12-13-13 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):

In Memory: Sandy Hook Elementary, One Year After

I fear that we have become either callous or numb—either is a tragic consequence of mass shootings, even those at schools, becoming commonplace. Here, I invite you to read from a group of pieces I wrote after and about the mass school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newton, CT, one year ago, December 14, 2012: “They’re All Our Children” (AlterNet) Alongside discussions of mental health and g

by plthomasedd / 18min 

AJC Guest Column: Children who are poor need slack, not grit

AJC Guest Column: Children who are poor need slack, not grit (December 2, 2013)

by plthomasedd / 28min

REVIEW: De-Testing and De-Grading Schools, Bower and Thomas

Reviewed by J. Spencer Clark, Utah State University, which concludes: The purpose of this book was to offer a map of the high-stakes accountability and standardization landscape, and more importantly to provide ways to navigate this landscape in positive ways. Bower and Thomas are successful in this regard and have provided a powerful critique that equally identifies powerful alternatives to high-

by plthomasedd / 3h hide  //  save

GUEST POST: Continu—what? Sara Newell

Continu—what? Sara Newell How do you derive meaning from a number? Should a parent or student respond differently to a 97% than to a 99%? What about a 75%? How do you know what number to assign to a student created product you’ve never seen before? As a 5th grade teacher at the Charles Townes Center for highly gifted students in grades 3-8, I felt these questions were a constant thorn in my side.

by plthomasedd / 3h 

12-12-13 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): 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 Kindnessthe becoming radical | A Place for a Pedag

by mike simpson / 8h 

12-13-13 Perdido Street School

Perdido Street School:

Andrew Cuomo Sticks "A F---ing Spear" Into Chris Christie's Eye

If you haven't been paying attention to the growing Port Authority scandal involving Chris Christie and his PA appointees, it's time you start.The scandal revolves around Christie's PA appointee closing traffic lanes to the GWB in retaliation for the Democratic mayor of Fort Lee not endorsing Christie's 2013 reelection bid the way many other Dem mayors around the state did.Dana Rubenstein at Capit

by reality-based edu... / 40min 

Daily News: DOE Gig Looks To Be Down To Farina, Starr, And Cashin

Kaya Henderson is a no for the chancellor job. http://t.co/Ru9L14S4vJ Linda Darling-Hammond also no. Maybe: Farina, Cashin, Starr— Rachel Monahan (@NYDNrachel) December 13, 2013Lindsay Crist says this about Henderson's chances for the DOE job:: @NYDNBenChapman but true, right? Such smart politics! From everything I've been hearing, she had a VERY small chance (and that's generous)— Lindsey Christ

by reality-based edu... / 2min 

Things The Keep Joel Klein Up At Night

David Steiner, former NYSED Commissioner and unindicted co-conspirator in the Pearson bribery mess (for which Pearson was fined $7.7 million yesterday) interviewed former NYCDOE Chancellor Klein and got this out of him:Klein admits there are a few things that keep him up at night.“The charter schools do worry me and worry me profoundly,” Klein said. “Second thing that worries me if the signal goes

by reality-based edu... / 9min 

Pitbull Eau de Toilette for Men

 Misogynistic rapper and charter school operator Pitbull has a wonderful exclusive fragrance set he's selling at Amazon.com.The set retails for $55.00 and is described this way:Top Notes - Sundrenched citruses of bergamot and mandarin meet warm spices of cardamom and sage.Mid Notes - An unexpected twist of a violet masculine floracy and the undeniably sexy combo of woods and verbena.Base Notes - S

by reality-based edu... / 5h 

12-12-13 Perdido Street School

Perdido Street School: KIPP Plans To Keep Padded Cell To Punish StudentsYesterday 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 pra

by mike simpson / 8h 

Racial Disparities in NY State Aid Shorftalls | School Finance 101

Racial Disparities in NY State Aid Shorftalls | School Finance 101:

School Finance 101

Data and thoughts on public and private school funding in the U.S.

Racial Disparities in NY State Aid Shorftalls

Yesterday, Ed Law Prof Blog posted an update about the Office of Civil Rights complaint to be filed by Schenectady School District claiming that shortfalls in New York State aid fall disparately by student race.

I’ve reported on numerous occasions on this blog the patterns of disparity in New York State funding. I actually hadn’t checked recently the strength of the relationship between funding shortfalls and school district racial composition. As the Ed Law blog explains, litigation around this question (that of racially disparate impact of school funding policy) was largely headed off by theSandoval case which held that no private right of action exists for challenging policies violating disparate impact regulations promulgated under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. “Disparate impact” occurs where a policy ends up having different effects on one group versus another, by race, ethnicity or national origin but not necessarily because the policy is written explicitly to treat individuals differently by race. That is, it’s a statistical association with race that may not have to do directly with race. But then again, it might. That’s the hard part to prove when race isn’t written right into the policy as it used to be, say, in the pre-Brown era. For those interested in some additional school finance reading on this topic see:

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Stopping the charter invasion

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Stopping the charter invasion:

Stopping the charter invasion

I guess I've become cynical about CPS-run community meetings ever since David Vitaleconfided to me that they were called simply to rein-in the dissenters. It got worse after CEO Byrd-Bennett completely ignored the 20,000 parents and community members who turned out to opposed her planned school closings.

Wednesday's community meeting about Noble Network and Intrinsic's charter school invasion of the northwest side had all the dama of a done deal. Even though the crowd of teachers (a big group from Prosser), parents and community activists that packed the Northwest Community Church, was overwhelmingly anti-charter, the process is being run by Rahm's pro-charter, anti-union pals, Stand For Children and CPS' Office of New Schools. The N.A.C. group, who will vote up or down on recommendations for the two new charters (one right across the street from Prosser Career Academy) has no real power. The land's already been purchased. The zoning has already been changed. Despite the best efforts from independent Alderman Nic Sposato, it will take a full-scale community rebellion and an elected school board to hold back the expand-or-die charterization of the neighborhood.

One of the high points of the meeting was reading a 

Classroom and School Cultures: Contradictions (Part 1) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

Classroom and School Cultures: Contradictions (Part 1) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice:

Classroom and School Cultures: Contradictions (Part 1)

One of my former colleagues in anthropology once told me that he gags every time he hears the word “culture.” Why? Because “culture,” he said, has come to mean  everything under the sun and has thus become meaningless.

With my colleague’s gagging in mind, I will try to be careful in using the c-word in this post.

So let’s imagine going into a school.

What do you see? What do you hear the teachers and other staff members saying? What do the bulletin boards look like? How easy was it to enter the school? What are the children saying and doing? How noisy is it? Do you feel welcome or afraid? What is the general “feel” of the environment? All these questions and more pertain to the underlying stream of values and rituals that pervade schools. This underlying stream is the culture of that particular school.

The question I think about a lot is: Does a school culture influence strongly what values and rituals turn up in academic classrooms?  Can, for example, a school’s athletic success stir pride in students studying history to show up before the tardy bell rings? Sit down at their seat and start answering questions on th

Think locally to ensure children get a fair share of funding | EdSource Today

Think locally to ensure children get a fair share of funding | EdSource Today:

Think locally to ensure children get a fair share of funding

December 12th, 2013 | Add a Comment | 
By Margaret Brodkin / commentary

Margaret Brodkin

Californians who care about the future of our state have both a once-a-generation opportunity and an urgent challenge: to marshal the resources needed to ensure the well-being of our children.

California has more children living in poverty than any place in the country, and continues to have lower education funding than all but a handful of states – despite the passage of Proposition 30 and the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF). And many children’s services, from childcare to mental health, have seen dramatic budget cuts for over a decade. At the same time, the California economy (the ninth largest in the world) is improving, property values are increasing and many groups are already positioning their causes for anticipated new revenues. For everyone’s benefit, our children must be first in line so that we can ensure that they are healthy, live in supportive families, are ready for school, have safe places to learn and grow, and are fully prepared to transition to college and careers.

There are many compelling reasons to look to the local level – to cities, counties, school districts – to raise resources for children. As the state’s new funding formula reflects, policymakers are pushing decisions and actions for change to local communities, while sadly, as Bruce Katz, author of “The Metropolitan Revolution,” puts it: “The feds have left the building.” But it’s not just that we have no choice about acting locally: More importantly, the public is much more likely to support local measures than state and federal ones – even new taxes and fee increases. When the 

SKrashen: The Russian literacy crisis: Putin's solution

SKrashen: The Russian literacy crisis: Putin's solution:

The Russian literacy crisis: Putin's solution

Everybody thinks they have a literacy crisis. Putin calls for a special commission to support "literature." The common core in the US has called for more nonfiction. There is no evidence for either of these positions. Nobody mentions poverty and lack of access to books.  There is plenty of evidence for providing access to books (libraries).

Putin blames "creative class" for decline in reading standards.  Nov 22, 2013, Calvert Journal

At a meeting with writers, publishers and literary specialists yesterday, President Vladimir Putin lamented the decline in reading standards in Russia — and put the blame at the feet of the "so-called creative class", RIA Novosti reports. 

Speaking at the First Russian Literary Gathering, which was dedicated to the question of "How to return Literature, Reading, the Book and the Word to their high mission and purpose?", The president argued that not enough time was devoted to literature and reading skills in the school timetable. The school programme had become too overcomplicated because of the interference of the "creative class": "As for all these confusions and excess complexities, which often no one understands, they are a result of the fact that representatives of the so-called creative class have worked their way into the ministry of education and there they're making all this up."

As a result, Putin suggested, Russia had lost its place as the country that reads the most. He also expressed regret at the declining standards of Russian speech and announced the creat

Introducing DC Mayoral Candidate Andy Shallal | Ward 8 DC Teacher

Introducing DC Mayoral Candidate Andy Shallal | Ward 8 DC Teacher:

Introducing DC Mayoral Candidate Andy Shallal

by ANGEL CINTRON JR. • DECEMBER 13, 2013

61 minute interview via the http://rocknewmanshow.net/

Schools, Like Everyone Else, Are Not Reading the Terms of Service - The Wire

Schools, Like Everyone Else, Are Not Reading the Terms of Service - The Wire:

Schools, Like Everyone Else, Are Not Reading the Terms of Service

BRIAN FELDMAN

AP

A new study from Fordham Law School expected to be released on Friday reveals that as schools begin to move more student data into the cloud, they are neglecting to make sure that privacy protections are in place. According to the Center on Law and Information Policy at Fordham, protecting student information is rarely a priority when using online services.

The New York Times reports that:

Many contracts, the study found, failed to list the type of information collected while others did not prohibit vendors from selling personal details — like names, contact information or health status — or using that information for marketing purposes.

The main concern is that local and federal policies on education technology privacy are not keeping up with the rapidly iterating tech industry, and if explicit rules as to how data about a student can be used are not in place, they might be used to a student's detriment for things like the college admissions process.

Current legislation requires parental approval before a school can share a student's records, although an exception exists for companies and services that the school utilizes. However, even that exception requires school's to have complete control over how companies harness such data.

In the Fordham study, less than half of the 54 school contacted could produce their contracts with technology vendors in a timely fashion, while others had problems tracking down someone familiar with their district's terms.

The concern over students' privacy will only grow in the coming years. In New York, state senators and residents are debating a program to turn over the school records 

Ballot measure filed to speed up dismissals of teachers charged with sexual assault, abuse | EdSource Today

Ballot measure filed to speed up dismissals of teachers charged with sexual assault, abuse | EdSource Today:

Ballot measure filed to speed up dismissals of teachers charged with sexual assault, abuse

December 12th, 2013 | Add a Comment | 
By John Fensterwald

Advocacy organization EdVoice is seeking a ballot initiative to speed dismissal of teachers suspected of abuse. Credit: iStockphoto.com

After bills to streamline the dismissal process for abusive teachers failed two years in a row, a Sacramento-based nonprofit wants to put the issue to voters.

The advocacy organization EdVoice has submitted aproposed ballot measure with the arresting title “Stop Child Molesters, Sexual Abusers and Drug Dealers From Working In California Schools Act” to the attorney general for review. EdVoice intends to gather signatures to qualify the measure for the November ballot.

“It shouldn’t take a legion of lawyers, endless paperwork, millions of taxpayer dollars …  to address the challenge of dismissing the perpetrators of egregious misconduct to school children and other school staff,” EdVoice Chief Executive Officer Bill Lucia wrote in an email. “We helped in the filing of the proposed measure on behalf of individuals and groups frustrated that the Legislature cannot seem to solve a problem that unfortunately exists in school districts throughout geographic regions of the state.”

Two years ago, a bill sponsored by Sen. Alex Padilla, D-San Fernando Valley, was bottled up in the Assembly amid fierce opposition from teachers unions; the California Teachers Association said 

The Educated Reporter: After Sandy Hook: A New Approach to Campus Safety?

The Educated Reporter: After Sandy Hook: A New Approach to Campus Safety?:

After Sandy Hook: A New Approach to Campus Safety?

In the aftermath of Columbine in 1999, law enforcement began to rethink its response to mass shootings. Instead of presuming a quick entry into the scene might do more harm than good, a new line of thought emerged: Neutralizing the threat of the “active shooter” had to be the top priority.

It’s too soon to know whether the tragedy at Sandy Hook will prompt long-term changes in the “best practices” of emergency response, but experts and educators believe a another such tipping point may be upon us.

“What I’m hearing is people being told to be prepared to fight rather than simply hide – that is clearly a change in the advice being given,” Victor Herbert, director of the Academy for Critical Incident Analysis at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, part of the City University of New York. “Teachers had been told to put the lights out, lock the door, and hope for the best.”

While it’s a far cry from districts mandating that school personnel respond with force to an 

Evan Stone of Educators 4 Excellence Spews Common Core Propaganda.southbronxschool.com

http://www.southbronxschool.com:

Evan Stone of Educators 4 Excellence Spews Common Core Propaganda

He's Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!!! Like your mother in law coming to visit, like that huge blackhead on the back of your neck that is in a horrible spot to squeeze and stays there for years. Or worse, like that old Saturday Night Live skit with John Belushi, "The Thing That Wouldn't Leave,"Little Evan Stone just won't go away.

Imagine New York City's shock when all 25 people (Myself included, but just for the sports section) that read the New York Post opened up to the op-ed section and saw a supposedly coincidentally timed to John King being in NYC opinion pieceabout the Common Core written by that "independent" mind of Little Evan's.

Now for those who don't know who Evan is, he has been a comedic source on these pages for years, an average 6th grade teacher, while his babe,Princess Sydney Morris was worse, and has not taught in over 4 years. 

After I stopped laughing whilst rolling on the floor I decided to share what Evan blabbered with The Crack Team. They laughed so hard that one member of the team, Throckmorton, died. For those who 

2,500 Applicants Get False News of Acceptance to Fordham - NYTimes.com

2,500 Applicants Get False News of Acceptance to Fordham - NYTimes.com:

 2,500 Applicants Get False News of Acceptance to Fordham

The early admission applicants received financial aid notices that mistakenly told them they were admitted to the class of 2018, the university said.    

by By ASHLEY SOUTHAL... / 1h hide  //  save

Sentence Cut in Texas for School Official Jailed in Test Scandal

A decision by the federal Bureau of Prisons to take 11 months off the sentence of a former El Paso superintendent has angered educators, parents and lawmakers.    

by By MANNY FERNANDE... / 1h 

Details, but Few Answers, Emerge in Hazing Death of Baruch Student

An officials said criminal charges would almost certainly be filed in the death of Chun Hsien Deng, who suffered severe trauma to the head during a retreat.    

by By NATE SCHWEBER ... / 1h 

Educational Publisher’s Charity, Accused of Seeking Profits, Will Pay Millions

The Pearson Foundation will pay $7.7 million after the New York State attorney general found that it had broken state law by helping develop products for its corporate parent.    

by By JAVIER C. HERN... / 1h 

National Briefing | Education: Texas: Regents Keep Chief of Austin Campus

Bill Powers, the president of the University of Texas at Austin, retained his position on Thursday after getting a cautious endorsement from his frustrated chancellor.    

by By THE ASSOCIATED... / 1h 

NYC Public School Parents: The most heartbreaking speech at last night's Common Core forum by Lorri Gumanow

NYC Public School Parents: The most heartbreaking speech at last night's Common Core forum by Lorri Gumanow:

The most heartbreaking speech at last night's Common Core forum by Lorri Gumanow

There were lots of great speeches last night at the Manhattan Regents forum with Chancellor Tisch and Commissioner King at the Spruce St. School.  Wonderful and eloquent comments from teachers, principals, and parents, including Manhattan CEC leaders Shino Tanikawa, Noah Gotbaum, Tory Frye and Sonja Jones.  But here is a magnificent speech that made many members of the audience tear up.  Shared with Lorri Gumanow's permission.

Commissioner King, Chancellor Tisch, thank you for the opportunity to share with you tonight. My name is Lorri Gumanow, and my husband and I are the proud parents of a very talented 13-year old public school student who is an actor and puppeteer, and wants to work with the Jim Henson Company someday. I am a newly retired special educator. But tonight I am here to ask you to walk in my shoes as a parent.

Our son was born 3 months premature and has several neurological disabilities and an IEP. His disabilities are not the result of poverty, poor prenatal care or poor educational opportunities. He has always thrived in the public school environment. He has had wonderful teachers, wonderful inclusive public schools, and wonderful supports.

All of a sudden he is failing. He failed the math test last year with a score of 1. What happened? The roll out of the Common Core asks 8th graders to now magically perform as 10th graders, without any attention to the skills and knowledge they might have been required to learn and practice in those 2 missing years.

Your solution is that my son just needs to try harder. Increase the rigor! No excuses! And what do you really mean every time you say, "This work?" He does 4 hours of homework every night and still fails his classroom test! If you don't pass, you are a failure, and your teacher is a failure too. Fire that bad teacher! Close that failing school! Failure is not an option. Raise the bar. Unfortunately

Pathways to Prosperity Institutes - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education)

Pathways to Prosperity Institutes - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education):

State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Announces New Effort to Build
Pathways to Careers by Linking Educators and Business Leaders 

SACRAMENTO—Educators and business leaders will come together across the state in coming weeks to share strategies for creating first-rate pathways toward high-growth industries for California's students, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson announced today.

The California Department of Education is working with the California Community College Chancellor's Office, the California Workforce Investment Board, and the Pathways to Prosperity Network to host three Pathways to Prosperity Institutes this month in Sacramento, Clovis, and Los Angeles. Educators, administrators, business, industry, and other agency representatives will be attending these events. 

"Partnerships between schools and businesses have the potential to strengthen both, and to give our students the tools they need to graduate ready to succeed in college and careers,"Torlakson said. "These gatherings build on the work we are doing—from the Common Core State Standards to career technical education—to give students the real-world experience they need to contribute to the future of our state and our economy."

Attendees are encouraged to share strategies on how education and industry can work together to create high-quality career pathway programs aligned with the local and regional needs of business and industry. The goals are for educational agencies and businesses to collaborate and create regional career pathways aligned to local labor market needs; integrate academic and career-based learning aligned to high-need, high-growth, and emerging regional economic sectors; and establish effective work-based learning programs between educational agencies and businesses.

Presenters at the Institute will include Jobs for the Future Vice President and Senior Advisor Nancy Hoffman, and Harvard Graduate School of Education Professor of Practice Emeritus Robert Schwartz. The events are at capacity, and registration is closed. However, reporters may still attend.

• December 17, 2013: Department of Health Care Services/Department of Public Health Auditorium,1500 Capitol Ave., Auditorium, Sacramento, CA, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
• December 18, 2013: Clovis Veterans Memorial District Auditorium, 808 4th St., Clovis, CA, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
• December 19, 2013: Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, 350 S. Bixel St., Los Angeles, CA, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

The Pathways to Prosperity Network is a collaboration between the Pathways to Prosperity Project at Harvard's Graduate School of Education, Jobs for the Future, and states. They are focused on ensuring that many more young people complete high school, attain a postsecondary credential with currency in the labor market, and launch into a career while leaving open the prospect of further education. 

The Pathways to Prosperity Institutes are part of Torlakson's Career Readiness Campaign designed to support, sustain, and strengthen career technical education in California.

# # # #

Tom Torlakson — State Superintendent of Public Instruction