8-22-14 Hemlock on the Rocks

Hemlock on the Rocks:

Re: Welcome to the Greatest Show on Earth—The Los Angeles Unified School District - Los Angeles Public Education | Examiner.com

  "An LAUSD report says the district's iPad program was beset by inadequate planning and flawed bidding process", from the Los Angeles Times on August 22, 2014. "Some L.A. Unified schools face packed classes, roaming students as new $20-million tracking system falters", from the Times on August 20, 2014. "Los Angeles Unified officials will have to explain how they spent $

by Rene Diedrich / 5min hide  //  save

Los Angeles Unified School District ISSUES MEMO Lamenting UTLA's Refusal to Consider Offer on Teachers' Raises

http://home.lausd.net/apps/news/show_news.jsp?REC_ID=394301&id=0 'I'm disappointed that they won't discuss the raises we want to give them."

by Rene Diedrich / 10min 

Breaking News: Internal Report Says L.A. iPad Purchase Was Poorly Planned, Deeply Flawed | Diane Ravitch's blog

http://dianeravitch.net/2014/08/22/breaking-news-internal-report-says-l-a-ipad-purchase-was-poorly-planned-deeply-flawed/

by Rene Diedrich / 41min 

Breaking News: L.A. Officials Met with Apple, Pearson a Year Before Taking Public Bids | Diane Ravitch's blog

http://dianeravitch.net/2014/08/22/breaking-news-l-a-officials-met-with-apple-pearson-a-year-before-taking-public-bids/Annie Gilbertson of KPCC in Los Angeles reports that internal emails show that district officials met and emailed Apple and Pearson a year before the bidding process for new technology and software began. "Emails obtained by KPCC show Los Angeles Unified School District

by Rene Diedrich / 57min 

LAUSD Board Member-Elect George McKenna to be Sworn into Office Tuesday By Rev. Jesse Jackson

NationBuilder MEDIA ADVISORY LAUSD BOARD MEMBER-ELECT GEORGE MCKENNA TO BE SWORN INTO OFFICE TUESDAY Oath will be administered

by Rene Diedrich / 1h 

Petition | Demand the Return of Mr. Stuart Lutz to South Gate Middle School! | Change.org

https://www.change.org/p/south-gate-parents-and-community-members-demand-the-return-of-mr-stuart-lutz-to-south-gate-middle-school#

by Rene Diedrich / 57min hide  //  save

Petition | Sign this petition to stop federal intrusion on local education. | Change.org

https://www.change.org/p/stop-common-core-state-standards-protect-our-children-from-harm-and-protect-the-us-constitution-sign-this-petition-to-stop-federal-intrusion-on-local-education rene

by Rene Diedrich / 1h 

‘The Teacher Wars,’ by Dana Goldstein - NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/24/books/review/the-teacher-wars-by-dana-goldstein.html?emc=edit_bk_20140822&nl=books&nlid=65258624&_r=0 Progress Report                                 America loves to

by Rene Diedrich / 2h 

Gender, Bullying, and Harassment: Strategies to End Sexism and Homophobia in Schools." Teache-Author Elizabeth J. Meyer

Meyers is a former high school teacher.Recently released research in California shows that many schools fail to use data to support their bullying prevention programs, and many districts have outdated policies that are useless in protecting students.Cyber Bulling Tips:- Mistake #1: Individualizing the problem. Although it may appear that bullying and harassment might only be impacting a few

by Rene Diedrich / 2h 

WE DON'T NEED NO CORPORATIONS; We Don't Need No Common Core : Hey Arne, Leave Or Schools Alone

LAUREN CAMERA AUG 20, 2014 While more people know what the Common Core State Standards are than last year, a majority of them oppose the standards, according to the 46th edition of the PDK/Gallup Poll of the Public's Attitudes Toward the Public Schools. Overall, the wide-ranging survey found, 81

by Rene Diedrich / 3min 

Badass Teachers Association : PEOPLE ABOVE PROFITS

BATs July 28, 2014 Speech By:  Dr. Yohuru Williams

by Rene Diedrich / 3min hide  //  save

FBI Tracks Charter Schools | The Progressive

There's been a flood of local news stories in recent months about FBI raids on charter schools all over the country. From Pittsburgh to Baton Rouge, from Hartford to Cincinnati to Albuquerque, FBI agents have been busting into schools, carting off documents, and making arrests leading to high-profile indictments. "The troubled Hartford charter

by Rene Diedrich / 3min 

Obama's Top Ex-Advisers Are Cashing In On Fighting Unions

Art by Robert Rendo Evan McMorris- WASHINGTON — President Obama's innovative, take-no-prisoners campaigns crafted an elite force of operatives, skilled in the political arts. Now that they're done helping Obama, however, it appears they have a new goal: weakening and defeating organized labor. On Tuesday, Obama's former top White House adviser and 2008 campaign manager David

by Rene Diedrich / 3min 

Fwd: An Interview With Dr. Yohuru Williams on Corporate Education Reform: 'We Aren't Buying It." | M. Shannon Hernandez

Teachers from across the nation stood in solidarity on July 27, 2014, using their voices to speak out about many of the issues plaguing the nation's public education system. The mood at the front entrance of the U.S. Department of Education in Washington, D.C., was one of hope at times, with teachers sharing inspiring stories of the progress they are making with

by Rene Diedrich / 3min 

State seeks schools lacking Internet capacity :: SI&A Cabinet Report :: The Essential Resource for Superintendents and the Cabinet

https://www.cabinetreport.com/program-improvement/state-seeks-schools-lacking-internet-capacity State seeks schools lacking Internet capacity August 21, 2014 by Kimberly Beltran (Calif.) State officials are looking to county

by Rene Diedrich / 7min hide  //  save

LA Unified names Ruth Perez as successor to Aquino Before the BOARD Approves Her

http://laschoolreport.com/la-unified-names-ruth-perez-as-successor-to-aquino-lausd/ LA Unified names Ruth Perez as successor to Aquino Dr. Ruth Perez Eight months after Jaime Aquino's departure as LA Unified's Deputy Superintendent of

by Rene Diedrich / 10min 

DEASY CONTINUES TO FAIL LAUSD by Ellen Lubic

Deasy continues to fail at leading LAUSD Thanks LA Times and Howard Blume, for the accurate article on LAUSD which exposes the many failures in governance.  Not only has Supt. John Deasy presided over the Billion Dollar iPad fiasco which unwisely appropriated funding from the much needed Construction Bond reserve, but as of the opening of school this week, the highly touted MiSiS computer system

by Rene Diedrich / 8min hide  //  save

LAUSD report faults iPad bidding - LA Times

http://www.latimes.com/local/education/la-me-lausd-ipads-20140822-story.html#navtype=outfit&page=1

by Rene Diedrich / 18min 

Bored of Education? Then Step Aside: An Open Letter to Tamar Galatzan

                   http://www.changethelausd.com/accountability.html An Open Letter to Tamar Galatzan: By Carl Petersen ____________________________________________ It is readily apparent to anyone who has attended a LAUSD board meeting over the last few months that you have lost your passion for the job. You fulfill the requirements for receiving your second government paycheck by physically

by Rene Diedrich / 14min 

Ruth Perez Resigns to become LAUSD Dep. Supt., Memos sent, Media Covered But the BOE will noyt Approve until Tuesday? ANNOTATED PRESS RELEASE

by Rene Diedrich / 4h hide  //  save

YESTERDAY

LAUSD's $1-billion iPad effort beset by problems, report finds - LA Times

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-ipad-bidding-20140821-story.htmlwww.hemlockontherocks.com

by Rene Diedrich / 8h 

8-21-14 Hemlock on the Rocks

Hemlock on the Rocks: An Appropriate Rumination on Tenure and Due Process By A. Scapegoat When I became a teacher,  I was kind of appalled by seniority and tenure for the reasons most are, but  came to understand why it was needed when we lost a very strong by the book leader who was scary but only if you were screwing up. And we all do because we have to be professionals who are also caregivers p

by mike simpson / 8h 

8-22-14 Curmudgucation

CURMUDGUCATION:

Vermont BOE Hammers Fed-Style Testing

With states like North Carolina and Florida doing their best to bury public education and dance on its grave, it's nice to see some states can still stand up for their schools.Earlier this week, the Vermont State Board of Education adopted a statement and resolution on assessment and accountability. It's worth a read, but let me hit the highlights for you.The Board starts by recognizing that unifo

19 by Peter Greene / 52min 

Another Solution: ESEA

There is, of course, another way out of this.The tightly wound spring that keeps Race to the Top and waivers (RttR Lite) ticking away is the ESEA. Instead of dealing with the federal mandate-ish sort-of-regulations that have made Common Core and high stakes testing and data collection the kind-of-law of the land, we could address the underlying mess.The ESEA was first passed in 1965, and periodica

21 by Peter Greene / 3h 

8-21-14 Curmudgucation

CURMUDGUCATION: More Bad Polling News For CCSSWhile we're making note of how Common Core is tanking in the Education Next and PDK/Gallup polls, let's pull out one other poll from earlier in the summer. This one also us ed the word "plummets," which has become a serious contender for leading the Common Core Headline Word Bank.Conducted and released in June of 2014, the Rasmussen Reports n

by mike simpson / 6h 

8-22-14 Perdido Street School

Perdido Street School:

Arne Duncan Says New York Is One Of Two States NOT Eligible For Testing "Flexibility"

Yesterday I posted that it seemed ironic Arne Duncan was now giving states flexibility around testing and teacher evaluations since his DOE had just threatened New York State in June that de-linking teacher evaluations from student test scores would result in New York losing nearly $300 million in Race to the Top money.Well, tonight we learn that Duncan is saying New York is one of two states that

by reality-based edu... / 38min 

Eva Moskowitz Puts Out Trial Balloon On Mayoral Run

Norm Scott at Ed Notes Online has written numerous times that Eva Moskowitz is setting up her charter empire in various neighborhoods around the city to use as a base of operations for a mayoral run.We got some evidence last night that Norm may be right:Mayor Moskowitz?In an interview last night, Eva Moskowitz, the founder of Success Academy Charter Schools and a former city councilwoman, would no

by reality-based edu... / 17min hide  //  save

NYCDOE, Mayor Bloomberg Threw Away $356 Million In Federal Repayments For Special Education Services Because Of Sloppy Accounting

Juan Gonzalez in the New York Daily News: City public schools lost $356 million during the past three years in federal Medicaid payments for special education services because city and state officials failed to properly apply for reimbursement, the Daily News has learned. “Red tape and bureaucracy should not stand in the way of (the city) being reimbursed for the vast array of services provided,”

by reality-based edu... / 1h 

8-21-14 Perdido Street School

Perdido Street School: Campaign To Drive Down Confidence In Public Schools A SuccessThe headline in the PDK/Gallup poll released yesterday was how much support Common Core has lost with both the general public and parents of children of school age.But we shouldn't lose sight of these poll findings either:The wide-ranging survey also showed that trust in the nation’s public school system has evapor

by mike simpson / 8h 

NYC Educator: The Lathe of Heaven...or Hell?

NYC Educator: The Lathe of Heaven...or Hell?:

The Lathe of Heaven...or Hell?

In Ursula Le Guin's The Lathe of Heaven, the main character, George Orr, has the power to change reality through his dreams.  A psychiatrist attempts to harness the power of his dreams to create a better world, but every attempt backfires in completely unexpected ways.

The premise of the story reminds me of the predicaments we will find ourselves in if left in the hands of some educational "reformers."  There are those with well-meaning intentions, loads of money and political pull; and then, there are others, only too happy to do most anything if there is profit to be had.

Just as the side effects of Orr's dreams create terrible nightmares, so, too, do the plans of ed. reformers, wearing thick blinders to unintended consequences.  Some abbreviated examples follow.

The federal and state promotion of Charter Schools has

1.  led to co-location, strangling and starving  NYC public schools
2.  led to the exclusion of some students with special needs from these "special" schools and the over-suspension and expulsion of others who do not make the grade.
3.  forced the City to pay charter-school rent when public schools are strapped for funds.
4.  led to Test-Prep mania to please donors with high scores.
5.  led to increased segregation.

If tenure or due process is eliminated:

1.  Teachers will be more fearful than ever to point out policies that endanger the community or threaten the legally mandated rights of students.
2.  Academic freedom will be squashed.
3.  Teachers may be run out of town by patronage-loving principals.
4.  Older teachers may face more fluffed-up charges so that cheaper, less-experienced teachers may replace them.  We have witnessed how cheap labor filled vacancies in schools while older ATRs NYC Educator: The Lathe of Heaven...or Hell?:

solidaridad: SKrashen: Opposition to the common core

solidaridad: SKrashen: Opposition to the common core:

SKrashen: Opposition to the common core

SKrashen: Opposition to the common core: Sent to the Washington Post, August 20, 2014

The Post has reported that according to a recent PDK/Gallup poll, the "Common Core educational standards are losing support nationwide" (August 19). The poll asked those opposed to the Common Core why they were opposed, giving them several possible reasons.

The options did not include the reasons many educators oppose the Common Core: There is no need for a radical change in curriculum or testing. Substantial improvement will come only when we deal with the real problem: Poverty. When researchers control for the effect of poverty, American test scores are near the top of the world. Our unspectacular overall scores are because the US has the second highest level of child poverty among all 34 economically advanced countries (now over 23%, compared to high-scoring Finland’s 5.4%). 
Poverty means poor nutrition, inadequate health care, and lack of access to books, among other things. All of these negatively impact school performance.  Instead of protecting children from the effect of poverty, the common core is investing billions in an untested curriculum and massive testing, despite research showing that increasing testing does not increase  achievement.

Stephen Krashen
Professor Emeritus
University of Southern California


original article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/common-core-educational-standards-are-losing-support-nationwide-poll-shows/2014/08/19/67b1f20c-27cb-11e4-8593-da634b334390_story.html 

We want legalization for all!

Join us on Saturday, August 23 at the Salesian Family & Youth Center to demand LEGALIZATION FOR ALL! This event will feature speakers specialized in organizing to promote migrant rights and the struggle for equality for Central Americans and self determination in the Chicana/o struggle. Event is free. Food, music, will be available! Come out to this community forum to discover the ways YOU can become part of this movement!

RSVP here: Facebook Event

Police Brutality is an Education Justice Issue | National Opportunity to Learn Campaign | Education Reform for Equity and Opportunity

Police Brutality is an Education Justice Issue | National Opportunity to Learn Campaign | Education Reform for Equity and Opportunity:

Police Brutality is an Education Justice Issue

Posted on: Thursday August 21st, 2014

This post originally appeared on the Alliance to Reclaime Our Schools (AROS) blog. The OTL Campaign is a member of AROS. 

The recent murder of Michael Brown, another unarmed Black youth, by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, has sparked anger and protests across the country.  It has led to important conversations about the criminalization of youth of color, the militarization of the police, and what we can do to end such injustices. Such tragedies are all too common in this country; a Black person is victim to an extra-judicial killing every 28 hours. The trauma that this creates in Black and Brown communities is immeasurable and felt heavily in our schools, which are starved for resources and wholly unequipped to support young people’s healing.  Ferguson schools have had to delay the beginning of the school year out of concerns for students’ safety. This exacerbates challenges for families who depend on schools to provide care and food for their children.

As parents, students and teachers, we see massive divestments in schools that serve low-income Black and Brown youth. At the same time, police forces are bolstered with technologies and equipment that cost millions of dollars and do more harm than good. Spending on the nation’s criminal justice system has increased by 127% from 1987 to 2007, while spending on higher education only went up by 21%, according to the Pew Research Center. Our schools are forced to cut nurses, counselors and teachers. Sometimes, even the neighborhood school itself is forced to closed. In Philadelphia this year, students suffered as Governor Corbett spent “nearly half a billion dollars this year on prison expansion while the School District of Philadelphia was forced to lay off over 4,000 employees at the beginning of the school year due to a budget deficit of $304 million” states the Philadelphia Student Union. 

Rather than turn to methods like restorative justice, we continue using “zero-tolerance” practices that criminalize youth of color and depend heavily on the use of police and security guards Police Brutality is an Education Justice Issue | National Opportunity to Learn Campaign | Education Reform for Equity and Opportunity:

In These Times: The Con Artistry of Charter Schools | Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!

In These Times: The Con Artistry of Charter Schools | Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!:

In These Times: The Con Artistry of Charter Schools

Filed under: Charter Schools — millerlf @ 9:05 am 

The Con Artistry of Charter Schools
Wednesday, 20 August 2014 09:15 By Ruth Conniff, In These Times

There’s been a flood of local news stories in recent months about FBI raids on charter schools all over the country.
From Pittsburgh to Baton Rouge, from Hartford to Cincinnatti to Albuquerque, FBI agents have been busting into schools, carting off documents and making arrests leading to high-profile indictments.

“The troubled Hartford charter school operator FUSE was dealt another blow Friday when FBI agents served it with subpoenas to a grand jury that is examining the group’s operations. When two Courant reporters arrived at FUSE offices on Asylum Hill on Friday morning, minutes after the FBI’s visit, they saw a woman feeding sheaves of documents into a shredder.”—The Hartford Courant, July 18, 2014

“The FBI has raided an Albuquerque school just months after the state started peering into the school’s finances. KRQE News 13 learned federal agents were there because of allegations that someone may have been taking money that was meant for the classroom at the Southwest Secondary Learning Center on Candelaria, near Morris in northwest Albuquerque … “—KRQE News 13, August 1 2014

“Wednesday evening’s FBI raid on a charter school in East Baton Rouge is the latest item in a list of scandals involving the organization that holds the charter for the Kenilworth Science and Technology School. … Pelican Educational Foundation runs the school and has ties to a family from Turkey. The school receives about $5,000,000 in local, state, and federal tax money. … the FBI raided the school six days after the agency renewed the Baton Rouge school’s charter through the year 2019.”—The Advocate, January 14, 2014

“The state of Pennsylvania is bringing in the FBI to look into accusations that a Pittsburgh charter school [Urban Pathways Charter School] misspent tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars on luxuries such as fine-dining and retreats at exclusive resorts and spas.”—CBS News November 12, 2013

“COLUMBUS, OH—A federal grand jury has indicted four people, alleging that they offered and accepted bribes and kickbacks as part of a public corruption conspiracy in their roles as managers and a consultant for Arise! Academy, a charter school in Dayton, Ohio.” —FBI Press Release, June 2014
What’s going on here?

Charter schools are such a racket, across the nation they are attracting special attention from the FBI, which is working with the Department of Education’s inspector general to look into allegations of charter-school fraud.
One target, covered in an August 12 story in The Atlantic, is the secretive Turkish cleric, Fethullah Gulen, who runs the largest charter-school chain in the United States.
The Atlantic felt compelled to note, repeatedly, that it would be xenophobic to single out the Gulen schools and their mysterious Muslim founder for lack of transparency and the misuse of public funds.
“It isn’t the Gulen movement that makes Gulen charters so secretive,” writes The Atlantic’s Scott Beauchamp, “it’s the charter movement itself.”
Kristen Buras, associate professor of education policies at Georgia State University, agrees.
“Originally, charter schools were conceived as a way to improve public education,” Buras says. “Over time, however, the charter school movement In These Times: The Con Artistry of Charter Schools | Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!: