12-4-13 Ms. Jablonski's Class Blog

Ms. Jablonski's Class Blog:

Google Glass Incident

A few months ago, Cecilia Abadie, a computer technician , got a citation for allegedly "using" a google glass while driving. She claimed that the google glass only turned on when she looked up at the officer.  At first the officer was suspicious of Abadie driving 80 mph on a 65 mph freeway. But the officer then saw she was wearing a google glass and decided to give her a citation for peo

by Dennis Wu / 10min 

 

12-2-13 Ms. Jablonski's Class Blog

Ms. Jablonski's Class Blog: The New American CenterVery relevant to the class discussion today, this article, which can be accessed here, reveals that the constant idea of great division in this country apparent through the 80s to now of 40% on the left 40% on the right and 20% in the middle is fundamentally incorrect. The recent survey reveals 21% on the left 28% on the right and 51% in the middl

by mike simpson / 13h

Ms. Jablonski's Class Blog 11-30-13

Ms. Jablonski's Class Blog: Phillipine Government S The typhoon that struckby Dennis Wu / 10h Census ‘faked’ 2012 election jobs reportThe unemployment rate suspiciously fell sharply right before the 2012 presidential election; now the facts have been revealed, the numbers were manipulated. Two years before the election an employee was caught fabricating data and a source says that this deceit was

by mike simpson / 1min 

 

Ms. Jablonski's Class Blog: Government Preparing for Impact of Global Warming

Ms. Jablonski's Class Blog: Government Preparing for Impact of Global Warming: "Ms. Jablonski's Class Blog"Government Preparing for Impact of Global WarmingOn Friday November 1, 2013, President Obama order that the government must put " effort to boost preparation in state and local communities for the impact of global warming." Natural disaster are affecting communities, our n

by mike simpson / 1h 

10-27-13 Ms. Jablonski's Class Blog: Germany's Confidence in America is Declining

Ms. Jablonski's Class Blog: Germany's Confidence in America is Declining: Germany's Confidence in America is DecliningSince learning that the United States National Security Agency monitored Chancellor Angela Merkel's cell phone, Germany's interior minister has declared that their confidence in their American allied nation is shaken. He also stated "If the Americans intercepted cell phones in

3 by mike simpson / 21h 

10-25-13 Ms. Jablonski's Class Blog

Ms. Jablonski's Class Blog: Russell Brand on the RevolutionLast night's edition of the UK's BBC Newsnight featured this remarkable interview with Russell Brand by host Jeremy Paxman.   Brand's explains to a weary-sounding Paxman why he doesn't vote (and never will) and believes a revolution is inevitable.   No matter what you think, Brand is certainly not the "trivial man" that Paxman ca

by mike simpson / 10h 

10-15-13 Ms. Jablonski's Class Blog

Ms. Jablonski's Class Blog: Government ShutdownnAre we finally close to a deal between the Republicans and Democrats concerning the shutdown ?1 by Aidan Flynn / 6h Obamacare Vs. Affordable Care Act     Unfortunately our society is not well informed about its own governments plans. Today the the big question is,"which is better? 'Obamacare' or 'Affordable Care Act'?" For those of you who

by mike simpson / 10h 

Mother Crusader: SSSHHHHH! Statewide Charter Applies For Expansion, Doesn't Tell 20 Districts It Serves...

Mother Crusader: SSSHHHHH! Statewide Charter Applies For Expansion, Doesn't Tell 20 Districts It Serves...:

SSSHHHHH! Statewide Charter Applies For Expansion, Doesn't Tell 20 Districts It Serves...

On October 5th, 2013 the Hatikvah International Academy Charter School submitted an expansion request to the New Jersey Department of Education. You can read or download the application here.

The expansion would allow Hatikvah to add a middle school (grades 6-8) and also add an additional class of 25 students per grade. (an increase from 50-75 students in each grade) This would mean that in the next five years Hatikvah will more than double in size.

And that would not be the end of their expansion either. This expansion request only fills seats in grades K-5 with 75 students by the year 2018-2019.

This certainly implies that when their charter is up for renewal in the 2018-19 school year there will be another expansion request. My guess is the next logical step would be to request to add a high school. At 

Common Core Webinar Series - Advocacy - National PTA

Common Core Webinar Series - Advocacy - National PTA:

Common Core Webinar Series

This four-part webinar series is designed to educate parents on the Common Core State Standards and empower them to support the transition at school and at home. The webinars highlight three key principals:

• We need clear, consistent and rigorous standards across the country to ensure all students—regardless of their zip code—graduate with the higher order thinking skills needed for college and careers.
  
• The standards reflect the relevant knowledge and skills that young people need to succeed in college and to build and maintain an American workforce that can compete in the global economy.
• National PTA’s goal is for parents to be knowledgeable about the standards and new assessments and to support them every step of the way as states transition to the standards.

CCSSI Webinars

Common Core State Standards Overview

An in depth look at the history of the standards, what is new and improved and an understanding of the key differences between old state standards and the benefits of the Common Core State Standards.

Mythbusters (Coming Soon)

An overview of the biggest myths surrounding the standards and information that will help parents separate fact from fiction.

Best Practices (Coming Soon)

A look at the Kentucky PTA 15th district’s work on Common Core, including ideas that any parent or PTA can use in their area.

Resource Overview (Coming Soon)

A summary of Common Core resources National PTA has developed for parents.

Glenda Ritz says movement afoot to oust her as ed board chairwoman:

Glenda Ritz says movement afoot to oust her as ed board chairwoman

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Glenda Ritz speaks during the Indiana State Board of Education meeting at the Indiana Government Center South, Wednesday, November 13, 2013. The State Board of Education voted Wednesday to shift Indiana's A-F grading system to one that's more similar to the way students are evaluated, but the testing and other data used to determine the grades are still to be determined. Kelly Wilkinson / The Star

The tension in the room was evident earlier today when members of the state board of education met with a national mediator to try to settle their differences.

The public orientation session aimed to outline roles and responsibilities for Superintendent of Public Instruction Glenda Ritz, a Democrat who chairs the board, and other members appointed to the board by Republican governors.

But as discussions got underway, issues in the ongoing squabble surfaced again.

Ritz said she has a document showing the Gov. Mike Pence's newly created Center for Education and Career Innovation is trying to remove her as chairwoman of the board of education through possible legislation.

A CECI spokesman said there is no such plan.

Earlier this fall, Ritz sued board members, accusing them of having an improper private meeting without her. The lawsuit was later thrown out. She also walked out of a recent board meeting.

The National Association of State Boards of Education, at the suggestion of Pence, facilitated the discussion on board procedures and operation.

This story will be updated.

12/4/2013 – Ensuring Quality Teachers

12/4/2013 – Ensuring Quality Teachers:

Time To Change The Way We Ensure Quality Teachers

By Jeff Bryant

“The agenda [Arne] Duncan ‘began to advance in 2009 has now hit serious roadblocks’ … Particularly anger-inducing has been the way the Duncan/reform agenda has faltered on the need to expand access that poor and language-minority kids have to the best teachers … The idea of getting more successful teachers to work in schools that poor kids attend is not without merit … An important new document lays out a holistic view of how to address the many factors that influence “teaching quality” and more equitable distribution of high-quality teachers to schools that need them the most.”
Read more …

NEWS AND VIEWS

Only 42 Percent Of Eligible Children Participate In Head Start

Education Week

” Despite funding increases for Head Start over the past six years, only 42% of eligible children are now served, and just 4% of those eligible are served by Early Head Start … Although money for the programs got a $1.2 billion funding boost from 2006 to 2012, 33 states did not meet benchmarks for either class size or adult-to-child ratios … Only four states – Connecticut, North Dakota, Oregon, and Vermont – filled their classes … Despite increases in funding, the barrier to participation is still money.”
Read more …

Music Training Sharpens Brain Pathways, Studies Say

Education Week

“New research suggests that the complexity involved in practicing and performing music may help students’ cognitive development … Music training may increase the neural connections in regions of the brain associated with creativity, decisionmaking, and complex memory, and they may improve a student’s ability to process conflicting information from many senses at once … Starting music education early can be even more helpful … Not only does [playing music] require attention and coordination of multiple senses, but it often triggers emotions, involves cooperation with other people, and provides immediate feedback to the student on how well he or she is progressing.”
Read more …

What Happens When Great Teachers Get $20,000 to Work in Low-Income Schools?

Slate

Veteran education journalist Dana Goldstein writes, “The results of a new study … found merit pay can work … The good news is … a significant pay raise can move good veteran teachers to struggling schools and keep them there. The bad news is that less than a quarter of the 1,500 effective teachers asked to participate in this experiment chose to apply … Our school reform debate has focused almost obsessively on the individual teacher within the classroom. In reality, a school’s working climate – the complex interplay between a principal and teams of teachers – matters just as much … Efforts to recruit good teachers to low-income schools will probably be more successful if transfer teachers are guaranteed not to be overwhelmed by higher head counts … We should listen to what teachers are telling researchers about their preferences: Class sizes should be reasonable, and principals matter. But money matters too.”
Read more …

‘PISA Day – An Ideological And Hyperventilated Exercise

Economic Policy Institute

Economists Richard Rothstein and Martin Carnoy write, “National average scores of students on the 2012 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) will be released Tuesday, and we urge commentators and education policymakers to avoid jumping to quick conclusions … The U.S. Department of Education (ED) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) are planning a highly orchestrated event, ‘PISA Day,’ to manipulate coverage of this release … Advocates participating in Tuesday’s staged PISA Day release include several who, a quarter century ago, warned that America’s inadequate education system and workforce skills imperiled our competitiveness and future. Their warnings were followed by a substantial acceleration of American productivity growth in the mid-1990s, and by an American economy whose growth rate surpassed the growth rates of countries that were alleged to have better prepared and more highly skilled workers.”
Read more …

For Returning Veterans, Back-To-School Brings New Battles – And Not Enough Help

The Hechinger Report

“The road to higher education will remain fraught with challenges for U.S. veterans, some two million men and women who have or will return from Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere … It’s a sad state of affairs for a country that educated about 10 million returning veterans after World War II … Today’s veterans often have difficulty accessing their benefits … Some are finding themselves deep in debt due to predatory lenders; others scammed by for-profit colleges that lure them in – and don’t deliver what they’ve promised … They also often struggle to find answers for their unique range of issues – everything from transferring credits to studying full-time while supporting a family to post-traumatic stress and physical injuries.”
Read more …

Young Men of Color Leading in the Classroom | ED.gov Blog

Young Men of Color Leading in the Classroom | ED.gov Blog:

Young Men of Color Leading in the Classroom

Posted on December 2, 2013 by Alejandra Ceja

The Life and Times of Jose Vilson

Growing up in San Luis, Ariz., a town located near the Mexican border, Jorge Ontiveros never imagined he’d want to become a middle school teacher. His goal was to “follow the money” and become a lawyer or businessman, just like many young men his age had wanted to do. To his surprise, what was initially intended to be a short-term job as a high school football coach, quickly changed his perspective on the teaching profession.

Now in his fifth year of teaching sixth graders at Palomino Intermediate School in Phoenix, Ontiveros is just one of two Hispanic male teachers in his school. Across the country, just seven percent of teachers are Hispanic, and only two percent are males. For the last decade, Hispanic students have represented the largest minority group in our schools—one of every four students in the nation’s K-12 schools. With the Hispanic population projected to represent 60 percent of the population growth by 2050, the importance of recruiting teachers that reflect the diverse student body of our country is not only necessary but critical.

At a time when the high school graduation rate for Latino males is 60 percent and the college enrollment rate is 34 percent, having a teacher that reflects his or her student body may lead to better attendance, fewer suspensions and higher test scores. Ontiveros teaches in the same community he grew up in and he believes his Mexican, Spanish-speaking upbringing allows him to connect to his students and their parents. “Being able to relate and ultimately communicate with parents and students effectively is crucial to the success of the student, both inside and outside of my classroom.”  

The U.S. Department of Education also believes in the importance of increasing the number of diverse and qualified teachers in the classroom. Last week, Secretary Duncan participated in the launch of a national teacher recruitment campaign to raise the nation’s awareness on the need to recruit the next generation of great teachers, particularly minority men. Providing students with a diverse representation of teachers who are role models in their communities will be a key component of this campaign’s success.

Ontiveros believes that young men don’t see enough male teachers to consider a career in teaching. “I want them to see a successful, young, male Hispanic teacher, so I wear a dress shirt and tie every day to show that I am proud of what I do,” Ontiveros said. He also asks his students to dress-up each Thursday for what he calls “Professional’s Day.” “Their job is to be good students,” he told us. “They show up to class and do their part, so I treat them professionally, calling them Miss or Mister.”

Ontiveros may have decided not to “follow the money” but being a role model and teaching and coaching students has fulfilled him in more meaningful ways. He talked about his day, his routine, and we listened and couldn’t help but notice the passion and commitment seeping through every word. Teaching clearly has become not only his career, but his life’s mission.

Alejandra Ceja is the executive director for the White House Initiative on Education Excellence for Hispanics

A Matter of Shared Responsibility

Posted on December 3, 2013 by Arne Duncan

In 1985, 14-year-old Ryan White and his family successfully battled myths and hysteria about HIV and AIDS so that he could attend his public middle school. In light of the observation of World AIDS Day this past Sunday, it is useful to reflect on how much has improved over the past three decades when it comes to ensuring people with HIV/AIDS equal access to education. But it’s also important to acknowledge the work still to be done.

Approximately 636,000 people in the United States with an AIDS diagnosis have died since the epidemic began. As we strive for a world free of HIV/AIDS, we cannot forget those who are currently living with it. More than 11,000 school-age children in the United States are currently living with a diagnosis of HIV infection or AIDS, as are almost 30,000 young adults (ages 20-24). This disease crosses all socio-economic strata and is not limited to a particular region or zip code in this nation.  HIV/AIDS can afflict individuals of every race, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, religion, and age. We as a community must band together to address any myths, misconceptions, stereotypes, and to eliminate discriminatory behavior concerning people with HIV/AIDS.

Most schools have embraced a spirit of inclusion and non-discrimination that allows students with HIV/AIDS to participate equitably in classrooms and extracurricular activities. In some schools, however, myths and fears about HIV/AIDS can still lead to exclusion, discrimination, and bullying. In those instances, schools must be reminded in no uncertain terms that it is illegal under federal civil rights laws enforced by the Department to prohibit a student with HIV/AIDS from attending school or to permit harassment of a student because he or she has, or is regarded as having, HIV/AIDS.

Here are some of the ways you can make a difference:

• Learn the facts about HIV/AIDS, how it is spread and how it isn’t. Find resources and organizations near where you live and help share this information with your fellow community members.
• Arm students, parents, teachers, administrators, and families with tools to stop bullying in schools, including bullying and against students with HIV/AIDS.
• Review the Department’s guidance documents  that address when harassment on the basis of disability, including HIV/AIDS, can violate the civil rights laws.
• Understand that students who are living with HIV/AIDS, are regarded as such, or are associated with others living with HIV/AIDS (such as parents, guardians, and other family members), are protected from discrimination under federal civil rights laws including Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

Let’s continue to educate ourselves and others about HIV/AIDS. Let’s renew our commitment to support our colleagues, classmates, friends, and neighbors living with HIV/AIDS.  Our actions can make a big difference. We owe those living with this disease, and ourselves, no less.

Arne Duncan is U.S. Secretary of Education

UPDATE: Full transcript and Video President Barack Obama Speech 12/4/2013 on economy and where we are...

Full transcript: President Obama’s December 4 remarks on the economy

Thank you. (Cheers, applause.) Thank you, everybody. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you, everybody. Please, please, have a seat. Thank you so much.

Well, thank you, Neera, for the wonderful introduction and sharing a story that resonated with me. There were a lot of parallels in my life, and probably resonated with some of you.

You know, over the past 10 years, the Center for American Progress has done incredible work to shape the debate over expanding opportunity for all Americans. And I could not be more grateful to CAP not only for giving me a lot of good policy ideas but also giving me a lot of staff. (Laughter.) My friend John Podesta ran my transition. My chief of staff, Denis McDonough, did a stint at CAP. So you guys are obviously doing a good job training folks.

I also want to thank all of the members of Congress and my administration who are here today for the wonderful work that they do. I want to thank Mayor Gray and everyone here at THEARC for having me.

This center, which I’ve been to quite a bit and have had a chance to see some of the great work that’s done here, and all the nonprofits that -- that call THEARC home offer access to everything from education to health care to a safe shelter from the streets, which means that you’re -- you’re harnessing the power of community to expand opportunity for folks here in D.C. And your work reflects a tradition that runs through our history, the belief that we’re greater together than we are on our own. And -- and that’s what I’ve come here to talk about today.

Now, over the last two months, Washington’s been dominated by some pretty contentious debates, I think that’s fair to say. And between a reckless shutdown by congressional Republicans in an effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act and, admittedly, poor execution on my administration’s part in implementing the latest stage of the new law, nobody has acquitted themselves very well these past few months. So it’s not surprising that the American people’s frustrations with Washington are at an all-time high.

But we know that people’s frustrations run deeper than these most recent political battles. Their frustration is rooted in their own daily battles, to make ends meet, to pay for college, buy a home, save for retirement. It’s rooted in the nagging sense that no matter how hard they work, the deck is stacked against them. And it’s rooted in the fear that their kids won’t be better off than they were.

They may not follow the constant back-and-forth in Washington or all the policy details, but they experience, in a very personal way, the relentless decadeslong trend that I want to spend some time talking about today, and that is a dangerous and growing inequality and lack of upward mobility that has jeopardized middle-class America’s basic bargain that if you work hard, you have a chance to get ahead. I believe this is the defining challenge of our time: making sure our economy works for every working American. That’s why I ran for president. It was the center of last year’s campaign. It drives everything I do in this office.

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UPDATE Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: No Tolerance for Zero Tolerance + PISA: 'Global capitalism is like the Olympics'

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: No Tolerance for Zero Tolerance:


Chris Hayes on PISA: 'Global capitalism is like the Olympics'

Hayes says he's "skeptical of the American schools are failing line." But, he says, "global capitalism is like the Olympics.g"AFT Pres. Randi Weingarten, former elementary school teacher and schools activist Sabrina Stevens (union hunter Russo tweeted, she worked for the AFT -- horrors) and Gov. Christie's guy, Durrell Bradford offer their takes of the latest  PISA scores.I lik

by Mike Klonsky / 10min 

No Tolerance for Zero Tolerance

Finally, it appears that school districts are rethinking their Zero Tolerance policies. Many of us have been arguing for years that ZT does little to reduce school violence and does great harm to the culture and content of schools. Now, according to the New York Times, cities and school districts around the country are rethinking their approach to minor offenses.

Broward Supt. Runcie

Rather than push children out of school, districts like Broward Cty, Florida, are now doing the opposite: choosing to keep lawbreaking students in school, away from trouble on the streets, and offering them counseling and other assistance aimed at changing behavior. Broward previously had the distinction of   having more students arrested on school campuses here than in any other state district, the vast majority for misdemeanors like possessing marijuana or spraying graffiti.

     “A knee-jerk reaction for minor offenses, suspending and expelling students, this is not the business we should be in,” said Robert W. Runcie, the Broward County Schools superintendent, who took the job in late 2011. “We are not accepting that we need to have hundreds of 

 mark as read

No Tolerance for Zero Tolerance

Finally, it appears that school districts are rethinking their Zero Tolerance policies. Many of us have been arguing for years that ZT does little to reduce school violence and does great harm to the culture and content of schools. Now, according to the New York Times, cities and school districts around the country are rethinking their approach to minor offenses.Broward Supt. RuncieRather than push children out of school, districts like Broward Cty, Florida, are now doing the opposite: choosing to keep lawbreaking students in school, away from trouble on the streets, and offering them counseli

1min 

We thought we were done with Vallas but... he's back

Look out. Vallas is back in town. We tried to finish him off back in 2001 but...No sooner had I finished posting about how the Working Families Party and allies were running Paul Vallas out of Bridgeport, than I get the news that he has been selected as Gov. Quinn's running mate here in Illinois. Yes, the master of the disaster in from Philly to New Orleans and from Haiti to Chile, the buster of teacher unions, the school privatization guru himself, is back with a vengeance.Sun-Times political reporter Fran Spielman and David McKinney call it, "a stunning political move that puzzled many

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Taking Names

Retirees put sellout Rep. Mussman up against the wallCarol Marin on Chicago Tonight: "It's like WWIII down there [in Springfield] in terms of phones ringing off the hook."Ralph Martirie, with some support from IFT Pres. Dan Montgomery, did a great job on last night's panel. He blew away each and every point made by pension thieves, Msall and Tillman. His main point -- the pension bill is bad news, not just for retirees who've paid into the fund their whole working lives, but for the taxpayers as well. Martieie made it clear that the bill is clearly unconstitutional and like its count

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YESTERDAY

PISA -- The World Cup of Testing

It's that time again -- the silly season when the countries of the world have their schools rated on the basis of the PISA tests. It's like the World Cup of standardized testing. And like the World Cup, the U.S. continues to wind up in the middle of the pack, somewhere behind Ireland and Poland. Look for a new round of racial theories about Asians being smarter, and lots pissing and moaning about

by Mike Klonsky / 1d hide  //  save

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Why doesn't Moskowitz pay rent?

From deutsch29, Mercedes Schneider's EduBlog:Since 2006, Eva Moskowitz has been running a small charter empire that has at least $50 million in government per-pupil funding, at least $30.9 million in total, end-of-year assets, and the support of hedge fund millionaires. Why is it, then, that her Success Academies have never paid a dime in rent for the public school space occupied by her charter schools?Recently-elected New York Mayor Bill de Blasio wants to put an end to the rent-free usage of public school space by charter schools.Moskowitz’s response? Read the rest here

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From Walmart to the White House

Sylvia Mathews BurwellAs Wal-Mart workers are engaging in protests and Black Friday job actions nationwide, to shine another spotlight on the company's anti-worker policies and unlivable wages, the Obama White House is building a new, cozy relationship with the company.Remember back in 2007, when candidate Barack Obama told union voters, "I won't shop at Wal-Mart" and when 8 days later, Michelle Obama resigned from the board of the anti-union company's supplier? My, how times have changed.Since April, Sylvia Mathews Burwell, the former president of the Walmart Foundation, has been se

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The wild expansion of privately-managed charters

NEWS RELEASE NATIONAL EDUCATION POLICY CENTERFor Immediate Release November 26, 2013 Contact:  Jamie Horwitz, 202-549-4921, jhdcpr@starpower.netPrivate Education Management Organizations Running Public Schools Expand –44 Percent of Charter School Students in 2011-12 Attended Schools Operated by EMOs New report shows 908,000 students in 2011-2012 attended privately-managed schools in 35 states plus D.C. – a major increase from 733,000 enrolled a year earlier. Michigan (204 schools) Florida (177), Ohio (110) and Arizona (108) have the most privately-managed schools. An increasing number of for-p

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