1-21-14 The Answer Sheet

The Answer Sheet:

Afghan attack took young American ‘destined for greatness,’ teacher says

Last Friday night in Afghanistan, the Taliban attacked a popular restaurant in Kabul frequented by Westerners, killing two Americans. One was Alexandros Petersen, a brilliant young man who was an expert on grand strategy and energy politics and who had graduated from Georgetown Day School, a private school in the District, in 2003. (His younger […]    

by Valerie Strauss / 5min 

Reaction to Ravitch: A different view of Common Core

I published the text of a speech that education historian and activist Diane Ravitch gave this month about the past, present and future of the Common Core State Standards to the Modern Language Association. (You can read it here.) Here’s a response from Professor Gerald Graff, a former president of the Modern Language Association who […]    

by Valerie Strauss / 20min 

Why teachers can’t reach every child: a case study

Larry Cuban, a former high school teacher and principal who now teaches at Stanford University, posted two pieces on his School Reform and Classroom Practice blog that are unusual because they are about students whom he tried to reach but could not. The posts are poignant and speak broadly to the extraordinary problems that some students […]    

by Valerie Strauss / 1min 

Dogs vs. cats: Their oh-so-different teaching styles

For a laugh, watch this to the very end. And for all you cat lovers, it’s just a joke!    

25 by Valerie Strauss / 5h 

1-20-14 The Answer Sheet

The Answer Sheet: Why Christie’s school ‘fix’ is misguidedNew Jersey Gov. Chris Christie recently proposed extending the school year and school day in State of the State speech as reforms intended to improve student achievement, though he didn’t provide details or make any mention of how he would fund it. Here’s a piece questioning the notion that simply adding seat time works. This was written […

by mike simpson / 8h 

1-21-14 Scathing Purple Musings | Color me purple in Florida

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

Bragging About Broward’s Common Core Buy-In From Broad Grad Superintendent

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt released a statement last week intended to attract investors by touting how much business they were going to be getting with their Common Core products. This Business Week story focused on what Broward Schools in Florida had purchased: Florida’s Broward County Public Schools, one of the largest public school systems in the country, recently partnered with HMH to support t

by Bob Sikes / 18min 

Familiar Story in Tennesee: Gov, Ed Boss Want Common Core – GOP Legislators, Not So Much

Looks like a familiar story is unfolding in another republican dominated state. Joey Garrison reports in The Tennessean: Republican lawmakers are putting the final touches on legislation that would delay the implementation of Common Core education standards and the companion test in Tennessee, perhaps setting the stage for the type of fight playing out in statehouses across the country. Around a d

by Bob Sikes / 3h

1-20-14 Scathing Purple Musings | Color me purple in Florida

Scathing Purple Musings | Color me purple in Florida, red in Washington, dark sky-blue in Israel and public school in Education: The New York Common Core Story That Frightens Florida GOP LawmakersIt’s come to this in New York: To say John King Jr. is New York’s embattled education commissioner is an understatement. A statewide teachers’ union is making plans to take an unprecedented no-confidence

by mike simpson / 8h 

1-21-14 Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL

Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL:

Resources On The State Of The Union Address

President Obama will be delivering the annual State Of The Union address next Tuesday night. I have lots of useful resources you might want to check out at The Best (& Most Intriguing) Resources For Learning About The State Of The Union Message. And here’s a video the White House just put out about this year’s address:

by Larry Ferlazzo / 14min hide  //  save

A Beginning List Of The Best Resources On California’s Drought

As you may already know, here in California we’re experiencing the driest winter in recorded history. I figured now is as good as time as any to being a “Best” list that I’m sure will be expanding greatly over the coming months. Feel free to offer suggestions of resources I should add to this list. You probably want to start with this pretty good overview, including charts, graphs and images, fro

by Larry Ferlazzo / 2h 

Resources On Japanese-American Internment

Every January 30th is officially Fred Korematsu Day in California. Here’s some background on it from YES Magazine: In 1942, 23 year-old shipyard welder Fred Korematsu refused to join over 120,000 West Coast Japanese Americans who were rounded up and taken to incarceration camps under President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Executive Order No. 9066. While Korematsu’s family was at the Topaz incarcerati

by Larry Ferlazzo / 43min hide  //  save

From The Archives: “Five ways to get kids to want to read and write”

I’ve recently re-started an effort I’ve tried to do previously by regularly highlighting previous posts and articles I’ve shared in previous years that I think might be worth a second look. Today, I’m highlighting an excerpt from one of my books that The Washington Post published. The excerpt is titled Five ways to get kids to want to read and write. Here’s an excerpt:

by Larry Ferlazzo / 43min 

This Week’s “Links I Should Have Posted About, But Didn’t” — January (Part Three)

I have a huge backlog of resources that I’ve been planning to post about in blog but, just because of time constraints, have not gotten around to doing. Instead of letting that backlog grow bigger, I regularly grab a few and list them here with a minimal description. It forces me to look through these older links, and help me organize them for my own use. I hope others will find them helpful, too

by Larry Ferlazzo / 9h

1-20-14 Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL

Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL: This Week’s “Round-Up” Of Good Posts & Articles on Education PolicyHere are some recent useful posts and articles on educational policy issues: Everything you need to know about Common Core is by Diane Ravitch. I’m adding it to The Best Articles Sharing Concerns About Common Core Standards. Beware Chinese data: Its scho

by mike simpson / 8h 

1-21-14 Jersey Jazzman

Jersey Jazzman:

The Newark 5 Are Not Alone: NJ's Reformy Bullying Epidemic

It's gratifying to see the Newark 5 story getting the coverage it's started to get. Five principals who spoke out against One Newark -- the plan by the Newark Public Schools to close some schools, turn others over to charter operators, and "renew" others -- were suspended Friday for the crime of exercising their First Amendment rights and demanding that Newark's disenfranchised citizens

200+ by Duke / 9h 

 

1-19-14 Jersey Jazzman

Jersey Jazzman: Newark Charters: Let's Please Get the Facts RightLaura Waters:Look to our charters. At KIPP's TEAM Academy Charter School in Newark students attend school from 7:30-4:00 Mondays through Fridays and also go to school two Saturdays a month. The school year begins in August and goes through June. TEAM's students regularly outperform peers at other area schools despite similar demograp

by mike simpson / 2h 

1-21-14 Ed Notes Online

Ed Notes Online:

PS 106 Update: Instead of Holding Bloomberg Accountable, NY Post and Eric Cantor Calls For Vouchers

If you tried to write the most bizarre stories you can imagine it is really hard to match the NY Post. Chalkbeat lists loads of NY Post PS 106 stories (see below for links), including Cantor's call for vouchers as the answer to the PS 106 neglect. Cantor says, "Decisions over educating our kids should start at the home with parents."Well parents at PS 106 did ask for a voucher but to hav

by ed notes online / 52min

 

1-20-14 Ed Notes Online

Ed Notes Online: Duking it Out in NYSUT - At the Top: Duking it Out in NYSUT - At the TopOn Saturday evening PJSTA (Port Jefferson Station) President Beth Dimino delivered the following message to the members of the PJSTA… For the record, the PJSTA will NOT endorse a slate of NYSUT Officers, led by Andy Pallotta, that endorse and use our vote cope money to pad Cuomo’s war chest! The PJSTA is leadi

by mike simpson / 8h 

On Assignment for DianeRavitch.Net: Rewriting Thomas Harkin’s Teach For America Constituent Letter | Cloaking Inequity

On Assignment for DianeRavitch.Net: Rewriting Thomas Harkin’s Teach For America Constituent Letter | Cloaking Inequity:

On Assignment for DianeRavitch.Net: Rewriting Thomas Harkin’s Teach For America Constituent Letter

I am on assignment today. Diane Ravitch asked me to rewrite Tom Harkin’s email to a constituent that extols the virtues of TFA. I will begin with the letter that was forwarded to me that was apparently written by Harkin’s office and then follow the official letter with my rewrite.

From: Senator@harkin.senate.gov

Date: January 7, 2014 3:18:58 PM CST

To: XXXX

Subject: Reply from Senator Harkin

January 7, 2014

Dear : XXXX

Thank you for taking the time to contact me.  I always welcome the opportunity to hear from my fellow Iowans.

Let me first apologize for the extreme delay in responding to your concerns.  As you can imagine, I receive a tremendous amount of mail, and on this occasion a processing error let to a number of letters being misdirected.  For that, I sincerely apologize.  Now, let me turn to the concerns you raised in your letter.

I was deeply sorry to hear about your daughter’s disappointing experience with Teach for America (TFA).  Although TFA includes five weeks of rigorous training to prepare program participants for difficult and challenging placements, it would appear from your description of XXXX’s experience that her training was inadequate and the on-site support services in the New York region lacking.

Notwithstanding XXXX’s unfortunate outcome, I have supported this program over the years as a model to address persistent socioeconomic achievement gaps in public education by recruiting highly qualified, dedicated recent graduates to teach in disadvantaged, low-income urban and rural districts.  It has been my experience that the vast majority of TFA participants conclude their rotation positively, gain valuable teaching skills, and make a lasting impact on the students they teach.  Indeed, recent public surveys indicate that nearly two-thirds of TFA participants remain as public school teachers beyond the two year commitment, and after five years nearly 15 percent remain at the same low-income school in which they began.

Despite this, I find it invaluable to hear feedback from constituents who have had first-hand experience with federally-supported programs like TFA.  As Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) and Chairman of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee that funds education initiatives like TFA, please know that I will remember XXXX’s criticisms and suggestions when I consider future legislation or budget items related to this program.

Again, thank you for writing to me.  I hope that XXXX’s experience with TFA does not dull her passion for public service and civic engagement.  Please do not hesitate to contact me again in the future about any issue that concerns you.

Sincerely,

Tom Harkin

United States Senator

Here is how the letter should have been crafted…

Dear Constituent,

Thank you for taking the time to contact me.  I always welcome the opportunity to hear from my fellow Iowans. Let 

1-21-14 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit:

This AM’s School Board Meeting: TWO MONTHS AFTER HE KILLED ONE PLAN, KAYSER HAS HIS OWN TITLE I IDEAS

by Michael Janofsky, LA SchooLs Report  |  http://bit.ly/KCdvCa

by smf / 34min 

Annette Benimg To Become Face Of Arts Ed For California

Mary Plummer| Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC http://bit.ly/1ePLgsW January 20th, 2014, 6:00am  ::  Actress Annette Bening has signed on as the new spokesperson for the California Arts Council's "keep art in schools fund."

by smf / 48min hide  //  save

Tinkering w/LCFF: STATE LOOKS TO TRIM LIST OF SCHOOL PLANS REQUIRED

  by Tom Chorneau, SI&A Cabinet Report  | http://bit.ly/1ePIV1g January 21, 2014  ::  (Calif.) After a marathon hearing and a surprise visit by the governor last week, members of the California State Board of Education are not expected to make any major changes to a set of temporary regulations governing use of billions in new state money for schools during the coming year-long process to

by smf / 58min 

Another look: SIGNS OF BALKANIZATION IN L.A. UNIFIED

This editorial from The Times staff ran last November. With the death of Marguerite LaMotte and a key population and vast+vibrant community unrepresented the handwriting on the wall moves from graffito to forgone conclusion – playing out in a board where a 3:3 tie is anathema, compromise is a sign of weakness and consensus is a pipedream. By Karin Klein. LA Times editorial board member |

by smf / 1h  

1-20-14 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: SANTA BARBARA UNIFIED APPROVES $700,000 iPAD PURCHASE: Offers parents lease-to-own optionParents who wish to purchase pay $708 @ $20 per month. There is no funding source identified to anything beyond the pilot year By Kelsey Brugger | The Santa Barbara Independent http://bit.ly/1mkrqJl Thursday, January 16, 2014  ::  Santa Barbara Unified School Distri

by mike simpson / 8h