Wednesday, December 11, 2013

12-11-13 Seattle Schools Community Forum

Oregan Bans Online School Operator for Life

In one of those likely "it's only a matter of time" stories, The Oregonian reports that Tim King, who is a charter school chain operator in Oregon was recently banned - for life -in a court settlement from ever "running, advising, or otherwise getting financially involved with any charter school in Oregon." He and a partner also must pay the state of Oregon $475k and dismantle

by Melissa Westbrook / 14min

Seattle School Board Retreat Wrap-Up

The Board retreat was last Saturday. I was one of two observers along with reader Cecilia.As I previously mentioned, I felt a lot of good energy and reason for hope from this new team. There were a couple of people around the table that felt the need to point out how many new people there were but there is nothing to be done except regroup and move on. Rapid turnover is not good for any organiz

by Melissa Westbrook / 25min hide // save

Education News Roundup

A great story from Huffington Post on the "Buddy Bench." Second-grader Christian Bucks, of York, Pa., knew that some of his classmates felt lonely during recess, and he decided to do something about it. His simple, utterly heartwarming solution was to install a playground "buddy bench." As reported by the York Daily Record, a buddy bench is a designated seating area where st

by Melissa Westbrook / 1h

Clarity around the title "interim"

Seattle Public Schools bureaucrats love to play word games. Their favorite word game is to re-define words. They do it for a variety of reasons. They have re-defined "task force" and "advisory committee" to evade control by Board policy. They have re-defined "program" and "service" to expand superintendent authority. They have changed the definition of "

by Charlie Mas / 1h

12-10-13 Seattle Schools Community Forum

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Tuesday Open ThreadSo no snow in my area so here's hoping yours is dry as well. I received my Seattle Public Library newsletter and wanted to alert readers with high school students about a new scholarship opportunity. It's the Stim Bullitt Civic Courage Scholarship. (This is a bequest from the late Stimson Bullitt who supported public libraries.) High school sen

by mike simpson / 22h

Now THAT is what a Day of Action looks like! | National Opportunity to Learn Campaign | Education Reform for Equity and Opportunity

Now THAT is what a Day of Action looks like! | National Opportunity to Learn Campaign | Education Reform for Equity and Opportunity:

Now THAT is what a Day of Action looks like!

Posted on: Tuesday December 10th, 2013

THANK YOU for an Exciting National Day of Action!Recap, photos, media stories & petition link

To all the parents, students, teachers and community organizers who turned out across the nation for Monday's National Day of Action to Reclaim the Promise of Public Education:

Thank you!

The nationwide event was a huge success, with local actions taking place in over 60 cities.

Missed the Day of Action?
Sign on to the Principles
That Unite Us!

In Chicago, you sang education-themed carols and delivered a wish list of needed school resources to city officials. In Boston, you held a student-led town hall to discuss the future of the city's public schools. InNew York City, you rallied for universal pre-k. In Philadelphia, you marched to Gov. Tom Corbett's office. In San Francisco you held a candlelight rally.

So far we have collected over 120 press hits (and counting!) – click here to view them.

Together we stood as a unified voice calling for a new direction in education reform to end inequities and ensure every child and every school has what they need to succeed. The Day of Action was a first step in our efforts to build this new coalition after our exciting October conference in Los Angeles.

As our efforts continue in the coming months, you can keep the conversation going on Twitter and Facebook with hashtag #ReclaimPublicEd. (Scroll down for some Twitter highlights from Monday!)

You can also sign on to the Principles That Unite Us and add your name to this petition to ask your representatives to endorse the Principles.

We will be posting Day of Action pictures on the OTL Campaign Facebook page soon, so please like us on Facebook to get our updates!

Visit www.ReclaimPublicEdNow.org for more highlights.
Tell your representatives to endorse the Principles That Unite Us here!

Day Of Action Reveals Widespread Anger With Current Education Policies

By Jeff Bryant

“A Day of Action to Reclaim the Promise of Public Education held on December 9 in over 100 sites across the country… took on many forms … but there were common grievances overlapping the events … The wide range of locations for Monday’s events, and the numbers of participants, are testament to the breadth and depth of complaints about current education policies.”
Read more …

NEWS AND VIEWS

Sequester Cuts Hit Hardest Students And Schools That Can Least Afford The Cost

National Education Association

“The across-the-board sequester cuts are not only hurting students and schools, but the cuts are falling unevenly and disproportionately hitting those who can least afford the loss… Students could expect more than $5.5 billion in additional education funding if the sequester was replaced … 1 out of every 6 students attends public schools in a district where 5%-15% of total revenue is from federal Title I funding … 1 out of every 10 school districts rely on federal funding for 20%-50% (or more) of their total revenue.”
Read more …

Zero-Tolerance Policies In Schools Are Often Destructive, Fueling A School To Prison Pipeline

Alternet

“In recognition of the mounting evidence against zero-tolerance policies and the increasing outcry to radically rethink disciplinary policies, school districts in several parts of the country are now dropping or radically modifying their zero-tolerance policies … Students are attending counseling, completing community service, and going to behavior intervention programs when they commit behavioral infractions, rather than being sent to court … Giving these students more control, autonomy and responsibility … encourages them to take a more active role in the school community, and in turn, that’s creating better behaviors … and leading to a drop in disciplinary problems.”
Read more …

The Third-Grade Crackdown Club

Education Week

Former Michigan Teacher of the Year Nancy Flanagan, writes, “Florida and NY City passed legislation mandating retention of third graders who haven’t achieved an equally arbitrary reading level – with unimpressive results. In at least 13 more states, including my own, policy-makers are now eager to join the Third Grade Crackdown club … Sorting students by age, standardizing their curriculum and rank-ordering their achievement has been embedded American education practice for well over a century… ‘Grade level’ expectations vary widely … They, too, are arbitrary … Although it’s rare, there are cases where retention is the right decision. But that call should be made by teachers and parents, not at the statehouse.”
Read more …

School Counselors Increasingly Are Missing Link In Getting Kids To College

The Hechinger Report

“A single public school counselor in the United States has a caseload of 471 students, on average … In high schools, where counselors are often the primary source of information about college … each one is responsible for an average of 239 students … Budget cuts are forcing counselors to perform more duties unrelated to their traditional roles … Most get scant training in the subject before taking on the job … The result is an overtaxed system in which many students fall through the cracks and either never go to college, go to institutions that are the wrong matches for them, or never learn about financial aid for which they may qualify … Counselors in private schools have a median caseload of only 106..”
Read more …

How ‘Limited Government’ Is Burying A Generation In Debt

Moyers and Company

“The cost of tuition in this country has increased at an almost unbelievable pace over the past generation … While tuitions are rising across the board, the cost drivers are different in public and private institutions … Much more of the growth in private school tuition pays for administrators’ bloated salaries … Americans pay more than three times the average of other rich countries for ‘tertiary education’ out-of-pocket, financed through the private sector … Our disproportionate reliance on private sector higher education, with its bloated administrative spending, has a lot to do with the exorbitant costs American students and their families pay … It’s a huge ripoff and it’s hurting the prospects of an entire generation of Americans.”
Read more …

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: The Great SUPES Hustle now under investigation by the IG

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: The Great SUPES Hustle now under investigation by the IG:

The Great SUPES Hustle now under investigation by the IG

Back in July, I posted about Gary Solomon's SUPES Academy and their $20 million no-bid contract with CPS to facilitate some workshops and other activities with principals. As I reported then, there was a barrage of complaints from principals critical of the quality of the SUPES training.

You might recall that schools CEO Byrd-Bennett worked as a high-paid consultant for Soloman right up until the day she was hired here in Chicago. You might also recall that Solomon is a former Broad Foundation guy who also worked with Paul Vallas and ran Vallas' Synesi consulting company which has been trying to get back into the city ever since Mayor Daley sent Vallas packing off to Philly.

How Solomon games the system is by hiring big-city superintendents as double-dipping consultants to work in other districts while they in return, bring SUPES in to train their own principals. Because they are paid by SUPES, which is a private company and not subject to the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, their compensation is not public. Solomon makes out on both ends. Perfect!

Karp writes:

An example is Dallas Dance, the superintendent of Baltimore County, Md. Public

WHY CORPORATE ED REFORMER'S LIES ARE BETTER THAN THE TRUTH (A SCIENTIFIC COMPARISON TEST)

WHY CORPORATE ED REFORMER'S LIES ARE BETTER THAN THE TRUTH

(A SCIENTIFIC COMPARISON TEST)

I. Credibility

All Lies are designed to seem true. The expert liar carefully
uses elements that seem probable and logical and are therefore
easy to believe. On the other hand, The Truth is often illogical,
wildly improbable and hard to explain.

Lies are more believable than The Truth.

II. Reliability

The Truth is spontaneous, accidental and unpredictable. Lies,
however, can be planned in detail long in advance and are thus
guaranteed to turn out as predicted.

Lies are more dependable than The Truth.

III. Economy

To be The Truth, an account of a given event must be com-
pletely accurate. This requires painstaking resourcefulness, expen-
sive research, time-consuming attention to detail, complex logis-

tics and thoroughness. In spite of all that, some people will believe
it and others will not. A Lie will produce identical results without
all the fuss and bother.

Lies are simpler than Truth; Lies cost less than Truth in time, money
and effort.

IV. Value

The Truth can be found anywhere; it belongs to anybody who
finds it, absolutely free. Lies are custom-made! often by experts,
and the best ones are highly polished works of art.

Lies are worth more money than Truth. Have you ever heard of anybody
bribing a witness to tell The Truth?

V. Respectability

A. Great fortunes have been made by selling Lies to the pub-
lic. The people who sell these Lies are often grateful to the gullible
consumers, so they endow libraries and universities and cultural
centers.

B. Nobody ever made a fortune selling The Truth. First of all,
as already stated, The Truth is free. The only people who will pay
money for The Truth are people who are being blackmailed-and
they are only buying The Truth so they can hide it before anybody
else sees it.

Lies lead to libraries and universities, while The Truth leads to black-
mail.

VI. Stability

A. Take one thousand parts Truth, add one part Lie. Result:
a Lie.

B. Take one-thousandth part Lie, add one part Truth. Result:
again, a Lie.

C. Note that you can make a Lie out of The Truth, but you
can't make The Truth out of a Lie.

Lies are stronger and last longer than The Truth.

VII. Imagination

In reporting The Truth, a person must research the precise
facts and stick to them exactly as they occurred. The liar can report
the same incident without doing any research, merely saying what-
ever comes to his mind and filling in "details" according to his
fancy.

Lies are more creative than Truth.

VIII. Recognizability

People are accustomed to hearing Lies all the time.

If you tell The Truth, people will think you are lying. If you convince
them you are telling The Truth, they will become suspicious. Why is he
suddenly telling The Truth? What's going on? ,

IX. Supply and Demand

A. In describing any given incident, only one version can
possibly be The Truth, whereas the number of Lies possible is
unlimited. Obviously Lies are in far greater supply than Truth.

B. There is a great demand for Lies, if they are flattering, if they
build up one's hopes, if they help one escape reality or if they
promise health, wealth, power or potency. Nobody is very anxious
to hear The Truth. The only people who demand The Truth are
those who are investigating something (lawyers, etc.)-and they
only want The Truth to prove somebody is lying.

Lies are the acceptable medium of exchange in our society. They are in
good supply and the demand for them remains strong. The Truth is in
extremely short supply, but even this tiny supply far exceeds the demand.
Thus, in our society, Truth occupies a position identical to that of
dinosaur shit.

Conclusions: Lies are superior to Truth in numerous ways.

Lies are more ingenious; Lies make the world seem more pleasant;
Lies are less embarrassing than Truth, and less frightening. Fur-

thermore, in fields such as diplomacy, statesmanship, merchandis-

ing, advertising, public relations and bookeeping, The Truth is an
out-and-out handicap. In friendship, Truth is harmful; in love, it
is disastrous.

My prediction is that The Truth will be phased out of our
society, almost unnoticed, in less than a generation. It will become
a curio like the two-dollar bill. Probably there will be museums
where samples of The Truth will be displayed for the benefit of
curious children who want to know what it was like. One can only
hope that the curators of these Truth Museums will have the good
taste not to fake the exhibits.

The Truth is that The Truth has become old-fashioned. It's
full of odd-shaped little nooks and crannies, like so many old-
fashioned things, some people find them fascinating, but most
people find them a pain in the neck. For those who care, it is a
wonderful feeling to hold The Truth in your possession, to keep
it and cherish it, never to misuse it, then to pass it along freely to
anyone who wants it, giving it to them undamaged, unpainted,
un added to and unsubstracted from and every bit as glowingly
alive as ever. To find all those joys in the handling of The Truth
is a labor of love, but most of us in today's society have no time
for such things.

Excerpts from:

The Rape of the A*P*E* is a book by Allan Sherman, published in September 1973 by the Putnam Publishing Group,^[1] regarding sex and its historical repression and resurgence in the United States.^[2]^[3] The "A.P.E." on the title is a play on the words "ape" and the "American Puritan Ethic".

The book was the subject of much publicity, when it appeared, due to both its subject and author. Despite his ill health at the time, Sherman went on a two-week media tour to promote The Rape and appeared on many radio shows.^[3] He died on November 20, 1973, just two months after the book was published.

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Wednesday, December 11, 2013

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team:

Charter schools surge in state, nation

Education Headlines

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

FCMAT provides links to California K-12 news stories as a service to the industry. However, some stories may not be accessible because of newspapers' subscription policies.

Kern High School District puts AEDs on high school campuses

A year after a 15-year-old Centennial High School sophomore's heart stopped at school, the Kern High School District Tuesday began putting automated external defibrillators on all 18 of its high school campuses.

At Simi Valley meeting, speakers fight to keep schools open

About 275 parents, teachers and students filled city hall Tuesday night, asking the Simi Valley school board not to close their schools.

Long Beach teachers reach tentative agreement with district for pay raise

Long Beach teachers may be getting their first pay raise in more than five years. Last week the Teachers Association of Long Beach voted to accept an agreement with the Long Beach Unified School District for a 3 percent pay raise retroactive to July 1.

Health officials say lead levels at Chino Valley schools are not toxic

Just because a child has consumed water with traces of lead from some Chino Valley Unified campuses, it doesn't mean it's deadly or even a cause for concern, health officials said Tuesday.

Palm Springs Unified board to sell off surplus properties

The Palm Springs Unified School Board voted unanimously Tuesday night to sell off four surplus properties, including the school district headquarters and an 80-acre land parcel next to Rancho Mirage High School.

Charter schools surge in state, nation

San Diego Unified is experiencing more growth in charter-school enrollment than any other district in California — and the second-highest rise in the nation, according to a new report.

West Contra Costa trustees may decide on new ballot measure

West Contra Costa trustees will meet Wednesday to review results of a recent voter survey and decide whether and when to pursue a new tax measure.

Google Chromebooks get the nod over iPads in some South Bay schools

While Los Angeles Unified and other school districts have stirred admiration and consternation with plans to put iPads in the hands of students, some South Bay schools are favoring a less expensive option: the Google Chromebook.

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Tracy Unified, union reach deal

A tentative contract agreement raising salaries by more than 2 percent has been reached between the Tracy Unified School District and the union representing classified employees such as custodians, bus drivers and food service workers following a year of negotiations.

Claremont Unified approves surplus property sale to homebuilder

The Claremont Unified School District made $18.88 million from the sale of an approximately 9.7-acre surplus property site recently.

Return of school bus service requested after death in Rancho Cucamonga

Concerned parents at two schools located near the site where a pickup recently struck a girl and her younger brother, killing the girl, have begun two separate online petitions asking the Etiwanda School District to bring back bus service.

Chino Valley Unified continues to test drinking water for lead contamination

Chino Valley Unified officials continue to test water samples at various school campuses after lead was recently detected in drinking water at a dozen school sites.

School-based health clinics popping up in Valley districts

Federal Affordable Care Act dollars intended to support school-based health centers are bankrolling clinics that offer low or no-fee services to kids at several Valley districts.

The Educated Reporter: Bowl-Bound Colleges Punt on Graduating Black Football Players, Studies Show

The Educated Reporter: Bowl-Bound Colleges Punt on Graduating Black Football Players, Studies Show:

Bowl-Bound Colleges Punt on Graduating Black Football Players, Studies Show

As the nation’s top college football teams prepare to take the field for the elite bowl games, three new reports out this week raise similarly troubling concerns about dismal graduation rates for many of the black players constituting the bulk of the starting lineups.

While the formulas used in the three reports vary to some degree, the pictures painted are not dramatically different. First up: the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for the Study of Race and Equity’s report on football teams participating in the 2014 Bowl Championship Series (BCS). Based on completion rates across four cohorts (rather than focusing on a single year) at least half of the black football players won’t graduate within six years of enrolling, the report concluded. That’s compared with a graduation rate of 67 percent for student-athletes overall at those schools. Take a look at the infographic for the 10 teams playing in the elite bowl games and national championship:

“In some instances, at Florida State University, for example, black men comprise nearly 70 percent of the football team, yet just over one-third of those black male student-athletes will graduate,” said Shaun R. Harper, a professor in the Penn