12-12-13 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.:

NEA to retirees: Plan ahead. What?

  DVR to Illinois teacher retirees: Hope you made good retirement plans. H/T: Ken Previti So, maybe the NEA didn’t hear about Senate Bill 1. Or they’re trying to be helpful in some weird way. But a little more than a week after the Illinois’ General Assembly passed and the governor signed a bill cutting our retiree pension the NEA posts a cover story on their web site suggesting ways to make our

by Fred Klonsky / 29min 

The Illinois senior tax. Retirees pay 25%. Corporations pay zero.

Reader Phil writes: All calculations indicate most retirees will lose 25-35% of their revenue stream over the next 20-30 years under the new law. This has the same effect as taxing us seniors by a rate of 25%. So we now have a tax system in Illinois where vulnerable and modest income retired public employees are taxed at a rate of 25% and millionaires are taxed at 5% (set to return to 3%) and huge

by Fred Klonsky / 23min 

Pension thieves.

  Michael Connelly is a Republican State Senator representing Wheaton’s 21st district. State Senator Michael Connelly voted for cutting retiree pensions and then wrote: “Dear constituent: Thank you for sharing your opinion with me regarding Senate Bill 1. As the son of a retired public school teacher and public school nurse who rely on their pensions for retirement and the brother of a current

by Fred Klonsky / 43min 

Lee R. Talley. Reform this! A citizen’s guide to government reform in Illinois.

- Lee R. Talley is a retired teacher from Tinley Park. So…I went to my bank this week to see my loan officer.  Upon shaking hands and sitting down, I proudly stated, “I regret to inform you that the original mortgage agreement I signed back in 2002 is no longer applicable.”  The officer paused, a queried expression on his face, then asked, “Why?” I replied, “When I signed that contract I had every

by Fred Klonsky / 1h 

Life in Rahm’s Chicago. Rangel is a distraction? From what? From who?

Rangel and Rahm. A thumbs up. Juan Rangel resigned as head of the United Neighborhood Organization last week. Yesterday The Mayor claimed Rangel was a distraction. What are we being distracted from? We are not being distracted from the fact that the state’s largest charter operation is under federal investigation. We are not being distracted from his close ties to The Mayor. He was Rahm’s electio

by Fred Klonsky / 1h 

12-11-13 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.: Pension Thieves.  Greg Harris is a Democratic State Representative from the 13th District on Chicago’s north side. He targets older people, retired police, fire fighters, public service workers, public school teachers and state university employees. Approach with care. He should be considered a Republ

by mike simpson / 8h

12-12-13 Ed Notes Online

Ed Notes Online:

Norm in The Wave: On Poverty, Education, Labor: Is Obama Really a Liberal?

A total (much-needed) rewrite of a blog post I did on a Paul Krugman column with some expanded political points.Published Friday, December 13, 2013 in The Wave and at www.rockawave.comOn Poverty, Education, Labor: Is Obama Really a Liberal?By Norm ScottAs a lefty/progressive (don’t dare call me a liberal), family events like Thanksgiving with a mostly conservative/tea party family can be either en

by ed notes online / 47min 

NYC Principal Brian De Vale: I am Daniel-San

I would like to thank John King for forcing this system upon me. My job has never been easier. In fact a high functioning ape could now probably do my job.... Brian De Vale, NYC PrincipalIt doesn't get any better.From: De Vale BrianSent: Wednesday, December 11, 2013 7:24 PMTo: Logan Ernest (SCA); mmulgrew@uft.org; Suransky ShaelSubject: I am Daniel -SanI think the entire New Teacher Evaluation Sys

by ed notes online / 35min 

22,091 homeless children, how many are at a Moskowitz Success Academy Charter School?

Their numbers have risen above anything in the city’s modern history, to a staggering 22,091 this month. If all of the city’s homeless children were to file into Madison Square Garden for a hockey game, more than 4,800 would not have a seat... Andrea Elliot, NY TimesAnd how many would find a seat at an Eva Moskowitz Success Academy Charter School? Or in fact, how many of these 22,000 children are

by ed notes online / 5min 

Rosalie Friend Reports on Ravitch and Farina at PS 15

Excellent report from Rosalie as a follow-up to the report I received yesterday (Carmen Farina Introduces Diane Ravitch at PS 15K Community Library Opening).And by the way, for those who don't get what school-based organizing is all about, check out an expert like Julie Cavanagh. From Rosalie Friend to Change the Stakes Listserve:At the presentation at PS 15, Carmen Farina seemed to back Diane's a

by ed notes online / 5min 

Carmen Farina Introduces Diane Ravitch at PS 15K Community Library Opening

Yesterday was a big day for the PS 15K community in Redhook with two red hot ed superstars, Diane Ravitch and rumored next chancellor Carmen Farina, in attendance. Actually in my book, 3 superstars if you count Julie Cavanagh, PS 15 chapter leader and one of the event organizers.Carmen Farina has been the chair of the "Friends of PS 15 Committee" for 3 years and helped get the school a n

by ed notes online / 10h  

12-11-13 Ed Notes Online

Ed Notes Online: Substance: Chitown CEO Nixed in NYC!... Byrd Bennett strikes out in New York City as her slavish adherence to Rahm's school closing quota catches up with herChicago schools Chief Executive Officer Barbara Byrd Bennett completed her main assignment from Mayor Rahm Emanuel at the Board of Education's May 22, 2013 meeting when she recommended the gutting of the city's real public sch

by mike simpson / 8h 

12-2-13 @ THE CHALK FACE

@ THE CHALK FACE:

Teachers Fleeing New Mexico Districts

This article will be updated as more formal reports are released. Thanks to an orchestrated drive to punish good teachers and reward those who follow the rules (yes, there is a big difference), the number of early retirements and resignations in districts throughout New Mexico are increasing rapidly.  There is always turnover to be expected, […]

by Kris Nielsen / 24min hide  //  save

What Are Tests Really Measuring?: When Achievement Isn’t Achievement

What Are Tests Really Measuring?: When Achievement Isn\’t Achievement. via What Are Tests Really Measuring?: When Achievement Isn’t Achievement.

by plthomasedd / 13min 

Anti-union, Nonprofit Shill Attacks AFT

On December 10, 2013, the Center for Union Facts (CUF) (don’t believe the name) sponsored a full-page ad in the New York Times attributing the “high school slip in global rankings” to a single issue: The failure of American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten to promote merit pay for teachers. The ad reads, We have fallen […]

by deutsch29 / 1min 

Thomas: Charter schools not a smart investment for S.C.

Thomas: Charter schools not a smart investment for S.C. (The State, Columbia, SC). via Thomas: Charter schools not a smart investment for S.C. (The State, Columbia, SC).

by plthomasedd / 2h 

12-10-13 @ The Chalk Face

@ THE CHALK FACE: VAM Fails Test, Again: The Bizarro World of Education ReformVAM Fails Test, Again: The Bizarro World of Education Reform. via VAM Fails Test, Again: The Bizarro World of Education Reform.by plthomasedd / 1h   12-8-13 @ The Chalk Face@ THE CHALK FACE: Mandela: Dishonored by Passive Radical MythMandela: Dishonored by Passive Radical Myth. via Mandela: Dishonored by Passive Radical

by mike simpson / 8h 

12-12-13 With A Brooklyn Accent

With A Brooklyn Accent:

Why A "One Size Fits All" Curriculum is a Catastroph

Today, I had lunch in Riverhead with parent activist Al Wicklund. Our meeting symbolized the new alliances being forged in the anti-testing movement- the Cop and the Professor; the Marine Corps Veteran and former anti-war protester united in an effort and to prevent Common Core and uncontrolled testing from demoralizing students and driving out our best teachers.The lunch was illuminating in many

by Mark Naison / 39min 

When Common Core Is Viewed as "Just War"- The NY State Ed Dept's Politics of Cynicism

After seeing  NY State Regents Chair Merryl Tisch in action at the Bronx Common Core Forum without Commissioner King present, I am convinced the Regents are approaching the transition to Common Core as a "just war" in which they are willing to accept a very high number of casualties. The only way to stop them, since their own children will not be among the casualties, is to make the pric

by Mark Naison / 11min 

12-11-13 With A Brooklyn Accent

With A Brooklyn Accent: The Regents and Collateral Damage- Thoughts from a Bronx Common Core ForumThe amount of "collateral damage" those who call themselves "School Reformers" are willing to endure in their quest to prepare children ( including those not yet born) ready to compete in the Global Economy never ceases to amaze me. They claim to be motivated by idealism and a pass

by mike simpson / 9h 

12-12-13 Scathing Purple Musings | Color me purple in Florida, red in Washington, dark sky-blue in Israel and public school in Education

Scathing Purple Musings | Color me purple in Florida, red in Washington, dark sky-blue in Israel and public school in Education:

Tony Bennett Gets His Golden Parachute

StateImpact reporter John O’Connor links this story in Education Week: In the heated competition between ACT Inc., and the College Board for a bigger chunk of the common-core testing market, ACT has enlisted a new weapon: Tony Bennett, the former commissioner of education in Indiana and Florida. Bennett told me that he is serving as a consultant to ACT on its new Aspire testing system, working on

by Bob Sikes / 41min 

Desperately Seeking the New FCAT

In Anastasia Dawson’s Tampa Tribune story from one week ago: Leaders from the Florida Association of District School Superintendents and the Florida School Board Association voted Thursday to lobby state legislators for a three-year extension before the Common Core State Standards have to be fully implemented into every classroom. The new standards, which have been adopted by 45 states and the Dis

by Bob Sikes / 3h 

12-11-13 Scathing Purple Musings | Color me purple in Florida, red in Washington, dark sky-blue in Israel and public school in Education

Scathing Purple Musings | Color me purple in Florida, red in Washington, dark sky-blue in Israel and public school in Education: Florida Council of 100Charter Schools USA’s Predicatable Rhetoric Over Hillsborough Board DecisionThe editors of the Tampa Bay Times write: …the board was right to follow the staff’s recommendation to reject the plan, because the sponsors were inconsistent about the lead

by mike simpson / 8h 

12-12-13 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):

What Are Tests Really Measuring?: When Achievement Isn’t Achievement

High-stakes standardized testing must be the most resilient phenomenon ever to exist on the planet. Joining high-stakes standardized testing in that (dis)honor would be the persistent but misleading claim that test scores are primarily achievement (and a growing future candidate for this honor is the claim that test scores by students, labeled “achievement,” are also credible metrics for “teacher

by plthomasedd / 14min 

CALL FOR PROPOSALS: Pedagogies of Kindness and Respect: On the Lives and Education of Children

CALL FOR PROPOSALS Pedagogies of Kindness and Respect: On the Lives and Education of Children Edited by P. L. Thomas, Paul C. Carr, Julie Gorlewski, and Brad Porfilio Peter Lang USA Rethinking Childhood Series, Gaile Cannella, series editor Call and Submission Requirements Submit a proposal of about 300 words by February 28, 2014, to paul.thomas@furman.edu. Chapter initial drafts due July 15, 201

by plthomasedd / 30min 

Thomas: Charter schools not a smart investment for S.C.

Charter schools not a smart investment for S.C. See full data tables and analysis HERE.

by plthomasedd / 3h  

12-11-13 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): Schools Matter: Seeking Equity: Not “If,” But “How” and “Why”Schools Matter: Seeking Equity: Not “If,” But “How” and “Why”: Fiction offers avenues to Truth, often hard Truths, that remain closed or less often traveled otherwise. While many people associate Middle...by P.

by mike simpson / 9h

The Crocodiles Are Circling… – redqueeninla

The Crocodiles Are Circling… – redqueeninla:

The Crocodiles Are Circling…

Written by redqueeninla in LAUSD

This past week saw the death of sitting LAUSD board member Marguerite LaMotte.  She was an icon of her predominantly black, South-Central district of nearly 2/3 of a million people.  She was partisan and plain-spoken and politically astute.  She was explicit about her unease with charter school proliferation in the district generally, and the “Reform” policies championing these interests, as led here in LA by superintendent John Deasy, in particular.

Ms LaMotte was the sole dissenter of the board’s recent decision to renew superintendent Deasy’s contract.  And she couldn’t have been clearer in her disgust for the politics of disruption as inflicted by Ben Austin, Parent Revolution, the parent trigger, the Parent Union, Steve Barr, Green Dot and even the much-bally-hooed LA Fund.  The “churn” of neoliberal reform hurts first and foremost, “her” babies, belying any vestige whatsoever of real concern for “the children” so regularly referenced by this crocodilian force.

To replace Ms LaMotte would mean explicitly selecting a representative similarly skeptical of the forces of Education Privatization as led by John Deasy’s band of privateers.

It is not, therefore, in the least bit surprising to learn that precisely those forces against which she stood so stalwartly, are arraying waves of assault upon our district, attacking from every conceivable angle in order to usurp her iconic role.

Some district parents were invited to a private event at which a prominent member of this circle shared “information” about replacing Ms LaMotte.  Ironically, any replacement acceptable to this clique would be utterly 

12-12-13 Perdido Street School

Perdido Street School:

Pearson Fined $7.7 Million For Breaking Law - Why Isn't Former NYSED Commissioner Steiner Under Investigation For The Same Thing?

From the NY Times:The Pearson Foundation, the charitable arm of one of the nation’s largest educational publishers, will pay $7.7 million to settle accusations that it repeatedly broke New York State law by assisting in for-profit ventures. An inquiry by Eric T. Schneiderman, the New York State attorney general, found that the foundation had helped develop products for its corporate parent, includ

by reality-based edu... / 6min hide  //  save

UFT/Unity Shill Comes By To Say "Take What The Union Gets And Like It!"

Here's a response from some anonymous Unity/UFT shill to my post this morning entitled "Message To UFT Leadership - Raises, Not Bonuses" that has to be seen to be believed:Isn't funny that the very people that call the UFT a dues collecting agency, are the very purple that reap the benefits from the UFT negotiations team when it comes to our prescriptions, dental, hearing, and vision. Ou

by reality-based edu... / 1h 

Message To UFT Leadership - Raises, Not Bonuses

Reuters reported that the UFT is arguing retro raises for teachers can come in the form of bonuses that can be "booked" multiple years so as not to break the city's budget:Dec 10 (Reuters) - The administration of New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is lining up for one last showdown in its $3.5 billion dispute over retroactive pay raises with the city's public school teachers. With just thr

by reality-based edu... / 20min 

KIPP Plans To Keep Padded Cell To Punish Students

Yesterday the Daily News reported a KIPP school in NYC uses a padded cell for "time outs" for children who act out in school.One child was so distraught by the experience that an ambulance was called.There has been much outrage about the KIPP padded cell story, but the DN reports today that KIPP plans to keep the practice going: The tot cell stays. Officials at an uptown New York charter

by reality-based edu... / 2h 

12-11-13 Perdido Street School

Perdido Street School: Contract Negotiations Between UFT and City In State HearingVia James Eterno and Jeff Kaufman at ICEUFT, there is a must read Reuters piece about the contract negotiations between the city and the UFT:With just three weeks remaining before his team cedes power to Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio, Bloomberg's administration will cite accounting rules at a closed-door state hearing o

by mike simpson / 9h 

It's Beginning to Sound (Depressingly) Like Christmas: Four Tips for Educators - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher

It's Beginning to Sound (Depressingly) Like Christmas: Four Tips for Educators - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher:

It's Beginning to Sound (Depressingly) Like Christmas: Four Tips for Educators

By Nancy Flanagan on December 12, 2013 6:56 AM

No, I'm not referring to the abundant winter/holiday programs happening in schools everywhere this month. I embrace seasonal performances. Having organized and directed--at a minimum--hundreds of candlelit concerts, rowdy assemblies, Jingle Bell parades and cocoa-fueled trips to nursing homes, I'm down with whatever musical merriment happens in schools in December.

What I find disheartening is the gearing up of the Faux War on Christmas, using public schools as staging ground for stirring up unnecessary and phony conflict.  From where I stand, as a 30-year music educator who dealt with the Christmas Conundrum annually, there has never been a genuine, organized assault on the commercial spectacle that revs up in early November and dominates the media and public spaces for weeks. In fact, getting all huffy about greetings, menorahs and nativity scenes feels like uncivil, bullying behavior, something we shouldn't be gleefully modeling for students. 

Also--in all those years, through all those performances, I had a small handful complaints about inappropriate music selection, images, performances or even stage decorations. The holiday season is so all-encompassing in America that you really have to be scraping to come up with something to be unhappy about. 

Several years ago, I was the assigned mentor for a first-year music teacher in my district. She was pretty wonderful--well-trained, personable and bursting with new ideas about putting on a