Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 5/18/17

Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 5/18/17

Featured Post

Here are K-12 education programs Trump wants to eliminate in 2018 budget - The Washington Post

Researchers, advocates divided over reclassifying English learners | EdSource

by mike simpson / 15min

Researchers, advocates divided over reclassifying English learners | EdSource : Researchers, advocates divided over reclassifying English learners Researchers and language experts have long criticized the subjectivity and variations in criteria that California districts have used to determine when English learners are proficient in English. But proposed legislation to create uniform, statewide st

Someone is driving the curriculum in Seattle Public Schools and it’s not educators, parents or the school board | Seattle Education

by mike simpson / 19min

Someone is driving the curriculum in Seattle Public Schools and it’s not educators, parents or the school board | Seattle Education : Someone is driving the curriculum in Seattle Public Schools and it’s not educators, parents or the school board Shortly after publishing a post titled The Seattle school board is asking the question: Where should technology fit into the education of K-12 students?

Government Accountability Office faults Education Department’s oversight of grants - The Washington Post

by mike simpson / 2h

Government Accountability Office faults Education Department’s oversight of grants - The Washington Post : Government Accountability Office faults Education Department’s oversight of grants Each year, the U.S. Education Department distributes billions of dollars in grants to schools, districts, states and nonprofits, and the agency needs to do a better job making sure that it is adequately monito

Celebrating 25 Years of Supporting Education Justice | Schott Foundation for Public Education

by mike simpson / 2h

Celebrating 25 Years of Supporting Education Justice | Schott Foundation for Public Education : Celebrating 25 Years of Supporting Education Justice Marking 25 years of supporting movements to end educational injustices in America’s public schools, the Schott Foundation rang in our silver anniversary by honoring grassroots, community and philanthropic figures who have led the charge. More than 20

Student data privacy webinar Tuesday May 23 | Parents Across America

by mike simpson / 2h

Student data privacy webinar Tuesday May 23 | Parents Across America : Student data privacy webinar Tuesday May 23 Amid growing concerns about data privacy and surveillance, the Parent Coalition for Student Privacy (PCSP) and the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood (CCFC) have created an important resource for parents to understand and safeguard students’ personal information. The Parent Too

Betsy DeVos' Proposed Budget Cuts for Education

by mike simpson / 3h

Betsy DeVos' Proposed Budget Cuts for Education : Is There a Point to All This Cruelty? Betsy DeVos knows nothing about public education. While we're on the subject of bad hiring in the executive branch , let's not forget that Betsy DeVos, the Secretary of Education, was the single most obviously unqualified Cabinet nominee— Grizzlies!— in the history of the republic. On Thursday, from The Washin

Making our Schools Safe for Muslim Students in a Climate of Hate

by mike simpson / 3h

Making our Schools Safe for Muslim Students in a Climate of Hate : Making our Schools Safe for Muslim Students in a Climate of Hate by ERNIE MCCRAY on MAY 18, 2017 · 0 COMMENTS in FROM THE SOUL There’s a survey highlighting that a large number of Muslim students are being bullied at school. Our school district picks up on it and looks at ways to make them feel safe on their campuses. And before y

Great New Documentary–“Backpack Full of Cash”–is Finished and Ready for Screenings in Your Community | Diane Ravitch's blog

by mike simpson / 4h

Great New Documentary–“Backpack Full of Cash”–is Finished and Ready for Screenings in Your Community | Diane Ravitch's blog : Great New Documentary–“Backpack Full of Cash”–is Finished and Ready for Screenings in Your Community Sarah Mondale and Vera Aronow announce that their long-awaited film “Backpack Full of Cash” has been completed, and they are now taking it to film festivals and community s

Betsy DeVos should know robbing Peter to pay Paul is a sin in education - The Hechinger Report

by mike simpson / 4h

Betsy DeVos should know robbing Peter to pay Paul is a sin in education - The Hechinger Report : Betsy DeVos should know robbing Peter to pay Paul is a sin in education Education budget could end proven programs in favor of perilous policies President Trump’s full education budget cuts funding for college work-study programs in half, eliminates public-service loan forgiveness and takes away hundr

CURMUDGUCATION: So Now Failure Is Okay, Apparently

by mike simpson / 5h

CURMUDGUCATION: So Now Failure Is Okay, Apparently : So Now Failure Is Okay, Apparently " Fail better ," says Michael Q. McShane (Show-Me Institute, AEI) in a piece at US News, arguing to reformsters for the virtue of admitting failure and building upon it. Part of his point is vaid, part is hugely self-serving and part of it is just plain annoying. Policy ideas like charter schools, teacher eval

OKCPS must choose path in wake of new testing rules - NonDoc

by mike simpson / 6h

OKCPS must choose path in wake of new testing rules - NonDoc : OKCPS must choose path in wake of new testing rules T he headline of Ben Felder’s front-page story in the May 5 edition of The Oklahoman proclaimed wonderful news: State Re-Examines Testing . Felder reviewed examples of outrages unleashed by test-driven accountability. He described a Duncan teacher fighting back tears as she read the

SCHOOL IS IN BEYOND THE FEMINIST CLASSROOM | Bitch Media

by mike simpson / 6h

School Is In | Bitch Media : SCHOOL IS IN BEYOND THE FEMINIST CLASSROOM Illustration by Chris Kindred This article appears in our 2016 Winter issue, Nerds . Subscribe today! One of my most striking lessons in gendered classroom dynamics came in a history seminar during my final year at a women’s college. The college allowed men into its graduate program in teacher education, and one of those men

Jeff Bryant – Trump’s Education Budget Feeds School Privatization At The Expense of Students

by mike simpson / 6h

5/18/2017 – Trump’s Education Budget Feeds School Privatization At The Expense of Students : Trump’s Education Budget Feeds School Privatization At The Expense of Students THIS WEEK: Truth About Vouchers … Segregation Worsens … School Choice Poll … Vouchers Fail Special Ed … Bad News From LA TOP STORY Trump’s Education Budget Feeds School Privatization At The Expense of Students By Jeff Bryant “T

The Canary in the Mine | The Merrow Report

by mike simpson / 6h

The Canary in the Mine | The Merrow Report : The Canary in the Mine If you are looking for convincing evidence that “test-based accountability” and test-score obsessions are counter-productive, the ‘Canary in the Mine’ is the Broad Prize for Excellence in Urban Education . Without much publicity, the Broad Foundation did not award the $1,000,000 Broad Prize for Excellence in Urban Education in 20

School Closure as a Strategy to Remedy Low Performance | National Education Policy Center

by mike simpson / 7h

School Closure as a Strategy to Remedy Low Performance | National Education Policy Center : School Closure as a Strategy to Remedy Low Performance Gail L. Sunderman , Erin Coghlan , Rick Mintrop May 18, 2017 Press Release Learn More: NEPC Resources on School Reform and Restructuring This brief investigates whether closing schools and transferring students for the purpose of remedying low performa

Here are K-12 education programs Trump wants to eliminate in 2018 budget - The Washington Post

by mike simpson / 7h

Here are K-12 education programs Trump wants to eliminate in 2018 budget - The Washington Post : Here are K-12 education programs Trump wants to eliminate in 2018 budget Mental health services. Civics and arts programs. International education and language studies. Anti-bullying activities. Gifted and talented initiatives. Full-service community schools. These are some of the K-12 education progr

Broken Record Betsy | janresseger

by mike simpson / 8h

Broken Record Betsy | janresseger : Broken Record Betsy I don’t usually agree with Andrew Rotherham, a former domestic policy advisor to Bill Clinton, the founder of and a partner at Bellweather Education Partners, and now a commentator for Campbell Brown’s project, The 74 , an online news service with a pro-“reform” edge. Rotherham is a committed education “reformer,” a pro-innovation, pro-chart

Russ on Reading: Invented Spelling: Discovering How Words Work

by mike simpson / 8h

Russ on Reading: Invented Spelling: Discovering How Words Work : Invented Spelling: Discovering How Words Work I was excited when my niece Jennifer shared this wonderful piece of writing by her daughter, Callie. It reminded me of the joy I would take in my young students' developing understanding of how words work when I was in the classroom. Invented spelling is truly joyous because of the great

The Fundamental Dilemma Within Any Instructional Reform | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

by mike simpson / 8h

The Fundamental Dilemma Within Any Instructional Reform | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice : The Fundamental Dilemma Within Any Instructional Reform Over five years ago I wrote a post on a new teacher’s dilemma. In that post I defined what a dilemma was and distinguished it from a problem. Then I presented an instance of a dilemma in a novice’s classroom and asked readers what

Why Delinking Graduation from the Smarter Balanced Assessment & Other Tests is the Right Thing to Do. | Seattle Education

by mike simpson / 8h

Why Delinking Graduation from the Smarter Balanced Assessment & Other Tests is the Right Thing to Do. | Seattle Education : Why Delinking Graduation from the Smarter Balanced Assessment & Other Tests is the Right Thing to Do. I am writing to encourage everyone who values the 13 years of hard work completed by students as they reach their senior year to call their state legislators. My request is

What If We Held An Election And Nobody Came? – redqueeninla

by mike simpson / 8h

What If We Held An Election And Nobody Came? – redqueeninla : What If We Held An Election And Nobody Came? Shame on you Los Angeles The international movement admiring “strongmen” leaders which sanctions rhetorical, and sometimes even physical violence, has seen its latest expression in Los Angeles’ battle for public schools. There are a lot of angry white women out there, and they vote . Despite

Billionaires with Agenda to Privatize Public Schools Buy LAUSD School Board Election for $10 Million - California Teachers Association

by mike simpson / 8h

Billionaires with Agenda to Privatize Public Schools Buy LAUSD School Board Election for $10 Million - California Teachers Association : Billionaires with Agenda to Privatize Public Schools Buy LAUSD School Board Election for $10 Million Public Education Should Be About Kids, Not Profits See more: www.KidsNotProfits.com BURLINGAME – California Teachers Association President Eric Heins released th

Ed Reformers Are Going to Discuss Their Failures | deutsch29

by mike simpson / 8h

Ed Reformers Are Going to Discuss Their Failures | deutsch29 : Ed Reformers Are Going to Discuss Their Failures It seems that the ed reform message is once again shifting. Years ago, around 2013, I first heard the ed reform message shift in regard to the state-run Recovery School District (RSD) in New Orleans. RSD was supposed to be revolutionary. In 2013, I first heard RSD “mother,” former La. s

Charter Schools and Voucher Schools are Virtually Identical | gadflyonthewallblog

by mike simpson / 9h

Charter Schools and Voucher Schools are Virtually Identical | gadflyonthewallblog : Charter Schools and Voucher Schools are Virtually Identical The stark orange monolith that was Donald Trump is starting to crumble . And with it so are the dreams of corporate education reformers everywhere. Where in previous administrations they could pass off their policies as Democratic or Republican depending

CURMUDGUCATION: The Geography of Reform

by mike simpson / 9h

CURMUDGUCATION: The Geography of Reform : The Geography of Reform It's an oft-repeated reformster refrain. Students trapped by zip code in failed school s. Paul Ryan offering a lifeline for trapped students . And here's Betsy DeVos at a recent speech, explaining some of the fundamental flaws of our terrible awful no good very bad public education system: The system assigns your child to a school

YESTERDAY

Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 5/17/17

by mike simpson / 1d

Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 5/17/17 Featured Post Major changes could come to L.A. schools after charter school movement's big win - LA Times Big Money Wins Big in LA School Board Race - LA Progressive by mike simpson / 

Top Posts This Week

• 

  Jeff Bryant: The Democrats’ Dilemma On Charter Schools
• 

  The Elementary Education of Donald Trump | deutsch29
• 

  What educators really want for Teacher Appreciation Week (we asked)
• 

  Sen. Bernie Sanders Endorses Steve Zimmer and Imelda Padilla for LAUSD School Board | UTLA
• 

  REVEALED: Governors are using mysterious ‘social welfare’ non-profits to prop up their administrations
• 

  This is the new Betsy DeVos speech everyone should read - The Washington Post
• 

  Steve Zimmer: The Case Against Myself - LA Progressive
• 

  Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post 5/16/17
• 

  Special Nite Cap: Catch Up on Today's Post + 5/13/17
• 

  CURMUDGUCATION: LAUSD: More Cyber-shenanigans

Researchers, advocates divided over reclassifying English learners | EdSource

Researchers, advocates divided over reclassifying English learners | EdSource:

Researchers, advocates divided over reclassifying English learners

Researchers and language experts have long criticized the subjectivity and variations in criteria that California districts have used to determine when English learners are proficient in English. But proposed legislation to create uniform, statewide standards for doing so has hit a snag, with some of the nation’s leading academic experts expressing strong opposition to the bill.

Rather than fix inconsistency in how districts reclassify English learners, Senate Bill 463 “risks exacerbating the state’s long-term English learner problem,” 28 researchers and academicians wrote in an April 28 letter to California Senate leaders and the administration of Gov. Jerry Brown. Lead signers were California’s noted experts on English learners: Robert Linquanti, a project director on English learners at the San Francisco research agency WestEd, and Kenji Hakuta, a linguistics professor emeritus at the Stanford University Graduate School of Education.Researchers, advocates divided over reclassifying English learners | EdSource:

Someone is driving the curriculum in Seattle Public Schools and it’s not educators, parents or the school board | Seattle Education

Someone is driving the curriculum in Seattle Public Schools and it’s not educators, parents or the school board | Seattle Education:

Someone is driving the curriculum in Seattle Public Schools and it’s not educators, parents or the school board

Shortly after publishing a post titled The Seattle school board is asking the question: Where should technology fit into the education of K-12 students? on how the school board wanted to deliberate and have a conversation on the role of technology in Seattle public schools and therefore hold off on large purchases of computers and software, the board voted the next week to buy laptops for half of the students in seven schools.

What will be on the laptop is anyone’s guess.

The curriculum for Seattle Public Schools is overdue for a review and has not been done by the school board. The reason for this delay is because the staff involved with curriculum within the Seattle Public School administration has been dragging their feet.  My guess is that the software  installed on these laptops will have the narrow focus of the Common Core Standards with its concomitant testing and whatever else someone decides to upload to the computers but at this time, it’s anyone’s guess.

At Middle College high school in Seattle with a mostly minority population, a software called Edgenuity was installed for students. The focus of the school is theoretically on social justice. Now there are complaints by students and staff that the software Someone is driving the curriculum in Seattle Public Schools and it’s not educators, parents or the school board | Seattle Education:

Government Accountability Office faults Education Department’s oversight of grants - The Washington Post

Government Accountability Office faults Education Department’s oversight of grants - The Washington Post:

Government Accountability Office faults Education Department’s oversight of grants

Each year, the U.S. Education Department distributes billions of dollars in grants to schools, districts, states and nonprofits, and the agency needs to do a better job making sure that it is adequately monitoring whether the money is achieving its intended goals, according to a Government Accountability Office report.

Many grants are doled out over multiple years, and grantees are supposed to show “substantial progress” toward their goals  to receive their next installment of funds. The GAO found that in 2015, during the Obama administration, department employees did not consistently adhere to protocols for documenting their efforts to monitor grants, making it impossible for outside investigators to determine whether grantees made enough progress to get the money they received.

The GAO studied 75 grants worth $272 million that Education awarded in fiscal  2015, a small sample of the $4 billion in grants distributed to thousands of recipients that year. In 69 of those 75 cases, official Education grant files were missing documentation of performance. For instance, grantees’ progress should have been documented in 179 separate reports, but GAO investigators could find only 121 such reports in the official files.

In a March letter appended to the GAO report, Education Department officials said that all of the performance reports had been completed, though some were not stored in official grant files. They agreed with a GAO recommendation to establish new written procedures describing how supervisors should ensure that employees are appropriately monitoring grantees, but emphasized that no federal funds were improperly distributed.

Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), who requested the GAO investigation, said he hopes that Secretary Betsy DeVos makes “serious improvements” to correct the deficiencies.

“When taxpayers spent $4 billion on competitive grants administered by the Obama administration’s Education Department in 2015, they expected proper oversight — to ensure the money was spent as intended and the results were measured,” Alexander said in a statement. “Today’s report shows us the department didn’t deliver.”

Education Department spokeswoman Liz Hill also noted that the GAO identified problems that occurred during the previous administration. “Secretary DeVos finds this report appalling and unacceptable and is committed to ensuring the U.S. Department of Education delivers on its commitment to serving students while prudently safeguarding taxpayer dollars,” Hill said.Government Accountability Office faults Education Department’s oversight of grants - The Washington Post:

Celebrating 25 Years of Supporting Education Justice | Schott Foundation for Public Education

Celebrating 25 Years of Supporting Education Justice | Schott Foundation for Public Education:

Celebrating 25 Years of Supporting Education Justice

Marking 25 years of supporting movements to end educational injustices in America’s public schools, the Schott Foundation rang in our silver anniversary by honoring grassroots, community and philanthropic figures who have led the charge. More than 200 guests helped us celebrate at New York City's Metropolitan Pavilion this evening.

Among our honorees was noted civil rights leader Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II, who received the foundation’s Lifetime Achievement Award, and The Atlantic Philanthropies former Chief Strategy Advisor for Equity Initiatives and Human Capital Development Kavitha Mediratta, who received the Philanthropy Changemaker Award.

We also honored the Campaign for Fiscal Equity (CFE) with the Lilo Leeds Legacy Award and suprised Senior Vice President Cassie Schwerner and founding presidents Greg Jobin-Leeds and Dr. Rosa Smith with awards as well.

For the official announcement, visit: http://schottfoundation.org/about/press-releases/schott-foundation-public-education-honors-rev-dr-william-barber-ii-kavitha.

Celebrating 25 Years of Supporting Education Justice | Schott Foundation for Public Education:

 

Student data privacy webinar Tuesday May 23 | Parents Across America

Student data privacy webinar Tuesday May 23 | Parents Across America:
Student data privacy webinar Tuesday May 23

Amid growing concerns about data privacy and surveillance, the Parent Coalition for Student Privacy (PCSP) and the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood (CCFC) have created an important resource for parents to understand and safeguard students’ personal information.

The Parent Toolkit for Student Privacy: A Practical Guide for Protecting Your Child’s Sensitive School Data from Snoops, Hackers, and Marketers is a vital resource in an age where nearly all school records are stored digitally, and where learning, homework, and administrative tasks are increasingly conducted online. Available free to parents on CCFC and PCSP’s websites, the Toolkit offers clear guidance about federal laws that do—and don’t—protect students’ privacy, helps parents ask the right questions about their schools’ data policies, and offers simple steps parents can take to advocate for better privacy policies and practices in their children’s schools.

“The Parent Toolkit for Student Privacy is a powerhouse resource for parents, educators and school districts,” said Laura Bowman, President of the PAA-Roanoke Valley chapter of the public education advocacy group Parents Across America. “By providing easily understood explanations of laws and legal rights, best practices, questions to ask, and ways to advocate for their children, the Toolkit empowers parents with the information they need to ensure their child’s sensitive information is safeguarded.”

The Parent Toolkit for Student Privacy can be downloaded at www.studentprivacymatters.org/toolkit.

Join our WEBINAR

PCSP, CCFC and PAA will co-sponsor a webinar on May 23, 2017, to help parents effectively use the toolkit’s resources. The webinar starts at 8 pm ET, 5 pm PT. PAA’s Laura Bowman will be on the webinar panel along with PAA co-founder Leonie Haimson, Rachael Stickland from PCSP and Josh Golin from CCFC. Please register here.

The purpose of the webinar is to review the main points of the toolkit and talk about ways to take action. There will also be time for Q! and A.Student data privacy webinar Tuesday May 23 | Parents Across America:

 May 18, 2017 newsletter brief | Parents Across America - http://parentsacrossamerica.org/?p=6856

ESQUIRE CHARLES P. PIERCE: Betsy DeVos' Proposed Budget Cuts for Education

Betsy DeVos' Proposed Budget Cuts for Education:

Is There a Point to All This Cruelty?

Betsy DeVos knows nothing about public education.

While we're on the subject of bad hiring in the executive branch, let's not forget that Betsy DeVos, the Secretary of Education, was the single most obviously unqualified Cabinet nominee—Grizzlies!—in the history of the republic. On Thursday, from The Washington Post, we find that DeVos is finding ways to fulfill her life's dream of destroying public education and monetizing all those bright shiny faces.

The cuts would come from eliminating at least 22 programs, some of which Trump outlined in March. Gone, for example, would be $1.2 billion for after-school programs that serve 1.6 million children, most of whom are poor, and $2.1 billion for teacher training and class-size reduction. The documents obtained by The Post — dated May 23, the day the president's budget is expected to be released — outline the rest of the cuts, including a $15 million program that provides child care for low-income parents in college; a $27 million arts education program; two programs targeting Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian students, totaling $65 million; two international education and foreign language programs, $72 million; a $12 million program for gifted students; and $12 million for Special 

Betsy DeVos' Proposed Budget Cuts for Education:

 

Making our Schools Safe for Muslim Students in a Climate of Hate

Making our Schools Safe for Muslim Students in a Climate of Hate:

Making our Schools Safe for Muslim Students in a Climate of Hate

by ERNIE MCCRAY on MAY 18, 2017 · 0 COMMENTS

in FROM THE SOUL

There’s a survey highlighting that a large number of Muslim students are being bullied at school. Our school district picks up on it and looks at ways to make them feel safe on their campuses. And before you can say “Way to go!” to the school system, a bunch of hateful folks come up with some “reverse discrimination” kind of BS.

They whine about those students being given “special treatment.” They blabber about the schools surrendering to Sharia law and caving into demands made by the Council for American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). They claim falsely that CAIR is a “covert supporter of Islamic fundamentalism rather than a supporter of a reformed Islam compatible with the Constitution and laws of the United States.”

Blah-Blah-Blah-Doo-Wa!

Well, putting nonsense aside, the truth is these young people are not being given special treatment: they’re being treated the way they should be treated — with respect, as citizens of our country, as human beings who are simply trying to live good lives as they pursue the “American Dream.” It’s so sad that yahoos have to pop up every time somebody from a “minority” group gets a slight leg up in the scheme of things, making them live out, against their will, the reality that freedom isn’t free – for them.

What the district is trying to do, teach students about Islam and include Islamic holidays on the district’s calendars, is an act of human decency. It’s what’s called for in times like these when onMaking our Schools Safe for Muslim Students in a Climate of Hate:

Great New Documentary–“Backpack Full of Cash”–is Finished and Ready for Screenings in Your Community | Diane Ravitch's blog

Great New Documentary–“Backpack Full of Cash”–is Finished and Ready for Screenings in Your Community | Diane Ravitch's blog:

Great New Documentary–“Backpack Full of Cash”–is Finished and Ready for Screenings in Your Community

Sarah Mondale and Vera Aronow announce that their long-awaited film “Backpack Full of Cash” has been completed, and they are now taking it to film festivals and community screenings. This is the film that tells the story of the dangers of public school privatization and the undermining of public education in many districts.

Dear BACKPACK Friends and Supporters,

We want to share some good news. BACKPACK FULL OF CASH––a documentary film narrated by Matt Damon, that explores the impact of privatizing public schools––is now finished, updated and complete with a new Epilogue. With the appointment of U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos––a longtime advocate of charter schools, vouchers and online schools, there is a pressing need for public awareness of these issues. BACKPACK seems to be striking a nerve with audiences.

We just showed BACKPACK to sold-out crowds at film festivals in Nashville and Washington, DC where the film won Runner Up–Audience Award, Best Documentary. We are getting many requests for screenings from around the country–and the world! If you or someone you know would like to host a screening, please visit our website. You can also make a donation––now urgently needed––to help us launch the outreach/ distribution campaign for the film.

We have been invited to show BACKPACK FULL OF CASH in Seattle, WA and Alberta, Canada in May/June. If you know anyone in these areas who would be interested, please help us spread the word. Here is the schedule and ticket info:

BACKPACK FULL OF CASH SCREENINGS

SEATTLE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

(filmmakers in attendance at June screenings only)

Friday, 5/19 at 3:30pm at SIFF Cinema Uptown

Tuesday, 6/6 at 7:00pm at AMC Pacific Place

Wednesday, 6/7 at 4:30pm at AMC Pacific Place Click here for tickets.

ALBERTA, CANADA

presented by Support Our Students Alberta,

sponsored by Alberta Federation of Labour

(filmmakers in attendance in Calgary only)

Thursday, 5/25 at 7:00pm in CALGARY, Globe Cinema

Saturday, 5/27 at 7:00pm EDMONTON, Art Gallery of Alberta, Ledcor Theater

Tuesday, 5/30 at 7:00pm in LETHBRIDGE, City of Lethbridge Sterndale Bennett Theater

Thursday, 6/1 at 7:00pm in RED DEER, Red Deer College, Welikoland Cinema

Click here for tickets.

Thanks again for your support.

Sarah Mondale, Vera Aronow, and the BACKPACK Film Team

Great New Documentary–“Backpack Full of Cash”–is Finished and Ready for Screenings in Your Community | Diane Ravitch's blog:

Narrated by Matt Damon, this feature-length documentary explores the growing privatization of public schools and the resulting impact on America’s most vulnerable children. Filmed in Philadelphia, New Orleans, Nashville and other cities, it takes viewers through the tumultuous 2013-14 school year, exposing the world of education “reform” where public education – starved of resources- hangs in the balance. ​

BACKPACK FULL OF CASH - http://www.backpackfullofcash.com/

Betsy DeVos should know robbing Peter to pay Paul is a sin in education - The Hechinger Report

Betsy DeVos should know robbing Peter to pay Paul is a sin in education - The Hechinger Report:
Betsy DeVos should know robbing Peter to pay Paul is a sin in education
Education budget could end proven programs in favor of perilous policies

President Trump’s full education budget cuts funding for college work-study programs in half, eliminates public-service loan forgiveness and takes away hundreds of millions of dollars that schools use for mental health services and advanced coursework in order to pay for one of his campaign promises – more school choice, according to budget documents obtained by The Washington Post.

Trump and his besieged education secretary Betsy DeVos would rob Peter, the public schools, to pay the Paul of charter schools and vouchers. Specifically, the administration plans to spend approximately “$400 million to expand charter schools and vouchers for private and religious schools, and another $1 billion to push public schools to adopt choice-friendly policies,” the Post reports.

Work-study provides low-income students the opportunity of a part-time job that helps pay for school. By limiting work hours and offering many on-campus job options, work-study increases the likelihood of graduation and reduces indebtedness. Public-service loan forgiveness also reduces indebtedness that burdens low-income students while encouraging college graduates to seek jobs in areas of critical need, including education and public health.

It’s a budget that justifies the instincts of the Bethune-Cookman College graduates who turned their backs to DeVos when she spoke at their commencement. The cuts the administration is proposing proves Trump and DeVos don’t have interests of these students at heart.

Related: The highs and lows of Betsy DeVos’ first 100 days

DeVos should know that taking away real income, job opportunities and community development resources from the people who need it Betsy DeVos should know robbing Peter to pay Paul is a sin in education - The Hechinger Report:

CURMUDGUCATION: So Now Failure Is Okay, Apparently

CURMUDGUCATION: So Now Failure Is Okay, Apparently:

So Now Failure Is Okay, Apparently

"Fail better," says Michael Q. McShane (Show-Me Institute, AEI) in a piece at US News, arguing to reformsters for the virtue of admitting failure and building upon it. Part of his point is vaid, part is hugely self-serving and part of it is just plain annoying.Policy ideas like charter schools, teacher evaluation and high standards first exist in the abstract. When they are actually implemented, they look quite different from state to state or district to district. What one state calls "charter schooling" might look different from charter schooling in another state. So if charter schools struggle in one state, it isn't necessarily an indictment on the idea as a whole. It might just be that the particular manifestation didn't match the context of the specific environment where it was tried. In an ideal world, we'd learn from that, and do better.

In other words,even when a policy has been tested and it has failed, that doesn't mean it's not a great policy that we should keep trying in new and different markets. This is just a variation of that golden oldie that folks used to defend Common Core-- "The policy is brilliant; you're just implementing it wrong." The policy may look like an utter failure, even after over a decade of reforminess, but honest-- any day now it's finally going to work the way we imagined it would.

This is part of a valid idea. But his list of possible causes for failure is missing one critical possibility-- your policy idea is a bad policy idea, and that sad pig won't fly no matter what shade of lipstick you try smearing on it.

He does offer a good description of the process often involved with reformy policy failures:

When a new study comes out that says a policy has "failed," we man the ramparts. Opponents (who were against the policy before any data were available) come out and tut-tut at advocates, telling them to "follow the data" or not to "cling to ideology." Advocates circle the wagons. They spin the CURMUDGUCATION: So Now Failure Is Okay, Apparently:

John Thompson: OKCPS must choose path in wake of new testing rules - NonDoc

OKCPS must choose path in wake of new testing rules - NonDoc:

OKCPS must choose path in wake of new testing rules

 The headline of Ben Felder’s front-page story in the May 5 edition of The Oklahoman proclaimed wonderful news: State Re-Examines Testing.

Felder reviewed examples of outrages unleashed by test-driven accountability. He described a Duncan teacher fighting back tears as she read the notes left by some of her algebra students. One wrote, “I hate testing so much,” while another scribbled, “help.”

Yes! A bipartisan grassroots coalition of students, parents and educators, combined with State Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister’s leadership, beat back the testing frenzy of the last decade and a half.

My question is: Will the Oklahoma City Public School System re-examine its bubble-in instruction and change course?

Teach-to-the-test malpractice takes over

Through most of my career, OKCPS high schools were at least semi-successful in resisting “drill and kill” basic skills instruction. By the end of my full-time teaching in 2010, however, my students who came from the poorest elementary and middle schools complained that they had been completely robbed of an education. Nonstop worksheet-driven test prep drove the joy of learning out of school.

It wasn’t until the launch of end-of-instruction graduation exams and the threat of value-added teacher evaluations (when individual students and adults could be punished for low test scores) that teach-to-the-test malpractice took over.

I taught part-time during those maddening years. We could mourn with our students about the damage that was being done to them, but we also had to subordinate our OKCPS must choose path in wake of new testing rules - NonDoc: