3-5-14 The Answer Sheet

The Answer Sheet:

The key problem the SAT changes won’t fix

Big changes are coming (again) to the SAT, the once almighty college admissions test that was overtaken in popularity by the ACT. The essay portion of the exam, added in 2005 with great fanfare as a crucial new part of the exam, is now being made optional, because apparently, it wasn’t all that crucial after […]    

1 by Valerie Strauss / 18min 

Parent to Obama: Why don’t private schools adopt your test-based school reforms?

Bertis Downs is a parent who lives in Athens Ga., and the former legal counselor and manager of the band R.E.M.  He wrote the following letter to President Obama, inviting the president to visit a high school in Athens to see the impact of his administration’s standardized test-based policies there.   Dear President Obama, Last […]    

100+ by Valerie Strauss / 3h hide  //  save

The false markets of market-based school reform

One of the central tenets of modern school reform is that the public education system would be more efficient if it were run like a for-profit business. Here to discuss the problems with this thinking is Bruce D. Baker, a professor in the Graduate School of Education at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. […]    

6 by Valerie Strauss / 5h 

3-4-14 The Answer Sheet

The Answer Sheet: A bizarre letter from Florida’s Education DepartmentWhat is the Florida Education Department thinking? State Education Commissioner Pam Stewart just issued an open letter to teachers (see below) that makes the ridiculous mistake of accusing people who want a change in standardized testing requirements for severely disabled students of launching a political attack on the departmen

by mike simpson / 8h 

3-5-14 Schools Matter

Schools Matter:

BIlingual education: What does the research say?

Sent to Education Week, March 5, 2014There are two crucial research findings related to the Sen. Lara's proposal to repeal Proposition 227 ("Calif. Bill Would Repeal Bilingual-Education Restrictions," March 4). The first: study after study has shown that students in bilingual programs outperform similar students enrolled in English-only programs on tests of English reading. The second: A

by skrashen / 1h 

Joy in My School: Save Our Schools

by freetoteach / 49min 

NYS Test Refusals Hit Main Street

1 by freetoteach / 6h 

3-4-14 Schools Matter

Schools Matter: Tennessee School Board Model for Resistance to CorpEdRESOLUTION OF THE RUTHERFORD COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATIONIN OPPOSITION TO  LEGISLATIONTHREATENING A FREE PUBLIC EDUCATION SYSTEMWHEREAS, Rutherford County Schools are not for sale; andWHEREAS, a number of bills are being advanced before the State of Tennessee’s legislature by private lobbyists and for profit companies aimed at priva

by mike simpson / 8h 

3-5-14 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.:

Tim Furman’s Red Alert

Tim Furman. Good job on the charter commission bill, folks. And who are you calling “grizzled”?

- Tim Furman. Rogers Park Neighbors for Public Schools. Dang, we got a lot of hits today, thanks to the help of my grizzled blogger friend and over in Logan Square.* It looks like a bunch of people filled out witness slips. I was fixing computers all day, so I didn’t have a moment to listen to the testimony. Did you? I think it was on the General Assembly’s audio feed. In any event, things are

by Fred Klonsky / 0min 

Has Illinois State Senator Ira Silverstein lost his mind?

If Illinois State Senator Ira Silverstein gets his way, the University of Illinois and other Illinois public universities could lose all their state funding if a professor attended a national conference of the American Studies Association. The ASA is the oldest and largest academic organization in the United States. It has more than 5,000 members. What did they do that so offended Senator Siverst

2 by Fred Klonsky / 29min hide  //  save

Ten minute drawing. Quiet. ISAT testing.

4 by Fred Klonsky / 1h 

The Chicago Teachers Union did NOT endorse Kirk Dillard.

From the Chicago Teachers Union: CHICAGO—While the Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT) has endorsed Republican gubernatorial hopeful Sen. Kirk Dillard in the upcoming primary, the Chicago Teachers Union Local 1 (CTU) has not formerly endorsed any gubernatorial candidate.  The decision to endorse the Hinsdale legislator who once served as state chair of the anti-labor American Legislative Exchang

5 by Fred Klonsky / 1h hide  //  save

Tim Furman’s Red Alert. Hearing on bill to dissolve charter commission is today. Here’s what to do.

- Tim Furman, Rogers Park Neighbors for Public Schools I’m declaring a red alert.  Keep calm and call Springfield. HB3754, which is Linda Chapa LaVia’s bill to dissolve the ALEC-inspired state charter school commission, among other things, has a hearing tomorrow (Wednesday, March 5) at 8:30 AM in Springfield. I see the bill has picked up quite a few co-sponsors, which is good. It’s unfortunate, i

8 by Fred Klonsky / 1h 

CORE: Huge victory for Saucedo teachers, parents and students yesterday.

Posted on CORE: HUGE VICTORY for Saucedo teachers, parents and students! Although CPS tried to intimidate us by sending 20 CPS security and network minions, we stood our ground. Boycotting teachers were able to teach engaging lessons, such as Gandhi and Rosa Parks’ acts of civil disobedience and non-violent protest. Students, who opted out, were not tormented with the anxiety of testing. Parents

by Fred Klonsky / 2h  

3-4-14 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.: Pensions at the polls. The story of Travis and Guzzardi.     Jay Travis and Will Guzzardi. Back in May when the Illinois House voted for Senate Bill 1, many of us called on our union and political leadership to mount primary campaigns against those state representatives who voted to cut our constituti

by mike simpson / 7h 

3-5-14 Ed Notes Online

Ed Notes Online: Chicago: Testing Opt-Out Capital:

Chris Pavone's "The Accident" Gets NY Times Rave Review

Mr. Pavone writes: “First the web devoured book clubs, then magazines, and now its maw is agape, ravenous, ready to swallow the whole bloody publishing business.” Luckily, unputdownable books like Mr. Pavone’s help keep the business alive and well... Janet Maslin, NYTimes Chris, who is my long-time friend Vera Pavone's son, hits another home run with his 2nd novel. Since I am way behind on my read

by ed notes online / 1h hide  //  save

Tish James Calls for March 8 Meeting: Dear CEC, PTA presidents and Elected Officials Impacted by Co-Locations

Letitia James is making some noise, but it remains to be seen if that is all it is. The meeting announcement doesn't seem to call for de Blasio to revisit the recent decisions and announces an update on the law suit against co-locos. My guess this is not a good sign.With de Blasio waffling and shaky on the charter/co-loco issue - see Ravitch - The Big Lie about Mayor Bill de Blasio and Charters -

by ed notes online / 3h 

Microsoft and Pearson Join Forces to Create Common Core Curriculum: Are You $urprised?

A reader forwarded the following story. Microsoft and Pearson will join forces to build “the first curriculum…for a digital personalized learning environment that is 100 percent aligned to the new standards for college and career readiness.” Now we see the pattern on the rug. It begins like this: New York, NY (PRWEB) February 20, 2014 Today Pearson announced a collaboration with Microsoft Corp. th

10 by dianeravitch / 18min 

Chicago: Testing Opt-Out Capital

In some cases, principals have told teachers they will be arrested if they leaflet parents on the public sidewalks outside their schools, even though the teachers are distributing the materials on their own time.The explosion of the Chicago Opt Out movement comes despite orders from CPS administrators -- usually "Chief Officers" of the school system's 13 so-called "Networks" (w

by ed notes online / 21min hide  //  save

Dear Ms. Kopp - from a Newark Teacher

Dear Wendy Kopp,I am in a bit of a jam and I thought maybe you could help me out. State Superintendent Cami Anderson has announced plans to lay off one thousand Newark Public School teachers over the next three years. I do not yet know if I am on the list, but understandably I am feeling very nervous.It occurred to me that Teach for America could be the solution to my problems. I would like to app

by ed notes online / 21min 

YESTERDAY

More Protests Against de Blasio Co-Loco Decision

Press Advisory: JHS 52 families, HSEI families and CEC6 Members call for reversal of decision to co-locate M052 Families from JHS 52 and High School for Excellence and Innovation, Members of CEC6 and the District Six Pubic Education Advocacy Community call for reversal of DOE decision to proceed with co-location of M052 in Inwood, upper Manhattan.  Press conference tomorrow morning at 9AM outsi

by ed notes online / 9h 

Campaigning for Union Office: An Excerpt from How to Jump-Start Your Union: Lessons from the Chicago Teachers

This looks like one interesting book. I just started reading it. Here is a selection and somewhat of a blueprint for people to use. My advice for organizers: first start in your own schools with an organization sheet and some analysis of where people you work with stand. Then work within districts. Easier said than done but until we see this happening here, Unity will be in power.Campaigning for U

by ed notes online / 9h 

3-4-14 Ed Notes Online

Ed Notes Online: Brooklyn Rally Friday to Oppose de Blasio School Giveaway to Moskowitz/Success Charter"We want our schools back." Laticia James, at PEP, Oct. 2013.. RALLY, Friday, March 7, 2:30PM at Seth Low, 99 Ave. P.Will James be there? The counterattack begins. I know, how many of these anti-Eva rallies have we seen in school after school? Water off her back as she knows that when s

by mike simpson / 7h 

3-5-14 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:

Fact-Checking Rick Scott’s Sketchy Education Claims

It didn’t take long for the media call Rick Scott on one of his education claims from his State of the State address yesterday. In his attempt to take credit for “four schools in the nation’s top ten” PolitiFact responds: We sent Scott’s claim to several education experts to ask their opinion on the Newsweek and U.S. News rankings. None of them embraced these rankings, and they offered several cri

by Bob Sikes / 3h hide  //  save

Just About Everything Jeb Bush Says About Common Core is “Untrue”

d Jeb Bush’s Common Core problem continues. Writing in conservative website Breitbart News, Dr. Susan Berry analyzes the credibility and political problems that Bush has with his unwavering support of Common Core Standards: The problem for Bush is that just about everything he says about the standards is untrue. Common Core is a federally promoted, not state-led, initiative introduced in the Obama

by Bob Sikes / 4h 

3-4-14 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: Florida Senate Republicans Ignore Superintendts, Jeb Bush Abandons College Readiness in First Passage of New School Grade BillIt comes as no surprise the republican-dominated Senate Education Committee didn’t listen to the recommendations of two school superintendents in

by mike simpson / 15h