Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 11/19/15

CORPORATE ED REFORM

Appoints Tom Adams as Deputy Superintendent - Year 2015 (CA Dept of Education)

Appoints Tom Adams as Deputy Superintendent - Year 2015 (CA Dept of Education): State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Appoints Tom Adams as Deputy Superintendent to Succeed Lupita Cortez AlcaláSACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today announced he is appointing Tom Adams, currently Division Director at the California Department of Education (CDE), as Deputy Superintende

by mike simpson / 0min 

Negotiators Come to Agreement on Revising No Child Left Behind Law - The New York Times

Negotiators Come to Agreement on Revising No Child Left Behind Law - The New York Times: Negotiators Come to Agreement on Revising No Child Left Behind LawStudents taking part in a trial run of a new state assessment in Annapolis, Md., in February. The new test is linked to the Common Core standards, which Maryland adopted in 2010 under the federal No Child Left Behind law. Credit Patrick Semansky

by mike simpson / 22min 

Schools Matter: Doug Martin and Hoosier School Heist at Purdue University

Schools Matter: Doug Martin and Hoosier School Heist at Purdue University: Doug Martin and Hoosier School Heist at Purdue UniversityDoug Martin speaks on his book Hoosier School Heist at the Purdue Social Justice Coalition's November 12, 2015 event entitled “Exposé: The Profit Motive Behind Public Education Reform in Indiana.”   Introduction by Dr. Bill Mullen, a Purdue professor and writer for th

by mike simpson / 2h 

NYC Public School Parents: NY Chief Privacy Officer makes illegal threat to charge parent to access her child's data

NYC Public School Parents: NY Chief Privacy Officer makes illegal threat to charge parent to access her child's data: NY Chief Privacy Officer makes illegal threat to charge parent to access her child's dataThis letter,  sent today to Tina Sciochetti, NYS Chief Interim Privacy Officer, is reprinted with Allison White's permission.  Allison's testimony to the Cuomo Common Core Task Force on the nee

by mike simpson / 3h 

Throw Back Thursday - The Broad Road Show finally comes to Sacramento December 2009

Throw Back Thursday - The Broad Road Show finally comes to Sacramento December 2009Back in 2009 I was attempting to understand what the Corporate Education Reform movement was all about. I was still trying to write about it. A piece I wrote for a local community blog was about KJ and Mr Broad and Stand UP "non-profit" (just another AstroTurf front for the privatizers as it turned out). :

by mike simpson / 3h 

NYC Public School Parents: Yet another unconvincing report on the results of Bloomberg's school closure policies

NYC Public School Parents: Yet another unconvincing report on the results of Bloomberg's school closure policies: Yet another unconvincing report on the results of Bloomberg's school closure policiesYesterday, another dubious report was released by the Research Alliance, claiming better outcomes for students as a result of Bloomberg's draconian school closure policy.  A major problem with the stud

by mike simpson / 4h 

The Return of Korematsu: The Internment of Japanese Americans Still Haunts the United States - The Atlantic

The Internment of Japanese Americans Still Haunts the United States - The Atlantic: The Return of KorematsuSeventy years after the mass internment of Japanese Americans was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court, the ugly ideas at the core of its decision are resurfacing.Last week’s terrorist attack in Paris provoked a backlash among American politicians against the Obama administration’s plans to reset

by mike simpson / 4h 

Houston’s “Split” Decision to Give Superintendent Grier $98,600 in Bonuses, Pre-Resignation | VAMboozled!

Houston’s “Split” Decision to Give Superintendent Grier $98,600 in Bonuses, Pre-Resignation | VAMboozled!: Houston’s “Split” Decision to Give Superintendent Grier $98,600 in Bonuses, Pre-ResignationStates of attention on this blog, and often of (dis)honorable mention as per their state-level policies bent on value-added models (VAMs), include Florida, New York, Tennessee, and New Mexico. As for a

by mike simpson / 4h 

Inspector seeking more money to conduct audits of LAUSD charters - LA School Report

Inspector seeking more money to conduct audits of LAUSD charters - LA School Report:Inspector seeking more money to conduct audits of LAUSD chartersThe LA Unified’sOffice of Inspector General told a school board committee this week that it needs an additional $570,000 to audit charter schools, according to a recent report.The OIG once had a staff of 83 and is now down to 57, according to Inspector

by mike simpson / 5h 

I Am a Public School Teacher: Give Me All the Refugees You’ve Got! - LA Progressive

I Am a Public School Teacher: Give Me All the Refugees You’ve Got! - LA Progressive: I Am a Public School Teacher: Give Me All the Refugees You’ve Got!Refugees WelcomeCome into my classroom any day of the week and you’ll see refugees.That little Iraqi boy slumped over a book written in Arabic while the rest of the class reads the same story in English. Those twin girls blinking back memories of th

by mike simpson / 5h 

House, Senate ESEA Compromise Sails Through Conference Committee - Politics K-12 - Education Week

House, Senate ESEA Compromise Sails Through Conference Committee - Politics K-12 - Education Week: House, Senate ESEA Compromise Sails Through Conference CommitteeAfter more than a decade, Congress seems to be on the verge of leaving the almost-universally despised No Child Left Behind Act ... well, behind.Lawmakers on the U.S. Senate education committee and more than a dozen House members—amid mu

by mike simpson / 6h 

CURMUDGUCATION: More Evidence That Tests Measure SES

CURMUDGUCATION: More Evidence That Tests Measure SES: More Evidence That Tests Measure SESWant more proof, again, some more, of the connection between socio-economic status and standardized test results? Twitter follower Joseph Robertshaw pointed me at a pair of studies by Randy Hoover, PhD, at the Department of Teacher Education, Beeghly College of Education, Youngstown State University.Hoover is

by mike simpson / 6h 

Closing Failing New York City High Schools Helped Students, Study Finds - WSJ

Closing Failing New York City High Schools Helped Students, Study Finds - WSJ: Closing Failing New York City High Schools Helped Students, Study FindsCritics had said decision to shut dozens of schools would hurt communitiesClosing Failing New York City High Schools Helped Students, Study Finds - WSJ:Just another BS Report Paid For by the PrivatizersFundersThe Research Alliance’s work is made poss

by mike simpson / 6h 

Prop. 98 guarantee could reach $80B by 2020 :: SI&A Cabinet Report :: The Essential Resource for Superintendents and the Cabinet

Prop. 98 guarantee could reach $80B by 2020 :: SI&A Cabinet Report :: The Essential Resource for Superintendents and the Cabinet: Prop. 98 guarantee could reach $80B by 2020(Calif.) The minimum funding guarantee for K-12 schools and community colleges is expected to surge to $77.5 billion by the 2019-20 school year – marking a five-year cycle of increases that will total more than $14 billion,

by mike simpson / 7h 

FairTest’s “Testing Reform Victories 2015” Report: The uprising against the testocracy takes off! | I AM AN EDUCATOR

FairTest’s “Testing Reform Victories 2015” Report: The uprising against the testocracy takes off! | I AM AN EDUCATOR: FairTest’s “Testing Reform Victories 2015” Report: The uprising against the testocracy takes off!The National Center for Fair & Open Testing, know as FairTest, just released its wonderfulreport on the immense growth around the country of the movement in opposition to the abuses

by mike simpson / 7h 

Yes, Hillary Clinton supports charter schools. She also supports equity and inclusion. — Medium

Yes, Hillary Clinton supports charter schools. She also supports equity and inclusion. — Medium: Yes, Hillary Clinton supports charter schools. She also supports equity and inclusion.Hillary’s recent comments about charter school equity and inclusion have sparked a conversation about America’s public schools. It’s an important debate — one we should be having — for our kids’ futures and for our co

by mike simpson / 7h 

Congress blasts U.S. Education Department for vulnerabilities in data bases - The Washington Post

Congress blasts U.S. Education Department for vulnerabilities in data bases - The Washington Post: Congress blasts U.S. Education Department for vulnerabilities in data basesThe U.S. Education Department came under withering criticism — from Republicans and Democrats — at a House oversight hearing about just how vulnerable its information systems are to security threats.Lawmakers at the hearing, h

by mike simpson / 7h 

What Education Policy Makers Can Learn From A ‘Failing School’ - Education Opportunity Network

Education Opportunity Network: What Education Policy Makers Can Learn From A ‘Failing School’“How can someone make a decision about a school they’ve never even walked into?”That question is at the heart of Kristina Rizga’s terrific new book Mission High: One school, how experts tried to fail it, and the students and teachers who made it triumph.Rizga uses her considerable journalistic skills—honed

by mike simpson / 7h 

Youngstown Legislators Engage Community to Push Back Against Youngstown Takeover | janresseger

Youngstown Legislators Engage Community to Push Back Against Youngstown Takeover | janresseger: Youngstown Legislators Engage Community to Push Back Against Youngstown TakeoverSenator Joe Schiavoni, Ohio’s Senate Minority Leader, and State Representative Michele Lepore-Hagan spent the summer holding community meetings throughout Youngstown, Ohio to develop strategies to amend the Ohio legislature’

by mike simpson / 7h 

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Former CPS liar-in-chief, leaves Rahm's Super PAC to start her own biz.

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Former CPS liar-in-chief, leaves Rahm's Super PAC to start her own biz.: Former CPS liar-in-chief, leaves Rahm's Super PAC to start her own biz."She will be a real asset to those that work with her", says Michael Sacks, CEO of Grosvenor Capital Management . --Crain'sBecky Carroll, served as J.C. Brizard's andByrd-Bennett's liar-in-chief at CPS before moving

by mike simpson / 7h 

What Will It Take to Build a Democratic Movement? - Bridging Differences - Education Week

What Will It Take to Build a Democratic Movement? - Bridging Differences - Education Week: What Will It Take to Build a Democratic Movement?Deborah Meier continues her conversation with Harry Boyte. To read their full exchange, please visit here.Dear Harry and friends,Yes, yes, yes, Harry. You ask: What's it all about—given the number of years that the young must spend in school and the money taxp

by mike simpson / 7h 

Perdido Street School: Campbell Brown Surfaces In Dean/Adam Skelos Corruption Case Wiretaps

Perdido Street School: Campbell Brown Surfaces In Dean/Adam Skelos Corruption Case Wiretaps: Campbell Brown Surfaces In Dean/Adam Skelos Corruption Case WiretapsFrom the Politico NY morning email update on education:SURPRISE GUEST IN THE DEAN SKELOS TAPES: CAMPBELL BROWN: From phone call between Adam and Dean Skelos Dec. 14. 2014:  “AS: What are you up to?  DS: Um going into the city. Meeting with

by mike simpson / 8h 

Connecticut's Democratic Legislative Leaders call for suspending elections to save money... - Wait What?

Connecticut's Democratic Legislative Leaders call for suspending elections to save money... - Wait What?: Connecticut’s Democratic Legislative Leaders call for suspending elections to save money…Well, their proposal is pretty damn close to that…Earlier this week, the Democratic leaders of the Connecticut General Assembly proposed suspending Connecticut’s public financing system, thereby allowing l

by mike simpson / 8h 

For Millions of Kids, After-School Programs Light the Way | Ben Paul

For Millions of Kids, After-School Programs Light the Way | Ben Paul: For Millions of Kids, After-School Programs Light the WayFor millions of children, the bell at the end of school only signals a pause in their daily education. In after-school programs around the country, millions of children close their textbooks and put away their pencils, but instead of going home, they build robots, practice

by mike simpson / 8h 

41 years. $3 billion. Inside the Clinton donor network. - Washington Post

41 years. $3 billion. Inside the Clinton donor network. - Washington Post: 41 years. $3 billion. Inside the Clinton donor networkA Washington Post investigation reveals how Bill and Hillary Clinton have methodically cultivated donors over 40 years, from Little Rock to Washington and then across the globe. Their fundraising methods have created a new blueprint for politicians and their donors.Today

by mike simpson / 8h 

Here's what parents have to say about union efforts at Alliance charter schools - LA Times

Here's what parents have to say about union efforts at Alliance charter schools - LA Times: Here's what parents have to say about union efforts at Alliance charter schoolsGabriela Garcia joins other parents and teachers at a news conference to protest what they said was pressure from Alliance College-Ready Public Schools to take a stand against teacher unionization. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles

by mike simpson / 8h 

Report: Time spent on standardized testing in schools is underestimated - The Washington Post

Report: Time spent on standardized testing in schools is underestimated - The Washington Post: Report: Time spent on standardized testing in schools is underestimatedA new report finds that the amount of time estimated that students spend on standardized testing in New York State is underestimated.The report (see below) was done by Robin Jacobowitz and Kt Tobin of The Benjamin Center for Public Po

by mike simpson / 8h 

Bennet selected to committee overhauling K-12 education bill

The Durango Herald 11/18/2015 | Bennet selected to committee overhauling K-12 education bill: Bennet selected to committee overhauling K-12 education billJoint House-Senate conference committee working to reconcile legislative differencesWASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., has been named a member of the joint House and Senate conference committee tasked with reauthorizing and fixing th

by mike simpson / 8h 

Our Own Private Disaster - Terrible Schools Are Great for Business | Boston Review

Our Own Private Disaster | Boston Review: Our Own Private Disaster Terrible Schools Are Great for BusinessInterior of Israel M. Augustine Middle School showing damage from Hurricane Katrina. Like many of New Orleans's former public schools, the building remains derelict and abandoned since the storm. Photo: shkizzleThe Inevitable City: Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans, and 10 Principles of Crisis Le

by mike simpson / 9h 

Does It Pay To Pay Teachers $100,000? : NPR Ed : NPR

Does It Pay To Pay Teachers $100,000? : NPR Ed : NPR: Does It Pay To Pay Teachers $100,000?We're brought up to believe our teachers are modern-day saints.Just look at how we portray them in the movies and on TV. From Dead Poets Society's iconic Mr. Keating to resourceful LouAnne Johnson in Dangerous Minds, we reinforce time and again that teaching is a noble calling.These teachers are heroes, we'r

by mike simpson / 9h 

YESTERDAY

Is homelessness among U.S. kids declining, or surging? It depends on who you ask. - The Washington Post

Is homelessness among U.S. kids declining, or surging? It depends on who you ask. - The Washington Post: Is homelessness among U.S. kids declining, or surging? It depends on who you ask.Sierra Oliver, age 2, eats in the lobby at the Days Inn motel in Washington in July 2015. She and her family were homeless and living in the motel as a temporary shelter. (Michael S. Williamson/The Washington Post)

by mike simpson / 19h 

Curriculum materials a sticking point in Common Core implementation | EdSource

Curriculum materials a sticking point in Common Core implementation | EdSource: Curriculum materials a sticking point in Common Core implementationDuring the five years since California adopted the Common Core State Standards for mathematics and English language arts, the search for high-quality textbooks and curriculum materials has been a sticking point, in some cases the major one, in effective

by mike simpson / 19h 

Charter school supporters raise concerns about impact on LAUSD | 89.3 KPCC

Charter school supporters raise concerns about impact on LAUSD | 89.3 KPCC: Charter school supporters raise concerns about impact on LAUSD Heads of three large California nonprofits that support charter schools called this week for careful consideration of a plan for a major expansion of charters and its impact on the Los Angeles Unified School District.In a letter Tuesday to LAUSD, its teachers u

by mike simpson / 19h 

Choosing Democracy: Friedrichs v California CTA #WORKTOGETHER

Choosing Democracy: Friedrichs v California CTA: Friedrichs v California CTAChoosing Democracy: Friedrichs v California CTA:

by mike simpson / 20h 

U.S. Department of Education: Information Security Review - United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

U.S. Department of Education: Information Security Review - United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION: INFORMATION SECURITY REVIEWFull House Committee on Oversight and Government ReformHEARING DATE: NOVEMBER 17, 2015 10:00 AM 2154 RAYBURN HOUSE OFFICE BUILDINGTAKEAWAYS:• The Department of Education (DoEd) has at least 139 million unique social s

by mike simpson / 20h 

ESEA Reauthorization: What’s in the Box? | deutsch29

ESEA Reauthorization: What’s in the Box? | deutsch29: ESEA Reauthorization: What’s in the Box?In July 2015, I read that Senator Lamar Alexander expected to have the next version of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) completed by December 2015.It looks like he will accomplish that goal. Here’s how:In July 2015, both House and Senate passed bills to reauthorize the Elementary and Seco

by mike simpson / 21h 

Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 11/18/15

CORPORATE ED REFORMWhat happens when magnet school suddenly drops admission criteria? | Philadelphia Public School NotebookWhat happens when magnet school suddenly drops admission criteria? | Philadelphia Public School Notebook: What happens when magnet school suddenly drops admission criteria?Hill-Freedman parent Sabrina Townsend speaks with Superintendent William Hite after Tuesday's hearing.For

by mike simpson / 23h 

Appoints Tom Adams as Deputy Superintendent - Year 2015 (CA Dept of Education)

Appoints Tom Adams as Deputy Superintendent - Year 2015 (CA Dept of Education):

State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Appoints Tom Adams as Deputy Superintendent to Succeed Lupita Cortez Alcalá

SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today announced he is appointing Tom Adams, currently Division Director at the California Department of Education (CDE), as Deputy Superintendent of the Instruction and Learning Support Branch.

Effective December 1, Adams will succeed Lupita Cortez Alcalá, who will become Executive Director of the California Student Aid Commission.

Torlakson said the department is fortunate Adams, who has 18 years of experience in a variety of roles at CDE, will serve as the new Deputy Superintendent.

"Tom is a proven leader with deep knowledge of policy, dedication to our students, and a record of accomplishment," said Torlakson. "Tom has played a pivotal role in improving education for our students by overseeing the adoption and implementation of the California Standards in English language arts/literacy and mathematics, also referred to as the Common Core.  He has also provided local leadership in education by serving as an elected trustee on the Davis Joint Unified School District Board of Education."

Adams, who has a Ph.D. in history from the University of California, Davis, started with the CDE in 1997 as a consultant. He has extensive experience in implementing and updating curriculum frameworks in a wide variety of subjects, including history-social science, science, and visual and performing arts.

Most recently, he served as Director of the Curriculum Frameworks and Instructional Resources Division and Executive Director of the Instructional Quality Commission, formerly known as the Curriculum Development and Supplemental Materials Commission, the advisory body to the State Board of Education on curriculum and instructional materials.

Torlakson thanked Cortez Alcalá for her service, calling her "a superstar in education" who always puts students first.

"She will be missed for her talent, warmth, creativity, and leadership," said Torlakson. "In a variety of roles at CDE, Lupita led teams that produced numerous ground-breaking accomplishments."

Cortez Alcalá, who has a master's degree from the Harvard University School of Education, serves as Chair of the Commission on the Status of Women and Girls.

She began her career at CDE in 2003 as a legislative associate and also served as Director of the Government Affairs Division.

During her tenure, Cortez Alcalá oversaw the creation of the English Learner Division, revamped the migrant education program, initiated the Seal of Biliteracy to recognize students fluent in two or more languages, and worked with Adams and CDE staff to develop the English language arts/English language development framework and standards, which aim to improve language development for English learners.

In addition, she oversaw the implementation of the $500 million California Career Pathways Trust (CCPT) grants and initiated CDE's first California Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Symposium.           

# # # #

Tom Torlakson — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5206, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100

Last Reviewed: Thursday, November 19, 2015

Appoints Tom Adams as Deputy Superintendent - Year 2015 (CA Dept of Education):

Negotiators Come to Agreement on Revising No Child Left Behind Law - The New York Times

Negotiators Come to Agreement on Revising No Child Left Behind Law - The New York Times:

Negotiators Come to Agreement on Revising No Child Left Behind Law

Students taking part in a trial run of a new state assessment in Annapolis, Md., in February. The new test is linked to the Common Core standards, which Maryland adopted in 2010 under the federal No Child Left Behind law. Credit Patrick Semansky/Associated Press

Overcoming years of partisan bickering over the federal government’s role in public education, congressional negotiators came to an agreement on Thursday to revise the No Child Left Behind law for the first time since it was signed by President George W. Bush 14 years ago.

Although Democrats and Republicans agreed that the law — passed with overwhelming bipartisan support in 2001 — had become an albatross on schools that led to overly punitive stakes for standardized testing, Congress has for eight years been unable to come to an accord on replacing it.

A conference committee of members from the House and the Senate voted, 39 to 1, to approve the agreement on Thursday. The full bill will be made public within a week, and the House could consider it on the floor as early as the first week of December, with the Senate following.

As recently as last summer, the House and the Senate remained far apart, with the House passing a conservative version that President Obama promised to veto. Although the Senate brought forth a bill with bipartisan support, the White House and some Democratic senators, along with civil rights groups, opposed some of its provisions.

“This is a difficult subject,” said Senator Lamar Alexander, Republican of Tennessee, who worked with Senator Patty Murray, Democrat of Washington, to write the Senate’s bill. “It’s like being at a football game with 100,000 people in the stands, and every one of them knows what play to call next — and usually says so.”

The agreement on Thursday preserves the federal requirement that public schools administer annual standardized tests in reading and math from third through eighth grade and once in high school. It also requires schools to make the scores public and to break them down by students’ race, income and disability status.

But it frees states and districts from the prescriptive sanctions — ranging from mandatory tutoring up to school closings in extreme cases — that No Child Left Behind imposed on schools that persistently failed to raise test scores. The new agreement allows states and local school districts to determine how to define and respond to poor performance. And unlike the No Child law, the new bill would not require that all children reach proficiency in reading and math by a certain date.

Although the most conservative House members wanted the bill to give states and districts more freedom from federal oversight, Democratic negotiators and officials from the White House insisted that states be required to intervene in the bottom 5 percent of schools based on a range of metrics including test scores, graduation rates and other measures of performance. The agreement also requires states to develop plans for high schools that graduate fewer than two-thirds of their students and schools where certain groups of students consistently underperform academically.

But the secretary of education cannot dictate how states rate schools or what weight they give to measures like test scores in such ratings. The agreement also prohibits the education secretary from mandating academic standards such as the Common Core, guidelines that have prompted enormous political backlash. States are required only to set “challenging” academic standards that will prepare students to enter universities or career and technical colleges.

In many ways, the compromise on a replacement of the federal education law stemmed from shared discontent with some of the Obama administration’s education policies. As the No Child law gradually identified nearly every school in the country as failing, Arne Duncan, the education secretary, used financial incentives and relief from the most onerous provisions of the law to require that states develop rigorous Negotiators Come to Agreement on Revising No Child Left Behind Law - The New York Times:

Schools Matter: Doug Martin and Hoosier School Heist at Purdue University

Schools Matter: Doug Martin and Hoosier School Heist at Purdue University:

Doug Martin and Hoosier School Heist at Purdue University

Doug Martin speaks on his book Hoosier School Heist at the Purdue Social Justice Coalition's November 12, 2015 event entitled “Exposé: The Profit Motive Behind Public Education Reform in Indiana.”   Introduction by Dr. Bill Mullen, a Purdue professor and writer for the Socialist Worker.  Plus, the Purdue Social Justice Coalition's Tiffany Montoya gives an update on the many protests going on at Purdue.

Hoosier School Heist TV is Doug Martin's channel featuring videos of his book tour across Indiana speaking on the corporate takeover of public education. Order Hoosier School Heist at http://hoosierschoolheist.com/.

Follow Hoosier School Heist on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HoosierSchoolHeist

Tweet with Doug Martin at: https://twitter.com/DougMartinED

NYC Public School Parents: NY Chief Privacy Officer makes illegal threat to charge parent to access her child's data

NYC Public School Parents: NY Chief Privacy Officer makes illegal threat to charge parent to access her child's data:

NY Chief Privacy Officer makes illegal threat to charge parent to access her child's data

This letter,  sent today to Tina Sciochetti, NYS Chief Interim Privacy Officer, is reprinted with Allison White's permission.  Allison's testimony to the Cuomo Common Core Task Force on the need to protect student privacy is posted here.  Our column on the voluminous personal student data being collected in state longitudinal databases was recently published by the Washington Post here. 

It is a shame that NYSED still does not have a permanent Chief Privacy Officer or a Parent Bill of Rights developed with parent input, more than 16 months past the legal deadline. Clearly the temporary CPO in this position, with no expertise in either privacy law or civil liberties, is unqualified and incapable of of performing her critical responsibilities under the law. 

Tina Sciocchetti, Chief Interim Privacy Officer

New York State Education Department

Date: November 19, 2015

via email:  CPO@nysed.gov

Dear Ms. Sciocchetti:

As you know, on June 26, 2015, I made a formal FERPA request to inspect and review (“view”) my child’s personally identifiable information (PII) data contained in the New York State Longitudinal Database. It is every parent’s right under the federal law known as FERPA, as well as the New York State Personal Privacy Protection Law, passed in 1984, to be able to inspect and review this data, and to challenge and amend it if it is erroneous. Nearly one month later, on July 20, 2015, you responded by asking me to complete a notarized verification form, which I did, and which I immediately sent back to your office .

Finally, on September 25, 2015, after much emailing back and forth and a full two months after my initial request, I received a letter from you stating that if I wanted to view my child’s PII data, I would be charged an unspecified amount. You wrote:

“Collecting all of the separate data related to a single student from the Department’s various files is a lengthy process and, under state law, the requestor bears the cost of reproducing the records (see Public Officers Law §§ 87[1][c] and 95[1][c]). If you would like an estimate of the cost of this search, please let me know.”

Please note that I am requesting the opportunity to inspect and review only my own child’s records.  FERPA puts the burden squarely on the NYC Public School Parents: NY Chief Privacy Officer makes illegal threat to charge parent to access her child's data:

Throw Back Thursday - The Broad Road Show finally comes to Sacramento December 2009

Throw Back Thursday - The Broad Road Show finally comes to Sacramento December 2009

Back in 2009 I was attempting to understand what the Corporate Education Reform movement was all about. I was still trying to write about it. A piece I wrote for a local community blog was about KJ and Mr Broad and Stand UP "non-profit" (just another AstroTurf front for the privatizers as it turned out). :

    Mayor Kevin Johnson announced STAND UP; a new initiative launched on Monday. A $500,000 grant will kick-start the first phase of the new nonprofit's development. It will focus on raising academic achievement and college completion rates by advocating, supporting, and developing excellent public schools. The seed money comes from a national philanthropy group, the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation. 

Mayor Johnson said he's looking for a new education liaison; someone who will work with STAND UP. Rumors and speculation has Michelle Rhee, lightening rod Chancellor of Washington DC Public Schools as a leading candidate. Rhee a nimble leader, has played a major role in the Education Reform movement which is currently being promoted by the Obama administration and Governor Schwarzenegger. This reform movement includes privately operated Charter schools which are opposed by teachers unions and some parent and community groups. Ms Rhee and the Mayor announced their engagement last month.

 Really, what could be better than some rich guy (billionaire) coming to town dropping a cool half million on our public schools in these times of shocking budget cuts. In Sacramento I think there are three schools of thought on that subject:

1) Stand Up
2) Sit Down
3) Shut Up]

If there are some who don’t get Stand Up, it could be that it is not certain which public schools the plan refers to, community-managed excellent public schools or corporate-managed excellent public schools.

The Sit Down community sees Stand Up as irrelevant due to the questions unanswered at St. Hope: the controversial AmeriCorps investigation, enrollment numbers and finances. Or some just don’t like KJ Local parent groups and community advocates blogs Sac Chartergate and Scusd Observer often focus on Sit Down issues.

The Shut Up people firmly believe that STAND UP is part of a vast education conspiracy as presented in “The Rise of Venture Philanthropy and the Ongoing Neoliberal Assault on Public Education: the Eli and Edyth Broad Foundation,” by Dr. Kenneth Saltman. of DePaul University

Most of the conspiracy allegations centers on Mr. Broad:  Either you think he is the coolest guy who ever lived or a diabolical capitalist sent to kill public education. Schools Matter, Perimeter Primate , Seattle Education 2010 and The Broad Report make a case for the Shut Up group with opinion, data and a lot of passion.

My best move, most surely, is to Shut Up. One thing I am sure of is that things that are happening at city hall have a lot to do with what is happening at the state capitol.

Peter Schrag of theCalifornia Progress Report stated: “This is not a tempest in a teapot. It reflects fundamental disagreements, some philosophical, some political, some mere turf fights, over the future of the state’s K-12 schools. Either the Senate bill, by Sen. Gloria Romero, a Los Angeles Democrat, or the Assembly substitute by Julia Brownley of Santa Monica, also a Democrat, which the governor threatened to veto, would have been likely to produce significant changes in the state’s school standards, in its testing program, in school transfer rules and parental rights, and in the reconstitution of failing schools.”

The point is we need to have this conversation. 

NYC Public School Parents: Yet another unconvincing report on the results of Bloomberg's school closure policies

NYC Public School Parents: Yet another unconvincing report on the results of Bloomberg's school closure policies:

Yet another unconvincing report on the results of Bloomberg's school closure policies



Yesterday, another dubious report was released by the Research Alliance, claiming better outcomes for students as a result of Bloomberg's draconian school closure policy.  A major problem with the study is that it doesn't examine the well-documented destabilizing impact of closing these schools on other large high schools nearby, as discussed in this New School report. 

Nor does the report mention the issue of soaring discharge rates at the closing schools.  In fact, the word "discharge" is never used in either the report or the technical appendix. 

In the report Jennifer Jennings and I wrote on the DOE's rising discharge rate between 2000 and 2007, we found this problem especially evident at the closing schools, with rates as high as 50% for the last two graduating classes at closing schools.  See this graph :

Theoretically, these students were supposed to have transferred into another high school or GED program program outside the NYC public school system, and thus were not counted as dropouts -- but probably should have been.  Indeed, a subsequent audit from the NYS Comptroller's office revealed that 15% of general ed students reported by the DOE as discharges should have been categorized as dropouts, and 20% of special ed students.  Probably an even larger percentage from the closing schools were really dropouts.

The Research Alliance was founded with $3 million in Gates Foundation funds and is maintained with Carnegie Corporation funding, which help pay for this report.  These two foundations promoted and helped subsidize the closing of large schools and their replacement with small schools; although the Gates Foundation has now renounced the efficacy of this policy.  Michele Cahill, for many years the Vice President of the Carnegie Corporation, led this effort when she worked at DOE. 

The Research Alliance has also been staffed with an abundance of former DOE employees from the Bloomberg era.  In the acknowledgements, the author of this new study, Jim Kemple, effusively thanks one such individual,  Saskia Levy Thompson: 

The author is especially grateful for the innumerable discussions with Saskia Levy Thompson about the broader context of high school reform in NYC Public School Parents: Yet another unconvincing report on the results of Bloomberg's school closure policies:

The Return of Korematsu: The Internment of Japanese Americans Still Haunts the United States - The Atlantic

The Internment of Japanese Americans Still Haunts the United States - The Atlantic:

The Return of Korematsu

Seventy years after the mass internment of Japanese Americans was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court, the ugly ideas at the core of its decision are resurfacing.

Last week’s terrorist attack in Paris provoked a backlash among American politicians against the Obama administration’s plans to resettle Syrian refugees. They rushed to protect their constituents from potential ISIS members who could be lurking among the 10,000 refugees that the Obama administration hopes to admit into the country over the next year.

It’s natural enough to wonder, in response to the murky reports of a Syrian passport found at one of the bombing sites, about the United States’ own procedures for screening Syrian refugees. It turns out that refugees chosen for resettlement are exhaustively vetted by law-enforcement and intelligence agencies, with an average processing time of 12 to 24 months, before setting foot on U.S. soil.

But instead of seeking answers, a number of elected officials added shameful paragraphs to their obituaries in recent days. Responding to the threat these displaced men, women, and children allegedly pose, Tennessee legislator Glen Casada called for the state National Guard to “round up” all Syrian refugees in the state on Tuesday. When asked about the constitutional protections that safeguard refugees and others in the United States, Casada replied, “And you have to ask yourself, which is greater: life or due process?”

Missouri state representative Mike Moon called for a special legislative session to halt refugee resettlement and “stop the potential Islamization of Missouri.” In his letter to the state speaker of the house, Moon feared that the diversity of Islam’s adherents could be a potent weapon.

I do realize that the refugees we should be scrutinizing most is one who professes the muslim faith. Unless I’m mistaken, a practicing muslim can do whatever is necessary for the "good” of the faith — telling “fibs” is a smallpart [sic] of what they might do. And, from what I’ve seen, a practicing muslim comes in all flavors (black, white, brown, yellow — American, African, European, etc. etc.).  A “white” lie could allow an individual to pass through the vetting process.

In Rhode Island, State Senator Elaine Morgan wrote to a constituent, “I do not want our governor bringing in any Syrian refugees. I think our country is under attack. I think this is a major plan by these countries to spread out their people to attack all non Muslim persons.” She added, “If we need to take these people in we should set up [a] refugee camp to keep them segregated from our [populace].”

In Louisiana, Senator David Vitter, who appears likely to lose that state’s gubernatorial election on Saturday, intensified his rhetoric against Syrian refugees as election day draws near. Vitter tweeted on Tuesday, “Spoke w/ LA State Police. They don’t know where BR [Baton Rouge] Syrian refugee is except that he was headed to DC & no gov agency is in contact with him.” Catholic Charities of Baton Rouge, a religious nonprofit that helps refugees resettle and The Internment of Japanese Americans Still Haunts the United States - The Atlantic:

Houston’s “Split” Decision to Give Superintendent Grier $98,600 in Bonuses, Pre-Resignation | VAMboozled!

Houston’s “Split” Decision to Give Superintendent Grier $98,600 in Bonuses, Pre-Resignation | VAMboozled!:

Houston’s “Split” Decision to Give Superintendent Grier $98,600 in Bonuses, Pre-Resignation

States of attention on this blog, and often of (dis)honorable mention as per their state-level policies bent on value-added models (VAMs), include Florida, New York, Tennessee, and New Mexico. As for a quick update about the latter state of New Mexico, we are still waiting to hear the final decision from the judge who recently heard the state-level lawsuit still pending on this matter in New Mexico (see prior posts about this case here, here,here, here, and here).

Another locale of great interest, though, is the Houston Independent School District. This is the seventh largest urban school district in the nation, and the district that has tied more high-stakes consequences to their value-added output than any other district/state in the nation. These “initiatives” were “led” by soon-to-resign/retire Superintendent Terry Greir who, during his time in Houston (2009-2015), implemented some of the harshest consequences ever attached to teacher-level value-added output, as per the district’s use of the Education Value-Added Assessment System (EVAAS) (see other posts about the EVAAS here, here, and here; see other posts about Houston here, here, and here).

In fact, the EVAAS is still used throughout Houston today to evaluate all EVAAS-eligible teachers, to also “reform” the district’s historically low-performing schools, by tying teachers’ purported value-added performance to teacher improvement plans, merit pay, nonrenewal, and termination (e.g., 221 Houston teachers were terminated “in large part” due to their EVAAS scores in 2011). However, pending litigation (i.e., this is the district in which the American and Houston Federation of Teachers (AFT/HFT) are currently suing the district for their wrongful use of, and over-emphasis on this particular VAM; see here), Superintendent Grier and the district have recoiled on some of the high-stakes consequences they formerly attached to the EVAAS  This particular lawsuit is to commence this spring/summer.

Nonetheless, my most recent post about Houston was about its future school board candidates (some who won seats on the school board on November 3), who were invited by The Houston Chronicle to respond to Superintendent Grier’s teacher evaluation system. For the most part, those who responded did so unfavorably, especially as the evaluation systems was/is disproportionately reliant on teachers’ EVAAS data and high-stakes use of these data in particular (see here).

Most recently, however, as per a “split” decision registered by Houston’s new school board (i.e., 4:3), Superintendent Grier received a $98,600 bonus for his “satisfactory evaluation” as the school district’s superintendent. See more from the full article published Houston’s “Split” Decision to Give Superintendent Grier $98,600 in Bonuses, Pre-Resignation | VAMboozled!:

Inspector seeking more money to conduct audits of LAUSD charters - LA School Report

Inspector seeking more money to conduct audits of LAUSD charters - LA School Report:

Inspector seeking more money to conduct audits of LAUSD charters

The LA Unified’sOffice of Inspector General told a school board committee this week that it needs an additional $570,000 to audit charter schools, according to a recent report.

The OIG once had a staff of 83 and is now down to 57, according to Inspector GeneralKen Bramlett,whose office oversees a $7.6 million budget. The OIG not only checks charter schools to see if they meet safety and educational requirements but also investigates financial fraud, contracts and internal audits for the entire district. The office also looks at services, personnel, safety and test scores.

The cost for a basic audit of a charter school that could take three months to complete costs nearly $70,000 while a more complex audit that could last half a year costs nearly $150,000, according to a report Bramlett and his staff presented to the Budget, Facilities and Audit Committee this week. The number of audits that the office conducts each year has also fallen by half, to 6 from 12.

Board member Scott Schmerelson, who sits on the committee, pointed out that it doesn’t seem to make sense to have a reduction of investigators and number of audits when the numbers of LA Unified charter schools are increasing.

Committee chair Mónica Ratliff said, “I would love to give more money to the Office of Inspector General,” and she asked for a report next month that would explain how the extra money would help the staff.

LAUSD is responsible for conducting audits of charter schools before they are Inspector seeking more money to conduct audits of LAUSD charters - LA School Report:

I Am a Public School Teacher: Give Me All the Refugees You’ve Got! - LA Progressive

I Am a Public School Teacher: Give Me All the Refugees You’ve Got! - LA Progressive:

I Am a Public School Teacher: Give Me All the Refugees You’ve Got!

Refugees Welcome

Come into my classroom any day of the week and you’ll see refugees.

That little Iraqi boy slumped over a book written in Arabic while the rest of the class reads the same story in English. Those twin girls blinking back memories of the Bosnian War as they try to underline possessive nouns on an English worksheet. That brown-skinned boy compulsively rocking back-and-forth in his seat fighting back tears wondering when his dad is going to come home from prison.

Every day, every hour, every minute our public schools are places of refuge for children seeking asylum, fugitives, emigres, exiles, the lost, the displaced, dear hearts seeking a kind word and a caring glance.

Some may shudder or sneer at the prospect of giving shelter to people in need, but that is the reality in our public schools. In the lives of many, many children we provide the only stability, theonly safety, the only love they get all day.

And, yes, I do mean love. I love my students. Each and every one of them. Sometimes they are far from lovable. Sometimes they look at me with distrust. They bristle at assignments. They jump when redirected. But those are the ones I try to love the most, because they are the ones most in need.

I told a friend once that I had a student who had escaped from Iraq. His parents had collaboratedwith the U.S. military and received death threats for their efforts. So he and his family fled to my hometown so far away from his humid desert heartland.

I told her how difficult it was trying to communicate with a student who spoke hardly any English. I I Am a Public School Teacher: Give Me All the Refugees You’ve Got! - LA Progressive: