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Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 10/20/15



CORPORATE ED REFORM




NY Commish wants to hear from YOU….maybe….. | Round the Inkwell
NY Commish wants to hear from YOU….maybe….. | Round the Inkwell: NY Commish wants to hear from YOU….maybe…..Today Mary Ellen Elia, the New York Commissioner, sent out this letter.  She said she wants to hear from parents and educators about the Common Core.  I clicked on the link, but I cannot find the survey.  I searched the site.  Are we playing Hide the Bacon, or is there just a survey I can’t
by mike simpson / 53min 
BAT Fall Fundraising Drive – Please Support Our Mission and Message - BATS
BATS: BAT Fall Fundraising Drive – Please Support Our Mission and MessageBe a BAT Supporter—Donate today as we kick off our fall fundraising drive.  Based on the last 2 days of events (Duncan Resignation & NEA Recommendation of Hillary), we hope to do a fall campaign that will see us buying either newspaper ads, billboards, or radio ads to get our message out about the attempt by billionaires
by mike simpson / 57min 
Charters: Illusion of Change? feat. @PedroANoguera et al. | Cloaking Inequity
Charters: Illusion of Change? feat. @PedroANoguera et al. | Cloaking Inequity: Charters: Illusion of Change? feat. @PedroANoguera et al. What is typically different about charter schools and traditional schools both on a national level and to some extent locally? Teachers’ Democracy Project filmmakers answer this question in the new short documentary film “Charters: The Illusion of Change”A few mo
by mike simpson / 1h 
Choosing Democracy: Charter Schools Fuel Inequality and Hinder School Reform
Choosing Democracy: Charter Schools Fuel Inequality and Hinder School Reform: Charter Schools Fuel Inequality and Hinder School ReformCharter school interests led by the Broad Foundation have recently unveiled an expansion plan called “The Great Public Schools Now”. This plan is proposing a huge increase of privately operated schools within the Los Angeles School District with the creation of 260
by mike simpson / 2h 
solidaridad: Looking back to OccupyLAUSD as the way forward
solidaridad: Looking back to OccupyLAUSD as the way forward: Looking back to OccupyLAUSD as the way forward"This is a call out to the 99% who live, work, play and learn in the Los Angeles Unified School District. It is time we Reclaim Our Schools from the 1% wealthy Billionaires (like Eli Board, Gates, and Walton) and Corporate Management Companies who continue to set educational policies of
by mike simpson / 3h 
The Secretary of Education Deform moves on | SocialistWorker.org
The Secretary of Education Deform moves on | SocialistWorker.org: The Secretary of Education Deform moves onMark Friedman reports on the destructive legacy of Education Secretary Arne Duncan--and the equally awful resume of the man Barack Obama named to replace him.WHEN ARNE Duncan announced that he would be stepping down as U.S. Secretary of Education this December, two words crossed the minds of
by mike simpson / 3h 
Voucher costs hit Wisconsin public school districts state-wide | Educate All Students: Larry Miller's Blog
Voucher costs hit Wisconsin public school districts state-wide | Educate All Students: Larry Miller's Blog: Voucher costs hit Wisconsin public school districts state-wideJen Zettel, Post-Crescent Media October 17, 2015MADISON — Public school districts and taxpayers across the state could feel the impact of vouchers this year, as more than $16 million is transferred from public schools to pay for n
by mike simpson / 3h 
President Obama Needs to Cut Ties with This Grifter
President Obama Needs to Cut Ties with This Grifter: President Obama Needs to Cut Ties with This Alleged GrifterThere is nothing redeeming about Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, and the president should cut him loose.As I think we've mentioned several dozen times in this shebeen, the president's inexplicable sweet-tooth for the grifters, rounders, and mountebanks of the school "reform" mo
by mike simpson / 4h 
Vultures of ESEA | Save Maine Schools
Vultures of ESEA | Save Maine Schools: Vultures of ESEAAs it becomes increasingly apparent that our public education system is reaching a breaking point of sorts (see: teacher shortages, fed-up students and parents, andprincipals who have apparently lost their minds), a potential reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary School Act sits on the desks of our elected officials in Washington.“Th
by mike simpson / 4h 
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Spinning his own legacy while feathering his own nest. Get ready for another Duncan 'miracle'.
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Spinning his own legacy while feathering his own nest. Get ready for another Duncan 'miracle'.: Spinning his own legacy while feathering his own nest. Get ready for another Duncan 'miracle'.Just as Arne Duncan was announcing his retirement and his plans to return to Chicago to "spend more time with his family", he dropped another $8M in fed dollars on pal M
by mike simpson / 4h 
Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science - Year 2015 (CA Dept of Education)
Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science - Year 2015 (CA Dept of Education): State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Announces 2015 Finalists for Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science TeachingSACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today nominated 10 outstanding secondary mathematics and science teachers as California finalists for the 2015 Pre
by mike simpson / 5h 
Historic News from Colorado: A Real Public Debate about “Reform” | Diane Ravitch's blog
Historic News from Colorado: A Real Public Debate about “Reform” | Diane Ravitch's blog: Historic News from Colorado: A Real Public Debate about “Reform” Colorado public television Brian Malone’s documentary about the “reform”movement, called “Education, Inc.” The showing was followed by a debate, involving pro- and anti- views. This is a huge breakthrough, first, because Brian was able to bring t
by mike simpson / 6h 
Responding to Bill Gates' Destructive Model of Teacher Evaluation - Living in Dialogue
Responding to Bill Gates' Destructive Model of Teacher Evaluation - Living in Dialogue: Responding to Bill Gates' Destructive Model of Teacher Evaluation By Anthony Cody.On October 7th, Bill Gates gave a speech providing a comprehensive review of his Foundation’s K12 education strategy. This arena is their number one domestic priority, and a place where they have invested billions of dollars over
by mike simpson / 6h 
Louisiana Educator: Fantasy Standards
Louisiana Educator: Fantasy Standards: Fantasy StandardsReminder: The elections for BESE are this Saturday, October 24. An enormous amount of out-of-state money (From the Wal Mart heirs and the Broad family) is being spent on electing John White controlled members of BESE! Make no mistake about it. These candidates supported by the LABI/Lane Grigsby PAC intend to increase privatization of our scho
by mike simpson / 6h 
The startling way NYC’s largest charter network handles student discipline - The Washington Post
The startling way NYC’s largest charter network handles student discipline - The Washington Post: The startling way NYC’s largest charter network handles student disciplineThe Success Academy Charter School network is the largest in New York City, with 34 schools. Its founder and chief executive officer is Eva Moskowitz, a former City Council member for the Upper East Side who has the financial ba
by mike simpson / 6h 
Wait Until The Hammer Falls? Will our community be able to save our public schools?
Wait Until The Hammer Falls?: Wait Until The Hammer Falls? Will our community be able to save our public schools? The election for a bond, and override funding is November 3. I could wait until the results are in, but here are the issues. Citizens be aware:The overwhelming majority of parents want their children in public schools. Not charter schools, partial schools, religious schools, or schools
by mike simpson / 6h 
Are Programs for Children Getting Their Fair Share of the Federal Budget? | janresseger
Are Programs for Children Getting Their Fair Share of the Federal Budget? | janresseger: Are Programs for Children Getting Their Fair Share of the Federal Budget?At the end of September, the Urban Institute released a major report, Kids’ Share: Report on Federal Expenditures on Children in 2014 and Future Projections, an examination of our society’s priorities as reflected in the federal budget. F
by mike simpson / 7h 
Governor Malloy – A politician who simply cannot tell the truth - Wait What?
Governor Malloy – A politician who simply cannot tell the truth - Wait What?: Governor Malloy – A politician who simply cannot tell the truthMonday, October 18, 2015,Standing outside his state Capitol office Monday, Malloy said there’s been a significant downturn on Wall Street, and personal income is not rising as fast as expected. That’s why his budget office was expected to report that even aft
by mike simpson / 7h 
CURMUDGUCATION: Eva Moskowitz Has Big Brass Balls
CURMUDGUCATION: Eva Moskowitz Has Big Brass Balls: Eva Moskowitz Has Big Brass BallsEva Moskowitz, head of New York's Success Academy chain of charter schools, might just have the biggest, brassest balls in the business. Let's look at the record.She has fought for and won the idea of co-location, that charming arrangement where charter operators get to take over a public school a few floors at a t
by mike simpson / 7h 
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Edu Speak - Friday Memo to the Board of October 2
Seattle Schools Community Forum: Edu Speak - Friday Memo to the Board of October 2: Edu Speak - Friday Memo to the Board of October 2We hear a lot about Edu-Speak, the obscure jargon of education administration professionals that appears designed to create the illusion of science and action where there is neither. As a classic example, I present the Teaching and Learning Update from the October 2,
by mike simpson / 7h 
Say it in any language you want - Latinos need a voice in the U.S. education debate - The Hechinger Report
Say it in any language you want - Latinos need a voice in the U.S. education debate - The Hechinger Report: Say it in any language you want – Latinos need a voice in the U.S. education debateDígalo en cualquier idioma que quieras - latinos necesitan una voz en el debate sobre la educación de EE.UU.In this photo taken May 22, 2010, Brownie Sibrian, soon to graduate from Whittier College, gives a va
by mike simpson / 7h 
Parent group sues for $583; Beaverton School District plans to fight it | OregonLive.com
Parent group sues for $583; Beaverton School District plans to fight it | OregonLive.com: Parent group sues for $583; Beaverton School District plans to fight itAfter giving an angry speech at the Beaverton School Board meeting about a lack of accountability, parent Linda Nezbeda walked out, and a process server stood up and served Superintendent Jeff Rose with a lawsuit.Beaverton Community for Ed
by mike simpson / 7h 
State labor panel to file injunction in charter school unionization push - LA Times
State labor panel to file injunction in charter school unionization push - LA Times: State labor panel to file injunction in charter school unionization push California's labor oversight board said it intends to file for an injunction to prohibit one of the state's largest charter organizations from interfering with efforts to unionize teachers.Leaders of United Teachers Los Angeles had asked the
by mike simpson / 7h 
Keeping Black Men In Front Of The Class : NPR Ed : NPR
Keeping Black Men In Front Of The Class : NPR Ed : NPR: Keeping Black Men In Front Of The ClassOf all the teachers in the U.S., only 2 percent are black and male. That news is bad enough. But it gets worse: Many of these men are leaving the profession.Just last month, a new study found that the number of black teachers in the public schools of nine cities dropped between 2002 and 2012. In Washingt
by mike simpson / 7h 
4LAKids - OVERCROWDING, CLASSROOM SIZE OUTRAGE IN LAUSD SCHOOLS MAY FORCE PARENTS TO FILE COMPLAINT AGAINST DISTRICT + smf’s 2¢
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: OVERCROWDING, CLASSROOM SIZE OUTRAGE IN LAUSD SCHOOLS MAY FORCE PARENTS TO FILE COMPLAINT AGAINST DISTRICT + smf’s 2¢: OVERCROWDING, CLASSROOM SIZE OUTRAGE IN LAUSD SCHOOLS MAY FORCE PARENTS TO FILE COMPLAINT AGAINST DISTRICT + smf’s 2¢Parents, teachers and students at Hamilton High said Monday that they may be forced to file a complaint against LAUSD a
by mike simpson / 8h 
The Movement Against Sexist and Discriminatory School Dress Codes - The Atlantic
The Movement Against Sexist and Discriminatory School Dress Codes - The Atlantic: The Sexism of School Dress CodesThese policies can perpetuate discrimination against female students, and LGBT students as well.Maggie Sunseri was a middle-school student in Versailles, Kentucky, when she first noticed a major difference in the way her school’s dress code treated males and females. Girls were discipl
by mike simpson / 8h 
4LAKids - FIRST PUBLIC MEETING TO PICK A NEW L.A. SCHOOLS CHIEF IS SMALL BUT GETS LIVELY + schedule for future meetings
4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: FIRST PUBLIC MEETING TO PICK A NEW L.A. SCHOOLS CHIEF IS SMALL BUT GETS LIVELY + schedule for future meetings: FIRST PUBLIC MEETING TO PICK A NEW L.A. SCHOOLS CHIEF IS SMALL BUT GETS LIVELY BY HOWARD BLUME | L.A. TIMES | HTTP://LAT.MS/1JYKQACOct 20, 2015  7:36 AM  ::  The nation’s second-largest school district invited the public Monday to talk about wh
by mike simpson / 8h 
9 Promises Common Core Has Already Broken
9 Promises Common Core Has Already Broken: 9 Promises Common Core Has Already BrokenThe establishment wants you to think Common Core is a shiny legacy for departing Education Secretary Arne Duncan. Nothing close. Education may be the area of government policy most rife with fantasy. Reality beats it back periodically, and we’re entering another such stretch currently, as Common Core supporters’ fa
by mike simpson / 8h 
Why Iowa's graduation rate is so much higher than California's - LA Times
Why Iowa's graduation rate is so much higher than California's - LA Times: Why Iowa's graduation rate is so much higher than California'sCalifornia’s high school graduation rate has improved in the last five years, moving from 74.7% in 2010 to 81% in 2013-14. According to data released Monday, California is one of 36 states that improved their graduation rates between 2012-13 and 2013-14.But Calif
by mike simpson / 8h 
Trial of failed charter-schools chief begins | The Columbus Dispatch
Trial of failed charter-schools chief begins | The Columbus Dispatch: Trial of failed charter-schools chief beginsThe head of two failed Columbus charter schools who is accused of stealing $7,500 in state education aid intends to call Ohio Superintendent of Public Instruction Richard Ross to testify at his trial, which got under way yesterday.An attorney for Andre Tucker, who founded the two Talen
by mike simpson / 8h 
Barbara Madeloni’s Battle Against Charter Schools | Radio Boston
Barbara Madeloni’s Battle Against Charter Schools | Radio Boston: Barbara Madeloni’s Battle Against Charter SchoolsLast week, Gov. Baker introduced his bill to expand charter schools in the state. While the charter school debate is nothing new in Massachusetts, longtime charter school advocates like John Connolly, co-founder of the education startup 1647, say it’s different this year. In fact, he
by mike simpson / 8h 

YESTERDAY

Jason France’s Leadership in the Common Core Fight in Louisiana and Why He is the Best Candidate in District 6 | Crazy Crawfish's Blog
Jason France’s Leadership in the Common Core Fight in Louisiana and Why He is the Best Candidate in District 6 | Crazy Crawfish's Blog: Jason France’s Leadership in the Common Core Fight in Louisiana and Why He is the Best Candidate in District 6Big Education Ape: NPE Endorses Jason France, AKA Crazy Crawfish, for BESE – The Network For Public Educationhttp://bit.ly/1TXoLG8One of the re-occurring
by mike simpson / 18h 
Kevin Johnson Wants Certain People To Not Talk About Kevin Johnson
Kevin Johnson Wants Certain People To Not Talk About Kevin Johnson: Kevin Johnson Wants Certain People To Not Talk About Kevin JohnsonIt’s no secret that Kevin Johnson wants certain girls and women to keepwhat they have to say about him to themselves. Some of what the former NBA superstar and current scandal-magnet mayor of Sacramento, Calif. is willing to do to convince them is well-known; some l
by mike simpson / 19h 
A bad day for Ras Baraka–and public education in Newark | Bob Braun's Ledger
A bad day for Ras Baraka–and public education in Newark | Bob Braun's Ledger: A bad day for Ras Baraka–and public education in NewarkWas the mayor set up?The Newark Central Planning Board, with the apparent approval of Mayor Ras Baraka, voted 8-1 to allow the charter school chain, Uncommon Schools, to build a new charter school literally within sight of City Hall.  One member of the board told thi
by mike simpson / 19h 
What the Washington State Supreme Court Decision on Charter Schools Achieved | The Progressive
What the Washington State Supreme Court Decision on Charter Schools Achieved | The Progressive: What the Washington State Supreme Court Decision on Charter Schools Achieved Dora Taylor"Washington Capitol Temple Of Justice" by Cacophony The Washington State Supreme Court ruled on September 4, 2015 that charter schools are not "common schools" and therefore cannot be funded by co
by mike simpson / 20h 
Mitchell Chester Wants to Create a PARCC-MCAS Hybrid | deutsch29
Mitchell Chester Wants to Create a PARCC-MCAS Hybrid | deutsch29: Mitchell Chester Wants to Create a PARCC-MCAS HybridFrom Massachusetts, where the commissioner of education, Mitchell Chester, chairs the PARCC consortium and the state is supposed to choose between the state test, MCAS, and PARCC on November 17, 2015:Chester suggests… an MCAS-PARCC hybrid???Birthed from the self-serving womb of pol
by mike simpson / 20h 
Big money to BESE elections: $3.5 million to PACs and counting | NOLA.com
Big money to BESE elections: $3.5 million to PACs and counting | NOLA.com: Big money to BESE elections: $3.5 million to PACs and countingEli Broad, right, arrives with his wife Edythe at the September opening of their museum in Los Angeles. Broad also takes a major interest in public education, and Louisiana's campaign coffers show it: he's given $250,000 to Baton Rouge businessman Lane Grigsby's
by mike simpson / 21h 
Philanthrocapitalism: A Self-Love Story | The Nation
Philanthrocapitalism: A Self-Love Story | The Nation: Philanthrocapitalism: A Self-Love StoryWhy do super-rich activists mock their critics instead of listening to them?n 1961, two and a half years after taking power, Fidel Castro gave a celebrated speech to the Cuban artistic and cultural elite that came to be known as “Words to the Intellectuals.” “What are the rights of revolutionary or nonrevo
by mike simpson / 21h 
Derechos civiles, y discriminación: cómo los exámenes estandarizados (parte I ) Cómo los exámenes estandarizados afectan a los estudiantes de minorías - Puntos de Vista
Derechos civiles, y discriminación: cómo los exámenes estandarizados (parte I ) Cómo los exámenes estandarizados afectan a los estudiantes de minorías - Puntos de Vista: Derechos civiles, y discriminación: cómo los exámenes estandarizados (parte I ) Cómo los exámenes estandarizados afectan a los estudiantes de minoríasPor Julie Woestehoff/HispanEduca-PUNTOS DE VISTALa organización FairTest publicó
by mike simpson / 21h 
NYC Public School Parents: Are 5,485 classes this fall that violate the union contractual class sizes a cause to celebrate?
NYC Public School Parents: Are 5,485 classes this fall that violate the union contractual class sizes a cause to celebrate?: Are 5,485 classes this fall that violate the union contractual class sizes a cause to celebrate?Update:  I'm quoted in the Daily News, Chalkbeat, and Schoolbook.Today, Michael Mulgrew, the President of the UFT,  organized a press conference on the steps of Tweed about class
by mike simpson / 21h 
Paradigms are Made for Shifting | Creative by Nature
Paradigms are Made for Shifting | Creative by Nature: Paradigms are Made for Shifting“A new type of thinking is essential if mankind is to survive and move toward higher levels…” ~Albert Einstein, N.Y. Times, 1946Life is a creative self-organizing process. Every “thing” that exists is actually a dynamic system that’s constantly moving and changing, less a static “thing” than a process in action. G
by mike simpson / 23h 
Who's Who in the Education Wars? - Badass Teachers Association
Badass Teachers Association: Who's Who in the Education Wars?by Mitchell Robinson, Member of the BAT Leadership Teamoriginally published on his blog: http://www.mitchellrobinson.net/2015/10/17/who-s-who-in-the-education-wars/A recent blog post from Sam Chaltain suggested that what he terms "the battle of the edu-tribes" is finally nearing an end, and both sides of the reform debate (Mr.
by mike simpson / 23h 
Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 10/19 /15
CORPORATE ED REFORMFirst Look Media’s Press Freedom Litigation Fund Provides Grant to Sacramento News & Review - First Look Media - First Look MediaFirst Look Media’s Press Freedom Litigation Fund Provides Grant to Sacramento News & Review - First Look Media - First Look Media: First Look Media’s Press Freedom Litigation Fund Provides Grant to Sacramento News & ReviewToday, First Look
by mike simpson / 23h











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NY Commish wants to hear from YOU….maybe….. | Round the Inkwell

NY Commish wants to hear from YOU….maybe….. | Round the Inkwell:

NY Commish wants to hear from YOU….maybe…..






Today Mary Ellen Elia, the New York Commissioner, sent out this letter.  She said she wants to hear from parents and educators about the Common Core.  I clicked on the link, but I cannot find the survey.  I searched the site.  Are we playing Hide the Bacon, or is there just a survey I can’t find?  Can you find it?



Colleagues,



The past five years have brought a lot of changes to your classrooms. I know the implementation of the Common Core Standards has been a challenging transition. I know changes need to be made, and I thank you for your patience. Any time you endeavor the size of the reforms we’re making in New York State, you must make adjustments large and small along the way in order to move forward.



It’s time for us to step back and assess where we are and where we should be going. You work with students every day. You know what’s working and what’s not. Your classrooms are the front line in our struggle to help our students aim higher.



The New York State Education Department tomorrow will launch an online survey that will allow New Yorkers to provide detailed feedback on the State’s English Language Arts (ELA)/Literacy and Math Common Core Learning Standards for prekindergarten through grade 12. Teachers, administrators, school board members, parents, the business community, and anyone with an interest in the future of our schools should participate in the review.



The survey, which can be found at www.NYSED.gov, allows respondents to review and comment on any ELA and math standard for any grade level. The survey will be open untilNovember 30, 2015, and the results will help inform changes made to the standards. An advisory group – made up of stakeholders, particularly teachers, school administrators, and parents – will review the survey results and recommendations and present suggested changes to the standards.



As educators who work with students every day, your comments NY Commish wants to hear from YOU….maybe….. | Round the Inkwell:
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BAT Fall Fundraising Drive – Please Support Our Mission and Message - BATS

BATS:

BAT Fall Fundraising Drive – Please Support Our Mission and Message



Be a BAT Supporter—Donate today as we kick off our fall fundraising drive.  Based on the last 2 days of events (Duncan Resignation & NEA Recommendation of Hillary), we hope to do a fall campaign that will see us buying either newspaper ads, billboards, or radio ads to get our message out about the attempt by billionaires to destroy public education!  We can’t do that without your help! 
Why should you be a BAT Supporter?  Here is why!
1.  Successful rally outside the USDOE in Summer of 2014 that led to a meeting with Secretary Duncan.  We were able to be brutally honest with him regarding the USDOE’s education agenda. 
 
2.  Summer of 2015 BATs headed back to DC for the BATs Teacher Congress.  The highlight of the event was that BATs from over 25 states convened on Capitol Hill with over 61 appointments to discuss education, children, and funding equity.   6 brave BATs occupied Bernie Sanders office which led to a lengthy phone call with one of his education advisors.  BATs meet and escorted Jesse Turner into DC after he walked 400 miles from Connecticut to DC to bring to light the attack on our public schools.  BATs also partnered with United Opt Out and Save Our Schools in a Mock Trial of Eli Broad, Rahm Emanuel, Campbell Brown, and Arne Duncan that was broadcast by Education Town Hall Radio. 
 
3.  Also, at the BAT Congress our Quality of Life Workplace Team met with the USDOE about teacher working conditions in this country.  This meeting happened due to the partnership between the BATs Quality of Workplace Team and AFT on a study in which  over 90,000 teachers filled out (30,000 completing) on the quality/working conditions of the teaching workplace.  See here for the full report
http://www.aft.org/sites/default/files/worklifesurveyresults2015.pdf
 
4.  As a result of our Quality of  Workplace Team, an amendment was written into the ESEA Reauthorization bill to study and assess school conditions for children and teachers. 
 
4.  BATs have presented at some of the biggest education conferences in the nation.  Roots Camp, Netroots, AFT TEACH, and Network for Public Education.
 
5.  BATs have a strong and vocal caucus in the NEA (NEA BAT Caucus) which now has over 200 members and who dropped  17 NBIs this year with  10 were approved.    BATs will be applying for an AFT Caucus this year, so we will have caucuses in both major unions.
 
6.  BATs continues to be a strong presence on social media, specifically twitter, where many of their campaigns highlights the attack on our public school children, our communities, and our teachers.  See #evaluatethat  #whatif  and the hijacking of the #EmployeeFreedom hashtag that Right to Work groups were going to use to tout the fact that educators could not join unions. 
 
7.  BATs appears on radio frequently.  Education Town Hall, The Rick Smith Show, The Jeff Santos Show, and Just Let Me Teach allow rank and file educators from BATs extend their voice over the airwaves to the general public and the nation.  
 
8.  BATs continues to support and partner with other organizations around the country in the fight for equity and public education.  We have proudly partnered with Network for Public Education, United Opt Out, and Save our Schools.
 
9.  Our state BATs groups have mobilized for on the ground action to bring to light the attacks on public education children, schools, and teachers.  Our WA BATs have protested the Gates Foundation, our Oregon BATs protested Pearson, our Nevada BATs held a large rally in Las Vegas about the attacks on the teaching profession, our Florida BATs protested the Jeb Bush education summit, our NY BATs continue to work with NYSAPE and other parent coalitions to demonstrate regularly – the latest was a protest against Gov. Cuomo at the NY State Fair, our Ohio BATs were a strong force in a protest when Gov. Kasich announced his presidential bid.  BATs are everywhere!
 
10.  BATs will be filing an amicus brief to the Supreme Court in the case of Friedrichs vs. CTA.  This is the case that could essentially make us a Right to Work NATION!
 
11.  BATs have been featured in over 200 news articles from the Washington Post, to the New York Times, Time Magazine,  and the Huffington Post.   Google us!
 
What is this letter asking of you today?  We are asking you to be a supporter of our work.  We do not take money from large foundations but we rely on our friends in this fight and on people like you to support our work.  Much of what we do costs money.  We need funds to continue to operate our website, buy supplies, push out mailings, conduct robo calls, hold our yearly event, apply to conferences so that we can spread the BAT message, register BAT panels at education conferences around the nation, and to continue to get our message out in a variety of venues.   We look to the future of BATs as unlimited possibilities.  We look to being able to buy ads in major papers to counter the rhetoric of corporate education reform, we look to the possibility of buying moving ads to get our message out about the attacks on public education, we look to the possibility of buying billboards so that the general public can see in full view that their public schools are under attack by the 1% for profit.  Our future has no limits if we have the revenue to do it.  So, won’t you please be a supporter of our work?

Do you believe in our message?  If so, please support it.   We are now a 501(c ) 4 and have a structure built for success.  See here  http://badassteachers.blogspot.com/2015/10/big-bat-surprise-month-bats-became-501c4.html   (*donations ARE NOT tax deductible)

What will you get?  We will be listing all of our supporters on our website for all to see at the end of this fundraising drive!

We hope that you will consider being a BAT supporter because that will tell us  you believe in our work.  At the end of our Fall Fundraising Drive (October 31) we will be putting all our supporter names on our BATs Wall of Supporters.  We hope you will consider placing your name and/or your organization on that wall.  You can donate on our website by clicking the PayPal donate button at the top left of this page. You can also send a check made out to The Badass Teachers Association, Inc,  P.O. Box 1390, Bellmore, NY 11710.   Thanks for being a supporter, you will NOT regret it. 
 
In Solidarity BATS:
Marla Kilfoyle, Executive Director
Melissa Tomlinson, Asst. Executive Director BATS:

September 2015
Dudley aka Origin
"September 2015" by Dudley aka Origin. Released: 2015.
00:00 / 01:38
  • 1. September 201501:37







BATS:
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Charters: Illusion of Change? feat. @PedroANoguera et al. | Cloaking Inequity

Charters: Illusion of Change? feat. @PedroANoguera et al. | Cloaking Inequity:

Charters: Illusion of Change? feat. @PedroANoguera et al. 



What is typically different about charter schools and traditional schools both on a national level and to some extent locally? Teachers’ Democracy Project filmmakers answer this question in the new short documentary film “Charters: The Illusion of Change”
A few months ago, I visited Washington DC to attend a Latino Leadership Weekend conference that was held at the University of Maryland Business School. During one of the breaks at the conference, I had the chance to sit down with Teachers’ Democracy Project filmmakers from the Baltimore area and discuss charter schools for their short documentary film.
Here is what the Teachers’ Democracy Project filmmakers had to say about “Charters: The Illusion of Change”:
It explores issues of school autonomy, community control, accountability, choice, funding formulas, and equity issues.  The goal of the film is to help teachers, communities and education advocates understand the issues at stake as we face new legislation that could change the landscape for charter schools and create a favorable environment for corporate charter chains to come to our state.  The video is not intended as a critique of small, mom and pop charters—many of which were started by teachers and local education activists.  Rather it makes the case that we should be protecting teacher rights and making sure that all schools have equitable funding, and working for curricular autonomy for all schools.
I am honored to appear alongside  et al. in “Charters: The Illusion of Change” available now for free on 
COMING SOON: A new geo-spatial analysis of charter segregation of ELLs and other special populations in the Stanford Law and Policy Review.
For all of Cloaking Inequity’s posts on charters click here.
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.
Twitter: @ProfessorJVH


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Choosing Democracy: Charter Schools Fuel Inequality and Hinder School Reform

Choosing Democracy: Charter Schools Fuel Inequality and Hinder School Reform:

Charter Schools Fuel Inequality and Hinder School Reform



Charter school interests led by the Broad Foundation have recently unveiled an expansion plan called “The Great Public Schools Now”. This plan is proposing a huge increase of privately operated schools within the Los Angeles School District with the creation of 260 new charters during the next eight years at a cost of 490 million-dollars. The approval and implementation of such a plan would eventually double the number of LAUSD students attending privately operated charter schools and this would comprise almost half of the LAUSD’s students. According to this plan such a massive expansion of charters would also require the services of about 5000 teachers to staff these new schools, however, the
Real estate billionaire Eli Broad and his charter foundation want to privatize half of the public schools within the LAUSD.
Real estate billionaire Eli Broad and his charter foundation want to privatize half of the public schools within the LAUSD.
proposal makes no mention of recruiting any teachers presently employed by LA Unified who are unionized and generally more experienced. Instead, this Broad Foundation plan proposes to hire recent college graduates as its instructors who will be trained by ‘Teach for America’and other private groups. These young college graduates and prospective charter teachers are generally inexperienced, paid less and non-union, all of which keep business costs down for the privately operated charters. If the Broad plan is approved and implemented, this loss of tens of thousands of students to these new charter schools could possibly result in the elimination of  thousands of jobs for LA District’s teachers, administrators and non-teaching employees. The reaction of the present school board to this proposal has been mixed. Charters are businesses that privately operate public schools and use public school sites and tax monies to fund their for-profit operations. The first privately operated LAUSD charters were created and approved during the 1990’s by the school board which was under heavy pressure to reform the District’s schools. The Board’s rationale for this action was that the charters could provide a choice for parents and students to attend a school with a better educational program or a safer campus instead of their traditional home school. Rather than comprehensively reform and fix the regular schools at that time, this critical Board decision to approve Choosing Democracy: Charter Schools Fuel Inequality and Hinder School Reform:

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solidaridad: Looking back to OccupyLAUSD as the way forward

solidaridad: Looking back to OccupyLAUSD as the way forward:

Looking back to OccupyLAUSD as the way forward

Looking back to OccupyLAUSD as the way forward






"This is a call out to the 99% who live, work, play and learn in the Los Angeles Unified School District. It is time we Reclaim Our Schools from the 1% wealthy Billionaires (like Eli Board, Gates, and Walton) and Corporate Management Companies who continue to set educational policies of school giveaways, increases in corporate charter schools, and constant school lay-offs." — OccupyLAUSD



Four years ago today activists stood up to neoliberal bagman John Deasy, his ‪#‎NPIC‬ backers including the United Way of Greater Los Angeles, and his corporate charter ‪#‎LAUSD‬ BOE enablers Monica Garcia and Tamar Galatzan. We demanded they rescind their draconian budget that eliminated Adult Education, SRLDP, EECs, and K-12 Arts. In conjunction with the OccupyLA movement, OccupyLAUSD camped in front of Beaudry for weeks. Surviving the elements and constant ‪#‎LAPD‬ harassment, we were able to counterpose a solidaridad: Looking back to OccupyLAUSD as the way forward:
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The Secretary of Education Deform moves on | SocialistWorker.org

The Secretary of Education Deform moves on | SocialistWorker.org:

The Secretary of Education Deform moves on

Mark Friedman reports on the destructive legacy of Education Secretary Arne Duncan--and the equally awful resume of the man Barack Obama named to replace him.






WHEN ARNE Duncan announced that he would be stepping down as U.S. Secretary of Education this December, two words crossed the minds of thousands of supporters of public schools across the country: "good" and "riddance."
For the past seven years, Duncan has made the Obama White House the national headquarters for the movement promoting what critics refer to as "corporate school reform": a neoliberal agenda of austerity, privatization and union busting via charter schools, merit pay and tying teacher evaluations and school closures to standardized testing.
Unfortunately for the many parents, teachers and community organizations that would have liked to celebrate Arne's exit, Barack Obama quickly announced that Duncan would be replaced by John King, a former charter school director who is most famous for provoking the largest test boycott U.S. history during his time as New York state education commissioner--with his ham-fisted imposition of the Common Core curriculum and high-stakes standardized tests that go with it.
When Duncan was first appointed Secretary of Education in 2008, the national media referred to him as a "compromise choice" who could bring together teachers' unions with anti-union corporate reformers. But public education advocates in Chicago were already familiar with Duncan's record as the CEO of Chicago Public Schools.
"Duncan is being portrayed in the national media as a school administrator who had a 'good' relationship with the Chicago Teachers Union," wrote Jesse Sharkey, then a Chicago school teacher and now vice president of the CTU, in Socialist Worker. Sharkey continued:
The truth is quite different. Duncan pursued anti-labor policies by pushing nonunion charter and contract schools. He also imposed test-oriented, competitive schemes that force schools to close if they can't raise test scores above a certain level.
Yet he failed to implement the kinds of changes that really would improve student performance--such as smaller class sizes and expanded facilities to end overcrowding. Instead, special education teachers were laid off and budgets squeezed.
As Education Secretary, Duncan took his Chicago plan to the national stage with Race to the Top, a $4.35 billion dollar federal initiative consisting of federal grants designed to make states compete with each other to push privatization efforts, wrapped up in the rhetoric of "innovation and reform."
Under Duncan's watch, the Department of Education became a "hub of a network of policy advocates," as Sherman Dorn and Amanda U. Potterton put it in a recent Huffington Post article:
These reformers have largely consisted of private actors, including leaders of education nonprofits, charter school founders and other nontraditional school leaders whose essential resources for reform come from the private wealth of major foundations, an approach that Berkeley education professor Janelle Scott has termed "venture philanthropy."
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