12-2-13 Ed Notes Online

Ed Notes Online:

Ed Notes Learns Identity of next chancellor and police commissioner

And the winner is: Jeff Kaufman, who as a former cop, lawyer and current teacher has the qualifications and the skills to do both jobs - at the same time. Congrats Jeff.

by ed notes online / 10min 

Another No-Nothing NY Times Ed Editorial

Do they read their own paper?... Loretta Prisco on NYT editorial board.@nytopinion calls NYC teachers who work as substitutes "inactive".....Lisa Fleisher, WSJ, tweetGreat catch by Lisa. I tweeted back:@lisafleisher .@nytopinion Good pt- ATRe work full day- some as subs, others replacing teachers who are on leave, etc. NYT ed bd ignorant Loretta Prisco's full comment:There is so much mis

by ed notes online / 1h

WSJ Reports on Citizens of the World Charter Underenrollment

The school's experience demonstrates that charter schools, which often say parents need more choices, can be stung when parents' decisions don't fall their way. It also bolsters opponents who say that, despite claims of long wait lists and tales of parents craving alternatives, there isn't as much demand for charter schools as supporters say... Lisa Fleisher, WSJ.Lisa Fleisher often writes pieces

by ed notes online / 38min 

My Wife Joins the Fray on Obamacare

My cousin, now living in Israel where I believe there is a national health care system, is a conservative, anti-Obama, and especially opposed to Obamacare. Which I can understand if he was, like my wife and me, in favor of a single payer system -- Medicare for all. I mean, we are pissed too at Obama for allowing the insurance companies to run health care and take their pound of flesh. But he's a c

by ed notes online / 38min 

Teachers Talk Testing @PS 321K, Tues. Dec. 3 - With MOREistas Cavanagh, Coleman and More

Dear Friends and Colleagues,We'll be holding a Teachers Talk Testing Forum at PS 321 this Tuesday, 12/3 at 6:30pm. I'll be speaking - among other great guests - and I urge you to attend if you are able to make it. We'll be looking at the impact the high stakes tests are having on teachers professionally... as well as on our classrooms and students. We'll also look at ways we can help lower the sta

by ed notes online / 38min hide  //  save

Report from the Banana Republic: Where Does Blame for Derailment Lie?

MTA Board should resign Immediately. But they will just blame the train operator.Well, is it time to officially declare us a 3rd World Country with today's Metro North Derailment? Exactly how do the people in charge of running things get chosen? Political hacksville:MTA Leadership The MTA is governed by a 17-member Board. Members are nominated by the Governor, with four recommended by New York Cit

by ed notes online / 38min 

A Bittersweet Weekend

How to even begin to describe the levels of inspiration that Gene and Loretta provided? Committed educators, representative of the best of NYC and it's radical traditions, wonderful friends offering help and comfort to those around them, people full of humor and the life force... Farewell, brother: you lit the path before us and made it a little easier to go forward... Michael Fiorillo Over 40 yea

by ed notes online / 38min

11-30-13 Ed Notes Online Week

Ed Notes Online: Ed Notes Online mark as readWhat about the reversals of the October co-locos by di Blasio or Will Eval Moskowitz Continue to be Coddled?Lets hope Bill DB's new administration moves in quickly to deliver us from Eva and her destructive ways ASAP.... Eva can afford to rent her own buildings w/ all the philanthropy and savings she has amassed.....  Lisa Donlan, CEC1Is there a push fo

by mike simpson / 41min 

12-2-13 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.:

Karen Lewis. “So let me get this straight.”

  So let me get this straight. The General Assembly will cut pensions for people who broke the color and gender barrier in order to work for the State, but will hand over tax breaks to ADM and Home Depot. We are truly living in bizarro world. Call your state legislators. - Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis

by Fred Klonsky / 5min 

Jerry Mulvihill. A Letter to Representative Hurley.

Hi Fred, Thanks for everything you are doing! Don’t know if you saw this but this is the email response I got from Rep. Fran Hurley after I emailed her the other day. My response to her is below as well. We are working hard in 64 (the Park Ridge Education Association) to keep the calls coming in to legislators. Thanks gain and we will keep hoping for a defeat of this BS!!! -Jerry   Fran, Thank you

by Fred Klonsky / 10min 

Rockford teachers protest pension cuts.

  Hi Fred Just to let you know we’ve been keeping up with CPS via your blog. Here are some of us in front of the Zeke Georgi building in Rockford. - Carolyn Grune – REA teacher & activist.

by Fred Klonsky / 8min 

Representative Robyn Gabel targeted by teachers and other retirees.

From the Evanston Roundtable: Teachers Protest at Rep. Gabel’s office By Larry Gavin Approximately 20 retired and active teachers and state workers met with Matt Trewartha, legislative aide to State Representative Robyn Gabel, in the lobby outside Rep. Gabel’s Evanston office on Dec. 2. They urged that she vote “no” on proposed pension legislation that was scheduled to be cons

by Fred Klonsky / 13min 

Karl Gabbey Democratic Precinct Committeeman, Precinct 56, Bloomingdale Township. Another letter to Representative Mussman.

This is my letter to Michelle Mussman shortly after she voted for Madigan’s SB 1 at the beginning of last last summer. Curiously, she did not respond. Mussman calls herself an “Independent Democrat.” The “Independent Democrat” label was printed on her campaign signs at least during her first “soccer mom” campaign… Karl Dear Michelle, Your “Yea” vote on Madigan’s pension cutting bill(s) just turned

by Fred Klonsky / 19min 

Retiree rebellion. The heat is on.

    At Representative Michelle Mussman’s office in Schaumburg. Photos: Fred Klonsky   Angry retirees and active teachers line Dempster in front of Senator Biss’ office. Photo: Mark Stefanik. I haven’t heard from around the state yet. But, I was up in Schaumburg this afternoon at Representative Michelle Mussman’s office. Along with nearly 100 other union members including active and retired teac

by Fred Klonsky / 55min

Bob Lyons. Dear Representative Michelle Mussman.

- Bob Lyons is a TRS trustee. Michelle, I can recall a conversation from just a couple of years ago with Representative Elaine Nekritz where she said, “Of course we need to cut your pension benefits, but we can’t because you’re already retired.”   She knew then it was unconstitutional.  But when the legislators looked at how many billions that they felt they need to save they came back to u

by Fred Klonsky / 7min 

Here is what the Illinois House and Senate are voting on this week. It takes 325 pages to describe how they are going to steal our pensions.

Here is a copy of the Senate Bill 1. It takes 325 pages to describe how the state of Illinois will violate the state constitution and steal our pensions. 325 pages. The members of the House and Senate just got copies of it this noon today. They must be speed readers. Thieves of speed.

by Fred Klonsky / 18min hide  //  save

Pension Emergency Day in Illinois. Reporting in.

  Skokie Organization of Retired Educators (S.O.R.E.) IEA Retired at Representative Laura Fine’s office. Photo: Representative Laura Fine. Ten of us met with north suburban Representative Laura Fine. We could have had thirty or more. But this was a cordial meeting. Not a rally. Fine was one of the good guys who voted against Senate Bill 1 back in May. But will she stick to her principles tomorrow

by Fred Klonsky / 58min 

Ellen Gradman. Pension theft.

  Graphic: Ellen Gradman.

by Fred Klonsky / 2min 

Bev Johns. What does the Illinois Constitution say about cutting pension benefits? Unfortunately, whatever 4 justices on the Illinois Supreme Court decide it says.

. - Bev Johns is a Special Needs and public schools advocate and activist. There is a need for all-out political action before the Illinois House and Senate votes on cutting pensions on Tuesday. What does the Illinois Constitution say about cutting pension benefits? Unfortunately, whatever four justices on the Illinois Supreme Court decide it says. Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan is confi

by Fred Klonsky / 32min

Friends.

. This morning as I head for a round of Illinois legislative district offices I am grieving. I’ve lost a friend. Not a real friend. A Facebook friend. Apparently David Ormsby has defriended me. Unfriended? Disenfriended?  This has happened before and losing a friend, even a virtual friend, isn’t an easy time for me. A few years ago Charlie McBarron, the Director of Communications for the IEA cut

by Fred Klonsky / 4min 

  

12-1-13 Fred Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacher who is just looking at the data.

Fred Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacher who is just looking at the data.: The cranky one is publishing the times and locations of tomorrow’s We Are One pension rallies.Here are the times and locations of tomorrow’s pension rallies at local representatives’ offices: AFSCME • Rockford – Stadelman/Syverson, Jefferson o Start Time: 10 a.m. o Transportation: Self. (Parking is pl

by mike simpson / 3h 

12-2-13 Wait What?

Wait What?:

Malloy tells right-wing American Enterprise Institute he is the “education governor”

As reported earlier today, Governor Malloy traveled to Washington D.C. today to speak to the ultra-right wing American Enterprise Institute.  (see Wait, What? post: Malloy speaks to right-wing American Enterprise Institute in ongoing effort to alienate every teacher and public education advocate). The purpose of his trip to D.C. was to brag about his Education Reform […]The post Malloy tells right

by jonpelto / 1h 

Malloy speaks to right-wing American Enterprise Institute in ongoing effort to alienate every teacher and public education advocate

With the 2014 gubernatorial election on the horizon, Governor Dannel P. Malloy remains true to his never-ending effort to alienate every teacher and public education advocate in Connecticut. Today he travels to the ultra-right wing American Enterprise Institute in Washington, D.C. to speak on “School Reform.” American Enterprise Institute (AEI) is the leading “think-tank” for […]The post Malloy sp

by jonpelto / 1h 

12-1-13 Wait What?

Wait What?: Perry returns to the paid speaking circuitTonight, December 1, 2013, Steve Perry will be speaking at George Washington University from 7pm – 9pm (no word whether the will be back in time for school tomorrow morning).  But he’ll certainly be missing another school day on Friday when he speaks at the METCO Directors’ Association meeting outside of Boston from 8:30am – […]The post Perry r

by mike simpson / 5h

12-2-13 The Answer Sheet

The Answer Sheet:

Catholics split over Common Core standards

Catholic educators, scholars and bishops are engaging in an increasingly vocal debate about the Common Core State Standards, with a major split developing between those who support the Core and those who don’t. More than 100 dioceses have already approved the standards for their Catholic schools, but others are rejecting them, including the Diocese of […]    

by Valerie Strauss / 6min 

Why is a country the size of New Mexico beating the U.S. in academic performance?

Tuesday is “PISA Day,” that is, the day that the 2012 results of reading, math and science tests will be released from the Program for International Student Assessment, or PISA, which tests 15 year olds every three years in more than 65 countries and education systems. The United States can be expected to do pretty […]    

by Valerie Strauss / 1h 

Obama administration backtracks (again) on teacher equity

President Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan have talked the talked about the importance of teachers, but when it comes to providing kids with equitable access to great teachers, they haven’t exactly walked the walk. Here is a post on the issue by Tara Kini, senior staff attorney at Public Advocates, a nonprofit law firm […]    

by Valerie Strauss / 3h 

12-1-13 The Answer Sheet

The Answer Sheet: Amazing product placement: ‘American Girl’ backpack comes with mini Pearson math bookYou’ve got to give it to Pearson: They do great product placement. Who would expect an “American Girl” miniature backpack set for a doll to include a tiny math book with a cover that comes from a Common Core-aligned textbook line put out by the education publishing giant? Yes, educator and blogge

by mike simpson / 6h