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Wednesday, August 13, 2014

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 8-13-14

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit:






Judge Tells California To Teach All English Learners
By BRIAN MELLEY, Associated Press |  San Jose Mercury News http://bit.ly/Vl1OW6 Posted:   08/13/2014 08:51:01 AM   LOS ANGELES -- California was ordered to educate all children who don't speak English after reports revealed a quarter of its school districts fail to meet that requirement, which is mandated by both the federal government and California itself. Judge James Chalfant said it is
by smf / 50min 
MICHELLE RHEE STEPPING DOWN AS HEAD OF StudentsFirst
By Ryan Lillis | City Beat - The Sacramento Bee http://bit.ly/1q9bYkF Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2014 - 4:12 pm/updated: Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2014 - 4:23 pm  :: Michelle Rhee, the prominent and controversial education figure who is the wife of [Sacramento] Mayor Kevin Johnson, revealed in a statement to The Sacramento Bee on Wednesday that she is stepping down from her post as chief executive of
by smf / 1h 
“Blended” or ‘Traditional” …would you like Calculus with that?: DISTRICTS SPLIT ON HIGH SCHOOL MATH CHOICES/NEW TWIST ON OLD DEBATE ON ACCELERATED MATH
Districts split on high school math choices By John Fensterwald | EdSource http://bit.ly/1sWNO1C Credit: John Fensterwald/EdSource Today | Mt. Pleasant High math teacher Catherine Duhring reviews an exercise on equations with incoming 9th graders Christian Oseguera, left, and Pedro Vazquez during a 5-week summer introduction to the
by smf / 1h hide  //  save
School Leaders Oppose Brown’S Rainy Day Measure
by Kimberly Beltran | SI&A Cabinet Report :: The Essential Resource for Superintendents and the Cabinet http://bit.ly/1rsSQAh August 13, 2014  ::  (Calif.) A coalition of some of the state’s most influential education groups is rallying opposition to a Constitutional amendment placed on the November ballot by the Legislature that would require the state to reconstruct a rainy day fund for use
2 by smf / 1h 
THE A.P. COURSE & TESTING DISCUSSION CONTINUES: a critical OP-Ed + 2 stories
The Advanced Placement numbers racket: there's too much to teach in too little time, a former LAUSD teacher argues By Brian Gibbs, Op-Ed in the LA Times | http://lat.ms/1ovAxg8 Students at El Rancho High School in Pico Rivera are seen taking a mid-term AP U.S. Government test. (Los Angeles Times) Aug 12, 2014 | 5:32PM  ::  When The Times reported that the number of Advanced Placement
3 by smf / 2h 

L.A.’S SCHOOL CROSSING-GUARD CUTBACKS DRAW CRITICISM: LAUSD elementary schools requested crossing guards at 510 intersections this year, but only 331 were deployed
By Laura J. Nelson | LA Times | http://lat.ms/1sUVzmV Doris Weston, who supervises crossing guards after serving as one for years, speaks at a news conference protesting budget cuts that have reduced the number of crossing guards at intersections near schools in L.A. (Anne Cusack, Los Angeles Times)   “It's more than just seeing them into the schoolyard. You're their
by smf / 3min 
THE MiSiS MESS: 6 stories “…Without a hitch/…a few glitches/…a disaster!” + smf'’s 2¢
selected from LAUSD in the News/LAUSD e-mail Daily News Clips Update- Wednesday August 13, 2014 When new LAUSD computer system falters, Van Nuys High School goes back to paper 08/12/14, 11:59 AM Working around My Integrated Student Information System (MiSiS), Los Angeles Unified’s newly implemented computer system, counselors at Van Nuys High went old school, reverting to paper forms to
by smf / 33min 

McKENNA WINS KEY L.A. SCHOOL BOARD SEAT, ACCORDING TO UNOFFICIAL RESULTS + other coverage
By Howard Blume, L.A. Times | http://lat.ms/1usawRo L.A. school board candidate George McKenna makes a New Orleans-style entrance to an election night party in the Crenshaw District. (Luis Sinco, Los Angeles Times)   Aug 13, 2014 | 12:15 AM  ::  Veteran school administrator George McKenna won his bid for a key seat on the Los Angeles Board of Education besting political newcomer Alex
by smf / 3min 

IT’S McKENNA BY 7% …with an 8¼% turnout – and 2:1 vote-by-mail 

by smf / 8min 


4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 8-12-14
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: ACCUSE, TWEET, DELETE: Johnson campaign accuses McKenna of buying Jesse Jackson’s endorsementmuck from the Twitterverse   Thomas Himes ‏@LADailyThomas                       @JohnsonCampaign deletes tweet accusing @RevJJackson of taking money to endorse @ElectMcKenna in race for #LAUSD:by smf / 12min 4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 8-11-144LA
by mike simpson / 7h 
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8-13-14 Ed Notes Online Week

Ed Notes Online:







The Case for Tenure: South Bronx School Tells His Story

There are so many personal stories out there about teachers under assault, while principals get off scot free no matter what they do. Peter Zucker tells his story.http://www.southbronxschool.com/2014/08/my-own-story-why-teachers-so.html One of the Campbell Brown parents has a kid at PS 106 in Rockaway where the principal, Marcella Sills, was exposed on many grounds and is not in the rubber room (n
by ed notes online / 1h 




8-11-14 Ed Notes Online Week
Ed Notes Online: Common Core: Gary Stern on Manipulating Test Outcomes Through Cut ScoresMaria Baldassarre Hopkins hit the nail on the head: "There are ways to make the numbers do what you want them to do." There was nothing democratic about the way the Common Core was written and forced on the schools. This story will get uglier and uglier as corporate politicos use their manipulated me
by mike simpson / 8h 
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8-13-14 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.:






TMD. Time-shares.
4 by Fred Klonsky / 1h 





Breaking. Support striking Galesburg, Illinois teachers.
- For immediate release.  
3 by Fred Klonsky / 1h 





Breaking. The dirt in Karen Lewis’ closet.
Anne said to me, “One advantage that Karen Lewis has over Rahm is that there are no skeletons in her closet. No back room deals in Springfield or La Salle Street. I mean she was a chemistry teacher at Lane Tech and a local union president. Clean as a whistle.” “Ha,” I laughed. “They’re all crooked. You watch. Something will come out.“ And this morning, the intrepid investigative team at the Chicag
by Fred Klonsky / 5min 


TMD. Quinn runs against public employees.
by Fred Klonsky / 1h hide  //  save
James Keating and Betty Deitz. Debts and regrets.
- This article by retired teacher James Keating and Betty Deitz also appears in the West Lake Shore Illinois Retired Teachers Association August newsletter. The state is in debt and our state leaders have declared a financial emergency. To solve this debt problem they want the state’s financial debt burden to fall upon us and are asking the courts to give them the constitutional right to do so. T
by Fred Klonsky / 2h 
Why you should care about Hinsdale. Part two.
If you regularly read this blog you know about what is going on in Hinsdale, District 86.  HInsdale is a comfortable Chicago suburban town with a high school district that has always had a good reputation as a place to teach and send your children. Then in the last election, a small turnout of voters led to the election of some radical anti-union board members which gave them a majority of seats
by Fred Klonsky / 3h 


8-12-14 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.: Carpe diem.. My Facebook and Twitter pages are full of comments about the suicide of Robin Williams. It’s not surprising. He was a big star, a celebrity, who has spanned several generations of TV watchers and movie goers. In 1989 I was still a new teacher. It was four years after A Nation at Risk repo
by mike simpson / 8h 


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8-13-14 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):





Johnson offers McKenna congratulations for his victory
Johnson offers McKenna congratulations for his victory The morning after his defeat to George McKenna by seven points in the race for a seat on the LA Unified School Board of Education, Alex Johnson congratulated his opponent and said, “I wish him well as he prepares to assume his new responsibilities.” He added, “I’m proud of my campaign for school board and equally proud of the broad and diverse
by Vanessa Romo / 2min hide  //  save
McKenna victory gives appearance of a pro-teacher union board
McKenna victory gives appearance of a pro-teacher union board George McKenna *UPDATED George McKenna’s victory over Alex Johnson last night would appear to return control of the seven member LA Unified school board to teachers union-backed members. McKenna’s win shifts the balance of the board to a majority owing their seats, in large part, to financial support by UTLA and its ability to mobilize
by Vanessa Romo / 2min 

The big losers last night? Independent groups for Johnson
The big losers last night? Independent groups for Johnson Fun with numbers: By the LA City Clerk’s unofficial results from last night, George McKenna won with 14,940 votes to 13,153 for Alex Johnson. That translates to $6.79 the McKenna campaign spent for each vote, $101,479 overall, compared with $10.22 that the Johnson campaign paid for each vote, $134,470 overall. Among the independent groups w
11min 



Morning Read: Coalition opposes Brown’s rainy day measure
Morning Read: Coalition opposes Brown’s rainy day measure School leaders oppose Brown’s rainy day measure A coalition of some of the state’s most influential education groups is rallying opposition to a Constitutional amendment placed on the November ballot by the Legislature that would require the state to reconstruct a rainy day fund for use in lean budget years. S&I Cabinet Report Californ
2 18min 

School board election results: McKenna wins despite gains by Johnson
School board election results: McKenna wins despite gains by Johnson Amid a deep split in the black community in south Los Angeles, retired administrator George Mckenna won a seat on the LA Unified school board, fighting back substantial gains made by Alex Johnson a young education aide to County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, in a special election runoff yesterday. Marked by voter low-turnout, th
by Jamie Alter Lynto... / 14min 

Breaking News: McKenna wins election to LAUSD board
Breaking News: McKenna wins election to LAUSD board George McKenna George McKenna, a lifelong educator as a teacher, principal, superintendent and administrator, won the runoff election tonight, defeating Alex Johnson to claim the District 1 seat on the LA Unified school board. As the leading vote-getter in the June primary, McKenna, 74, campaigned on his decades of service and with all 324 precin
32 7h 


8-12-14 This Week in 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): George McKenna for LAUSD School Board District 1Home | George McKenna for LAUSD School Board District 1: LA County Democratic Party Endorses George McKenna For LAUSD District 1JULY 09, 2014The campaign of retired superintendent and decorated educator George McKenna for the vacant LAUSD District 1 school b
by mike simpson / 6h 
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Can StudentsFirst survive without Michelle Rhee at the helm? | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com

Can StudentsFirst survive without Michelle Rhee at the helm? | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com:



Can StudentsFirst survive without Michelle Rhee at the helm?  


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Jason Getz jgetz@ajc.com
HELP FOR GEORGIA SCHOOLS?--Former DC chancellor and education reformer Michelle Rhee talks with a legislator after she spoke to the House Education Committee in the Appropriations Committee Room at the Georgia State Capitol Thursday afternoon in Atlanta, Ga., Feb. 10, 2011.

Previous Posts

By Maureen Downey
Former DC Chancellor Michelle Rhee will reportedly leave the top spot of the education reform advocacy group StudentsFirst, throwing into question the future of the 4-year-old organization she founded to transform American schools.
Her departure from the CEO role poses a challenge for StudentsFirst as Rhee was the focal point, a lightning rod for both controversy and fundraising. The organization has already pulled out of Florida, Iowa, Indiana, Maine, and Minnesota. It remains active in Georgia where it's led by Bradford Swann. I have asked Georgia StudentsFirst for an update on its viability and will share when I get it.
As an ex StudentsFirst staffer told Huffington Post: "In practice, this has always been about Michelle. I'm not claiming that she's egomaniacal, but the power of this movement has been that this is a Democratic teacher of color, and so the ability of the traditionalists to write all this off as billionaire white male Republicans was very, very hard to do when Michelle had the profile that she did."
Writing in his popular education blog a year ago, Stanford professor emeritus Larry Cuban cautioned the future of StudentsFirst depended on the staying power of Rhee: “Compared with the efforts of the deep-pocketed Koch brothers in influencing state legislatures through the American Legislative Exchange Commission (ALEC), or the well-funded Democrats for Education Reform (DFER), Rhee’s organization is minor league in political acumen,  expertise, and experience in political advocacy. Nor does StudentsFirst have any bench strength; it is all Michelle. If  she leaves the organization out of fatigue or pique, no more StudentsFirst. Moreover, such political work to be effective is back-channel and under the media radar. Such work is not Michelle Rhee, considering her few years in Washington, D.C. and since.”
In June, the Minneapolis Star Tribune  reported StudentsFirst had shut down its Minnesota office. Denise Specht, president of Education Minnesota, told the Star Tribune: “National Can StudentsFirst survive without Michelle Rhee at the helm? | Get Schooled | www.ajc.com:
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8-13-14 Answer Sheet

Answer Sheet:






Michelle Rhee reported to be stepping down as StudentsFirst chief
Michelle Rhee has been the most visible star in the nation’s galaxy of school reformers since she became D.C. schools chancellor in 2007, abruptly quit in 2010, and started an advocacy organization called StudentsFirst in 2011. Now, it is being reported that she will step down soon from her role as head of StudentsFirst at a […]
2 by Valerie Strauss / 23min 

Campbell Brown responds to critics (including me)
I have recently published several posts about a new effort led by former CNN journalist Campbell Brown to eliminate or restrict teacher and other job protections for teachers. (You can see them here, here, here and here.) Brown has appeared on numerous television shows recently arguing that legal job protections for teachers have a negative […]
48 by Valerie Strauss / 5h   
8-12-14 Answer Sheet
Answer Sheet: Kids can have depression, too, even toddlers. Here’s how to tell.The death of Robin Williams, who was reported to be suffering from severe depression and is believed to have committed suicide, brings into stark relief the very serious but too-often-ignored issue of depression in people of all ages, including teenage students and toddlers. Childhood depression is characterized this wa
by mike simpson / 5h 
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