Monday, March 10, 2014

3-10-14 V.A.M.: Value Added Measure

It's Always Christmas When You're an Educational Deformer

It Was a Wonderful Life!Scrooge counting his plunder from yet another cyber charter.

by Adam Bergstein / 3h hide // save

Now Out of Print?The educational deformers chant: "This is not a democracy!" As D.C. Chancellor, Rhee said, "I'm not running this district by consensus or committee. We're not running this school district through the democratic process." She seemed to use everything in her repertoire, short of taping mouths shut in D.C., to reinforce this principle. In N.Y.C., Bloomberg's

by Adam Bergstein / 3h

V.A.M.: Value Added Measure: There May Be More You Can Learn How to Do in Five Weeks than Teach for America!

V.A.M.: Value Added Measure: There May Be More You Can Learn How to Do in Five Weeks than Teach for America!: There May Be More You Can Learn How to Do in Five Weeks than Teach for America!Teach for America has two new pilot programs. Within the new cohort of recruits, there will be a subset engaged in a year-long preparation, including more classroom experience, the study of "learning theo

1 by mike simpson / 19h

3-10-14 the becoming radical EMPATHYEDUCATES! | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness by P. L. Thomas, EdD

the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness (the public and scholarly writing by P. L. Thomas, Furman University):

Common Core: Why Money Trumps Evidence

Originally posted at Visualized – How Bill Gates Bought the Common Core and drawn from work done my Mercedes Schneider: Visualized – How Bill Gates Bought the Common Core

1 by plthomasedd / 1h

3-8-14 the becoming radical EMPATHYEDUCATES! | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness by P. L. Thomas, EdD

THE BECOMING RADICALRadical ScholarshipEMPATHYEDUCATES!the becoming radical A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness by SAT Reboot 2016: “Nonsense It All Is”Photograph by Angel Franco/The New York Times By Paul L. Thomas, Ed.D. | Originally Published at The Becoming Radical. March 6 , 2014 In the often cited scene near the end of Notting Hill when Anna Scott stands in William Thacker’s shabby book stor

1 by mike simpson / 8h

3-10-14 EMPATHYEDUCATES! | by P. L. Thomas, EdD

empathyeducates:

Teaching Students, Missionary Zeal, and the Cult of Personality

By Paul L. Thomas, Ed.D. | Originally Published The Becoming Radical. March 9, 2014 As a teacher educator, I now spend much of my spring visiting schools and observing my seniors who are learning to teach in extended field experiences (my university’s version of student teaching). What […]

8 by empathy / 9h

3-8-14 the becoming radical EMPATHYEDUCATES! | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness by P. L. Thomas, EdD

1 by mike simpson / 8h

3-10-14 Perdido Street School Week

Perdido Street School:

Cuomo Common Core Panel Suggests Increased Professional Development & Training For Members Of The Board Of Regents And NYSED

Cuomo's Common Core panel said increased professional development and training is needed for both the Regents and the functionaries at NYSED since they've managed to screw up so much of their reform agenda, both the development of that agenda and the implementation of it.So the panel suggested the Regents and SED functionaries be forced to attend ten hours of Common Core training and PD per week f

by reality-based edu... / 44min

Cuomo's Common Core Panel Issues Report

Panel calls for continued implementation of Common Core and APPR but recommends the state cut inBloom ties: Gov. Cuomo's Common Core panel wants to restrict how much time can be used teaching to the tests, limit standardized testing to those above second grade, and end a controversial contract with a data sharing company, the Daily News has learned. The report is broken into four sections of recom

by reality-based edu... / 2min

Andrew Cuomo Says Public Schools Are Failing

After de Blasio went on the Morning Joe clown show and got pounded by the neo-liberals over there over the charter issue, Andrew Cuomo went on the kinder, gentler Brian Lehrer Show to expound upon how much he loves charters and how much he thinks public schools suck:Not only are charter schools not a threat, Mr. Cuomo said, but they are part of the solution to failing public schools, which he call

by reality-based edu... / 0min

Macho Andy

A slideshow of Andy Cuomo's most mach moments, courtesy of AM New York.And yet, there's no photo of him wrestling with the Common Core State Standards controversy which has tied his administration in knots.He's for it, but he's against the implementation, and he would be out there protesting with parents if he had any say in education policy and wasn't so busy trying to make sure the CCSS tests ar

by reality-based edu... / 7min

There Will Be A Political Price For Lawmakers Who Vote To Reelect Incumbent Members Of The Board Of Regents

From Jessica Bakeman at Capital NY:Assembly higher education committee chair Deborah Glick said Monday's last-minute interviews of candidates for the Board of Regents are not atypical, despite the fact that the political circumstances surrounding this year's elections are much different than usual.Reached Sunday by Capital, Glick said lawmakers would see two or three late entrants at noon on Monda

by reality-based edu... / 52min hide // save

De Blasio Looks For Health Care Concessions From Unions

Here it is: The city is kicking off negotiations with municipal labor unions this week to find potential savings in health care costs, officials confirmed to the Daily News. “The city will commence discussions about health benefits with the unions that represent the workforce,” said Marti Adams, a spokeswoman for Mayor de Blasio. The discussions are a key part of overall labor talks with the union

by reality-based edu... / 2h

3-9-14 Perdido Street School Week

Perdido Street School: The New York State Education Department Common Core Modules - Meant To Dumb Down A Whole Generation Of ChildrenHere's a comment NYCDOEnuts left on this Perdido Street School post yesterday on the NYSED modules:At my school, I have two 9th grade classes where I am required to teach to the modules. They are so dry and tedious, that on days when I follow the curriculum (knowing

1 by mike simpson / 9h

Chicago Children Who Opt Out Face Pressure - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

Chicago Children Who Opt Out Face Pressure - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher:

Chicago Children Who Opt Out Face Pressure

By Anthony Cody on March 9, 2014 10:34 PM

Guest post by Michelle Gunderson.

My eighth grade son is opting out of the Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT). This is not a decision he or I made lightly.

A month ago he said, "Mom, I see what you stand for, and I want to opt out of the ISAT."

Opting out of testing is not something I pushed. My son is very sensitive and never likes being singled out. The decision was made based on deep-seated family values - our beliefs in the purpose of education and our political analysis of the harm testing creates. And this decision was made with my son's initiative and my consent.

In Chicago, this type of thoughtful and deliberate conversation happened in thousands of homes over the past month.

We are one of the lucky families. During our required opt out conference with our son's principal my husband gave her a copy of my recent blog on the Ethical Treatment of Children Opting Out. She said that she understood and respected our position and would do her best to honor it.

I wish this had been the case everywhere in our city.

Cassandre Creswell from a grassroots parent organization, More Than a Score, is collecting parent accounts of how children opting out of testing have been treated in our schools across the city. For

A User-friendly Tutorial on IRS 990s | deutsch29

A User-friendly Tutorial on IRS 990s | deutsch29:

A User-friendly Tutorial on IRS 990s

March 10, 2014

One of the panel discussions in which I participated at the first annual Network for Public Education (NPE) conference was on investigative journalism. I chose to use my twelve minutes to only touch the surface on using IRS 990s (the tax forms for nonprofit organizations) as a research tool.

In this post, I would like to continue my tutorial. The information I include here I learned by my own wits and through the suggestions of others. My purpose is to assist those who wish to utilize information from tax forms in order to support their arguments in fighting corporate reform.

This will be one dry read– but a useful read for those seeking to improve their knowledge of nonprofit tax form navigation.

The Nonprofit Tax Form Search Engine

First of all, let me introduce a wonderful search engine for locating those nonprofit 990s:

citizenaudit.org

One can search any term, including organization names and even names of individuals. I suggest putting quotation marks around search terms so that the search results include the exact term.

Sometimes the search engine boots out “404-not found” or a page noting “0 results.” If I am sure the org or person exists, I refresh the search and often get a result.

The search results include both the 990s for the organization itself and also a list of other orgs that connect to the search term.

Keep in mind that the common name of an organization might not be the formal name used on the tax forms. For example, “American Federation of Teachers” (AFT) is

New teachers scarce after state funding cuts - Education - The Sacramento Bee

New teachers scarce after state funding cuts - Education - The Sacramento Bee:

New teachers scarce after state funding cuts

By Diana Lambert and Phillip Reese
dlambert@sacbee.com

Published: Friday, Mar. 7, 2014 - 12:00 am

Young teachers have become far more scarce in California classrooms after school districts slashed their budgets to survive the recession.

From 2008 to 2013, California saw a 40 percent drop in teachers with less than six years’ experience, according to a Sacramento Bee review of state data.

As the state cut funding, districts laid off teachers with the least seniority and stopped hiring new applicants. Those employment practices, in turn, discouraged college students from pursuing the profession in California, as enrollment in teaching programs fell by 41 percent between 2008 and 2012.

Students are learning from more experienced teachers, but the hiring changes have disrupted the natural flow of classroom talent that districts typically rely upon. First-time teachers bring “freshness and energy” and ensure schools have a steady pipeline ready to replace veteran instructors who retire, said Jon Snyder, executive director of the Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education.

The traditional balance may take years to restore as schools slowly rebuild their teaching ranks and college students begin to see education as a viable profession again.

With the state budget on the mend, districts hired about 13,000 K-12 teachers statewide and about

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2014/03/07/6216464/new-teachers-scarce-after-state.html#storylink=cpy

What can we learn from UESF’s contract campaign? | Classroom Struggle

What can we learn from UESF’s contract campaign? | Classroom Struggle:

What can we learn from UESF’s contract campaign?

There are a lot of good lessons for Oakland in this article about San Francisco teachers’ contract campaign. Unlike recent years in California in which cuts were the norm, increased taxes on the rich and a new school funding formula have given teachers the opportunity to fight for more in our contract campaigns. In particular, Portland and St.Paul were able to wage successful campaigns by building strong alliances among teachers, parents, students and community members. In this article, San Francisco public school teacher Matt Bello describes the kinds of demands that can help strengthen educators’ campaign for a fair union contract.

http://socialistworker.org/2014/03/06/a-teachers-struggle-for-justice

'Innovative' K 12 Tests: Almost Always Just Around the Corner | EdSurge News

'Innovative' K 12 Tests: Almost Always Just Around the Corner | EdSurge News:

'Innovative' K-12 Tests: Almost Always Just Around the Corner

Why are so many tests so Scantron?

CC BY 2.0 Flickr user ribzy

While the cool kids of education technology were in Austin at SXSWedu, the nerds clustered around each other in Scottsdale, AZ. The occasion? The annual Association of Test Publishers’ Innovations in Testing conference.

In case you think I use “nerd” in a pejorative way, ATP is a die-hard group of psychometricians, data scientists and assessment professionals whose efforts cover testing from grade school through the workplace. The influence of technology in the process was keenly felt among the estimated 1,054 attendees--said to be the most in the conference’s 15-year history.

One key area of change is toward so-called “innovative item types,” questions that eschew the traditional multiple-choice format to incorporate drag-and-drop matching or sequencing, clickable images, video and more. It’s a tech-propelled evolution that takes what can be dry text and turns it into something approaching a problem-solving simulation.

Think language learning exams that require responding to video conversations with native speakers. Imagine images of a leaky faucet that ask to identify where the problem might be, and what tools would be suitable. Envision audio of a human lung to help listeners diagnose what ails it.

Exhibitors ranging from Learnosity (offering embeddable assessments) to Breakthrough Technologies (offering TAO, an open-source testing platform) highlighted advances such as questions with video clips that have clickable “hot spots,” perhaps fittingly developed for a New York City firefighter’s exam.

Yet (spoiler alert) it seems many of these “innovative” question types now have been around for more than a decade, are actively in use in workplace and higher education exams, and are increasingly common to the point that the term for them has morphed into “technology-enhanced items.”

So why are so many K-12 tests still so Scantron?

Three factors kept coming up in my conference conversations, boiled down into the large pots of money, time and appropriateness.

Money

“Research costs may increase as you add these types of items,” notes Breakthrough’s Doug Wilson. Not only is there the cost of creating clear

LA Schools iPads: officials chose incomplete software over competitors | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC

LA Schools iPads: officials chose incomplete software over competitors | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC:

LA Schools iPads: officials chose incomplete software over competitors

Annie Gilbertson | March 10th, 2014, 5:00am

Grant Slater/KPCC

A student at KIPP Comienza in Huntington Park plays ST Math to review the week's material. The game tracks his progress and gives him harder activities as he masters skills. It's the type of interactivity L.A. Unified reviewers said they were looking for, but ended up choosing a program with no games or assessments.

When the Los Angeles Unified School District set out last year to buy tablets for every teacher and student, officials drew up a scoring system to rate 19 hardware and software options.

The scores meant a lot: the contract will ultimately be worth about $500 million and marks the largest school technology expansion in the country.

The winners were Apple and global education publisher Pearson PLC, which received nearly twice as many points as the next highest software bidder.

But there was a hitch: Pearson’s software wasn’t ready – and it still isn’t.

Since the contract was awarded last summer, school board members have laid into administrators for buying unfinished materials – and for paying nearly $800 per software-equipped device. The school district's Inspector General has also begun LA Schools iPads: officials chose incomplete software over competitors | Pass / Fail | 89.3 KPCC:

NYC Educator: Statement of Candidacy for NYSUT Executive Vice-President

NYC Educator: Statement of Candidacy for NYSUT Executive Vice-President:

Statement of Candidacy for NYSUT Executive Vice-President

I’m very proud to teach ESL at Francis Lewis High School, one of the largest schools in NYC, where I am also UFT chapter leader.

When repeatedly failed schemes, like merit pay, are promoted by Governor Cuomo, NYSUT needs strong leaders. NYSUT needs to represent all teachers, whether or not they support mayoral control, VAM, or Common Core. I’ve written in the NY Daily News and elsewhere against all these corporate reforms, and as a result, have been shut out of participation in NYSUT and AFT by UFT leadership.

Former AFT President David Selden wrote that teachers were expelled from the invitation-only UFT-Unity caucus for opposing the Vietnam War. A half-century later, little has changed within UFT-Unity. Our elections are winner-take-all, and all our NYSUT and AFT reps are hand-picked by UFT-Unity, which demands a signed oath to publicly support its positions. I can’t and won’t support baseless, counter-productive corporate reforms. I’ve opted to use the press instead.

UFT-Unity twice failed to oppose mayoral control in NYC, where it’s amounted to mayoral dictatorship. Nationally, mayoral control has enabled people like Gates, Broad and the Waltons to foist their anti-union notions upon public schools.

We know Common Core has never been tested anywhere. We know teachers, parents, and students all over NY are suffering due to its developmentally inappropriate expectations. John King labels vocal parents and teachers special interests, but sits mute when corporate-backed

UPDATE: Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: True 'grit' + School-to-prison pipeline

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: True 'grit':

Weekend Quotables

Team Englewood at LTABTeam Englewood Spoken Word Team"Hide Your Schools, Hide Your Homes, Hide Your Children, 'Cause [Rahm's] wrecking it all." -- Louder Than A Bomb Fran Spielman, Sun-Times reporter"What is the one thing that trumps money? Movement." -- Rahm’s re-election and GOP gov raceFox Business commentator Todd Wilemon"If You’re Poor, Stop Being Poor." -- Truth

by Mike Klonsky / 1min

School-to-prison pipeline

Former judge Mark Ciavarella was sentenced to 28 years in federal prison for his involvement in the Kids for Cash scandal;NEW FILM...Robert May's documentary Kids For Cash, tells the story of the Zero Tolerance scandal that rocked northeast Pennsylvania, and led to the 2011 conviction of former judge Mark Ciavarella for funneling thousands of children into for-profit prisons in exchange for kickba

by Mike Klonsky / 17min

True 'grit'

The next of my fellow academics who mentions the word "grit" to me is going to feel the wrath of my electric sander on their behind. This latest in a long line ed clichés, has become the buzzword du jour of the no-excuses, corporate school reformers like University of Pennsylvania psychologist Angela Duckworth, who claim that grit is the critical ingredient to academic success. The notion was popularized in Paul Tough'sbook, How Children Succeed and has become the 2014 version of telling poor kids to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps.

Thanks to Pedro Noguera and Anindya Kundu for this gritty response the other day on MSNBC.

More often than not, we discuss disparities in student performance in isolation from other factors that contribute to them, such as inequity in per pupil spending. If instead of posing the problem as an “achievement gap” which reinforces the idea that individual effort is the key factor determining differences in outcomes, we acknowledged it as an “opportunity gap,” we might do much more to address the disparities that limit the ability of children to learn.

Social science research has consistently shown that public school students with higher-income parents are likelier to attain higher levels of education than their