills to repeat a grade, attend summer school or otherwise improve their reading before enrolling in fourth

UPDATE: The idiocracy at CPS. A hat trick. | Fred Klonsky

The idiocracy at CPS. A hat trick. | Fred Klonsky:

The idiocracy at CPS. A hat trick.

by Fred Klonsky

Y’know, it’s not like I’m paid for this.
I have other responsibilities.
Even though I’m retired.
But some days, there is just too much to cover.
Like yesterday.

Millionaire heiress, union-buster, school-closer, tax-cheat Penny Pritzker resigns from the CPS board to go work for Obama in DC as Commerce Secretary (it is rumored).
In spite of thousands of people turning out at city-wide hearings opposing school closings, CPS CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett claims everyone understands why she is closing schools.
And then the craziness around Persepolis.

It’s a blogger’s hat trick.
Nate Goldbaum sends this:

Below are listings of Persepolis in the CPS.edu website
1-4 of 4 persepolis.
Toolset_Seventh_Grade_v1.0.pdf
Literacy Content Framework SEVENTH GRADE TOOLSET VERSION 1.0 – SY12-13 CITY OF CHICAGO Rahm Emanuel Mayor CITY BOARD OF EDUCATION David J. Vitale President Jesse H. Ruiz Vice President Members: Henry …
http://www.cps.edu/commoncore/Documents/Toolset_Seventh_Grade_v1.0.pdf
Toolset_Eleventh_Grade_v1.0.pdf
Literacy Content Framework ELEVENTH GRADE TOOLSET VERSION 1.0 – SY12-13 CITY OF CHICAGO Rahm Emanuel Mayor CITY BOARD OF EDUCATION David J. Vitale President Jesse

CTU statement on book banning.

by Fred Klonsky

The Chicago Teachers Union released the following statements regarding today’s protests by educators and students of the school district’s sudden ban on the graphic novel Persepolis.
Elementary school principals were ordered through email to remove all copies of the book from classrooms and libraries:
“We are surprised ‘Persepolis: A Story of Childhood’ would be banned by the Chicago Public School (CPS) system. The only place we’ve heard of this book being banned is in Iran. We understand why the district would be afraid of a book like this– at a time when they are closing schools–because it’s about questioning authority, class structures, racism and gender issues. There’s even a part in the book where they are talking about blocking access to education. So we can see why the school district would be alarmed about students learning about these principles. There’s a lot of merit in Marjane Satrapj’s graphic novel. Not only is it thoughtful, it can be instructive for young people, especially girls. Persepolis can help our students begin to think about the world around them. We hope CPS has not reverted back to the 1950s,” said CTU Financial Secretary Kristine Mayle.”
“We hope this is not a trend in Chicago’s failed school reform experiment. There are rumors that CPS wants to also ban ‘A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Solider’ by Ishmael Beah, and, that too, would be unfortunate. We stand with our educators who see this sudden book banning directive as an unnecessary overreaction,” added CTU spokeswoman Stephanie Gadlin.

Persepolis protest scheduled at Lane this afternoon.

by Fred Klonsky

A group of students, parents and teachers from Lane Technical High School are planning a protest this afternoon at the corners of Western and Addison streets. They will be protesting the action of CPS bureaucrats who have attempted to pull the acclaimed graphic novel, Persepolis, off of school book shelves.
The action is scheduled for 3:30.
Teacher networks across the city have been buzzing about the action by CPS.
Frankly, nobody can figure this one out. Teachers have said that the book is on the CPS Core Curriculum reading list for multiple grades.
“Oh, stick around. CPS bureaucrats do this all the time. They never learn to research first – just one knee-jerk reaction after another,” one CPS teacher wrote me.
According to organizers all are invited to the protest who support the First Amendment, education and intellectual freedom.

UPDATE: Byrd-Bennett says yes to book banning Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: How many more reasons do you need?

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: How many more reasons do you need?:

Byrd-Bennett says yes to book banning

by Mike Klonsky

Today at Lane Tech

In this morning's post, I greatly underestimated the arrogance and stupidity of the CPS autocrats. That's a sin that someone with my experience should never commit.

I assumed that the outrageous banning of the graphic novel Persepolis was the move of some misguided middle-level bureaucrat. But by this afternoon, CEOByrd-Bennett had not only taken credit for the banning, she had doubled-down by declaring the book to be inappropriate for seventh-graders "because it contains "graphic language and images."

And here I always thought that graphic language and images were the mark of great literature -- especially of a graphic novel. I also thought that it was the job of teachers to guide their students towards developmentally-appropriate reading. Do we really need the schools CEO to decide for teachers which books to ban?
An award-winning work, Persepolis has been translated into more than 40 languages. It was published in the United States as two volumes in 2003 and 2004 and later as a single volume. It was chosen by the Young Adult

How many more reasons do you need?

by Mike Klonsky

“Listen. I don't like to preach, but here's some advice. You'll meet a lot of jerks in life. If they hurt you, remember it's because they're stupid. Don't react to their cruelty. There's nothing worse than bitterness and revenge. Keep your dignity and be true to yourself.” ― Marjane Satrapi, Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood

I've kept a running list of reasons to get rid of mayoral control of the schools. I'm already up in the high 600s. When the public schools are run autocratically as a wing of City Hall, you wind up with an education system run strictly in the political interests of the mayor and his corporate backers.

More reasons were added just yesterday:

#667 -- The Big Lie Syndrome
Schools CEO Byrd-Bennett came up with a whopper, obviously cooked up with the aid of CPS Liar-In-Chief, Becky Carroll. BBB claims that the 20,000 people who attended her Walton-funded school-closing hearings, all agreed on the need to close schools.

If she had attended any of them it would have made it 20,001. BBB now claims she is "pouring over the transcripts" from those meetings before she makes her final recommendations to the school board March 31. If

Best of the Ed Blogs | National Education Policy Center

Best of the Ed Blogs | National Education Policy Center:

Diane Ravitch

March 13, 2013

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Friday, March 15, 2013

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team:

Parent volunteers help kids get safely to school after crossing guards cut

Education Headlines

Friday, March 15, 2013

Students protest at Coachella Valley Unified School District board meeting

Dozens of protesters gathered at tonight’s Coachella Valley Unified School District board meeting, but there wasn’t enough room for them inside the board room.

Madera Unified issues notices to cut 36 positions

More than three dozen Madera Unified teachers have received layoff notices, notifying them that their jobs could be in jeopardy for the upcoming school year.

Ocean View district, teachers settle on contract

This year's teaching contract at Ocean View School District finally is headed to a vote after the district and union negotiators came to a tentative agreement on March 5.

Ex-Capo schools chief's $1.6 million lawsuit tossed out

An Orange County judge on Thursday dismissed a $1.6 million breach-of-contract lawsuit filed by former Capistrano Unified schools chief James Fleming, ruling that the man who once maintained lists of his parent critics was four years too late in filing his legal claim.

Have charter schools grown too fast?

After two decades of offering educational choice to families, leaders of the charter-school movement in California are touting accomplishments but also calling for higher standards in light of some underperforming and mismanaged schools.

Denair school board fires superintendent

The Denair Unified School District board fired Superintendent Ed Parraz on Thursday night, saying the vote was unanimous though it took the action "with deep regret."

Hayward principals, vice principals get a reprieve -- no new pink slips

Principals and vice principals will not receive pink slips as had been feared after the Hayward Unified School District superintendent sent an email earlier this month saying that the school board was considering more layoffs.

Four full-time teacher positions to be cut in John Swett school district next year

Four full-time equivalent teaching positions are scheduled to be eliminated next year in the John Swett Unified School District.

Parent volunteers help kids get safely to school after crossing guards cut

When the Concord City Council began phasing out school crossing guards to save money, parents started worrying about how their children would safely walk to school. At three Mt. Diablo district campuses, parents have stepped up fill the void. They don brightly colored safety vests, wield hand-held stop signs, and step fearlessly into dangerous intersections to halt traffic for students scrambling to class.

Fensterwald: Most State Board members back districts’ NCLB waiver

A majority of State Board of Education members expressed strong support at their meeting Thursday for a consortium of districts’ unconventional request for a waiver from constraints of the federal No Child Left Behind law.

EdSource: Dramatic dip in ‘pink slips’ given to teachers

Districts have issued dramatically fewer preliminary layoff notices to teachers this year, signaling an end to five years of high budgetary anxiety and providing one of the first concrete examples of the immediate benefits of Proposition 30.

Thursday, March 14, 2013

School modernization creates headaches for parents, cities

With most of its buildings more than half-a-century old, the school district, composed of 68 schools stretching across neighboring cities such as Fountain Valley and Westminster, placed Measure A on the June 2010 ballot. It passed on a 59.2 percent vote. The bond measure created $250 million in local funds – and paved the way for the district to receive state matching funds – to upgrade its schools.

Ocean View district, teachers settle on contract

This year's teaching contract at Ocean View School District finally is headed to a vote after the district and union negotiators came to a tentative agreement on March 5.

Most Ventura County school districts are not sending pink slips to teachers this year

For the first time in several years, most local school districts aren't planning to send teachers pink slips this month.

Latest News and Comment from Education

Friday, March 15, 2013

Duncan to Florida: Tutoring Doesn't Work

SES IS A MESS- #askArne - Fraud, waste hijack tutoring program | StarTribune.com

FRAUD, WASTE HIJACK TUTORING PROGRAM

Best of the Ed Blogs

Education Headlines