Wednesday, June 12, 2013

by Joy Resmovits

A lengthy overhaul of the No Child Left Behind Act passed through a Senate education committee Wednesday, with senators voting 10-12 along party lines.

The "Strengthening America's Schools Act" is an over 1,000-page bill authored by Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), who chairs the Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee. It rolls back some of the more stringent aspects of the No Child Left Behind Act, but keeps in place the requirement that states set and report performance targets for their students. Senators sparred over the federal government's role in education when considering the overhaul, with Republicans calling Harkin's bill a federal overreach.

"We've got a huge difference between the two sides on this," said Sen. Mark Kirk (R-S.C.). "I don't think we're headed anywhere other than a couple of days we spend in a big room highlighting the differences."

Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), the committee's ranking member, introduced his own legislation last week. He offered it as an amendment during the markup, but it failed Tuesday. "It places in effect a national school board,"

Daily Kos: A brief update on Leaves on the Current

Daily Kos: A brief update on Leaves on the Current:

A brief update on Leaves on the Current

by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken)

This afternoon we finally got in to see her neurosurgeon. It started out with a warning that she might have to continue with her brace indefinitely, which was certainly not what we wanted to hear. He did show us her original xrays - it did not take a trained eye to see the damage that had been done to her spine.
He watched her walk.
We talked about options.
For now, the next step will be a contrast MRI of the two key areas of her spine and a set of regular xrays. That is set for Sunday evening - she will spend about an hour in the X-ray department and even though I will not be in the room while it is happening, I will not work that evening to be with her before and afterward.
It is possible that enough improvement will have occurred to allow one of several possibilities
1. being able to take off the brace most of the time
2. undergoing kyphyplasty at several points of her lower spine. This would involve using a needle to inject a cement or plastic to reinforce the spine at that point.
3. also a very outside chance of inserting an internal metal brace. That would require back surgery, and is considered unlikely because of how damaged her spine was before.
Depending upon what these x-rays show, she may need some more where she is bending forward and bending backward to see what if any weakness or instability is shown thereby.
So we do not yet know how this will play out.
There are good days and bad days with the chemo. She is not yet regularly working a full week - for example, she will have worked a bit less than half a day today.
We remain hopeful there will be enough improvement to have more mobility and less reliance upon "Gregor" but we do not yet know.
The neurosurgeon is top notch, although it would be his partner who would do any procedures.
We have also not ruled out a consultation at the Hospital for Special Surgery in NY, where her sister used to work for the CEO, and which is perhaps the premier place in the country for any of these kinds of procedures.
We thank people for their continued support and prayers and love.
Until the neurosurgeon has evaluated the xrays, we do not expect any further news to share.
Peace.

2013 Summer Meal Service Sites - Food Programs (CA Dept of Education)

2013 Summer Meal Service Sites - Food Programs (CA Dept of Education):

2013 Summer Meal Service Sites

Provides parents and referral agencies with a list of locations where children may receive free nutritious meals during school vacation and off-track periods. Please call site contact to confirm participation.

This data is current as of June 10, 2013; sites approved after this date may be posted at a later date. Entities wishing to serve meals under the Summer Food Service Program should contact the sponsor listed.

Search

Use search to find the nearest Summer Meal Service Site. Search results will be in a map that opens in a new browser tab or window.
Once you have found the nearest site on the map, select the corresponding map pointer to get the site name and address:
Site details will open in a dialog box above the selected site.
To get directions to the site, select/click the site address.
Google Maps will open with the selected site's address pre-filled as the destination. Enter your starting location and select "Get Directions".

Image Map

Select a county to display a list of locations for that county, or choose from the list of counties in alphabetical order.

List of Counties in Alphabetical Order

Complete List

2013 Summer Meal Service Sites (XLS)

Program Information

For program information, please visit Summer Food Service.

Questions: Nutrition Services Division | 800-952-5609

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Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Byrd-Bennett's 5-year plan is perfect, except for that fact that ...

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Byrd-Bennett's 5-year plan is perfect, except for that fact that ...:

Byrd-Bennett's 5-year plan is perfect, except for that fact that ...

by Mike Klonsky

...there really is no plan and BBB probably won't last 5 years.

For the first time since Mayor Rahm Emanuel took over CPS, his CEO laid out an education plan, calling for high academic standards, more focus on parental engagement and greater accountability for the district, including an annual scorecard. -- Catalyst

Ok, but what are the specifics of the plan? The Sun-Timessupports the plan. Here what they have to say about it.

"Much of the plan already has been announced, and it was short on details... But where’s the money to do this well? Ditto for arts education and better attendance (it takes people and time to hunt down truant kids). Byrd-Bennett says they’ll redirect resources and tap outside funds. That’s a start but not a recipe for lasting change."

Umm, no specifics, no recipe for lasting change, and no money to implement. So what is it you actually support

NYC Public School Parents: AFT’s Randi Weingarten letter about inBloom to Gates & Carnegie Foundations and their reply

NYC Public School Parents: AFT’s Randi Weingarten letter about inBloom to Gates & Carnegie Foundations and their reply:

AFT’s Randi Weingarten letter about inBloom to Gates & Carnegie Foundations and their reply

by Molly

Stacey Childress of Gates Foundation

On May 30, 2013, Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers and member of the Technical Advisory Group of the Shared Learning Collaborative, the precursor to inBloom Inc., wrote a letter to Michele Cahill and Stacey Childress, expressing her concern about inBloom’s privacy and security provisions. Cahill is Vice President at the Carnegie Corporation, and Childress is the Deputy Director of the Gates Foundation, and they are both founding members

NYC Public School Parents: Two leaked memos showing how desperate corporate reformers are to retain failed status quo policies after the election

NYC Public School Parents: Two leaked memos showing how desperate corporate reformers are to retain failed status quo policies after the election:

Two leaked memos showing how desperate corporate reformers are to retain failed status quo policies after the election

by Leonie Haimson

Two leaked memos show how desperately the corporate reformers in the administration and in the private sector want their policies to be retained after the mayoral election – despite the huge public disgust with the status quo.

The first is a memo from the Parthenon group, available at the GothamSchools website; showing how the DOE is avidly trying to strategize as to how to keep the network structure in place, when nearly all the Democratic candidates oppose it.

To this end, DOE has hired Parthenon as consultants for $375,000, paid for through private funds. FYI, Parthenon is also one of Gates Foundation’s favorite consulting companies, so quite possible they are footing the bill for initial phase of project.

However, as GS notes: “A longer-term phase of the project that Parthenon pitched involves managing the implementation of its vision during the 2013-2014 school year.

Ed Notes Online: Today's Rally: I Ain't Marching Anymore, But I will be Filming

Ed Notes Online: Today's Rally: I Ain't Marching Anymore, But I will be Filming:

Today's Rally: I Ain't Marching Anymore, But I will be Filming

by ed notes online

So I have mixed feelings about going to a rally to cheer Mulgrew 10 minutes after the giveaway of the contract to John King. I expressed some of these thoughts on the MORE and ICE listserves and there have been some heated discussions.

My brain is fried. after an evening of eating and drinking at Peter Luger's last night (Note to Fiorillo -- WHEN ARE WE GOING AGAIN? - And to vegetarian Julie Cavanagh -- why don't you join us?) so I can't even remember what was discussed but my instinct for this rally is "ho-hum, yet another rally amongst the dozen the UFT has been part of, all designed to make them look like they are actually doing something."

But the MOREs are enthusiastic and they are meeting at Tweed before the rally from 4-4:30 with people from their schools - if they can get people to go -- so I will go and maybe they can get me excited about this. Meet at 6PM at the post rally happy hour at Maxwell's, 59 Reade St. bet Church and Brwy. I have my writing group meeting at 7 but will stop by.

June 12th Citywide Labor Rally at City Hall!

10 Jun

We hope you are mobilizing for Wed. June 12^th Citywide Labor Rally at City Hall!

Please join the MORE contingent at 52 Chambers St. DOE Building (Tweed Courthouse) between 4-4:30 pm. We march to the City Hall Rally together at 4:30

Here are some things you can do:

1.    Sign up people at your school and bring co-workers! Use this flier to print and get people out
2.    Bring poster paper, markers, and sign ideas, or make signs and bring them. We will be handing out this flier to UFTers at the rally. Please make some copies to supplement the ones we’ll have on site.
3.    Get ready to chant! We will have chant sheets (download for some great slogans for you placard as well!) and plan to rally people around important points during the rally.
4.    We are having a post-rally Happy Hour near the rally 6 PM at Maxwell’s, 59 Reade St. between Broadway and Church. One block north of Chambers St. (http://www.maxwellsnyc.com).
5.    Join our Group Text! Download “Groupme” app to your cellphone (iPhone, Android,etc.). Then email your cell # to Mike Schirtzer mschir@gmail.com and we’ll send you text updates during the rally.

NY Ed Commissioner John King to speak at crooked Gulen Syracuse charter school graduation

by ed notes online

Gulen schools are also known for their abusing the H 1B visa program; hiring uncertified teachers mostly from Turkey, and allegedly demanding that they kickback 40% of their salary. The program was designed to bring in foreigners in “shortage areas”; Gulen schools have used this programmore than Google. This Syracuse school submitted 28 H-1B visa applications from 2003-2010.

Why would anyone be surprised that State Ed Comm John King is speaking at a charter that requires its

Reaction to State Budget - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education)

Reaction to State Budget - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education):

Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Issues Statement on State Budget

SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today offered the following statement regarding the proposed state budget for the 2013-14 fiscal year:

"This budget puts California where it belongs: leading the way in the drive to bring the Common Core State Standards to life in our classrooms and prepare students to contribute to our state's future. Dedicating more than $1 billion to training teachers, buying new materials, and investing in technology will help ensure that all children, no matter where they come from or what school they attend, receive the kind of world-class education they deserve.

"The progress made by the Governor and legislative leaders to put more decision-making in the hands of local school districts and direct more resources to the students who need them most is nothing short of historic. I'm also grateful for the work done to preserve funding for priority programs like career-technical education, which plays an important role in strengthening California's economy.

"While it will take years to replace the resources our schools have lost, I'm grateful that this budget marks a substantial start in the recovery of our education system, including a modest restoration of funding for critical early learning programs. While no budget is perfect, this is one a teacher can be proud of."

In Balancing Freedom and Security, A Tale of Two Cities

In Balancing Freedom and Security, A Tale of Two Cities:

In Balancing Freedom and Security, A Tale of Two Cities

by Sam

All this talk of Edward Snowden and the tension between freedom and security has reminded me that back in 2006, as part of a documentary history of First Amendment Rights in America, we included Section 215 of the Patriot Act as one of the book’s 37 primary sources.
I think what we wrote then has relevance now, but you, dear reader, will have the final word on that point. Enjoy –
Emotions were running high as more than two hundred people crowded into the city council chamber in Eugene, Oregon, on November 25, 2002. At issue was Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act (USA Patriot Act), passed by Congress a month after the terrorist attacks at the Pentagon and World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. Following passionate testimony from citizens, the Eugene City Council voted unanimously to support a statement opposing the Patriot Act. It reads in part: “We resolve that, to the extent legally possible, no city resources, particularly administrative

Schooling in the Ownership Society: J.P. Morgan: The Portuguese connection

Schooling in the Ownership Society: J.P. Morgan: The Portuguese connection:

J.P. Morgan: The Portuguese connection

by Mike Klonsky

Marching against austerity

I just got back from Portugal where austerity imposed by the IMF and other international creditors is crashing peoples' standard of living and destroying public space, including public education. As usual, the alternative to public space and public decision making is privatization and Portugal is no exception.

Guess who's pushing privatization and re-engineering Portuguese society? It's J.P. Morgan, the same investment bankers and hedge-funders who helped crash the economy here.

Reuters reports:

Portugal appointed J.P. Morgan as financial advisers in the planned privatization of the national postal service...The privatiszation is part of a wider state property sell-off by Lisbon ordered under

Summer Learning Day Is a Day of Action! — Whole Child Education

Summer Learning Day Is a Day of Action! — Whole Child Education:

THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG

Summer Learning Day Is a Day of Action!

June 12, 2013 by Bob Seidel

Summer Learning Day, June 21, is just around the corner. It is a grassroots movement to spread awareness about the issue of summer learning loss among parents, the public, and policymakers. Hundreds of eventswill take place across the country, celebrating local programs and providing a platform for policy advocacy.

The summer learning movement is part of a whole child approach to education. Children live their lives 12 months a year, not just when school is in session. They learn more or learn less or even lose what they've previously learned, if they don't have stimulating experiences during the summer. Many need, but don't get, federally-subsidized meals for nutrition and structured opportunities for healthy exercise 12 months a year.

The research is solid and shows that without stimulating activities during the summer, students tend to lose two months of what they learned (PDF) in math during the school year and low-income students tend to lose more than two months of reading skills. Research also demonstrates that young people's tendency toward obesity is aggravated during the summer (PDF). Students from working families who are often in relatively unsafe situations between 3:00 and 6:00 p.m. during the school year are likely in those situations all day during the summer. No matter what we do to support young people's education, health, and safety during th

Common Core “As A Scientist”

by Nicole D. Nearor

Although there are no current Common Core State Standards that are specifically written for science content, science teachers will be using the fundamental skills of reading, writing, listening, and speaking within their science content to help students become ready for college and career .
One of the focuses of Common Core for English/Language Arts (ELA) is informational text. Interesting enough, as students transition from elementary to middle to high school, they encounter more informational text because of the core courses they are taking. The majority of the literary texts are only taught in the English and language arts classes. Therefore, students are required to read more informational text within their specific content areas. Further, students who are struggling readers are placed in reading classes in middle school and even in high school. Is it only the job of the English and language arts teachers or the reading teachers to teach the students how to read informational texts?

LCFF accountability calls for smaller API subgroup tracking SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources

SI&A Cabinet Report – News & Resources:

LCFF accountability calls for smaller API subgroup tracking

As a part of the new Local Control Funding Formula tentatively approved by legislative leaders and Gov. Jerry Brown this week, school districts will be required to track and report the academic progress of subgroups of students as small as 30 members.

The proposed funding formula, which provides billions of dollars to districts with high concentrations of educationally-disadvantaged students, will also call on districts to meet new accountability mandates aimed at ensuring the additional funds are being used properly.

According to a briefing memo provided by legislative staff Tuesday, districts will be required to develop three-year “local control accountability plans” that will need to be updated annually to show both the goals and the progress of all targeted students.

Under the plan, small pockets of students will no longer be invisible within the state’s primary student performance evaluation tool, the Academic Performance Index. For the first time, as part of the proposal, foster care students will be included as a subgroup in the API.

The plan will require that the subgroup size as defined in the API, be reduced from 100 students to 30.

If approved as drafted, the accountability program calls on the California State Board of Education to adopt regulations governing how the targeted funds will be spent. It is contemplated that in some cases, districts would be given authority to spend the money “school-wide” when the concentration of disadvantaged students at a single site is high enough.

The accountability plans that districts will create, will require input from parents and the community. They will focus

Great Expectations - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher

Great Expectations - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher:

Great Expectations

by Nancy Flanagan

The last time it happened was a little over a year ago. I was coaching a cadre of new teachers, and one of them--a Teach for America "corps member"--and I were talking about the first day of school and the tone she hoped to set in maintaining an orderly classroom. I'm not worried, she said confidently. I have high expectations for them--and I'll make that very clear.
Oh, honey, if only it were that easy, I thought.
Using "high expectations" as touchstone for building an effective practice is essential, but wholly insufficient, in changing a classroom/building/systemic culture. The speechwriter who crafted the "soft bigotry of low expectations" meme for George W. Bush deserves a faux-reformy bonus, for embedding in the national consciousness the totally fictitious implication that teachers don't perceive potential and opportunity for their students in poverty. That the problems inherent in educating poor children lie with feckless, uncaring educators.
This concept is in direct contrast--to put it politely--with reality. From an award-winning colleague who teaches first grade in a Detroit public school:

My recent experience with district tests: DPS has developed a series of pre/post tests in each curriculum area to measure student growth. They are also a major factor in our evaluations. The tests themselves this year have been a nightmare. Believe it or not (ha!) they were not ready in the

UPDATE: Math requirements not aligned with Common Core + An exchange on controversial $100 million student database

An exchange on controversial $100 million student database:

Study: Math requirements not aligned with Common Core in many states

by Valerie Strauss

In a new sign that schools are not ready to fully embrace the Common Core State Standards, a report concludes that the large majority of states that have adopted the Core have not adjusted their math high school graduation requirements … Continue reading →

An exchange on controversial $100 million student database

By Valerie Strauss, Published: June 12, 2013 at 10:55 amE-mail the writer

Here is an exchange of letters about the controversial $100 million student databaselargely funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and operated by a new nonprofit organization, inBloom Inc. Privacy concerns about the database — which contains detailed information about millions of students — have been growing, and some states that initially signed up to participate in a pilot project have backed off.

American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten recently released this statement, saying in part:

Any potential inBloom has to improve and personalize learning is being overshadowed by a growing lack of public trust in its early communications and operations, and genuine concerns about the security, privacy, sharing and exploitation of data.

The AFT asked inBloom funders for “clarification” of issues, and following are the exchange of letters between Weingarten and funders, the Carnegie Corp. of New Yor

UPDATE: FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Wednesday, June 12, 2013

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team:

No Child Left Behind debate begins in Congress, again

Education Headlines

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Families sue to block Sac City Unified school closures

A dozen minority students and their parents have filed suit in Sacramento-based federal court in a bid to block the Sacramento City Unified School District from closing seven elementary schools.

Twin Rivers board hires superintendent from Fresno

The Twin Rivers Unified school board voted Tuesday night to hire Steve Martinez as its superintendent. Martinez has a three-year contract with an annual salary of $215,000. He will start his new job July 1.

New education funding comes with strings

A so-called funding windfall for public schools emerging from a state budget deal struck by the governor and lawmakers is not easy money, a Salinas educator said Tuesday.

Rowland Unified offers teachers $1 million to retire early in Rowland Heights

Rowland Unified hopes 50 teachers and administrators will retire this summer. In fact, it is offering incentives worth $1 million to entice teachers to put away their books.

Stockton USD assistant near appointment

Kirk Nicholas, a Stockton Unified assistant superintendent, is in final negotiations to become the superintendent of Lammersville Unified in Mountain House, Lammersville announced Monday afternoon.

West Contra Costa school district plans campaign to hike property values

Seeking to benefit from the mending housing market, the West Contra Costa school district has hired a media firm to lead a campaign to get the county to raise assessed valuations on properties where they were lowered during the real estate downturn.

Lennox school board member accused of pulling strings so credit-deficit daughter can walk stage at graduation

The tiny community has been buzzing all week with claims that the daughter of board member Mercedes Ibarra was able to enjoy senior privileges when she didn't earn them at the Lennox Math, Science and Technology Academy -- a high-performing charter high school.

Oakland teachers to vote on pay increase Friday

The school district's 2,400 teachers have a tentative agreement for a new contract that gives them a raise for the first time in five years.Teachers on Friday will vote on a one-year retroactive contract that ends July 1. It gives them a one-time payment of 2.35 percent of their salaries and a 1.5 percent raise.

No Child Left Behind debate begins in Congress, again

Partisan disagreements over the role of the federal government in education policy threaten this year’s best chance to overhaul No Child Left Behind.

Fensterwald: Michael Kirst, father of new school funding formula, looks back and at the work ahead

It was the morning after the evening of the last revision, and the father of the Local Control Funding Formula looked upon all that the governor and Legislature had made, and declared, “Hey, not bad.”

New K-12 funding formula gets thumbs up from local school superintendents

A compromise deal that would overhaul the funding system for California's public schools was hailed Tuesday by education leaders who said it would channel more money to all districts, even in well-to-do suburbs, and give a bigger financial boost to those with large numbers of disadvantaged students.

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

2013 Summer Meal Service Sites

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List of Counties in Alphabetical Order

Complete List

Program Information

The first is a memo from the Parthenon group, available at the GothamSchools website; showing how the DOE is avidly trying to strategize as to how to keep the network structure in place, when nearly all the Democratic candidates oppose it.

To this end, DOE has hired Parthenon as consultants for $375,000, paid for through private funds. FYI, Parthenon is also one of Gates Foundation’s favorite consulting companies, so quite possible they are footing the bill for initial phase of project.

However, as GS notes: “A longer-term phase of the project that Parthenon pitched involves managing the implementation of its vision during the 2013-2014 school year.

Here are some things you can do:

Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Issues Statement on State Budget

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Summer Learning Day Is a Day of Action!

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