Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 5/22/15

Special Nite Cap 

CORPORATE ED REFORM

USDOE Advertises Charter School “Competition” Reviewer Positions for Only One Day | deutsch29

USDOE Advertises Charter School “Competition” Reviewer Positions for Only One Day | deutsch29: USDOE Advertises Charter School “Competition” Reviewer Positions for Only One DayThe US Department of Education Office of Innovation and Improvement (OII), an office that Fordham Institute’s pro-privatization president Michael Petrilli supposedly helped to create, has decided that offering the public an

1 by mike simpson / 12min 

Charter school chain faces rare legal battle as district clamps down on industry - Sun Sentinel

Charter school chain faces rare legal battle as district clamps down on industry - Sun Sentinel: Palm Beach County takes on charter schools with planned lawsuitThe Palm Beach school district is mounting a rare legal battle against a powerhouse charter school company as it pushes to exert more control over which schools open their doors and claim public cash."The eyes around the state are on u

1 by mike simpson / 48min 

Students Should Learn More About Their Perceptions of Race, But Don't Leave Out Teachers | ThinkProgress

Students Should Learn More About Their Perceptions of Race, But Don't Leave Out Teachers | ThinkProgress: Students Should Learn More About Their Perceptions of Race, But Don’t Leave Out TeachersHow can we un-teach racism if our teachers still discriminate against students of color?CREDIT: SHUTTERSTOCKA recent New York Magazine story examined a new initiative at for third grade students at Fieldsto

1 by mike simpson / 1h 

With A Brooklyn Accent: What High School Students Want

With A Brooklyn Accent: What High School Students Want: What High School Students WantIf you actually talk to high school students they wantTeachers who care about themAn opportunity to express themselvesTeams they can play onArts and music programs which allow their talents to blossomSchool counselors they can talk toLess tests and more alternative paths to graduation.Opportunities to learn skill

1 by mike simpson / 2h 

Newark NJ students call for local control of schools run by state - Business Insider

Newark NJ students call for local control of schools run by state - Business Insider: Newark NJ students call for local control of schools run by stateBy Sebastien MaloNEWARK, N.J. (Reuters) - Hundreds of Newark, New Jersey, students walked out of classes on Friday to protest policies of the city's top schools official, who was appointed by the state to overhaul the struggling education system.The

1 by mike simpson / 3h 

Crisis in the Classroom | Chicago Tonight | WTTW

Crisis in the Classroom | Chicago Tonight | WTTW: Crisis in the ClassroomKids are almost out of school for the summer, but some long days are ahead for Chicago Public Schools as it tries to close a more than $1 billion budget deficit, most of which is tied to a $700 million pension payment that is due. On top of that, district officials are negotiating with the Chicago Teachers Union over a new te

1 by mike simpson / 3h 

Thousands of Newark students leave school in protest, block major intersection | NJ.com

Thousands of Newark students leave school in protest, block major intersection | NJ.com: Thousands of Newark students leave school in protest, block major intersectionNEWARK — Around noon on Friday, 18-year-old Quinnetta Owens-Culver normally would have attended her Spanish class at Malcolm X Shabazz High School in Newark.But at the start of the Memorial Day weekend, Owens-Culver and thousands of

1 by mike simpson / 4h 

Scrutiny of school vouchers remains off limits - Sun Sentinel

Scrutiny of school vouchers remains off limits - Sun Sentinel: Scrutiny of school vouchers remains off limitsBecause of a court ruling, Florida could be on the way to spending nearly $1 billion on an education program without knowing if the program works.Last week, Leon County Circuit Court Judge George Reynolds dismissed a lawsuit by the Florida Education Association — the teachers union — and ot

1 by mike simpson / 4h 

Jersey Jazzman: PARCC Comes Off the Rails

Jersey Jazzman: PARCC Comes Off the Rails: PARCC Comes Off the RailsThe PARCC cheerleaders' arguments for their beloved test are crumbling to dust:Washington, DC (May 21, 2015) — The PARCC Governing Board, made up of the state education commissioners and superintendents, voted Wednesday to consolidate the two testing windows into one and to reduce total test time by about 90 minutes beginning in t

1 by mike simpson / 4h 

Now this is OPTING OUT: APS board votes not to pay state for PARCC testing | Albuquerque Journal News

APS board votes not to pay state for PARCC testing | Albuquerque Journal News: APS board votes not to pay state for PARCC testingThe Albuquerque Public Schools board has narrowly rejected a plan to reimburse the state Public Education Department for costs associated with this spring’s PARCC testing.By a voice vote, without a roll call, the board voted 4-3 Wednesday night against repaying the state

4 by mike simpson / 9h 

Charter Schools: Tracking Right-to-Know Request | PSBA

Charter Schools: Tracking Right-to-Know Request | PSBA: Charter Schools: Tracking Right-to-Know Request Advertising contracts, invoices, plansReal property purchase, sale, leaseFoundation contracts, donationsMgmt. salary, compensation, benefitsAcademics: AP, IB, College PrepPSBA filed a Right-to-Know request with Pennsylvania charter and cyber charter schools on May 15, 2015. PSBA is tracking the

1 by mike simpson / 9h 

Why are teachers pension plans in trouble? | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

Why are teachers pension plans in trouble? | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: Why are teachers pension plans in trouble?Photo: Emma Lee | WHYYGeorge Bezanis teaches world history at Central High School.  In the Multiple Choices podcast, Keystone Crossroads senior education writer Kevin McCorry joins with Paul Socolar, publisher and editor of the Public School Notebook, and Notebook contributin

1 by mike simpson / 9h 

Thompson: What Do We Mean When We Talk of Graduation Rates? This Week In Education

This Week In Education: Thompson: What Do We Mean When We Talk of Graduation Rates?: Thompson: What Do We Mean When We Talk of Graduation Rates?Graduation rates used to be incredibly easy to fabricate (almost as easy as attendance rates and even easier than jacking up proficiency rates) but I don't doubt they have become more reliable. I used to assume that the annual increase in graduation rates,

1 by mike simpson / 9h 

Did Philly voters send a clear message on education Tuesday? – Metro

Did Philly voters send a clear message on education Tuesday? – Metro: Did Philly voters send a clear message on education Tuesday?File photo of City Councilwoman-elect Helen GymThe city’s education system has consistently ranked as voters’ top concerns. So what do the results of Tuesday’s election say about what residents want?Consider this: the mayoral candidate most identified with support for c

1 by mike simpson / 9h 

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Charter billionaires buy L.A. school board election

Schooling in the Ownership Society: Charter billionaires buy L.A. school board election: Charter billionaires buy L.A. school board electionCharter billionaires Walton, Hastings, Bloomberg & Broad buy school board election in L.A. "We've sunk to a level where there is no viable discourse and no moral conscience when it comes to public education and control of the school board." -- LA

1 by mike simpson / 10h 

Teachers Have No Voice or Choice in Testing, So Why Would They Support It? - Teaching Ahead: A Roundtable - Education Week Teacher

Teachers Have No Voice or Choice in Testing, So Why Would They Support It? - Teaching Ahead: A Roundtable - Education Week Teacher: Teachers Have No Voice or Choice in Testing, So Why Would They Support It?By Deb McCarthy on May 21, 2015 11:08 PMThis is the fourth of a four-part conversation on the opt-out movement.Deb McCarthyAs a 5th grade teacher whose students recently completed 11 days of gru

1 by mike simpson / 10h 

Save Our Schools March – ALL Student Walk Out – NJ

Save Our Schools March – ALL Student Walk Out – NJ: ALL Student Walk Out – NJOn Friday, May 22nd Students in ALL High Schools in Newark, NJ will walk out to meet at Newark City Hall to demand: Full Local Control-Not Christie Control, Community Schools-Not Turnaround Schools, Halt the Expansion of Charter Schools, Termination of the EWA-Save Our Teachers! For more information Follow the #OurNewark

1 by mike simpson / 11h 

YESTERDAY

Jersey Jazzman: Transparency & Accountability? Not For Charter Schools

Jersey Jazzman: Transparency & Accountability? Not For Charter Schools: Transparency & Accountability? Not For Charter Schools Regular readers will remember a series of posts I did about LEAP Academy University Charter School in Camden back in 2013. Here's a recap that both recounts the many problems LEAP has had over the years, and gives us an example of the special brand of hubris that c

1 by mike simpson / 23h hide  //  save

Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 5/21/15

Special Nite Cap CORPORATE ED REFORMWashington Teachers Strike Across the State | Al Jazeera AmericaWashington Teachers Strike Across the State | Al Jazeera America: Washington Teachers Strike Across the State  Hundreds of educators began picketing Thursday in Washington state's Richland, Kennewick, Pasco and Burbank school districts — joining some 60 other districts where there have been walkouts

9 by mike simpson / 23h 

USDOE Advertises Charter School “Competition” Reviewer Positions for Only One Day | deutsch29

USDOE Advertises Charter School “Competition” Reviewer Positions for Only One Day | deutsch29:

USDOE Advertises Charter School “Competition” Reviewer Positions for Only One Day

The US Department of Education Office of Innovation and Improvement (OII), an office that Fordham Institute’s pro-privatization president Michael Petrilli supposedly helped to create, has decided that offering the public an opportunity to apply to review state recipients of federal charter school grant money was so important that it should be advertised for one day only– and right before Memorial Day weekend, at that.

According to the USDOE blog on May 22, 2015, the information below was posted “one day ago” (May 21, 2015). It is supposedly an advertisement for peer reviewers for yer another USDOE grant “competition,” this one for state-level charter school planning, establishing, and advertising “success.” However, given the OII’s very brief publicizing of the ad, I’m thinking it already has all of the supposedly-solicited “entrepreneurs,” “funders,” and “venture philanthropy” experts in place and that this public ad is mere formality.

Charter Schools Program Seeking Reviewers for State-Level Grant Competition

The Office of Innovation and Improvement is seeking peer reviewers for the FY 2015 Charter Schools Program (CSP) State Educational Agency (SEA) grant competition. This is a competitive grant program that enables SEAs to provide financial assistance, through subgrants to eligible applicants, for the planning, program design, and initial implementation of charter schools and for the dissemination of information about successful charter schools.

Peer reviewers from various backgrounds and professional are needed, including:

• State or district education officials
• Charter school funders
• Charter school and charter school management organization leaders
• K-12, special education and English language learner researchers and evaluators
• Experts in program evaluation
• Practitioners from the social innovation and venture philanthropy fields
• Social and education entrepreneurs
• Strategy practitioners with experience in the charter sector
• Education and public policy professionals
• Grant makers or managers with experience in the charter sector
• Professionals with knowledge of, and experience with, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, education reform, and education policy

Peer reviewers may have expertise in various geographies, including urban, suburban, rural and tribal communities.

Interested individuals can review full information on this reviewer opportunityhere. To be considered as a peer reviewer, please click here to complete the Peer Reviewer Application Form. After completing the form, you 

USDOE Advertises Charter School “Competition” Reviewer Positions for Only One Day | deutsch29:

Charter school chain faces rare legal battle as district clamps down on industry - Sun Sentinel

Charter school chain faces rare legal battle as district clamps down on industry - Sun Sentinel:

Palm Beach County takes on charter schools with planned lawsuit

The Palm Beach school district is mounting a rare legal battle against a powerhouse charter school company as it pushes to exert more control over which schools open their doors and claim public cash.

"The eyes around the state are on us and on what happens with this. It could certainly set the course for several years ahead," said school board member Karen Brill.

The planned lawsuit challenges a ruling by the state Board of Education and sets the stage for a contentious debate on how Florida's growing charter school industry should be regulated. There are more than 600 charter schools in Florida, each taxpayer-funded but independently managed. Such schools were designed to fill unmet needs in public education and foster innovation.

While the state's charter-friendly laws have prompted a rash of problem schools in recent years, the lawsuit is aimed at stopping a well-regarded chain from opening a seventh location in Palm Beach County. Fort Lauderdale-based Charter Schools USA already manages 48 schools statewide, 18 of which are A-rated.

But the district says the proposed school offers nothing new and would siphon as much as $7.3 million from district schools in five years.

"I don't think it's wise use of taxpayers' dollars for us to be offering a program and the charter to be offering the same program," said Palm Beach County schools superintendent Wayne Gent. "They were supposed to be schools of innovation and not just of duplication."

Rod Jurado, a representative of the proposed school, said the district's concern was about increased competition. In the last five years, the number of students enrolled in Palm Beach County charter schools doubled to about 19,000.

"They have resorted to trying to change the rule book and employ bullying tactics because they recognize what we have known for a very long time — when given a choice, parents send their children to the schools that best serve their needs," Jurado said. "In the case of Palm Beach, parents are choosing charters at what the school district deems an alarming rate and instead of looking inward to decide if change is needed, they are trying to take focus off what should be concerning to them — the reasons parents are leaving the district in droves."

Lynn Norman-Teck, a spokeswoman for the Florida Consortium of Public Charter Schools, said she's never seen a public attack against charter schools like this before.

"You have a charter application that meets the criteria as outlined in the state, goes through the process that was established, followed the rules and yet they are still being punished," she said. "That's what's frustrating."

Officials with the state Department of Education said it's not the first time a district has taken a charter school to court, but said they didn't keep a record of the few which had done so — or why. And they did not know whether the lawsuits had succeeded.

Local districts have long complained about being unable to prevent bad operators from opening schools. A Sun Sentinel investigation last year found loopholes in state laws that make it easy for charter schools to open but difficult for districts to intervene when cash is mismanaged or other problems arise.

The Palm Beach school district initially denied the application for Charter Schools USA last year, a decision one board member called an "act of civil disobedience." The school successfully appealed to the state, which said the school board did not have good cause to Charter school chain faces rare legal battle as district clamps down on industry - Sun Sentinel:

Students Should Learn More About Their Perceptions of Race, But Don't Leave Out Teachers | ThinkProgress

Students Should Learn More About Their Perceptions of Race, But Don't Leave Out Teachers | ThinkProgress:

Students Should Learn More About Their Perceptions of Race, But Don’t Leave Out Teachers

How can we un-teach racism if our teachers still discriminate against students of color?

CREDIT: SHUTTERSTOCK

A recent New York Magazine story examined a new initiative at for third grade students at Fieldston Lower School that separated students by race and asked each group to talk about their own perceptions about other races and how certain races perceived them. It became very controversial among parents for different reasons – some parents said they didn’t want to segregate their kids while others said their children didn’t belong in certain groups. A Jewish parent said their child didn’t belong in the white group and some biracial children identified more as white and didn’t want to be put in the multiracial group.

The idea is that children form ideas about race very early in their lives, so why not discuss race before those perceptions become entrenched and children stop forming cross-racial friendships?

However, there is an entirely different debate going on in K-12 education that instead focuses on the teachers and their role in perpetuating institutional racism in schools.

A report by The Center for American Progress, “America’s Leaky Pipeline for Teachers of Color” shows teacher diversity in the U.S. is very low, despite the fact that student diversity is increasing. Teachers of color make up 18 percent of public school teachers, but only a little over half of students were white, according to the report. Part of the reason for this is because students of color don’t transfer from community colleges to four-year schools as often as white students, where they would be able to get a degree in teaching.

“Because communities of color disproportionately enroll in community college and are less likely than whites to transfer to four-year institutions, students of color have reduced chances of earning a bachelor’s degree in teaching,” CAP’s experts,” Ulrich Boser and Farah Z. Ahmad write in the report.

That means that even schools with populations that are majority students of color often have a very white faculty. Faculty members are punishing children of color more severely, and according to a recent Stanford University study, they’re doing so because a student’s race affects how they judge misbehavior.

A report by the Discipline Disparities Research-to-Practice Collaborative found that female students of color, LGBT students and Latino students were disproportionatelymore likely to be suspended. Black students were 1.78 times as likely to face suspension and Latino students were 2.23 times more likely to be suspended. Students with disabilities were also punished more, especially if they were black students with disabilities.

“Society generally has an aversion to seeing children of color as actual children,” said Jose Vilson, a middle school math educator in the Inwood/Washington Heights neighborhood and author of “This Is Not A Test: A New Narrative on Race, Class, and the Future of Education.”

Vilson said it’s important to make cultural competence for teachers a mandatory part of teacher development.

“There isn’t a current rubric for cultural competence, and that’s a struggle for a lot of parents of color … But there are people who should not be teaching people of color because they can’t serve students well because of their biases, and that’s something that needs to be dealt with,” Vilson said. “We need to speak up and say that cultural Students Should Learn More About Their Perceptions of Race, But Don't Leave Out Teachers | ThinkProgress: