3-20-14 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.:

Vote stealing in the 26th district. How do I know?

How do I know there was vote stealing in the 26t State Representative District race in which incumbent and pension thief Christian Mitchell is leading Jay Travis by around 400 votes? Because 3rd Ward Alderman Pat Dowell said, “Jay Travis is a sore loser and a desperate losing candidate. Her accusations are preposterous. I respect the voting process and I would never do electioneering at the polli

by Fred Klonsky / 38min 

IEA President Cinda Klickna tolerates no dissent. Her language turns ugly.

In the first communications to IEA members after the election, IEA President Cinda Klickna began her evaluation of our electoral efforts with an attack on the “naysayers (who) called our involvement in the primary’s ‘a fool errand’ and suggested it was a waste of time.” She referred to “those folks who root for our union to fail.” Who was she referring to? Certainly if she meant our political oppo

2 by Fred Klonsky / 17min 

John Dillon. Good cops and bad: Rauner and Rimel.

- John Dillon publishes Pension Vocabulary where this piece was first posted. My email from Rebecca Rimel couldn’t have come at a worse time. Bruce Rauner had just won the nomination to run as the Republican gubernatorial candidate in Illinois, and the email from the CEO of the PEW Charitable Trust was just another back-handed indignity, albeit one delivered in far more delicately crafted verbiag

1 by Fred Klonsky / 3h hide  //  save

Jim Keating. Watchful waiting.

- Jim Keating writes about legislative matters for the newsletter of the Du Page Illinois Retired Teachers Association. All right, action was called for and action was taken. The IRTA and others have  filed law suits in the hope of getting the Illinois courts to overturn Senate Bill 1 because it clearly diminishes our pension benefits. This law suit will eventually make its way to the Illinois Su

by Fred Klonsky / 3h 

3-19-14 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.: Ten minute drawing. Michael Madigan doesn’t want you to know.by Fred Klonsky / 3min Movement politics won in Chicago yesterday.  Celebrating Will Guzzardi’s win at the Logan Square Auditorium last night. State Representative-elect Will Guzzardi made it the cornerstone of his acceptance speech last nig

by mike simpson / 8h 

3-20-14 Ed Notes Online Week

Ed Notes Online:

Los Angelos Teacher Union Election: Union Power Slate Dominates

TFA grad in position to run LA teachers union --- but don't get frightened kiddies. Urban social justice unionism keeps growing.Alex-Caputo Pearl with 48% against 21% for incumbent Warren Fletcher. I've met Alex a few times - this past summer in Chicago and 5 years ago in LA when he invited a bunch of Chicago CORE people over for breakfast and I clung to the back of the car -- didn't want to miss

by ed notes online / 59min 

The Wave: Memo From the RTC: How To Survive Three Shows in 24 Hours

My column published today in The Wave. Memo From the RTC: How To Survive Three Shows in 24 HoursBy Norm ScottAfter months of work, the RTC production of “How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” opened last Friday night in shipshape condition, followed by both a Saturday matinee and evening performance, with servings of pizza in between. Phew! Sunday was a day of rest.As I wrote last wee

by ed notes online / 59min 

Rockaway Theatre Update: Good News for the Theater, I'm Not a Musical Comedy Star -Yet

Well, since my last report (How to Make a Fool Out of Yourself: I Do It the Company Way at Rockaway Theatre Production of “How to Succeed…) last weekend we made it through the first 3 performances of the Rockaway Theatre Company production of "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" in pretty good shape. I managed to deliver my 4 lines through the play and show up in the spots

by ed notes online / 1h 

Newark Teacher Endorses Ras Baraka and Slams David Brooks for Jeffries Endorsement

David Brooks: Drive By Newark Mayoral EndorsementDavid Brooks endorsed Newark mayoral candidate Shavar Jeffries in his New York Times column "How Cities Change." Brooks judiciously devoted seven paragraphs to Jeffries' biography and none to his opponent Ras Baraka. Indulge me while I fill in some gaps.Ras Baraka was born in Newark in 1970. He is the son of the late poet and activist Amir

by ed notes online / 6min 

UFT Charter School Report: Note the Management Fees

In 2013, the Success Network requested and received a raise in management fees to 15 percent of the per-pupil funding it receives from the state and city. The total amount of management fees charged by just four of the city’s charter chains in 2011-12 — Success, Uncommon, Achievement First, and KIPP — was over $12 million. This is a pretty good report from the UFT on the charter scam. While it tou

by ed notes online / 1h 

The Lies Eva Moskowitz Tells: More Destructive Than Global Warming

In my speech at the PEP the other night I didn't have time to make a better case against the Success Charter scam. I wanted to quote from a Ravitch post (Fact-Checking Eva’s Claims on National Television) exposing the lies. The Moskowitz machine has rolled de Blasio, with 3.5 million bucks spent on commercials, enough to buy space for Eva's so-called scholars. At least I have The Wave to try to in

by ed notes online / 37min 

3-19-14 Ed Notes Online Week

Ed Notes Online: A PEP Lovefest; I Compare Eva Moskowitz to Global WarmingLast night I attended my first PEP meeting under the new administration and it was quite a lovefest directed at Carmen Farina, even from critics. Even my usually sour presentation was tempered. The meeting was sparsely attended and there were critics there, but even they thanked Farina for at the very least, the stand to def

by mike simpson / 8h 

3-20-14 With A Brooklyn Accent Go BATs All Week

With A Brooklyn Accent:

How Hip Hop Crosses Cultural Boundaries: An Afternoon and Evening with the Bronx Berlin Connection

What an afternoon and evening yesterday with the young people from the Bronx-Berlin Connection and the great program organizers Olad Aden andFabian Farbeon Saucedo! It reminded me of the power of hip hop culture- and the arts, generally- to cross boundaries of language and national origin and unite young people across the globe. The day began with me giving a talk on the role of the Bronx as an in

by Mark Naison / 3h

3-18-14 With A Brooklyn Accent Go BATs All Week

With A Brooklyn Accent: The Other Wave of School Closings: How the Shutting of Catholic Schools in the Inner City Paved the Way for ChartersMany people have praised charter schools as providing a safe alternative for inner city families to public schools, implying they are creating something that never existed before. However, that is not exactly true. During the 1960's, 1970's, and 1980's, when i

by mike simpson / 8h 

 

FROM THE BAT CAVE Schoolhouse Live

Schoolhouse Live:  FROM THE BAT CAVEThe BATS (Baddass Teachers) are mad as hell and not going to take it anymore!  Formed last year, these feisty teachers are tired of district bureaucrats calling the shots. Mark Naison moderates.LIVE STREAM TUESDAY! 4:30 PST TEACHERS AND PARENTS WANT SAFE SCHOOLS, NOT iPADS!FOR MORE NPE PANEL DISCUSSIONS CLICKHERE!FROM OUR ARCHIVES: NOAM CHOMSKY ON THE PUBLIC GOO

by mike simpson / 20h 

3-20-14 the becoming radical | 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):

What’s Wrong with Teacher Education?

I belong to two communities that are central to my life—educators and cyclists. So when a cyclist and friend sent me an article on the importance of how cyclists conduct themselves as groups on the roads, I was struck by the opening quote included by the writer, Richard Fries: “We have met the enemy and he is us.”  –Walt Kelly, Pogo Immediately, the spirit of the article—many times motorist antag

5 by plthomasedd / 49min 

From Baldwin to Coates: Denying Racism, Ignoring Evidence

I have offered two posts confronting a pattern in the U.S. of denying racism (usually arguing class instead) despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary: Denying Racism Has an Evidence Problem The Mistrial of Jordan Davis: More Evidence Problems for Denying Racism As a third post, I invite you to read and view James Baldwin and Ta-Nehisi Coates*: Is James Baldwin America’s Greatest Essayist?,

8 by plthomasedd / 2h hide  //  save

James Baldwin: Challenging Authors (final cover)

James Baldwin: Challenging Authors A. Scott Henderson and P. L. Thomas, editors Furman University Sense Publishers Critical Literacy Teaching Series: Challenging Authors and Genres Original Art by Roy Thinnes

1 by plthomasedd / 3h

3-19-14 the becoming radical | 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): Reading Out of Context: “But there was something missing,” Walter Dean Myersac·a·dem·ic: adjective \a-kə-ˈde-mik\ having no practical importance; not involving or relating to anything real or practical. ### Currently, I have three seniors on track to certify as secondary

by mike simpson / 7h 

3-20-14 Perdido Street School Week

Perdido Street School:

Here's One Critic De Blasio Should Appreciate Having

They say you can know the mark of a man by the enemies he has - here's one enemy that Mayor de Blasio should be happy to have: It’s a tale of the 1% city for Bernie Madoff. The convicted swindler, cooling his heels in a North Carolina federal prison camp, is no fan of the progressive financial policies and vision touted by Mayor de Blasio. “I’m not a great fan of redistribution of wealth,” the 75-

by reality-based edu... / 13min 

Will Media Call Eva Moskowitz, Charter Allies On Their $3.6 Million Ad Buy In Last Three Weeks?

@perdidostschool can someone spent $3.6 million on restorative programs within public schools, infrastructure and classrooms— Mutale Nkonde (@yppe06) March 20, 2014Eva claims she has no money to pay rent but she and her allies drop $3.6 million on a three week pro-charter/anti-de Blasio ad blitz.The ads are still running, so that tally on the ad campaign will go higher.Can you imagine if de Blasio

by reality-based edu... / 15min 

Eva Moskowitz And Her Allies Spent $3.6 Million On Pro-Charter Ads In Last Three Weeks

How come they can't pay rent but they can spend $3.6 million dollars on pro-charter ads?A pro-charter school group has spent $3.6 million over the past three weeks on TV ads attacking Mayor de Blasio, an insider revealed Wednesday.Families for Excellent Schools — founded by a deep-pocketed group of financiers — has run a series of ads, including a spot blaming de Blasio for taking away the “hopes

1 by reality-based edu... / 53min hide  //  save

Don't Buy The Poll Showing NYer's Roundly Despise De Blasio's Education Policies

Quinnipiac released a poll yesterday that claimed to find widespread disapproval of de Blasio's education policies: Voters are giving Mayor de Blasio a bad report card for his education policies. A Quinnipiac poll released Wednesday found that just 38% support de Blasio’s handling of the public schools and 49% disapprove. 40% want de Blasio to increase the number of charter schools while 39% want

by reality-based edu... / 2h 

Cuomo Underfunds NYC Public Schools

Cuomo bragged during a phone "town hall" that he is keeping state spending lower than the last 10 governors.Dunno where he got that stat - might have found it in the mashed potatoes Sandra Lee made for St. Patrick's Day - but given this story from Daily Politics, I can believe it:City funding of the Education Department in 2015 will outstrip the state's contribution for the fourth year i

1 by reality-based edu... / 5h 

3-19-14 Perdido Street School Week

Perdido Street School: Cuomo Will Try To Steal Money For His Charter School Donors From Traditional Public SchoolsFrom Jessica Bakeman's Capital NY article about the complex budget negotiations around education issues:Cuomo came out strong for charters, in response to pleas from Success Academy head Eva Moskowitz, pledging to “save” them, and the Senate was the first to quantify what that will tak

by mike simpson / 8h 

In NYC, Charters May or May Not “Backfill” Students; Public Schools Take Everybody | janresseger

In NYC, Charters May or May Not “Backfill” Students; Public Schools Take Everybody | janresseger:

In NYC, Charters May or May Not “Backfill” Students; Public Schools Take Everybody

Posted on March 20, 2014 by janresseger

Who knew that New York City has a name for what lots of charter schools do or fail to do: accept new students when students drop out.  Backfilling students.  In NYC,  “backfilling students” is a practice that is chosen or rejected by particular charter school operators.

Right now it is also the subject of policy discussions in NYC about what should be expected of charter schools and charter school networks as a condition of their charters.  According to an excellent article that explains all this from Chalkbeat New York: “Charter schools (in NYC) must spell out their enrollment policies when they ask for permission to operate.  But authorizers have been loath to require charters to adopt one backfill policy or another, seeing it as one way in which the schools exercise their autonomy that defines them as a charter school, and so schools frequently include vague language in their charters.”

Chalkbeat New York continues:  “Now, the issue is growing in prominence as school leaders try to anticipate how the mayor will deal with charter schools in the years ahead, and especially how the city might charge charter schools rent to operate in public space.”   There are important considerations of equity as the new mayor, Bill de Blasio and his education chancellor Carmen Farina try to address the privilege and favored status some charter school operators received under Mayor Michael Bloomberg. “One charter leader described the potential trade-off this way: The city provides space rent-free if the schools commit to more inclusive enrollment tactics.  Then the choice becomes the operator’s: do we want to go along or stick to our model and pay a penalty for it?”

Some charter school operators in NYC and elsewhere refuse to fill places vacated by children who drop out, because they claim that it is more difficult to bring newcomers fully into the 

Newark, New Jersey school official threatens to fire one third of district’s teachers - World Socialist Web Site

Newark, New Jersey school official threatens to fire one third of district’s teachers - World Socialist Web Site:

Newark, New Jersey school official threatens to fire one third of district’s teachers

By Rory Dean and Sandy English 
20 March 2014

Newark, New Jersey Public Schools Superintendent Cami Anderson, citing falling student enrollment as well as budget shortfalls, announced her intention to lay off 1,000 of the city’s 3,200 teachers over the next three years.

Anderson has made a formal request to the New Jersey Department of Education to allow her to “make performance a key factor,” as she explained in a recent letter to teachers, in determining which teachers she will fire. Under Anderson’s plan, layoffs would first affect teachers who have been classified “ineffective,” one of four performance ratings that were established when teacher tenure laws were effectively dismantled last year, with the approval of the teachers union. As a result, seniority protection would have a minor role in determining which teachers would lose their jobs.

The public school system in Newark, the state’s largest city, has been in state receivership since 1995. Newark, like other impoverished cities in New Jersey—Camden, Jersey City and Paterson—has had its schools placed under state control based on the pretext that this would boost abysmal graduation rates and improve educational quality.

The population of Newark is just under 300,000, and approximately one-third of the city’s residents live at or below the federal poverty line. Even by the generous standards set by the federal authorities, more than half of the city’s people live in or close to poverty.

The proposed layoffs are part of Anderson’s One Newark plan, which calls for the closing of public schools and the granting of school property for the use of privately owned, publicly funded charter schools. By some estimates the plan hopes to enroll 40 percent of Newark’s 40,000 students in charter