Monday, September 30, 2013

9-30-13 @ THE CHALK FACE

@ THE CHALK FACE:








Call me a simpleton, but I love me some Mailbox!
I just resubscribed to The Mailbox Magazine. Prior to graduate school and the whole intellectual thing, I used to love getting new issues. It always seemed like I received something right after I taught it. Now, I’m NOT liking all the Common Core alignment nonsense. And I know all of my former higher education colleagues […]
by Shaun Johnson / 52


Why Poverty and Mass Incarceration Do Not Matter in the U.S. | the becoming radical
Why Poverty and Mass Incarceration Do Not Matter in the U.S. | the becoming radical.
by plthomasedd / 18min mark as read  //  save
Some “Helpful” Advice
So, today in my email, I get this little “gem” –  some “helpful” advice from my BOCES Center for implementing the Math Modules. OH JOYOUS DAY!! I am SO thankful that not only has NYSED told me exactly what to say, now my BOCES Center is giving me step by step advice about implementing the […]
10 by antiqueteacher60 / 23min 

David Coleman Runs The Voodoo Psychometrics Down
A late August HuffPo article by Joy Resmovitz entitled, “David Coleman, Common Core Writer, Gears Up For SAT Rewrite,” has been making the rounds on many of the Facebook groups I follow that focus on high-stakes testing, the Common Core Standards, and other issues of concern to teachers, parents, administrators, students, and other educational stakeholders. […]
39 by Michael Paul Gold... / 7h  
9-29-13 @ The Chalk Face
@ THE CHALK FACE: Petrilli’s Embarrassing Post about Poor Mothers Being “Bad”This post is embarrassing—both for the content and the fact that Petrilli appears unaware how embarrassing it is. Single-mothers are not “bad”; they are overwhelmed. Education is not to create economically self-sufficient people (that serves the privileged who feed off the economy). Education’s goals are much BIGGER than
by mike simpson / 9h 
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9-30-13 Perdido Street School

Perdido Street School:




Mad Max In Bloomberg's New York City
Thirty bikers surrounded a man in Upper Manhattan yesterday after a fender bender on the Upper West Side, caused when one of the bikers stopped short in front of the man's SUV, and pummeled him in broad daylight in front of his wife and 2-year-old.The Daily News reported: A dad out for a Sunday drive on his first wedding anniversary with his wife and 2-year-old child was attacked by a mob of moto
by reality-based edu... / 51min 

NY Post Uses De Blasio's Father's Suicide Against Him
We know from the hacking scandal that ended up with Rupert Murdoch's News of the World closed and dozens of Murdoch journalists from the NOTW and The Sun facing criminal charges for hacking, bribery and conspiracy that ethics is not a strong suit in the Murdoch Empire.Murdoch's Post has been hammering Bill de Blasio for a few weeks now, calling him a commie pink, Sandanista-loving Marxist and all
by reality-based edu... / 27min 

Charter School Operators Threaten De Blasio
The Wall Street Journal reports that charter school operators say they would "reduce services" if he is elected mayor and charges them rent for taking up public space in public school buildings.This is tantamount to a threat from the charter operators. They're using children as hostages in this battle.But I have an idea how they can handle the rent expenditures without having to cut serv
by reality-based edu... / 33min

Incompetence At NYSED Causes Delays in Parent Notification Over Test Scores
It's all about the test scores for kids, teachers and schools these days.The Board of Regents and the NYS Education Department have gone full speed ahead with their vaunted new Common Core tests and teacher evaluation systems based upon test scores.Test scores plummeted across ther state as the NYSED instituted a new set of Common Core tests and many parents want to know how their children did on
by reality-based edu... / 1h 

Andrew Cuomo Ensures Moreland Commission Won't Look Into His Own Crimes
Ken Lovett in the Daily News reports Governor Cuomo, who once declared the Moreland Commission's anti-corruption work would be "independent" of his interference, has moved to take over the commission and make it do what he wants.In addition, Cuomo has ensured that the anti-corruption commission will not probe his own campaign fundraising or the largesse he or his PAC, the Committee to Sa
by reality-based edu... / 11min 

Siena Poll Finds Cuomo Is Below 50% Approval For First Time Ever
Governor Cuomo has bludgeoned his agenda through the last few years by using his immense popularity in the state (for a while there, he was riding with 80% approval ratings.)''He is facing reelection next year and is rumored to be seeking a very ambitious agenda in order to ease that bid - including a wide range of tax cuts and an education reform package that would include state takeover of "
by reality-based edu... / 1h mark as read  //  save
Government Shutdown Isn't The Problem, The Debt Ceiling Fight Is
From the NY Times:Most Wall Street economists have said that the consequences of a temporary government shutdown would be relatively insignificant, particularly because spending on essential services — a large portion of the budget — would continue. Citigroup economists estimated on Friday that a one-week shutdown would probably cause a 0.1 percent hit to the national economy.In the long run, not
1 by reality-based edu... / 3h 


9-29-13 Perdido Street School
Perdido Street School: Are Americans Waking Up From Their Self-Induced Comas?Washington Post polls finds many Americans no longer believe in the fantasy of the "American Dream:Four years into an economic recovery in which most of the benefits have flowed to the top earners, a majority believe that the American Dream is becoming markedly more elusive, according to the results of a Washington P
by mike simpson / 9h 

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Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: WEEKEND QUOTABLES:

WEEKEND QUOTABLES


Charter backer Cong. Polis calls Ravitch "evil woman"

Diane Ravitch responds to Cong. Polis 
Even though he is a billionaire, I will pick up the check for breakfast, lunch, or dinner on one condition: read my book. If you don’t like it, Jared, I will give you your money back. -- Blog
 Bill Gates
“It would be great if our education stuff worked, but that we won’t know for probably a decade.” -- Washington Post
 Harry Reid
“The American people will 
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Free lunch sign ups crucial for accurate count of low-income students | EdSource Today

Free lunch sign ups crucial for accurate count of low-income students | EdSource Today:



Oakland Lunch Sign Up
A banner from Oakland Unified offers incentives for eligible families to sign up for the federal meals program. Credit: Oakland Unified School District
Let the counting begin.
With millions of dollars available under the new finance formula for schools with large numbers of low-income students, districts are pulling out all the stops to make sure they get an accurate count of their high-needs students. Because the new system defines “low income” as students who are eligible for the federal free- and reduced-price meals program, some districts are offering free Raiders tickets, ice cream parties, tickets to the county fair and other perks to encourage families to sign up for the National School Lunch Program.
Counting low-income students is an annual fall rite at most districts, which use the data for a variety of programs, but this year the count matters more than ever. Under the K-12 finance formula signed by Gov. Jerry Brown in July, districts can receive additional funds for every high-needs 

Over the past decade, educators have been focused on what research tells us works and that’s important. But we also need to be clear-sighted about what does not work. Based on both research and experience, here are three things that do NOT work in leading public education organizations: Leading through vision ... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit the Edsource Today website for full links,
by Merrill Vargo / c... / 4h 
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N.A.M.E.Conference November 6-10 Hope to see you there! | Bill Ayers

N.A.M.E. Hope to see you there! | Bill Ayers:

N.A.M.E. Hope to see you there!

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION for MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION (NAME) 

23rd Annual International Conference
November 6-10
Oakland City Center Marriott Hotel & Oakland Convention Center
Over 200 workshops by people doing social justice and multicultural education work.
·        Keynote speakers include Carl Grant, James Banks, and Angela Davis.
·        Panels on Chicano-Latino teaching; on Asian American education; and on international issues (including guests from Venezuela, Palestine, and Korea).
·        Conference also includes intensive institutes, time to meet and share and act, social and cultural events, school and community visits, youth day and teacher day on Saturday.
Register at www.nameorg.org
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A New Name in the Tired, Old No Child Left Behind Debate | janresseger

A New Name in the Tired, Old No Child Left Behind Debate | janresseger:

A New Name in the Tired, Old No Child Left Behind Debate

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I urge you to read This Is Only A Test,  Jonathan Kozol’s review in yesterday’s NY Times of Diane Ravitch’s new book, Reign of Error, and then, of course, I encourage you to read (and master the information in) Ravitch’s excellent book.
But having recently read his excellent book review, I am thinking today about Jonathan Kozol, the writer who has again and again created a lens to help us see the plight of America’s children.  Kozol brought us “savage inequalities” and “apartheid schooling in America,” for example, terms that have been adopted into common parlance to depict our society’s growing inequality and racial segregation.
In yesterday’s review, Kozol coined a new phrase that stopped me cold.  He begins the second paragraph of his book review with this simple declaration: “The pressure intensified in 2002 with the enactment of the federal testing law No Child Left Behind…”
Most of us who write about public education, anxious to be scrupulously precise about the historical facts, have described, “No Child Left Behind, the most recent reauthorization of the 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act.”  I have recently forced myself to feel comfortable shortening it to, “the current version of the federal education law, No Child Left 
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NEA - Human and Civil Rights Awards Program

NEA - Human and Civil Rights Awards Program:

Human and Civil Rights Awards Program

Every year, since 1967, NEA has honored human and civil rights heroes at a black-tie awards dinner. And every year, those heroes have inspired us.
This celebration is inextricably linked to NEA's 1966 merger with the American Teachers Association (ATA). ATA represented Black teachers in segregated schools, and for many years, it held a human and civil rights awards dinner. After the merger, NEA proudly carried on the tradition.
We honor our past and rededicate ourselves to the unfinished task of creating a just society. We owe it to the children and young people we educate. And we believe, as did Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., that people of conscience, acting together, can achieve "justice for all."

 Take a Look at the 2013 HCR Award Winners

Reg Weaver Award
Virginia Uribe Award for Creative Leadership in Human Rights
Leo Reano Memorial Award
Georgie I. Sanchez Memorial Award
Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Award
Mary Hatwood Futrell Award
Carter G. Woodson Memorial Award
NEA President’s Award
Applegate Dorros Peach & International Understanding Award
Ellison S. Onizuka Award
Rosena J. Willis Memorial Award
H. Councill Trenholm Memorial Award
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GOP’s three lessons for kids

GOP’s three lessons for kids:

GOP’s three lessons for kids

By Valerie Strauss, Published: September 30 at 4:00 amE-mail the writer
Sen. Ted Cruz (AP Photo/Senate TV)
Sen. Ted Cruz (AP Photo/Senate TV)
Listening to the national debate over Obamacare is sometimes jaw-dropping, especially the Republican rationale for obsessively trying to kill the law and driving the country toward a government shutdown. Here are three of the strange lessons related to history that kids can take away from the behavior and words of some Republicans:
1. The Founding Fathers compromised on profound issues so the Constitution could be written and ratified, realizing that they couldn’t always get whatever they wanted. But you kids don’t have to because we Republicans don’t. 
The president’s health insurance law was passed by Congress and found to be constitutional by the Supreme Court, but we don’t like it. So we voted more than 40 times to get rid of it or change it, and now we are driving the government to shut down 
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CA report says truancy may cost state billions - Education - The Sacramento Bee

CA report says truancy may cost state billions - Education - The Sacramento Bee:

CA report says truancy may cost state billions

By ROBERT JABLON
Associated Press
Published: Sunday, Sep. 29, 2013 - 10:18 pm


LOS ANGELES -- California must act to reduce rampant truancy that saw an estimated 1 million elementary students absent in the last school year and may cost the state billions of dollars through increased crime and poverty, according to a study released Monday by the state attorney general's office.
"The empty desks in our public elementary school classrooms come at a great cost to California," the report said.
The report, scheduled for release at an anti-truancy symposium in Los Angeles, said children have unexcused absences from school for a number of reasons, including family issues, neighborhood safety concerns and bullying. It called for a sweeping battle against absenteeism that brings together parents, educators, lawmakers, law enforcement and community groups.
"The findings are stark. We are failing our children," the report's executive summary concluded.
The report was based on information from around 550 elementary schools, as well as surveys and interviews with school district and county education officials, district attorneys involved with anti-truancy work, non-profit groups, parents and state prison inmates.
It cited California Department of Education figures that found nearly 30 percent of all public

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2013/09/29/5779923/ca-report-says-truancy-may-cost.html#mi_rss=Education#storylink=cpy
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