Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 10/4/15

CORPORATE ED REFORM

Re-Claiming a Moral Profession in Unethical Times | Colin Schumacher

Re-Claiming a Moral Profession in Unethical Times | Colin Schumacher: Re-Claiming a Moral Profession in Unethical TimesA bitter irony unfolded in New York's budget process this year as Governor Cuomo, in his allegiance to hedge fund campaign contributors, managed to push through ethics reforms alongside an education reform package that stands as the most unethical affront to public education in re

by mike simpson / 2h 

#Charters, @TeachForAmerica, and more on @RickSmithShow Monday 5pm EST | Cloaking Inequity

#Charters, @TeachForAmerica, and more on @RickSmithShow Monday 5pm EST | Cloaking Inequity: #Charters, @TeachForAmerica, and more on @RickSmithShow Monday 5pm ESTJoin us Monday to discuss charters, privatization, New Orleans ed reform and more. Karran Harper Royal and Julian Vasquez Heilig join Rick Smith in discussing our endangered public education system, the reach of the flawed “educational re

by mike simpson / 4h 

The Duncan/King Robots and the Revolving Door

The Duncan/King Robots and the Revolving Door: The Duncan/King Robots and the Revolving DoorMuch rejoicing took place Friday when it was first announced that Arne Duncan was leaving the Obama administration early. Social media was a-buzz poking fun at the Secretary of Education who will now ride into the sunset to make money likely in the private sector, probably with something having to do with c

by mike simpson / 4h 

The tenure of Education Secretary Arne Duncan — in his own sometimes startling words - The Washington Post

The tenure of Education Secretary Arne Duncan — in his own sometimes startling words - The Washington Post: The tenure of Education Secretary Arne Duncan — in his own sometimes startling wordsEducation Secretary Arne Duncan, who took office in 2009, is stepping down in December as the most powerful federal education chief in the department’s history. He involved the federal government in areas tha

by mike simpson / 6h 

Let's Play CharterLand! | The Range: The Tucson Weekly's Daily Dispatch | Tucson Weekly

Let's Play CharterLand! | The Range: The Tucson Weekly's Daily Dispatch | Tucson Weekly: Let's Play CharterLand!How do "open enrollment" charter schools end up with selective student bodies? Watch the CharterLand video and find out. (You can download the game board here.)Let's Play CharterLand! | The Range: The Tucson Weekly's Daily Dispatch | Tucson Weekly:

by mike simpson / 6h 

What 5-Year-Olds are Doing Overseas While Kindergartners in America Struggle with Common Core

What 5-Year-Olds are Doing Overseas While Kindergartners in America Struggle with Common Core: What 5-Year-Olds are Doing Overseas While Kindergartners in America Struggle with Common CoreKindergartners in Finland don’t have to worry about learning complexCommon Core math problems like this:Instead, they get to “play” much of the day. Tim Walker, an American educator who has been teaching fifth an

by mike simpson / 7h 

Time to throw out Bush-era education reforms | Tampa Bay Times

Romano: Time to throw out Bush-era education reforms | Tampa Bay Times: Romano: Time to throw out Bush-era education reformsFor the longest time, it seemed educational reformers could do no wrong. They had the theories, they had the platform and, most importantly, they had the power.So George W. Bush's Texas Miracle begat the nation's No Child Left Behind law, which was around the same time Jeb Bu

by mike simpson / 7h 

Diploma Options for Students with Developmental Disabilities | The Opt Out Florida Network

Diploma Options for Students with Developmental Disabilities | The Opt Out Florida Network: Diploma Options for Students with Developmental DisabilitiesIF YOUR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT HAS DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES…Senator Darren Soto would like to hear from YOU.Senate Bill 1512, sponsored by Senators Stargel, Thrasher, Gardiner and Galvano, became the law in 2014, eliminating the option for students

by mike simpson / 7h 

“It was truly what democracy looks like.” | Intercepts

“It was truly what democracy looks like.” | Intercepts: “It was truly what democracy looks like.”That’s what NEA president Lily Eskelsen Garcia told members about the endorsement of Hillary Clinton by the union’s board of directors. And there’s no question the prescribed democratic process in the union’s by-laws was followed. The board reportedly voted 118-39 in favor of the endorsement, with 8 ab

by mike simpson / 8h 

CURMUDGUCATION: Driven By Parent Choice

CURMUDGUCATION: Driven By Parent Choice: Driven By Parent ChoiceThat's the dream for some reformsters-- a school system that is driven not by regulation or government edict and certainly not by the professional educators who work there, but a system that is driven by parent choice.I believe there are probably idealistic purists among the visionaries who really do believe that we'd have a system wh

by mike simpson / 8h 

Principal Eric Guthertz of Mission High School in San Francisco (Kristina Rizga) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

Principal Eric Guthertz of Mission High School in San Francisco (Kristina Rizga) | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice: Principal Eric Guthertz of Mission High School in San Francisco (Kristina Rizga)This is the fourth and final excerpt taken from Kristina Rizga’s new book Mission High. With her permission I have published descriptions of math, English,  and history lessons. In thi

by mike simpson / 8h 

Let us all conduct a little experiment about Pre-K education | @ THE CHALKFACE

Let us all conduct a little experiment about Pre-K education | @ THE CHALKFACE: Let us all conduct a little experiment about Pre-K educationDavid Kirp has an op-ed on the mixed outcomes of universal Pre-K programs.“Money doesn’t guarantee good outcomes, but it helps,” they say.Even as more 4-year-olds attend pre-K, many states are delivering it on the cheap. While Boston spends $10,000 for each pr

by mike simpson / 8h 

More than 50% of teachers in England 'plan to quit in next two years' - BBC News

More than 50% of teachers in England 'plan to quit in next two years' - BBC News: More than 50% of teachers in England 'plan to quit in next two years'Teachers often complain about their workloadMore than half of teachers in England (53%) are thinking of quitting in the next two years, a survey has suggested.The survey, conducted by the National Union of Teachers, found 61% of those wanting to lea

by mike simpson / 9h 

What will next Indianapolis mayor do with charter schools?

What will next Indianapolis mayor do with charter schools?: What will next Indy mayor do with charter schools?Get Hoosier School Heist in PaperbackHoosier School Heist On FaceBookThe next Indianapolis mayor will inherit a power that gives him direct control in shaping the city’s educational landscape, an elevated role that is essentially unprecedented in the state and across the country.It’s a pol

by mike simpson / 10h 

Supreme Court Prepares to Take On Politically Charged Cases - The New York Times

Supreme Court Prepares to Take On Politically Charged Cases - The New York Times: Supreme Court Prepares to Take On Politically Charged CasesWASHINGTON — The last Supreme Court term ended with liberal victories, conservative disarray and bruised relations among the justices. The new one, which starts on Monday, marks the start of Chief JusticeJohn G. Roberts Jr.’s second decade on the court and wi

by mike simpson / 10h 

Charter schools suspend kids, public schools don’t — which does better?

Pushed Out: Charter Schools Contribute to the City’s Growing Suspension Rates | School Stories: Pushed Out: Charter Schools Contribute to the City’s Growing Suspension RatesA recent report by the New York Civil Liberties Union exposed the escalating number of students who have been suspended since Mayor Michael Bloomberg took control of the city’s schools more than a decade ago. Some believe one c

by mike simpson / 10h 

Are Sex Abuse and Charter School Scandals Catching Up With Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson? | Alternet

Are Sex Abuse and Charter School Scandals Catching Up With Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson? | Alternet: Are Sex Abuse and Charter School Scandals Catching Up With Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson?A former NBA star plays fast and loose with young women and taxpayer funds.Is Kevin Johnson the Democratic Party’s Bill Cosby?Johnson is the famous ex-NBA basketball star who became a charter school founder,

by mike simpson / 10h 

YESTERDAY

Video and Transcription of John King’s Remarks at Arne Duncan’s Resignation | deutsch29

Video and Transcription of John King’s Remarks at Arne Duncan’s Resignation | deutsch29: Video and Transcription of John King’s Remarks at Arne Duncan’s ResignationBelow is a Youtube video of the October 02, 2015, White House press conference regarding US Secretary Arne Duncan’s resignation and former New York State Chancellor, John King’s becoming interim secretary for the remaining year that Oba

by mike simpson / 17h 

Geaux Teacher!: Broad & Walton Are Betting I Will Lose the BESE Election!

Geaux Teacher!: Broad & Walton Are Betting I Will Lose the BESE Election!: Broad & Walton Are Betting I Will Lose the BESE Election!By Mercedes Schneider -Broad and Walton Contribute a Combined $650,000 to Upcoming Louisiana BESE ElectionBillionaires Eli Broad and Alice and Jim Walton have contributed a combined $650,000 to Baton Rouge businessman Lane Grigsby’s PAC, Empower Louisiana, so

by mike simpson / 17h 

Schooling in the Ownership Society: SUPES IS BACK -- New names on the letterhead. Looking for more no-bid contracts from CPS

Schooling in the Ownership Society: SUPES IS BACK -- New names on the letterhead. Looking for more no-bid contracts from CPS: SUPES IS BACK -- New names on the letterhead. Looking for more no-bid contracts from CPS“The primary leaders [Somomon & Vranas] of the former SUPES Academy have begun new endeavors and will not be joining us in this work ahead.” -- Joseph WiseThe federal investigation i

by mike simpson / 17h 

Teachers Told They’re Endorsing Hillary Clinton by NEA Leadership. Membership Opinions Unnecessary | gadflyonthewallblog

Teachers Told They’re Endorsing Hillary Clinton by NEA Leadership. Membership Opinions Unnecessary | gadflyonthewallblog: Teachers Told They’re Endorsing Hillary Clinton by NEA Leadership. Membership Opinions UnnecessaryThe decision has been made, teachers.YOU WILL ENDORSE HILLARY CLINTON IN THE 2016 PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARIES.Your union has spoken.Now please donate to the Political Action Committee (

by mike simpson / 20h 

GREAT NEWS! Anthony Cody has just been chosen as the winner of this year’s George Orwell Award - Garn Press

GREAT NEWS! Anthony Cody has just been chosen as the winner of this year’s George Orwell Award, given by the NCTE Public Language Awards Committee of the National Council of Teachers of English - Garn Press: GREAT NEWS! Anthony Cody has just been chosen as the winner of this year’s George Orwell Award, given by the NCTE Public Language Awards Committee of the National Council of Teachers of Englis

by mike simpson / 20h 

Time to Unite To Face Addiction | Michael Elliot

Time to Unite To Face Addiction | Michael Elliot: Time to Unite To Face AddictionToday, the health crisis of addiction cuts across so many other issues we face. It's a social justice issue with mass incarcerations overflowing our expanding prison industrial complex. It's an education issue because it affects children in such incredible numbers, and is one of the most profound killers of young peop

by mike simpson / 22h 

Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 10/3/15

CORPORATE ED REFORMWhat Has Happened to Teacher Evaluations? We Need Your Help - Living in DialogueWhat Has Happened to Teacher Evaluations? We Need Your Help - Living in Dialogue: What Has Happened to Teacher Evaluations? We Need Your HelpBy Anthony Cody.Under President Obama, the federal Department of Education offered several billion dollars in Race to the Top money and waivers from NCLB to sta

by mike simpson / 22h 

Re-Claiming a Moral Profession in Unethical Times | Colin Schumacher

Re-Claiming a Moral Profession in Unethical Times | Colin Schumacher:

Re-Claiming a Moral Profession in Unethical Times

A bitter irony unfolded in New York's budget process this year as Governor Cuomo, in his allegiance to hedge fund campaign contributors, managed to push through ethics reforms alongside an education reform package that stands as the most unethical affront to public education in recent memory.

The Governor openly shirked his constitutional obligation to provide equitable school funding as set forth by the Campaign for Fiscal Equity v. State of New York ruling. The $1.4 billion increase is short of the $2 billion recommended by the NY Board of Regents and well short of the $5.6 billion cited by the Campaign for Educational Equity as necessary for constitutional compliance. The Campaign for Educational Equity has written a scathing rebuke of the 2015-2016 state education budget:

Among the egregious violations of constitutional requirements that the 2015-16 state budget perpetuates are the following: It continues to defer full foundation funding for the costs of a sound basic education; it reverts to the notorious "shares agreement" for funding New York City schools; it continues the unconstitutional gap elimination adjustment; it revives the teacher evaluation penalty provision that threatens essential school aid; and it fails to provide appropriate funding for pre-K.

The governor's decision to emphasize test scores in teacher evaluation presents a glaring disincentive for teachers working in schools with high concentrations of students who have historically performed poorly on standardized tests including students living in poverty, English language learners, and students with disabilities. The Governor is denying equitable funding to the most under-resourced schools while bending school policies toward test preparation and away from enriching curriculum. Schools already struggling are being set up for charter school takeover, an outcomeactively pursued by the governor's most notable campaign contributors.

The governor's political process set a new standard for evading democracy. Eleanor Randolph of the New York Times referred to the final budget negotiations as "New York's All Male Oligarchy." Randolph was criticizing the antiquated "three men in a room" culture in Albany, but just as accurately could have been referring to theRe-Claiming a Moral Profession in Unethical Times | Colin Schumacher:

#Charters, @TeachForAmerica, and more on @RickSmithShow Monday 5pm EST | Cloaking Inequity

#Charters, @TeachForAmerica, and more on @RickSmithShow Monday 5pm EST | Cloaking Inequity:

#Charters, @TeachForAmerica, and more on @RickSmithShow Monday 5pm EST

Join us Monday to discuss charters, privatization, New Orleans ed reform and more. Karran Harper Royal and Julian Vasquez Heilig join Rick Smith in discussing our endangered public education system, the reach of the flawed “educational reform” movement in New Orleans and elsewhere, and ideas about how public schools can be improved and can be saved from privatization.

Julian Vasquez Heilig, an award-winning researcher and teacher, is a Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies and the Director of the Doctorate in Educational Leadership at the California State University Sacramento. His current research includes examining how high-stakes testing and accountability-based reforms and market reforms impact urban minority students. His work has been cited by The New York Times and other major media outlets and he has appeared on PBS, NBC, NBCLatino, NPR, Univision, and MSNBC. He blogs at Cloaking Inequity, consistently rated one of the top 50 education websites in the world by Teach 100.

Karran Harper Royal

Karran Harper Royal works as an Education Advocate in New Orleans. She is the Assistant Director of

Pyramid Community Parent Resource Center Her work at Pyramid involves providing one to one support to parents of children with disabilities and conducting workshops to help parents understand their rights under federal special education law. In addition to working with Pyramid, Mrs. Harper Royal is a founding member of Parents Across America, a contributor to Research on Reforms and is a consultant to the Southern Poverty Law Center. Mrs. Harper Royal is a tireless advocate for students with disabilities and has appeared in a number of broadcasts and publications related to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and public education reform in New Orleans and is a member of several community groups. She is married with two sons Mrs. Harper Royal blogs at Education Talk New Orleans.

From RickSmithShow.com:

In 2005, The Rick Smith Show stepped into a local radio world devoid of progressive talk.
Rick took his straight shooting no nonsense Teamster outlook to the air and started mixing it up with conservatives from one of the reddest areas north of the Mason Dixon line. His show grew steadily, attracting listeners starved for a voice that spoke to working stiffs who felt the economic floor crumbling beneath them.

Five years after the start of his weekend program, Rick moved to new time slots and new stations. His show now airs Monday-Friday 3pm-6pm on several stations across the state of Pennsylvania where he offers hard truth and commentary with a unique blend of clear-headed, gruff analysis and bemused observation. Lest things get too serious, he spices things up with a laugh or two.

Rick comes by his outlook honestly. He grew up in the projects of Cleveland, ducking local gangs while doing paper routes and odd jobs to help feed his family. After high school, he went out on his own, driving 18 wheelers as a proud union member. Nowadays, Rick, a father of three, is on the front lines of the class work every weekday from 3pm-6pm. He feels the calling to spread the word about the desperate needs facing workers, and to make the world a better place for kids growing up in what is becoming an America of rich and poor.

Rick believes somebody has to wake up the American working class to engage in the democratic process, but not in the corporate-funded Tea Party fashion. He has the rough edges and the grit of a Teamster; he’s a street talker, but a street talker with charm.

Listen online Monday October 5, 2015 at 5pm EST at RickSmithShow.com

After Monday you can listen to the archived show at http://ricksmithshow.com/union_news/131

Please Facebook Like, Tweet, etc below and/or reblog to share this discussion with others.

Want to know about Cloaking Inequity’s freshly pressed conversations about educational policy? Click the “Follow blog by email” button on the home page.

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#Charters, @TeachForAmerica, and more on @RickSmithShow Monday 5pm EST | Cloaking Inequity:

The Duncan/King Robots and the Revolving Door

The Duncan/King Robots and the Revolving Door:

The Duncan/King Robots and the Revolving Door

Much rejoicing took place Friday when it was first announced that Arne Duncan was leaving the Obama administration early. Social media was a-buzz poking fun at the Secretary of Education who will now ride into the sunset to make money likely in the private sector, probably with something having to do with children. When you grow up around teachers it gives you a warm spot in your heart (sarcasm).

Perhaps he will work in President Obama’s future Presidential Center giving us his take on education matters from time to time—like Margaret “NCLB” Spellings sits cloistered in President G.W. Bush’s special place.

Or he might be like President Bush’s other ed. secretary Rod “NCLB” Paige, remember him? He was the guy who likened teachers to terrorists. He sits on the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation’s board, Eli Broad’s board too, and has done a bunch of serious periphery education stuff to foster privatization and make money. Here’s his Bio.

Maybe Arne could become Dean Duncan at the Relay Graduate School of Education—or even a real university president! The possibilities are endless for the guy who thinks soccer moms dote too much on their children, or that Katrina helped fix schools in New Orleans.

And, of course, there is Duncan’s coordinated and backed-up push for all children with The Duncan/King Robots and the Revolving Door:

The tenure of Education Secretary Arne Duncan — in his own sometimes startling words - The Washington Post

The tenure of Education Secretary Arne Duncan — in his own sometimes startling words - The Washington Post:
The tenure of Education Secretary Arne Duncan — in his own sometimes startling words

Education Secretary Arne Duncan, who took office in 2009, is stepping down in December as the most powerful federal education chief in the department’s history. He involved the federal government in areas that traditionally had been left to states — such as teacher evaluation systems and standards — in a controversial tenure that has prompted Congress to consider legislation that would reduce the federal role in public education.

Here are a few of the sometimes startling things that he has said over the years that, when looked at together, reveal his reform mind-set — and something about his reaction to his critics, many of whom had hoped that the Obama administration would focus federal education policy on issues such as inequitable school funding and support services for children who live in poverty.

May 2009

And so we have to stop lying to children. We have to tell them the truth. We have to be transparent about our data. We have to raise the bar so that every child knows on every step of their educational trajectory what they’re going to do.

In this May 29, 2009, speech at the National Press Club, Duncan sets himself and his Education Department as the truth-tellers in education. Here he is is talking about how states have set low bars for students to pass, and he is encouraging them to adopt — or congratulating them for adopting — the Common Core State Standards. These are standards in math and English Language Arts that were, by 2013, approved in full by 45 states and the District of Columbia in what Duncan said was an effort to raise standards and allow legitimate comparisons of student test scores across states. The initial bipartisan support of the Core was a big triumph for Duncan, but as questions were raised about who wrote and funded them, as well as the content of some of the standards, Duncan found himself on the defensive, with some states dropping them or re-branding them.

Duncan’s “we have to stop lying” phrase became something of a mantra. He repeated it, or some version of it, frequently:

February 2010 to the National Governors Association: “We have to stop lying to children. We have to look them in the eye and tell them the truth at every stage of their educational trajectory.”

March 2010 to the National League of Cities’ Congressional City Conference:“We simply have to stop dummying-down standards due to political pressures. We have to stop lying to children and families by giving them a low bar and telling them that they will be okay, when we know they are not adequately prepared to go on to college or a job.”

August 2010 in Little Rock:  “I congratulate your state, Arkansas, on taking this bold step for your students last month. These higher standards are an absolute game-changer — as a country we will finally stop dummying-down standards, and stop lying to our children and their families.”

October 2010 at a Council on Foreign Relations event: “We have to stop lying The tenure of Education Secretary Arne Duncan — in his own sometimes startling words - The Washington Post:

Let's Play CharterLand! | The Range: The Tucson Weekly's Daily Dispatch | Tucson Weekly

Let's Play CharterLand! | The Range: The Tucson Weekly's Daily Dispatch | Tucson Weekly:
Let's Play CharterLand!

How do "open enrollment" charter schools end up with selective student bodies? Watch the CharterLand video and find out. (You can download the game board here.)

Let's Play CharterLand! | The Range: The Tucson Weekly's Daily Dispatch | Tucson Weekly:

What 5-Year-Olds are Doing Overseas While Kindergartners in America Struggle with Common Core

What 5-Year-Olds are Doing Overseas While Kindergartners in America Struggle with Common Core:
What 5-Year-Olds are Doing Overseas While Kindergartners in America Struggle with Common Core
Kindergartners in Finland don’t have to worry about learning complexCommon Core math problems like this:

Instead, they get to “play” much of the day. Tim Walker, an American educator who has been teaching fifth and sixth graders in Finland for the last few years recently wrote in The Atlantic that:

Approaching the school’s playground that morning, I watched as an army of 5- and 6-year-old boys patrolled a zigzagging stream behind Niirala Preschool in the city of Kuopio, unfazed by the warm August drizzle. When I clumsily unhinged the steel gate to the school’s playground, the young children didn’t even lift their eyes from the ground; they just kept dragging and pushing their tiny shovels through the mud.

At 9:30 a.m., the boys were called to line up for a daily activity called Morning Circle. (The girls were already inside—having chosen to play boardgames indoors.) They trudged across the yard in their rubber boots, pleading with their teachers to play longer—even though they had already been outside for an hour. As they stood in file, I asked them to describe what they’d been doing on the playground.

“Making dams,” sang a chorus of three boys.

“Nothing else?” one of their teachers prodded.

“Nothing else,” they confirmed.

“[Children] learn so well through play,” Anni-Kaisa Osei Ntiamoah, one of the preschool’s ‘kindergarten’ teachers, who’s in her seventh year in the classroom, told me. “They don’t even realize that they are learning because they’re so interested [in what they’re doing].”

According to the article, most Finnish children start “preschool” when they are six years old. NPR notes that all preschool teachers have bachelor’s degrees, and because it is paid for by taxpayer money, 97% of eligible kids end up attending some form of preschool.

Osei Ntiamoah added that the interaction allows the students to develop their language, math and social-interaction skills.

A recent research study commissioned by the Minnesota Children’s Museum supports her findings. Dr. Rachel E. White, who managed the study for the museum, wrote:

“In the short and long term, play benefits cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development … When play is fun and child-directed, children are motivated to engage in opportunities to learn.”

Osei Ntiamoah’s colleagues also share her sentiments toward playtime. Added Maarit Reinnikka, the school’s director:

“It’s not a natural way for a child to learn when the teacher says, ‘Take this pencil and sit still’.”

Another major difference between Finnish and Americans schools is that Finnish teachers work from a weekly schedule that only includes a few major activities a day, rather than a daily itinerary broken down into regularly-scheduled periods like most American educators do.

Walker noted that the itinerary he was shown, for example, had the What 5-Year-Olds are Doing Overseas While Kindergartners in America Struggle with Common Core:

Time to throw out Bush-era education reforms | Tampa Bay Times

Romano: Time to throw out Bush-era education reforms | Tampa Bay Times:

Romano: Time to throw out Bush-era education reforms

For the longest time, it seemed educational reformers could do no wrong. They had the theories, they had the platform and, most importantly, they had the power.

So George W. Bush's Texas Miracle begat the nation's No Child Left Behind law, which was around the same time Jeb Bush's accountability crusade took hold in Florida.

They were our models for education. They were going to revolutionize schools and rescue generations of students from despair.

And yet today, they are being attacked from all sides.

The U.S. Senate and House have passed separate bills that would revamp the No Child Left Behind law and return more authority to local school districts.

Around here, the state School Board Association on Thursday called Florida's accountability system broken. That came a few days after the Florida PTA called the system a mess. And that came a few days after the Florida Association of District School Superintendents announced it had lost confidence in the system.

So is it time to finally admit the Bush-era reforms have failed?

The answer is yes, but with a caveat.

The big-picture philosophy behind some of these reforms is sound. Some level of accountability — for everyone involved — is necessary. Standardized tests and a comparable curriculum can also help make sure students across the nation are learning similar things.

The problem, particularly in Florida, is lawmakers took reforms to an absurd extreme. They turned accountability into a weapon, and that turned schools into sweatshops.

The Legislature heaped so much responsibility on a handful of tests that teachers feared for their jobs, districts worried about funding and everything else became an afterthought.

Senate Education Committee Chairman John Legg, R-Trinity, acknowledges missteps along the way, but says the Legislature has corrected many of the problems in the past two years.

What lawmakers have not corrected is their perception problem.

Leaders in Tallahassee have zealously protected the Bush legacy for far too long. They have been slow to listen to parents and educators, and even slower to compromise.

So when Department of Education Commissioner Pam Stewart tried to justify a mistake-riddled launch to a new state assessment this year, no one wanted to listen.

Instead, it seems the tide of unrest has finally reached local shores.

Where critics once seemed to be on the fringe, they are now showing up in greater numbers and in more Romano: Time to throw out Bush-era education reforms | Tampa Bay Times:

Diploma Options for Students with Developmental Disabilities | The Opt Out Florida Network

Diploma Options for Students with Developmental Disabilities | The Opt Out Florida Network:

Diploma Options for Students with Developmental Disabilities

IF YOUR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT HAS DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES…
Senator Darren Soto would like to hear from YOU.

Senate Bill 1512, sponsored by Senators Stargel, Thrasher, Gardiner and Galvano, became the law in 2014, eliminating the option for students with intellectual disabilities, who cannot pass the FSA to obtain a ‘special diploma’. Curricula have been changed so that students with documented disabilities must now take the same subjects and lessons and in the same time frames to learn as mainstream students at the same grade level. There are also multiple changes due to the academic requirements.

Most high school seniors, who were enrolled in the special diploma option since the 10th grade, will likely not earn a diploma this year.  Current sophomores and juniors, who were also enrolled in a special diploma program, have had these options taken away from them as well.

Excerpt from (Link): 
The Repeal of the Special Diploma in Florida and Standard Diploma Options for Students with Developmental Disabilities:

Students no longer have the option to earn a special diploma and are now forced to earn a standard diploma, which many may not have the potential to complete… Parents, students, and educators must be made aware of what this Standard Diploma means and what outcomes they can expect.

The Standard Diploma Option for Students with Disabilities Pathway was originally intended to provide students with the most significant intellectual and developmental disabilities an employment competency pathway for accessing a Standard Diploma. However, initial discussions regarding implementation include not permitting a modified curriculum and requiring a level of paid employment that Diploma Options for Students with Developmental Disabilities | The Opt Out Florida Network:

“It was truly what democracy looks like.” | Intercepts

“It was truly what democracy looks like.” | Intercepts:
“It was truly what democracy looks like.”

That’s what NEA president Lily Eskelsen Garcia told members about the endorsement of Hillary Clinton by the union’s board of directors. And there’s no question the prescribed democratic process in the union’s by-laws was followed. The board reportedly voted 118-39 in favor of the endorsement, with 8 abstentions, clearing the required 58 percent hurdle.

Sanders supporters are complaining that NEA should have gone to the members before endorsing. But NEA has never gone to the members for anything. It operates solely on representation. And in the union’s defense, there is no empirical reason to believe that had it polled every one of its 3 million members the result would have turned out differently.

It is also true that 99 times out of 100 there would be no discernible difference between the majority opinion of the board of directors and the majority opinion of the 7,000-member Representative Assembly.

Oh, but there is that one time out of 100. And if a board of directors vote truly represented democracy in NEA, there would have been no board of directors meeting this weekend, because the board of directors would have disbanded 17 years ago.

You see, back in May 1998 the NEA board of directors voted on the Principles of Unity, which would have merged NEA and AFT at the national level. The new organization would have had a 37-member executive board, similar to the structure of AFT, and a 400-member “leadership council,” which was to meet only three times a year and had little policy power.

Despite the fact that they were voting to eliminate their positions, the directors approved the plan by a vote of 106-53.

Two months later, however, the Representative Assembly had its say, and handily defeated the Principles of Unity in a secret ballot vote – 4,091 in favor, 5,624 against.

What democracy looks like changes as you alter your viewing angle. Getting the result you want isn’t the indicator that it’s working.“It was truly what democracy looks like.” | Intercepts: