9-12-14 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.:

Outlaw Rahm must go. He tells retirees to drop dead.

The ruling of the Illinois was unequivocal. The Illinois Constitution’s pension protection provision covers retiree health care benefits. A year ago when Rahm tried to end the promised subsidy to retiree health care. Rahm and the city were taken to court. In a precedent setting ruling in another but similar case, the Illinois ruled in the employees favor with only one judge dissenting. Not surpri

8 by Fred Klonsky / 3h 

What happens when anti-public school ideology meets low voter turnout. Why you should care about Hinsdale.

Hinsdale District 86 is a suburban Chicago school district with two high schools and a history of high quality teachers and support staff. Last year a group of right-wing  extremists were elected to a majority of the school board due to low voter turnout. This happens way to often in suburban and rural districts. Contract bargaining with a mediator has gone badly due to board obstruction. Teacher

1 by Fred Klonsky / 12min 

GAO report. Arne Duncan garnishes pensions of 22,000 seniors over 65 years old.

The Huffington Post. The Education Department is demanding so much money from seniors with defaulted student loans that it’s forcing tens of thousands of them into poverty, according to a government audit. At least 22,000 Americans aged 65 and older had a part of their Social Security benefits garnished last year to the point that their monthly benefits were below federal poverty thresholds, acco

1 by Fred Klonsky / 58min 

Slavery. A new school value.

The Economist declares that efficiency is a new school value. “Higher teacher pay and smaller classes are not the best education policies.” Ha! Says who? Maybe Rahm. And GEMS Educational Solutions, a consulting firm that looked at PISA scores, an international comparison of 15-year-olds in core subjects. GEMS then correlates those scores to class size and teacher salaries and comes up with an eff

1 by Fred Klonsky / 24min 

The first teacher strike in the history of Highland, Illiinois.

. Members of the downstate Highland Education Association are on strike for the first time in their history. The board has offered little in the way of compensation, freezing teachers at step and lane.    

1 by Fred Klonsky / 1h 

Lunch with the candidates.

State Representative Nekritz speaks to retirees. Every election season my chapter of the Illinois Retired Teachers Association invites local candidates for state House and Senate races to speak to our group. Yesterday’s luncheon was the first time we’ve had the opportunity to vote for or against them since they voted for pension theft. Every one of the local incumbents voted for pension theft. It

5 by Fred Klonsky / 3h hide  //  save

Bev Johns. For the first time in my life I will not be voting for one of the candidates for Governor of Illinois.

- Beverley Holden Johns is a Special Education activist, advocate and frequent contributor to this blog. Supporters of Public Education face a horrible choice for Governor of Illinois: Republican Bruce Rauner versus Democrats Pat Quinn and Paul Vallas. I cannot bring myself to vote for Pat Quinn/Paul Vallas. Our current Governor is completely willing to act unconstitutionally, not only on teacher

1 by Fred Klonsky / 4h 

9-11-14 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.: Chicago Tonight. Pension debate goes AWOL in the governor’s race.Click here for link to WTTW Chicago Tonight. There were Ralph Martire, Dan Montgomery, Bruce Dold and John Tillman to talk about pension reform and the Illinois Governor’s race on WTTW’s Chicago Tonight. Host Carol Marin laughingly calle

1 by mike simpson / 8h 

Russ on Reading: What Do We Want from Public Schools?

Russ on Reading: What Do We Want from Public Schools?:

What Do We Want from Public Schools?

Ok students, let’s start today with a quick multiple choice question.

Which of the following represents the bestreason for having a highly functioning system of public schools?

a)    economic stability

b)    social stability

c)    political stability

d)    joy of the individual

Yes I know. I hated these “best reason” questions when I was taking standardized tests, too. It always seemed to me that these questions were asking you to guess what was in the test makers head. Nonetheless, your answer to this question will go a long way to determining what kind of schools you champion.

If your answer to the question is a) economic stability, you are part of a long tradition in American education that sees education for its utilitarian value. One early proponent of the economic stability argument was Booker T. Washington, who argued that the best way for newly freed African Americans to find their place in an American society that they had been brought to in chains was to learn a trade. Later on, public school districts throughout the country built vocational schools where high school students learned practical skills to ensure employment. In this day and age, when a high school diploma seems inadequate for earning a living wage, those who focus on economic stability are likely to champion educational standards that promise to get students “college and career ready.” If your concern is maintaining the economic status quo, you may choose economic stability as the goal of public schooling.

If your answer is b) social stability, you also have history on your side. As Michael Katz has shown in his book The Irony of Early Education Reform, a driving motive behind the reform movement in public education in the 19^thcentury was to convert the children of factory workers and recent Russ on Reading: What Do We Want from Public Schools?:

9-12-14 Schools Matter All Week

Schools Matter:

The "middle skills" shortage: The common core will make it worse

Sent to the Wall Street Journal, Sept. 11, 2014"German robots school U.S. workers" (Sept. 10) is the most recent of a series of reports in the Wall Street Journal on the substantial shortage of job applicants with "middle skills," requiring less than a college degree but more than high school. Instead of increasing apprenticeships and investing more in vocational education for

by skrashen / 8h 

9-11-14 Schools Matter All Week

Schools Matter: The Common Core Dissertation on 9 + 6by Jim Horn / 1min hide  //  savePrimary Common Core Math Termsfrom Boerne County, TX ISD:2 by Jim Horn / 10min 9-10-14 Schools Matter All WeekSchools Matter: Outraged at the coreSent to the Washington Post, September 9, 2014The Post says that progressives are "uncomfortable with the role of the Gates foundation and new tests associated wit

by mike simpson / 8h 

9-12-14 Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL

Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL:

Video: “What Does Scottish Independence Mean?’

Scotland will be voting on independence in a few days and, though the narration of this two-minute video from Slate is too fast for English Language Learners, it is the best short explanation of what’s going on that I’ve seen on the issue:

9 by Larry Ferlazzo / 2h hide  //  save

A Beginning “Best” List On Domestic Violence Resources

With the Ray Rice video bringing attention to the tragedy of domestic violence, I thought it would be useful to bring together a few related resources. These are particularly accessible to English Language Learners, but can also be useful for all students. I hope readers will contribute more: by obizmedia. by NowSourcing. The Most Brutal Domestic Violence Awareness Ads is from BuzzFeed. H

7 by Larry Ferlazzo / 2h 

YESTERDAY

Around The Web In ESL/EFL/ELL

© 2009 Renato Ganoza, Flickr | CC-BY | via Wylio   I’ve started a somewhat regular feature where I share a few posts and resources from around the Web related to ESL/EFL or to language in general that have caught my attention: Urban Districts Develop Common-Core Guide for Teaching ELLs is from Ed Week. I’m adding it to The Best Resources For Learning About Common Core Standards & English Langu

7 by Larry Ferlazzo / 9h 

9-11-14 Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL

Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL: 1,700 Categorized Links For IB Theory Of Knowledge Course© 2012 Chris Potter, Flickr | CC-BY | via Wylio As regular readers know, I’ve been accumulating teaching/learning resources for the International Baccalaureate Theory of Knowledge class ever since I began to teach it a few years ago. The collection is now up to nearly

1 by mike simpson / 8h 

9-12-14 @ 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.

The (NY, DC, LA, and CA) Story of Eureka Math

In Louisiana, there has been a bit of mystery surrounding the only math curriculum “selected” in March 2014 by the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) and the Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) and promoted as “LSU-developed Eureka Math.” It sure sounds like… dare I write it… grass roots CCSS math development, huh? Then comes […]

2 by deutsch29 / 10h 

9-10-14 @ 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

1 by mike simpson / 12h 

9-12-14 the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness

the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness (the public and scholarly writing by P. L. Thomas, Furman University):

High Noon: “Why Everyone (Almost) Is Wrong about Common Core”

High Noon at the Upcountry History Museum 2014 Fall Schedule All lectures begin at noon on Wednesdays and last one hour. The Upcountry History Museum/Furman University is located at 540 Buncombe Street in downtown Greenville’s Heritage Green area (near the Greenville County Main Library and Greenville Little Theatre). For more information, contact Furman’s Marketing and Public Relations office at

2 by plthomasedd / 2h hide  //  save

remnant 64: ‘Are we that warlike, that childish, that afraid?’

remnant 64: ‘Are we that warlike, that childish, that afraid?’.

1 by plthomasedd / 2h 

9-11-14 the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness

the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness (the public and scholarly writing by P. L. Thomas, Furman University): Imagine: On Bravado and Humility, 11 September 2014On the eve of 9/11 2014, President Obama admitted, “Still, we continue to face a terrorist threat,” adding: We cannot erase every trace of evil from the world, and small groups of killers have the capacity to do great ha

by mike simpson / 8h 

9-12-14 Hemlock on the Rocks

Hemlock on the Rocks:

Los Angeles Board Votes to Shred Staff Emails, Then Reconsiders | Diane Ravitch's blog

http://dianeravitch.net/2014/09/11/los-angeles-board-votes-to-shred-staff-emails-then-reconsiders/ Los Angeles Board Votes to Shred Staff Emails, Then Reconsiders | Diane Ravitch's blog Talk about bad timing!   The Los Angeles Unified School Board voted 6-0 to adopt a policy to shred most internal emails after one year. The iPad scandal came to light only after reporters gained access to two-year

by Rene Diedrich / 2min 

Channeling Rosemary Woods: LAUSD Board Votes To Expunge One Year Old Emails – redqueeninla

http://redqueeninla.k12newsnetwork.com/2014/09/11/channeling-rosemary-woods-lausd-board-votes-to-expunge-one-year-old-emails/ Channeling Rosemary Woods: LAUSD Board Votes To Expunge One Year Old Emails After just discovering that top ranking district administrators and private vendors effectively fixed a billion-dollar deal ahead of open bidding, this week our school board explicitly voted to thw

by Rene Diedrich / 4min hide  //  save

Shutting Out The LAUSD Stakeholders: Another Affront to LAUSD Parents by Carl Petersen

"I would like to move that we move the remainding [sic] of board meetings that are tentatively scheduled for 4:00 PM to 1:00 PM...Makes it easier for parents, certainly in my district, who might want to come speak to not be here at 11:00 at night when they have kids to put to bed and homework to supervise and it is impossible to get here during rush hour from most parts of the city to pull co

by Rene Diedrich / 17min 

L.A. school board OKs contract to destroy emails, raising concerns - LA Times

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-lausd-emails-20140910-story.html L.A. school board OKs contract to destroy emails, raising concerns The Los Angeles Unified School District took steps this week to enforce rules under which emails are deleted after one year, raising concerns about whether important public records would be destroyed in the process.The action comes two weeks after

by Rene Diedrich / 28min 

Petition | STOP LAUSD FROM ERASING DISTRICT EMAILS NOW & Establish a Public Policy that Assures Transparancy | Change.org

https://www.change.org/p/mayor-garcetti-stop-lausd-from-erasing-district-emails-now-establish-a-public-policy-that-assures-transparancy  Tuesday September 9, 2014, the board voted unanimously ( new member Dr. George McKenna abstained ) to delete their emails from their school district accounts after a year. This initiative will require a Microsoft program that costs taxpayers $1/4 of million While

by Rene Diedrich / 46min 

Harvey Saferstein: Meet LAUSD Superintendent Deasy's Attorney-- HMMMMMM.../Who pays him ?

http://www.mintz.com/professionals/detail/name/harvey-saferstein Harvey Saferstein Harvey is the Managing Member for the firm's Los Angeles office. His practice includes antitrust and intellectual property counseling and litigation, as well as complex commercial and business litigation. With an extensive litigation background, Harvey has experience as trial and appellate counsel in antitrust case

by Rene Diedrich / 6h hide  //  save

LAUSD's Deasy seeks records of board members' tech-firm contacts

http://www.dailynews724.com/local/lausdaposs-deasy-seeks-records-of-board-membersapos-tech-firm-contacts-h236823.html LAUSD's Deasy seeks records of board members' tech-firm contacts 12 September 2014 Friday 00:30This news clip was read 9 times. In a bold challenge to his bosses, L.A. Unified Supt. John Deasy has filed a public records request seeking emails and other documents involving school

by Rene Diedrich / 7h 

9-11-14 Hemlock on the Rocks

Hemlock on the Rocks: Garcetti endorses Torlakson in state superintendent racehttp://laschoolreport.com/garcetti-endorses-torlakson-state-superintendent-race/ Garcetti endorses Torlakson in state superintendent race Mayor Garcetti Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti today endorsed state Superintendent Tom Torlakson in his bid for reelection against Marshall Tuck, a former charter school executive. Cit

by mike simpson / 8h