Special LATE Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 9/21/16

Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 9/21/16

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Trump's New Education Transition Team Has Corporate Dark-Money Ties

In a democratic union you can’t short circuit democracy. Even in Chicago. | Fred Klonsky

by mike simpson / 4h

In a democratic union you can’t short circuit democracy. Even in Chicago. | Fred Klonsky : In a democratic union you can’t short circuit democracy. Even in Chicago. Over these next few days members of the Chicago Teachers Union will be voting once again on whether to authorize their leadership to call a strike against the those unelected managers of our city’s school system. Strikes and strike au

Transforming schools into "territories of peace" - Lily's Blackboard

by mike simpson / 4h

Transforming schools into "territories of peace" - Lily's Blackboard : Transforming schools into “territories of peace” The world’s longest continuous armed conflict could soon come to an end, and educators are leading the way to transform a public school system ravaged by war into a “territory of peace.” Where is all this happening? The answer: Colombia. After six decades at war, and a

Solutions To The Emerging Teacher Shortage Crisis Even Republicans Will Like

by mike simpson / 4h

Solutions To The Emerging Teacher Shortage Crisis Even Republicans Will Like : Solutions To The Emerging Teacher Shortage Crisis Even Republicans Will Like A new report is making big headlines for showing that public schools across the nation are experiencing severe problems with teacher shortages that are apt to develop into a “crisis” if left unaddressed. The report from an education think tank

Shocking overcrowding in Detroit schools - YouTube

by mike simpson / 4h

Shocking overcrowding in Detroit schools - YouTube : Shocking overcrowding in Detroit schools

As an Education Prez, Trump Would Be Obama's Spiritual Heir :: Frederick M. Hess

by mike simpson / 4h

As an Education Prez, Trump Would Be Obama's Spiritual Heir :: Frederick M. Hess : As an Education Prez, Trump Would Be Obama's Spiritual Heir On the Ed Week homepage, Max Eden and I lament the lack of a conservative in the presidential contest. We argue that a conservative candidate is sorely needed after 16 years of Bush-Obama tutelage in the perils of federal education expansionism. What's tha

Education Reformers Running Rampant in Oakland (Vote for Sean) – Cloaking Inequity

by mike simpson / 7h

Education Reformers Running Rampant in Oakland (Vote for Sean) – Cloaking Inequity : Education Reformers Running Rampant in Oakland (Vote for Sean) The top-down, private control education reform supporters are currently running rampant in Oakland. The district is even led by a Broad trained superintendent . I have made several trips to Oakland at the request of community members to discuss what i

Education’s Diversity Dilemma: What Can Be Done | the becoming radical

by mike simpson / 7h

Education’s Diversity Dilemma: What Can Be Done | the becoming radical : Education’s Diversity Dilemma: What Can Be Done My 18 years as a public high school teacher and current 15 years as a university professor have one dilemma in common: diversity. At the K-12 level, many schools struggle to recruit and maintain a diverse faculty; while universities often face a lack of diversity in both facult

Advocacy Research: So-Called Research Must Not Be Misused to Defend Politically Popular Educational Policies | Ed In The Apple

by mike simpson / 7h

Advocacy Research: So-Called Research Must Not Be Misused to Defend Politically Popular Educational Policies | Ed In The Apple : Advocacy Research: So-Called Research Must Not Be Misused to Defend Politically Popular Educational Policies It has become commonplace for electeds, journalists and advocates to begin a speech or article with “Research says ….” The use of the word “research” adds credib

U.S. Lags Far Behind Other Countries in Access to Early Childhood Ed

by mike simpson / 7h

U.S. Lags Far Behind Other Countries in Access to Early Childhood Ed : U.S. Lags Far Behind Other Countries in Access to Early Childhood Education Strong bipartisan support tends to allude more education issues, but expanding access to early childhood education is one of the few. Study after study has outlined the cogitive and social benefits of these programs and a 2016 survey by the First Five

Schools Matter: The Unbearable Costs of "Unity"

by mike simpson / 9h

Schools Matter: The Unbearable Costs of "Unity" : The Unbearable Costs of "Unity" The other day after I posted my communique to the Ravitch forces that reiterated my conclusion that we are NOT allied but, rather, that her actions have made me the enemy, Norm Scott spent some of his valuable time to send me a comment to say that too much time had been devoted to the debate abou

New school improvement agency plans first public events | EdSource

by mike simpson / 9h

New school improvement agency plans first public events | EdSource : New school improvement agency plans first public events The new state agency charged with overseeing school improvement in the era of local control will hold its first public events — all-day workshops in eight across the state — in early November. The California Collaborative for Educational Excellence will focus on how school

MARK WEBER : If You Can’t Stand the Heat, Stay Out of the Classroom - NJ Spotlight

by mike simpson / 9h

Opinion: If You Can’t Stand the Heat, Stay Out of the Classroom - NJ Spotlight : OPINION: IF YOU CAN’T STAND THE HEAT, STAY OUT OF THE CLASSROOM The sweltering weather has made it all too clear that New Jersey’s politicians have no real interest in giving teachers safe, comfortable working conditions Mark Weber When New Jersey’s teachers returned to their classrooms earlier this month, they found

Rubber Meets the Road and AFT Civil Rights Summit on Education Town Hall BUS – Education Town Hall Forum

by mike simpson / 10h

Rubber Meets the Road and AFT Civil Rights Summit on Education Town Hall BUS – Education Town Hall Forum : Rubber Meets the Road and AFT Civil Rights Summit on Education Town Hall BUS The September 22 Education Town Hall BUS program focuses on “Rubber Meets the Road,” a Journey for Justice election-focused event, scheduled for Sept. 26, and the AFT Civil Rights summit Oct. 14-15. Listen Live on W

Hooray - CT Taxpayers to cough up $220 million for Lockheed Martin Corporation - Wait What?

by mike simpson / 10h

Hooray - CT Taxpayers to cough up $220 million for Lockheed Martin Corporation - Wait What? : Hooray – CT Taxpayers to cough up $220 million for Lockheed Martin Corporation With annual sales in excess of $50 billion a year, the gigantic Lockheed Martin Corporation purchased Sikorsky Aircraft from United Technologies Corporation last year. Then, just last month, the mega-defense contractor announc

Gov. Rick Snyder takes Michigan Down a Hole on 3rd grade reading bill that could hold back struggling students | MLive.com

by mike simpson / 10h

Compromise reached on 3rd grade reading bill that could hold back struggling students | MLive.com : Compromise reached on 3rd grade reading bill that could hold back struggling students A bill aimed at improving childhood literacy is moving forward in the Michigan Legislature after a committee reached a compromise Tuesday on controversial provisions that would hold back students who fail to read

CURMUDGUCATION: Grade Inflation?

by mike simpson / 10h

CURMUDGUCATION: Grade Inflation? : Grade Inflation? Mike Petrilli (Fordham) is concerned about grade inflation. His concern, as expressed in a recent piece at Education Next, is hung on the hook of a recent-ish survey by Learning Heroes , a new group sponsored by the same old folks (Gates Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Helmsley) that has partnered with some other outfits funded by the same

Please Read this Penetrating Indictment of the Every Student Succeeds Act | janresseger

by mike simpson / 10h

Please Read this Penetrating Indictment of the Every Student Succeeds Act | janresseger : Please Read this Penetrating Indictment of the Every Student Succeeds Act Participating earlier this week in one of the Ohio Department of Education’s stakeholder meetings about the plan Ohio will be developing to submit to the U.S. Department of Education to comply with the new Every Student Succeeds Act (E

Controlling schools through federal housing grants – Missouri Education Watchdog

by mike simpson / 10h

Controlling schools through federal housing grants – Missouri Education Watchdog : Controlling schools through federal housing grants Here in Missouri the original and continued push against Common Core was based on the governance structure being put into place to enforce compliance with the standards. NGO’s owned the copyright for which they could demand licensing fees at any time. They disallow

Parent Coalition for Student Privacy relieved Daines/Blumenthal SAFE KIDS Act pulled

by mike simpson / 10h

Parent Coalition for Student Privacy relieved Daines/Blumenthal SAFE KIDS Act pulled | Parent Coalition for Student Privacy : PARENT COALITION FOR STUDENT PRIVACY RELIEVED DAINES/BLUMENTHAL SAFE KIDS ACT PULLED Parent Coalition for Student Privacy relieved Daines/Blumenthal SAFE KIDS Act pulled Coalition members fear ed the bill would open up the floodgates of commercialism The Parent Coalition f

Where Hillary Clinton stands on education - CBS News

by mike simpson / 11h

Where Hillary Clinton stands on education - CBS News : Where Hillary Clinton stands on education By the end of 2016, student loan debt will have skyrocketed to unprecedented levels. In fact, estimates report that approximately 43 million students in the United States will owe nearly $1.3 trillion . That means the average class of 2016 graduate has nearly $38,000 in debt--a six percent increase fr

School suspends N.C. teacher for stomping on American flag - CBS News

by mike simpson / 11h

School suspends N.C. teacher for stomping on American flag - CBS News : School suspends N.C. teacher for stomping on American flag FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. -- A North Carolina high school teacher says he has been placed on leave after students say he stepped on an American flag as part of a history lesson. The Fayetteville Observer reported Massey Hill Classical High School teacher Lee Francis said he

Schools of choice creating white flight in metro Detroit

by mike simpson / 11h

Schools of choice creating white flight in metro Detroit : Schools of choice creating white flight in metro Detroit When the high school in Eastpointe recently welcomed the football team from Lakeview High, it was a homecoming of sorts. That’s because nearly 700 students from Eastpointe actually attend school in Lakeview, a public school district five miles away in St. Clair Shores. As it happens

Booed in Brockton -- state education head hammered on charter schools

by mike simpson / 12h

Booed in Brockton -- state education head hammered on charter schools : Booed in Brockton -- state education head hammered on charter schools Loud hissing and then booing broke out in a Brockton school cafeteria during a town hall-style forum on Tuesday when the state's public education commissioner mentioned the charter school he recommended for approval in the city this year. "You can deci

Trump's New Education Transition Team Has Corporate Dark-Money Ties

by mike simpson / 12h

Trump's New Education Transition Team Has Corporate Dark-Money Ties : Trump's New Education Transition Team Has Corporate Dark-Money Ties Major education news outlet Education Week reported that Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s campaign has appointed two new staffers to his “presidential transition team for education”: the Hoover Institution’s Williamson Evers and the American Enter

Content Changes Key for Teacher Success - The Atlantic

by mike simpson / 12h

Content Changes Key for Teacher Success - The Atlantic : Don't Blame the Teachers Blame the curriculum. Why has the topic of teacher quality suddenly reached such a crescendo? Education reform has been on the national agenda since 1983, the year of A Nation at Risk , but only in the last few years has the teacher-quality issue risen to the top. I think it may be reform fatigue, possibly desperati

YESTERDAY

Fear Of A Black Educator, Part 1 | The Jose Vilson

by mike simpson / 23h

Fear Of A Black Educator, Part 1 | The Jose Vilson : Fear Of A Black Educator, Part 1 It’s hard telling kids to pledge allegiance to a flag when its representatives barely represent us. #TerenceCrutcher — Jose Vilson (@TheJLV) September 20, 2016 Last night, in a fit of angst, I sent off a series of tweets: Without hesitation, someone decided to reply with “ Why not move to a country where there i

Michigan Leads Nation … In Denying Child Care To Low-Income Families

by mike simpson / 1d

Michigan Leads Nation … In Denying Child Care To Low-Income Families : Michigan Leads Nation … In Denying Child Care To Low-Income Families The cost of child care is one of the biggest expenses facing many families in the United States. For some, the cost is more than their rent or mortgage payment. Low income families especially struggle to find affordable child care. Child care providers are am

The Child Predator We Invite into Our Schools | gadflyonthewallblog

by mike simpson / 1d

The Child Predator We Invite into Our Schools | gadflyonthewallblog : The Child Predator We Invite into Our Schools There is a good chance a predator is in the classroom with your child right now. He is reading her homework assignments, quizzes and emails. He is timing how long it takes her to answer questions, noting her right and wrong answers. He’s even watching her body language to determine

Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 9/20/16

by mike simpson / 1d

Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 9/20/16 Featured Post Charter school bill calls for accountability - The San Diego Union-Tribune Civic Learning Award For CA Public Schools - Initiatives & Programs (CA Dept of Education) by mike 

Top Posts This Week

• 

  Thanks Gov. Snyder: Mother of Four Scammed in Flint Water Disaster
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  Jersey Jazzman: Christie's New School Proposal Will Target Teachers Of Color
• 

  After court threat, Fearless Leader removed Flint's power to sue
• 

  Why Is the State of Florida Trying to Destroy its Own Public Schools ? – Florida Viewpoint
• 

  Michigan teachers demoralized, union survey says
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  Randi Weingarten: Trump Fails A Crucial Test | Huffington Post
• 

  Charter school bill calls for accountability - The San Diego Union-Tribune
• 

  Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 9/18/16
• Karen Wolfe: Making Education Great Again - a rally in the Valley
• 

  Michigan Leads Nation … In Denying Child Care To Low-Income Families

In a democratic union you can’t short circuit democracy. Even in Chicago. | Fred Klonsky

In a democratic union you can’t short circuit democracy. Even in Chicago. | Fred Klonsky:

In a democratic union you can’t short circuit democracy. Even in Chicago.

Over these next few days members of the Chicago Teachers Union will be voting once again on whether to authorize their leadership to call a strike against the those unelected managers of our city’s school system.

Strikes and strike authorization votes are part of the collective bargaining process. This vote is probably the most important part of the process. It does two things:

It makes every member a direct participant in the process.

It demonstrates the members’ support for their union and their union’s elected leaders.

Although I write about teaching and teacher unions and cover teacher union strikes, I mostly never comment of whether teachers should accept or reject a contract that I personally don’t have to work under.

Unlike those that sit in the fancy media offices downtown, I  believe whether a contract is accepted or rejected is a decision  that is owned by those directly represented at the bargaining table.

It was just a few years ago that Stand For Children’s Jonah Edelman, a guy who thought he was way too clever by half, got the Illinois legislature to pass a law requiring Chicago union teachers, and only Chicago union teachers, to In a democratic union you can’t short circuit democracy. Even in Chicago. | Fred Klonsky:

 Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis’ letter to members on the current strike vote. | Fred Klonsky - http://wp.me/p4C3g-h4p 

Transforming schools into "territories of peace" - Lily's Blackboard

Transforming schools into "territories of peace" - Lily's Blackboard:

Transforming schools into “territories of peace”

The world’s longest continuous armed conflict could soon come to an end, and educators are leading the way to transform a public school system ravaged by war into a “territory of peace.” Where is all this happening? The answer: Colombia. After six decades at war, and after four years of intense negotiated talks, the government of Colombia and the FARC rebels have declared a truce and signed a peace agreement. (On October 2 Colombians will go to the polls to vote on the agreement.)

Colombian teachers have been direct victims of this violence. More than 1,000 unionized teachers have been assassinated, many hundreds more threatened and exiled. Their schools and communities have been devastatedby a war that has claimed more than 220,000 lives, and generated close to 5 million refugees.

But today, Colombian teachers–members of a profession in which hope is part of the DNA–are preparing to build a new country where peace is possible, where a new generation of students will grow up with books instead of bullets. The Colombian Federation of Educators, FECODE (in Spanish) is leading the way with a project to transform public schools into “territories of peace.”

About 70 percent of teachers in Colombia are unionized, and recently leaders of education unions from Latin America, the United States (yes, NEA was there) and Education International, went to Colombia to support the campaign for peace and reconciliation and FECODE’s initiative to transform schools into Transforming schools into "territories of peace" - Lily's Blackboard:

Solutions To The Emerging Teacher Shortage Crisis Even Republicans Will Like

Solutions To The Emerging Teacher Shortage Crisis Even Republicans Will Like:

Solutions To The Emerging Teacher Shortage Crisis Even Republicans Will Like

A new report is making big headlines for showing that public schools across the nation are experiencing severe problems with teacher shortages that are apt to develop into a “crisis” if left unaddressed.

The report from an education think tank called the Learning Policy Institute took off from last year’s widespread news stories that reported how schools were “struggling with shortages of teachers, particularly in math, science, and special education.”

Where this new report goes way beyond last year’s news stories is that it draws from a deep well of statistical validity, meticulous analysis, and wise counsel.

The report not only finds clear and credible evidence of teacher shortages; it provides a baseline definition of the term, identifies the factors driving the shortfalls, forecasts a continuing problem, and offers policy recommendations to shore up the existing teacher supply and attract new, well-qualified entrants.

Nevertheless, there are skeptics who remain unconvinced of the problem. Last year’s anecdotal reports on teacher shortages prompted harrumphs like this one in Forbes that argued it’s still “not clear … how large or prevalent the teacher shortage actually is.”

This year, many skeptics seem similarly unmoved. A reporter covering the LPI release for Education Week found an unconvinced source, Kate Walsh of the National Council on Teacher Quality, who claims, “Nobody has any national data that is justification for declaring a teacher shortage.”

I don’t think Walsh actually read the report, which indeed draws from several federal databases and numerous other quantitative studies and surveys.

Regardless of the evidence, studies finding deep and intractable problems in the teacher workforce always seem to draw the doubting crowd. Republicans, in particular, have always been resistant to the idea there is a teacher shortage. The reasons are somewhat mystifying (like why they Solutions To The Emerging Teacher Shortage Crisis Even Republicans Will Like:

Shocking overcrowding in Detroit schools - YouTube

Shocking overcrowding in Detroit schools - YouTube:

Shocking overcrowding in Detroit schools 

As an Education Prez, Trump Would Be Obama's Spiritual Heir :: Frederick M. Hess

As an Education Prez, Trump Would Be Obama's Spiritual Heir :: Frederick M. Hess:

As an Education Prez, Trump Would Be Obama's Spiritual Heir

On the Ed Week homepage, Max Eden and I lament the lack of a conservative in the presidential contest. We argue that a conservative candidate is sorely needed after 16 years of Bush-Obama tutelage in the perils of federal education expansionism.

What's that? You say that Donald Trump is a conservative? Not so much. Trump has spent at least half his adult life as a Democrat, has been on every side of every major issue, and seems wholly unacquainted with the Constitution. As Max and I put it, "Trump will occasionally utter conservative-sounding phrases, but he's no conservative—he shows no taste for limited government, no respect for federalism, and no faith in local institutions."

That gets to the real problem with Trump—which is that, as an aspiring executive, he is Barack Obama's spiritual heir. Yep, you read that right.

Our Madisonian system of government was designed to safeguard against the passions of the moment and the proclivities of problematic officials. The executive is unable to legislate on his (or her) own, and is thus limited in important ways.

Unfortunately, those strictures have been loosened in recent decades, especially by Obama. Perhaps nowhere has his disregard for this design been on clearer display than education. Those same progressive "education reformers" who are worried what a President Trump might do should recognize that the same stuff they've cheered under Obama has opened the door for Trump—or future imitators.

As Max and I wrote:

Trump promised earlier this year, "I will get rid of gun-free zones on schools, you have to. ... My first day, it gets signed, OK? My first day. There's no more gun-free zones." While conservatives do typically support gun rights, this isn't even remotely a conservative proposal. Actually, it's a lesson in the value of conservative governance.

Given that 4 in 10 Americans think arming teachers would make schools safer, Trump can insist that school safety is too important to leave to the whims of local officials who may put their own interests over what's best for the kids. After all, Trump's stance would be entirely consistent with the Obama administration's "pen and phone" approach to teacher evaluation, Elementary and Secondary Education Act waivers, school discipline, campus sexual assault, supplement-not-supplant, and much else. The logic is always: The federal government has a duty to ensure that local officials and educators are doing what's right for kids.

I haven't liked it when Obama has done it. And I suspect that I'll have more company if Trump starts doing the same on behalf of school vouchers, or moves to conscript schools and colleges into combating illegal immigration. The question, if that comes to pass, will be whether any of my progressive friends recognize how much Obama has done to make possible the most disconcerting aspects of a Trump presidency.As an Education Prez, Trump Would Be Obama's Spiritual Heir :: Frederick M. Hess:

Education Reformers Running Rampant in Oakland (Vote for Sean) – Cloaking Inequity

Education Reformers Running Rampant in Oakland (Vote for Sean) – Cloaking Inequity:

Education Reformers Running Rampant in Oakland (Vote for Sean)

The top-down, private control education reform supporters are currently running rampant in Oakland. The district is even led by a Broad trained superintendent. I have made several trips to Oakland at the request of community members to discuss what is occurring in their city.

You can watch two of the conversations here and here.

As a result, I fully support Sean Dugar for Oakland NAACP president. Elect Sean for a new community-based vision for education for Oakland.

If you live or work in Oakland, Emeryville, Alameda. Please join the Oakland NAACP today! Only those who are dues paying members can vote in the upcoming Oakland NAACP election. Become a member before October 9th. Click here to join.

Also, please help spread the word about Sean. Send a text, email, tweet or post to 5 friends that live or work in Oakland, Emeryville, Alameda urging them to join our movement by becoming members of the Oakland NAACP.

What better way to introduce Sean to your friends than in-person? Invite your friends, colleagues, and neighbors to hear Sean’s vision for justice, equality, and the NAACP! Email him at sean@newtitansstrategygroup.com

I have had many debates with Sean Dugar over the past few years, and I believe he would be an excellent choice for Oakland NAACP president.

Why would he be an excellent leader for the Oakland NAACP?

• Third generation East Bay native
• More than 14 years of active membership in the NAACP.
• Fully Paid Life Member of the Oakland NAACP.
• Served in leadership roles at the local and state levels of the NAACP including State Youth & College Division President as well as 4 years on the national staff of the NAAC

What will he do as NAACP President?

ACCOUNTABILITY

• Increase the visibility of the Oakland NAACP by having a community office with staffed office hours.
•  Increase transparency on financing, issue positions, and Oakland NAACP operations.

ADVOCACY

• Ensure the Oakland NAACP and its members are at the forefront of Oakland’s fights for Black Lives, Police Accountability, A Coal-Free City, Expanded Reentry Opportunities, Affordable Housing, Education, POC Ownership in the Cannabis Industry and a living wage for all Oakland.

COMMUNITY

• Seek to be a consensus builder amongst community organization
• Bring the resources of the NAACP to build a better Oakland.

Learn more about Sean’s campaign:

 If you do not live live or work in Oakland, Emeryville, Alameda. Please encourage your friends and colleagues to join the Oakland NAACP and elect Sean for a new vision for education for Oakland!

 Follow

JulianVasquezHeilig @ProfessorJVH

I'm ALL IN for justice and equality, I'm ALL IN for @seandugar for President of the Oakland NAACP!https://www.crowdpac.com/campaigns/80654/sean-dugar-for-president-of-oakland-naacp …

11:25 AM - 21 Sep 2016

Sean Dugar for President of Oakland NAACP

I'm ALL IN for justice & equality, I'm ALL IN for Sean Dugar for President of the Oakland NAACP! Join the movement by becoming a member of the Oakland NAACP at www.seandugar.com #sean4NAACP

crowdpac.com

 
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Also, check out Not Special Education, a Truth For America podcast about the experience of special education corps members in Oakland. Education Reformers Running Rampant in Oakland (Vote for Sean) – Cloaking Inequity:

Education’s Diversity Dilemma: What Can Be Done | the becoming radical

Education’s Diversity Dilemma: What Can Be Done | the becoming radical:

Education’s Diversity Dilemma: What Can Be Done

My 18 years as a public high school teacher and current 15 years as a university professor have one dilemma in common: diversity.

At the K-12 level, many schools struggle to recruit and maintain a diverse faculty; while universities often face a lack of diversity in both faculty and students.

The teaching staff at the rural South Carolina school where I taught was nearly all white, working-class, and essentially all Christian. Once we hired an outstanding woman to teach science; she happened to be a native of India and Hindu.

The culture in the school was so toxic to her diversity, that she left—or better phrased, she was run off by the implicit and direct messages of the people and the culture of the school.

My university has recently confronted the low percentage of women faculty as well as concerns about faulty and student diversity.

At our opening faculty retreat focusing on diversity and inclusion, a female faculty member expressed concern over the time and energy needed to address pronoun preferences to be sensitive to gender identity and/or gender expression.

Concurrently, several faculty expressed surprise that complimenting black faculty or students for being “articulate” is racist and offensive.

More pervasive, however, was the demand that we not proceed with diversity initiatives without definingdiversity, and that always included concerns about reducing diversity to race. Both of these strategies bound to the norms of academia, in effect, marginalize the power of privilege (many whites have been and are hiredEducation’s Diversity Dilemma: What Can Be Done | the becoming radical:

Advocacy Research: So-Called Research Must Not Be Misused to Defend Politically Popular Educational Policies | Ed In The Apple

Advocacy Research: So-Called Research Must Not Be Misused to Defend Politically Popular Educational Policies | Ed In The Apple:

Advocacy Research: So-Called Research Must Not Be Misused to Defend Politically Popular Educational Policies

It has become commonplace for electeds, journalists and advocates to begin a speech or article with “Research says ….” The use of the word “research” adds credibility to whatever argument they’re pursuing.  I was taught that research begins with a hypothesis, moves to a research design, the collection of data or access to data sets, the application of the appropriate statistical tools, the analysis of the results commonly expressed in a standard deviations  (“…quantity calculated to indicate the extent of deviation for a group as a whole”) and the reporting of the significance of the findings.

Sadly, advocacy researchadvocacy research is commonplace. Organizations hunting for research findings that support their positions or conducting research to “prove” positions already established.

(See Howard Wainer, “Uneducated Guesses: Using Evidence to Uncover Misguided Education Policies, 2011 – watch U-Tube here)

The New Teacher Project (TNTP) published “The Widget Effect,” research alleging that teachers were unsupervised and urging a more formalized teacher evaluation system. The New Teacher Project has been a critic of teacher tenure and supports using value-added measurements of teacher effectiveness to drive salary schedules, promotions and discharge decisions.  The report has been quoted hundreds of times, see examples here  and here.

States jumped on board and many states adopted teacher evaluation plans based on data – the application of a dense algorithm usually called value-added measurement. When the dust cleared tens of millions of dollars later, there is no evidence that “teaching” is more effective, in fact, the reliance on complex Advocacy Research: So-Called Research Must Not Be Misused to Defend Politically Popular Educational Policies | Ed In The Apple: