Wednesday, August 13, 2014

8-13-14 Hemlock on the Rocks

Eli Broad on Education, DTLA, and Gun Control

by Rene Diedrich / 1h

STANDARDIZED : Lies, Money, & Civil Rights: How Testing Is Ruining Public Education

For decades, standardized testing has been a part of public education. Within the last ten years, however, education reform has promoted even more testing. Test scores, mistakenly viewed as effective assessments of student ability and teacher/school effectiveness, are anything but. STANDARDIZED sheds light on the invalid nature of these tests, the terrible consequences of high-stakes

by Rene Diedrich / 1h

Big Education Ape: Why Is the FBI Investigating Charter Schools Run b...

Big Education Ape: Why Is the FBI Investigating Charter Schools Run b...: Why Is the FBI Investigating Charter Schools Run by a Secretive Islamic Movement? - The Atlantic : Why Is the FBI Investigating Gulen Charters?

by Rene Diedrich / 1h

Must See Video On How Districts Like Christina Suffered Through The Unaccredited Broad Superintendents Academy Experience

Christina School District hired three of these Supers [Wise, Lowery and Lyles] and see where that got us.... Diane Ravitch's Blog ~ House of Cards: The Broad Superintendents This video, made by the Badass Teachers Association, is part of a series that will dissect the corporate reform effort to privatize American public

by Rene Diedrich / 2h

TRANSLATING California Law - GOVERNMENT CODE [GOV Sections 814. - 827.],

California Law - GOVERNMENT CODE [GOV Sections 814. - 827.] : Section 820.6.If a public employee acts in good faith, without malice, and under the apparent authority of an enactment that is unconstitutional, invalid or inapplicable, he is not liable for an injury caused thereby except to the extent that he would have been liable had the enactment been constitutional, valid and applicable.http://

by Rene Diedrich / 2h

Gremlins Subvert LAUSD's New Attendance System, Derailing First Day of School for Some

http://wp.me/p10SbL-2mVmGremlin Pleads the 5thwww.hemlockontherocks.comcavete tyrannisqui doecet in doctrina

by Rene Diedrich / 2h

The Advanced Placement numbers racket - LA Times

http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-gibbs-ap-classes-20140813-story.html The Advanced Placement numbers racket

by Rene Diedrich / 2h

outside the box: in bidding students first ffarewelll - a glossarhee

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by Rene Diedrich / 3h

Top Ten Scariest People in Education Reform: # 5 – Bill Gates

Bill Gates: Scary Philanthropy Countdown # 5 This is the fifth in a countdown series of introductions, a list of the top ten scariest people leading education in America. For numbers 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10, click here. The biggest philanthropist on earth comes across as the epitome of sincere, nerdy nice-guy. And he probably is very nice and very sincere. But does

by Rene Diedrich / 3h

L.A.'s school crossing-guard cutbacks draw criticism - LA Times

by Rene Diedrich / 3h

LAUSD senior teachers, watch out! - Los Angeles Public Education | Examiner.com

by Rene Diedrich / 3h

I Am Tired Of “School Reformers” Using The Civil Rights Movement Legacy To Support Their Agenda

Los Angeles Schools Superintendent John Deasy spoke today at USC on the Vergara lawsuit (see The Best Resources On California Court Case Attacking Teacher's Rights). Los Angeles Times reporter Howard Blume is not going to write a story about his speech, but he did send out these tweets: This

by Rene Diedrich / 4h

New Report Shows Widespread Test Score Corruption | FairTest says Cheating in 37 states

STANDARDIZED EXAM CHEATING CONFIRMED IN 37 STATES AND D.C.;NEW REPORT SHOWS WIDESPREAD TEST SCORE CORRUPTION As an Atlanta grand jury considers indictments against former top school officials in a test cheating scandal and the annual wave of high-stakes standardized exams begins across the nation, a new survey reports confirmed cases of test score manipulation in at least 37 states and

by Rene Diedrich / 4h

Crenshaw choir director released from 'teacher jail'

http://laschoolreport.com/crenshaw-choir-director-released-from-teacher-jail/ Eight months after being yanked off campus, long-time choir director Iris Stevenson returned to Crenshaw High School today. Stevenson, who's led an award-winning music program at the school for nearly three decades, was pulled from teaching last

by Rene Diedrich / 5h

Release: George McKenna Declares Victory in LAUSD District 1 Race

NationBuilder FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEAugust 12, 2014 PRESS CONTACTJewett Walker(310) 947-7745manager@electmckenna.com

by Rene Diedrich / 5h

iPads + schools = a business opportunity? | Marketplace.org

by Rene Diedrich / 5h

McKenna wins key L.A. school board seat, according to unofficial results - LA Times

by Rene Diedrich / 5h

FAQ & About - Los Angeles Teacher Ratings - Los Angeles Times

by Rene Diedrich / 5h

LA schools' Wi-Fi networks to cost about $800 million | 89.3 KPCC

by Rene Diedrich / 5h

What happens if the cost of textbooks drops to zero? | PandoDaily

by Rene Diedrich / 5h

The Answer to the Great Question of Education Reform? The Number 42

by Rene Diedrich / 6h

Teacher Observations & Traffic Stops- If They Want to Get You, They’ll Get You. - Educator Fights Back

by Rene Diedrich / 6h

A Back Door to Common Core

Remember, Sleazy Deazy, who bought his doctorate by exchanging favors with his university professor, has already flushed a billion in school bond money in Los Angeles to buy IPads loaded with Pearson content that has to be renewed every three years. Morath and Mike Miles are lining up Dallas, Texas to follow the Sleazy Deazy model of flushing billions in schools taxes to support more

by Rene Diedrich / 6h

Michelle Malkin | » Why parents are “paranoid” about Common Core

by Rene Diedrich / 6h

MICHELLE RHEE changes her name to Johnson and takes over St. Hope, her husband's charter management company

http://4lakidsnews.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2014-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&updated-max=2015-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&max-results=50Friday, August 8, 2014 12:32 PM :: Controversial education reformer Michelle Rhee made news again recently as it was announced she would be the new chairwoman of St. Hope, a charter management organization based in Sacramento, California. Some see this as a la

by Rene Diedrich / 6h

THE PERIMETER PRIMATE: “The Broad Effect”: Part Two

by Rene Diedrich / 6h hide // save

Eli Broad Wins ; Public Schools Lose

What irony that Obama denounces AIG while allowing Eli Broad to write the presidential education agenda. Bill Gates' ex-associate, Tom Vander Ark, wrote, "Eli Finally Won" after Obama's St. Louis speech on education. Broad has been one of AIG's major U.S. investors, having sold his own company, SunAmerica, to AIG for $18 billion. Googling "Eli Broad AIG" reveals Forbes.Com and

by Rene Diedrich / 7h

8-12-14 Hemlock on the Rocks

Hemlock on the Rocks: "We Do the Best We Can": Miramonte Moves Forward With Start of School Year | NBC Southern Californiahttp://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Miramonte-Moves-Forward-With-Start-of-School-Year--270834621.html "We Do the Best We Can": Miramonte Moves Forward With Start of School Year news > localby Rene Diedrich / 9h 8-11-14 Hemlock on the RocksHemlock on the

by mike simpson / 8h

8-13-14 Perdido Street School

http://perdidostreetschool.blogspot.com/

Why Is Cuomo In Israel When Parts Of Long Island Are Under The Sea?

Newsday tonight:Long Island commuters were struggling Wednesday evening with the aftermath of the historic weather event that earlier dumped double-digit amounts of rainfall across parts of Long Island, flooding roadways, rail lines and basements.The epic rainfall -- the National Weather Service's Upton office said 13.27 inches poured down between 11 p.m. Tuesday and 10:30 a.m. Wednesday -- overwh

by reality-based edu... / 5min

Guard Violence At Rikers Grew Under Mayor Bloomberg

Does this get added to Mayor Bloomberg's "legacy"?The portrait that emerged from the report on Rikers Island by the United States attorney’s office in Manhattan last week was of a place with almost medieval levels of violence, meted out with startling ferocity by guards and their superiors. The two-and-a-half-year investigation, which focused on the abuse of teenage inmates by correction

by reality-based edu... / 19min

New Pro-Common Core Message Push Not Going So Well

Late last month, pro-CCSS advocates and supporters announced they had enough of losing the Common Core message wars to Common Core critics and opponents and were going to start a new message blitz that was sure to turn things around:Supporters of the Common Core academic standards have spent big this past year to persuade wavering state legislators to stick with the new guidelines for math and lan

by reality-based edu... / 57min hide // save

YESTERDAY

Why Is Andrew Cuomo Still Trying To Knock Zephyr Teachout Off The Ballot?

The NY Times editorial board says Cuomo should stop trying to get her kicked off the ballot and instead debate her:New York State voters rarely have enough real choice on their ballots, and Gov. Andrew Cuomo seems determined to keep it that way. Ever since another Democratic candidate for governor, Zephyr Teachout, arose on his left, Mr. Cuomo has tried to throw her off the primary ballot on the s

by reality-based edu... / 20h

The Lesson I Want To Take From Robin Williams' Death

The nation is in shock over the news that Robin Williams killed himself yesterday.You can see it on the TV, in the newspapers, on social media - the coverage of Williams' death is everywhere this morning and the recurring pattern in that coverage is shock that Williams would take his own life.But I'm not in shock over the news of Williams' death.The darkness that lived inside Robin Williams that u

by reality-based edu... / 1d

8-12-14 Perdido Street School

Perdido Street School: The Lesson I Want To Take From Robin Williams' DeathThe nation is in shock over the news that Robin Williams killed himself yesterday.You can see it on the TV, in the newspapers, on social media - the coverage of Williams' death is everywhere this morning and the recurring pattern in that coverage is shock that Williams would take his own life.But I'm not in shock over the n

by mike simpson / 8h

Swarthmore Profs Say Philly Schools Lack Needed Money: PA Funding Process Flawed | janresseger

Swarthmore Profs Say Philly Schools Lack Needed Money: PA Funding Process Flawed | janresseger:

Swarthmore Profs Say Philly Schools Lack Needed Money: PA Funding Process Flawed

Posted on August 13, 2014 by janresseger

“Each year, as predictably as classes end in June, the School District of Philadelphia faces a budget crisis for the coming school year,” write John Caskey and Mark Kuperberg, economists at Swarthmore College. “In 2014, the School Reform Commission, the school district’s state-imposed governing body, for the first time and in violation of the city charter, refused to pass a budget, arguing that there were insufficient funds to run the schools responsibly… In the summer of 2013…. the budgets of many individual schools allowed for no counselors, no secretaries to assist principals or answer telephones, and no arts or sports programs. With a last-minute financial-aid pledge from the city, some laid-off personnel were recalled, and schools opened on time. But the district was still in such dire straits that Philadelphia’s newspapers launched a drive to obtain pencils, paper, and other basic supplies. This is no way to run a school system, much less the eighth largest in the United States. We investigate why these school crises keep recurring… We conclude that the unwieldy process for financing the district means that such crises are bound to recur unless that process is changed.”

It can be hard to sort out the truth in discussions of public finance, because, of course, politicians select the numbers that deflect blame from themselves and their policies. In Philadelphia the politics around the funding of Pennsylvania’s largest school district are filled with rancor. Philadelphia is a poor city in a very rural state, a city where many of the children are black and Hispanic, while Pennsylvania’s small towns are largely white. It is helpful to be able to read an objective academic report that lays out the facts and realities of the Philadelphia school crisis, especially in these next few days when Superintendent William Hite will be forced to decide whether he can safely open school on September 8, 2014, at a time when the state legislature won’t even meet again until mid-September to consider enabling the School District of Philadelphia to levy a $2-per-pack cigarette tax that school administrators are counting on to raise $81 million to make up part of this year’s school budget. (This blog most recently covered the Philadelphia school crisis here.)

Here, according to Caskey and Kuperberg, is the way funding is set up for the school district, which—unlike many cities in other states—has no independent taxing authority. “Of the Swarthmore Profs Say Philly Schools Lack Needed Money: PA Funding Process Flawed | janresseger:

Louisiana Educator: Why Are We Being Forced to Teach This C_ _ _?

Louisiana Educator: Why Are We Being Forced to Teach This C_ _ _?:

Why Are We Being Forced to Teach This C_ _ _?

The highly acclaimed school standards called Common Core are becoming so unpopular that they may soon be politically untouchable. The critics are piling on from Glenn Beck to the Wall Street Journal, with senior academics and activist parents in between.

The latest is a detailed criticism of the mathematics standards by a prize-winning math professor at the University of California at Berkeley, Marina Ratner. It is refreshing that her criticisms are very specific and include examples of assignments that parents can see are ridiculous.

Professor Ratner was alerted to the stupidity of Common Core by looking at the homework assigned to her grandson in 6th grade Berkeley middle school. Fractions are taught by having the kids draw pictures of everything such as 6 divided by 8, and 4 divided by 2/7, and also by creating fictional stories for such things as 2/3 divided by 3/4. A student who gives the correct answer right away and doesn't draw a picture or make up a story loses points.

Ms. Ratner concluded that Common Core is making simple math concepts "artificially intricate and complex with the pretense of being deeper, while the actual content taught was primitive." The bottom line is that Common Core is inferior to the current good California standards, and the $15.8 billion spent nationally to develop and adopt Common Core was a gigantic waste.

College ready? That's another deceit. Math experts are saying that Common Core standards are not preparing students for colleges to which most parents aspire to send their children.

This is what I think: Common Core is not a carefully planned conspiracy to turn our children into democracy haters or Louisiana Educator: Why Are We Being Forced to Teach This C_ _ _?:

NYC Educator: Support the Core "Hijacked" by Teachers and Parents

NYC Educator: Support the Core "Hijacked" by Teachers and Parents:

Support the Core "Hijacked" by Teachers and Parents

Yesterday was #SupportTheCore day on Twitter. A bunch of reformy folks got together and decided this was the day they would persuade all of social media that it was not, in fact, in their best interests either to oppose CCSS or to have Mulgrew punch them in the face. USA Today even wrote about it:

Organized by the Collaborative for Student Success and supported by other groups like Teach Plus and Educators 4 Excellence, teachers and other Common Core supporters took to Twitter Tuesday to launch an outreach strategy encouraging teachers, parents and other leaders to voice why they are behind the standards.

Wow. So this was an important event. But alas, their best efforts were stymied, as people on Twitter persisted in posting actual thoughts unapproved by Bill Gates, or as Mulgrew would put it, "flying saucers from Mars."

NYC Educator: Support the Core "Hijacked" by Teachers and Parents:

Investing in Individuals First | Connected Principals

Investing in Individuals First | Connected Principals:

Investing in Individuals First

by George Couros • August 13, 2014 • 0 Comments

“Every single employee is someone’s son or someone’s daughter. Parents work to offer their children a good life and a good education and to teach them the lessons that will help them grow up to be happy, confident and able to use all the talents they were blessed with. Those parents then hand their children over to a company with the hope the leaders of that company will exercise the same love and care as they have.” Simon Sinek

With the focus on “collaboration” in many organizations being the forefront in what they do, we often forget that each team that exists within an organization is made up of individual people. People are often asked to sacrifice for the “good of the team”, but this does not happen unless a safe culture is created by its leaders.

If you are spending a third of your day working with others, we have to realize how important each person is and how much we need to care for these individuals. Simply saying, “we are a team”, does not make it so. In fact, that constant push for collaboration without caring for individuals often pulls teams apart and creates an “every person for themselves” mentality. The “greater good” does not happen without individuals and when people are asked to work long hours and sacrifice, they are more likely to do it when they know they are valued as people first, and employees second.

When I have worked for people that have taken the time to care for me personally, my loyalty to them is unwavering and sacrifice is simple. Those moments that we simply “check-in” with one another builds that trust daily, and often forges the team. This does not happen without great leadership constantly building trust with individuals to create a strong team.

One thing that I have seen from great leaders that has made a huge difference is how they are truly in the moment with you.

Every educator is busy; how many have you met that don’t know what to do with the abundance of time that they have left over? “Busy” is a given that we do not really need to share in every conversation. What I have seen some of the best leaders do when they talk to people is not share how they only have a “few moments” to talk when their colleagues Investing in Individuals First | Connected Principals:

LAUSD Elections: McKenna elected to represent South LA on school board | 89.3 KPCC

LAUSD Elections: McKenna elected to represent South LA on school board | 89.3 KPCC:

LAUSD Elections: McKenna elected to represent South LA on school board

Retired principal and administrator George McKenna was elected to the Los Angeles Unified school board in a runoff Tuesday, creating a majority coalition of board members backed by the teachers’ union.

“I’ve had a track record of success everywhere I’ve gone, and I’ve held every position in public education,” said McKenna, who is perhaps best known for his time as principal of Washington Prep High School, a story parlayed into a TV movie staring Denzel Washington in 1986.

With 96 percent of the ballots counted, McKenna had garnered 14,696 votes or 53 percent of the vote by 11:30 p.m. His challenger Alex Johnson, an education policy advisor to county supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, had won 47 percent of the votes.

McKenna benefited from greater name recognition amongst voters.

"I chose McKenna, because I've seen him in the community," said Vanessa Mims, whose granddaughter attends Crescent Heights Elementary School in West L.A. "I've seen him working, and I know what he is about."

The election results mark a defeat for well-heeled education advocates championing charter school expansion and tying teacher evaluations to test scores.

Self-described education reformers partnered with a powerful black political coalition to help Johnson raise $442,000 in campaign contributions and attract $849,000 in independent expenditures, according to the latest filing. Johnson brought in almost five times the outside cash as McKenna.

The primary election in June drew seven candidates vying to represent district one, a seat left vacant after Marguerite LaMotte died mid-term in December.

"I am honored to succeed my long-time friend and colleague Marguerite Poindexter LaMotte. She was a champion for children and can never be replaced," McKenna said in a statement sent out late Tuesday.

McKenna drew twice as many voters as Johnson in June, though not enough to win outright, leading to the runoff.

Despite the investment, only about 8 percent of voters turned out to the polls in a district spanning the sections of West and South Los Angeles.

Richard Freeman, a seasoned poll worker, said his station at the Robertson Recreation LAUSD Elections: McKenna elected to represent South LA on school board | 89.3 KPCC:

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Rhee finds her true calling at Scotts Miracle-Gro, killing many birds with one stone.

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Rhee finds her true calling at Scotts Miracle-Gro, killing many birds with one stone.:

Rhee finds her true calling at Scotts Miracle-Gro, killing many birds with one stone.

Michelle Rhee has decided to make a new start. After formally changing her last name to Johnson (she's married to Sacramento Mayor and former NBA star Kevin Johnson), Rhee has announced her departure from StudentsFirst for Scotts Miracle-Gro. It looks like the hedge-fund school reformers and power philanthropists are growing tired of Rhee and have decided to pass the union-busting torch on to Campbell Brown.

Although she will stay on the board of SF, Rhee appears to have given up on the potential of the organization she founded. The organization has also just pulled out of five states, including Florida where Rhee served as chief education adviser to Tea Party Gov. Rick Scott. Perhaps the corporate reformer who Salon writer Jeff Bryant calls "education's Ann Coulter" now has her sights set on becoming the new Queen of Fertilizer.

Scotts Miracle-Gro Co. has named the controversial former head of Washington, D.C., schools to its board of directors. Michelle Johnson, formerly Michelle Rhee, will serve on two of the Scotts board’s six committees – innovation and marketing, and compensation and

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Rhee finds her true calling at Scotts Miracle-Gro, killing many birds with one stone.:

Latest News and Comment from Education

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

8-13-14 Hemlock on the Rocks

8-13-14 Perdido Street School

YESTERDAY

Swarthmore Profs Say Philly Schools Lack Needed Money: PA Funding Process Flawed | janresseger

Swarthmore Profs Say Philly Schools Lack Needed Money: PA Funding Process Flawed

Louisiana Educator: Why Are We Being Forced to Teach This C_ _ _?

Why Are We Being Forced to Teach This C_ _ _?

NYC Educator: Support the Core "Hijacked" by Teachers and Parents

Investing in Individuals First | Connected Principals

Investing in Individuals First

by George Couros • August 13, 2014 • 0 Comments

LAUSD Elections: McKenna elected to represent South LA on school board | 89.3 KPCC

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Rhee finds her true calling at Scotts Miracle-Gro, killing many birds with one stone.

Rhee finds her true calling at Scotts Miracle-Gro, killing many birds with one stone.

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