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Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 10/21/15




CORPORATE ED REFORM




Busy Day at Uncle Eli's Recycle Bin: Broad names X-Louisiana ed chief to lead LA charter Take-over plan - LA School Report
Broad names former Louisiana ed chief to lead LA charter plan - LA School Report: Broad names former Louisiana ed chief to lead LA charter planThe Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation said todayPaul Pastorek, a former superintendent of public education in Louisiana who joined the foundation in an executive role earlier this year, has been appointed to lead the group’s efforts to expand charter schools 
by mike simpson / 34min 
“First, Do Not Prevent Learning” - Living in Dialogue
“First, Do Not Prevent Learning” - Living in Dialogue: “First, Do Not Prevent Learning”By Chris Thinnes.(A Review of Stuart Grauer’s Fearless Teaching, forthcoming Jan. 2016 from AERO)Is the teacher’s fundamental allegiance tothe school system…or to their students?Time after time in my work as a teacher,I’ve witnessed the sheer delight studentsand teachers take in doing nothing morethan circling a
by mike simpson / 1h 
Sesame Street's new muppet, Julia, has autism | News | Autism Speaks
Sesame Street's new muppet, Julia, has autism | News | Autism Speaks: Sesame Street's new muppet, Julia, has autismElmo and Abby Cadabby have a new friend and she is on the autism spectrum. Sesame Workshop has introduced Julia as part of their “Sesame Street and Autism: See Amazing in All Children” initiative.The goal of the program is to reduce the stigma associated with autism. A 2012 study by t
by mike simpson / 1h 
Education Reformer (Dr.) Mr. Terrence Carter loses again - Wait What?
Education Reformer (Dr.) Mr. Terrence Carter loses again - Wait What?: Education Reformer (Dr.) Mr. Terrence Carter loses againMr. Terrence Carter, who falsely called himself Dr. Carter arrived from Chicago, with the help of Special Master Steven Adamowski, to “save” the children of New London.  But having  lied about some of the most important aspects of his resume, including the fact that he was
by mike simpson / 1h 
2016 Educator Excellence Summit - Professional Standards (CA Dept of Education)
2016 Educator Excellence Summit - Professional Standards (CA Dept of Education): 2016 Educator Excellence Summit - Professional Standards The 2016 California Educator Excellence Summit will highlight the work of California’s local educational agencies (LEAs) as it relates to Greatness by Design: Supporting Outstanding Teaching to Sustain a Golden State. Our intention is to share promising practice
by mike simpson / 1h 
You REALLY Need to Shower: After Reading ONE MORE F***EDUP PRIVATIZED EDUCATION STORY - The Washington Post
The student loan scandal that just won’t die - The Washington Post: You REALLY Need to Shower  After Reading ONE MORE F***EDUP Corporatize PRIVATIZED EDUCATION STORYThe student loan scandal that just won’t dieWhen Jon H. Oberg was a researcher at the Department of Education 13 years ago, he discovered a loophole that let student loan companies reap hundreds of millions of dollars in excessive paym
by mike simpson / 1h 
Sacramento’s next mayor must balance local needs, national stature | The Sacramento Bee
Sacramento’s next mayor must balance local needs, national stature | The Sacramento Bee: Sacramento’s next mayor must balance local needs, national statureBY THE EDITORIAL BOARDThe shape of the 2016 mayor’s race – and the future of Sacramento politics – changed dramatically in the space of a few hours.Mayor Kevin Johnson announced he will not seek a third four-year term. Even before that blockbust
by mike simpson / 2h 
CURMUDGUCATION: Can edTPA Be Gamed?
CURMUDGUCATION: Can edTPA Be Gamed?: Can edTPA Be Gamed?Over at EdWeek, Steven Sawchuk is asking the musical question, "Are New Teacher Tests Vulnerable to Cheating?" I look forward to other tough-to-answer EdWeek articles like "Will the sun rise in the east tomorrow?" and "Does the Pope avoid bears in the woods?"The answer is, "Of course." edTPA (the "
by mike simpson / 2h 
Three-campus deal will keep Cohen in place, give Booker T. Washington to KIPP | The Lens
Three-campus deal will keep Cohen in place, give Booker T. Washington to KIPP | The Lens: Three-campus deal will keep Cohen in place, give Booker T. Washington to KIPPThe Recovery School District has awarded the yet-to-be-built $51 million Booker T. Washington High School to KIPP New Orleans Schools in an unexpected re-assignment of the building this week.KIPP was known to be in the market for a s
by mike simpson / 3h 
Charter School Black Hole: CMD Special Investigation Reveals Huge Info Gap on Charter Spending | PR Watch
Charter School Black Hole: CMD Special Investigation Reveals Huge Info Gap on Charter Spending | PR Watch: Charter School Black Hole: CMD Special Investigation Reveals Huge Info Gap on Charter Spending Madison, WI (CMD) – Today the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) is releasing a special report on its year-long investigation into charter schools spending in the United States. You can access the
by mike simpson / 4h 
North Carolina teacher exodus rises — despite efforts to halt attrition - The Washington Post
North Carolina teacher exodus rises — despite efforts to halt attrition - The Washington Post: North Carolina teacher exodus rises — despite efforts to halt attritionNorth Carolina has had a teacher turnover problem severe enough that the legislature last year passed a law to raise the salaries of some teachers to try to entice more to stay. But according to new state data, that rate rose in 2014-
by mike simpson / 6h 
Malloy Invites Bipartisan Budget Talks, Calls For Special Session - Wait What?
Malloy Invites Bipartisan Budget Talks, Calls For Special Session - Wait What?: Malloy Invites Bipartisan Budget Talks, Calls For Special SessionGovernor Dannel Malloy is calling for bipartisan budget talks and a special session to correct the problems in his state budget?If there was an award for the most apt headline of the year, it would go to CT Newsjunkie for their laugh-out-loud, stranger th
by mike simpson / 6h 
Newark: The day the dream died, Oct. 19, 2015–Part One | Bob Braun's Ledger
Newark: The day the dream died, Oct. 19, 2015–Part One | Bob Braun's Ledger: Newark: The day the dream died, Oct. 19, 2015–Part OneBaraka: What happened to Newark’s radical mayor?If a history of Newark public education is written, the date of Oct. 19, 2015, will go down as the day the dream died. It will be written up as the day the forces of selfishness and greed, as personified by the clown we i
by mike simpson / 6h 
How Good Schools and Good Intentions Widen the Achievement Gap - NEA Today
How Good Schools and Good Intentions Widen the Achievement Gap - NEA Today: How Good Schools and Good Intentions Widen the Achievement GapDebate around the achievement gap is usually dominated by issues such as urban poverty, segregation, and school funding. These factors unquestionably have an enormous impact on student outcomes, but why do disparities persist at well-funded, diverse and high-ach
by mike simpson / 7h 
CURMUDGUCATION: PA: Opt Out Bill Proposed
CURMUDGUCATION: PA: Opt Out Bill Proposed: PA: Opt Out Bill ProposedPA House Bill 1634 is as short as it is sweet. It adds the following language to the section of PA law that require the Keystone exams (our own version of the Big Standardized Test).(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, no child may be required to take a Keystone Exam if the parent or guardian of the chil
by mike simpson / 7h 
Russ on Reading: PARCC Test Results in NJ: Child Abuse on the Grand Scale
Russ on Reading: PARCC Test Results in NJ: Child Abuse on the Grand Scale: PARCC Test Results in NJ: Child Abuse on the Grand ScaleWell, the PARCC test results are out in New Jersey and to no one's surprise, the scores were low. Certainly the State Department of Education was not surprised, since they know that similar forms of the test had similar results in states like New York where an earlier
by mike simpson / 7h 
Baraka blasts critics for 'using our children' in charter school fight (VIDEO) | NJ.com
Baraka blasts critics for 'using our children' in charter school fight (VIDEO) | NJ.com: Baraka blasts critics for 'using our children' in charter school fight (VIDEO)NEWARK — A picture may be worth a thousand words, but it only took a few in a recent snapshot of Mayor Ras Baraka to cause a stir. The photo taken at a breast cancer rally on Sunday shows Baraka smiling with a number of girls dressed
by mike simpson / 7h 
Why The Democratic Presidential Debate Ignored Education | The Progressive
Why The Democratic Presidential Debate Ignored Education | The Progressive: Why The Democratic Presidential Debate Ignored EducationThe recent Democratic Party presidential debate in Las Vegas left many observers scratching their heads. Why did the candidates and their CNN hosts ignore K-12 education?Is education not important enough to merit discussion as a top national priority in 2016? The publ
by mike simpson / 7h 
Charter Grants from Arne Duncan Destabilize Under-Resourced Public Districts | janresseger
Charter Grants from Arne Duncan Destabilize Under-Resourced Public Districts | janresseger: Charter Grants from Arne Duncan Destabilize Under-Resourced Public DistrictsThere is growing evidence that we have a big problem with public money flowing to poorly regulated charter schools—schools that do a poor job of educating students and that find all sorts of ways to rip off the public and suck in ta
by mike simpson / 7h 
How a $100M Facebook Donation for Neoliberal School Reform Sparked a Grassroots Uprising in Newark | Democracy Now!
How a $100M Facebook Donation for Neoliberal School Reform Sparked a Grassroots Uprising in Newark | Democracy Now!: How a $100M Facebook Donation for Neoliberal School Reform Sparked a Grassroots Uprising in NewarkFive years ago, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg donated $100 million to fix the trouble-plagued schools of Newark, New Jersey. Joining forces with Republican Gov. Chris Christie and th
by mike simpson / 7h 
Gates’ “High Impact” Teacher Evaluation Process The Most Detrimental » Missouri Education Watchdog
Gates’ “High Impact” Teacher Evaluation Process The Most Detrimental » Missouri Education Watchdog: Gates’ “High Impact” Teacher Evaluation Process The Most DetrimentalAs school districts contemplate implementing the state recommended teacher evaluation system (aka, Marzano or Hazelwood plan) and the State Board of Education considers a “Report on District Alignment to the Essential Principles of
by mike simpson / 7h 
Education Research Report: Post-Katrina Education Reform Results Exaggerated
Education Research Report: Post-Katrina Education Reform Results Exaggerated: Post-Katrina Education Reform Results ExaggeratedA recent report from Public Impact and New Schools for New Orleans, Ten Years in New Orleans: Public School Resurgence and the Path Ahead, reviews the 10 years of education reform following Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, and the creation of a “portfolio model” of school
by mike simpson / 8h 
New Inglewood school district Broad Clone takes the helm | 89.3 KPCC
New Inglewood school district leader takes the helm | 89.3 KPCC: New Inglewood school district leader takes the helmVincent Matthews, the Inglewood Unified School District's new state administrator, got a warm welcome at a reception with parents, school staff, and civic leaders at the La Tijera Academy of Excellence Tuesday evening. “It’s an opportunity to build a rigorous, robust academic program
by mike simpson / 8h 
Alfie Kohn: Why teachers should reconsider their beliefs about learning - The Washington Post
Why teachers should reconsider their beliefs about learning - The Washington Post: Why teachers should reconsider their beliefs about learningHere is an examination of what teachers believe about students and learning and how those beliefs actually affect how they do their jobs. It was written by Alfie Kohn, author of 14 books on education, parenting, and human behavior, including, most recently, 
by mike simpson / 8h 
In 19 States, It's Okay To Hit Kids With A Wooden Board
In 19 States, It's Okay To Hit Kids With A Wooden Board: In 19 States, It's Okay To Hit Kids With A Wooden BoardLaws in place despite evidence public humiliation is ineffective.Terry sat in his middle school principal’s office knowing that in a few short minutes, he would be feeling the pain and humiliation of being paddled.No parent, administrator or teacher should find this scenario acceptable.
by mike simpson / 8h 
Kevin Johnson Will Not Run For Third Term As Sacramento Mayor
Kevin Johnson Will Not Run For Third Term As Sacramento Mayor: Kevin Johnson Will Not Run For Third Term As Sacramento MayorKevin Johnson announced late Tuesday that he won’t be running for a third term as mayor of Sacramento. Statement on decision not to seek reelection. pic.twitter.com/eQrxNc0y7T— Kevin Johnson (@KJ_MayorJohnson) October 21, 2015The decision comes amid a wave of recent publicity
by mike simpson / 9h 
Teach for America’s biggest problem isn’t green teachers or failing schools. It’s that it can’t take criticism. - The Washington Post
Teach for America’s biggest problem isn’t green teachers or failing schools. It’s that it can’t take criticism. - The Washington Post: Teach for America’s biggest problem isn’t green teachers or failing schools. It’s that it can’t take criticism.The organization spends millions defanging its critics without ever listening to their ideas.If you’ve taught your way through Teach For America like I ha
by mike simpson / 9h 
What Kind of Country Would California Be? Very Unequal - On California - Education Week
What Kind of Country Would California Be? Very Unequal - On California - Education Week: What Kind of Country Would California Be? Very UnequalWe have read in this blog that California is exceptional.  If California seceded from the union, it would surely be an exceptional nation...but in what way? Economically, California would rankeighth in the world, ahead of Canada, Italy, and Russia.  Our kno
by mike simpson / 9h 
EXCLUSIVE: Billionaires donate $2M to pro-charter group - NY Daily News
EXCLUSIVE: Billionaires donate $2M to pro-charter group - NY Daily News: EXCLUSIVE: Two hedge fund billionaires donate $1M each to pro-charter school advocacy group Families for Excellent SchoolsOfficials at Families for Excellent Schools have declined to name the nonprofit’s funders since it was founded in 2012.Two hedge fund billionaires dropped $1 million each on a controversial charter school
by mike simpson / 9h 
John Thompson: The Gates Plan Failed in Tulsa, Now What? | Diane Ravitch's blog - Linkis.com
John Thompson: The Gates Plan Failed in Tulsa, Now What? | Diane Ravitch's blog - Linkis.com: John Thompson: The Gates Plan Failed in Tulsa, Now What? John Thompson, historian and teacher, wonders why the Gates Foundation is so slow to recognize the failure of his teacher evaluation initiative and mitigate the damage he has done to so many teachers who were unjustly fired. Here is the case of Tuls
by mike simpson / 9h 
Marcos Breton: Angelique Ashby to run for mayor of Sacramento | The Sacramento Bee
Marcos Breton: Angelique Ashby to run for mayor of Sacramento | The Sacramento Bee: Marcos Breton: Angelique Ashby to run for mayor of SacramentoAngelique Ashby, the only woman on the City Council, will announce Wednesday that she is running for mayor of Sacramento.Ashby’s announcement comes as Mayor Kevin Johnson told The Sacramento Bee that he will not seek a record third term in office.“Ultimat
by mike simpson / 17h 

YESTERDAY

PBS News Hour: teacher is leading an opposition to ‘excessive testing’” |
PBS News Hour: “At a school with a history of social protest, this teacher is leading an opposition to ‘excessive testing’” | I AM AN EDUCATOR: PBS News Hour: “At a school with a history of social protest, this teacher is leading an opposition to ‘excessive testing’”By I AM AN EDUCATOR on October 20, 2015A Couple of weeks ago, Gwen Ifill and the PBS News Hour crew flew to Seattle.  They spent one
by mike simpson / 17h 
Mayor Kevin Johnson won’t seek re-election | The Sacramento Bee
Mayor Kevin Johnson won’t seek re-election | The Sacramento Bee: Mayor Kevin Johnson won’t seek re-electionSacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson will not seek a third term next year, The Sacramento Bee has learned.Johnson made the announcement in an email to The Bee late Tuesday, writing that “after much thought and soul-searching, (he has) decided not to run for a third term.”“It was an incredibly diffi
by mike simpson / 18h 
Seattle Schools Community Forum: The Alliance Doubles Down
Seattle Schools Community Forum: The Alliance Doubles Down: The Alliance Doubles DownUnbelievable but true.  Not only does the Alliance say - via a Times op-ed by CEO Sara Morris and Jon Bridge -  that the district is making a mistake in ending the relationship, they don't even admit they did a thing wrong. Kind of amazing considering that the district has been trying, for literally years and year
by mike simpson / 18h 
‘Friedrichs v. CTA’ – What you need to know about challenge to union dues | EdSource
‘Friedrichs v. CTA’ – What you need to know about challenge to union dues | EdSource: ‘Friedrichs v. CTA’ – What you need to know about challenge to union duesFriedrichs v. CTA: the Supreme Court Case That Could Destroy Labor Unions as We Know Them http://bit.ly/1OR9VSjSometime in early 2016, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments in Friedrichs v. the California Teachers Association et al., a
by mike simpson / 18h 
NewsHour stands by the report: PBS NewsHour Clarification | Press | PBS NewsHour
PBS NewsHour Clarification | Press | PBS NewsHour: PBS NewsHour ClarificationNewsHour stands by the reportOn October 12, 2015, the PBS NewsHour aired a report from veteran education reporter John Merrow, based on nearly a year of reporting, about suspension policies of young children and one successful charter school network in New York City. The NewsHour stands by the report. However, the CEO of
by mike simpson / 19h 
RAINIER BEACH HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS’ TOWN HALL EVENT | Seattle Education
RAINIER BEACH HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS’ TOWN HALL EVENT | Seattle Education: RAINIER BEACH HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS’ TOWN HALL EVENTTown Hall: Student Voices on Transportation & EducationAn evening of storytelling and collective actionWhen: Thursday October 22nd 6-8 PMWhere: Rainier Beach High School, Performing Arts Center    8815 Seward Park Ave S. Seattle, WA 98115Who: Students, Parents, Teachers,
by mike simpson / 19h 
BreakBeat Poets! by Krish Lingala | Bill Ayers
BreakBeat Poets! by Krish Lingala | Bill Ayers: BreakBeat Poets! by Krish Lingala Poets Quraysh Ali Lansana and Kevin Coval discussed their new book “The Breakbeat Poets: New American Poetry in the Age of Hip Hop” with educator and activist Bill Ayers at the Seminary Co-op Bookstore in Hyde Park last Sunday afternoon.“The Breakbeat Poets,” edited by Coval, Lansana and Chicago poet Nate Marshall, g
by mike simpson / 19h 
This Is What Has To Be Done [#WhyIWrite] | The Jose Vilson
This Is What Has To Be Done [#WhyIWrite] | The Jose Vilson: This Is What Has To Be Done [#WhyIWrite]I had the honor and pleasure of having my superintendent visit my classroom today. The first time didn’t go so well. The students were wrapping up group project business, but, to the naked eye, it might have looked like the kids were winding down the school year leisurely. Since then, I’ve had a phr
by mike simpson / 20h 
Economist Raj Chetty’s Proposals on Inequality Draw Interest on Both Sides of the Political Aisle - WSJ
Economist Raj Chetty’s Proposals on Inequality Draw Interest on Both Sides of the Political Aisle - WSJ: Economist Raj Chetty’s Proposals on Inequality Draw Interest on Both Sides of the Political AisleHarvard economist Raj Chetty believes bad neighborhoods and bad teachers rob poor children of the chance to climb into the middle class. PHOTO: BOB DAVIS/THE WALL STREET JOURNALCAMBRIDGE, Mass.—In a
by mike simpson / 20h 
Mitchell Chester, PARCC Consortium Chair, Turns His Back on PARCC | deutsch29
Mitchell Chester, PARCC Consortium Chair, Turns His Back on PARCC | deutsch29: Mitchell Chester, PARCC Consortium Chair, Turns His Back on PARCCMassachusetts Commissioner of Education Mitchell Chester has been pushing for PARCC assessments in Massachusetts. Chester is the chair of the PARCC consortium. As a member of PARCC’s governing board, he was supposed to have his state signed on for PARCC as
by mike simpson / 21h 
Jersey Jazzman: Christie's Pension Plan Won't Work?! I'm So Shocked...
Jersey Jazzman: Christie's Pension Plan Won't Work?! I'm So Shocked...: Christie's Pension Plan Won't Work?! I'm So Shocked... Well, duh:A new report from a Wall Street rating agency warns that Gov. Chris Christie's seemingly dormant plan to overhaul government worker pension and health benefits to save the state billions of dollars could come at a risk to school districts if Christie's proposed r
by mike simpson / 22h 
Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 10/20/15
CORPORATE ED REFORMNY Commish wants to hear from YOU….maybe….. | Round the InkwellNY 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 sea
by mike simpson / 1d 













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Busy Day at Uncle Eli's Recycle Bin: Broad names X-Louisiana ed chief to lead LA charter Take-over plan - LA School Report

Broad names former Louisiana ed chief to lead LA charter plan - LA School Report:
Broad names former Louisiana ed chief to lead LA charter plan


The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation said todayPaul Pastorek, a former superintendent of public education in Louisiana who joined the foundation in an executive role earlier this year, has been appointed to lead the group’s efforts to expand charter schools in Los Angeles Unified.
Pastorek, a former general counsel to NASA, joined the Broad foundation as co-executive director of the education team, to serve along with Gregory McGinity, a former education policy consultant with the California Board of Education. Now, Pastorek is taking on a leadership role with the plans for Los Angeles.
“We have asked Paul to lead our foundation’s involvement in this particular initiative for the next several months, working closely with other funders and community organizations, until we ensure any plan reflects community and family needs for quality public schools,” the Broads said in a letter to “Friends” that was distributed today.
Few issues have roiled the LA Unified community more than the foundation’s plan to expand the number of charter schools in the district. An early report by the foundation said the goal is to serve as many as half the students in the district in 230 newly-created charter schools within the next eight years, an effort that would cost nearly half a billion dollars. 
It’s also a plan that district officials have said would eviscerate public education as it is now delivered by LA Unified. The LA teachers union, UTLA, has also attacked the Broad names former Louisiana ed chief to lead LA charter plan - LA School Report:

 Big Education Ape: New Inglewood school district Broad Clone takes the helm | 89.3 KPCC http://bit.ly/1Xlao24

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“First, Do Not Prevent Learning” - Living in Dialogue

“First, Do Not Prevent Learning” - Living in Dialogue:

“First, Do Not Prevent Learning”





By Chris Thinnes.
(A Review of Stuart Grauer’s Fearless Teaching, forthcoming Jan. 2016 from AERO)
Is the teacher’s fundamental allegiance to
the school system…or to their students?

Time after time in my work as a teacher,
I’ve witnessed the sheer delight students
and teachers take in doing nothing more
than circling around, eyes drawn together,
and discovering one another. Could this
be what the revolution looks like?
– Stuart Grauer
“The progressive educator,” Paulo Freire told us, “must always be moving out on his or her own, continually reinventing me and reinventing what it means to be democratic in his or her own specific cultural and historical context” (1997, cited in Darder, 2002, p. 5). Stuart Grauer, founder of The Grauer School and The Small Schools Coalition, honors this call to action in Fearless Teaching (2016, forthcoming from AERO), and leverages his experiences and insights from an admittedly privileged positionality to offer a unique lens on cultures of teaching and learning to which some of us may not have access, and in which some of us may fear to tread — partnering with Californian students on partnership excursions to small schools in Cuba, Korea, Navajo territory, Palestine, Panama, Tanzania, and many other places around the world.
At first Grauer’s strategy is disarming and discomforting, as it moves well past the conventional frames of “First, Do Not Prevent Learning” - Living in Dialogue:
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Sesame Street's new muppet, Julia, has autism | News | Autism Speaks

Sesame Street's new muppet, Julia, has autism | News | Autism Speaks:

Sesame Street's new muppet, Julia, has autism





Elmo and Abby Cadabby have a new friend and she is on the autism spectrum. Sesame Workshop has introduced Julia as part of their “Sesame Street and Autism: See Amazing in All Children” initiative.
The goal of the program is to reduce the stigma associated with autism. A 2012 study by the Interactive Autism Network found that a total of 63% of 1,167 children with ASD, ages 6 to 15, had been bullied at some point in their lives. Get our anti-bullying resources here.
The initiative also aims to educate kids as well as their parents on how to have successful interactions with kids on the spectrum. During Autism Awareness Month in April, 2014, Sesame Workshop teamed up with Autism Speaks for a PSA featuring co-Founders Bob and Suzanne Wright and Abby Cadabby - watch it below.
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Education Reformer (Dr.) Mr. Terrence Carter loses again - Wait What?

Education Reformer (Dr.) Mr. Terrence Carter loses again - Wait What?:

Education Reformer (Dr.) Mr. Terrence Carter loses again





Mr. Terrence Carter, who falsely called himself Dr. Carter arrived from Chicago, with the help of Special Master Steven Adamowski, to “save” the children of New London.  But having  lied about some of the most important aspects of his resume, including the fact that he wasn’t a “Dr.” after all, the New London Board of Education decided not to hire Mr. Carter.  In response, Mr. Carter sued the New London Board of Education.
How dare an elected group of citizens stand in the way of the Corporate Education Reform Industry!
So, in true American fashion, Mr. Carter sued.
And today a Connecticut judge laughed him right out of the courthouse.
Breaking news from the Courant’s Jon Lender and Kathy Megan- Judge Tosses Suit By New London School Chief Candidate, Saying He Misrepresented Credentials.
Terrence P. Carter, the highly touted Chicago educator whose selection as New London schools superintendent was rescinded after revelations that he had made false statements about his background and qualifications, has lost his lawsuit against the city’s board of education and its chairwoman.
Carter last year had sued the New London school board and its chairwoman, Margaret Curtin, alleging that they breached an agreement to hire him. But in a ruling dated Tuesday, New London Superior Court Judge Robert F. Vacchelli granted motions for summary judgment filed by the board and Curtin, throwing out the case in which Carter sought damages in an unspecified amount greater than $15,000.
[…]
The New London board had voted in mid-2014 to appoint Carter – amid widespread praise in the local community and press of Carter’s apparent 
Education Reformer (Dr.) Mr. Terrence Carter loses again - Wait What?:


Jason Morris for New London Board of Education





Jason Morris, running for the New London Board of Education on the Green Party line, deserves the vote of every person who cares about our children and our public schools.
If the charter school and corporate education reform industry’s unprecedented attack on public education has taught us one thing, it is the importance of having people on local boards of education who will stand up for our children, parents, teachers and public schools.
Sadly, the effort to undermine parents and teachers and turn public schools into little more than testing factories is taking place across the nation, but few communities have been hit has hard as New London, Connecticut.
And when New London students, parents and teachers needed their elected officials to stand up to politically motivated state intervention and privatization interests that its “Special Master” Steven Adamowski pushed, far too often, those officials turned away or worse, supported the disastrous policies that were being proposed.
But in a democracy, people have the ability to stand up and take back their government.
In a few weeks the voters of New London have just such an opportunity.
Jason Morris is one of few candidates in New London with the proven courage and conviction to stand up and make sure New London Public Schools are doing what is right for the community’s children rather than those who seek to profit off of our public schools.
Jason Morris has become an expert on what is wrong with the so-called education reforms that are crippling our schools.  His passion and commitment to make sure that all of New Jason Morris for New London Board of Education

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2016 Educator Excellence Summit - Professional Standards (CA Dept of Education)

2016 Educator Excellence Summit - Professional Standards (CA Dept of Education):

2016 Educator Excellence Summit - Professional Standards 





The 2016 California Educator Excellence Summit will highlight the work of California’s local educational agencies (LEAs) as it relates to Greatness by Design: Supporting Outstanding Teaching to Sustain a Golden State. Our intention is to share promising practices with the larger California education community to support LEAs to make research-aligned decisions regarding how they will spend their share of the $490 million in Educator Excellence funds included in the 2015 State Budget to improve their local professional learning systems.
The Summit will be hosted by the California Department of Education (CDE) in partnership with key California educational stakeholders.
The conference is designed for educators who will participate in building and improving professional learning systems in local educational agencies. Key educators will include County Offices of Education, local educational agency administrators, teachers, local labor representatives, coaches, key parent and community members, professional learning providers, and higher education colleagues who help ensure that all children meet California’s rigorous academic requirements.
California Educator Excellence Summit
Wednesday, January 20, 2016
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Registration

Registration will open soon! Please check back for more information and link to online registration platform on November 15, 2015.

Conference Location

California State University, Sacramento
6000 J Street
Sacramento, CA 95819

Request for Presenters

The Professional Learning Support Division of the CDE is now accepting proposals for the 2016 California Educator Excellence Summit. The CDE is seeking experienced and engaging presenters, and invites you to submit a formal proposal for review. Workshop topics should be relevant to the intent of the summit and align with the following conference strands: Recruiting and Distributing Excellent Educators to All Communities, Educator Preparation, Induction of Teachers and Leaders, Opportunities for Professional Learning, Educator Evaluation, and Leadership and Career Development.
Important Information
The completed Presenter Proposal Form and Presenter Assurances must be received by 5:00 p.m. on December 4, 2015, at the CDE Headquarters. CDE Headquarters is located at 1430 N Street, Suite 4309, Sacramento, CA 95814.
  • Incomplete and/or late proposals will not be reviewed.
  • The Lead Presenter is responsible for completing and submitting the Presenter Proposal Form.
  • All presenters are responsible for their own travel and lodging arrangements, reservations, cancellations, and expenses. Travel reimbursement per state travel regulations may be provided for presenters. More information on state travel regulations can be found on the California Department of Human Resources Travel Reimbursements Webpage External link opens in new window or tab..
  • Workshops will be 75 minutes in length.
  • Presenters are responsible for bringing handouts for at least 50 participants per workshop.
  • Submission of the workshop proposal acknowledges that, once accepted, it will be included in various official conference publications, including the 2016 CEES Web page, conference registration system, and conference program guide.
  • 2016 CEES organizers reserve the right to edit workshop titles and descriptions as necessary for conference publications and list workshops in different and/or multiple strands.
  • Selected presenters will be notified by Friday, December 18, 2015.
Request for Presenters Forms
Interested applicants must review and complete the following Presenter Proposal Form and Presenter Assurances for the 2016 California Educator Excellence Summit. To be considered completed forms must be received by 5:00 p.m. on December 4, 2015, at the CDE Headquarters. CDE Headquarters is located at 1430 N Street, Suite 4309, Sacramento, CA 95814.
Please submit any questions regarding the Call for Presenters to the Educator Excellence Office mailbox ateducatorexcellence@cde.ca.gov.
Questions:   Educator Excellence Office | educatorexcellence@cde.ca.gov | 916-445-7331
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You REALLY Need to Shower: After Reading ONE MORE F***EDUP PRIVATIZED EDUCATION STORIES - The Washington Post

The student loan scandal that just won’t die - The Washington Post:



You REALLY Need to Shower  After Reading ONE MORE F***EDUP Corporatize PRIVATIZED EDUCATION STORIES




The student loan scandal that just won’t die


When Jon H. Oberg was a researcher at the Department of Education 13 years ago, he discovered a loophole that let student loan companies reap hundreds of millions of dollars in excessive payments from the government.
His catch ultimately led to a whistle-blower lawsuit accusing several lenders of defrauding taxpayers. Some settled early on. Others had their cases dismissed as recent as January, giving the impression that the years of court battles were over. Not quite.
On Wednesday, an appeals court reversed an order that threw out the case against the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA), a company that collects and applies student loan payments for the government.
The decision puts the lawsuit back in play and dredges up a scandal that signaled the beginning of the end of a system that enriched financial firms at the expense of taxpayers.
Before President Obama’s makeover of the student loan system in 2010, the federal government was essentially a silent partner in a $60 billion program. Private lenders used their own money to finance student loans, but behind the scenes the government paid a portion of the interest to make the debt more affordable.
In the 1980s, the government guaranteed lenders a 9.5 percent return on loans financed by tax-exempt bonds. The guarantee became a windfall for lenders when interest rates fell. Congress eliminated the subsidy in 1993, but lenders quickly packaged new loans with old ones to keep getting the subsidy payments.
Oberg noticed that lenders were shuffling loan financing from one bond to another to increase the volume of loans that qualified for the subsidies. He said he warned his supervisors, but was rebuffed.
Other officials caught the federal waste, including the department’s inspector general. The watchdog concluded in 2006 that the government overpaid one lender, Nelnet, $278 million from 2003 to 2005. Nelnet disputed the findings and was allowed to keep the money, but settled the Oberg case for $55 million without admitting any wrongdoing.
In the case of PHEAA, the inspector general said the company received about $33 million in excessive payments, a charge the state-run nonprofit lender disputed. Just like Nelnet, PHEAA was allowed to keep the money, but still faced a legal fight from Oberg.
The lender argued that as an arm of the state of Pennsylvania it could not be sued for fraud under a law known as the False Claims Act. While the district court bought that argument, the appeals court concluded that lender is independent of the state.
PHEAA spokesman Keith New declined to comment on the ruling since the case is ongoing. Oberg’s lawyer, Christopher Mills, did not immediately respond requests for comment.
In the wake of the so-called 9.5 scandal, Democrats began calling for the government to only provide direct federal loans, a move that Obama eventually made when he entered office.
To manage its outsize portfolio of loans, the government gave contracts to some former lenders, including Nelnet, PHEA and Sallie Mae, to collect and apply borrower loan payments.
Want to read more about the student loans? Check out these stories:


Danielle Douglas-Gabriel covers the economics of education, writing about the financial lives of students from when they take out student debt through their experiences in the job market. Before that, she wrote about the banking industry.




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Sacramento’s next mayor must balance local needs, national stature | The Sacramento Bee

Sacramento’s next mayor must balance local needs, national stature | The Sacramento Bee:
Sacramento’s next mayor must balance local needs, national stature


BY THE EDITORIAL BOARD

The shape of the 2016 mayor’s race – and the future of Sacramento politics – changed dramatically in the space of a few hours.
Mayor Kevin Johnson announced he will not seek a third four-year term. Even before that blockbuster news late Tuesday, Councilwoman Angelique Ashby jumped into the race. Former state Senate leader Darrell Steinberg, who pledged not to run against Johnson, may not be far behind. Others could run as well.
Whoever the next mayor is needs to unify this city. For all his many strengths and successes,Johnson could be polarizing. Too often, the merits of his priorities became mired in those divisions.
He has been a national figure, serving as president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. After Johnson, Sacramento cannot go back to a parochial mayor better suited to a small city. We need someone who has the gravitas to lead the capital of the biggest, most ambitious state in the country.
At the same time, the next mayor must care deeply about local challenges and focus on the basics that make this city special.
After years of historically low violent crime, Sacramento is becoming more dangerous, especially in poor neighborhoods with gang activity. Public safety is job one. The next mayor must expand the effort to end homelessness, too.
The city needs to catch up on infrastructure, including upgrades to the storm drainage system and finally finishing installation of water meters. Further rate increases for customers could start next year. The city’s parks also need care and attention.
And the City Council must continue progress on controlling the costs of pensions and retiree health care, which are eating up more and more of the city budget.
With those additional costs looming, the city faces a “fiscal cliff” in 2019, the expiration date for a half-cent sales tax that has paid for putting more police on the street, hiring more firefighters and fixing up parks. It’s almost a sure thing that voters will be asked to renew the levy.
While Johnson’s decision arrived rather suddenly, it isn’t a complete surprise.
The writing was on the wall as early as last November, when voters rejected a ballot measure to give the mayor more power. More recently, a sports website revived two-decade-old allegations that he molested a teenage girl in Phoenix while he was an NBA player, and there was a new allegation that he sexually harassed a city employee.
He said Wednesday that the allegations didn’t influence his decision. In his announcement, he said he has “experienced the highest highs and the lowest lows” during his time in office.
About those highs, Johnson deserves credit for finding responsible new owners for the Kings and a reasonable financing plan for the new downtown arena. On his watch, City Hall is giving business people the confidence to invest in the central city.
When he took office in December 2008, Sacramento, like the rest of the country, was headed into a deep recession. He helped steer the city through painful budget cuts without eviscerating core services.
He pushed Sacramento to have bigger dreams. That’s no small feat.

Unless he decides to step down early – and his spokespeople say he has no plans to do so – Johnson has more than a year in office to get more done. Freed from the burden of campaigning, perhaps he’ll be even bolder. His final legacy to Sacramento isn’t written yet.Sacramento’s next mayor must balance local needs, national stature | The Sacramento Bee:


Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/editorials/article40681698.html#storylink=cpy
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CURMUDGUCATION: Can edTPA Be Gamed?

CURMUDGUCATION: Can edTPA Be Gamed?:

Can edTPA Be Gamed?






Over at EdWeek, Steven Sawchuk is asking the musical question, "Are New Teacher Tests Vulnerable to Cheating?" I look forward to other tough-to-answer EdWeek articles like "Will the sun rise in the east tomorrow?" and "Does the Pope avoid bears in the woods?"

The answer is, "Of course." edTPA (the "new teacher test" in question) is one more demonstration of the Law of Bad Assessment-- the more inauthentic the assessment and the more removed from what is actually being assessed, the easier it is to cheat.

edTPA does not assess an aspiring teacher's teaching skills. It assesses their skills in filling out the paperwork involved in edTPA. It assesses their ability to cough up a bunch of money to pay for the edTPA process. It assesses their ability to jump through the edTPA hoops in the exact manner preferred by the edTPA assessors.

All of these tasks are far removed from actually teaching a class. They are inauthentic measures of teaching skill, aptitude and knowledge, and they are all enormously gameable, and it was utterly and completely predictable, given the high stakes involved (will you get to be a teacher, or have you just wasted four years of your life and a buttload of money), that some business would emerge to CURMUDGUCATION: Can edTPA Be Gamed?:

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Three-campus deal will keep Cohen in place, give Booker T. Washington to KIPP | The Lens

Three-campus deal will keep Cohen in place, give Booker T. Washington to KIPP | The Lens:

Three-campus deal will keep Cohen in place, give Booker T. Washington to KIPP




The Recovery School District has awarded the yet-to-be-built $51 million Booker T. Washington High School to KIPP New Orleans Schools in an unexpected re-assignment of the building this week.
KIPP was known to be in the market for a site to start another high school, but the new facility had already been assigned to Cohen College Prep charter school.
In an unusual triple-swap arrangement letter sent Tuesday, RSD Superintendent Patrick Dobard said:
  • KIPP gets the Washington site,
  • KIPP will find its own financing to build a new school elsewhere, combining an elementary and middle school, and
  • Money once intended to fix those two KIPP schools will go to Cohen.
New Orleans College Prep CEO Ben Kleban is pleased with the outcome and said the changes were the result of an agreement between the district and two charter networks.
“We’re excited about it,” Kleban said. “I think this is going to be the best long-term solution for everyone involved.”
“The RSD has committed to build a new building at Cohen,” he said. “We know the funds that were originally estimated for (KIPP) Believe were about $21 million.”
It will take more than that to build a new Cohen, Kleban said, but the reconciliation process the district will go through with FEMA funding should help find up some additional funding.
Neither the leaders of KIPP New Orleans nor the Recovery School District returned calls for comment.
That resolution made reference to land within the “Bayou District.” Dobard’s letter confirms that KIPP is expected to build in the neighborhood of the former St. Bernard public housing complex, now known as Columbia Parc at the Bayou District.
The Recovery School District still controls a majority of schools in New Orleans, 10 years after taking over more than 100 public Three-campus deal will keep Cohen in place, give Booker T. Washington to KIPP | The Lens:
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Charter School Black Hole: CMD Special Investigation Reveals Huge Info Gap on Charter Spending | PR Watch

Charter School Black Hole: CMD Special Investigation Reveals Huge Info Gap on Charter Spending | PR Watch:
Charter School Black Hole: CMD Special Investigation Reveals Huge Info Gap on Charter Spending


Madison, WI (CMD) – Today the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) is releasing a special report on its year-long investigation into charter schools spending in the United States. You can access the full report "Charter School Black Hole" here.
CMD, a national investigative group that conducts in-depth investigations into the influence of corporations, trade groups, and PR firms on media and democracy, found that the public does not have ready access to key information about how their federal and state taxes are being spent to fuel the charter school industry since charters began almost 25 years ago.
Indeed, no one even knew how much the federal government had spent on its program designed to boost the charter sector. So CMD reviewed more than two decades of federal authorizations and appropriations to calculate the sum, which is now more than $3.7 billion—as noted in this new report. CMD also found that the federal government was not providing the public with a list of all the charter schools that received federal tax monies and how much.
CMD also found that many states have not provided the public with ready information about the amounts of federal funding each charter has received under the federal "Charter School Program" (CSP) for state education agencies (SEAs), and that most states have not provided the public with information about the amounts in state and federal tax dollars that have been diverted to charters rather than spent strengthening traditional public schools.
What is even more troubling is how difficult it is to find essential information on how some charters have spent federal and state tax dollars, even as governments continue to increase funding for charters while slashing funds for traditional public schools. Unlike truly public schools that have to account for prospective and past spending in public budgets provided to democratically elected school boards, charter spending of tax monies is too often a black hole.
This is the largely due to the way the charter industry has been built by proponents, favoring "flexibility" over rules. That flexibility has allowed an epidemic of fraud, waste, and mismanagement that would not be tolerated in public schools. Charters are often policed—if they are really policed at all—by charter proponents, both within government agencies and within private entities tasked with oversight as "authorizers" of charters.
In this investigation, CMD pursued numerous open records requests under federal or state law about how much federal CSP money had been given to charters and how that money was spent in 12 states. As a result, CMD found that public information about funds received and spent by charters is severely lacking. It also documented how little is known about spending by closed charters, and identified "ghost" schools, where federal grants were awarded to charters that never opened.
"The bottom-line is taxpayers know far too little about how much their federal tax dollars are being used to fund charters and there is far too little information provided by states about how tax monies are being spent by charters or by for-profit firms they are tied to," said Lisa Graves, Executive Director of CMD. "Neither the federal government nor the states require charters to publish that information on their websites and neither the federal or state governments we examined publish that information themselves. Even aside from serious questions about academic performance by charters—especially online charters—the lack of real accountability remains a real problem for kids and families, as more and more people and corporations have sought to get a piece of pie, a revenue stream from taxpayer money, to operate or assist charters."
Below are a few key findings from the report:
Michigan: In 2011 and 2012, $3.7 million in federal taxpayer money was awarded to 25 Michigan "ghost" schools that never even opened to students. The organizations behind these schools received at least $1.7 million, according to the state expenditure database. WestEd—a private company that contracts with the U.S. Department of Education to monitor how states comply with federal regulations—flagged this as a potential problem, but the agency did little to address the problem. After verbal assurances that this would not happen again, the federal agency assured the Michigan Department of Education "that there will not be any additional follow-up."
Ohio: Out of the 88 schools created by planning and implementation grants under CSP between 2008 and 2013, at least 15 closed within a few years; a further seven schools never even opened. These charters received more than $4
- See more at: http://www.prwatch.org/charter-school-black-hole#sthash.jpKY6vAv.dpuf


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North Carolina teacher exodus rises — despite efforts to halt attrition - The Washington Post

North Carolina teacher exodus rises — despite efforts to halt attrition - The Washington Post:

North Carolina teacher exodus rises — despite efforts to halt attrition






North Carolina has had a teacher turnover problem severe enough that the legislature last year passed a law to raise the salaries of some teachers to try to entice more to stay. But according to new state data, that rate rose in 2014-2015, and more teachers are leaving the state to teach elsewhere this academic year than last year.
A new draft report prepared for the General Assembly by the North Carolina Department of Education says the attrition rate in the last school year hit 14.84 percent, up from the 14.12 percent in 2013-2014.  It has risen four times in the past five years.
The reasons teachers have left their classrooms are grouped into five broad categories, according to the report:
  1. Teachers who left the LEA [local education agency] but remained in education
  2. Teachers who left the LEA for personal reasons
  3. Teachers who were terminated by the LEA
  4. Teachers who left the LEA for reasons beyond the LEA’s control
  5. Teachers who left the LEA for other reasons not listed above
Not included in the totals, the report says, are teachers who moved from one school to another school within the same school district. Included are international teachers required to return home after three years, and teachers hired through programs in which they promise to only work for two or three years, including Teach for America.
As Education Week noted in this story, the biggest turnover problem seems to be in the category of teacher dissatisfaction with their jobs. It says:
North Carolina lost about 2,700 teachers last year due to causes that suggest personal dissatisfaction with the state’s public schools, whether through outright exit from the profession, poaching by other states, or early retirement. That compares to about 2,245 teachers leaving for such reasons the year before, a 21 percent increase. North Carolina employed about 96,000 teachers during the 2014-2015 school year.
WUNC, North Carolina Public Radio, quoted State Superintendent June Atkinson as saying that lawmakers, who in 2014 raised the pay of new teachers to $35,000, should now do the same for veteran teachers. The state is now close to the bottom among states in teacher pay, according to U.S. data. It quoted Atkinson as saying:
“Now that we’ve done that, it really is important to look at our seasoned teachers, who have so much more to offer, and to see what we can do to keep them in the classroom.”
But it’s not just low pay that is driving some teachers from the state. It’s North Carolina teacher exodus rises — despite efforts to halt attrition - The Washington Post:
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Malloy Invites Bipartisan Budget Talks, Calls For Special Session - Wait What?

Malloy Invites Bipartisan Budget Talks, Calls For Special Session - Wait What?:

Malloy Invites Bipartisan Budget Talks, Calls For Special Session





Governor Dannel Malloy is calling for bipartisan budget talks and a special session to correct the problems in his state budget?
If there was an award for the most apt headline of the year, it would go to CT Newsjunkie for their laugh-out-loud, stranger than fiction, nine word summary of Governor Dannel Malloy’s latest budget ploy – Malloy Invites Bipartisan Budget Talks, Calls For Special Session
CT Mirror also did a great job cutting to the chase with, Malloy’s seeks new storyline with budget gambit.
The only thing better might have been a political cartoon of Governor Dannel Malloy holding the deflated budget in his hands with the tag line – who me?  (Go Patriots)
As the voters of Connecticut know, during the 2014 gubernatorial campaign Dannel Malloy promised that if the voters gave him a second term in office he would NOT RAISE TAXES, would not CUT VITAL SERVICES and would NOT SEEK CONCESSIONS from the state employee unions.
In the language of political spin, it was a combined “Morning in America” and “Read My Lips” moment.
But of course, once sworn back into office, Malloy raised taxes, cut vital services and passed a budget that was not only out of balance from the start but left the state of Connecticut with a biannual budget shortfall in excess of $1.6 Billion for fiscal years FY2018 AND FY2019.
YES – A DEFICIT OF $1.6 BILLION … $927 million deficit in FY 2018 and another deficit of $831 million in FY 2019.
And while Malloy is now calling for bi-partisan talks and a special session, as the title of Malloy Invites Bipartisan Budget Talks, Calls For Special Session - Wait What?:
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Newark: The day the dream died, Oct. 19, 2015–Part One | Bob Braun's Ledger

Newark: The day the dream died, Oct. 19, 2015–Part One | Bob Braun's Ledger:

Newark: The day the dream died, Oct. 19, 2015–Part One

Baraka: What happened to Newark's radical mayor?
Baraka: What happened to Newark’s radical mayor?




If a history of Newark public education is written, the date of Oct. 19, 2015, will go down as the day the dream died. It will be written up as the day the forces of selfishness and greed, as personified by the clown we in New Jersey call governor, defeated the last best hope of residents of the state’s largest city for a rebirth of a liberating public school system.
From now on, it’s everyone for himself or herself. If there aren’t enough lifeboats for the passengers on the  sinking ship known as Newark’s public schools, then, well, the strong and the connected and the opportunistic will survive and those burdened with disabilities and language problems will simply drown. That is, after all, the message of privately-operated, if publicly-funded, charter schools. Hooray for me, the hell with everyone else. Or, as the Brits would say, “I’ve got mine, Jack, screw you all.”
Of all the events of that day (and other events will be detailed in Part 2), the most dramatic were the acts of omission and commission of the city’s mayor, a man who called himself a radical and yet acts very much in the tradition of Newark mayors who know where the power is and are drawn to it, perhaps out of political necessity. Ras Baraka, as I am sure even Ras Baraka knows, would not be mayor of Newark today if he did not position himself as the uncompromising champion of traditional public education over the forces of privatization, including the big-money people who believe privately-run charter schools should be the 21st Century missionaries to the city of Newark–the big money people who tried to quash Baraka’s campaign and elect Shavar Jeffries.
I still remember Baraka’s angry yet somehow reassuring words months ago to small knots of men and women who needed someone to say what they believed. Those small knots grew and grew into an irresistible force powered by hope and Newark: The day the dream died, Oct. 19, 2015–Part One | Bob Braun's Ledger:
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