Valuing Teachers | Taking Note

Valuing Teachers | Taking Note:

Valuing Teachers

by JOHN MERROW on 03. OCT, 2013 in 2013 BLOGS

How do we–the collective we–feel about teachers? The granddaddy of all surveys about public education is The MetLife Survey of the American Teacher. It established the brand in 1984 and has, to this observer anyway, become better,deeper and more nuanced over time. [1]

There are other education surveys, of course.[2] The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Scholastic produce an important survey of 40,000 US teachers they call “Primary Sources.”

And every year Gallup and Phi Delta Kappa survey registered US voters on their attitudes toward public education.

Surveys can be misleading or wrong; much depends on the quality of the process, the reliability of the sample and the way the questions are phrased, but, that said, it’s worth surveying the surveys, especially now that there’s a new kid in town, an international (21 countries) survey of public attitudes toward teachers and teaching [.pdf].

The Varkey GEMS[3] Foundation reports that it surveyed 1000 representative adults in each of 21 countries[4] including the United States. A major conclusion drawn by the Foundation, which is based in the United Kingdom, is that teaching is not held in high enough esteem. “Unless teaching is valued 

10-3-13 Schools Matter

Schools Matter:

From the End of the Beginning to the Beginning of the End for High Stakes Testing

Mark Mulville/Buffalo NewsRemember: it happened in Buffalo--the night that 2,500 parents, teachers, and administrators showed up. Now let's keep the hammer down.From the Buffalo News by Dale Anderson: Reform of high-stakes testing for schoolchildren, a groundswell movement of lawn signs and small-scale protests, became an earthquake Wednesday evening.The Summit for Smarter Schools, organized b

2 by Jim Horn / 1h mark as read  //  save

Gates Gets an F From Shareholders

LOOKS LIKE YOUR MEASUREMENTS AND DATA ONLY CAN GET YOU SO FARShareholders ask Bill Gates to Step DownLooks like Bill Gates has been asked to step down as the leader of Microsoft.  

by Judy Rabin / 3h 

10-2-13 Schools Matter

Schools Matter: Options PCS Featured in Today's Charter School Crime LogA clip from WaPo:In the court complaint, D.C. officials allege that the managers’ salaries were far out of line with what public officials make, especially given the size of the school.Montgomery’s “salary and bonuses from Options PCS during a one-year period — at least $425,000 combined — totaled more than the salary of the P

by mike simpson / 23min

NYC Educator: I Want to be a Dean

NYC Educator: I Want to be a Dean:

I Want to be a Dean

That's the rallying cry I'm hearing from teachers everywhere. Deans in my school teach three periods and dean a bunch of others. Reformy John King and the other geniuses who designed the junk science to fire teachers program have decreed that teachers must teach 60% of the day to qualify for it. Therefore, if you teach three or fewer periods, you are exempt.

As it happens, I'm chapter leader at my school, which means I teach four periods and will go down with the ship. Last year I had a comp-time position two other periods a day, but quit because I wanted to go back to the classroom. While I hate the evaluation system and have no idea what it will mean for me, I don't regret my decision. However Charlotte Danielson, or her DOE checklist may judge me, teaching ESL is what I do best.

In any case, yesterday all the deans were drinking champagne and dancing on the streets. None of them will be fired for junk science, at least until two years after their terms expire. Though I'm 

Mother Crusader: Stealth Charter Approvals Mask For-Profit CMO Expansion In New Jersey

Mother Crusader: Stealth Charter Approvals Mask For-Profit CMO Expansion In New Jersey:

Stealth Charter Approvals Mask For-Profit CMO Expansion In New Jersey

Did you miss the announcement of the approval of three new charter schools?  Yeah, we all did. There was no glowing press release as per usual, just the stealth approval of three more urban charters.

The New Jersey Charter School Circus Has Left Town

Commissioner Cerf seems to have exited the circus tent this round and denied charters to Pastor Michael McDuffie 

Pastor Duffie prayers for our Governor

and former Assemblyman Gerald Luongo. As I've written, it was inconceivable that either of these applications ever made it through the first round.

Pastor McDuffie's connection to the Governor was reminiscent of the Regis Academy debacle. Kudos to the Commissioner for not repeating that mistake.

The three applications that got the green light from the Commissioner certainly seem to have a far different pedigree. From John Mooney at NJ Spotlight:

• Great Futures Charter High School for the Health Sciences. The high school in Jersey City will focus on health sciences, including partnerships with the Boys and Girls Club and the Jersey City Medical Center.
• The International Academy of Trenton Charter School. The elementary school, with 350 pupils, will serve both 

Is Education Reform a Faith-Based Belief System? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

Is Education Reform a Faith-Based Belief System? - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher:

Is Education Reform a Faith-Based Belief System?

By Anthony Cody on October 3, 2013 12:25 PM

The latest entry in the Bridging Differences blog is a fascinating look at the belief system guiding the most fervent advocates of modern education reform. Michael Petrilli of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute raised some interesting arguments.

Mr. Petrilli writes:

Rather than accept a future of low-skill, low-wage work for our impoverished young people, we aspire to build their "human capital"--their knowledge, skills, capabilities, talents, habits, character, however you want to phrase it--so that, among other things, the labor market will one day repay their contributions to society with a wage that far exceeds any minimums. I acknowledge that not all of our young people--low-income or otherwise--will make it to the level of a high-skilled worker, but surely we can help most of them learn valuable, remunerative skills that allow for self-sufficiency and the chance to make a significant contribution in the workplace and in the community.

But here's the thing, Deborah: I can't figure out how to get from here to there except through better schools. Whatever the question, stronger schools seems to be the answer:

He goes on to suggest:

Do you in fact not believe that tomorrow's schools, like those of yesterday, can be 

Education Advocacy in Urban Communities | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights

Education Advocacy in Urban Communities | LFA: Join The Conversation - Public School Insights:

Education Advocacy in Urban Communities

By National PTA on October 3, 2013

“A person has truly become a PTA member when his circle of concern stretches
beyond his own child to include all children.” – Unknown

By Stella Y. Edwards*, Chairman, National PTA Legislative Committee
October is upon us. At National PTA, that means it is the Month of the Urban Child. This month’s campaign gives emphases to our education advocacy work as it relates to reaching communities where they are: in urban areas. National PTA comprises millions of families, students, teachers, administrators, and business and community leaders devoted to the educational success of children and the promotion of family involvement in schools. While PTA members may be in agreement with the PTA mission overall, urban areas have a uniqueness that warrants a focus on the effectiveness of our education advocacy work in those areas.
The beauty of the urban area is that it is as diverse as its citizens. This diversity, a broad range of backgrounds, religious beliefs, education values, and ethnicities, are unique characteristics that breathe life into the fast-pace, energetic, and close living style of the city!
I’ve had the pleasure of organizing in urban, rural and suburban areas.  Regardless of the location in which the organizing work was conducted, the key aspect of my experience has been the importance of relationship building.  First, you must build a relationship, develop trust, and address the community’s issue (not yours). Then you can begin to take action. You must first show a community that you care about them, you respect them, you will not judge them, and you care about the desire for quality education for all children.
During my experience organizing around education issues in an urban area, I did my 

Why Resilience Is Critical in a Learning Environment — Whole Child Education

Why Resilience Is Critical in a Learning Environment — Whole Child Education:

THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG

Why Resilience Is Critical in a Learning Environment

October 3, 2013 by Tammy Russell

Resilience is a life skill that all teachers should focus on throughout students' educational career. In many classrooms, resiliency and perseverance may be discussed early in the year and then left out of the classroom dialogue, or not discussed at all. As members of the school environment, we cannot wait for resilience to materialize organically for each student. To place an emphasis on resilience in the classroom is to realize that creating people who are able to respond to challenges and setbacks is an important goal of education, if not the goal.

When students have resilience, they are open to learning because they believe that they can learn, they are receptive to assistance because it is not a criticism of their abilities, and they are comfortable not understanding concepts immediately because they see learning as a pursuit of knowledge and know that motivation and effort are just as important as knowing how to do something.

When students do not have these attitudes about learning, we must not only encourage them to be confident and "keep trying," but we should also teach them about resilience and perseverance.

In my classroom, conversations about resilience consistently materialize in a number of ways:

1. Morning meeting discussions about goal setting and perseverance, including recognizing that everyone has something she is trying to overcome.
2. Sharing stories (through videos and picture books) about people who have experienced great amounts of 

Will technology improve teacher-student relationships, or hurt them? | HechingerEd Blog

Will technology improve teacher-student relationships, or hurt them? | HechingerEd Blog:

Will technology improve teacher-student relationships, or hurt them?

School districts from the sprawling Los Angeles Unified to the tiny Nome Public Schools in Alaska have embraced technology in the classroom based on the promise that it can improve learning by increasing student engagement.

A game which allows students to use a virtual scalpel to prod and poke muscles and blood vessels in the human body, for instance, is likely to be more attractive to a ninth grade biology class than an anatomy lecture.

Couple such a game with an instant feedback mechanism that provides real-time data on the student’s performance and that’s further enticement to schools to bring more devices into the classroom. Proponents of such individualized instruction say the technology allows teachers to assess how their students are doing in class more accurately, showing teachers how to help students in a more targeted fashion.

But is expanding access to iPad, laptop, and smart phone screens in school taking away from human interaction between teachers and students? And does it actually lead to more learning?

We don’t know the answer to these questions just yet. Greg Anrig, author of Beyond the Education Wars: Evidence That Collaboration Builds Effective Schoolspublished last spring, says there is 

All Education Matters: Warning - FAKE SALLIE MAE ACCOUNT CLAIMS THEY WILL FORGIVE YOUR STUDENT LOANS

All Education Matters: Warning - FAKE SALLIE MAE ACCOUNT CLAIMS THEY WILL FORGIVE YOUR STUDENT LOANS:

Warning - FAKE SALLIE MAE ACCOUNT CLAIMS THEY WILL FORGIVE YOUR STUDENT LOANS

Folks, we should have expected scams of various sorts to pop up, thanks to extremists in the GOP hijacking government and shutting it down.

So, it comes as no surprise that scammers are trying to take full advantage of people who are struggling or unable to pay off their student loans.

Jobs With Justice noticed that a fake Sallie Mae account popped up a few days ago. A Sallie Mae instagram was created, claiming that the first 150,000 people to sign up would have their loans forgiven. This is a scam. Plain and simple.

As Chris Hicks wrote, "this is a fake account."

For the full story, read Chris Hicks' coverage here.

I urge all of you to disseminate this information, so that people aren't duped.

Joy Pullmann on the Connection Between Common Core & Data Mining | Truth in American Education

Joy Pullmann on the Connection Between Common Core & Data Mining | Truth in American Education:

Joy Pullmann on the Connection Between Common Core & Data Mining

Filed in Common Core State Standards, Privacy/SLDS by Shane Vander Hart on October 3, 2013 • 0 Comments

• 41

Joy Pullmann of The Heartland Institute was interviewed by The New American.  You can watch the interview below:

HT: Illinois Review

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Rahm's 'Fog Machine'

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Rahm's 'Fog Machine':

Rahm's 'Fog Machine'

“Their decision to modify their promise of a five-year moratorium on school closings is a smack in the face to the parents, teachers and students who are working so hard to secure vital resources for their neighborhood schools.” --CTU's Stephanie Gadlin

If her lips are moving, Byrd-Bennettis lying.  Becky Carroll is lying even when her lips aren't moving. Crain'sGreg Hinz calls it Emanuel's "fog machine."

There is no transparency at CPS or anywhere around City Hall. Everything said in Rahmville -- and make no mistake, CPS is square in the middle of Rahmville --has to be interpreted through the haze. 

Usually, it's CPS Liar-In-Chief Carrollframing the message. But this time around, it was Rahm's toadie BBB who was made to go in front of the cameras and assure an outraged community and teachers' union that there would be a 5-year moratorium on Chicago school closings once she was allowed to close 50. This despite the fact that 20,000 parents and community members came out to series of citywide hearings, demanding a stop to the closings. Or that even BBB's own hand-picked panel of VIPs advised against the closings.

Now as fractured and demoralized neighborhoods try and pick themselves up from the rubble, and some 30,000 children cautiously navigate their way through so-called Safe 

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Thursday, October 3, 2013

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team:

STAR test dumped: Brown ignores federal threats, signs bill allowing new exams

Education Headlines

Thursday, October 3, 2013

Critics blast Sonora High School pool project

Concerned community members attending the Sonora Union High School District’s board meeting Tuesday questioned whether the district is legally allowed to spend bond money on building a new aquatics center.

State won't hear appeal of Cayucos student transfer decision

The California Department of Education won’t even consider ruling on a petition to transfer Cayucos high school students to the San Luis Coastal Unified School District from Coast Unified School District in Cambria, effectively killing that transfer movement by parents.

Santa Ana Unified reveals contract for new superintendent

Santa Ana Unified School District officials were reluctant last week to share their new superintendent's salary contract, one that makes Rick Miller one of the highest-salaried school district superintendents in California, based on the latest figures from the state Department of Education.

Brown signs bill to restrict costly school borrowing deals

Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation Wednesday to prevent school districts from entering costly bond deals such as a 2009 Folsom Cordova Unified agreement that requires about $18 in payments for every $1 borrowed.

Rialto school board president defends superintendent: “He fell into a web”

Embattled schools Superintendent Harold Cebrun remains on administrative leave, but has at least one key defender: school board president Joe Ayala.

Backers of proposed El Cerrito charter school ask panel to revive plan

Supporters and opponents of a proposed charter school to be located in El Cerrito argued their cases passionately Wednesday evening before the Contra Costa County school board that is considering the charter's petition after the West Contra Costa school district denied it.

UTLA nixes LAUSD bid for $30M federal grant

For the second straight year, the Los Angeles Unified teachers’ union refused to endorse the district’s application for a prestigious federal grant, which officials said would have brought in $30 million to fund counselors and instructional coaches at high-needs middle schools.

Brown signs law prevents schools from incurring huge bond debt

A law signed Wednesday by Gov. Jerry Brown will prevent school districts from issuing ultra-long-term bonds that saddle taxpayers with huge repayment debt.

STAR test dumped: Brown ignores federal threats, signs bill allowing new exams

A bill ending the standardized tests that California public school students have taken in reading, math and social science since 1999 received Gov. Jerry Brown's signature on Wednesday, despite a threat by the U.S. secretary of education to withhold federal funds if the state moved forward with the plan.

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Frey: Los Angeles Unified discussing 200-day school year

Los Angeles Unified, the state’s largest school district, is discussing extending its academic year by 20 days, a $300 million proposal that would give Los Angeles the longest school year, at 200 days, of any large urban district in the nation.

Impact on local school districts minimal

One Salinas school district will have to buy produce locally and pay out of pocket. Others will have to live with the “check’s in the mail” excuse for meal reimbursements. Other than that, the jolt of the government shutdown will not be felt in the classroom, officials said Tuesday.

Capo to vote on agreement with classified workers union

The 1,298 non-teaching staffers at Capistrano Unified School District have agreed to furloughs and step freezes in a labor agreement up for a vote by district trustees on Wednesday evening.

The Connected Educator Culture | My Island View

The Connected Educator Culture | My Island View:

The Connected Educator Culture

October 3, 2013 by tomwhitby

This is the original post that I submitted to Edcsurge. Under the expert editorship of Christina Quattrocchi it appeared under this title Board The Bullet Train: The Culture of Connection

I have been a connected educator throughout most of my 40-year career. My professional life has always been built around personal learning and collaboration. The difference between the 70’s and now is the ability to use far better tools to connect, communicate, collaborate, and create. The willingness to learn and use these modern tools designed for connectedness is a major factor in creating a gap between the connected and the unconnected educator. Reducing that gap should be a goal of every educator.

The value of connectedness, to a professional educator who actively practices it, is quickly understood as it is used. Too often connected educators are the worst advocates of connectedness because of their enthusiasm for what, and how they are learning. They tend to overwhelm the less informed with too much information that would scare off anyone who already views technology as an obstacle to overcome, as opposed to a tool to be learned and used effectively.

A connected 21^st Century educator is an educator who is digitally literate, or at least open to learning the technology needed to basically connect and 

Damon Takes the Stage, but Ravitch Wins the Applause - LA School Report

Damon Takes the Stage, but Ravitch Wins the Applause - LA School Report:

Post navigation

Damon Takes the Stage, but Ravitch Wins the Applause

Posted on October 3, 2013 by Chase Niesner

Matt Damon with Diane Ravitch

When the actor Matt Damon stood before a capacity crowd inside the Cal State Northridge student union last night, he smiled sheepishly and said he wasn’t surprised to see so many star-struck supporters in attendance. After all, he said, he was introducing the education historian and anti-corporate reform activist Diane Ravitch.

Ravitch was appearing as part of a nationwide tour to promote her new book, The Reign of Error: The Hoax of the Privatization Movement and the Danger to America’s Public Schools, and was welcomed to the campus for the school’s Education on the Edge speaking series. She spoke the night before at Occidental College.

In this appearance, she blended wit and sarcasm to attack the pillars of the reform movement, using the simple refrain, “This is a hoax.” She drew strong support from 

Morning Read: Ignoring Critics, Brown Suspends State Tests

Brown signs bill delaying exams despite Duncan’s threat With threats of federal repercussions waylaid by the government shutdown, Gov. Jerry Brown on Wednesday signed a bill that suspends most standardized tests and replaces them with a no-stakes field test aligned to the new Common Core standards. U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan previously threatened to withhold some federal funding if th

0min 

Valley Charter Operators, Guilty of Fraud, Seeking New Trial

Eugene Selivanov and his wife, Tatyana Berkovich, will be back in an Los Angeles County Superior Court tomorrow, asking the judge to grant them a new trial in a case that the California Charter Schools Association says affects other charters within the LA Unified school district. The two were found guilty in April of misappropriating more than $200,000 in public funds, embezzlement and other charg

1 0min mark as read  //  save

Democrat Glenda Ritz, GOP appointees tussle for control of State Board of Education | Indianapolis Star | indystar.com

Democrat Glenda Ritz, GOP appointees tussle for control of State Board of Education | Indianapolis Star | indystar.com:

Democrat Glenda Ritz, GOP appointees tussle for control of State Board of Education

Tension between Democrat state superintendent Glenda Ritz and the Republican-appointed Indiana State Board of Education exploded into a direct confrontation Wednesday over who controls the board’s meeting agenda.

Before the board could hear a recommendation about the state’s troubled A to F school rating system, Ritz, who serves as the board chair, had sharp exchanges with board members Dan Elsener, a self-described independent, and Tony Walker, a Democrat.

Wednesday’s trouble began when board member Sarah O’Brien’s request to hear a staff report was denied by Ritz, who said the matter could be addressed later in the agenda when staff was scheduled to speak.

That prompted Elsener to make a motion to change the agenda, which was quickly seconded. But Ritz held her ground.

“We have a lot of work to do today,” she said. “The motion is out of order. I am not 

Teacher status around the world: How the U.S. stacks up | The Raw Story

Teacher status around the world: How the U.S. stacks up | The Raw Story:

Teacher status around the world: How the U.S. stacks up

By The Christian Science Monitor
Thursday, October 3, 2013 11:04 EDT

Topics: Alicia Schoenborn ♦ Mahnomen Elementary School ♦ Teacher status

 Debate about how to keep up with countries that perform best on international tests has been percolating for years in theUnited States. Now there’s a new comparison to consider – one that ranks 21 countries on the status of teachers, a factor that experts say can influence the effectiveness of education.

China tops the first-ever Global Teacher Status Index, withIsrael coming in last. The US ranks ninth – beating out No. 13Finland, a country that often ranks high in comparisons of student performance.

The index is based on surveys comparing teaching to other professions and how much respect the public says teachers get from students. The report also includes the context of teacher pay, the degree to which parents encourage children to become teachers, and public opinion on pay-for-performance policies. The Varkey Gems Foundation, a London-based nonprofit devoted to improving education for disadvantaged students, released the index Wednesday evening.

In the US, “there is consensus that we need to not just improve the status but also the performance of the profession,” and the two go hand-in-hand, says Tom Carroll, president of the National Commission on Teaching & America’s Future, in Washington. An international comparison on teacher status is a valuable addition to the increasingly global dialogue about how best to do that, he says.

In China, about one-third of those surveyed said teachers could be compared with doctors. In two-thirds of the countries (including top-performers in student testing such as Singapore, South Korea, and Finland), the profession was most often compared with social work. In the US (alon