10-28-13 LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

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

A Message to the Los Angeles United School District Board

Dear Board Members, As you are well aware, friends of Superintendent Deasy in the business community and the charter corporate community plan a massive rally tomorrow to show you how badly L.A. needs Superintendent Deasy. Please do not forget that you were elected by the people of Los Angeles to use your own judgment, not to be swayed by billionaires and their minions. Superintendent Deasy let it

by dianerav / 0min mark as read  //  save

A First-Person Report on John King’s Meeting in Portchester, New York

As John King dutifully carries his “listening tour” to a dozen localities in New York state, touting the virtues of Common Core and high-stakes testing, he is running into a problem: No one likes what he is selling. However, as the report below indicates, he doesn’t care. He listens without hearing. It doesn’t matter what parents and educators say. His mind is made up. He is going through the moti

4 by dianerav / 23min 

Providence Journal: Analysis of a Hatchet Job on Me

The Providence Journal ran an article by journalist John Hill about my book and my appearance at the University of Rhode Island that was intended to discredit me. It declared that my arguments were “mostly false,” based on the writer’s skewed interpretation of the facts presented in my book, Read it for yourself. As best I can tell, the writer is defending No Child Left Behind, and was deeply affr

1 by dianerav / 7min 

Deasy Resignation Drama Diverts Attention from iPad Fiasco

Benjamin Herold of Education Week has written an excellent overview of the confusion surrounding Los Angeles’ iPad purchase for every student in the district. The cost–anticipated ultimately to be in excess of $1 billion–is one concern at a time when classes are overcrowded, and many schools are in need of repair, and thousands of teachers were laid off. The uncertainty about how the iPads will be

4 by dianerav / 51min 

Indiana: The Injustice of A-F Grading Systems

Jan Resseger here describes the eloquent case that Fort Wayne’s Mark GiaQuinta made against the A-F grading system. Fort Wayne refuses to grade its schools by A-F because the board, of which GiaQuinta is president, understands that it will stigmatize schools attended by poor children but do nothing to improve them. The A-F system was created to set schools up to fail and be handed over to charter

2 by dianerav / 1h 

John King Meets the Public Again

After his fiasco in Poughkeepsie, and his hasty decision to cancel all future public forums, the New York Regents sent John King out on the road again. His next meeting in Albany was not the disaster of the Poughkeepsie meeting, For starters, he didn’t lecture the audience for over an hour. He showed a certain openness to dialogue, though little evidence that anything he heard would change his min

2 by dianerav / 1h 

Who Is Destroying Public Education and the Lives of Chilldren?

I received this letter from a teacher. She speaks fearlessly and is not afraid to publish her name. She must have tenure. In many states, she would be fired instantly for writing what she believes to be true. We live in a time of lies and distractions. Listen to the experts, those who work with children every day. Our poilcymakers–few of whom have ever worked in a school–don’t trust teachers, don’

by dianerav / 2min 

John Wilson: Top Ten Reasons Not to Contract with TFA

John Wilson explains on his blog on Education Week why states and districts should NOT contract with Teach for America. He writes: “Lately, I have been reading numbers of articles about Teach For America (TFA) written by former participants in the program as well as by researchers and investigative reporters. It appears that there is general consensus that TFA is not the answer to teacher shortag

1 by dianerav / 5min 

New Mexico: Parents Organize to Boycott State Tests

Across the nation, parents are organizing to fight the corporate takeover of their children and their schools. The first step: organize to boycott the state tests. Without your child’s data, the machine stops running. As parents, you have the power. The latest report from Néw Mexico: “Hi Diane, As I’m sure you know, New Mexico has one of the masters of Chiefs for Change, Hanna Skandera, in the

11 by dianerav / 24min 

Jason Stanford Has News for Arne Duncan

Jason Stanford listened to Arne Duncan’s put down of the “armchair pundits” who oppose Duncan’s obviously brilliant plan to reform American education. How can we forget how Duncan saved the Chicago public schools? But I digress. Stanford, a veteran journalist in Austin, describes himself as an “armchair dad” of children in the public schools of Texas. He has news for Secretary Duncan. Texans are

3 by dianerav / 33min 

The Three Segments of the Melissa Harris-Perry Interview and Panel Discussion on MSNBC

From a reader:   The interview and panel discussion were broken into three segments which do not follow one another sequentially online for some reason, so here are the direct links to all three parts. Part 1) The Case Against School Privatization http://www.msnbc.com/melissa-harris-perry/watch/the-case-against-school-privatization-57195587667 Part 2) How Charter Schools Can Lead to Disparity http

7 by dianerav / 1h mark as read  //  save

Susan Ochshorn Reviews “Reign of Error”

Susan Ochshorn is an advocate for early childhood education. This is her life, and she is good at it. In this post, she reviews Reign of Error and assesses its stance on the issues that matter most to her. Of course, she is delighted that early childhood education is high on my policy agenda. (She needs to talk to Chris Hayes, who said that there is research on both sides, which puzzled me.) She

2 by dianerav / 2h 

Teacher to Parents: Join Us, We Need You, It Is All About Your Children

A teacher left this comment on the blog:   I am a teacher and PARENTS have everything to do with joining the dialogue on education (http://parentsacrossamerica.org/ ). And the teachers I see day in and day out want to know what parents think, what they see and hear from their children outside the school environment… we desperately want parents to understand what “reforms” are requiring of teachers

30 by dianerav / 3h 

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 10-27-13 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all

Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: NY Principal: “Reforms” Kill Love of LearningTim Farley is a brave man and a fearless educator. He wrote the following letter and he also testified in a similar vein to State a commissioner King. Tim Farley is a principal in New York state and his wife Jessica is a teacher. In addition, they are parents of four school-age children.

by mike simpson / 9h 

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH ALL WEEK LONG Diane Ravitch's blog 10-26-13 -13 #thankateacher #EDCHAT #P2

Diane Ravitch's blogLISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH ALL WEEK LONGDIANE RAVITCH'S BLOGBill Gates Explains Why His High School Experience Was So GreatAll students should have the high school experience that Bill Gates had. A wonderful campus with a rich curriculum, experienced teachers (79% with advanced degrees), small classes, excellent arts programs, great sports activities, up-to-date science laboratori

1 by mike simpson / 11h 

10-28-13 Schools Matter

Schools Matter:

Avoiding the toughest exam in the world .... so far.

A Sunday LA Times page one story had this headline: "China gives US schools budget help" (Oct 27). The subheadline: "Tuition-paying Chinese students are providing much needed money - and cultural exchange - to high schools here."Our schools would not have these budget problems if we didn't waste so much money on standardized testing. And the budget crisis will get worse because

by skrashen / 1h 

Education Funders Sponsor a Great Study of NYC Small School Reforms but Will They Read IT?

The Education Funders Research Initiative’s “New York City Schools: Following the Learning Trajectories of a Cohort," by Douglas Ready, Thomas Hatch, Miya Warner, and Elizabeth Chu, is excellent. It has the scholarly integrity of the research of the Consortium on Chicago School Research or Johns Hopkins’ Everyone Graduates. It also reads like a diplomatic call for New York City reformers to h

by John Thompson / 25min 

10-26-13 Schools Matter All Week

Schools Matter:  Schools Matter All WeekUnited Way of Central Indiana to Start the Mitch Daniels/Dennis Bakke/Bart Peterson Handouts to the Corporate School Wealthyby Doug MartinWhile some United Way branches across the Hoosier state are investing in early learning initiatives like Success by Six, the United Way of Central Indiana, now run by former Mitch Daniels, Dennis Bakke, and Bart Peterson o

1 by mike simpson / 11h 

10-28-13 Education Research Report: Small High Schools and Student Achievement: Lottery-Based Evidence from New York City

Education Research Report: Small High Schools and Student Achievement: Lottery-Based Evidence from New York City:

Small High Schools and Student Achievement: Lottery-Based Evidence from New York City

Small Schools: Public School Reform Meets the Ownership Society (Positions: Education, Politics, and Culture)

One of the most wide-ranging reforms in public education in the last decade has been the reorganization of large comprehensive high schools into small schools with roughly 100 students per grade.

This study uses assignment lotteries embedded in New York City's high school match to estimate the effects of attendance at a new small high school on student achievement. More than 150 unselective small high schools created between 2002 and 2008 have enhanced autonomy, but operate within-district with traditional public school teachers, principals, and collectively-bargained work rules.

Lottery estimates show positive score gains in Mathematics, English, Science, and History, more credit accumulation, and higher graduation rates. Small school attendance causes a substantial increase in college enrollment, with a marked shift to CUNY institutions. Students are also less likely to require remediation in reading and writing when at college. Detailed school surveys indicate that students at small schools are more engaged and closely monitored, despite fewer course offerings and activities. Teachers report greater feedback, increased safety, and improved collaboration.

The results show that school size is an important factor in education production and highlight the potential for within-district reform strategies to substantially improve student achievement. 

Researching College- and Career-Ready Standards to Improve Student Outcomes

In August, IES worked with the National Science Foundation and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development to convene a technical working group to discuss research objectives related to college- and career-ready standards in English language arts and mathematics. Forty people were invited to attend (including researchers, practitioners, and federal and found

by Jonathan Kantrowi... / 19min 

The Medium-Term Impacts of High-Achieving Charter Schools on Non-Test Score Outcomes

High-performing charter schools can significantly increase the test scores of poor urban students. It is unclear whether these test score gains translate into improved outcomes later in life. This study estimates the effects of high-performing charter schools on human capital, risky behaviors, and health outcomes using survey data from the Promise Academy in the Harlem Children's Zone. Six years a

by Jonathan Kantrowi... / 30min

Evaluation of the College Possible Program

This paper reports the results of a randomized trial of the CollegePossible program, which provides two years of college preparatorywork for high school juniors and seniors in Minneapolis and St. Paul. The trial involved 238 students, including 134 who wererandomly selected for admission to the program. The results indicatethat the College Possible program significantly increased bothapplications

by Jonathan Kantrowi... / 6min 

This Week's Education Research Report 10-26-13 #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2

Education Research ReportTHIS WEEK'S EDUCATION RESEARCH REPORTPreschoolers’ emotion knowledge indirectly contributes to early school successDifferences in emotion knowledge by children’s age, gender, and socioeconomic risk status, as well as associations of emotion knowledge with executive control, social competence, and early classroom adjustment, were investigated in this study. On emotion knowl

1 by mike simpson / 11h 

10-28-13 Wait What?

Wait What?:

Hartford Officials: We don’t have to follow any stinking FOI laws

Capital Prep’s principal, Steve Perry, isn’t the only one acting like he is above the law as Hartford officials refuse to release Federal Subpoena WNPR News is reporting – http://wnpr.org/post/hartford-officials-refuse-release-federal-subpoena “Hartford Mayor Pedro Segarra told reporters last week that federal prosecutors had served a subpoena on city hall. His attorneys won’t release them. Federa

7 by jonpelto / 2h 

Steve Perry…People get fired or worse for the illegal things you are doing…

Yesterday’s Wait, What? post asked, When will Steve Perry be shown the door? The reason? Because he has been misusing public funds. Since opening his twitter account, Steve Perry has pumped out more than 30,694.  Many of those were sent out while he was supposed to be performing his job as principal of Capital Prep […]The post Steve Perry…People get fired or worse for the illegal things you are do

8 by jonpelto / 21min 

Real Hartford Blog examines “bait and switch” with Clark School and Achievement First Inc.

Despite significant public opposition to another Achievement First, Inc. school in Hartford, Mayor Pedro Segarra, Board of Education Chairman Matt Poland and a majority of the Hartford Board of Education voted to give Achievement First, Inc. a second Hartford school — but they did so without identifying where the new Achievement First, Inc. school would […]The post Real Hartford Blog examines “bai

4 by jonpelto / 2h

Wait What? - When will Steve Perry be shown the door?

When will Steve Perry be shown the door? - Wait What?: When will Steve Perry be shown the door?Last week, a White House employee was fired for using his twitter account to make insulting comments while on the public payroll.  Tweeting while on the job got him fired on the spot and escorted to the door. His twitter account has now been deleted but according to press reports, the White House aide wa

by mike simpson / 5h 

10-28-13 Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL

Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL:

“What do You do When You’re Having a Bad Day in The Classroom?”

What do You do When You’re Having a Bad Day in The Classroom? is the new “question of the week” at my Education Week Teacher column. Feel free to leave your responses there or in the comments section here. Long time readers might remember that I asked a similar question here four years ago.

by Larry Ferlazzo / 9min 

Supporting School-Wide Social Emotional Learning

Quite a few teachers at our school have helped developed the lessons in my student motivation books and taught them over the past few years. Our school is now looking at various ways to be a little more systematic about developing SEL skills, and one of the ways is having our Small Learning Communities choose three lessons from the book; have one-to-four teachers in the SLC actually teach them, an

by Larry Ferlazzo / 2min 

Nice Review Of My New Classroom Management Book

Julie Dermody has just written a very positive review of my new book on Classroom Management. It appears at MiddleWeb. Here’s an excerpt: Collected and refined from posts at Ferlazzo’s Education Week blog “Classroom Q&A,” the information shared in this new digital book will have you reflecting on your current classroom practices. Better yet, the combined wisdom offered here will have you chang

3 by Larry Ferlazzo / 24min 

Video: “Developing Leadership in Classrooms, Schools and Communities”

Here’s my keynote for the K-12 Online Conference. You can find supporting materials for it here.

8 by Larry Ferlazzo / 1h 

Excellent Halloween Article For IB Theory of Knowledge Classes

A Halloween scare can sharpen the brain is an excellent article on emotion for IB Theory Of Knowledge classes. It’s from The Los Angeles Times. Here’s how it begins: Halloween is the time to indulge those seemingly pathological cravings to get scared out of your skull. Who in their right mind would subject themselves to blood-splattery horror movies or haunted houses blaring high-pitched screams

7 by Larry Ferlazzo / 1h 

Learning About Literal & Interpretative Questions Through The Day Of The Dead

My latest post at The New York Times Learning Network helps students learn the different between literal and interpretative questions by exploring The Day of the Dead. A student interactive is included. I’m adding it to The Best Websites For Learning About Halloween.

5 by Larry Ferlazzo / 2h 

10-27-13 Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL

Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL: LARRY FERLAZZO’S WEBSITES OF THE DAYHere Are Some More Vocabulary Videos By ELLsOver the past week, I’ve posted examples of short vocabulary videos created by my English Language Learner students. They used either Vine or Instagram. On Friday, our Beginners taught the advanced ELLs in another class how to create them. Here

by mike simpson / 9h