Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Nite Cap 2-5-14 #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2

James Baldwin said it best: 

"For these are all our children, and we will profit by or pay for whatever they become."


A BIG EDUCATION APE NITE CAP




Re-election of Tom Torlakson as State Schools Chief - California Teachers Association
- California Teachers Association: CTA Votes to Support Re-election of Tom Torlakson as State Schools Chief and Jerry Brown for GovernorContact: Claudia Briggs at 916-352-1550 or Mike Myslinski at 650-552-5324Recommendations also made in constitutional and legislative racesThe top governing body of the 325,000-member California Teachers Association has voted to support State Superintendent of Publ
by mike simpson / 5min 
Should Integration Be a Goal of DC Public Schools?
Should Integration Be a Goal of DC Public Schools?: Read Sam Chaltain’s Books Something’s Happening Here . . .In the span of a few weeks, all of DC seems to be abuzz with the prospect that our elected officials may actually try to ensure greater racial and socioeconomic equity in the city’s public schools — apple carts be damned. First, there was the Op-Ed two colleagues and I published in the Was
by mike simpson / 15min 
The Teacher Commitment That Cannot Be Evaluated With Tests | The Nation
The Teacher Commitment That Cannot Be Evaluated With Tests | The Nation: The Teacher Commitment That Cannot Be Evaluated With TestsJohn Nichols on February 5, 2014 - 2:53 PM ETShareA fourth grade teacher and her intern, left, work with students at Samuel Mason School in Boston. (AP Photo/Chitose Suzuki)Teachers, parents and students are pushing back against high-stakes testing, over-testing and th
by mike simpson / 23min 
Show Us the Subsidized Jobs | Good Jobs First
Show Us the Subsidized Jobs | Good Jobs First: Show Us the Subsidized JobsSHOW US THE SUBSIDIZED JOBS: An Evaluation of State Government Online Disclosure of Economic Development Subsidy Awards and OutcomesBy Philip Mattera, Thomas Cafcas, Leigh McIlvaine, Kasia Tarczynska, Elizabeth Bird and Greg LeRoyGood Jobs FirstJanuary 2014Press releaseFull reportExecutive summaryTable of links to state disc
by mike simpson / 2h 
2-5-14 Jersey Jazzman
Jersey Jazzman: Local Control: In New Jersey, It's Not For "Them"Bob Braun breaks an amazing story, once again showing Newark's public schools administration is out of control:A parent leader who criticized the “One Newark” plan pushed by state school superintendent Cami Anderson was arrested yesterday  on charges he assaulted a central office administrator. Daryn Martin, president of th
by mike simpson / 3h 
Going Dark … but not out of the light
Going Dark … but not out of the light: Going Dark … but not out of the lightby EDWARDBERGER on FEBRUARY 5, 2014When one writes in light, the expression “going dark” has real meaning. Since early 2012, I have been in the light, sorting through and sharing thousands and thousands of blogs, Tweets, FB sites, and correspondence from educators and those who believe the future of America requires free p
by mike simpson / 3h 
So just who is Tiffany Hardrick? And why did she leave New Orleans? | Bob Braun's Ledger
So just who is Tiffany Hardrick? And why did she leave New Orleans? | Bob Braun's Ledger: So just who is Tiffany Hardrick? And why did she leave New Orleans?Tiffany HardrickDaryn Martin, the leader of the parent-teacher organization at Ivy Hill School, may go to jail because of a criminal complaint filed by Tiffany Hardrick, an assistant superintendent of schools in Newark who co-founded a New Orl
by mike simpson / 3h 
2-5-14 Seattle Schools Community Forum Week
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Advanced Learning: Where are going?Some updates:- according to the AL webpage, as of yesterday, 1,637 eligibility letters were sent (out of a possible 4024).  So if you were looking for one, it may be in the mail.  They started mailing them out on Jan. 31st.  Scores and eligibility decisions are NOT available by phone or e-mail.  - testing is continuing thru early
by mike simpson / 5h 
Substitute teachers accuse PPS of illegal threats | KATU.com - Portland
Substitute teachers accuse PPS of illegal threats | Local & Regional | KATU.com - Portland News, Sports, Traffic Weather and Breaking News - Portland, Oregon: Substitute teachers accuse PPS of illegal threatsBy Dan Cassuto, KATU News Published: Feb 4, 2014 at 12:14 PM PST Last Updated: Feb 4, 2014 at 8:53 PM PST269 CommentsPrintEmailRay Amling, chairman of the substitute teacher committee of P
by mike simpson / 5h 
The Gates Foundation's Imaginary World of School Reform Collides with Reality - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher
The Gates Foundation's Imaginary World of School Reform Collides with Reality - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher: The Gates Foundation's Imaginary World of School Reform Collides with RealityBy Anthony Cody on February 5, 2014 12:19 PMGuest post by John Thompson.The Gates Foundation's Director of Education, College Ready, Vicki Phillips, describes what she admits is the ideal implementa
by mike simpson / 5h 
2-5-14 LA School Report - What's Really Going on Inside LAUSD
LA School Report - What's Really Going on Inside LAUSD (Los Angeles Unified School District): Morning Read: State Controller wants to post public school salariesController seeks pay data from all California public schools State Controller John Chiang has asked every public school district in the state to provide salary and benefit information for all employees and elected officials so that it can
by mike simpson / 5h 
FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Wednesday, February 5, 2014
FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team: Anonymous LA school employees turn to Facebook to spotlight needed repairsEducation HeadlinesWednesday, February 5, 2014FCMAT 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.San Joaquin suspension up; question is, by how much?
by mike simpson / 5h 
Lawsuit: Rocketship under fire from four school boards in its home base, Santa Clara County, California | Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!
Lawsuit: Rocketship under fire from four school boards in its home base, Santa Clara County, California | Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!: Lawsuit: Rocketship under fire from four school boards in its home base, Santa Clara County, CaliforniaFiled under: Rocketship — millerlf @ 10:28 am The “miracle” English language-only charter management model (Rocketship), originating from San Jose
by mike simpson / 6h 
Ravitch unloads on school ‘deform’ - The Washington Post
Ravitch unloads on school ‘deform’ - The Washington Post: Ravitch unloads on school ‘deform’By Lyndsey Layton, Wednesday, February 5, 8:36 AM E-mail the writerDiane Ravitch, the education historian who has led a de facto national movement against current education policies — including standardized testing, charter schools, vouchers and teacher evaluations tied to student test scores — said Tuesday
by mike simpson / 6h 
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 2-5-14
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: Anonymous L.A. School Employees Turn To Facebook To Spotlight Needed RepairsAnnie Gilbertson| Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC http://bit.ly/1cQSzTk   Repairs Not iPads/Facebook | A photo posted on a Facebook group called "repairs not iPads." February 4th, 2014, 6:30am  ::  Los Angeles Unified School District staff have taken to Facebook to put a spotl
by mike simpson / 6h 
The Student-Led Backlash Against New Orleans's Charter Schools - Meredith Simons - The Atlantic
The Student-Led Backlash Against New Orleans's Charter Schools - Meredith Simons - The Atlantic: The Student-Led Backlash Against New Orleans's Charter SchoolsLate last year, students at several of the city's high-performing charters staged large-scale protests. Why?Bill Haber/AP PhotoCollegiate Academies is seen by many as the crown jewel of the New Orleans charter school system, which is itself
by mike simpson / 6h 
Morning Wink 2-5-14 AM Posts #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2
BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTSLISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 2-5-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for allDiane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Eclectablog: Michigan’s EAA Used Failed Technology for Neediest KidsEclectablog reports that the children in the so-called (and misnamed) Education Achievement Authority were used as guinea pigs
by mike simpson / 7h 
LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 2-5-14 Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all
Diane Ravitch's blog | A site to discuss better education for all: Eclectablog: Michigan’s EAA Used Failed Technology for Neediest KidsEclectablog reports that the children in the so-called (and misnamed) Education Achievement Authority were used as guinea pigs for experimental technology.  Eclectablog writes: “In the course of reporting on the tragic situation in Michigan’s Education Achievement
by mike simpson / 7h 
2-5-14 Ed Notes Online
Ed Notes Online: The Battle for NYSUT: Iannuzzi was made in 2005 and unmade in 2014 - By the same peopleIt's like they just found any warm body to run for president of a 600,000 member union... NYSUT member on Karen Magee...it’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance for any one of NYSUT’s nearly half-million members to make a leadership run. Oh, except the endorsement of NYSUT’s dominant internal caucus has
by mike simpson / 7h 
2-5-13 Engaging Parents In School… | Going Beyond Parent "Involvement"
Engaging Parents In School… | Going Beyond Parent "Involvement": Important NY Times Article: “Can Marriage Cure Poverty?”As most people know, there is a common narrative suggesting that single-parent households can be a cause of many problems affecting children — in and out of school. I wonder about that view, and have previously published The Best Articles Questioning The View That Sing
by mike simpson / 7h 
2-5-14 Fred Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacher
Fred Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacher who is just looking at the data.: Free Scott Reeder.You’re not going to believe this, but I am feeling a tinge of sympathy for Scott Reeder this morning. Democratic Party boss and Speaker of the Illinois House has banned him from the General Assembly’s press box. So has Democratic Senate President John Cullerton. They are claiming tha
by mike simpson / 7h 
2-4-14 Wait What?
Wait What?: Hello CT and Hartford officials… Is there anyone who will confront the lawbreakers?Are there any elected or appointed official in Connecticut who have the courage and conviction to actually ensure the laws of this state are equitably enforced? Student-athlete recruitment by interdistrict magnet schools such as Capital Prep Magnet Schools is illegal in Connecticut.  (For example, see Se
by mike simpson / 7h 
@ The Answer Sheet 2-5-14
The Answer Sheet: Obama smacks Bill O’Reilly on school vouchersPresident Obama often says things about school reform that suggest he hasn’t read up on the effects of his policies, but he knew his stuff on vouchers cold during an interview with Bill O’Reilly, effectively smacking down the conservative commentator’s wishful thinking with the facts. The Obama administration has steadfastly opposed vo
by mike simpson / 7h 
2-5-14 Schools Matter All Week
Schools Matter: De Blasio: Not Just Another BullshitterIt has to feel like Spring in New York in the middle of a snowstorm:  a progressive mayor elected to serve the people that Wall Street predators and casino capitalists forgot.  From DNAInfo New York:". . . . De Blasio sparked a political showdown earlier this month by rejecting Cuomo's offer to provide $1.5 billion for universal pre-K acr
by mike simpson / 7h 
2-5-14 Scathing Purple Musings | Color me purple in Florida ALL Week
Scathing Purple Musings | Color me purple in Florida, red in Washington, dark sky-blue in Israel and public school in Education: Will Costs Crush Common Core?Perry Chiamamonte of FOX News reports that “states are learning the cost of Common Core is uncommonly high.” States will spend up to an estimated $10 billion up front, then as much as $800 million per year for the first seven years that the c
by mike simpson / 7h 
2-5-14 Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL
Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL: Three Excellent Articles From ASCD On Teacher MoraleThe new issue of ASCD Educational Leadership is on teacher morale, and I’m adding these three articles to The Best Posts & Articles About The Importance Of Teacher (& Student) Working Conditions: Can’t Wait for Monday is by Rafe Esquith. Getting Beyond the Blame Ga
by mike simpson / 7h 
Is the Use of Untested Technologies in Classrooms Unethical?* | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice
Is the Use of Untested Technologies in Classrooms Unethical?* | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: Is the Use of Untested Technologies in Classrooms Unethical?*In a recent Teachers College Record commentary, M.O. Thirunarayanan, Associate Professor of Learning Technologies in the College of Education at Florida International University, argues the following:When it comes to techn
by mike simpson / 7h 
2-5-14 Perdido Street School Week
Perdido Street School: Common Core, CCSS Tests, APPR, And InBloom Are A Package DealThe Cuomo administration yesterday:“Common Core is an issue about which there has been a lot of dialogue,” Cuomo spokeswoman Melissa DeRosa said in a statement Tuesday that both affirms the standards and distances the administration from its rocky rollout. The proposed moratorium on its implementation is “premature
by mike simpson / 7h 
2-5-14 @ The Chalk Face
@ THE CHALK FACE: The Moratorium Miracle: Delaying PARCC Can Actually Help Save ItToday I read two articles regarding testing and the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). After reading both, I am left with the same thought: The events detailed in both articles promote CCSS survival– and by extension– PARCC survival. The first is this press release regarding the Partnership for the Assessment of Rea
by mike simpson / 7h 
2-5-14 GoPublicSchool.com « An open discussion of public school issues. GoPublicSchool.com
GoPublicSchool.com « An open discussion of public school issues. GoPublicSchool.com: Tech’s diversity problem Is apparent as early as high school…Claire Cain Miller in The New York Times… “In three states, not a single girl took the Advanced Placement exam in computer science last year. In eight states, no Hispanic students took it. And in 11 states, no black students took the test…” Read it. What
by mike simpson / 8h 
empathyeducates – Common Core: The Standard That Dares Not Speak Its Name
empathyeducates – Common Core: The Standard That Dares Not Speak Its Name: Common Core: The Standard That Dares Not Speak Its NameHouse K-12 Subcommittee Chairwoman Janet Adkins proposed deleting Common Core from Florida Statutes so all the state’s education standards will be under one name. File photo by John IarussiBy James Call| Originally Published at The Current. January 31, 2014It’s not as O
by mike simpson / 8h 
Shanker Blog » Opportunity To Churn: Teacher Assignments Within New York City Schools
Shanker Blog » Opportunity To Churn: Teacher Assignments Within New York City Schools: Opportunity To Churn: Teacher Assignments Within New York City SchoolsPosted by Matthew Di Carlo on February 5, 2014Virtually all discussions of teacher turnover focuses on teachers leaving schools and/or the profession. However, a recent working paper by Allison Atteberry, Susanna Loeb and James Wyckoff, which
by mike simpson / 8h 
Walton group funds more charter schools in L.A. than elsewhere - latimes.com
Walton group funds more charter schools in L.A. than elsewhere - latimes.com: Walton group funds more charter schools in L.A. than elsewhereComments3EmailShare49By Howard BlumeFebruary 5, 2014, 2:05 a.m.Los Angeles charter schools have been the largest recipients of funding from the foundation associated with the family that started Wal-Mart, according to figures released Wednesday.Since 1997, the
by mike simpson / 8h 
The Moratorium Miracle: Delaying PARCC Can Actually Help Save It | deutsch29
The Moratorium Miracle: Delaying PARCC Can Actually Help Save It | deutsch29: The Moratorium Miracle: Delaying PARCC Can Actually Help Save ItFebruary 4, 2014Today I read two articles regarding testing and the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). After reading both, I am left with the same thought:The events detailed in both articles promote CCSS survival– and by extension– PARCC survival.The first
by mike simpson / 8h 
Newark parent leader arrested, jailed, after criticizing state plan to close schools. | Bob Braun's Ledger
Newark parent leader arrested, jailed, after criticizing state plan to close schools. | Bob Braun's Ledger: Newark parent leader arrested, jailed, after criticizing state plan to close schools.Daryn Martin at the front door of Ivy Hill–now he has been arrestedA parent leader who criticized the “One Newark” plan pushed by state school superintendent Cami Anderson was arrested yesterday  on charges
by mike simpson / 8h 
V.A.M.: Value Added Measure: Leaning Towards P.I.S.A.: Do the Ends Justify the Means?
V.A.M.: Value Added Measure: Leaning Towards P.I.S.A.: Do the Ends Justify the Means?: Leaning Towards P.I.S.A.: Do the Ends Justify the Means?The P.I.S.A. exam, or Programme for Internationale Student Assessment was put together by the O.E.C.D. (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) in 1997.  The first tests were administered in 2000.  They test knowledge and its applications.  
by mike simpson / 8h 
Low-performing charter given green light to expand :: SI&A Cabinet Report :: The Essential Resource for Superintendents and the Cabinet
Low-performing charter given green light to expand :: SI&A Cabinet Report :: The Essential Resource for Superintendents and the Cabinet: FEBRUARY 05, 2014Low-performing charter given green light to expandby Tom Chorneau(Calif.) Following through with a promise to hold underperforming charters to the same accountability standards as other schools, the California Charter Schools Association has
by mike simpson / 8h 
Charter Expansion in Durham, NC Separates Children into Winners and Losers | janresseger
Charter Expansion in Durham, NC Separates Children into Winners and Losers | janresseger: Charter Expansion in Durham, NC Separates Children into Winners and LosersPosted on February 5, 2014 by janressegerFrom Durham, North Carolina comes the story of the destabilization of an urban public school system by rapid expansion of charter schools.  Ned Barnett, the editorial page editor of the Durham Ne
by mike simpson / 8h 
Grading As an Opportunity to Encourage Students - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher
Grading As an Opportunity to Encourage Students - Teacher in a Strange Land - Education Week Teacher: Grading As an Opportunity to Encourage StudentsBy Nancy Flanagan on February 5, 2014 8:51 AMEarly in my teaching career, I had a conversation with a veteran math teacher, about grading. I greatly admired this teacher, a "mom"-type educator who spent hours and hours in voluntary after-sch
by mike simpson / 8h 
Sacramento area school districts resist push for smaller class sizes - Education - The Sacramento Bee
Sacramento area school districts resist push for smaller class sizes - Education - The Sacramento Bee: Sacramento area school districts resist push for smaller class sizesBy Diana Lambertdlambert@sacbee.comPublished: Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2014 - 12:00 amRandall Benton / RBenton@sacbee.comKindergarten teacher Peggy Watson handles 32 pupils in her class at Phoebe Hearst Elementary School in Sacramento
by mike simpson / 8h 
Parents Can Opt Out United Opt Out National
United Opt Out National: UNITED OPT OUT MARCH 28TH – 30TH SPRING ACTION FLIERPrint and share widely!DOUGLAS COUNTY, CO PARENTS: DO NOT SIGN THIS DISTRICT OPT OUT/REFUSAL FORMDouglas County Parents, There are many reasons not to sign this form, but foremost, we recommend not signing it should you choose to take legal action.  Stay strong. And let us know if we can help. Please remember, we will …MO
by mike simpson / 8h 
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Newark at the boiling point. Cami Anderson is their Michelle Rhee
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Newark at the boiling point. Cami Anderson is their Michelle Rhee: Newark at the boiling point. Cami Anderson is their Michelle RheeMayoral candidate Ras Baraka, standing outside Weequahic High School in Newark, attacks Cami Anderson's "One Newark" plan. (Frances Micklow/The Star-Ledger)Cami Anderson is Newark's Michelle Rhee. She's brought the city to the
by mike simpson / 8h 

YESTERDAY

Not Everyone Is Able to Tweet and Post Who They Really Are | Connected Principals
Not Everyone Is Able to Tweet and Post Who They Really Are | Connected Principals: Not Everyone Is Able to Tweet and Post Who They Really Areby Chris Wejr • February 5, 2014 • 0 CommentsThere is often much discussion around the separation of our professional and personal lives on social media.  Some districts strongly encourage this separation while others encourage the blending of both.  I have b
by mike simpson / 20h 
solidaridad
solidaridad: A Critical Look at Common Core with Dr. Stephen Krashen, hosted by UTLA Bilingual Education Committee  A Critical Look at Common Core with Dr. Stephen Krashen by Robert D. SkeelsUTLA Bilingual Education CommitteeDr. Stephen Krashen Professor Emeritus University of Southern California A Critical Look at Common CoreWhat does it mean for our children? What are the implications for Englis
by mike simpson / 20h 
New York legislators ready to put Common Core Standards and student data collecting on hold | Seattle Education
New York legislators ready to put Common Core Standards and student data collecting on hold | Seattle Education: New York legislators ready to put Common Core Standards and student data collecting on holdThis just in:The leaders of both houses of the New York State legislature have called for a two year moratorium on the Common Core. The Governor has also expressed concern with the implementation.
by mike simpson / 20h 
DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER!: "Those Teachers Just Want a Day Off!": Are Teachers Ever "Off"?
DIARY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER!: "Those Teachers Just Want a Day Off!": Are Teachers Ever "Off"?: "Those Teachers Just Want a Day Off!": Are Teachers Ever "Off"?"Those teachers just want a day off!"She didn't know I was a teacher.She laughed it off when my husband and I told her. "Well, I guess I better watch what I say about teachers then,
by mike simpson / 20h 
Wish we could show this in every classroom. Great lesson that... | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com
Wish we could show this in every classroom. Great lesson that... | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com: Wish we could show this in every classroom. Great lesson that disability does not define a person. COMMENT(1) 0 5 7 12Previous PostsTaking a musical cue from the cold weather, educators close school with a songFebruary 4, 2014Too late to stop Common Core in Georgia? February 4, 2014Cobb school chief resi
by mike simpson / 21h 
Pressure Mounting to Halt Evaluations Tied to Common Core - WNYC
Pressure Mounting to Halt Evaluations Tied to Common Core - WNYC: Pressure Mounting to Halt Evaluations Tied to Common CoreTuesday, February 04, 2014 - 06:18 PMBy BETH FERTIGSharePrintEmailBoard of Regents Chancellor Merryl Tisch, left, and Education Commissioner John King release 2013 state test scores. (Beth Fertig)Legislative leaders are calling for a two-year break before the state uses its ne
by mike simpson / 21h 
Choosing Democracy: Education Bill of Rights - James Meredith
Choosing Democracy: Education Bill of Rights - James Meredith: Education Bill of Rights - James MeredithJames Meredith.by Valerie Straus. The Answer Sheet.  Washington PostCalling modern school reform “catastrophically misguided and ineffective,” civil rights icon James Meredith is launching what he calls the American Child’s Education Bill of Rights, a 12-point declaration of obligations that he
by mike simpson / 21h 
Nite Cap 2-4-14 #BATsACT #RealEdTalk #EDCHAT #P2
James Baldwin said it best: "For these are all our children, and we will profit by or pay for whatever they become."A BIG EDUCATION APE NITE CAP2-4-14 Truth in American Education Common CoreTruth in American Education: Numerous Common Core Bills Filed in New Hampshire HouseThere have been several Common Core bills filed in the New Hampshire House that have been assigned to the House Educ
by mike simpson / 23h 



Posted by at

Re-election of Tom Torlakson as State Schools Chief - California Teachers Association

- California Teachers Association:



CTA Votes to Support Re-election of Tom Torlakson as State Schools Chief and Jerry Brown for Governor

Contact: Claudia Briggs at 916-352-1550 or Mike Myslinski at 650-552-5324

Recommendations also made in constitutional and legislative races




The top governing body of the 325,000-member California Teachers Association has voted to support State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson in his bid for re-election and Gov. Jerry Brown in his bid this November, in addition to candidates for other statewide constitutional offices and legislative races.
“Superintendent Torlakson is a passionate educator and leader who shares our values and passion as we educate California’s students. He has always been a strong advocate for increasing state resources in support of K-14 education and has been a sponsor and supporter for reforms that work, like the Quality Education Investment Act. We look forward to continue working with the Superintendent as our schools begin to heal after years of devastating cuts,” said CTA President Dean E. Vogel.
Torlakson began his career as a science teacher in the Mount Diablo Unified School District (where he remains a teacher on leave) and served in California’s state Assembly and Senate before becoming state schools’ chief in 2010.
In addressing the recommendation of Gov. Jerry Brown, Vogel said, “We are grateful to Gov. Brown for his commitment to California’s public schools and colleges, and to responsibly navigating this state through some rough waters. During his entire term of office, the governor has made California’s students a priority and our schools are in better shape for it. Thanks to his leadership in proposing Proposition 30 and our work together, each and every student will now have a better chance at a well-rounded education.”
In its quarterly meeting in Los Angeles, CTA’s 800-member State Council of Education also voted to support the re-election of Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom; state Attorney General Kamala Harris; Commissioner of Insurance Dave Jones; Controller John Chiang who is a candidate for state Treasurer; and Assembly Speaker John Perez who is running for state Controller.
Council also voted to support dozens of candidates in local assembly and state senate races.
###
The 325,000-member CTA is affiliated with the 3.2-million member National Education Association.
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Should Integration Be a Goal of DC Public Schools?

Should Integration Be a Goal of DC Public Schools?:









 Something’s Happening Here . . .

In the span of a few weeks, all of DC seems to be abuzz with the prospect that our elected officials may actually try to ensure greater racial and socioeconomic equity in the city’s public schools — apple carts be damned. First, there was the Op-Ed two colleagues and I published in the Washington Post, calling for the adoption of controlled-choice policies as part of the city’s current effort to r
by Sam / 12min 
Turning School Chance Into School Choice
There are a lot of smart people in Washington, D.C., and one of them is Evelyn Boyd Simmons. A longtime D.C. resident, an effective parental advocate, and a firm believer in the unmatched promise of public education, Evelyn has a way of cutting to the quick on complicated, contentious issues. And so it was when in a recent conversation, she summarized the state of affairs in American public educat
by Sam / 12min 
Should Integration Be a Goal of DC Public Schools?
From 2000 to 2010, the white share of the District of Columbia’s population grew from 30.8 percent to38 percent . And from 2000 to 2012, the median household income in the city rose 23.3 percent while the nation saw a 6.6?percent decline, adjusted for inflation. This rapid gentrification provides a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create racially and socioeconomically integrated public schoo
by Sam / 12min 
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The Teacher Commitment That Cannot Be Evaluated With Tests | The Nation

The Teacher Commitment That Cannot Be Evaluated With Tests | The Nation:



The Teacher Commitment That Cannot Be Evaluated With Tests

John Nichols on February 5, 2014 - 2:53 PM ET


Teachers
A fourth grade teacher and her intern, left, work with students at Samuel Mason School in Boston. (AP Photo/Chitose Suzuki)
Teachers, parents and students are pushing back against high-stakes testing, over-testing and the fantasy that education is made better by preparing for, conducting and evaluating tests.
As American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten says: "The current accountability system has led districts to fixate on testing and sanctions, has squeezed out vital parts of the curriculum that are not subjected to testing, and has sacrificed much-needed learning time. That is not what high-performing countries do, and it is not what the United States should do."
That’s an increasingly common sentiment, even among former advocates for testing-obsessed initiatives such as George W. Bush’s “No Child Left Behind” and Barack Obama’s “Race to the Top.” Diane Ravitch, who served as Bush’s Assistant Secretary of Education now says: "I had never imagined that the test would someday be turned into a blunt instrument to close schools—or to say whether teachers are good teachers or not—because I always knew children's test scores are far more complicated than the way they're being received today."
How then should we “evaluate” teachers and schools?
The truth is that many measures exist: some structural and some practical.
America asks a great deal of teachers. And while carefully-developed and cautiously-implemented testing can tell us a little, incidents and events can tell us a lot.
Take, for instance, the response to the winter weather that last week brought the Atlanta area to a standstill. State and local officials—led by Georgia Governor Nathan Neal—neglected warnings 
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Show Us the Subsidized Jobs | Good Jobs First

Show Us the Subsidized Jobs | Good Jobs First:



Show Us the Subsidized Jobs


SHOW US THE SUBSIDIZED JOBS: An Evaluation of State Government Online Disclosure of Economic Development Subsidy Awards and Outcomes
By Philip Mattera, Thomas Cafcas, Leigh McIlvaine, Kasia Tarczynska, Elizabeth Bird and Greg LeRoy
Good Jobs First
January 2014
UPDATE: After this report was published, officials in Arkansas brought to our attention the fact that recipient information for two of the state’s subsidy programs we reported as having no disclosure is available through the Transparency Arkansas website. A corrected Arkansas appendix is linked below.

Online Appendices (with scoring details):

The first national compilation of company-specific information on economic development subsidy awards from around the country. Search the database here. To zero in on Megadeals, go here.
Posted by at

2-5-14 Jersey Jazzman

Jersey Jazzman:













Local Control: In New Jersey, It's Not For "Them"
Bob Braun breaks an amazing story, once again showing Newark's public schools administration is out of control:A parent leader who criticized the “One Newark” plan pushed by state school superintendent Cami Anderson was arrested yesterday  on charges he assaulted a central office administrator. Daryn Martin, president of the Parent Teacher Organization at the Ivy Hill School, was charged with ”agg
28 by Duke / 1h 




 
2-3-14 Jersey Jazzman
Jersey Jazzman: State-Run Newark Schools Blow Snow Closings AgainJust received this via email from a teacher in the Newark Public Schools:We got texts from our dcs saying that school was closed at 7:39.This means that she [State Superintendent Cami Anderson] waited until 7 or later to make the call. Kids and teachers were already in schools when they got the message. This is either incompetence or
by mike simpson / 19min 
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Going Dark … but not out of the light

Going Dark … but not out of the light:



Going Dark … but not out of the light

by EDWARDBERGER on FEBRUARY 5, 2014


When one writes in light, the expression “going dark” has real meaning. Since early 2012, I have been in the light, sorting through and sharing thousands and thousands of blogs, Tweets, FB sites, and correspondence from educators and those who believe the future of America requires free public comprehensive schools.
I believe in free education for all. I do not believe in schools for profit. I am dead-set against public tax dollars going to religions for inculcation. I abhor the takeover of our schools to push political ideologies. The awful idea that corporations can run schools is ludicrous. I believe that if democratically elected school boards are bypassed, or fail to function well, children are deprived of access to the American Dream.
I spent over 5 years researching and writing, Vital Lies: The Irrelevance Of Our Schools In The Information Age.  It is about where we are, how we got this way, and where we need to go. I have focused on the pulse of America and find that the so-called education reform movement does not represent the interests or the needs of students or our society. The primary drive that motivates “education reform” is access to the education tax dollars citizens pay. They are for profit, not for kids.
I’m taking a break and may be directing my time into another book – #12, histerical fiction, I’m thinking.  On Feb 7, Jo and I head to Mexico for three weeks in Nayarit and Jalisco. That will give me time to examine options. My 
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So just who is Tiffany Hardrick? And why did she leave New Orleans? | Bob Braun's Ledger

So just who is Tiffany Hardrick? And why did she leave New Orleans? | Bob Braun's Ledger:



So just who is Tiffany Hardrick? And why did she leave New Orleans?

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Tiffany Hardrick
Tiffany Hardrick
Daryn Martin, the leader of the parent-teacher organization at Ivy Hill School, may go to jail because of a criminal complaint filed by Tiffany Hardrick, an assistant superintendent of schools in Newark who co-founded a New Orleans charter school.  So it’s a good time to ask just who this Dr. Hardrick is, why is she in Newark, and why she left New Orleans. The answer is–she is another one of Cami Anderson’s misguided appointments of an educator with a, well, unusual past.
Hardrick was a co-founder with Keith Sanders of the Miller-McCoy Academy in New Orleans, a charter school. She left the school “under a cloud” in July, 2012, after the trustees discovered they canceled a bus contract with an outside vendor and gave the business to a company owned by her brother, Bobby Hardrick.
A letter home to the school’s parents described how the busing crisis left students and parent in tough circumstances. Sound familiar?
For Newark’s Cami Anderson, the cloud apparently could not be seen because the state-appointed superintendent hired her within a few months to be a $175,000 assistant superintendent of schools–one of whose jobs, apparently, is to tear downnotices of PTO meetings legally posted by parent leaders.
I can understand Cami Anderson might not like to read the press clippings about herself and her friends. But due diligence certainly would have prompted her to read the minutes of the trustee board that employed Hardrick. This is how notice of the 
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