11-26-13 Fred Klonsky | Running for our pensions. | VOTE 4 Fred Klonsky.

Fred Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacher who is just looking at the data.:

A simple message about your Illinois Constitution.

H/T: Tim Furman. 40.671265 -73.975178

by Fred Klonsky / 37min 

Bob Lyons: This bill can be stopped.

Bob Lyons was elected to represent retirees on the TRS board of trustees. The following comes from Bob this morning: The word out of Springfield is that Madigan will call the House into session next Tuesday, December 3, meaning he thinks that he has enough Democrat votes to put on a pension reduction bill. But the other news this morning is that Bruce Rauner, GOP candidate for Governor of Illinois

by Fred Klonsky / 56min 

Jim Broadway: A test of the rule of law.

What are the details? What bill will be amended to become the new pension law? None of that information is available. We only know Madigan plans a one-day session of the House on December 3, and the Senate may be in December 3-4. It would seem, then, that the House will write the new law. A bill from the Senate will be amended with profound effects and very little time for the folks it affects to

by Fred Klonsky / 1h skip  //  save

Bruce Rauner and his $53 million dollar Timex.

  Separated at birth. Floyd Turbo and Bruce Rauner. In his Floyd Turbo hunting outfit and his $18 dollar watch, Bruce Rauner is running for governor as if he were the working stiff down the block. Not my block. Bruce Rauner owns an 11,709 square foot mansion in Key Largo, Florida worth $6.9 million, a condo in Park City, Utah worth $1.75 million, two more properties in Clyde Park Town, Montana, t

by Fred Klonsky / 4h 

11-24-13 Fred Klonsky | Running for our pensions. | VOTE 4 Fred Klonsky.

Fred Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacher who is just looking at the data.: Sunday reads.  Pension-busting Ilinois State Senator Dan Biss and IEA Retired member Jack Tucker at our SORE witness in October. The Illinois coalition of state public employee unions, We Are One, will be holding actions at key legislative district offices on December 2nd. Join me in being at one of t

by mike simpson / 7h 

11-26-13 Ed Notes Online

Ed Notes Online:

The Opt-Outers: Focus on Change the Stakes in NY Mag

Despite some inaccuracies, overall a positive article featuring Change the Stakes parents and Jane Hirschman from Time Out From Testing. Here are some comments from the CTS listserve, some focused on one serious factual error in the piece.Article shows opposition NOT driven solely by white suburban moms... Leonie Haimson It was a great article. But the part about losing federal funds is not true.

by ed notes online / 15min skip  //  save

Susan Ohanian Reports, November 26, 2013

Ten  Top Reasons the U. S. Congress Would Be a  Good Place to Field Test the Common Core TestsSusan Ohanian blog 2013-11-23http://susanohanian.org/core.php?id=626I usually post Susan's stuff on Saturday morning but call this a Thanksgiving special. Susan's point about Bill Clinton joining hands with Lou Gerstner should be amended with the 3rd party - Al Shanker, who led the UFT/AFT into the entire

by ed notes online / 1h 

 

11-24-13 Ed Notes Online

Ed Notes Online: JFK: Political Thoughts....during a reception at the National Gallery of Art, the Kennedys were supposed to take an elevator to greet their guests. But the elevator was not working, and when they stepped out, the lieutenant said, he was so close to Mrs. Kennedy that he could smell her perfume. Here is how he remembers what happened next: “I’m in my mannequin face, and she said wor

by mike simpson / 8h 

11-26-13 teacherken at Daily Kos

teacherken at Daily Kos:

Education: I have a favor to ask

I was asked to share the following video, which was prepared by ParentVoices NY.  One of those parents is the father of two young children, one of whom is in second grade in Brooklyn.  These are the grandchildren of my dear friend Diane Ravitch, who asked me to post the video. Bill De Blasio has a real chance to change the direction of public education in New York City, and thereby also changing t

by rss@dailykos.com ... / 49min 

the moral test of a government

As Congress considers more cuts to services for the poor, be these unemployment payments, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Payments, Medicaid reimbursement rates - what ever they may be, and to the rest of the social safety net, including Medicare and Social Security ..... I would like to remind them of one of the most important moral statements ever made by a politician. They were offered by Hub

by rss@dailykos.com ... / 0min skip  //  save

Two important columns on the Iran deal

are in this morning's newspapers. While I realize both might appear in the pundit roundup, I thought it worthwhile to call attention to both. The first is Israel's Iran Dilemma by Roger Cohen in The New York Times The second is Iran deal is a diplomatic success story by Eugen Robinson in The Washington Post Cohen notes of Israel's opposition to the plan that Israel is the status-quo Middle Eastern

by rss@dailykos.com ... / 2h 

11-25-13 teacherken Daily Kos: Krugman: I give you California

Daily Kos: Krugman: I give you California: Krugman: I give you CaliforniabyteacherkenFollowWhat would happen if we unveiled a program that looked like Obamacare, in a place that looked like America, but with competent project management that produced a working website?Well, your wish is granted. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you California.The words above are the key to Paul Krugman's column today,

by mike simpson / 9h 

11-26-13 @ THE CHALK FACE

@ THE CHALK FACE:

Teaching Strategies GOLD = Garbage waste of time

My colleagues in Pre-K hate, hate, hate GOLD. Then, these kids enter Kindergarten without being able to read or even write their own names. So, what the hell is going on? I received an email asking if I wanted to participate as a pilot classroom for GOLD. They even dangled a free iPad mini in […]

by Shaun Johnson / 1h 

Good coverage of the #optout movement from NYmag

Read up. United Opt Out National receives a mention. Nice.

by Shaun Johnson / 1h skip  //  save

Two things I thought would never be uttered: Thanksgiving and #commoncore, now with calcium

One more day before a short, but much-needed break. We’re culminating our study of the solar system tomorrow by launching a model rocket. But I just thought, for giggles, to peruse Google and Pinterest for some “Thanksgiving Fun” in case I had a few worthless minutes to spare. In 2013, is Thanksgiving in schools still […]

by Shaun Johnson / 1h 

November Guest Commentary by Joining Forces for Education’s Ellen Lubic

Joining Forces for Education was formed in response to Ben Austin’s public school bulldozer outfit, the Walton Family Foundation funded Parent Revolution. Ellen Lubic occasionally contributes to Professor Ravitch’s site. Obama : With Banksters/Common Core/Race to the Top/College for All, and other fantasy legislation vs. Reality and Vocational Ed We, the People, wanted to believe in […]

by Robert D. Skeels ... / 1h 

Little Merit in Rush to Report Merit Pay Report

Mathematica reports and journalists have proven to be problematic—as I noted about the Mathematica claims about KIPP middle schools. With a fresh Mathematica study, Talent Transfer Initiative: Attracting and Retaining High-Performing Teachers in Low-Performing Schools, also comes the rush to report: Top Teachers Retained Effectiveness After Transfer, Study Shows, Stephen Sawchuck at Education Week

by plthomasedd / 17min 

Misreading “Grit”: On Treating Children Better than Salmon or Sea Turtles

Misreading \”Grit\”: On Treating Children Better than Salmon or Sea Turtles. via Misreading “Grit”: On Treating Children Better than Salmon or Sea Turtles.

by plthomasedd / 58min 

11-25-13 @ The Chalk Face

@ THE CHALK FACE: Book Review: John Owens’ Confessions of a Bad TeacherI teach. I blog. I speak publicly. I advocate. I advise. I counsel. Not much time left for reading for pleasure. However, from the very opening paragraphs of John Owens’ firsthand account of the contemporary, reform-beaten American classroom, Confessions of a Bad Teacher, I was hooked: After we read the section of Homer’s The O

by mike simpson / 2h

11-26-13 Wait What?

Wait What?:

The Malloy administration’s approach to financial planning in 2013

“Aware that the city school board was prepared Monday to pass a resolution demanding the funds, Barnes said he felt the time was right to make the deal.”  – CT Post 11/26/13 You heard him right… “The time was right to make the deal.” The deal being that the City of Bridgeport would get a giant […]The post The Malloy administration’s approach to financial planning in 2013 appeared first on Wait Wha

by jonpelto / 0min 

Paul Vallas: $1,200 a day from the taxpayers of Illinois while collecting $900 a day from the taxpayers of Bridgeport and Connecticut.

Hey, it’s not like we didn’t warn them… Governor Pat Quinn became Illinois’ chief elected official with a very narrow victory.  Arguably he won, in no small part, thanks too strong support from Illinois teachers. When Quinn picked Paul Vallas to be his running-mate, I told members of the Illinois media that considering what he […]The post Paul Vallas: $1,200 a day from the taxpayers of Illinois wh

by jonpelto / 52min skip  //  save

Hartford School Board vote reveals more about secret deal within Malloy administration

As reported by the Hartford Courant, “The city board of education reversed itself Monday night and approved two proposed magnet schools for the 2014-15 year, nearly a week after voting to reject the plans that were negotiated as part of a settlement in the Sheff v. O’Neill case.” The Hartford Board of Education also approved […]The post Hartford School Board vote reveals more about secret deal wit

by jonpelto / 1h 

11-25-13 Wait What?

Wait What?: Wait, What? – A weekend of political news and commentaryConnecticut and American Politics: Will Rogers, the “unequal distribution of the money” and the elections of 2014 and 2016 Meanwhile…..John Rowland? No Dannel Malloy Malloy continues to cash in on Education Reform initiative (corrected version)   Bridgeport: Mayor Bill Finch, Paul Vallas: UPDATED: Secret Deal for Malloy Political

by mike simpson / 9h 

11-26-13 The Answer Sheet

The Answer Sheet:

And now… Common Core tutors

It was inevitable. First we got the Common Core State Standards, adopted by 45 states and the District of Columbia and intended to raise the academic achievement of students everywhere. To assess whether that was happening, we got high-stakes standardized tests aligned with the Core, because, in today’s school reform world, standardized tests are the […]    

by Valerie Strauss / 6h 

 

11-25-13 The Answer Sheet

The Answer Sheet: Brace yourself: Pearson has a ‘new global education strategy’Pearson, the largest education company in the world, has “a  new global education strategy.” What exactly is it? Cognitive scientist Daniel Willingham explains in this post. Willingham is a professor and director of graduate studies in psychology at the University of Virginia and author of “Why Don’t Students Like Schoo

by mike simpson / 8h 

11-26-13 the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness (the public and scholarly writing by P. L. Thomas, Furman University)

the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness (the public and scholarly writing by P. L. Thomas, Furman University):

At the Chalk Face: Education Reform as Collaboration, Not Competition | National Education Policy Center

At the Chalk Face: Education Reform as Collaboration, Not Competition | National Education Policy Center

by P. L. Thomas / 1h 

CALL: The Politics of Panem: Critical Perspectives on the Hunger Games

Series: Critical Literacy Teaching Series: Challenging Authors and Genres Volume Title: The Politics of Panem: Critical Perspectives on the Hunger Games Editor: Sean P. Connors, University of Arkansas By any measure, Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games series is a commercial success. In 2012, the bookselling behemoth Amazon reported that the trilogy outsold the Harry Potter series, no small accomplishme

by plthomasedd / 1h 

Little Merit in Rush to Report Merit Pay Report

Little Merit in Rush to Report Merit Pay Report.

by plthomasedd / 15min 

Misreading “Grit”: On Treating Children Better than Salmon or Sea Turtles

Rob McEntarffer (@rmcenta) Tweeted a question to me about my blog post, The Poverty Trap: Slack, Not Grit, Creates Achievement, asking: “can Grit research (Duckworth, etc) be used as a humanizing/empowering tool, rather than a weapon against schools/kids?” Rob’s question is both a good one and representative of the numerous challenges I received for rejecting “grit”—some of the push-back has been

by plthomasedd / 2h 

11-24-13 the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness

the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness (the public and scholarly writing by P. L. Thomas, Furman University): Safe Spaces for Teachers’ Professional Voices in a Public SphereIt is a bittersweet irony that words are mostly inadequate to express my appreciation to be nominated for and then recognized with the National Council of Teachers of English 2013 George Orwell Award—”establ

by mike simpson / 9h