EdNext’s Paul Peterson: Common Core Got the Bum Rap– Just Like Poor NCLB Did | deutsch29

EdNext’s Paul Peterson: Common Core Got the Bum Rap– Just Like Poor NCLB Did | deutsch29:

EdNext’s Paul Peterson: Common Core Got the Bum Rap– Just Like Poor NCLB Did

August 25, 2014

Education Next is a journal that strongly promotes the privatization of public education based upon standardized-test-driven outcomes. The folks at EdNext really love charters and vouchers that drain *authentic* public schools of their funding all the while escaping the “accountability” so-called “reform” demands of those flunky, traditional public schools.

The EdNext editor-in-chief is Paul Peterson. He happens to be fond of charters, vouchers, and parent trigger laws.

In April 2014, Peterson and two others published a book entitled Teachers Versus the Public. That ought to tell you something about Peterson’s opinion of career classroom teachers.

Education destruction vixen-gone- manure handler Michelle Rhee endorsed Peterson’s book.

Enough said.

Ironically, it seems that the “public” has spoken: Peterson’s book is a dud.

That doesn’t mean he is finished pushing his privatizating, “blame the traditional teachers” message via his EdNext survey, which was begun in 2007– the year that George W. Bush’s “100 percent proficiency in reading and math by 2014″ No Child Left Behind (NCLB) was floundering in its reauthorization, a loaded issue that had run right smack into an election year.

That’s right: For the past eight years, EdNext has been administering its own public opinion survey on education issues that tend to originate with so-called “think tanks,” education-affiliated nonprofits, and the federal government– not with parents or teachers, and not from local communities.

Now, EdNext loves vouchers, charters, triggers, and grading teachers and schools using student standardized test scores. However, when it comes to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), the EdNext board runs the gamut, ranging from strong supporters, to the lukewarm, to those decidedly opposed.

EdNext editor-in-chief Peterson happens to be one who is fond of CCSS.

Since the 2014 version of the EdNext survey was published, Peterson has begun EdNext’s Paul Peterson: Common Core Got the Bum Rap– Just Like Poor NCLB Did | deutsch29:

Shanker Blog » A Quick Look At The ASA Statement On Value-Added

Shanker Blog » A Quick Look At The ASA Statement On Value-Added:

A Quick Look At The ASA Statement On Value-Added

Posted by Matthew Di Carlo on August 26, 2014

Several months ago, the American Statistical Association (ASA) released a statement on the use of value-added models in education policy. I’m a little late getting to this (and might be repeating points that others made at the time), but I wanted to comment on the statement, not only because I think it’s useful to have ASA add their perspective to the debate on this issue, but also because their statement seems to have become one of the staple citations for those who oppose the use of these models in teacher evaluations and other policies.

Some of these folks claimed that the ASA supported their viewpoint – i.e., that value-added models should play no role in accountability policy. I don’t agree with this interpretation. To be sure, the ASA authors described the limitations of these estimates, and urged caution, but I think that the statement rather explicitly reaches a more nuanced conclusion: That value-added estimates might play a useful role in education policy, as one among several measures used in formal accountability systems, but this must be done carefully and appropriately.*

Much of the statement puts forth the standard, albeit important, points about value-added (e.g., moderate stability between years/models, potential for bias, etc.). But there are, from my reading, three important takeaways that bear on the public debate about the use of these measures, which are not always so widely acknowledged.

First, the authors state: “Estimates from VAMs should always be accompanied by measures of precision and a discussion of the assumptions and possible limitations of the model.” The imprecision of value-added estimates gets a great deal of attention (not all of it well-informed), but, while there are exceptions, many states/districts haven’t made much of an effort to report or discuss candidly this imprecision (or, even better, what can be done about it).

Moreover, states’ and districts’ discussion of even the most basic assumptions and issues hasn’t always been particularly robust, and has in some cases become highly politicized, with officials (again, with exceptions) downplaying the concerns. In Florida, for instance, some value-added supporters (including state officials) have claimed that because the estimates from the state’s model are not associated strongly with subsidized lunch eligibility, this means that factors associated with poverty don’t influence individual teachers’ scores. This is a painfully oversimplified conclusion (the reality is far more nuanced).

It could be that states and districts are hesitant to lay it all out because these models are already controversial, and any statements in which states/districts are blunt about their limitations, or about addressing imprecision, would Shanker Blog » A Quick Look At The ASA Statement On Value-Added:

Viewpoints: The cost of abusive lawsuits is taking a big bite out of California’s classrooms - Viewpoints - The Sacramento Bee

Viewpoints: The cost of abusive lawsuits is taking a big bite out of California’s classrooms - Viewpoints - The Sacramento Bee:

Viewpoints: The cost of abusive lawsuits is taking a big bite out of California’s classrooms

By Craig De Luz
Special to The Bee

Published: Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2014 - 12:00 am

Although not the largest city in California, Sacramento is home to two of the state’s largest school districts. More than 100,000 kids combined are in Elk Grove Unified and Sacramento City Unified. But with this large size comes an even larger number – the costs of lawsuits.

School districts in Sacramento are facing some of the biggest budget challenges, but always have to take into account the cost of litigation. No school board meeting or school funding conversation happens without litigation costs in the background. When budgets get slashed, this is always the line item that cannot be changed.

As a school board member, I know that there will always be legitimate lawsuits involving school districts, so some litigation costs should be expected every year.

However, dishonest attorneys and litigants view school district budgets as an unlimited fund and file abusive lawsuits seeking a quick payday. California’s civil justice system allows plaintiffs and their attorneys to drag out lawsuits, increasing the probability that districts will choose to settle, providing a taxpayer-funded payout to those who abuse the law for their personal profit. As a result, school districts are struggling to cover their litigation costs while trying to provide the best environment for students.

California Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse released a report Monday shedding light on this issue, and the results were astounding.

The report found that from 2010-11 through 2012-13, 12 districts spent more than $125 million on litigation combined, including $96 million on outside counsel and $29.4 million on verdicts and settlements.

For example, in 2010, Elk Grove Unified was on the state’s fiscal early warning list for the second year in a row, putting it one step away from a state takeover. That year, the district spent more than $1.5 million on verdicts, settlement and outside counsel. One of the cuts that the district was forced to make was eliminating librarians, saving $1.1 million. Wouldn’t the district have been better off if it could have used the $1.5 million spent on litigation to keep its librarians?

Twin Rivers Unified School District is still facing an exorbitant amount of legal fees. As of AugustViewpoints: The cost of abusive lawsuits is taking a big bite out of California’s classrooms - Viewpoints - The Sacramento Bee:

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2014/08/26/6653466/viewpoints-the-cost-of-abusive.html#storylink=cpy

Eugene Robinson reflects on Michael Brown & related by teacherken

Eugene Robinson reflects on Michael Brown & related:

Eugene Robinson reflects on Michael Brown & related

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To be young, male and black in America means not being allowed to make mistakes. Forgetting this, as we’ve seen so many times, can be fatal.

So begins When youthful mistakes turn deadly, a powerful column in the Washington Postthat went on line last evening.

Michael Brown made at least one mistake - walking in the middle of the road.   That he controlled.  But of course that is not a capital offense.

It is well-written piece which you should read, although I would quibble with Robinson that Brown "took" the cigars since (a) we now have the full video, and know that when he realized he did not have enough to pay for all only took those he paid for; (b) the lawyer for the store has said that no one from the store called the police to notify them of the incident; and, most importantly, (c) even the Ferguson police chief has now acknowledged that Officer Wilson had no knowledge of the incident when he shot Brown.

Here is another brief example of Robinson's cogent writing:  

When Officer Darren Wilson stopped him, did Brown respond with puffed-up attitude? For a young black man, that

When I was growing up in the 50s. at the time of the beginnings of the Civil Rights era, a period extending far longer than it should have been necessary, the term used was not "puffed-up attitude" but "uppity" mean that "N***er" did not "know his place" and the result could often be fatal - ask Emmett Till.

I have few more excerpts to offer and a few more observations of my own to share.  If you  

If you are concerned about poverty

If you are concerned about poverty: If you are concerned about povertybyteacherkenFollow    1 Comments / 1 NewI strongly suggest you read this blog post by my professional colleague Mike Rose of UCLA written in tribute to his co-author and colleague Mike Katz, who just passed away.Some of you may remember Public Education Under Siege, my review of the book of that title produced by the two Mikes,

by mike simpson / 12h 

Updated: LA schools cancel iPad contracts after KPCC publishes internal emails | 89.3 KPCC

Updated: LA schools cancel iPad contracts after KPCC publishes internal emails | 89.3 KPCC:



Updated: LA schools cancel iPad contracts after KPCC publishes internal emails

 Three days after KPCC published internal emails showing top L.A. Unified officials and executives from Pearson and Apple met and discussed bringing tablet-driven education software to the classroom, the school district announced Monday it will cancel the contract with Apple and Pearson and open its one-to-one technology project to new bids.



RELATED: LA schools iPad project: How it started ... before the bidding began



Superintendent John Deasy alerted school board members to the change to the Common Core Technology Project in a memo distributed Monday evening and obtained by KPCC. (You can read his full memo, embedded below.)



"Not only will this decision enable us to take advantage of an ever-changing marketplace and technology advances, it will also give us time to take into account concerns raised surrounding the [Common Core Technology Project] and receive new information from the California Department of Education regarding assessments," Deasy wrote.



KPCC's investigation found Deasy and his deputies communicated with Pearson employees over pricing, teacher training and technical support - specifications that later resembled the district's request for proposals from vendors. Pearson and Apple emerged as the winning bidders and were awarded the now-abandoned contract in June 2013.



"Specifically, we will be re-visiting the criteria on which original specifications were based, as well as review vendor responses and student feedback to the laptop pilot," Deasy wrote. "We expect our current contractor and their subcontractor to participate in the upcoming RFP."



It's unclear how the decision will affect the 75,000 iPads the district has already purchased - about half of which were loaded with Pearson's unfinished software. Pearson is not required to finish the software until November.



L.A. Unified’s technology project is poised to be the largest school expansion in the country, equipping 650,000 students with computers and upgrading wifi networks at the district’s 800 schools. The project is expected to cost $1.3 billion.



“I believe the majority of the board is supportive of the concept, but not the contract,” school board member Steve Zimmer told KPCC after Deasy's announcement.



Dozens of emails obtained by KPCC through a public records request show Deasy Updated: LA schools cancel iPad contracts after KPCC publishes internal emails | 89.3 KPCC:

NYC Educator: Would You Like to Drink at the Bar?

NYC Educator: Would You Like to Drink at the Bar?:

Would You Like to Drink at the Bar?

Would you like to drink at the bar?
Stay in the Hilton instead of your car,
And be better off than you are,
Or should I punch you in the face?

A punch in the face will shut your festering craw,
It might bust your nose or break your jaw,
The dues you're paying are what you're here for,
So shut your gob and love the Common Core,
Cause if your don't get in line and know your place,
I'm gonna punch you in the face.

Or would you like to drink at the bar?
Stay in the Hilton instead of your car,
And be better off than you are,
Or would you rather be a drone?

A drone is a teacher who does classes each day,
He just doesn't know another way,
He doesn't like to see the kids all fail,
So he stands up instead of eating quail,
So if you're outraged and shout and bitch and moan,
Well then you just might be a drone.

Or would you like to drink at the bar?
Stay in the Hilton instead of your car,
And be better off than you are,
Or would you rather be in MORE?

A MORE is a teacher who speaks out every day,
She might be a pinko so they say,
She thinks that voting should be fair and free,
She won't sign a simple oath of loyalty,
And if you think lavish trips are just a bore,
Well then you just might be in MORE.

Or would you like to drink at the bar?NYC Educator: Would You Like to Drink at the Bar?:

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Duncan's unsolicited confession: He's choking education.

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Duncan's unsolicited confession: He's choking education.:

Duncan's unsolicited confession: He's choking education.

EPIPHANY...Arne Duncan has been talking with lots of teachers, principals and other educators, he claims, and has had an aha! moment. In his blog post, he offers this unsolicited confession:

"I believe testing issues today are sucking the oxygen out of the room in a lot of schools – oxygen that is needed for a healthy transition to higher standards, improved systems for data, better aligned assessments, teacher professional development, evaluation and support, and more."

Duncan, the biggest oxygen sucker of them all, then allows a one-year reprieve on test-based teacher ratings. Thank you, Lord Duncan. I'm sure a year from now, the oxygen will be back.



What Duncan refuses to recognize is that his Race To The Top/Common Core testing regimen is also sucking wind when it comes to equity in the schools. Even with a one-year reprieve on federal test-based teacher ratings (will school districts follow suit?), dramatic cuts in funding will still leave poor, inner-city schools and districts at a disadvantage. Take Philadelphia, for example.With an $81 million Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Duncan's unsolicited confession: He's choking education.:

The big fail of Common Core Standards | Seattle Education

The big fail of Common Core Standards | Seattle Education:

The big fail of Common Core Standards

In the state of Washington, the math standards have been lowered by accepting the Common Core Standards. Before the state legislature even knew what the new standards would be, the legislators in their divine knowledge, accepted Race to the Top money not knowing all of the ramifications. This happened around the country.

Peter Greene lays out the reasons for the big fail of the Common Core Standards in his post:

Why Did the Core Have a Bad Year?

Support for the Core among teachers dropped like a stone, from 76% in 2013 to 46% in 2014. That’s a lot of love lost. Now, as we move from the “Holy schneikies!” phase into the “Got some splainin’ to do” phase, we’ll start to ask the big question.

Why?

Over at The Fordham, Mike Petrilli hopes he knows why– Note the phrase, “they will be used to hold public schools accountable for their performance.” Perhaps these words triggered the more negative response. I think Petrilli is hoping in vain. I think there’s a much more likely explanation for CCSS’s bad year among teachers.

Let’s think back to May of 2013. Personally, I’m a fine example of what teachers were like at that point. I didn’t know a lot about the Core, and what I did know didn’t sound all that bad. As far as I’d heard, a bunch of important people had called together a bunch of teachers to write some standards that could be used across the country to bring a little coherence to the higgledy-piggledy crazy-quilt that is US education. I’m not really a fan of national standards, but as long as they came from educational experts and were The big fail of Common Core Standards | Seattle Education:

Bill Gates funded the Seattle Times “Education Lab”

When I first found out about Seattle Times’ Education Lab I knew it would be nothing more than a mouthpiece for Bill Gates and his shills. What I didn’t know was that Mr. Bill put his bucks in to make sure Seattle Lab would happen. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised and yet his hubris […]

18 by seattleducation20... / 8h 

8-25-14 Wag The Dog - Critical Thinking vs. Creative Thinking

WagTheDog | Everyone has been made for some particular work, and the desire for that work has been put in every heart. ~ Rumi:

Critical Thinking vs. Creative Thinking

The Common Core demands students think critically while staying connected and diving into text, yet employers desire workers who can think creatively, connect with people, and dive into their work. David Coleman has made it clear that students are expected to read like a detective while most employers expect students to read with perspective. There is a significant difference between critical thi

by getwhatugive / 30min 

8-23-14 Wag The Dog Week

WagTheDog | Everyone has been made for some particular work, and the desire for that work has been put in every heart. ~ Rumi: Wag The Dog WeekCommon Cure: Growing Pains or Growing Awareness?Media reports have focused on a recent survey indicating a sharp decline in support for the Common Core among teachers. These reports have also included a variety of explanations and theories as to why this de

by mike simpson / 5h 

Publishing giant Pearson says LA school officials emails part of pilot project | 89.3 KPCC

Publishing giant Pearson says LA school officials emails part of pilot project | 89.3 KPCC:



Publishing giant Pearson says LA school officials emails part of pilot project

 Pearson broke its weekend silence Monday and responded to emails obtained by KPCC showing LA Unified and Pearson officials discussing a software purchase ahead of a public bid for the district's massive technology program.

Pearson, the makers of an iPad learning software called "Common Core System of Courses", supported statements reportedly made by Superintendent John Deasy over the weekend claiming the email discussions were limited to a small pilot program. (Deasy has not returned repeated calls by KPCC.)

"Throughout the R&D process, Pearson works closely with subject matter experts, educators, and students from diverse communities," Pearson spokesman Brandon Pinette wrote in a statement. "During the early development of the System of Courses, six schools participated in pilot studies of the curriculum, 2 in Los Angeles, and 4 in Texas."

Pinette said a total of eight classrooms were involved in L.A. Unified's pilot: four at Mulhollland Middle School and four at Plummer Elementary.

However,  May 24, Deasy, his deputy Jaime Aquino and Pearson sales representative Judy Codding discussed the sale of 25 courses - about two courses for every grade level, not just elementary and middle school.

"I cannot imagine any one else able to do this as cheaply with all the PD [professional development] and all the materials for 25 courses for the price we discussed," Codding wrote.

Aquino questioned whether the district could afford to pay 2,000 teachers for the training schedule proposed by Pearson - many more than the eight teachers that would be involved in a pilot the size Pinette said Monday they were discussing.Publishing giant Pearson says LA school officials emails part of pilot project | 89.3 KPCC:

UTLA calls for investigation of Deasy's ties to Apple, Pearson execs - LA Times

UTLA calls for investigation of Deasy's ties to Apple, Pearson execs - LA Times:



UTLA calls for investigation of Deasy's ties to Apple, Pearson execs

Los Angeles teachers union president Alex Caputo-Pearl on Monday called on the L.A. Board of Education to launch an investigation into Supt. John Deasy’s relationship with executives from companies that won key contracts related to the $1-billion effort to provide a computer to every student.



The Times reported Monday that Deasy and his chief deputy at the time, Jaime Aquino, appear to have been discussing the school system’s effort to supply students computers equipped with online curriculum with executives from tech giant Apple Inc. and education publisher Pearson at least two years before a bidding process was concluded and the contracts were approved, records show.

The collaboration between the officials and the executives support findings from an internal school district report, which found that officials' actions could have created an impression of unfairness in the bidding process.



Educators -- including United Teachers Los Angeles -- are troubled that Deasy is putting more power into the hands of private entities and less into the hands of parents and the public.



"The possible illegalities involved, the possible collusion with private corporations  -- it seems to be continuing a pattern of autocratic decision-making on the part of John Deasy,” Caputo-Pearl said. “We need to get to the bottom of this.”





The superintendent has said that there was nothing improper about the bidding UTLA calls for investigation of Deasy's ties to Apple, Pearson execs - LA Times:

To Keep Poor Kids in School, Provide Social Services - NYTimes.com

To Keep Poor Kids in School, Provide Social Services - NYTimes.com:

How to Get Kids to Class

To Keep Poor Kids in School, Provide Social Services

Eleanor Taylor

ARLINGTON, Va. — FOR the 16 million American children living below the federal poverty line, the start of a new school year should be reason to celebrate. Summer is no vacation when your parents are working multiple jobs or looking for one. Many kids are left to fend for themselves in neighborhoods full of gangs, drugs and despair. Given the hardships at home, poor kids might be expected to have the best attendance records, if only for the promise of a hot meal and an orderly classroom.

But it doesn’t usually work out that way. According to the education researchers Robert Balfanz and Vaughan Byrnes at Johns Hopkins, children living in poverty are by far the most likely to be chronically absent from school (which is generally defined as missing at least 10 percent of class days each year).

Amazingly, the federal government does not track absenteeism, but the state numbers are alarming. In Maryland, for example, 31 percent of high school students eligible for the federal lunch program had been chronically absent; for students above the income threshold, the figure was 12 percent.

Thanks to groundbreaking research compiled by Hedy Nai-Lin Chang, the director at Attendance Works, we have ample proof that everything else being equal, chronically absent students have lower G.P.A.s, lower test scores and lower graduation rates than their peers who attend class regularly.

The pattern often starts early. Last year in New Mexico, a third-grade teacher contacted the local affiliate of Communities in Schools, the national organization that I run, for help with a student who had 25 absences in just the first semester. After several home visits, we found that 10 people were living in her two-bedroom apartment, including the student’s mother, who had untreated mental health issues. The little girl often got lost in the shuffle, with no clean clothes to wear and no one to track her progress. Nor was there anything like a quiet place to do homework.

Embarrassment and peer pressure turned out to be the most immediate problem. By buying new clothes to replace the girl’s smelly old ones, we were able to help her fit in and get her to school more often. We found additional community resources for both the third grader and her family, including a To Keep Poor Kids in School, Provide Social Services - NYTimes.com:

8-25-14 @ The Chalk Face

@ THE CHALK FACE:

About the radio show

Join Drs. Shaun Johnson and Tim Slekar 

LIVE Sundays at 6PM EST and Wednesdays at 7PM EST 

on Blog Talk Radio for progressive, pro-public education talk radio. 

Call in to speak live with Tim and Shaun during the show, (805) 727-7111. 

You can also listen to our Monday "Sunday-Replay" at 7PM EST, and re-broadcasts of the archives every Tuesday and Thursday at 7PM EST.

Visit the @ the Chalk Face radio main page for more information on the show and syndication.

1 down, 179 to go!

Inasmuch as we have so much to resist, there’s still much to feel good about. And much to feel terrified of as well. I’m still nervous. Happy First Day!Filed under: SHAUN JOHNSON, PHD: Musings from the Chalk Face Tagged: first day, kindergarten, school

6 by Shaun Johnson / 36min

8-24-14 @ The Chalk Face

@ THE CHALK FACE: About the radio showJoin Drs. Shaun Johnson and Tim Slekar LIVE Sundays at 6PM EST and Wednesdays at 7PM EST on Blog Talk Radio for progressive, pro-public education talk radio. Call in to speak live with Tim and Shaun during the show, (805) 727-7111. You can also listen to our Monday "Sunday-Replay" at 7PM EST, and re-broadcasts of the archives every Tuesday and Thursd

by mike simpson / 8h 

UPDATE: If you are concerned about poverty + America is Not for Black People

If you are concerned about poverty:

If you are concerned about poverty

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America is Not for Black People

is the title of this post Consider this: Part of the reason we're seeing so many black men killed is that police officers are now best understood less as members of communities, dedicated to keeping peace within them, than as domestic soldiers. The drug war has long functioned as a full-employment act for arms dealers looking to sell every town and village in the country on the need for military-g

by rss@dailykos.com ... / 37min

I strongly suggest you read this blog post by my professional colleague Mike Rose of UCLA written in tribute to his co-author and colleague Mike Katz, who just passed away.

Some of you may remember Public Education Under Siege, my review of the book of that title produced by the two Mikes, which I posted last December.  There is a new paperback edition of that book out.

From Mike Rose's blog let me offer this:  

My friend Michael Katz died this weekend. Michael wrote brilliantly about the history of cities, of poverty, and of education. His books are meticulously researched and argued; they sharpen, and often change, the way you think. Among my favorites are: The Irony of Early School Reform,The Shadow of the Poorhouse, The Undeserving Poor, The Price of Citizenship, One Nation Divisible (with Mark Stern), and there are others, all wonderful.

            He helped me immeasurably over the last twenty years with my work. Immeasurably. And a few years back, we got to collaborate, editing a series of essays on school reform. As I’m sure his many students would verify, Michael’s feedback was something. He was tough-minded and didn’t hold back, though he provided the hard news in a way that made your writing better. And when you got praise—and he was generous with praise—well, you could take it to the bank, for Michael was not a bullshitter. I will always remember and celebrate his intellectual integrity. I am going to miss him very much.

Mike Rose then links to an earlier post of his about one of those books.

I think if you read you will be drawn enough to want to read more of the work of Michael Katz.

peace.

PARCC CEO ADMITS GOAL OF TEST TO CONTROL CURRICULUM - Governor Bobby Jindal | State of Louisiana

PARCC CEO ADMITS GOAL OF TEST TO CONTROL CURRICULUM - Governor Bobby Jindal | State of Louisiana:

PARCC CEO ADMITS GOAL OF TEST TO CONTROL CURRICULUM

BATON ROUGE - On Friday, the federally funded Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) issued a press release where the Chief Executive Officer of PARCC Laura Slover revealed the true goals of the federally funded PARCC assessment - to control curriculum.

 

Chief Executive Officer of PARCC Laura Slover said, “High quality assessments go hand-in-hand with high quality instruction based, on high quality standards. You cannot have one without the other. The PARCC states see quality assessments as a part of instruction, not a break from instruction.”

 

The proponents of Common Core and PARCC continue to insist that tests and standards are not about curriculum, but that’s a ruse. Teachers already know that what is tested at the end of the year is what is taught in classrooms throughout the year. PARCC may not mandate one textbook or one pacing guide, but the CEO of the federally funded PARCC has admitted one thing: PARCC controls instruction and instruction is curriculum.