Developing District Leaders: A National Superintendent Certification Program | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights

Developing District Leaders: A National Superintendent Certification Program | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights:

Developing District Leaders: A National Superintendent Certification Program

By AASA, The School Superintendents Association on July 3, 2013

By Daniel A. Domenech, Executive Director, AASA, The School Superintendents Association
In 2015, we will be celebrating AASA’s 150th anniversary, and as we arrive at this milestone, we are proud to announce the official launch of the AASA National Superintendent Certification Program. Working with our new partner, The SUPES Academy, we have been hard at work planning a robust experience that will focus on sharpening the skills that successful superintendents acknowledge are needed to thrive on the job, and provide a relevant experience for our members. As I have traveled across the country in planning this program, it has been made clear that the political and economic pressures of the job are exacerbated by growing intrusion into local control and a prevailing attitude that educators do not have the solutions and indeed are part of the problem. Our certificate will help our members strive in these difficult conditions.
The school district is often the biggest “business” in the community it serves, managing the largest budget and supervising the greatest number of employees. Yet the superintendent’s position was created to be the community’s educational leader, not the CEO of its schools. Times have changed, and clearly today the superintendent must be both- we are proud that our programming will help address the challenges that arise when trying to be both an 

I Used To Think … And Now I Think (Part 2) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

I Used To Think … And Now I Think (Part 2) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice:

I Used To Think … And Now I Think (Part 2)

I published Part 1 about how my ideas about school reform have changed over the past half-century. Here is Part 2.

***************************************************************************

I used to think that structural reforms (e.g., creating non-graded schools; new district and school site governance structures; novel technologies; small high schools with block schedules, advisories, and student learning communities) would lead to better classroom instruction. And now I think that, at best, such structural reforms may be necessary first steps toward improving instruction but are (and have been) seldom sufficient to alter traditional teaching practices.

In teaching nearly 15 years, I had concluded that policies creating new structures (see above examples) would alter common teaching practices which, in turn, would get students to learn more, faster, and better.

I revised that conclusion, albeit in slow motion, as I looked around at how my fellow teachers taught and began to examine my own classroom practices. I 

School Admin Virtual Mentor Program #SAVMP | Connected Principals

School Admin Virtual Mentor Program #SAVMP | Connected Principals:

School Admin Virtual Mentor Program #SAVMP

July 3, 2013

By George Couros

School Admin Virtual Mentor Program #SAVMP

Looking to help develop administrators to lead innovative school environments that meet the needs of students today, we have decided to start the “School Administrator Virtual Mentor Program” (#SVAMP).  This program is to pair a new administrator with one that has more experience.  This is not meant to be the typical “mentor-mentee” relationship, but the hope is that through active sharing, each administrator will be help to learn from each other, and others can learn from all of the shared experiences.

Program Design

This program is meant to last for the 2013-2014 school year (typically August to June) although it is open to administrators from all over the world.  Each person that is a “mentor” will be paired with three (maximum) “mentees” that they will be able to connect through virtual means (email, twitter, videochat, etc.) to help them develop their leadership.  There will also be an online sessions (once a month) that will help to share ideas for learning and leading with guest speakers.  All of these talks will be archived and shared if they do not fit into your regular schedule. This is more than likely to be done through the use of Google Hangout.

All of the standards that we will be focusing on will be based on the

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 7-3-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | #neara13 #RYH4Ed #BATsACT

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all:

Camika Royal Tells the Truth to TFA Recruits

In this remarkable speech to a large gathering of Teach for America recruits, Dr. Camika Royal laid out the details of the disaster in Philadelphia and laid the blame on the state, where it belongs. She told the recruits that Philadelphia is a microcosm for urban districts across the nation, where public schools are under attack and are folding. She questioned why young people lie those in her aud

by dianerav / 13min 

Georgia Teachers Salute BAT

A reader comments from Georgia: “Mr. Norreese Haynes and I of the Metro Association of Classroom Educators (MACE) here in Georgia are putting together a book that we have written, decrying the fact that the Socialistic Left and the Capitalistic Right have joined together to take the teaching profession hostage. Classroom Educators are used as Levitical scapegoats for all of the ills in public educ

by dianerav / 6min 

Anthony Cody: The Nine Most Terrifying Words in the English Language

Anthony Cody explains that the nine most terrifying words in the English language to an educator are, “I’m from Big Business, and I’m here to help.” Business ideas about competition and incentives, he says, don’t work in schools. Profit-driven reforms don’t work either. Businesses and schools have different bottom lines. As he concludes: “The market system demands winners and losers, and the big

by dianerav / 15min

Is Eli Broad Abandoning TFA?

In an op-ed in the Los Angeles Times, billionaire philanthropist Eli Broad heaps praise on the much-maligned report of the National Council on Teacher Quality. For a foundation that claims to care most of all about performance, not inputs, Broad is surprisingly willing to endorse a report based solely on a review of course readings and catalogues, not results. That is probably because his foundati

by dianerav / 4min 

The Origins of BAT: When Reason Doesn’t Work

Mark Naison, one of the founders and leaders of the Badass Association of Teachers, explains why BAT became necessary, and why its numbers have grown so dramatically:   When Reason Doesn’t Work: Another Explanation for “The Rise of the BATs” Many people have criticized the “Badass Teachers Association” for its unprofessional sounding name and in your face image, but the meteoric rise of this group

by dianerav / 8min

In Search of a Metaphor for “Reform”

Over recent years, I have heard many metaphors used to explain what is happening–what is being done to–the nation’s public schools. In New York City, parents often use the phrase “the emperor has no clothes.” Others may have different metaphors to suggest. In this post, reader Joanna Best thinks that the story of Hansel and Gretel best explains what is happening across the nation:   So, as I have

by dianerav / 16min 

Voice, Not Choice, Improves Public Schools

Steve Hinnefeld writes a terrific blog in Indiana. In this one, he explains that public schools get better when parents become active and use their voice. They do not become better when parents vote with their feet and exit the door to a charter school, a  private school, or something else. I am going to be watching this blogger. He understands how our public schools are being wrecked by misguided

by dianerav / 17min 

They Closed My School, But It Will Always Be in My Heart

Teacher Hector Solon is heart-broken. He was proud to work at Albion High School. He loved the kids. The kids were the best. So was the staff. But they closed the school. It hurts him to think about it, to talk about it, to write it. “I may be gone from AHS, but a piece of my heart will always be there, hidden away in room 121, where magic happened, students learned and grew, and lives were chan

by dianerav / 35min

How The Privatization Movement Is Destroying Public Education

In this post, Richard Eskow describes the manipulation of public opinion by people who call themselves reformers. The attack on public duration, he writes, is an attack on children and our nation’s future. The playbook has been carefully planned and orchestrated. And the media fell for it, with few exceptions. Instead of calling them “reformers,” he says, they should be known as “demolishes.” H

by dianerav / 51min

 Katie Osgood to New TFA Recruits: Quit

In this post, Katie Osgood writes an open letter to the young people who are entering Teach for America as new recruits. She knows they are idealistic and believe they are serving a noble cause. They think they are working to reduce inequality. They think they are activists in a progressive organization. Nothing could be farther from the truth, she writes. They will enter the classrooms of poor

by dianerav / 2h 

Diane in the Evening 7-2-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | #neara13 #RYH4Ed #BATsACT

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: YO @alexanderrussoThis is Diane speaking to her ResearchersJoel Klein Intervenes in NYC Mayor Race to Defend RecordJoel Klein lambasted the Democratic candidates in the race to succeed Mayor Bloomberg for their criticism of his policies. Klein defended the policy of giving free public space to charters, even though many of the char

by mike simpson / 3h 

What the Stafford Loan Interest Rate Hike Means for Students - US News and World Report

What the Stafford Loan Interest Rate Hike Means for Students - US News and World Report:

What the Stafford Loan Interest Rate Hike Means for Students

Interest rates doubled on new Stafford loans, but that’s ‘not the end of the world,’ one expert says.

By KELSEY SHEEHY

July 3, 2013 RSS Feed Print

Interest rates on new Stafford loans jumped Monday after lawmakers failed to reach a deal.

Student loan interest rates doubled on Monday, jumping from 3.4 to 6.8 percent, but it will be at least a year before borrowers feel the impact.

That's because the rate hike only applies to new loans – specifically new subsidized Stafford loans – taken out by undergraduates on or after July 1.

Incoming college freshmen borrowing for the fall semester will not be repaying those loans until six months after they leave school. For those who don't drop out, that is another four, five or even six years down the road. Seniors graduating in December won't feel the pinch until this time next year.

"It's not really a big deal. It's not the end of the world," says financial aid expert Mark Kantrowitz, publisher of Edvisors.com.

[Discover loan repayment tips for college dropouts.]

The Common Core Nightmare That Awaits Us | toteachornototeach

The Common Core Nightmare That Awaits Us | toteachornototeach:

The Common Core Nightmare That Awaits Us

 The Common Core Nightmare That Awaits Us 

by Randy Turner

Common Core Standards are here to stay, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and school administrators have been telling us, but what they have not been telling us is that these nationwide standards are opening the door to more and more standardized testing.

And with standardized testing comes companies that make profits not only with tests, but with materials to prepare for those tests, and with ready-made curriculum based on those tests, just like we saw with all of the school districts in Missouri, including Joplin, that fell hook, line, and sinker for McGraw-Hill’s Acuity tests, which were allegedly designed to prepare students for the Missouri standardized tests, which were also made by McGraw-Hill.

It never worked in Joplin, where test scores have decreased ever since administrators 

The Educated Reporter: EWA Grand Prize Winner Offers Advice on Investigating Student Absenteeism

The Educated Reporter: EWA Grand Prize Winner Offers Advice on Investigating Student Absenteeism:

EWA Grand Prize Winner Offers Advice on Investigating Student Absenteeism

The Chicago Tribune’s investigative reporting team of David Jackson, Gary Marx, Alex Richards and Scott Strazzante won the 2013 Fred M. Hechinger Grand Prize for Distinguished Education Reporting on May 4 during EWA’s National Seminar at Stanford University. The team won the award for “An Empty Desk Epidemic,” a series that looked at chronic absenteeism in elementary schools and the impact it has on student’s education careers. Jackson and Marx offered a presentation on the prize-winning series during the conference. And below Jackson also offers advice on how to cover the story. Stream any session from National Seminar in your browser, or subscribe via RSS or iTunes.

 

How I Did the Story: "An Empty Desk Epidemic" by David Jackson & Gary Marx fromEdWriters on Vimeo.

Our investigation gained access to Chicago's internal school attendance database and revealed a devastating pattern of K-8 grade absences that disproportionately affect African-American youth and children with disabilities. Officials for years 

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Duncan duplicity

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Duncan duplicity:

Duncan duplicity

"We must invest in public education, not abandon it."

Some mornings, upon doing my regular media scan, I can only sit here at my desk and shake my head in disbelief. This was one of those mornings.

From the Philadelphia Notebook:

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan issued a statement today a day after a plea from AFT president Randi Weingarten and education historian Diane Ravitch to intervene in the Philadelphia school funding crisis. Duncan offered "technical assistance" from his staff to avert what he termed an "educational crisis."

Here's the text of his statement:

There's no excuse for a public school system anywhere in the U.S. to be in this situation in the 21st century, and it's even worse to see it in Philadelphia, the cornerstone of this great country and the cradle for our founding principles. I strongly urge everyone involved to continue working together to avert this educational crisis. My continued outreach to each of the parties involved: Governor Corbett, Mayor Nutter, Dr. Hite and Jerry Jordan assures me that fixing this is their number one priority. I've instructed my staff to provide any needed technical assistance to both the district and the commonwealth. The bottom line is that doing what's right for Philadelphia students will not only benefit the city - 

Arne Duncan praises, slaps charter schools:

Arne Duncan praises, slaps charter schools

By Valerie Strauss, Published: July 3, 2013 at 4:55 amE-mail the writer

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Arne Duncan (Jacquelyn Martin-Associated Press)

Here is the text of Education Secretary Arne Duncan’s speech delivered at the 2013 convention of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, being held this week in Washington D.C.

I am on vacation so am posting this without comment. I’ll leave it to you to comment about his view that, on the one hand, charters are “incubators of innovation,” but, on the other hand, they aren’t as innovative as he had hoped; and that the charter sector, on the one hand, has had some “extraordinary accomplishments” but, on the other hand, has all kinds of problems, including high rates of student expulsions and too many schools that are poorly run.

Duncan’s speech, from the Education Department website:

A lot has changed since I spoke here four years ago. I want to use this opportunity both to reflect on the theme of your conference — “Delivering On the Dream” — and to ask you to think ahead about what the charter movement should seek to accomplish in the next 20 years.

In the last two decades, charter schools have had some extraordinary accomplishments. And yet, we all know the dream of the charter movement is not 

Get beyond buzz words and Common Core is "exercise in delusion." | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com

Get beyond buzz words and Common Core is "exercise in delusion." | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com:

Get beyond buzz words and Common Core is "exercise in delusion." 

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Cindy Lutenbacher

Previous Posts

• President of NEA: No more closing the classroom door 
  July 2, 2013
• Race in Georgia: Have we repented and reformed? Do our colleges reflect that?
  July 1, 2013
• Many opinions on DeKalb school board but only one matters
  July 1, 2013

By Maureen Downey

Cindy Lutenbacher is a teacher and DeKalb County public school parent. She is also an ardent critic of Common Core State Standards.

In this essay, she explains why:

 By Cindy Lutenbacher

Common Core … robust … rigorous academic standards … global economy … 21st century workplace … competitive … college-ready … Duplicitous buzzwords ad nauseum, we’ve heard them ten thousand times in the barrage of press releases about Common Core. And every one is bogus.

The ideals of “rigorous standards” make good sound bites, but they come with almost pathological standardized testing demands, curricular overhaul, and the use of these standardized tests to rate teachers. These pedagogical partners in crime are not written into the Common Core, but they are part of the requirements that states must follow in order to receive the bait of federal dollars. Each appendage of Common Core is somewhere between deeply problematic and disastrous.

7-3-13 @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

@ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER:

Happy Independence Day from Bill Gates

From Kristen Gwynne, an associate editor and drug policy reporter at AlterNet.  Follow her on Twitter: @KristenGwynne Soon your children will hook up their computers to their wrist bracelets. Measuring and monitoring each emotion and blaming the teacher for all of them. Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to Kindly Fund Research into Student-Worn Bracelets Monitoring Teacher Effectiveness […]

by freetoteach / 0min

Change in Union Leadership in DC Signals End to Corporate Appeasement

Looks like we may have another urban center with a real union leader, rather than the kind of corporate stooge and rubber stamp modeled nationally by Van Roekel and Weingarten.  Whether the new union leaders in DC will garner the kind of teacher and parent support that we see in Chicago for Karen Lewis will […]

by Jim Horn / 34min 

What on GGE is a “teacherpreneur” and why?

The argument from CTQ, if I follow, is that the teacherpreneur impacts teachers, who in turn impact students. So, that means the teacherpreneur impacts all of the teachers’ students. This completely ignores all of the potential mediating variables, or the teacher’s actual autonomy and identity in this entire situation. There is a tremendous fatal flaw […]

by Chalk Face, PhD / 5min mark as read  //  save

NEA’s Van Roekel Uses Duncan Lies to Pimp for Common Core: Calls Critics “Confused”

From AJC: The opposition to Common Core:  “If you don’t want it, what do you want instead? And what is in the standards that you don’t want a child to know? One of the things that makes those standards so amazing is that 45 states agreed on the same thing. Democratic and Republican governors came […]

by Jim Horn / 2h 

7-2-13 @ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER

@ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: AFT’s New Action Strategy: Write a Letter Begging Arne to Help Stop What His Policies Have CreatedThis morning my email box had a copy of a letter from AFT employee, Sabrina Stevens, on behalf of her boss, President Randi Weingarten: Hey, there! I hope this message finds you well. I think we’ve only met briefly (at the first SOS March), but I’m getting in tou

by mike simpson / 8h